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Brent Stuart caught this stunning groper on a fresh crab bait off Macauleys Headland on the Mid North Coast. A Matthew McEwen image.
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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE Whether you’re a tournament angler or not, the ABT Tournament Angler Guide stitched into the centre of this issue is a quality read if you like lure fishing. Back in the day when it was a stand-alone magazine (and over 160 pages), it had the nickname of ‘the instruction book for your lure box’. Nothing much has changed. Whether you’re scoping out a new area for social fishing or for a tournament, Joey and Jamie’s preparation article will help you succeed. And after livestreaming my entire season from the boat, there’s a no-holds-barred article on every lure I used to weigh bream across Australia. It takes ABT’s motto – ‘Who Shares Wins’ – to the extreme. We’re really proud of the
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There’s nothing wrong with trudging the riverbanks and doing your bit for the environment, especially if it involves picking up a bagful of rubbish and smashing a few vermin on the head. I think both carp and tilapia have the same brownie points as cane toads. Rob ‘Rupe’ Gaden Jr gets us up to speed on the best way to do this this month with a piece on his favourite carp bashing techniques. Just don’t do what he just did – slip over on some wet rocks and break your foot. Rupe says that his moon boot is as good a tool as you’d expect for sneaking up on carp: rubbish! MEGA CHRISTMAS SUBSCRIPTIONS A big shout out to all of our new subscribers that came on board over the Christmas break – either as gift recipients or via redemption of a gift card. We
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BYRON COAST The Tweed 28 Ballina 30 Yamba 32 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour 34 Nambucca 36 South West Rocks 37 MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 38 Harrington-Taree 41 Forster 39 HUNTER COAST Swansea 42 Port Stephens 43 Erina 45 Hunter Coast 44 SYDNEY Sydney North 12 The Hawkesbury 14 Sydney Harbour 16 Sydney South 18 Pittwater 20 Botany Bay 22 Sydney Rock and Beach 24 Western Sydney 25 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 79 Nowra 80 BATEMANS COAST Merimbula 83 Narooma 82 Batemans Bay 88 EDEN COAST Bermagui 84 Tathra 85 Mallacoota 90 FRESHWATER Canberra 97 Robinvale 98 Mildura 99 Albury-Wodonga 99 Lithgow-Oberon 100 Batlow 101 Snowy Mountains 102 Yarrawonga 102 Hunter Valley 103 New England 104 Wagga Wagga 105 TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 47 BOATING AND KAYAKING 113 REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 46 Black Magic Masterclass Bream 86 Cooking 91 Dam Levels 104 Fun Page 109 Tides 112 Trade Directory 110 Tournament News 108 What’s New Fishing 92 What’s New Boating 115 SPECIAL FEATURES Are you the solution to carp 8 Exploring the Myall River 26 Codference wrap-up 106
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CARP
Are you a better solution to the carp problem? FMG
Rupe Instagram: @rupeisfishing
A few of the early settlers of this great land have a lot to answer for. Beyond the mistreatment of traditional owners and land degradation, they’re also responsible for the introduction of some incredibly damaging flora and fauna species, not least of which is the carp. Carp are not a problem that’s limited to Australian waterways. They’re now
an absolute scourge to the Australian aquatic landscape. The habitat destruction in the Murray-Darling basin alone is enough that their introduction should be remembered as a national disaster with its own public holiday where every man, woman and child is required to catch and kill at least one carp. Vote 1 – Rupe Is Fishing Party! SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? We can catch them, dispose of them, and limit their breeding capabilities
I’ve phoned around and had a chat to a few state fisheries offices when penning this article and the general consensus is to catch and dispose of as many as you can, particularly the larger breeding stock. They produce a huge amount of offspring in no time at all, so each breeder you can remove can make a big difference. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CARP As a species, they’re extremely adaptable to all types of waterways and water conditions (which is why they’re so widespread)
and they might have to get their backs out of the water to move up a rapid. No matter the particular species of carp, of which there are many, a few things remain constant: they are clever, they have excellent eyesight and they seem to spend most of their time on the lookout doing their best to avoid any trouble. Even the plain brown models are still relatively brightly coloured compared to naturally occurring species and would make easy targets for large birds of prey, so you can understand why their existence would be a nervous one, and that’s before you take into account the natives swimming in their vicinity – ie Murray cod – who are big enough to eat them. Carp are omnivorous, meaning they’ll quite happily eat aquatic plants, but they do prefer a diet of insects, crayfish, shrimp and worms. For whatever reason, they’ve also taken quite a liking to corn kernels. Pound for pound, they’re one of the hardest fighting freshwater fish you’re likely to encounter and employ just about every dirty tactic you’d expect from a filthy, noxious pest whose ancestors cut their teeth dodging monster muskies and the like. SO YOU WANT TO BE A CARP SUPERSTAR? I hope by now I have you so pumped up that you’re
of frustration – especially when sight-casting to them – if they’re in the right mood though, they can also be caught one after the other if you present your offering in the right manner.
you don’t want to go home with the dreaded doughnut. One thing I must stress is to not be discouraged by the first, second or even seventh and eighth refusals. They will eat something,
A selection of flies that will have you covered on most days. WHAT SHOULD YOU THROW? As mentioned above, a carp’s typical diet can be quite varied and they’re pickier with food than my 8-year-old daughter some days; changing their minds on what they’ll eat and what they’ll flat out refuse. Plenty of times different schools of fish in different pools of the same river will have totally opposite requirements from you, the angler. This means that any
eventually. You just need to stay in the game, stay hidden as best you can and keep casting. There will be times they will charge your offering with an open mouth and just as the nerve endings in your striking hand start to fire messages to your brain they will turn away. This is standard carp behaviour. BAITS Soaking baits like worms, small crustaceans such as shrimp and crayfish
It’s hard to fathom that you can catch such destructive pests in surroundings as beautiful as these. plentiful on every continent except Antarctica and while they’re a valuable commodity in Europe and Asia (depending on the genetic strain), they are
without leaving literally millions of tons of rotting fish in the water that could lead to a dreaded black water type event. You know what, they’re bloody fun to catch!
and they breed like rabbits. They’re also very mobile and not too territorial so will move up and down a river with ease, even in times when water levels are low
The business end of the beast. Watch for the brightly coloured lips and mouth to open and close before you strip strike to set the fly hook.
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FEBRUARY 2019
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furiously looking up the nearest infected waterway so your carp muster can begin. But there are a couple of things you need to decide before you head out in search of the villainous creatures. While carp can be very fussy and an eternal source
fisher wanting to actively target carp needs to have a reasonable amount of arrows in their quiver, so to speak. Because of their fickle nature, you’re going to want to be armed with as many different lures, flies, baits or a combination of all three if
offer you your best chance of success. If you can catch them in the same waterway that you’re fishing then you’ll do even better because you can guarantee they’ve eaten that variety before and they’ll be willing to do so again.
CARP If you’re wanting to sit in a camp chair and sink a few tinnies while fishing, try fishing under a float. They’re good strike indicators and it keeps your bait off the bottom, usually giving you better hook up potential before they realise there’s a hook in there. This is your best bet when fishing with kids too. The float is something for them to concentrate on, but by the time it bobs under the water the hooking part is already taken care of and they can just enjoy the bend in the rod.
I talk to my kids on the trip to the water and also after we’ve disposed of a carp so they have an understanding of what we’re doing and why it’s important. If you give them the knowledge now they’re sure to carry that with them on future adventures. If walking the bank and casting at fish you can see is more appealing to you (I know it is for me) then forget the float and cast lightly weighted or even unweighted baits 1-1.5m in front of the fish. Leave some slack line so the bait sinks in a more natural fashion.
One fish feeding can lead to the others in the pool working themselves into a frenzy, like the one that amounted to this triple hook-up on three different types of fly.
LURES Many carp have been tricked into eating a lure intended for cod, bass and yellowbelly, and plenty of anglers with carp on the end of the line have been fooled into thinking they had the world record catch on before those big blubbery lips made their way to the surface. They’ll eat any number of hardbodies, blades and vibes if you put it in the right place at the right time, but they are absolute suckers for a nice supple soft plastic in a worm, grub or craw pattern. If you plan to throw lures at them, fish them fairly slow with plenty of pause after you hop it. Scent is also your friend; use a quality scent like SAX or Pro Cure that will last a while. Give them time to sniff it out and come over for a nibble. FLIES Flyfishing can be very effective because you can present a small, natural looking fly and land it without too much disruption to the water. For a fish that has evolved heightened senses this extra advantage should not be sneezed at. It’s also the most difficult because you need to either have enough space to feed a cast out or be able to competently roll cast in
Big koi carp are as clever as they are scarce. They seem to be much more switched on and picky than their brown brethren. tight cover. If you are planning on waving the wand around, take a mix of flies with you that closely resemble the natural baits I’ve listed above as best you can. Patterns like shrimp, nymphs, worms and leeches all catch fish and flies like glo-bugs will serve you well if they’re eating berries and seeds are falling from overhanging trees. THE SETUPS My favourite way to target them is undoubtedly on fly gear. My friends and I have had some epic days on
the water fishing rivers and dams for a variety of carp species. But there’s more than one way to skin a cat and plenty of ways to catch a mud marlin. FLYFISHING We all use a range of fly rods and lines from 4WT to 8WT and in varying lengths. My current setup is a 4WT, 9ft G.Loomis Eastfork rod and Shimano Biocraft reel with an intermediate Rio line while a few of my mates use a 7’11” model Sage BASS II series, which is much easier to get around with in
some of the jungle country you can find yourself in. If you’re buying a new setup, look for a reel with plenty of drag. You’re going to need it. Something like the Redington Behemoth series packs a solid punch without breaking the bank, so check them out. As with most types of fishing, sometimes you have to go light to get the bite, so my typical tapered leader finishes with 8lb line, sometimes the carp’s eyes are so well trained that you’ll To page 10
FEBRUARY 2019
9
Catching flatties on fly NSW STH COAST
Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com
With the growing interest these days in flyfishing – especially in saltwater – more and more anglers are looking for readily
distance off conventional spinning or baitcaster tackle. Simple as that. Flies are artificial baits, like any other lure. However, they’re virtually weightless. This presents an obvious casting challenge that’s been overcome by incorporating mass into the
and forth through the air to form a travelling loop that can be extended and unfurled onto the water, presenting the fly on the end of a thinner, less obvious leader that’s attached to the thick, highly visible fly line. So, while this simplified description might offend some purists, flyfishing is no more or less than lure fishing with ultralight lures. But it’s also heaps of fun! It’s no accident that a flathead is often the first species encountered by anyone trying flyfishing in saltwater. The only
Flathead like this dusky are one of the easiest saltwater species to target on fly gear.
