New South Wales Fishing Monthly - November 2014

NEW NSW REGULATIONS – DETAILS INSIDE

Tournaments

Hobie World titles results • BASS Pro Grand Final results • Flathead Classic results • Aussies win big in China kayak • Carl Jocumsen makes the Bassmaster Elites •

Tested

Bluefin Tournament Drifter Pro • Whittley Clearwater 1750 • Morningstar 4.6m Offshore Cuddy •

Technical

Summer lake bream • Getting the most from your sounder • Boat trailer brakes • Ulladulla to Burrill Lake guide •

November, 2014 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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Rigs for every occasion Often copied... Never Equalled!

We’re famous for our wide range of high quality hand tied rigs.

Our flasher rigs are hand rigged in New Zealand using Black Magic’s Japanese made hooks, tough trace and long life lumo beads. You can choose between our ‘self-hooking’ KL hooks, suicide hooks, or our super sharp C Point® hooks (sizes 1/0-8/0).

We also have an extensive range of specialty rigs covering livebaiting, whiting, john dory, bait catching, straylining and now our award winning Longreach surfcasting rigs.

You can trust Black Magic rigs. WHY? Because we batch test both the components and the rigs.

Flasher rig being tested for strength

Allan McKenzie caught these 8.8kg and 9.4kg snapper fishing from the Portland Breakwater using a Black Magic Bleeding Pilchard 4/0.

Longreach Surfcasting Rig

Award winning Rigs to add to our legendary range!

The LONGREACH surfcasting rig won the ‘best terminal tackle’ award at the recent AFTA show held on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Its aerodynamic set up allows the angler to achieve greater casting distances.

LONGREACH rigs are the ultimate in surfcasting rigs and feature: • Two traces with Black Magic chemically sharpened high carbon steel hooks and long life lumo beads.

• One pulley rig complete with ‘impact’ shield.

• Optional floats to keep your bait away from hungry crabs.

Strayline Rigs

Jordan Sanders landed this 127cm gummy shark using a Black Magic 8/0 Gummy Snatche r while fishing at Salt Creek, VIC.

• Choose from either our super penetrating Black Magic C Point® hooks or self-hooking KL Red Hooks • Rigged on Black Magic 60lb Tough Trace with one lumo bead per rig • Three rigs per pack • The ultimate in convenience Visit www.blackmagictackle.com/strayline for an indepth how to use video

Visit www.blackmagictackle.com/surfcasting for more information

A Black Magic Snappe r Whacke r ‘candy’ was used

by Tracey Dedman to take this nice snapper off Great Barrier Island, New Zealand .

For your nearest retailer and our full range visit our website at

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YOUR PHOTO COULD APPEAR IN OUR ADS! If we use your photo in our advertising you will receive a FREE BLACK MAGIC CAP AND PRIZE! Include your name, address, fish weight, where you caught it and which Black Magic or Wasabi products were used. Send a high resolution image to: photos@blackmagic.co.nz

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November 2014, Vol. 20 No. 3

Contents BYRON COAST The Tweed 22 Ballina 24 The Clarence 26 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Coffs Game South West Rocks

28 30 32

MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 34 Forster 36 Harrington 38 Port Stephens 40 HUNTER COAST Hunter Coast 41 Swansea 42 Central Coast 43 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 44 Pittwater 46 Sydney North 48 Sydney Rocks and Beach 50 Sydney Harbour 52 Sydney South 54 Botany Bay 55 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 58 Nowra 60 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 61 Narooma 62 Bermagui 63

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From the Editor’s Desk...

There’s plenty to get your teeth stuck into in this month’s issue – the summer editions of NSWFM are the biggest of the year. From rules and regulations changes through to debate about a Sydney marine park and plenty of tournament and technique pieces, there’ll be something inside to keep you occupied.

Even if you’re not a tournament angler, I’m sure you support Aussie teams. If you do, you’ll love the ridiculous success of the Australian kayak anglers in the 2014 China competition.

Winning $71,000 of the $80,000USD on offer is enough to turn any head – read about it inside. We also have coverage of the 4th Hobie World titles and a story about Aussie bass angler Carl Jocumsen making it to the top level

of bass tournament fishing in the USA. Aussie anglers smashing it all over the planet – we love it!

SYDNEY MARINE PARK Sydney anglers have been mobilised by a proposal by the Labor opposition to create a Sydney Marine Park, where recreational anglers will lose access to certain areas. Even the political blind-Freddy can see that this a vote-grab for the opposition who think that a greener policy will make non-angling voters feel better walking from the ballot box.

Expect to hear a lot more about this – they may be waking a sleeping giant in Sydney and surrounds. The guys from the Shooters and Fishers Party give their views on it inside.

REGULATION CHANGES We’ve dedicated a page in this magazine to changes in NSW Fisheries Regulations that will come into play from the 3rd November (just

after this magazine hits the news-stands).

You can read the details inside, but in one major win for common sense, NSW and Victoria Fisheries have got together and both modified their proposed regulations for Murray cod. Initially, Victoria touted a 50-70cm slot limit for the species while NSW went the 60-80cm path.

After a fair bit of flack from both ends, the relevant departments have shown some remarkable common sense to standardise these rules.

It’ll now be a 55-75cm slot limit in both states – this was announced hours before this issue hit the presses.

Imagine the nightmare for anglers and compliance officers alike when you launch in the Murray River on the NSW side and return to the ramp with a fish which was legal on the side of the river where you caught it, but illegal where you retrieve your boat?

Thankfully, that won’t happen and we hope that it’s a trend that will continue in the future. We’re sure that there won’t be too many anglers who would disagree with the improved angling outcomes of the slot limit itself.

As this change came through so late, keep this in mind when reading some of the border reports.

Some of the problems have been fixed.

FIND-THECOMPETITION You’ll notice that there’s no Find-The Competition in this issue. We’re giving it a break for this issue and it’ll be starting again in December. We know that you all love finding hidden things over the summer months. Entries for this over the last six months have been exceptional, as always, so thank you to all of the effort you put into the exercise!

EDEN COAST Tathra 64 Merimbula 64 Mallacoota 64 Eden 65

Production: Jenna Moir, Karen Millward, Melissa Carroll

Sub-Editors: Nicole Penfold, Bob Thornton

Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd

Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham

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This is the time of year that there are plenty of big dusky flathead around.

This one was caught on a Fishabout Tours charter in Sydney Harbour.

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REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 35 Boating 88 Dam Levels 71 Fun Page 109 Tides 110 Trade Directory 106 Tournaments 74 What’s New Fishing 102 What’s New Boating 101

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Subscribe now to FM

You know Dad reads it. You might be reading his copy right now! How about organising home delivery so that he usually gets it before it comes out in the newsagency?

Subscribing to Fishing Monthly has plenty of advantages – apart from getting it early, he’s always in the draw for monthly subscriber prizes. It’s also cheaper to subscribe than it is to buy a copy each month. But best of all, if Dad gets a two year subscription now, we’ll throw in a free Wilson Blue Steel 4-piece travel rod – and it will arrive before Fathers’ Day. To find out how to take advantage of this special offer, see the ad on this page.

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Korr Zoom LED headlamp

3 Yes

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The newly released Korr 10 Watt Zoom LED headlamp is going to make a lot of friends with anglers and campers as it ticks every box as far as portability, convenience and power are concerned.

Aluminium alloy construction ensures the new Korr headlamps – with their 10W Cree XML2-U2 LEDs – are of a very robust construction and should give years of useful service.

There are 3 light output modes: high, low and strobe.

On the high setting there’s a range of 150m and the output is 840 Lumens. With four AA size batteries in the battery compartment (which is out of the way at the back of the head when the unit is in use) there’s up to 10 hours endurance depending upon the setting chosen and battery quality.

Another feature anglers will enjoy is the click adjustment for the beam angle, allowing the beam to be turned down to an angle of 90º and to stay right there until a job has been completed.

Price $39.99 www.korrlighting.com.au

I would love this for Christmas!

Korr Zoom Headlamp SRP

$39.99

2

Tonic's stylish new frames

Tonic Polarised Eyewear, the new leader in high quality fishing sunglasses, has added two new high-fashion frame styles to its range. The new Torquay and Cove styles are on sale now at Tonic’s 200-plus retailers throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Creator Doug Phillips said there were already thousands of people who loved their Tonics for fishing, but that the Cove and Torquay models brought Tonic’s 21st century optical technology to a more fashion-conscious customer.

“They are available with the same range of lens options as our other styles, including grey and photochromic copper in Tonic’s UltraOptic lightweight glass lenses,” Doug said.

“Our high-tech lenses are just as perfect for driving or sight-seeing as for fishing, because they give such a clear and glare-free view of the world.”

All Tonic models incorporate the latest Japanese optical technology, including unique de-centred VistaView lenses for distortion-free viewing at any angle. The scratch resistant UltraOptic glass lenses are just 1.8 mm thick, making them 30% lighter than regular glass, and have MultiCut fullspectrum anti-reflective coatings.

Tonic sunglasses come in eight wraparound styles with a ClikStrap removable safety strap. The RRP is $259 with UltraOptic glass lenses, and you can find your nearest retailer at www.toniceyewear.com.au.

Price: from $259 www.toniceyewear.com.au

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Xmas e d i u G t f Gi

Boatcatch system

Less time mucking around on the ramp means more time fishing. Thanks to Boatcatch, slipping and sliding on the boat ramp will be a thing of the past.

It’s a unique coupling device that allows you to quickly launch or retrieve your boat onto its trailer without setting foot on the boat ramp - especially convenient if you’re on your own. You can quickly motor off and on thereby eliminating the stress of holding up other boats. Boatcatch also reduces the dangers inherent in traditional launch and retrieval methods.

It’s made of high strength, 100% marine grade stainless steel and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Available in two sizes (Small for boats up to 6 metres long and large for boats over 6 metres) which include a universal mounting bracket to suit most boats (including Cats).

Watch our video showing how easy Boatcatch is to use at www.boatcatch.com.

Price: from $549 www.boatcatch.com

3 Yes

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Tonic Sunglasses 3 SRPF $259

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Great [ Great gifts for dads! ] s a e d I t Gif C

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JRoc LED Vibes

These water activated triple flashing LED 80mm vibes are irresistible to deep sea fish, eliminating the need for chemical lights to attract fish. The light spectrum produced is irresistible to finned predators, triggering a hunting instinct.

These lures automatically glow and flash when immersed in water, and a self-contained non-replaceable lithium battery provides over 200 hours of use. The indicator sensor ensures that the flashing LED will automatically stop glowing if the light loses full contact with the water – a great power saving feature.

These lures come pre-rigged with two hooks at the bottom and a clip on the top. The action can be adjusted by moving the clip to different holes.

On top of all this, they are strong, durable and made from high quality anodised alloy. The RRP for a twin pack is $35 from the JRoc website, with free shipping Australia wide.

Price: $35 (twin pack) www.jroctackle.com.au

6

Ugly Fish Ultimate Clarity

Ugly Fish have combined sophistication, safety and style to create the Xenon range: the ultimate set of summer sunnies for both keen-sighted and long-sighted anglers.

Whether you’re down at the beach or in the tinnie throwing a line out, the Xenon range won’t let glare ruin your day. Made with an extremely tough and impactresistant polycarbonate lens, which is available in smoke or brown, these sunnies are strong enough to handle any situation.

The Xenon is also available with bifocal nylon lenses, which make tying knots and baiting hooks a breeze and will provide maximum UV protection from the harsh Aussie sun without sacrificing comfort and style. The bifocal reader lenses come in +1.50, +2.00 or +2.50 magnifications.

Both the Xenon and Xenon Bifocal range feature antiscratch, anti-reflective and water-resistant polarised lenses.

Price: Bifocals from $129.95, originals from $149.95 www.uglyfisheyewear.com

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Alvey Xmas Beach Fishing

3 Yes

New Tide Apparel Range

Tide is a brand that provides quality products to people who share the same passion for being on the water.

Now Tide has released a new range for the summer season. If you are looking to get that special someone a Christmas present, check out the online store at www. tideapparel.com.au. The range is diverse, with apparel for men, women and children plus accessories like waterproof slogan stickers, boat towels, Buffs and iPhone cases, all with attractive, edgy designs. The clothing range includes hats (both with and without extra neck protection), board shorts, T-shirts, singlets, spray jackets, hoodies, vented sun shirts and sublimated fishing jerseys.