Jo Starling with a typical shallow water flatty taken on fly. available estuarine and inshore species that can be effectively targeted this way. One of the easiest options for many of us is the humble flathead. Flyfishing has a reputation for being a mysterious and difficult art practiced by crusty, pipe-smoking old gents in tweed jackets with leather elbow patches. However, times have changed! These days, flyfishing has been de-mystified, and it’s also no longer solely about catching trout… or even fishing only in freshwater. The biggest trick to breaking down any remaining misconceptions is to accept that flyfishing is no more than a form of lure fishing where the ‘lure’ is too light or wind resistant to be cast a serious
line instead of the lure. So, a fly line is really no more than a long, skinny weight that’s used to deliver a very light lure. The best way to throw such a long, skinny casting weight is to swish it back
Weighted flies such as Clousers and Gotchas are perfect for targeting flathead. Simply imitate a small fish or crustacean swimming erratically near the bottom.
This articulated Game Changer from Ammo Flies is deadly on flathead. Note the lead wire on the hook shank.
THE BASICS OF FLATHEAD ON FLY ROD #7-#9WT fly rod, ideally around 9’ (2.75 m) long REEL Simple fly reel with drag or clicker, ideally corrosion resistant BACKING At least 50m of 10-15kg braid (GSP) LINE WF (weight-forward) intermediate (slow sinking) fly line to match rod LEADER 2-4m, consisting of a 15kg butt, 4-8kg main section and short (25cm) ‘bite tippet’ of 15kg nylon or fluorocarbon FLIES Clousers, Bendbacks, Deceivers, Crazy Charlies and other baitfish or crustacean patterns METHOD Identify likely areas for flathead to be lying in ambush in water shallower than 3m. Cast, allow fly to sink and begin stripping. Pause regularly to allow fly to sink again. Vary the length and speed of your strips and the duration of your pauses
real trick to success with flathead on fly is ensuring that your ‘lure’ stays within a metre of the bottom at all times. Closer to the bottom is even better, and making occasional contact with the sand or mud is best of all. All we really need to do with our fly gear is emulate the accepted soft plastic lure fishing strategies that are so deadly on flathead, by placing a fly of a similar size, shape and colour to those soft plastics in that same strike zone and move it in a similar way. How best to do this varies depending on water depth and current strength. In water shallower than about 1.5m (where a lot of flathead spend most of their time) you don’t even need sinking lines or heavily-weighted flies to achieve the desired result. A floating or intermediate line, a leader around 3m or so in length and a fly that sinks at rest (even fairly slowly) will get the job
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done. Make the cast, wait a few seconds for the fly to sink, strip line 5-6 times, pause to let the fly sink again, and repeat! As the water gets deeper, or the current strength increases, we need to consider moving to sinking lines, shorter leaders and weighted flies. In my opinion, the efficiency of fly gear in this role diminishes rapidly as we move beyond depths of 3-4m and current speeds above a slow walking pace. In deep, fast water, I’d rather revert to a jighead and soft plastic. But up in the skinny stuff, fly gear
You don’t need flash fly gear to catch the humble flatty.
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is right in its element and can be at least as effective as conventional lure fishing tackle. There’s really not a lot else I can tell you in a basic, how-to piece about targeting flathead on fly. Certainly, there are nuances that can be explored (and you’ll find some of these on my website at www. fishotopia.com), but for now I simply want you to consider the possibilities of having a crack at catching a flathead on a fly. It’s really not that hard, but it is enormously satisfying, and now is the perfect time of year to have a crack. Are you up for it?
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DAIWA INFEET
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Contemporary looks meets innovative design with the return of the Daiwa Infeet series. Designed for the light tackle finesse angler, the new Infeet range features four models, built on hyper-sensitive slow bend graphite blanks. The Infeet’s classic blank is partnered by a contrasting white carbon fibre skeleton reel seat. The exposed design of the reel seat puts the blank right in the angler’s hand to transmit even the lightest of bites. An ultra-thin, tapered EVA rear grip eliminates weight for optimum rod balance and provides that unique modern styling we’ve grown to love and expect from the Infeet range. Angler connectivity is further enhanced courtesy of Fuji S/S SiC guides in the base section of the rod, and ultra light Fuji Titanium SiC guides on the top section. The Ti SiC guides lighten the tip of the rod to enhance feel and performance and is indicated by white bindings. A blend of Daiwa’s advanced finesse designs the new Infeet series is state of the art technology blended with precision, performance, and that exclusive Infeet style and swagger. www.daiwafishing.com.au
ASTRO VIBE AND HUMMER COLOURS 3 Strike Pro is releasing a couple of new colours in its highly popular ranges of Astro Vibe and Hummer 40 lures. The new colours in the Astro Vibe range will offer all the features that you find in the current Astro Vibes, including the UV reactive polycarbonate belly with internal rattles. Astro Vibes combine the best features of a metal blade and a rattling vibe, creating an extremely effective lure. The new colour in the Hummer 40 is certainly going to catch plenty of fish, and it offers all the features of the Hummer 40. This record breaking lure helped Strike Pro sponsored angler Rick Massie break both the Biggest Bream and Biggest Bag records in the Hobie Bream series. This lure will be deadly on bream, bass, estuary perch, flathead and mulloway. To find out more visit
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PRODUCT GUIDE
the Juro website or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JuroOzProTackle. www.jurofishing.com
ZEREK JET POPPER 130
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The Zerek Jet Popper 130 is 130mm long, which is an ideal length for both small and large predatory fish – everything from tailor, salmon and small tuna through to larger trevally, queenfish and bigger tuna. It’s fitted out with heavy-duty hardware to handle the pressure from punishing encounters. The colour range, which includes 10 colours, imitates and attracts with equal measure, while the easy casting 45g overall weight allows just about everyone to cast this lure without needing some serious gym sessions. This rear-weighted lure flies from the rod tip with reduced tumbling and extra distance, giving the lure more time in the water on every cast. On the water, the Jet Popper 130 makes a loud bloop that is enhanced by the chin hole that allows a massive bubble trail to add appeal both visually and acoustically. The rear tail fins help stabilise the lure in the water, reducing the likelihood of the lure flipping and rolling on the bloop. www.wilsonfishing.com
EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS
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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
BLACK MAGIC RATTLE SNACK
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Black Magic’s continual growth and development in freshwater lures sees yet another original addition to their already strong line-up of freshwater lure options. This new arrival is called the Rattle Snack and, as its name suggests, it has a built-in tungsten rattle which is harmonically tuned. There are two weights available, 7g and 14g, and the quality hardware ensures your target species will be landed, not lost. The Rattle Snack’s aggressive shape creates a very enticing swimming action, and whether you’re trolling from a boat or casting to your favourite lie in a river, estuary canal or lake, this superior action and harmonics will deliver results. With six great colours designed to suit Autralian fishing conditions, this new arrival is sure to become a favourite. It’s available now from leading tackle stores throughout Australia. www.blackmagictackle.com
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PRODUCT GUIDE 7
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WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI SLIT FOAM 7 STORAGE
DAIWA TATULA 100 10 AND 150
The all-new Samaki Slit Foam Tackle Boxes are in high demand and haven’t even landed in the country yet. Coming in four sizes, each tackle box is designed for a variety of lure storage options, holding the smallest of flies up to your favourite vibes and hardbodies. The soft slit foam insert has incremental slits and holes for you to get the maximum usage out of your tackle box, avoiding annoying hook tangles. The UV-resistant lids will reduce lure fade, and the waterproof O-ring and stainless steel hinges will safeguard your artificials. The range starts with a small single-sided option, and moves into three double-sided options of medium, large and extra-large. From $15.95 up to $59.95 there is an option to suit all anglers. For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website, and like them on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date. Price: from $15.95 www.samaki.com.au
Making a great thing greater, Daiwa steps it up with the new Tatula 100 and 150. The Tatula 100 delivers anglers their smallest and lightest Tatula ever, while the 150 is made with power fishing in mind and sits in between the 100 size and the Tatula HD (200 size) in the Tatula line-up. Baitcaster brilliance starts with Daiwa’s Real Four design concept, with Real Engine, Real Control, Real Endurance, and Real Custom combining to make the Tatula technically advanced and performance driven. A precision designed solid aluminium frame and gear side plate delivers maximum power and unrivalled durability, while its ergonomically designed profile fits effortlessly in the palm of the hand. Digigear, TWS, Magforce Z, deliver unmatched strength, smoothness and precision both on the cast and on the crank, while Daiwa’s UTD gives you the muscle to stop just about anything that swims. www.daiwafishing.com.au
NEW TASSIE DEVIL COLOURS 10
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Tasmanian Devil lures are a unique Australian product designed for trolling, casting or jigging in fresh and saltwater. They are now available in four new colours – watermelon pearl (132), lime frog (133), liquorice allsort (134) and black betty (135). The first three colours are available in 7g, 13.5g and 20g sizes, and the black betty colour is available in 7g, 13.5g, 20g and 26g. The lure action is due to the winged technology that causes the lure to swim in an irregular manner, darting and diving, simulating the movement of wounded fish. This pulsating action is transmitted to the rod tip that will show as a ‘nodding action’ that is proof that the lure is swimming correctly. If this rod tip action is not present, you’ll know you’ve picked up either a piece of weed or a fish. All four sizes of the Tasmanian Devil swim in this erratic manner, and this is the reason these lures are so effective. www.jmgillies.com.au
ZEREK MANIAC VIBE
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The Zerek Maniac Vibe’s unique frontweighted design enables excellent casting distance, fast sinking and the ability for the lure to ‘stand up’ on the bottom. These features allow anglers to cover more ground every cast and be confident that the tail of the lure will always be in a position to snare a curious fish. Internally, the Maniac Vibe has many small ball bearings in its internal chamber creating one of the noisiest rattles that will attract fish from afar. Work the Maniac Vibe with a lift and drop technique to keep the lure near the bottom, or hop and shake it along the bottom if the fish are shut down. You can also cast and straight retrieve the lure at various speeds to cover depth profiles and present the lure to the right spot at the right time. The Maniac Vibe is 70mm long, weighs an easy-to-cast 14g, and comes in 10 colours. www.wilsonfishing.com
SHIMANO TRAVEL STORAGE
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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 die-hard 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. www.shimanofish.com.au
STORM 360GT COASTAL SHRIMP
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The new Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp offers anglers a deadly lifelike prawn presentation. Its realistic legs swim and kick on the fall sending out natural vibrations, while the flat bottom design keeps the bait upright when resting on bottom. Combining a segmented body, slotted belly and back slots not only allows for seamless rigging, it also delivers a very natural looking action on the drop and at rest. Suitable for conventional Jig heads or weedless rigs make these prawns a must for any angler, be it in the fresh or saltwater environment. What fish doesn’t eat a prawn? A very easy bait to use, simple lift and drop of the rod tip with a slow wind will see you hooking up in no time. The Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp is available in eight lifelike colours and two sizes, 3” and 4”. For more information on these and other Storm lures, check out the Storm Fishing website. www.stormfishing.com.au
Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au FEBRUARY 2019
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WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED
PRODUCT GUIDE
McLaughlin’s Advanced Formula Berley makes a difference
McLaughlin’s Bait and Berley have been producing quality bait and berley products since the late 1940s. During this time they have constantly worked to further improve the range and quality of the items they produce. In 2018 they introduced their latest innovation – the Advanced Formula range of berleys, which builds upon the success of their popular Premium Berley range. WHAT’S DIFFERENT? McLaughlin’s Premium Berley has always had secret ingredients and smells to attract fish to it. However, as the name suggests, the Advanced Formula range has upped the ante. McLaughlin’s have managed to further enhance the range with more natural flavours, and have added colours to make it easier to see the berley trail behind the boat. The range was developed by Juro Oz Pro Tackle, and I talked to Rick Massie from Juro to find out more. He said that it has taken a number of years to get the process of drying and colouring correct to the point where they were happy to release it. “It’s not a single step process,” Rick explained. “The berleys are dried multiple times to ensure that the scent, smell and colour are maximised, meaning better results for the anglers using them.” TESTING THE TESTER Using berley is not something that I regularly do, so I thought I would speak
McLaughlin’s Advanced Formula Berley range spent years in development before being released in 2018. berley, and Jamie has had quite a bit of success on these species. His advice was to keep it simple: the berley alone will do the job and bring the fish to you. He recommended using a small
opportunity to get on the water. Fishing for garfish and tommy ruff (Australian herring) is very popular along much of the south coast of Australia, and on my Christmas holiday it was obvious that I wasn’t the only person waiting for a weather window. When we arrived, the boat ramp was bedlam, and plenty of boats were anchored and berleying in all the likely areas. It was a matter of finding a free space and joining in. I started with the Mixed Bits pack and no oil – keeping it simple, as Jamie had suggested. I wasn’t sure how well we would do considering the number of boats around us. I needn’t have worried though, as within minutes there were plenty of tommies making their way up the berley trail. Generally the garfish are not too far behind, but on this day we could see them, but couldn’t get them to bite. We ended up getting a good bag of tommies and only one garfish. We had, however, done better than most. Chatting to other anglers, many had struggled to attract anything at all. King George whiting were the next target on the list (the weather windows
When it comes to berleying, keep it simple and remember that a little goes a long way.
McLaughlin’s Premium Berleys and Baits have been around since the 1940s, and have developed a reputation for quality. to Jamie Smith, the fishing specialist at Melbourne Marine Centre, for a few tips on targeting King George whiting and garfish. The store stocks the Advanced Formula
Fishing smiles. Anne Morgan enjoys chasing a few garfish.
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berley dispenser just below the surface if you want to target garfish, or one closer to the bottom if you’re whiting fishing. McLaughlin’s also does a product called Slicks Oil, which can be added sparingly in with the berley to give it even more punch. Keeping it simple sounded good to me. PUTTING IT TO GOOD USE The Christmas holiday period was my opportunity get out and give the products a try. I had a bit of a mix of the old and the new – Saltwater Nibbles, Whiting Nibbles, a Pier/Jetty mix, a small Tuna Log and Slicks Oil from the trusty Premium range, and Green Lip Bites, Mixed Bits, Pink Bits and Big Red Nuts from the new Advanced Formula range. Juro Oz Pro had also sent me a small bucket. As far as I was concerned, the fish didn’t stand a chance. Mother nature didn’t read the script, however. During most of my holiday it was blowing 25-30 knots, so it was matter of taking advantage of any small windows of
Not a bad outcome after using the berley for the first time.
PRODUCT GUIDE were few and far between). As we were fishing much deeper water, I used a two berley pot system. One pot was close to the bottom with Green Lip Bites and a little Slicks Oil in it, and the other pot was on the surface with the Mixed Bits and no oil. ‘Activity breeds activity’ was my theory, and after only getting one fish from our first location, we made a move and found some hungry fish. One thing with king George whiting is when they are biting you need to have a bait in the water, because they may not bite for long. After an initial flurry, things went quiet and I was wondering whether we should move. At that point I noticed that the berley trail from the top bucket no longer had fish in it, mainly because there was no berley left in the pot. A quick refill and redeploy had the tommies excited again, and a few more whiting hit the deck. Unfortunately for me I only had one more outing, and it followed a very similar scenario – we got a berley trail going mid and top water, created some activity and bagged a few fish. I used either the Green Lip Bites or the Big Red Nuts in the bottom pot, and it didn’t seem to matter with the top bucket. After that session I had to head back to work, but the family stayed behind and managed some more successful outings. The timid garfish eventually fell for the trap, and the ever-present tommy ruff just couldn’t resist a good berley trail. WHAT DID I LEARN? You can’t deny that the McLaughlin’s Berleys work. You can see the fish working up your berley trail, almost eating it from the berley bucket. At times I wondered if they preferred eating the berley rather than the gents or pipis I was using for bait. But that is what berley is all about – creating the activity for the angler to take advantage of. One thing to remember is to not overfill your berley bucket. The berley expands as it breaks down, so a little can go a long way. As well as that, just let the wave action do its job. Shaking the bucket may bring on a flurry of activity, but you want the fish to work up the trail you have created and then
WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED Senshi Custom Rigs avoid the hassle of creating your own rigs, and the 12 rigs in the range cover most of the popular target species. They are well made and the hooks are super sharp. And then there are the quill floats, float stops, split shot, berley feeders and, most importantly, their range of Daiichi hooks. Using good quality terminal tackle that is correct for the species you are targeting can make a huge difference to your results. FINAL OBSERVATIONS The boat ramp after a day’s fishing can be a great place to glean information. Stories about the fish that got away or how good the fishing was are commonplace. Or, as was the case during my holiday, “wow the fishing is tough”. That’s not how I felt though. Yes, conditions were difficult, but we were able to take advantage of the small windows of opportunity and catch some fish. So was it the berley making the difference? Well, it certainly wasn’t my knowledge of fishing with berley, because I had hardly ever done it before. I believe that the quality of the Premium and Advanced Formula berleys, and the terminal tackle we were using, gave us the edge.