Nick Richardson says getting your hands on some Tide apparel is quick and easy.

“All it takes is just a few clicks of the mouse and it will be delivered to your door step,” he said. “Have a happy and safe holidays from everyone at Tide Apparel!”

Price: from $35.00 www.tideapparel.com.au

I would love this for Christmas!

MY

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3 Yes

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SRPF $129.95 6

Valid to 31 December 2014. Not available in conjunction with any other offer.

Get the BEST

3 Yes

Enjoy your beach fishing with the only reel that will withstand sand and saltwater while giving outstanding casting distance: the iconic Alvey.

You will also feel every fish bite because you are in touch with your rig through the line and handles on your reel. No other reel fishes this system or offers this sensitivity. Many top anglers use Alvey reels because of this feature.

After you have hooked a fish, even a large one, the Alvey 1:1 direct winding power will control your fish with ease. The smooth multi-plate clutch will also protect your line during the battle.

Match your Alvey reel with one of the quality range of Alvey rods, and make sure you get your distance when casting. Alvey’s rod range includes models to suit children right through to serious surf rods and deep sea rods for boat anglers. Buy a Christmas gift that will give years of pleasure to the angler in your life.

Price: $244.95 www.alvey.com.au

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SURF REEL you can buy

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When you purchase either 6500 BCVRRT or 6000BCVRRT Model

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Keep your keys, phone and wallet dry while fishing. Fits Alvey belt.

3 Yes

NEW RANGE

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www.tideapparel.com.au NOVEMBER 2014

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Shop online until midnight, December 24th to get a 15% discount on all full price products; checkout code: fish

P:02 9969 5053 E: helen@clicproducts.com.au

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Turn Your Wheels into Winches

Only $13in159digital gripper plus free bag - ADD converted to paths.pdf 1 www.bogout.com Call Paul: 0418 772

CliC Eyewear Discount

CliC’s clever magnetic connection makes it the perfect eyewear choice for fishing and boating. The sliding connectors adjust for optimum fit and the neck-band secures the frame and prevents them from ‘bouncing’ around or dropping off.

If you struggle to see up close or you just need a pair of reliable and robust sunglasses, check out the range online at www.clicproducts.com.au. Reading glasses, sunglasses, bifocal sunnies – whatever your needs are, CliC eyewear will endure most rugged activities. CliCs are brilliant for baiting your hook, reading the instruments, tying a knot or reading the trail map. For maximum convenience, store them around your neck out of harm’s way!

Australian shoppers can shop online until midnight, December 24th to get a 15% discount on all full price products. To secure your discount, use the checkout code: ‘fish’ Price: Sunglasses from $139.95, readers from $79.95 www.clicproducts.com.au

2

NEW AUSTRALIAN INVENTION • 4 Tonne Tuff • Forward or Reverse • Reliable and Economical • Sand, Mud, Snow

Xmas e d i u G t f Gi

Bog Out Recovery System

Bog Out, created by Cairns angler Paul Aubin, is the most reliable and economical vehicle recovery system globally.

It’s easy to use, compact and likened to a ‘continuous snow chain for the tropics’.

This super-strong harness can be tied to EITHER the front or rear wheels. It then takes the rotational capability of any vehicle’s wheel and turns it into a strong winch.

Vehicles already have massive winch capability by way of their driven wheels; Bog Out captures that force and turns it into movement – exactly what you want when you’re stuck.

10/10/2014 10:11:18 AM Bog Out works equally well for forward or reverse, by 751 using the front or rear wheels. Mud, sand or snow makes no difference – simply attach one end to a wheel that’s lost traction, the other to an anchor point, and drive out of trouble. It’s economical, can double as a tow rope and can fit in your glove box.

Price: $159 www.bogout.com

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C

JRoc 3-in-1 Lip Grips

3 Yes

CliC Eyewear Sunglasses SRPF $139.95 1

3 Yes

M

Y

Y

MY

4

Tacklesafari.com.au

10

NOVEMBER 2014

Xplorer Classic 2 Fly Rod

Award winning Xplorer fly rods offer various options for the novice, intermediate or advanced fly angler with the Classic 2, Guide 2 or the ultra fast actioned Xplorer T-50.

The popular Classic 2 delivers a great balance between performance, durability and price. It’s a real workhorse, with a rod model for most applications. The fast action blank makes it a great rod to grow with as you improve your casting skills.

It features fast action deep blue blanks, compact fourpiece construction, alignment dots and model coded sections for easy set-up and identification, Pac Bay Hard Chrome snake guides and Pac Bay stripping guides with hard alloy ring inserts, uplocking anodized aluminium machine cut reel seats with carbon weaved inserts, A grade cork handles in full and reverse half wells, Cordura rod tubes and an Xplorer No Fuss Lifetime Warranty.

The Classic 2 starts at models and.

Price: $200 for 2/3wt, $245 for 8/9wt www.tacklesafari.com.au

I would love this for Christmas!

Bog Out System SRP

$159.00

2

3 Yes

I would love this for Christmas!

JRoc 3-in-1 Lip Grips SRP $34.95 3

The 3-in-1 25kg lip gripper from JRoc Tackle combines a lip grip, digital scales and measuring tape. It’s an ideal multipurpose tool and it’s also easy to use.

Stainless steel jaw construction and tough ABS/TRP plastic handle ensure the gripper is water and corrosion resistant. The non-slip rubber handle provides extra gripping power and control even when wet. Also included is an adjustable nylon wrist cord and a protective draw cord bag.

The grip jaws swivel independently of the handle for safe and secure handling of the fish.

With the battery operated, integrated 25kg/55lb scale that measures in lb/oz/kg, you can quickly weigh fish by holding the fish in the gripper’s jaws. The scale also includes ‘hold’ and ‘temperature’ functions. The display is back lit and shuts off automatically when not in use.

Finally, at the end of the gripper you’ll find a handy 1m (cm/ feet) retractable measuring tape. The 3-in-1 gripper is available from the JRoc website with free shipping Australia-wide.

Price: $34.95 www.jroctackle.com.au

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I would love this for Christmas!

3 Yes

I would love this for Christmas!

Xplorer 2/3wt Rod SRPF $200.00

4

5

Great [ Great gifts for dads! ] s a e d I t Gif

Spanyid Sniper Vibe

Soft vibes have become a lure of choice for many anglers, so when it comes to buying a gift for a fisho this Christmas it’s hard to go past a Spanyid Sniper vibe.

This new, soft plastic UV-enhanced hybrid lure has a cutting-edge, effective design allows the angler to work every depth of the water column for almost any species.

Robustly built with durable through-wire construction tested to 26kg and fitted with ultra-sharp VMC trebles, the Spanyid Sniper Vibe is available in eight proven fishcatching colours and four sizes ranging from 60-120mm, making them the most versatile vibe range on the market.

These great lures are available from all good tackle shops and are great value for money. They are currently available in 6-30g weights.

Price: from $14.99 www.shimanofish.com.au

6

Shimano Rarenium C14

The use of CI4+ (carbon interfused with polyamide) in the rotor and body of the new generation Rarenium CI4+FB spin reel series cuts down on weight without compromising strength, delivering better performance and greater comfort.

Features include X-Ship (a double bearing supported pinion gear and a larger cold-forged drive gear), and Floating Shaft II for reduced friction where the spool drive shaft meets the pinion. Six shielded SA-RB bearings and one roller bearing ensure every turn of the machined aluminium handle is as effortless as it can be.

CF (Cold Forged) gears deliver a great all-round retrieve speed of 5:1 across the range. Line capacities are generous given the size of the reels, and Aero Wrap II (a worm gear oscillation system) provides uniform line lay.

The Rapid Fire Drags are all totally waterproof, and stopping power ranges from 3kg in the 1000FB, 9kg in the 2500 and 3000, and up to 11kg in the 4000FB. Price: from RRP $279 www.shimanofish.com.au

7

PowerAll Portable Charging

Powerful, convenient and ultra-portable, the PowerAll not only keeps all your portable smart devices charged on-the-go, but also has the power to jump start your car, outboard motor and multiple other vehicles.

With an amazing 400amp max output, the Powerall can jump start up to a 4L petrol or 3L diesel engine. So whether you are hitting the road this summer, on a weekend boating adventure, or off to explore remote locations camping, the PowerAll is a must-have device for the entire family.

All this, and its compact design means it can fit inside your pocket, bag or glove box, and it has a standby battery life of up to six months. Over current and over voltage protection are built-in to ensure the safety of your valuable devices and vehicles.

Available at leading retailers nationwide, including Repco, Anaconda and Lawrence & Hanson.

Price: $179.99 www.thepowerall.com

8

Glorify Unbreakable Gift

What do you get when you put innovative engineers, designers and extreme sports people in the one room?

You get Glorify unbreakable sunglasses!

Gloryfy sunglasses are based on maximum protection of the eyes, highest functionality, and minimized risk of injuries. This is all possible thanks to the intelligent materials and innovative technologies from this Austrian eyewear company. The patented technology used to make the frames and lenses (G-flex and I - Flex) make the lenses and frames extremely flexible so they always return to their original shape. Check out the YouTube clip showing how unbreakable this product is!

Gloryfy lenses have the highest quality ratings and come in standard and polarised versions. You also have the option of getting them in prescription. If you’ve had problems with breaking sunglasses in the past, Gloryfy sunglasses are for you.

Price: from RRP $250 to $279 (polarised). www.gloryfy.com

3 Yes

Sniper Vibe

I would love this for Christmas!

Purple

Spanyid Sniper Vibe SRPF $14.99 5

Pink

FeelVibe! the

3 Yes

I would love this for Christmas!

Not only will you feel the difference in the way you catch fish using the Sniper Vibes, you will also feel that energised vibe you only get when you find a lure that actually works.

Hero Green

Shiny White

Tiger Gold

Black

Bright Green

Silver

www.spanyid.com.au

Shimano C14 Rarenium SRPF $279.00 6

3 Yes

I would love this for Christmas!

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PowerAll Power Bank SRP $179.99 7

3 Yes

www.thepowerall.com

I would love this for Christmas!

Glorify Unbreakables SRPF $250.00 8

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NOVEMBER 2014

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Fishing regulations changes NEW REGULATIONS - EFFECTIVE NOV 3 “Both NSW and Victoria will have a Murray cod slot limit of 55cm-75cm” Recreational anglers in NSW are looking at a total of 16 changes to fishing rules, effective from 3 November, 2014. Some changes are significant, some are minor, and one has recently been modified – the slot limit for Murray cod. In a welcome compromise, the NSW and Victorian governments have agreed on a single slot limit: 55cm75cm. This single, shared regulation will make life easier for everyone.

So what are the other regulations changes and how will they affect you? Read on to find out.

CHANGES TO SALTWATER RULES Some of the more common bread-and-butter species have received changes to their daily bag limit. The limit for the following species will be reduced from 20 to 10 per person per day: • Combined limit of all flathead species (other than dusky flathead) • Combined limit of bream and tarwhine • Tailor • Blue swimmer crab • Combined limit of trevally species; and • Luderick.

The bag limit for dusky flathead (10) remains unchanged.

During the consultation phase of the fisheries review, many anglers pointed out that some fishers travel a

long way to access fishing grounds and holiday at certain locations to catch fish to take home for later consumption. To lessen the potential impact of the reduced bag limits on regional tourism and on fishers who prefer to harvest and store fish, the possession limit of the six species/species groups will remain at 20.

SMALL BAITFISH BAG LIMIT The bag limit for small baitfish will increase to 100.

Some recreational fishers indicated that a bag limit of 50 small baitfish did not allow anglers to collect a sufficient supply for bait.

Seeing as there are no specific resource concerns for these bait species, the department decided to grant the anglers’ request for a greater bag limit.

CRABBING GEAR Although people can still use the same overall number of crab-catching apparatus (six per recreational fisher), the total number of witches hats/hoop nets/lift nets

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NOVEMBER 2014

allowed to be used will reduce from five to four, and the total number of crab traps will increase from one to two. This change aims to reduce the use of witches hats and promote the use of more environmentallyfriendly fishing gear.