The windows of opportunity were only brief for the author, but he was pleased with the result of a few hours on the water. take your baits. Shaking the bucket and releasing big volumes of berley can also excite undesirable species. As the saying goes, ‘a little bit often’ is the way to go. A bit of preparation goes a long way. The McLaughlin’s berleys come in resealable bags and tubs, and it pays to store them out of the sun and make sure you seal them properly. This will ensure they’ll stay fresh
and won’t attract pests. Fill your berley buckets before you get on the water. That way, once you have reached your spot you can deploy the berley and get the system working while you get your rods ready. A COMPLETE SYSTEM As much as I have focused on the berleys themselves, Juro Oz Pro covers the complete system, from the berleys and their dispensers (small, large and a weighted heavy-duty pot) to the terminal tackle needed to catch the fish you are targeting.
Does the McLaughlin’s berley work? Yes it does. If you want to see the full range of products you can check them out at www. jurofishing.com or ask for them at your local tackle store. - Peter Jung
MCLAUGHLIN’S BERLEY PRODUCTS • Advanced Formula range – includes Big Red Nuts, Blood Bits, Green Lip Bites, Mixed Bits and Pink Bits, available in a 1.5kg resealable bag. Big Red Nuts and Mixed Nuts are also available in a 5L bucket. • Premium Berley range – includes Bream Nibbles, Freshwater Nibbles, Pier/Jetty Mix, Saltwater Nibbles, Trout Food, and Whiting Nibbles, which come in a 1kg resealable bag. Premium Berley Snapper Nuts are available in a 4L tub. • Tuna Berley Logs – compressed tuna/tuna oil logs, available in three sizes. • Tuna Tossers – compressed tuna/tuna oil nuts, available in 1kg re-sealable bag.
Juro does more than just make quality berleys. Their range of hooks, rigs, floats and accessories are well worth looking for in your local tackle store.
Susie Wallman with a nice haul of garfish.
FEBRUARY 2019
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WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED
PRODUCT GUIDE
Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT Hooks
Recently I was lucky enough to have a few of the new Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT hooks come my way, and I wasted no time in putting them to the test. Into the tackle box they went, along with my usual go-to plastics on my next trip out for reds. The Black Magic Snapper Snacks are based on the same principle as the popular sabiki bait jigs, and all we know how deadly those little flashy attractants are. The main difference is that the Snapper Snacks are much larger and stronger for bigger fish, and have luminous flashes built into the skirts.
The first time I dropped down the Snapper Snacks, things didn’t go as I had hoped; the Snacks were molested by leatherjackets and stripped. On the plus side, at least they liked them! Still, nothing survives a jacket attack, so I grabbed a few more and headed to another spot, hoping the jackets would be less enthusiastic there. In the next location I had better luck. I dropped the Snapper Snacks down in 40m of water where a bait ball was holding 10m off the bottom – perfect snapper conditions. The
While the author was preoccupied with a kingy, two flathead hooked themselves on the Snapper Snacks. I had not bothered winding in the Snacks and after I wound in the slack from the busted kingie I noticed that both rods were bent over but not doing much. I pulled them up and found that I’d caught a double header of flathead. There must be a bit of sand down there too. So on that trip I didn’t catch any big reds but I’m sure they will come. There haven’t been many about lately, but I certainly caught just about everything else. The next week I was at Burrinjuck Dam and tried the 3/0 KLTs bobbing yabbies. The goldens were thick and I only had six yabbies and scored six fish in six drops, and didn’t miss a hook-up. I’ll definitely be taking the Snapper Snacks and KLT hooks on my future trips, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else I can catch on them. The marlin are about this month and I can’t wait to give the 10/0s a run on the billies! - Greg Clarke
Snapper Snacks appeal to a range of species, including sweep.
This hungry couta couldn’t resist a Snapper Snack.
Using 3/0 KLT hooks bobbing yabbies, the author landed a golden on every drop.
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hook-ups were instant, but I seemed to catch everything but snapper! On my first drop, I caught the bait, mackerel. The next drop and more slimy mackerel, then some sweep, a couple of trevally and then some barracouta. The Snacks were working a treat. I then grabbed one of the slimies and put it on a 7/0 Black Magic KLT on one of the 6kg snapper outfits. These light gauge hooks are very strong, and have a slippery, nonstick coating like a Teflon frypan so they can easily penetrate the fish’s mouth – and they nearly always hook the fish in the corner of the mouth, too. I lobbed the slimy as far as I could, put it in the rod holder and went back to the fishing the Snacks. I went on to score a trevally and a small snapper, and then the dead slimy I had forgotten about screamed off. The hook had done its job, and fairly quickly a king about a metre long came into view. Then, as usually happens, it saw the boat and bolted into the reef, as they do. I now had one less 7/0.
Black Magic KLT hooks are super sharp, slick and slippery, so they effortlessly penetrate the fish’s mouth.
Lake lovin’ in the nation’s capital CANBERRA
Toby Grundy
All of Canberra’s major impoundments fished well through January, and it was
a smaller lure if hitting the water this month in search of Murray cod. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing fantastically well for redfin. These fish, ranging
Jo Hancox downsized his lure and was rewarded with this 96cm ‘Bidgee green machine. great to see some larger cod come from both Googong and the Murrumbidgee. One thing that has been quite noticeable so far
from 15-40cm, can be targeted using a variety of techniques from slow rolling shallow divers next to the artificial rock ledges that line the lake
is especially fun in Burley Griffin, because the fish are big, fight hard and represent a challenge on ultra-light spin gear. Yellas have been a bit harder to come by, as the water is particularly warm and they do shut down through the day. That said, it is still possible to connect with a fish in the late afternoon by casting lipless crankbaits at isolated snags, or slow rolling vibes parallel to the reed-lined banks, which lead around to the Governor General’s residence. The cod fishing has slowed up a bit in recent weeks, but again, just like with the golden perch, it is possible to pick up a fish by targeting low light periods and concentrating on deeper areas like Blue Gum Point. Lake Ginninderra is producing plenty of redfin, a fair few golden perch and the occasional cod. As with Burley Griffin, the surface fishing for reddies has been excellent, with plenty of fish falling to a variety of surface
with a surface offering, which is quickly scoffed (usually by a big red). Golden perch are holding in their usual hang outs, with the weed bed sitting just off the old police jetty remaining the best place to cast for yellas from the bank. If on a kayak or boat, drift the points at dawn and dusk and cast spinnerbaits towards the weed-lined edges in search of a cod. There are some absolute monsters in Ginninderra and February is a great time to start fishing for them. Lake Tuggeranong has been unpredictable of late,
Fish around low light periods to tempt golden perch during February. cruising fish. Once hooked up, the challenge continues, as these fish put up a great fight on light gear.
Sam Hancox with a solid Googong cod.
The author has been getting amongst the cod. this summer is the change of approach by some of Canberra’s better cod fishers. I have written previously about the fact that a select few local anglers fish for cod right through close season, which is obviously a massive issue, but some Canberra anglers who are very aware of the problem (and do the right thing) have used this inappropriate behaviour as motivation to mix up their techniques and try something new. Jo Hancox is one such angler who, during the last few weeks, has moved away from larger lures and has started throwing smaller lures to target the cod that have seen every large lure under the sun right through the last six months. Jo’s targeted approach has already yielded several large fish, with his biggest to date this season, a 96cm slab, caught using a tiny Savage Gear glide bait. Clearly, downsizing is working, especially in heavily-fished water, so it is well worth changing up to
right through to casting and retrieving small poppers under overhanging willows. Surface fishing for reddies is a lot of fun, but it
lures. I usually cast a shallow diver around the points at Diddams Close until I find a school, and once the fish are fired up, I follow the diver
and the fish have been quiet, with the exception of both the pest species, carp and redfin. The carp fishing has always been pretty easy on Lake Tuggeranong, with a simple running sinker rig leading to a live scrubworm enough to tempt the larger specimens. However, if after a challenge, switch to ultra-light gear and cast a 2-3” black grub soft plastic on a 1/8oz jighead around the flats leading up to Green Way. This is an incredibly exciting form of fishing, as it revolves around spotting the fish and making pin point casts in front of
SURROUNDS Googong is fishing well. The yellas are still feeding close to edges and are best targeted using shallow
running divers so as to avoid the weed. A small jig-spin is another effective method when targeting yellas on Googong, as it is a snag resistant lure that creates a lot of movement in the water. There have been a couple of cracking cod caught in recent weeks, with James Mazengarb’s 118cm beast being the highlight. This fish was caught using a Jackall Dunkle and is reward for all the time James spent at the dam over the summer period. Large plastics are an incredibly effective way of targeting cod at Googong, but be prepared to put in a lot of casts to tempt one of the giants in the dam. If after redfin, simply cast lipless crankbaits around the points near Bradleys Inlet and run up a cricket score of fish! The redfin at Googong are a genuine pest, so by taking these fish, you’ll be doing the dam a favour, and they taste great!
LEAVEY LURES BIG COD CAN’T RESIST THEM!
The Jew Lure
MAX-D The Murray Moth
Available exclusively through:
Yamba Bait & Tackle • yambabt@gmail.com PH: (02) 6646 1514 - Mail Orders Welcome
The cod fishing has been good through the warmer months. FEBRUARY 2019
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NSW Tides
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 0541 1208 TU
TU 1759 2358
LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m m 0541 1.57 1208 0.58 1759 1.33 2358 0.50 0633 1.63 1310 0.52 1857 1.30
Time m 0441 1.47 1.57 1.47 0.67 0.58 0441 1100 0.67 1.28 1.33 1100 WE 1652 1.28 0.53 FR WE 1652 2300 0.50 2300 0.53 0536 1.57 1.63 1.57 0.58 0.52 0536 1208 0.58 1.30 1.30 1208 TH 1800 1.30 0.50 TH 1800 2355 SA 2355 0.50 0630 1.69 0.51 1.69 0.45 1.69 0630 1309 0.45 1.34 0.47 1309 FR 1902 FR 1902 1.34 SU 1.30
16 16
Time
1 1 0020 0700 FR 1346 1935
17 17
2 2
0044 0.51 18 3 3 0720 1.69 18 1400
3 3
2 2
0633 1310 WE WE 1857
0044 0720 TH TH 1400 1947
4 4
0127 0803 FR FR 1445 2032
5 5 0207 0844 SA
SA 1523 2114
6 6 0245 0920 SU
SU 1600 2152
7 7 0323 0957 MO
MO 1635 2230
8 8 0400 1031 TU
TU 1710 2306
9 9
0437 1107 WE WE 1745 2344
10 10 0516 1143 TH TH 1821
0.47 1947 1.30 0127 0.52 0803 1.73 1445 0.42 2032 1.31 0207 0.52 0844 1.76 1523 0.39 2114 1.32 0245 0.52 0920 1.77 1600 0.37 2152 1.32 0323 0.53 0957 1.77 1635 0.37 2230 1.32 0400 0.54 1031 1.75 1710 0.38 2306 1.32 0437 0.56 1107 1.72 1745 0.41 2344 1.31 0516 0.59 1143 1.67 1821 0.44 0024
0048 0.46 0.52 0.46 1.82 1.73 0048 0722 1.82 0.33 0.42 0722 SA 1403 0.33 1.39 SA 1403 1959 MO 1.31 1959 1.39 0141 0.40 0.52 0.40 1.93 1.76 0141 0814 1.93 0.22 0.39 0814 SU 1455 0.22 1.45 SU 1455 2052 TU 1.32 2052 1.45 0.52 0233 0.36 0.36 2.02 1.77 0233 0905 2.02 0.14 0.37 0905 MO 1545 0.14 1.49 MO 1545 2145 WE 1.32 2145 1.49 0.53 0326 0.32 0.32 2.07 1.77 0326 0956 2.07 0.10 0.37 0956 TU 1635 0.10 1.52 TU 1635 2236 TH 1.32 2236 1.52 0.54 0419 0.32 0.32 2.05 1.75 0419 1047 2.05 0.12 0.38 1047 WE 1724 0.12 1.53 WE 1724 2328 FR 1.32 2328 1.53 0.56 0514 0.34 0.34 1.98 1.72 0514 1138 1.98 0.17 0.41 1138 TH 1813 TH 1813 0.17 SA 1.31
19 19
12 12
0151 0824 SU 1503 2056
4 4 0230 0901 MO
20 20
1537 2131
5 5 0306 0936 TU
21 21
1610 2205
6 6 0343 1010 WE
22 22
1642 2239
7 7 0419 1044 TH
23 23
1713 2314
8 8 0457 1118 FR
24 24
1745 2349
9 9 0536 1153 SA 1818
0.59
0020 1.53
0029
FR 1229 1901 1.31 0.62 0114 1.60 0708 SA SA 1321 0.47 1950 1.31 0.66 0210 1.53 0812 SU SU 1416 0.50 2041 1.32 0.70 0308 1.44 0921 MO MO 1518 0.53 2134 1.34 0.73 0410 1.37 1037 TU TU 1628 0.54 2230 1.39 0.72 0511 1.31 1152 WE WE 1740 0.55 2327
1.85 1901 0.26 0114 1.52 0708 0.47 1321 1.68 1950 0.36 0210 1.51 0812 0.54 1416 1.51 2041 0.45 0308 1.50 0921 0.61 1518 1.36 2134 0.53 0410 1.51 1037 0.63 1628 1.25 2230 0.59 0511 1.54 1152 0.61 1740 1.21 2327 0.61 0608 1.58 1256 0.57 1843 1.21
1.52 1854 0.48 0111 1.42 0707 0.63 1313 1.43 1932 0.53 0159 1.43 0802 0.66 1402 1.34 2018 0.57 0253 1.45 0909 0.67 1505 1.27 2115 0.60 0355 1.49 1028 0.64 1621 1.23 2220 0.60 0500 1.57 1144 0.56 1741 1.25 2328 0.57
Time m 0603 1.69 0.61 1.69 0.43 1.62 0603 1250 0.43 1.32 0.51 1250 SA 1848 FR SA 1848 1.32 1.24
16 16
27 27
13 13
28 28
14 14
29 29
15 15
30 30 31 31 0608 1256 TH TH 1843
SU 1230 0.26 1854 1.52 0.47 0111 1.68 0707 MO MO 1313 0.36 1932 1.51 0.54 0159 1.51 0802 TU TU 1402 0.45 2018 1.50 0.61 0253 1.36 0909 WE WE 1505 0.53 2115 1.51 0.63 0355 1.25 1028 TH TH 1621 0.59 2220 1.54 0.61 0500 1.21 1144 FR FR 1741 0.61 2328 1.58 0.57 1.21
11 11 12 12
13 13 14 14
15 15
Time
1 1 0537 1230 FR
0030 0.50 0.59 0.50 1.81 1.66 0030 0702 1.81 0.31 0.46 0702 SU 1346 0.31 1.41 SU 1346 1945 SA 1.28 1945 1.41 0128 0.41 0.56 0.41 1.93 1.70 0128 0757 1.93 0.20 0.41 0757 MO 1438 0.20 1.50 MO 1438 2038 SU 1.32 2038 1.50 0222 0.33 0.53 0.33 2.01 1.73 0222 0849 2.01 0.13 0.39 0849 TU 1527 0.13 1.57 TU 1527 2128 MO 1.35 2128 1.57 0.51 0315 0.28 0.28 2.04 1.74 0315 0941 2.04 0.10 0.37 0941 WE 1614 0.10 1.62 TU WE 1614 2216 1.38 2216 1.62 0.50 0408 0.26 0.26 2.01 1.74 0408 1030 2.01 0.13 0.37 1030 TH 1659 0.13 1.65 WE TH 1659 2305 1.39 2305 1.65 0.50 0501 0.28 0.28 1.91 1.71 0501 1120 1.91 0.20 0.38 1120 FR 1744 0.20 1.65 FR 1744 2354 TH 1.40 2354 1.65 0.51 0556 0.33 0.33 1.76 1.67 0556 1210 1.76 0.31 0.41 1210 SA 1828 SA 1828 0.31 FR 1.41
1827 2358
m 0537 1.51 1230 0.60 1827 1.19 2358 0.69 0633 1.55 1320 0.54 1916 1.26
m Time m 0432 1.60 1.51 1.60 0.52 0.60 0432 1124 0.52 1.27 1.19 1124 SA 1730 1.27 0.63 MO SA 1730 2310 0.69 2310 0.63 0542 1.70 1.55 1.70 0.41 0.54 0542 1230 0.41 1.37 1.26 1230 SU 1836 SU 1836 1.37 TU
16 16
18 18
0017 0051 0.65 0.54 0.65 1.60 0017 18 3 0644 0720 3 1400 1.81 1.60 18 0.49 0644 MO 1325
19 19 20 20
21 21 22 22
23 23
4 4 0135 0800 MO
26 26
27 27 28 28
1.57 0.56 1.25 0.57
1435 2033
5 5 0215 0837 TU 1507 2106
6 6 0250 0912 WE 1538 2138
7 7 0326 0945 TH 1608 2210
8 8 0401 1019 FR
0.54 0043 1.63 1.63 0.42 1.60 0043 0652 0.42 1.58 0.44 0652 SU 1300 1.58 0.43 SU 1300 1912 SA 1912 0.43 1.41 0134 1.59 1.59 0.51 0.58 0134 0753 0.51 1.41 1.52 0753 MO 1353 1.41 0.54 MO 1353 1958 SU 0.48 1958 0.54 1.42 0229 1.55 1.55 0.59 0.63 0229 0900 0.59 1.27 1.43 0900 TU 1452 1.27 0.64 MO TU 1452 2048 0.53 2048 0.64 1.43 0329 1.51 1.51 0.64 0.66 0329 1013 0.64 1.18 1.34 1013 WE 1603 1.18 0.70 TU WE 1603 2149 0.57 2149 0.70 0434 1.50 1.45 1.50 0.64 0.67 0434 1127 0.64 1.16 1.27 1127 TH 1720 1.16 0.72 WE TH 1720 2256 0.60 2256 0.72 1.49 0.64 1.23 TH 0.60
24 24
0051 0720 SU 1400 1958
1638 2243
9 9 0439 1054 SA 1708 2317
10 10 0518 1130 SU 1740 2354
11 11 0601 1208 MO 1814
0.49 1958 1.32 0135 0.59 0800 1.64 1435 0.44 2033 1.38 0215 0.54 0837 1.68 1507 0.41 2106 1.43 0250 0.50 0912 1.70 1538 0.39 2138 1.47 0326 0.47 0945 1.70 1608 0.38 2210 1.50 0401 0.46 1019 1.67 1638 0.39 2243 1.53 0439 0.47 1054 1.63 1708 0.41 2317 1.55 0518 0.49 1130 1.57 1740 0.45 2354 1.56 0601 0.52 1208 1.49 1814 0.50 0034