Witches hats can often be lost during tidal movements and continue to ghostfish, increasing the risk for interaction with non‑target species.

Crab traps are a preferred design (as opposed to an entanglement net) to reduce ghostfishing, and they have reduced interactions with non‑target species when used properly.

dam and ongoing stocking is required to maintain the fish population. More dams may be added to the list in the future after close consultation with stakeholders, and if science demonstrates they have little natural recruitment.

Bass and estuary perch The spawning closure has been extended from three to four months (May to August) to protect early migrating bass. It is important to realise this is a zero bag limit closure; catch and release fishing is still permitted.

Bass tend to move earlier in the northern part of the state and rather than have different rules for different regions, and the extended spawning closure will provide greater protection across the state for the species.

Bream and tarwhine now have a combined limit of 10 fish per person.

Further regulations changes may be on the cards for the Port Stephens area, in response to the unusually high incidence of turtle interactions with recreational crab gear, including turtle mortalities.

DPI is currently investigating suitable management arrangements, specifically for Port Stephens, to reduce turtle interactions with crab gear whilst still enabling recreational fishers to target and catch crabs in the area.

CHANGES TO FRESHWATER RULES Murray cod The biggest change will be a slot limit for Murray cod of 55cm-75cm. This will mean that all Murray Cod caught over 75cm must be released, and all caught under 55cm must be released. This rule change will increase the number of fish larger than 75cm providing more opportunities to catch and release trophy fish as well as significantly increasing spawning potential and the resilience of the population.

Fishers will also be permitted to take cod during the closed season within Copeton Dam near Inverell. This is based on scientific evidence, which demonstrates little or no recruitment occurs in the

Trout The bag limit for trout in general waters will be reduced from 10 to five and the possession limit reduced from 20 to 10. These changes will simplify the current trout rules and are expected to impact very few fishers.

Yabbies Some anglers wanted to know whether they could take yabbies caught in shrimp traps and shrimp caught in

Lake Wallace and Googong Dam can also take yabbies.

Carp A strictly controlled pilot program permitting bowfishing for carp in some key locations will be trialled in 2015. The trial will be regulated and monitored

by DPI. Individuals will be required to hold a NSW Fishing Fee receipt and a NSW Restricted Game Hunting Licence (endorsed for bowhunting).

As with all recreational hunting activities in NSW public areas, bowfishing will be underpinned by a thorough risk assessment. This will determine the specific conditions that will apply to the licensing of bowfishers.

CHANGES TO BOTH SALTWATER AND FRESHWATER RULES Fishers will be required to mark all of their recreational nets and traps with the fisher’s initial, surname, year of birth and postcode.

This minor rule adjustment removes the requirement to include a person’s address on the marking of recreational nets and traps.

This change received considerable support from the recreational fishing public to address security concerns associated with the display of a fisher’s full address on set fishing gear. The change will still enable adequate individual identification of recreational nets and traps for compliance purposes.

Ban on transhipping fish Transhipping of fish involves the transfer of fish from one vessel to another whilst the vessels are not in port or at a boat ramp. This practice will now be banned to reduce opportunities for the black market sale of fish, and also to restrict the ability of individual anglers to exceed daily bag limits for highly valued fish.

Transhipping is more

The bag limit for dusky flathead remains unchanged at 10 fish. anglers, but will help fisheries officers to reduce the opportunity for illegal catch and sale of fish.

This rule change excludes bait species.

WHAT DO ANGLERS THINK? A wide range of comments were received during the review, and most submissions were in support of the 16 rule changes.

Many responses highlighted the need to change rules to better protect fish stocks, including: • Some species are not as abundant anymore; • Support for reducing fishing pressure for a range of species; • Alternative proposals such as reduction of bag limits (to a greater or lesser degree than proposals), change to size limits, introduction of new closures and boat limits; • Any proposals should be based on science; and

To lessen the potential impact of the reduced bag limits on regional tourism and on fishers who prefer to harvest and store fish, the possession limit of the six species/species groups will remain at 20. yabby traps. The answer is yes: a minor rule adjustment will be made to enable fishers to legally take yabbies caught in a shrimp trap and shrimp caught in a yabby trap.

Anglers using hoop nets (five per person) in Lake Lyell,

common with high value species such as yellowtail kingfish, blue-eye trevalla and hapuku (hapuka) which may be sold to illegal fishing operators, restaurants or fish shops. This rule change will affect very few recreational

• More compliance needed.

Other responses demonstrated that some people felt rules were good for now, including: • Current bag limits should be retained; • The proposed limit was

not enough for some fishers’ needs; • Current bag limits are rarely reached by most anglers; • Anglers must maximise their catch because weather/ ocean conditions restrict fishing time; and • Many species are not overfished or under threat.

Other anglers thought that commercial fishing was the real problem. In response to this, DPI has pointed out that the commercial sector is actually undergoing a process of reform in response to the Independent Report into Commercial Fisheries Policy, Management and Administration commissioned by the NSW Government in 2011. DPI has directed interested parties to find out more at www. dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/ commercial/reform/review, so we did. Upon closer inspection, it appears that the changes mostly relate to administrative reform rather than reducing effort.

Not welcome news for the anglers who voiced their concerns about commercial impacts, although it’s possible that changes in commercial share allocation and other regulations may help to cap pressure.

DPI said its scientists will continue to closely monitor the 100+ commonly harvested species in NSW through its annual resource assessments.

These assessments involve updating information about the biology of harvested species based on data compiled from a variety of sources. Hopefully this ongoing information gathering will result in sound management decisions for both the recreational and commercial sectors into the future. – NSW Fisheries

Summer lake bream CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

near Swansea, than it is at the shallow, sandy Tuggerah entrance. However, as far

as bream fishing goes, this isn’t really of any great significance.

jrobley@iprimus.com.au

Through our warmest time of year, the coastal lakes of the Central Coast can really fire up with bream luring opportunities. Considering the high prawn population that thrives within these lakes and vast, shallow margins, surface lures are right at the top of the list.

Let’s take a closer look and see how best to make the most of the months ahead.

DIFFERENCES Although they have many things in common, the Tuggerah system and Lake Macquarie are also quite different in some ways. The biggest individual difference is that Macquarie is a lot deeper. In fact, without getting too specific, it’s probably around three times as deep as Tuggerah Lakes overall.

This simply means that all three lakes that make up the Tuggerah system warm up much more quickly so the bream tend to kick into gear a month earlier than Macquarie.

Another obvious difference is the inflow of sea water. It’s much greater at the mouth of Lake Macquarie,

Surface lures are popular during the warmer months but it may also be worth trying other types if the fishing is slow. This bream nailed a pumpkinseed Gulp over a shallow sandy patch between weeds in Tuggerah Lake.

Local angling identity Glenn Helmers with a Lake Macquarie bream caught by working a surface lure along a rocky point. This fish was hooked mid-morning, but it generally pays to be on the water nice and early.

What about the nets?

It’s interesting that despite the continual, yearround commercial netting throughout Tuggerah Lakes, bream luring here can actually result in a greater number of fish caught over a given period than fishing in Lake Macquarie. Forty years of fishing these lakes has proven that fact to me.

Having said that, there’s also no doubt that the biggest bream are far more likely to

be caught within Macquarie.

Sure, the occasional fish over 1.5kg is hooked around Tuggerah’s waters, but if a trophy class bream is on your wish list I recommend you head straight to Lake Macquarie.

HOT SPOTS There is no shortage of areas around both waterways where casting surface and subsurface lures produces the goods through the warmer months. Popular places like

The Entrance or Swansea can fish exceptionally well at times (although holiday periods also mean crowds) fishing from the shore, kayaks or boats. The area west of The Entrance Bridge can house stacks of bream and whiting, but an overabundance of weed can make for problematic and frustrating times.

Perhaps the best approach, rather than thinking in terms of specific spots, is to look for the ingredients

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that make for productive lure casting. Generally speaking, that means seeking out a combination of weed, rock, sand and water movement.

These lakes are incredibly weedy, so you won’t have to look far to find that.

However, there needs to be plenty of sand between patches of weed to attract bream – ideally a 50/50 mix in knee deep water.

Rocky points are another common feature of both lake systems, and when you get that mix of sand and weed just off a point you’ve definitely got a good bream spot. Of course, some points may be better than others and each may fire at a different time.

So, like lure casting for bream anywhere along the NSW coast, it’s largely a matter of moving around to find the fish because they’re not going to come rushing to you!

Other bream-attracting structure can be found in the form of bridge pylons, jetties, fallen timber, overhanging foliage and moored boats.

It’s all in plentiful supply around the lakes. Some of the deeper cockle beds in Lake Macquarie can still produce bream at this time of year, although the majority of fish are in shallower water and often looking for their food near the surface.

As with most forms of fishing, some sort of water

Introducing

movement will see the fish in a more active mood. There are some minor currents

can also work well in some spots. My personal preference is to fish from a kayak, as I

Northeasterly wind blows most days at this time of year and it really picks up

Mako recommends a copper base with a blue mirror and high definition filter. Copper have been a favourite of fisherman for many years as it highlights colours well. When visibility is poor due to cloudy, or murky water, overcast skies or flat light these coloured lenses will really come into their own. They will highlight dull colours making fish more visible.

The high definition filter is added to the lens to filter our yellow and orange wavelengths increasing contrast and clarity.

There is no shortage of bream-attracting structure around the fringes of the big Central Coast lakes. Hit a jetty like this around sunrise and you’ll probably score fish. around these lakes and closer to the mouth it’s the usual tidal scenario. In more isolated bays or backwaters, a breeze will also create enough movement to encourage bream to feed more than they would in dead still water.

BOAT OR KAYAK? Boats and kayaks both have their advantages and disadvantages when fishing the lakes, and bear in mind that shore-based lure casting

like the simplicity and stealth.

Yaks are also great when working the super-shallow lake margins, where boats may struggle to get in close enough to the fish.

On the other hand, it’s a million times easier to cover a lot of different spots with a boat. You can cross Lake Macquarie in 10 or 20 minutes in a boat, as opposed to an hour or two of hard slogging in a kayak.

strength after midday. Dealing with that in a kayak can be a nightmare, especially if you’re trying to cross an exposed part of a lake. You may cop some salty spray in a boat, but overall those northeasterlies don’t pose much of a problem.

Overall, I would say yaks are best for extremely shallow flats, early mornings, creeks or sheltered bays. Boats are best for open water at any time, without worrying about the

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This bream smashed a PX55 at the mouth of Dora Creek. The creek mouths around both systems are always worth exploring at this time of year.

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and casting around may result in a few fish, and freely drifting with the breeze is workable, but you’ll definitely do much better with an electric.

PRIME TIME The general aim of the game around the Central Coast

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While a sounder isn’t necessary when flicking lures over the shallows, a decent electric motor is essential for boating anglers. Anchoring up

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that’s caught in the middle of the day, with a barometer sitting at 1002, won’t be the last!

LURE CHOICES We are so lucky to have an enormous variety of excellent lures to choose from these

days, ranging from cheapy jobs found in bargain bins, through to expensive, hi-tech Japanese masterpieces. They’ll pretty much all catch bream at one stage or another, and experienced anglers have their favourites.

I prefer the smaller surface lures such as Jackson T-Pivots and Ecogear PX45s, but I mainly use these while fishing from a kayak, where casting distance isn’t a priority.

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If the fish don’t respond to surface presentations over the shallows, try something different. This fish snatched an Ecogear ZX30 which was rapidly retrieved over a shallow, weedy flat. there and start casting. Fish don’t read rule books and the next 2kg blue-nosed thumper

Although this is the season for topwaters, it always pays to have some other types in the kit as bream aren’t always going to be receptive to surface presentations. Depending on

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lakes is to fish very early in the morning or the last few hours leading up to sunset.

This is much more important in Tuggerah, Budgewoi and Munmorah than it is throughout Macquarie. In fact, it’s the norm to enjoy first rate action from about 15 minutes before sunrise up until 8am, and then by 9am it’s almost a complete waste of time continuing on. Many times I’ve seen a hot bite shut down altogether only an hour after sunrise.

Lake Macquarie bream may act like this too, but it’s not uncommon for some of the bigger fish to be hooked around 9-10am. After a good session in the shallows with surface lures, it may also be productive to start working the deeper parts with small blades or plastics.

When there’s a lot of boat traffic on the water this may also affect bream behaviour and they’ll shut down earlier or only become active again an hour before sunset. They can also be harder to tempt if the barometer is rapidly falling, a northwesterly is blowing or during the first few mornings after a full moon.

On the other hand, if it’s the new moon period, there has been some light rainfall in recent days, the barometer is reasonably high and the sky is overcast you could just keep on catching bream all day, even around the Tuggerah system.

These are the general guidelines, well worth noting.

Ultimately though, you won’t catch fish unless you get out

Therefore, lures with a bit of weight to them will do a better job.

exactly where you’re fishing, this could mean deep or shallow running hardbodies, vibes or soft plastics. Some of my personal favourites for the lakes include Jazz Bokun and Ecogear ZX30 blades, Daiwa Gekkabijin Vibs and any of the smaller Berkley Gulps, with pumpkinseed, camo and motor oil being my choice of colours.

IT’S ALIVE The world’s best lure won’t catch fish by itself.

While it’s certainly beneficial to be armed with a top notch lure, it needs to be cast in the right place and given some thoughtful rod work in order to score a bite.

In most cases, the best thing to do when a surface lure splashes down is to simply leave it sitting motionless for a few seconds. The splashdown would have been enough to attract the attention of any nearby fish, so they’ll zoom over to investigate. If it’s early in the morning and the bream are in an active mood, the lure will probably get smacked.

If not, the next step is to commence the retrieve.

Rather than just work it back at a steady, constant pace, try to mix things up a bit with some speedy rips, pauses and whatever else may come to mind.

Take a look at any prawns that may be getting chased around and try to imitate their hurried, nervous movements.

If you see a bream zooming right in to the lure, rip the lure away quickly, just like a real, fleeing prawn. When the bream catches up to the lure again, it won’t want to let it get away a second time.

Bream are predictable in many ways, but due to variables like the weather, water temp or clarity and the exact spot you’re fishing, things can quickly change.

What worked yesterday, or even ten minutes ago, may not be so successful later on.

If one approach doesn’t work, just try another and another until you catch a fish.

NOVEMBER 2014

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Beginner’s Guide: Ulladulla to Burrill Lake go fishing, swimming and hiking. Local dive operators will show you the best of the underwater world in the crystal clear waters off the coast. Deep sea charters are also available, as well as whale-watching tours during the annual migration season. Eating fish and chips fresh from the Fishermen’s Co-op on the wharf at Ulladulla Harbour is a popular pastime for locals and visitors alike.

Mollymook Beach to the north is a fabulous 2km stretch of golden sand between Bannister Point and the southern headland where Mollymook Golf Club is located.

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Ulladulla makes a great base for exploring local natural attractions such as Morton National Park, Lake Conjola to the north and Lake Burrill to the south. Nearby Meroo National Park has a beautiful coastline with access 5km from Ulladulla.

An easy, 2km walking track passes through native flora in the South Pacific Heathland Reserve and onward, providing access to great views from Warden Head Lighthouse.

You can learn to surf here,

township of Burrill Lake is located 5km south of Ulladulla, situated between the beach and the lake. Surrounded by natural bushland, its unspoilt beauty provides excellent fishing spots and safe boating, sailing and windsurfing. Boats, canoes, skis and kayaks are available for hire. Most of its shores retain their natural bushland and forest cover, and views west across the lake to Pigeon House Mountain create a beautiful natural setting.

The Princes Highway crosses the eastern arm of the lake only meters from the sea, but the lake’s main expanse reaches inland almost to the town of Milton, and cannot be seen from the highway.

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1. Mollymook Beach Mollymook Beach is located a few minutes north of Ulladulla and produces whiting and bream during the warmer months of the year, with the best baits being live beach worms and pipis. Autumn will see the salmon and tailor start to come in during those low

Mollymook Beach at times may look featureless, but don’t let that fool you. It can be one of the best beaches in the region. light periods of early morning and late in the afternoon. The best baits are whole pilchards and garfish.

If you find that you are getting bites and the pilchards are getting chewed up, try changing from a set of ganged hooks to a single 1/0 and half a pilchard and you will be in with a chance of either a bream or trevally.

For the boat angler you could try trolling parallel to the surf and around the front of the north and south headland for kingfish, bonito, salmon and tailor. Sand flathead are also an option from the 25-40m depth.

2. The Golf Course

and reef are you are in with a good chance of picking up a morwong, snapper, leatherjackets or pigfish on a paternoster rig.

3. Ulladulla Head If you drive out to the lookout at Warden Head you will be able to park the car and walk down to the rock shelf below. Care does need to be taken when doing so.

Once down here you can target bream, trevally, salmon, tailor, leatherjackets, drummer and luderick.

I recommend taking a sugar bag of bread for berley as that will increase your chances of getting the fish on the chew.

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KEY

Boat ramp

This is another headland that’s worth trolling parallel with for kingfish, bonito, salmon and tailor. Sand flathead are also an option from the 25-40m depth. Out wider on the broken shell

Also, this area can cop a fair amount of swell so you will need to keep an eye out.

4. Northern Break Wall This short break wall can at times produce a great run of luderick on a falling tide.

You could also try spinning for tailor and salmon. Just in behind the break wall there is a ramp that’s worth a shot for bream at the top of the tide. Early morning or late afternoon seems to work the best.

5. The Pier The Ulladulla harbour is a firm favourite for keen fishers and it’s popular with both residents and tourist alike, surrounded by a vast arrange of seafood restaurants and cafes.

There are many activities available such as surfing, recreational fishing, boating, snorkelling and swimming.

The Ulladulla Seapool is located at the southern end of Ulladulla harbour and can be accessed via the boardwalk from the harbour side or from Wason Street. It’s a very popular spot as you can drive up to within metres of the edge. There’s a fair drop to the water so you should either take a long handle net or up your line breaking strain to 6kg to allow you to lift the fish.

Live yellowtail and slimy mackerel can be berleyed up here and then put under a bobby cork for tailor, salmon and the odd kingfish. The manmade retaining wall behind can be fished from, but you will need to work your way through the concrete block. I recommend that you suss out the best spots to fish from before you take your gear in.

6. Warden Head Warden Head protrudes 1km to the east, with the sheltered Ulladulla Harbour to the north, while its southern side is well exposed to southerly waves. Along the 1km long southern junction of the head are four adjoining exposed beaches, all backed by steep slopes. The first beach is a 170m long pocket of sand bordered by converging 80m wide rock platforms, which leave a 100m wide gap in the middle for waves. These maintain a low tide terrace; however, the entire system is drained by a permanent rip through the rocky gap. It is

backed by densely vegetated slopes and a bluff-top car park off the headland road.

7. Rennies Beach Rennies Beach is located a few minutes south of Ulladulla and faces more towards the southeast. It’s a good spot to fish when the conditions are from the north. Whiting and bream can be targeted during the warmer months of the year, with the best baits being live beach worms and pipis.

Autumn will see the salmon and tailor start to come in during those low light periods of early morning and late in the afternoon. The best baits are whole pilchards and garfish.

If you find that you are getting bites and the pilchards are getting chewed up, try changing from a set of ganged hooks to a single 1/0 and half a pilchard and you will be in with a chance of either a bream or trevally.

8. Burrill Beach The township of Burrill offers windsurfing, canoeing, ocean and lake fishing, water skiing, mini golf, ocean and lake swimming, and leisure pursuits including bike tracks,

picnic and BBQ facilities at the Lions Parks just south of the Bridge.

The middle section of beach itself is exposed to most weather conditions. Try fishing at the lake’s entrance for bream, whiting and flathead. The northern end is good for salmon, tailor and bream when the weather is from the north. Beach worms and pipis can be caught from this beach.

9. Dolphin Point Dolphin Point is located about 5km south of Ulladulla and is surrounded by natural bushland. Its unspoilt beauty provides excellent fishing spots and safe boating, sailing and windsurfing in Burrill Lake.

Dolphin Point is a quiet village with some of the best views on the South Coast.

The beaches are to the east of the highway where each road will take you to a tranquil beach where it is great to take a rest stop on your journey, or stay awhile and enjoy the serenity of the coastal views from picnic spots. From here you can also go rock fishing or

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walk to shore-based fishing in the entrance to Burrill Lake.

10. The Flats The depth of the water from the bridge on the Princes Highway to the drop-off to the main basin of Burrill Lake is very shallow, but can be navigated in a boat by following the channel markers.

You have a combination of sand, broken rocks, broken oyster bars and ribbon weed.

It’s best fished during the quieter times of the day. I found this to be a great spot to cast surface lures during the summer for bream, whiting and flathead at the top of the tide.

Luderick can be caught during the autumn to winter months, but you will need to make sure that you have fresh weed. I gather my weed in Sydney a day before and take it down with me.

11. The Drop-off Just remember when fishing here that you don’t anchor in the way of boat traffic coming down the channel from the flats. Try live baiting with poddy mullet and pink nippers for bream, flathead, whiting, trevally, tailor and snapper on the run-up tide.

This same area is a great place to try trolling or casting hardbodied lures. Soft plastics also work a treat here.

12. The Bungalow Park Arm In my experience, the best results for flathead, bream

Top: Not bad for an hour’s fishing off Warden Headland with a 1/0 hook, no 3 ball sinker and mullet strips for bait. Bottom: The southern rock platform off Mollymook is fairly low to the water, and care should be taken when fishing off here. A decent cast will get you into bream and trevally country.

and whiting here have come from working the shallow edges with hardbodied lures, soft plastics and flies on a falling tide. You could also try anchoring up off one of the many points and laying out a berley trail. The best rig I have found to use here is the small ball sinker down onto the hook.

Pilchard, mullet, striped tuna, live worms and nippers will get the results that you require. You could also try using blades while drifting from one side to the other.

13. The Corner The water off this point is very deep not far out from the shore. The shore has plenty of snags that hold bream, trevally and flathead. You could try up in the back of the bay for mullet and whiting. It’s a great lure and soft plastic spot.

Estuary perch have also been caught here in numbers.

14. Stony Creek Care needs to be taken when travelling up here in a boat as the bottom depth does vary. A number of years ago I ended up high and dry here while travelling upstream. While I was getting my boat off the sand bar, my son Chris lured up a 72cm dusky flathead on a Mann’s Stretch 5.

If you slowly work your way upstream you are in with a good chance of mullet, garfish, bream, flathead or bass.

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Fishing Fill-its

Voting against more marine parks in Sydney Shooters and Fishers Party candidate Peter Johnson says that NSW fishers opposed to more marine parks should carefully consider their vote at the 2015 State election.

Mr Johnson, a former President of the NSW Fishing Clubs Association and Club Captain at Warringah Anglers, said neither party could be trusted to represent the interests of more than 750,000 recreational fishers in NSW. “We know that both Premier Mike Baird and Environment Minister Rob Stokes have been contacted by anti-fishing groups pushing for more marine parks and sanctuary zones in and around Sydney Harbour,” said Mr Johnson.

“And Opposition Leader John Robertson has already confirmed Labor would lock out hundreds of thousands of fishers from Sydney if his party wins Government.

“Fishers can’t trust either of the major parties to look after their interests.”

Mr Johnson said he had been a passionate advocate for fishing rights for more than 20 years.

“While I was Club Captain at Warringah

Currently, access to rivers like the Cooks is available to all anglers.

Anglers, our Club was instrumental in obtaining more than 17,000 signatures against a Marine Park in Sydney Harbour,” he said.

“However, as soon as the Liberal/National Party came to Government, they forgot all about the fishos.

“Fortunately, the Shooters and Fishers Party rescued the petition and introduced a fiveyear moratorium on future marine parks in NSW.”

Mr Johnson said that adding new marine parks is a major concern for recreational fishers.

“We’ve just seen the Government introduce restrictive new bag limits on recreational fishers, despite their own evidence showing that only 1% of all fishing trips ends in a bag limit catch,” he said.

“Now the Government look set to further restrict NSW fishers. It’s not good

enough. Fishers pay their fair share, and we want our fair access.”