17 17
MO 1325 1.32 1930 0.59 1.64 0116 0.44 0739 TU TU 1415 1.38 2020 0.54 1.68 0212 0.41 0831 WE WE 1501 1.43 2108 0.50 1.70 0304 0.39 0922 TH TH 1545 1.47 2154 0.47 1.70 0357 0.38 1012 FR FR 1629 1.50 2240 0.46 1.67 0448 0.39 1100 SA SA 1710 1.53 2326 0.47 1.63 0542 0.41 1149 SU SU 1751 1.55
19 19 20 20 21 21
22 22
23 23 24 24 0.49
25 1.57 0011 25 0.45 0635 MO MO 1239 1.56 1831 0.52 1.49 0058 0.50 0732 TU TU 1330 1914 1.56 0.56 0147 1.40 0834 WE WE 1428 0.56 2003 1.55 0.60 0244 1.31 0941 TH TH 1536 0.62 2105 1.54 0.62 0348 1.24 1048 FR FR 1652 0.67 2219 1.55 0.60 0456 1.22 1149 SA SA 1758 0.68 2329
26 26
1.56 12 0648 27 12 0034 0648 0.56 27 TU 1251 1251 1852 1.40 1852 0.56 0120 0120 0744 1.55 0744 0.60 WE 1343 1343 1939 1.31 1939 0.62 0215 0215 0850 1.54 0850 0.62 TH 1447 1447 2038 1.24 2038 0.67 0319 0319 1008 1.55 1008 1609 FR 0.60 1.22 FR 1609 2154 2154 0.68
13 13
28 28
14 14
29 29
15 15
30 30 31 31 0556 1240 SU SU 1847
1321 1928
2 2
2 2
0633 1320 SA 1916
Time
1 1 0026 0645 MO
17 17
1.53 0.39 0029 1.41 25 0610 10 0619 25 1.67 0020 25 10 0619 0.39 1.85 0.58 25 0.44 0610 FR 1229 SU 1230
1.31 11 0559 26 11 0024 0559 0.62 26 FR 1220 1.60 FR 1220 1900 1900 0.47 0107 0107 0645 1.31 0645 0.66 SA 1300 1.53 SA 1300 1940 1940 0.50 0156 0156 0736 1.32 0736 0.70 SU 1345 1.44 SU 1345 2024 2024 0.53 0247 0247 0836 1.34 0836 0.73 MO 1439 1.37 MO 1439 2113 2113 0.54 0344 0344 0945 1.39 0945 1542 TU 0.72 1.31 TU 1542 2205 2205 0.55
0108 0745 SA 1428 2018
m 0020 0.61 0700 1.62 1346 0.51 1935 1.24 0108 0.59 0745 1.66 1428 0.46 2018 1.28 0151 0.56 0824 1.70 1503 0.41 2056 1.32 0230 0.53 0901 1.73 1537 0.39 2131 1.35 0306 0.51 0936 1.74 1610 0.37 2205 1.38 0343 0.50 1010 1.74 1642 0.37 2239 1.39 0419 0.50 1044 1.71 1713 0.38 2314 1.40 0457 0.51 1118 1.67 1745 0.41 2349 1.41 0536 0.54 1153 1.60 1818 0.44
0113 0728 TU 1357 2003
0.54 1.81 0153 0.30 0806 WE 0.30 1.48 WE 1430 1930 1.48 2036 0116 0.43 0.43 1.90 0230 0739 1.90 0.22 0842 1415 TH 0.22 1.59 TH 1500 2020 2107 1.59 0212 0.34 0.34 1.95 0307 0831 1.95 0.17 0916 1501 FR 0.17 1.68 FR 1530 2108 2140 1.68 0304 0.27 0.27 1.95 0344 0922 1.95 0.17 0952 1545 SA 0.17 1.75 SA 1600 2154 1.75 2213 0357 0.25 0.25 1.88 0323 1012 1.88 0.22 0930 1629 SU 0.22 1.78 SU 1531 2240 1.78 2148 0448 0.27 0.27 1.77 0404 1100 1.77 0.30 1009 1710 MO 0.30 1.78 MO 1605 2326 1.78 2226 0542 0.33 0.33 1.63 0448 1149 1.63 0.41 1052 1751 TU 0.41 TU 1642 2307 0011 1.74 1.74 0.42 0538 0635 0.42 1.47 1141 1239 WE 1.47 0.53 WE 1724 1831 2355 0.53 0058 1.68 1.68 0.51 0635 0732 0.51 1.33 1237 1330 TH 1.33 0.64 TH 1815 1914 0.64 0147 1.60 1.60 0.59 0050 0834 0.59 1.23 0742 1428 FR 1.23 0.74 FR 1345 2003 0.74 1920 0244 1.53 1.53 0.64 0158 0941 0.64 1.17 0856 1536 SA 1.17 0.80 SA 1503 2105 0.80 2039 0348 1.49 1.49 0.65 0312 1048 0.65 1.18 1005 1652 SU 1.18 0.81 SU 1618 2219 0.81 2158 0456 1.48 1.48 0.63 0422 1149 0.63 1.23 1105 1758 MO 1.23 0.78 MO 1719 2329 0.78 2305 0556 1.51 1.51 0.58 1240 0.58 1.30 1847 1.30
3 3 4 4
5 5 6 6
7 7 8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
Local Time APRIL APRIL Time Time m
m 0026 0.72 0645 1.55 1321 0.53 1928 1.38 0113 0.65 0728 1.59 1357 0.48 2003 1.45 0153 0.58 0806 1.63 1430 0.45 2036 1.52 0230 0.53 0842 1.64 1500 0.43 2107 1.58 0307 0.48 0916 1.64 1530 0.42 2140 1.64 0344 0.46 0952 1.62 1600 0.43 2213 1.68 0323 0.45 0930 1.58 1531 0.46 2148 1.71 0404 0.45 1009 1.52 1605 0.50 2226 1.72 0448 0.48 1052 1.45 1642 0.56 2307 1.71 0538 0.51 1141 1.37 1724 0.62 2355 1.68 0635 0.54 1237 1.30 1815 0.69 0050
m Time m 0524 1.78 0.72 1.78 0.33 1.55 0524 1159 0.33 1.58 0.53 1159 TU 1812 TU 1812 1.58 1.38
16 16
0.65 0005 0.47 0.47 1.83 1.59 0005 0619 1.83 0.28 0.48 0619 WE 1246 0.28 1.70 WE 1246 1900 1.45 1900 1.70 0.58 0100 0.38 0.38 1.84 1.63 0100 0712 1.84 0.27 0.45 0712 TH 1331 0.27 1.79 TH 1331 1945 1.52 1945 1.79 0.53 0154 0.32 0.32 1.80 1.64 0154 0802 1.80 0.29 0.43 0802 FR 1414 0.29 1.86 FR 1414 2030 1.58 2030 1.86 0245 0.30 0.48 0.30 1.72 1.64 0245 0851 1.72 0.35 0.42 0851 SA 1455 0.35 1.88 SA 1455 2114 1.64 2114 1.88 0.46 0335 0.32 0.32 1.62 1.62 0335 0940 1.62 0.44 0.43 0940 SU 1534 0.44 1.87 SU 1534 2157 1.68 2157 1.87 0426 0.37 0.45 0.37 1.50 1.58 0426 1029 1.50 0.53 0.46 1029 MO 1614 0.53 1.82 MO 1614 2240 1.71 2240 1.82 0.45 0516 0.44 0.44 1.39 1.52 0516 1116 1.39 0.63 0.50 1116 TU 1653 0.63 1.75 TU 1653 2323 1.72 2323 1.75 0609 0.52 0.48 0.52 1.30 1.45 0609 1206 1.30 0.72 0.56 1206 WE 1734 WE 1734 0.72 1.71
17 17
18 18 19 19 20 20
21 21
22 22
23 23 24 24 0.51
TH 1300 1.68 1822 0.54 1.30 0058 0.69 0802 FR FR 1401 1921 1.65 0.56 0157 1.26 0901 SA SA 1510 0.73 2033 1.63 0.54 0303 1.27 0958 SU SU 1613 0.73 2146 1.66 0.48 0406 1.35 1048 MO MO 1705 0.68 2249 1.72 0.41 0500 1.46 1131 TU TU 1747 0.58 2342
26 26
1.65 27 12 12 0742 0.56 27 1345
13 13 14 14 15 15
1.26 1920 0.73 0158 1.63 0856 0.54 1503 1.27 2039 0.73 0312 1.66 1005 0.48 1618 1.35 2158 0.68 0422 1.72 1105 0.41 1719 1.46 2305 0.58
0008 1.66 0.59 1.24 1.24 0.80 1822 0.80 0058 1.58 1.58 0.64 0802 0.64 1.21 1401 1.21 0.85 1921 0.85 0157 1.51 1.51 0.66 0901 0.66 1.23 1510 1.23 0.87 2033 0.87 0303 1.48 1.48 0.64 0958 0.64 1.28 1613 1.28 0.84 2146 0.84 0406 1.49 1.49 0.61 1048 0.61 1.35 1705 1.35 0.78 2249 0.78 0500 1.51 1.51 0.57 1131 0.57 1.44 1747 1.44 0.71 2342 0.71
1.66 25 0704 1.37 0008 25 0.59 0.62 0704 TH 1300
28 28 29 29
30 30
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 Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter 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. 112
FEBRUARY 2019
boats & kayaks
In the skipper’s seat
Inside story...