Mr Johnson said it was essential for the Shooters and Fishers Party to maintain the balance of power in the NSW Legislative Council to ensure that no new marine parks could be established in NSW. “Mike Baird and the Liberals need only nine Upper House seats to control the balance of power, and that’s a risk that NSW anglers can’t afford

NSW Labor’s map of their proposed new Sydney Marine Park. to take,” he said. “The only way NSW fishers can stop these marine parks is to vote for the only Party committed to fighting for the rights of fishers across the State.

“Over the next six months I’ll continue to speak with fishers from across NSW to find out what issues are important to them.” – SFP

‘‘I’ll fight for OUR fishing rights.’’

Peter Johnson, SFP Candidate

WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED SO FAR

✔ Moratorium on Marine Parks ✔ Saved Oilies Wharf ✔ Hands off Meroo Lake RFH ✔ Overturned ban on Beach and Rock Fishing

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The best laid plans THE TWEED

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You start to notice it gradually. It’s getting lighter earlier, it’s slowly

getting warmer and that lovely sound of the birds chirping at daybreak just seems to be that much louder. Bugs start appearing on the surface of the river, the bat

colonies seem to be on the move… everything is coming to life after the winter hiatus.

It’s not just the wildlife either. Last Friday arvo I was at work plodding away when I noticed that the temperature started to change rapidly from rather cool to hot and humid. And I’m talking hot. Straight away I thought, “This is it!

Jack time!”

It’s pretty funny because I wasn’t the only one thinking along these lines. Within about half an hour my phone had rung three times.

“How’s this weather?

Wanna hit Boyds Bay Bridge at midnight?”

It’s exciting to get home and start to get the heavy gear ready. At the moment I’m using a chunky tournament Ian Miller T-Curve teamed with a 4000 Shimano Biomaster loaded with 30lb Daiwa multi-coloured tournament braid topped with 30lb flouro leader. It’s a weapon alright.

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Craig Costigan with his big plastic-crunching jack. combo (I’ve had little experience in using them).

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Obviously it was going to take some practice.

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and overhead reel, awesome piece of equipment. I was very jealous because I had noticed that all the serious jack hunters use this kind of rig, so I asked Ric for a loan of his older one and he said yes.

the different elements to the Shimano Curado that you could customise to suit your casting skills. It helped a lot, so now with the tax return in sight I’ll be looking for an Omen with the lucky number 13 written on it.

champing at the bit! Then I opened my veranda door and it wasn’t good. The cold had returned with wind and rain.

What! I sat there scratching my head, thinking this wasn’t supposed to happen. What can you do? I flicked on Rage, cooked an early brekkie and waited to see what would happen with the weather. Come daylight the storms departed and the cold and mist set in. Oh well, grab the light gear, turn it all around and go chase some bream. Tthat’s fishing and that’s fun.

THE BITE • Bream - big ones off either rock wall out the front and off Fingal Beach.

• Trevally - Late night/early morning around the bridges and rock walls.

• Flathead - starting to move into the river entrance, try around the golf club.

• Whiting - I’m struggling to get these puppies on lures but live worms should see you get a nice feed, again

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Love these Tweed River early mornings!

I had a few casts. The first few landed near my feet (luckily there was no one around to watch) but eventually I was getting in a good metre cast.

Back to the jack fishing.

I had the alarm set for midnight and when it went off I jumped out of bed all ready with my FishWreck mangrove jack shirt on,

around the golf club is a good spot to try.

Now is one of the best times of the year to fish the Tweed. Good luck and happy hunting.

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This time of year is always a bit of a mixed bag. The other day I was doing some bottom bouncing out wide for pearl perch when I saw a mahi mahi well over a metre long cruising past the boat. Unfortunately he disappeared before we could present a bait to him, but with the water temperature sitting at 22°C I wasn’t too surprised to see him.

According to reports from the Sunshine Coast they are already starting to see a few small black marlin appear, and hopefully in the next month or so they will trickle down our way.

Traditionally December has always been the prime month for these feisty little gamefish but I’ll be keeping a close eye on the water temperature. I have a feeling they will be coming early this year and the season will be a cracker!

In September the annual North Coast Fishing Bonanza was run, and from all accounts it was a

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resounding success. While the wind played havoc with the boats heading offshore, everybody seemed to do very well in the river with a enormous 99.5cm flathead caught by one lucky

is raging out wide, focus your efforts around the top or bottom of the tide. Not only are these peak bite times but often the current slackens momentarily, allowing you to get your

the next few months and are a great target on lures or live bait.

While I enjoy catching them on lures, it can be quite expensive if you lose half a dozen in a session. Live baits

We can expect to see a few red devils this month. angler. It’s hard to believe it was only 5mm off the magical 1m mark!

To give you a rundown of what you can expect this month, the offshore grounds are continuing to produce with the 32 and 48 fathoms being the most consistent currently. There haven’t been many big fish lately, with a smattering of small kingfish, pearl perch and snapper, but a few bigger kingfish have been taken on knife jigs.

I have also been experimenting a bit with octo jigs. When I say ‘experimenting’, I mean simply lowering the jig to the bottom and putting the rod in the holder. This has worked surprisingly well, with the rod holder often hooking more fish than I do!

I have a feeling the warmer water we have coming should bring a bit more bait and the bigger predators too. If the current

baits close to the bottom during this small window.

The bigger snapper should be heading back from their spawning on the inshore reefs as well. These fish have been hard to target this year for two main reasons: firstly the lack of the normally numerous bait schools, and secondly the many boats that rev their engines and zoom all over the shallow reefs trying to jig up a few live baits early in the morning. For anybody trying to stealthily throw some soft plastics for inshore snapper this is guaranteed to make the blood boil. For this reason I normally fish inshore only for the first bit of light after sunrise before I head out wide to avoid the crowds.

MANGROVE JACK When not offshore I have spent the last few precious weekends targeting some early season mangrove jacks. The red devils will really kick into gear over

are cheaper and will produce fish consistently. Mullet and herring are the go-to live baits although jacks will also take bony bream at a pinch, and if you can find some live rock shrimp you are almost guaranteed a fish. These little critters are best gathered at the top of the tide with a torch and a small bait net around rocky foreshores. The problem with these juicy little critters is that big bream and school mulloway love them too, and you can rapidly run out of bait.

Many locations in the Richmond River can produce jacks, and the boat harbour and the porpoise wall immediately spring to mind. The key is to target obvious structure with a back current or eddy which will provide a refuge for baitfish, and somewhere the jacks can pounce out of the current.

Similar to fishing for mulloway, the key is to

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be a reasonable proposition on surface lures. Those anglers able to collect beach worms will start to pull some thumpers from

yabbies will put you in with a fighting chance with the added bonus of some great bycatch in the form of dart and bream.

the bigger tides early in the morning before dawn. It’s a pain waking up early but it’s definitely not as cold as winter and a few chopper

There are still a few solid mulloway poking around the lower river. present a live bait around the slack of the tide as close to structure as possible. The basic running sinker rig is very simple: a 2/0 to 4/0 hook with 40cm of 30-40lb hard mono trace down to a swivel, and a ball sinker big enough to keep the bait on the bottom and close to structure. I prefer using 30lb braid on a stiff 6-8kg threadline outfit with a very strong drag setting.

This setup will account for many fish, however be prepared to lose every second

jack and donate plenty of tackle to snags.

TREVALLY We should also expect quite a few juvenile big-eye and giant trevally to turn up this month. These fish average 2-3kg, and while they will eat the same live baits as used for jacks they are far less fussy and can be caught on lighter gear during daylight hours. They are also a fantastic target on lures and are most active in strong tidal flow at dawn and dusk.

Small minnows, metals, popper, fizzers and saltwater flies all work.

OTHER SPECIES As the water heats up this month all the popular summer species should really start fire up in the estuaries. Most importantly the prawns should become more active, prompting flathead to be more active after their spring spawning in the lower reaches.

Additionally, the whiting will finally start to

Sharni Allen with the type of bass you can expect to catch in November.

South Ballina Beach this month as well. This is easily the best beach for worming locally, however if you’re like me and are all fingers when it comes to worming, some live

We should also see an increase in chopper tailor this month. These fish rarely come in over 1kg but make great live bait for mulloway off the beach.

Concentrate your efforts on

tailor for breakfast with the chance to convert one into a mulloway is a fantastic way to start the day.

Take care until next month and I hope to see you on the water.

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HOLIDAY RAGE With the influx of people trying to get out on the weekend and chase these fish, the boat ramps can become a little congested. However, if we all use our common sense at these times we can make everyone’s weekend a lot more enjoyable. For instance, have your boat completely ready to launch for when it’s your turn – have all your straps undone, bungs in the esky and rods on the boat so you can just reverse down, drop the boat in and drive off. Also, when you’re reversing on a multilane ramp, please don’t take up the whole ramp just to launch your tinnie.

Obviously it can get a bit crowded at popular fishing spots as well. If you’re on the water and everyone is trolling, you’ll notice they’re usually all

go charging over there – give them plenty of room to fight their fish. I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if someone cut off your hooked fish!

Generally speaking, when there are quite a few boats on the water just be alert and keep an eye out for what’s going on around you, and you should have a good day getting into a few fish.

THE RIVER

In the river when the water starts warming up we see the flathead begin to move down towards the mouth of the river to breed. This time of year is when you start to see a lot of big flathead around, and although they are a fun sportfish to catch these big flathead are our female breeders and deserve to be put back in the water.

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going in one particular direction. Please travel in the same direction as everybody else, rather than driving in another boat’s spread of lures, and leave a good distance in between you and the boat in front of you. Finally, if you see someone hooked up don’t

send to your mates who are working at the time to help make their day, and pop these big girls back in the drink.

If a feed of flathead is what you’re after, places like the north arm, oyster channel and Browns Rocks should all be holding nice

eating quality flathead from legal to 50cm. Soft plastics and blades are the best way to round up a feed of flathead. Just hop them along the bottom on sandy drop-offs near weed beds re rock bars.

Hopefully this season will be as good as the last one for crabs. Places like the north and south arms or Lake Wooloweyah or the broadwater were good producers for crabs last year.

Upriver has seen plenty of bass action of late as well, with small divers and blades being our best producers. There are good school mulloway getting about into the prawns, as well as some nice trevally. However, if a decent mulloway is what you’re chasing, this month is good for chasing them off the stones on big hardbody lures.

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Jamie Douglas with a cracking lizard.

Fishing Monthly Magazines Readers’ Pictures

Cameron Dodson landed this Spanish on a garfish – his first ever.

Holly Armstrong and a metre dollie landed on a livey.

Frankie Johnson caught this cracking little flathead.

Paul Healey caught this beaut Murray cod in Lake Mulwala, NSW.

Steven Arthur caught this hairtail in Baffle Creek!

A striped marlin from aboard Juggernaut out of Coffs Harbour.

How’s this for a quality red?

A whopper chopper caught by Rhys Nelson.

Cameron Gall caugh these bream to 42cm in Sydney Harbour.

Rhys Nelson caught this quality bass.

NOVEMBER 2014

27

Estuary fun in the sun be hard to find decent fish.

There is a multitude of smaller bream in the local estuaries at the moment that would be more than happy to try to slurp a cicada lure off the surface. To be in with a shot for a larger model on

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Typical Coffs region climate means that this month we can expect warm to hot days with water that’s only just beginning to warm up. November is typically when things start to get into the warm season swing. The cicadas begin to fire up, northeast sea breezes starts to kick in and storms become a bit more frequent.

With the cicadas comes some great surface action for both bass and bream. Some of the bass were surprisingly slow to move upstream after their winter spawning this year. Schooled-up bass were caught down in the salt well into spring this year, but still many fish spread far upstream too. This month the fish should be really settling into their upstream homes for another summer, and with the cicadas out they will be keen on hitting surface lures.

BREAM The bream are also great fun in the middle reaches of the estuaries when the cicadas are out, but it can

the surface you will need some patience and a lot of static time on your lure.

Alternatively, a very slowly worked soft plastic has been picking up great results on the bream and always has the chance of some trevally,

Now it’s warm again it’s time to get out and get the kids back fishing. A bit of bread and a small hook is all you need for a bit of fun on the sand.

Dale Johnson will hope to catch this guy’s mum or grandma during the Urunga flathead tournament.

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mulloway or even mangrove jack bycatch.

FLATHEAD Flathead are really coming into their time of the year. There should be plenty of flathead around in all the estuaries, from the entrance right up to the gravel beds in the brackish water.

This month will see anglers from all around boating, paddling and crawling all over the

Bellingen and Kalang rivers trying to find that sneaky big flathead spot in an attempt to be the winner of the Inaugural Urunga Estuary Sport Fishing Flathead Tournament. This tournament is a catch and release, lure and fly tournament, with the winning angler’s name going onto the Mick Molnar Marine Art designed perpetual trophy. Created as a fun comp for everyone who

loves flatty fishing, there will be a division for men and women as well as junior boys and junior girls. There will be random drawn prizes, so that everyone has a chance to win, and some other species prizes too. The entry fee is $30 for adults and $15 for juniors. For more info look up the Urunga Anglers Club on Facebook.

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Prior to visiting the Park pick up a Zoning Summary and User Guide from the local marine park office at 32 Marina Drive, Coffs Harbour Jetty

For further information call 02 6691 0600 www.mpa.nsw.gov.au 28

NOVEMBER 2014

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In the Solitary Islands Marine Park there is over 550 species of reef fish, 100 species of coral and 600 species of mollusc.

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flathead comp, but this month should see a lot of male flathead congregating around the larger females. Often if

JACKS AND TREVALLY The jacks and trevally should by a little more active this month, especially down

you out of a ‘nothing’s happening’ daydream than a jack smashing your bait and making a run for his hole.

Contrary to what many people say, amberjack and samsons taste great if you treat them well after capture.

THE MONTH AHEAD November is the last month before the holiday masses hit the region so now’s the time to get out, especially with the family. It’s enough trouble trying to avoid tangles between your own kids, let alone tangles with five other families with kids!

The estuary sand banks are an ideal kids fishing location.

They are sandy and easy to fish, have bait close by on the nipper banks, there’s usually room to spread out and there’s nearly always a nice deep drop-off you can fish directly.

Boambee, Bonville and Coffs creek all have good, easyto-access sand banks which make great fish attractors and great fishing platforms for the kids. Just remember to

bring the hats and rashies and avoid the middle of the day as there isn’t much protection out there on the sand.

Next month is holiday season and I’ll be giving you a few tips on getting away from the crowds to enjoy some peace and quiet. In the meantime, get out with the kids, your mates or by yourself and enjoy the start of summer. I hope you get a few big ones.

The bass have stuck around down low for longer than expected, making for great bycatch during a flatty and mulloway session. you catch a few smaller males in the same spot you can almost guarantee there is a larger girl around. Spring and summer is when they really start heating up so we should be right in the thick of it now. Big action soft plastics or hardbodies are great to target the bigger flathead, with mulloway a common bycatch when throwing larger lures around.

towards the mouths of the estuaries around the break walls and rock bars. This time of year is a great time to throw the lures around for jacks as you can cover more ground and look for the keen specimens. The jack fishing can be a little slow at the start, making sitting a live mullet in a snag a bit of a long waiting game most of the time. Still, nothing busts

SNAPPER AND PELAGICS Snapper have continue to provide consistent fodder for any offshore angler. The rat kingies have started to build but there are some decent samsonfish around some of the reefs and islands. Erratically retrieved soft plastics or knife jigs are always deadly for any of the Seriola bunch (kingfish, amberjack and samsonfish).

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5/08/2014 2:45 pm

Happiness is a new boat COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

The Solitary Islands Game Fishing Club’s first In-Hours comp day was held at the start of September, with nine boats enthusiastically hitting the water after the winter layoff. Boats that fished wide found yellowfin working sauries, with Foreign Exchange having a disastrous 9-9-1 on tunas including a quadruple hook-up that all prematurely released themselves.

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The main body of marlin activity was back inside the 100 fathom line and Dean Szabo on Alcatraz was the only successful angler to get one to stick, with a tiny striped — barely 25kg — successfully released on 15kg line.

Wide of the shelf, there are yellowfin to be had right up and down the north coast and into southern Queensland waters, with the occasional bigger models than the standard run of 25-35kg fish being sighted albeit not caught. Legal size mahi mahi are still about too, which, as always, makes

for a reasonable consolation prize if the billfish don’t cooperate.

At this early stage the season is shaping up really well!

A NEW BOAT Aside from the financial commitment, buying a new boat with game fishing intentions is always a worry.

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And, most importantly, will it raise fish? Most do, but some don’t, which can make for a very unhappy owner.

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Hopefully Dean Szabo’s mini striped has heralded the start of a hot spring bite.

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Loving the new boat! Marcus and George Blackwell with a bit of billfish laundry drying in the wind after a shakedown cruise on Hemingway II.

Solitary Islands Game Fishing Club member Marcus Blackwell stepped up from a Trophy centre console to a slightly larger centre cab version from the same company recently, and the fish promptly gave the new rig a massive tick of approval.

In the boat’s first hour of actively game fishing, Marcus and nephew George hooked a decent striped marlin that kept the latter tied up for two hours on 15kg before they could successfully tag it. They then went on to record another eight fish raised, tagging an additional two — a double hook-up — in what was a scintillating spring day’s game fishing on the Coffs coast.

The hotspot was the 50 fathom area east of where the FAD is usually parked, with bait, birds, dolphins, and those spangled line tanglers all in attendance. This suggests that there could be a good spring bite in the offing, with the boys recording blue 22-23°C water, and plenty of slimies on all the recognised live bait grounds.

BILLFISH FOUNDATION TAGGING DATABASE Wouldn’t something similar to this be a natty use

of our recreational fishing licence money by NSW DPI Fisheries? Just recently, the US-based Billfish Foundation distributed tagging data to members in spreadsheet format that documented every billfish they’ve released wearing one of their tags.

If you do a lot of game fishing, it may be easy to forget some of the fish you’ve released over the years, so this proved to be quite an interesting stroll back through time for me — way back to 1998 in fact.

On my boat we tag all marlin with the NSW DPI tag first, then follow that up with a Billfish Foundation tag wherever possible, cross referencing the two tag numbers on each program’s card. Tags fall out for various reasons, get covered in marine growth that makes them look like a parasite, and sometime they’re not placed where we’ve been trained to look for them. This way, we’re doubling the chance of the tag(s) being noticed if the fish is ever re-captured.

For more information about joining the Billfish Foundation, got to www. billfish.org. It’s a bloody good program and the sort of feedback it offers is extremely encouraging.

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Flathead feeding aggressively SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

The Macleay River and Clybucca Creek are alive with both blue swimmer and mud crabs at the moment and they are in very good condition. Just remember that crabbing laws will change slightly from 3 November. You will be allowed two crab traps instead of one and only four witches hats instead of five. The bag limit on blue swimmer crabs has also been cut down from 20 to 10 which is still a considerable amount of crabs per person.

These flathead were caught on soft plastics while drifting close to the bank.

Brendan O’Dell caught this 50cm bass while fishing the new freeway bridge at Freddo.

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Flathead numbers are good in the river. Kinchela through to Frederickton is providing the most consistent fishing, with plenty of fish from 40-55cm being caught. These fish are the perfect eating size and are feeding aggressively on 5” soft plastics and mullet strips bounced along the bottom while drifting close to the banks of the river.

Whiting are being found in the same areas and are now

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these species. You need to be tight to the rocks for the best results, just be prepared to lose a few rigs fishing this method as sometimes you will venture too close to the rocks.

Bait fishers are getting amongst some solid bream along the walls, mainly by floating un-weighted mullet or tuna strips, as the run of the water slows up around a tide change.

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NOVEMBER 2014

starting to feed on surface lures up on the shallower sand flats.

Bass are spread out through the whole river system as well as into the smaller creeks upriver.

most successful. Big fish in the 50cm range are being consistently caught as far upstream as Bellbrook while the whole system is full of fish in the mid to high 40cm range. These are quality fish on anybodys scale and it is awesome to have so many inhabiting our river system.

School mulloway and the odd trevally are the main feature of the first

Another stellar snapper caught by the crafty Grant Pearson. This one went 6.3kg.

These fish are now actively feeding on surface lures at most times of the day, with walk-the-dog lures and cicada imitations being the

few kilometres of the river.

Soft plastics fished right along the junction of the rock walls and the sand are proving deadly on

Throughout the Macleay valley rock fishermen have been getting amongst a lot of salmon due to a very late run that started mid-way

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through August. There were very few salmon through winter but they are making up for it now. Mulloway are around the salmon schools, along with the odd tailor.

Drummer are still frequenting the washes along the front of the gaol at South West Rocks.

Some solid kingfish are lurking about from the gaol through to the lighthouse

and out around Fishrock and Blackrock. Snapper have been around Fishrock and Blackrock too but most fish are coming out of the reefs around the 30-50cm mark. The average snapper size has been around 2-3kg but what they are lacking in size they are making up in numbers.

Octo style jigs as well as micro jigs are working

a treat on these mid-depth reefs as you can still get a relatively light jig down into the zone. With this form of fishing, as with many others, it is important to fish the lightest weight you can but always remember you still need enough weight to make sure you are making it down to where the fish are.

Pearl perch are around in

the deeper stuff when the current permits you to fish this region.

Summer is just around the corner, and with it will come a whole range of pelagic species. Bait stocks are plentiful at the moment and it will only be a matter of time before the whispers of black marlin, tuna and mackerel will start to circulate around town!

FISHING FILL-ITS

Courts tough on abalone thieves Local courts have continued their tough stance on abalone theft by handing out jail time and hefty fines in two recent cases on the NSW South Coast. DPI Acting Director of Fisheries Compliance, Tony Andrews, said the largest of penalties was handed down by Narooma Local Court to two men after they were caught stealing abalone and lobsters by fisheries officers north of Bermagui in October 2013.

“The two men aged 29 and 22 both from Bermagui, were observed by fisheries officers diving in waters and then shuck a large quantity of abalone,” Mr Andrews said. “Fisheries officers intercepted the men and located a bag hidden along the beach access track containing 69 shucked abalone and one prohibited size Eastern rock lobster. In addition, a number of freshly shucked prohibited size abalone shells were found.

“Both men pleaded guilty before Narooma Local Court to a range of offences including joint possession of prohibited size Eastern rock lobster, joint possession of prohibited size abalone, shuck abalone adjacent to waters and failure to pay the recreational fishing fee.

The 29 year old man faced an additional offence of providing false information and breaching a current five year prohibition order in place from previous convictions which prevents him from taking or being in

the possession of more than two abalone.

“The 29 year old man was sentenced to a total of 20 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $2500 in fines, while the 22 year old man was sentenced to a two year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $8200 in fines.”

Mr Andrews said in another matter two illegal abalone fishers have been fined a total of $20,000 after a significant quantity

were prohibited size.

Both men failed to attend Milton Local Court where they each faced two aggravated charges, one for the possession of more than the maximum quantity of fish and the second for the possession of prohibited sized fish.

They were both convicted and each received a fine of $10,000, demonstrating that abalone thieves will face heavy penalties when they are caught.”

involved in the illegal sale of abalone.

“Bag and size limits for abalone are in place for a reason, to protect the precious abalone resource in NSW.” The minimum size for abalone in NSW is 11.7cm, measured at the widest point of the shell, and there is a possession limit of two abalone per person. There are special restrictions on recreational abalone fishing in the waters between

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Fisheries officers observe divers illegal fishing for abalone north of Bermagui. of abalone was seized by DPI fisheries officers in February this year.

“Following a period of surveillance, fisheries officers intercepted two Sydney men, aged 50 and 51, heading home after a weekend at Kioloa,” Mr Andrews said. “The men were found to be in possession of 379 abalone, of which 372

Mr Andrews said fisheries officers in the south of the state will continue to target abalone theft.

“Officers will conduct both overt and covert operations, using the latest technology to detect and apprehend abalone thieves,” Mr Andrews said.

“Fisheries officers [also] conduct targeted inspections on persons or businesses

Port Stephens and Jervis Bay. Abalone can only be taken from these waters on a weekend and any public holiday that adjoins a weekend.