Stacer have been making boats for over 40 years, and in that time have gained a reputation for building tough boats to suit Australian conditions. With over 70 models in the range, whether you are after a serious fishing rig, a family fun machine or a budget friendly tinny, Stacer has you covered.
Made for...
Stacer boats are designed to dominate all sorts of waterways. There are boats to suit offshore, in the bay and in freshwater fishing locations.
This month...
114 St Clair lowdown Dayne Taylor takes us to an incredible kayak bass fishery in the Hunter Valley!
116 More towing tips Wayne Kampe shares more tips for towing, following on from last month!
118 Ned Rigs in the yak Justin Willmer shares a very effective American technique for kayak fishers!
Peter Jung compares the new Stacer 399 Proline and 429 Proline Angler in beautiful Venus Bay. Check it out on page 120!
FEBRUARY 2019
113
Kayak fishing with Ned BRISBANE
Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On
Over the years there have been many US lure developments and techniques that have been adapted and refined to suit our species. Some
rigging, Texas rigging, spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits, skirted jigs and more. In recent years it has been the Ned Rig that has exploded in parts of the US and I have been putting this technique to work in our local waters over the last year, landing a mixed bag of species, including plenty of flathead.
A happy angler and 80cm of Ned Rig eating flathead. have become popular, others have found a niche application and some have failed to leave their mark in this country. Many of us have tinkered with Drop Shotting, Carolina
BACKGROUND There have been modifications of techniques pioneered in the US by angling icons like Chuck Woods, Guido Hibdon and Charlie Brewer. The Ned Rig
was conceived and brought to mainstream attention by Ned Kehde, an avid angler and veteran fishing industry writer from Kansas, USA, hence the ‘Ned’ Rig. The rig centres around small finesse plastics, with anglers cutting down larger Senko (worm) style plastics to create a finesse presentation that is rigged on a light mushroom jighead. When combining this mushroom jighead with a buoyant plastic, you have a presentation that has a slow fall, can be dragged, hopped, darted and shaken, before hinging back upright on the pause to create a realistic defensive or feeding pose. This technique is renowned for producing cricket score catches of bass in the States and the plastic is always working and attracting strikes. GEARING UP As the Ned Rig has grown in popularity, fishing tackle companies have developed more plastics and jigheads suited specifically to this technique. An example is the ZMan 2.75” Finesse TRD, a small buoyant plastic that has no appendages, resembling a short plastic worm. The lack of appendages allows it to hinge back up with minimal resistance on the pause, giving it a rapid flee and defend action. For those looking for more action, other models include the 2.5” TRD CrawZ, a realistic craw or crab profile, the 3” TRD HogZ creature bait and the 4” Hula StickZ. Team these plastics up with a TT Lures NedlockZ, mushroom style Ned Rig jighead and you’re ready to fish. Currently most Ned Rig plastics and jigheads are
A leader of at least 10lb is a good idea as flathead inhale the Ned Rig. small, with jigheads around the 1/15-1/5oz, so light spin gear is the go for casting these light lures. Rods around 7’ in length and rated 1-3kg or 2-4kg are a great starting point, teamed up with a 20-30 size spinning reel, 6-10lb braid and 10lb leader.
sand and mud edges, dropoffs, weed edges, around low tide structure such as rock bars and timber, and in the mouths of drains. On the higher stages of the tide I target mangrove edges, weed edges, sand flats and my absolute favourite, fishing
The light jighead and quick hinging of the Ned Rig, thanks to the mushroom head and buoyant plastic, also assists in minimising snagging and fouling in the weed, making this presentation even more effective for
The mushroom jighead and buoyant soft plastic is the key to the Ned Rig success.
One of the author’s favourites, the NedlockZ and TRD CrawZ combo. 118
FEBRUARY 2019
Although I have landed bream, grunter, trevally and a few other species, it’s flathead that have really loved the Ned Rig, and being a finesse presentation it is perfect for kayak anglers. The kayak allows me to access skinny water, shallow water, weed flats and other areas where a finesse presentation excels. When targeting flathead on the lower stages of the tide, I fish the Ned Rig along
the sandy patches on the broken weed flats. These sandy patches are often not much larger than the kayak, however, it’s amazing how often these patches produce flathead. I call this picking the pockets and these sandy patches offer the perfect ambush point for flathead to bury themselves and burst out to eat prawns and baitfish that wander into their strike zone.
picking pockets across the weed flats. ON THE WATER On a recent adventure I decided to launch the kayak halfway through the run-in tide, use the tide to carry me out to some broken weed flats and prospect the sand patches with the Ned Rig for the last two hours of the run-in tide. While I was gearing up the kayak I noticed that the breeze had started to pick
up, so I decided to throw an anchor in. I didn’t have an anchor running rig (anchor trolley) on the little kayak,
and then tied the other end of the rope to the grab line on the kayak, near where I was seated. I could simply deploy
One in the net on a TRD CrawZ cast into a sandy pocket. so I just had to put something together on the fly. I decided to keep the anchor setup simple as I wanted to get on the water. I simply attached a small Cooper poly anchor to a few metres of rope and tied it to the front handle of the
the anchor when required, then grab the second rope and pull it in, allowing the anchor rope to slide through the loop and come back from the front handle to myself. I could then grab the anchor rope and pull the anchor in. I approached the flat
over the flat once, before paddling back to anchor and work some sandy pockets. The water depth was only a couple of feet, so I was fishing a 1/10oz NedlockZ jighead, rigged with a little TRD CrawZ, casting ahead or across the drift and focussing on the sandy patches. With the sun out and a decent pair of polarised sunnies it was easy to spot the lighter coloured sand amongst the dark weed patches and I fired a cast to the far edge of a pocket, hop, pause, hop and fish on! The take was solid and nice flathead screamed across the shallows, pulling drag and putting a smile on my face. The fish ran a few more times and then I slid the net into the water and guided the fish home. During the fight I saw that it was securely pinned, so that allowed me to rest a little easier and enjoy the fight. With the wind now howling in the same direction as the tide, I had no option but to anchor and target selected areas. My anchor rig was okay, however I probably needed a bit more length in the anchor rope, with the wind and tide working together I couldn’t get it to hold in the muddy, weedy areas so that I could effectively work the sand pockets. Instead, I had to anchor in the sandy patches where the anchor held securely. This ruled out fishing the smaller sand patches, as dropping anchor in them would surely spook any fish.
a cloud and I saw another section of sand, about 8m in diameter, not too far away. A quick paddle and I anchored on the down current edge of the patch, allowing me to fish both sides of the kayak as well as fanning casts in front of the yak. With the wind blowing hard I upped the jighead weight to a 1/5oz NedlockZ and paired it up with a 2.5” paddle-tail plastic. This would give me some tail action, along with that buoyant, tail up kick of the Ned Rig. I fanned half a dozen casts to the left of the kayak without interest, then fanned another half a dozen in front of the kayak with the same result. The way the kayak had settled on the anchor there wasn’t a lot of room to cast to the left before landing in the weed, so I made a short 3m flick that landed right on the edge of the weed. The plastic hit the bottom. Hop, pause and hook up. The hook-set was solid and felt like a snag, before those tell-tale headshakes of a big flathead, followed by a strong run across the flat. I knew this was a big fish by the weight and power, but when it came into view my heart rate lifted, along with the stress levels. It was bigger than the 60cm fish I had hoped to see and maybe even a fair bit over 70. Without thinking I found myself saying, “don’t bite me off,” over and over, as a solid fish had bitten me off a week earlier. A couple more runs and the fish was close to the kayak. It made my kayak feel small and the kayak landing
returned the fish to the water. My plan was to leave the flathead in the water, attached to the lip grips on a leash and tow it to
I had landed in a while, measuring in at about 80cm and the best part was watching this impressive fish swim away.
There’s not much room in the kayak with the big girl on board! a sand bank nearby where people were swimming. This would allow me to get a few photos, keep the fish in good condition, swim it
The swimmers were interested in the lure that the flathead had eaten, so I left them with some Ned Rig jigheads and plastics in the
A selection of Ned Rig plastics.