Anyone who suspects illegal fishing is urged to contact the Fishers Watch phone line on 1800 043 536 or online through the DPI website at www.fisheries. nsw.gov.au. – DPI

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Action is plentiful PORT MACQUARIE

David Poulton pmbc@drsm.com.au

November is one of my favourite times of year for fishing. The weather is warm but not too hot, and the action is plentiful, with everything from sweetwater bass to flathead in the estuaries. Offshore action will also start to hot up with inshore snapper, kingfish and the odd pelagic.

Offshore conditions have been perfect one day and dodgy the next. This month should see some decent snapper move in closer to the inshore reefs, with the golf course a great place to start, working your way south to Lake Cathie and Bonny Hills.

Kingfish should still be on offer for those who head north out of Port Macquarie.

Mahi mahi should show up this month, and live baits will always get bigger fish.

However, if you can get them to school, lightly waited

A Smith Bisen black cicada is a good lure for matching the size and colour for the early cicada season.

This bass couldn’t resist the presentation of a small black cicada.

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cubed baits can prove very productive.

The wider reefs south should still produce some nice pearl perch, teraglin and morwong. With water temps on the rise, baitfish should move closer to the coast, and with them could be some decent pelagics. Last season we had everything from marlin to yellowfin tuna. Let’s hope they show up again this year.

If you’re heading offshore make sure you plan your trips, and visit www. marinerescuensw.com.au and check out the weather forecast.

Then when you’re heading out for a fish, log in with Marine Rescue Port Macquarie. You can do this via VHF radio call or phone 02 6584 1966 or 0428 036 005. This enables them to assist you better in the unlikely event of an emergency. This is a voluntary organization set up to keep us all safe, and you can support them by visiting their website to make a donation.

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NOVEMBER 2014

BEACHES Beach fishing this month will see a lot of anglers targeting whiting off the beaches, and two excellent baits this month are beach worms and pipis. Top spots this month will be Lighthouse Beach, North Beach and Dunbogan Beach. The change in the tides are the best time, and if you’re collecting your own bait then low tide will be the best time.

It turns out that not everybody knows there is a limit of 20 beach worms, and that pipis are not permitted to be taken above the 50m above the high tide mark. Recently I came across a punter who had well over 50 pipis in a bag and was heading to the car park. When quizzed about the pipis, he had no idea of the regulations and didn’t know about the possible dangers of the toxins found in pipis, which are not removed after cooking. I think it’s important to make people aware of the regulations. This guy was very accepting and was totally unaware of what he was doing, so let’s preserve this valuable fishing commodity and spread the word.

ESTUARY Estuary fishing has been going crackers, and this month should be no different, with flathead and bream being the primary target species for most anglers. However, this month we’ll see whiting come into their own and they’re a top option for bait fishermen and lure anglers. Worms and yabbies are the best baits, and poppers and pencil lures are the best option for luring up a few fish.

The best locations this month will be areas with the least amount of boat traffic.

Look for spots with wide, expansive flats with deep water not too far away. Good spots to start are the flats upriver from Dunbogan Bridge on the Camden Haven River, and the flats around the junction of the Hastings and Maria Rivers.

Lure fishing for bream this month changes focus from fishing plastics and blades deep to cranking shallow crankbaits and twitching hardbody lures.

Locations for luring bream

this month are far and wide and varied, as the fish are spread throughout the system.

In the lower reaches you’ll find them mingling in the oyster leases, then moving upstream they’ll be lurking in the canals under pontoons and jetties. Further upstream they’ll be ambushing prey in the snags and weed beds.

Techniques for all locations will vary slightly, however the principles are the same. When rolling crankbaits, casting deep or as close to structure is best, then retrieving slowly with pauses and twitches to entice a reaction from the bream and hopefully a solid hook-up.

It’s a little different with surface lures. Poppers and fizzers tend to work best at this time of year, and keeping them as close as possible to the structure is the key. An accurate cast and small, deliberate twitches with long pauses will soon attract the attention of fish in the proximity of your lure.

The best spots upriver this month will certainly be in the Maria River around the hatch. Mangrove edges and overhanging gums are top

spots to start surface luring for bream.

FRESHWATER Fresh or sweetwater action this month will really kick into gear, and the good old Australian bass is the primary target species. The first hatch of cicadas is occurring as I write this, and they should be in full swing in November.

Small black cicadas were the first to hatch out in our area, a suitable lure mimicking them will get you into the action.

However, the larger green grocer variety isn’t far behind so make sure you have a good selection in your tackle box.

The best locations this month will be the Hardys Plains run on the Hastings River, and the upper reaches of the Maria River. Just remember to handle these wonderful fish with care, and release them for others to catch during the season and many years to come.

So enjoy your fishing this November and stay safe on the water. If you’re not aware of the new regulations for NSW to be enforced on November 4, check out the DPI Fisheries website at www.dpi.nsw.gov. au/fisheries.

In full sunlight bream love hiding under oyster leases. Wayne Bale pulled these lovely bream out of Limeburners Creek.

Part I: Depth sounder basics PART 1 NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.me

These days, very few boat fishers venture out in search of angling action without a depth sounder, sonar unit or fish finder fitted to their vessels. Even kayak and canoe enthusiasts are increasingly relying on sonar technology to help find fish.

But if you’re one of those people still struggling to interpret what you’re seeing on your sounder’s screen, then read on.

Modern recreational depth sounders evolved from the SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging) equipment developed during the First and Second World Wars to help surface ships detect and locate

enemy submarines. These technologies have come a long way in a century, and the calibre of entry level sounder available to recreational anglers nowadays would’ve completely amazed those wartime destroyer captains!

Today, very few boat fishers head offshore, or even onto our estuaries, lakes and rivers, without having some sort of sounder unit on board.

These tools are now viewed as an almost essential piece of kit, with base units priced keenly enough to fit almost any budget. Yet I constantly encounter anglers who struggle to make sense of what their sounders are telling them. Hopefully, this series of entry-level columns will help those people.

Without going into all the technical details, sonar works by transmitting sound Try to mount your sounder where it’s reasonably easy to see, both while your travelling and also while you’re actually fishing. If you spend a lot of time standing up in the front of the boat while fishing, consider placing the unit there instead of on the console or at the helm — or fit two units if you can afford to.

Now things are getting interesting… The water here is 5.6m deep (we can see that from the large, numeric readout at top left of screen, and also the hard line separating the yellow section at the bottom of the screen, which is the lake bed, from the rest of the image). But there’s a stack of ‘something’ between the boat and the bottom too, some of it extending up to 2m into the water column. This might be weed, timber, small organisms such as bait fish, or larger fish. Next month we’ll look at working out which option is more likely!

pulses into the water, then listening for their return as they bounce off objects such as the sea bed, rocks or fish.

By measuring the elapsed time between the transmission of the sound pulse and the return of any reflected echoes, a depth sounder can very precisely measure how far away those objects are. Most modern sounders then use this information to illuminate pixels on a screen, providing a graphic interpretation of what lies below.

Modern sounders are incredibly sophisticated and well-developed pieces of equipment. Rather like state-of-the-art cameras and computers, most casual users will only ever explore (or need) about a quarter of the potential power, functions and capabilities of their sounders!

In fact, just as with modern point-and-shoot cameras, in the vast majority of cases, these casual users are best served by simply turning the sounder unit on, setting it to auto and letting it do its own thing!

So long as it has been installed correctly in the first

place and you’ve remembered to switch off the showroom ‘simulator’ mode (a trap for young players!), the sounder should do a perfectly adequate job of telling you how deep the water is under your hull, showing you the basic contour of the bottom, and alerting you to any significant objects in the water column under the boat, all without you ever needing to push another button (except the ‘off’ switch when you get back to the boat ramp).

At the most basic level, which is what most of us want our sounders to do most of the time: tell us the depth, show us the bottom and give some kind of indication of the presence of any ‘targets’ (which may or may not be fish) between our boat and the seabed. That’s really about it! So, don’t get carried away or confused by all of the other stuff you read about and see on TV or in DVDs. Start with those basics, study the images (carefully read the captions) and you’ll already be well on the road to better understanding your sonar or depth sounder! Next time we’ll move on to some slightly more advanced stuff.

Here’s a very basic, un-tweaked sonar image. It shows the bottom, a little less than 6m below the boat, and a blob of ‘something’ in mid-water, plus some smaller possible scattered targets. The messy blue stuff near the top is just clutter and interference. All we can know for sure from this image is that the water is just under 6 metres deep, the bottom is pretty flat and that the boat has passed over something reasonably solid in mid-water… but that is actually a lot of information!

In this screen image we can see that the bottom is slowly rising as the boat travels along (the freshest part of the scrolling image is at the right). The water is currently around 12m deep under the boat. There are also half a dozen or more ‘things’ in mid-water and they may well be fish. As a bonus, the sounder is telling us that the water is 15.7 degrees Celsius.

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35

It’s all about bass, no trebles FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

The local area fishing has improved significantly over the last month with plenty of reports of good fishing both onshore and offshore.

Good numbers of snapper have finally turned up, but how long they’ll stay around close to the coast is anyone’s guess.

A mix of flathead and snapper to 2kg have been the general offshore bag with the odd leatherjacket and pearl perch. Those anglers who spend a few hours after dark may be lucky enough to find a teraglin or two, or even a solid mulloway. Live slimies or yellowtail collected from the back of Hayden’s reef, off Forster, will serve you well and are the top baits after dark.

A late run of quality pigs has salvaged what was turning out to be a pretty lacklustre year from the rocks. The fish have averaged around a 1.5-2kg and are a great eating size. There haven’t been as many bream from the rocks this year but in their place has been silver trevally, ranging from junior bait-stealing size

to fish over 2kg. They are a great fighting fish and provide a good photo opportunity, but when it comes to taking home

fringe over winter have, more or less, returned and will be making their way throughout the system for summer.

them, and yabbies seem to be a good way of catching both. On the bottom of the tide the blackfish can have a

Forster local Roberta Pearce has it all going on in her yak. A well fitted out kayak will help get you into spots the boaties can’t access. a feed I’d stick with the pigs and blackfish.

The lake will increase with plenty of fish activity over the next month or so as the hardiheads and glassfish bait gather in the warming water. All the bream that disappeared to the coastal

The rivers and shoreline around Coomba are a great place to get away from the impending holiday crowds that start at the end of this month. Until then, the leases around the paddocks have some big bream and blackfish lurking around

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change of mind and switch from weed to yabbies. This is especially true over the weed beds fringing the channels in the lake.

If you want a feed of flathead to take home I recommend a 4-5” Gulp Minnow in pumpkinseed colour bounced along the edge of the lower leases. Rigging your Gulp on a 1/6-1/4oz jighead and hopping it with two quick lifts of the rod tip will encourage the flatties.

The technique also works well around the many islands in the lake, especially where there is patchy weed beds over the sand and mud flats.

Chasing bass in the clear waters of the freshwater rivers is the best way to escape the crowds and enjoy some of the best lure fishing available. swimmers that have already increased in activity. While they are available year round (crabs gotta eat) they are at their best from now until May. The Fisheries regulations change that allows licenced anglers to have two crab pots and four witches hats is welcomed.

When crabbing in the lake be sure to set your pots well away from commercial pots or you may find you lose everything. Most of the commercial fishos are decent hard workers but a few who don’t care for rules or common law. Also

There have been some good whiting around since the end of October, and November is generally the best time to target the shadows of the flats with surface lures. The sand flats around the bridge see a spawning aggregation of fish that just seem to go nuts for surface lures ripped across the water. Target the deeper depressions in the sand where the current has created troughs. Worm, yabby and prawn baits will also work over these areas, and of a night under the bridge on the first of the run-out tide you’ll

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Spinnerbaits are a deadly lure for bass and are a go-to lure in the natural colours. Purple and black are another coloured skirt worth having.

The first of the decent prawn runs should take place on the dark of the moon this month, and by all accounts the lead-up has been encouraging. The warmer than average winter will likely have resulted in good growth in the tasty crustaceans, and I’m looking forward to the later evenings and early morning run-out tides.