The Ned Rig is always working for a bite with its changes between fleeing and defending. kayak. Now, how to get the anchor rope back to myself to retrieve the anchor? I simply grabbed a second short piece of rope, tied a loop around the anchor rope
and worked a couple of sand banks without a bite. The wind was blowing and the tide was running fast as it was working up to a big high, so I decided to fast drift
I worked a couple of large sections of sand with no luck and was starting to think the weather was going to beat me, when the sun came out from behind
net feel even smaller. After one failed attempt with the net I took a deep breath, readied the net and tried to glide the fish straight in. Half of the fish fitted in the net, it went crazy and I lifted it into the cockpit. It was onboard, but I wasn’t sure for how long, so I snapped a couple of quick photos and then attached the lip grips and
for a while and then release it. Sliding the kayak onto the bank, I yelled out to the swimmers who were pretty stoked with the big fish as well. We took a few photos, admired the fish, with its shovel sized head and beautiful markings, as it swam in the shallows and then sent it on its way. This was the biggest flathead
hope that it will help them land a big flathead. Not only had the Ned Rig produced plenty of flathead for me recently, it had also now produced one of my most memorable flathead captures and it was sure to be tied on again soon, especially when pick pocketing the weed flats. See you on the water. FEBRUARY 2019
119
Two smaller Stacer boats with a lot to offer - SC
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Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au
Testing boats for the magazines can at times be hard work. Poor weather can affect our ability to get a feel for how a boat performs, time limitations also prevent us from really testing things like the fishability of a boat and use it in the way you would expect to use it if it were your own. So, when the opportunity comes up to not only have an extended period of time using a boat, but to also compare two boats that are designed with similar styles of fishing in mind, you jump at that chance. This was the case when Andrew Stephen from Melbourne Marine Centre contacted me about testing a Stacer 429 Proline Angler and a Stacer 399 Proline at Venus Bay over a weekend. COMPARING THE TWO The 429 Proline Angler and the 399 Proline are part of the Stacer stable of boats built using the Striker Series hull. I will go more into the performance of the
hulls separately, however, the biggest difference I could see in the hull configuration itself was that the Proline Angler had a bit more V through to the transom to divert/cut water away from the hull, whereas the Proline had a much flatter profile. Both are designed to be stable underway and at rest, and that makes them very suitable for casting lures from (which was our intention over the weekend). But it also means the vessel is very comfortable if you wish to bait fish or troll. With the lure casting in mind, Andrew has optioned both with a Motorguide Xi3 55lb trust electric motor. Other than the overall length, the biggest difference between the boats is above the hull storage wise. The Angler has more storage space and options within the casting deck at the front. The Angler tested had a plumbed livewell installed, as an example. The Angler is also has a significantly heavier (hull weight) than the standard Proline. Motor wise both boats were fitted with Mercury 4-stroke outboards, the
Main: Fishing Monthly always loves the opportunity to compare boats designed for similar uses. If you are after a boating package to fish your local estuary, our inland lakes or rivers, it is well worth checking out the Stacer 399 Proline and the Stacer 429 Proline Angler. Above: The Mercury 20hp 4-stroke and Stacer 399 Proline was a great match – a simple boating package that will provide hours of enjoyment on the water. Angler with a 30hp and the Proline with a 20hp. LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING Both packages came on a Stacer Alloy Light trailer and could be towed by your average family vehicle. These packages are matched to trailers in the factory, so they towed with no fuss at all. Although the boat ramp
at Venus Bay is a good one, at low tide it has its challenges and it was good to know that even in very
low water both boats were simple to launch and retrieve and could easily be done by one person if need be.
STORAGE Although a feature of the 429 Angler is the additional storage, with the extra space a full front casting deck provides, both boats have purpose built storage. The 399 has small pockets in the gunnel as well as an area at the bow for larger items. In addition to front deck storage, the Angler has very clever storage hatches near the transom and the test boat was also fitted with a deluxe rod locker. Overall, both have enough storage to keep things out from under your feet. RIDE AND HANDLING I have to say I was a little surprised at how different the boats performed on the water as far as ride and handling was concerned. It goes to show how much weight affects performance of a hull and also how much even a small V changes what the hull has to do to get on the plane.
SPECIFICATIONS 399 Proline 429 Proline Angler Overall length ........................................3.99m ....................................... 4.28m Beam......................................................1.82m ....................................... 1.84m Length on trailer ...................................5.65m ....................................... 5.65m Hull weight ............................... Approx. 111kg ..........................Approx. 260kg Top ......................................................1.60mm .................................... 1.60mm Bottom ................................................1.60mm .................................... 2.00mm Min hp ......................................................20hp ......................................... 30hp Max hp .....................................................30hp ......................................... 40hp Max persons .................................................4 ............................................... 4 120
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Once on the plane the Stacer 429 Proline Angler matched with a Mercury 30hp 4-stroke handled beautifully.
429 Proline Angler The 429 Angler is rated to a 40hp motor with the test boat packaged with a 30hp on the back. With the extra length and weight of the boat, the 30hp was a little sluggish to get on the plane with two people onboard (some of that may have been to do with this rather large author), but once there it was excellent. We were unable to get performance figures, but a boat like this isn’t about getting from A to B in a hurry, more importantly it has to handle well and maneuverer easily at low and high speed. This it did, beautifully. The package doesn’t draw a great deal of water, which was a godsend at low tide at Venus Bay and this also gave us the ability to sneak up a few
Mia Stephen was keen to come out with the team and catch a few fish while they tested the boats. She spent most of her time in the 399 Proline, showing dad how it is done. rock solid in this department. 399 Proline The 399 has a maximum horsepower rating of 30hp, so my expectation of the test
The 399 Proline had plenty of fishing mojo. Andrew caught some solid fish too. little tidal creeks that see very little fishing pressure, which was a real eye opener for this Queensland angler. Stability underway and at rest are also vital components of smaller boats and the Angler version is
boat was similar to the 429 Angler, that it would take a little time to get on the plane with the 20hp Mercury it was packaged with. I was wrong – the lighter and flatter hull meant that the 399 transitioned onto
the plane comfortably and, like the 429, handled well at low and high speeds. It too was very comfortable in shallow conditions and was even more suited to the low tide exploring we did at Venus Bay. Andrew installed a casting platform and a low profile floor in the 399 to assist angler stability at rest, which made it great to cast lures from. It was also very stable underway. FISHABILITY Although we spent plenty of time motoring around putting both boats through their paces, we also allowed plenty of time to take in the fishing that Venus Bay has to offer, especially the estuary perch fishing. A key component of this was accessing the waterway at low tide and fishing the mangrove lined edges and channels as the tide pushed in. As mentioned, this was a key feature of both boats. Andrew has shown us in past tests we have done with him that he likes to purpose fitout his boat packages and this was once again the case, as the addition of the Motorguide Xi3 on both boats meant we could stealthily position ourselves to cast our soft plastics and use it as an anchor (anchor
lock) when fish were found. Both boats have excellent stability at rest, even when anglers fish from the same areas of the boat. It was interesting to see photos of the boat when both anglers
Although we did not have fuel usage figures, Mercury outboards are known for being frugal on fuel and this proved to be the case. The boats started with full tanks and after two days running around there was more than half a tank left in both. How does this improve fishability, I hear you ask? You can fish for longer and it is more affordable. FINAL THOUGHTS I have had a bit of time since doing these tests to think about summing up what each has to offer and which I would buy for myself to go and do the types of fishing we did at Venus Bay. Is it as simple as bigger is better? No, it’s not. Both boats tick the key boxes when it comes to having a package that will allow you to fish with lures
as it allows you to have a few extra outfits onboard, but I also like the simplicity the 399 offers. I was very impressed by how the 399 and the 20hp Mercury outboard matched up. It was a great little setup, with a tested price of $17,431. That is very affordable and I don’t believe I would change too much. I have very similar thoughts on the 429 Angler, but I would put the maximum horsepower on the transom. On those days when you have three or four onboard you would appreciate it and it would be a bit more aggressive onto the plane, which I prefer. Doing this adds a little over $3000 dollars to the $23,750 as tested price. Although marketed as entry-level packages, there is a lot of value in what
To be able to spend a couple days using the boats as you would your own was a great opportunity. Here the author is putting the final touches on a silver trevally he caught from the 429 Proline Angler. were together. It shows the boat leaning, but you didn’t notice this while on board. We did not fish three out of either boat, but I believe you could do it in the larger 429 comfortably. In the 399 it may be a tight squeeze.
in areas like Venus Bay, or any of our estuary systems, and would be well and truly at home on our inland waterways or rivers like the Murray. I like the additional storage the 429 Angler has,
the Stacer 399 Proline and the 429 Proline Angler have to offer and they are well worth a look. To find out more about the full range of Stacer packages, visit www.stacer.com.au or contact your local dealer.
Both boats were set up with simplicity in mind. The addition of an electric motor, a quality sounder and some thought put into the layout and you have two great fishing and boating packages. FEBRUARY 2019
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Both boats were on a Stacer Alloy Light trailer. They are matched by the factory, ensuring they tow well and making launching and retrieving a breeze.
Both packages use the Stacer Striker series hull. The Proline Angler hull had a bit more V to improve water deflection and deal with the extra weight of the hull. The wider chines provide great stability at rest and underway.
Simple and effective storage is provided in the 399 Proline. One of the biggest differences between the two packages is the storage that the Proline Angler offers. Lots of storage keeps the decks clear and provides more room to fish.
The Mercury 4-stroke range is known to be frugal on their fuel usage. Reliable and fuel efficient, what more can you ask for? 122
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The Motorguide Xi3 electric motors that were on both boats provided the stealth and manoeuvrability to fish the mangrove lined system at Venus Bay. Just hit anchor lock and stay where the fish are when you find them.
See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.
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