Along with the prawns come the summertime blue

be mindful that if you are up here on holidays there is a strict exclusion zone for any fish or crab traps and spearing. The exclusion zone extends from Hells Gate at the western point of Godwin Island to the Tuncurry boat ramp, and from the eastern point of Godwin Island across Breckenridge Channel. If you get caught in this area doing the above mentioned activities you will face some stiff fines.

be surprised at the size of some of the whiting.

Bass fishing is one of my greatest fishing loves and this season is shaping up to be one hell of a year.

In spite of the low rainfall we have had just enough to rescue the freshwater stretches of rivers from becoming stagnant weed beds. Follow up rain is needed but until then I recommend you get on the water and indulge yourself.

Cooking

Preparing sushi BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

This month we look at how to make and prepare sushi using the traditional method.

Rice Ingredients 1 1/2 cups sushi rice

2

Rice Preparation

1 3/4 cups water 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp salt Sushi Ingredients Tuna, thin slices Cucumber, deseeded and thin sliced Green shallots, thin sliced Nori sheets

To make the rice wine vinegar seasoning for the sushi rice; in a small bowl stir together the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Continue to stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

1

Put the rice into a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover the rice. This water is not the 1ž cups mentioned in the ingredients list. Gently stir the rice with your fingertips. The water will become cloudy. Drain the rice in a strainer and discard the water. Repeat this step two or three more times. The Japanese traditionally repeat this step until the water runs clear.

Transfer the rinsed rice to a large pot (with lid) and add the water from the ingredients list. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes.

Rinse a rice paddle or large spoon with cold water and use it to transfer your rice to a large shallow bowl.

Gently fold the rice repeatedly.

As you fold, fan the rice with a square of stiff cardboard or a light cutting board. This is to bring the temperature of the rice down.

3 4

When the rice is tepid, gently tip the seasoned rice wine vinegar, a little at a time into the bowl while still folding the rice. Once complete, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Don’t cover the rice with plastic wrap or refrigerate.

Rolling Sushi

5

8

To roll the sushi, you will need a sushi mat and nori sheets. Place the sushi mat on a clean work surface so that the mat rolls away from you and position a nori sheet on top.

Use your fingers to lightly hold the filling in place. Pick up the bottom edge of the mat and roll the rice covered nori over the fillings to enclose them. Grasp the roll with your fingers and press firmly on the mat to secure the roll.

6

9

Moisten your hands with a little water and pick up about half a cup of the sushi rice.

Using your fingertips, gently press and spread the rice evenly to cover the nori sheet.

While raising the edge of the mat, continue rolling the mat forward to complete the sushi roll. Grasp the roll again and press firmly on the mat to finish shaping the roll.

Remove any excess sushi rice that has been squeezed out as you roll.

7

Place your filling end to end across the centre of the rice.

10

Carefully remove the bamboo mat and allow the roll to sit for a few minutes before cutting to allow the moisture from the sushi rice to soften the nori sheet.

The completed tuna sushi rolls presented with soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger. NOVEMBER 2014

37

Snapper all the go HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

At the moment we seem to have gotten rid of all the nasty cold, wet, southerly weather, and warmer days and north easterly winds

are dominating.

I’ve had a bit of time to check out the upriver parts of the Manning, including the fresh water upstream as far as Tiri crossing. Before the rains of a month or so ago the Manning was very low and only just flowing, but a week before the heavy

rains the springs that flow into the river opened up. This put about a 3ft rise in the river.

The water was gin clear and flowing well. Then the heavy rain upstream occurred and the river rose to 8ft and the water was filthy.

The river has since cleared and is running nicely,

There have been plenty of snapper coming in – up to 5kg.

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NOVEMBER 2014

with the water covering most of the gravel patches. There are plenty of schools of mullet working in the shallows but the fish are small, only 20-28cm in length. Bass have been taken as far upriver as a mile above Tiri and no doubt they have travelled upstream to the headwaters of the Manning and the Gloucester rivers. It seems that this year will be a great one for the freshwater anglers.

ESTUARY It seems that quite a lot of the mullet that came downstream this year did not go to sea but spawned and went back up the river. This will make the next mullet run something to behold.

The bream have moved up the river and many schools of fish have been seen around the bridge at Taree and further up river towards Wingham. At Harrington a few bream are still being caught from the rock walls but the best catches are coming from upstream.

Luderick are biting well on weed and at night, on yabbies. There are no big ‘bronzies’ being caught, only smaller, darker fish to 500g.

The mulloway turned up around the full moon for a few days, and fish to 15kg were caught on live baits and soft plastics.

BEACH AND ROCK At the present time our beaches are flat with a gutter running nearly the full length of the beach.

The northeasterlies will form the holes, gutters and sand flats that provide good fishing features in the next few weeks.

A few tailor have been caught on bait and lures from the beaches and rocks, but we will have to wait for the Christmas run of fish before the numbers increase. Smaller salmon to 2kg can be taken from both Harrington and Crowdy beaches. The southern end of Crowdy beach has produced small bags of bream to 1kg.

OFFSHORE There have been plenty of snapper coming in around the 5kg mark as well as smaller specimens. Both the northern and southern grounds are producing fish. Kingfish to 14kg have been landed on jigs and live bait, and pearl perch to 4kg have come from the wider marks. Flathead are still being taken on the drift from the wider marks.

Overall, November can be a very productive month for river and outside anglers. In the river luderick and whiting will be the most predominant species while boat anglers will be able to troll lures for bonito and mackerel as well as live bait for jew and snapper around the close-in reefs.

John Dory are a tasty by-catch.

Fishing Friendly Accommodation Guide

Get away from it all at Grassy Head Holiday Park Hidden amid the lush coastal rainforest of Way Way State Forest and bordered by kilometres of

in the river, from the rocks or along the beaches.

At the end of Millington Avenue is the Macleay River,

pristine golden beaches, Grassy Head Holiday Park offers an abundance of fishing opportunities.

The park itself is accommodating to the recreational angler with plenty of room for the boat and the car. There’s plenty to see and do to keep non-fisher members of the family busy while anglers are reeling in a feed.

Guests can choose from passive recreational activities such as walks through the rainforest or along the beach, more active pursuits like swimming or surfing in some great places, or fishing

famous for very good fishing.

Some of the fish caught at Grassy Heads include bream, drummer, flathead, luderick, mulloway, rock blackfish, tailor, trevally and whiting.

In one of the unspoilt gems of the Mid North Coast, nature lovers will delight at the wildlife and the beautiful bushland surrounds.

The popular River Walk follows the old entrance of the Macleay from Grassy Head to Stuarts Point, closed off after a flood a century ago.

The easy River Walk takes anything from 35 minutes to more than an

hour, depending on your walking speed and any of the delights that make you stop and let it all sink in.

Yarrahapinni Lookout offers breathtaking views and is just a short drive away, with The Pines picnic area located en route. Here you can escape from the pressures of the world – relax, unwind and immerse yourself in the serene beauty of this very special place.

Grassy Head Holiday Park is the perfect location for those who enjoy what nature has to offer. The seaside village is also only to 10 minutes’ drive from Stuarts Point village, 45km from Kempsey CBD or 19km from Macksville CBD.

Still plenty of reds PORT STEPHENS

Billy Gillon

It’s time to dust off the bent butt rods and re-spool Tiagras because November marks the beginning of the game fishing season in this part of the world. A current of warmer water should now be pushing down the shelf and the summer species such as marlin and mahi mahi (dolphinfish)

shouldn’t be far behind.

Mahi mahi will be a much more common capture later in the month but those early season fish are usually larger and taken on the wider grounds.

However it is still worth checking in at the FAD if the sea surface temperature charts look promising, and that gamble may well provide you with a big bull to start the season.

Trolling skirted lures and bridled slimy mackerel

along the shelf line could score you a striped marlin.

Concentrate your efforts around bait balls and temperature changes.

OFFSHORE Don’t give up on the snapper just yet; we will still see plenty of reds caught this month on the offshore and inshore grounds. Cod Rock, boat harbour, the Gibbers and Fingal are all spots which have been producing some nice reds lately. Most have

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Snapper like this solid fish will still be a viable target in November. been around fish have been around the 50cm mark but there are a few bigger fish mixed in.

A few teraglin are now starting to turn up on the deeper reefs in about 40-90m. DJs Reef, Gibber gravel and Boulder Bay wide are a few spots to look for trag, and you may also find a few morwong and squire for bycatch.

Most of my trips start with flicking soft plastics in the shallow reefs for snapper in the morning, dropping paternoster rigs down on the deeper reefs in the heat of the day. If we still haven’t managed a feed by then, a drift on the 30-60m gravel marks usually produce a feed of flathead.

BAY Our estuary fish seem to have really switched on lately, with dusky flathead around the 50cm mark very common at the moment. A nice sprinkling of bigger lizards taken on soft plastics have been reported also.

Bream are still firing as well, with plenty of fish coming from the break walls and oyster racks.

Small hardbody minnows work great, and it’s an awesome feeling to watch a 40cm bluenose bream inhale your surface lure right near the oyster racks.

Landing them on ultra light braid and fluorocarbon

Fish like this striped tuna will become more common as the warmer water pushes down. leader is the tricky part.

A few nice school mulloway are being caught on live baits in the deep holes at Middle Island and the Karuah River bridge.

Some nice schools of sand whiting are also starting to show up in the shallows and also on the beaches. Find a nice gutter and throw in some beach or blood worms around high tide and you should come

up with a good feed of whiting and bream. Fingal, Samurai and Box beach are all worth a look for some nice gutters.

Also remember to head to www.dpi.nsw.gov. au/fisheries/recreational and check out the changes to recreational fishing rules commencing 3 November, 2014 and make yourself familiar with the new rules.

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November is a better month HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

It’s funny how a few weeks can change the pattern in fishing. After suffering through wild weather for nearly a month I’m glad to say everything has cleared up and we’re on track for a great time on the waterways.

Flathead are starting to show up in the river, and with the start of the prawn season they should fire up as well. Bream and whiting will also become good targets if you are inside the estuary.

The harbour mouth has been fishing well with tailor, salmon and the odd big mulloway visiting both Stockton and Nobbys walls.

I watched a guy flick large soft plastics into the shipping channel recently; he let them sink before using a stop-andsink approach to great effect.

He got great hook-ups on big flathead and school mulloway. Admittedly the jewfish were on the small side but some of the flathead that were moving in to feed on the abundant whitebait were a very keep-able size.

To my surprise though he

let them all go. It’s good to see that sportfishing, as opposed to ‘grab fishing’, is still alive and well!

OFFSHORE Outside in the big blue yonder the water is warming quite well, picking up since September. It has brought with it mahi mahi, marlin, tuna and a load of other ready-to-grab-a-lure fish such as kingfish and even cobia.

There have been a lot of shark sightings on our local beaches throughout the Hunter Coast lately, mainly great whites but also some sizeable whalers and

hammerheads. This has been due to the rains we had a while back pushing all the bait from the estuaries out to sea. It’s not an unusual effect, and with the warm currents pushing bait down to us this can be expected, so if you are into tangling with these monsters now is a great time. Remember that the whites have to go back unharmed. Remember also that big sharks are full of mercury; 4-6ft fish are best when it comes to eating quality.

ROCK AND BEACH The beaches are picking up with loads of gutters

A good size salmon about to hit the net.

and holes forming from the wild weather. I drove along Redhead Beach and was surprised to see the close gutters that were there. If it hadn’t been blowing a gale I’m sure it would have fished very well. I saw a few trying but the sandblasting got too much for some.

Whiting, bream, and night mulloway as well as sharks should be plentiful if you pick the right day.

Off the rocks the game fishing boys will be swimming yakkas and slimies under balloons hoping for a big chomp from the kingfish that lurk along the deepwater ledges.

Remember all the berley you use to entice your livebait will also bring a lot of other species in close – morwong, drummer, tailor, bonito, bream and squid. A live squid is deadly on mulloway and kingfish if you can keep it out from the rocks.

REEFS The reefs will be firing as you read this. Reports of good size mulloway, kingfish, snapper and teraglin have been getting around. Squid the shallow weedy areas and use these as strip baits over places such as the Marbles Reef, the

Spinning lures on light braid is one of the most popular ways to catch flathead these days. These fish are moving into the Hunter River in good numbers for the start of the prawn season.

Dumping Ground and North Reef. Along with strips of slimies, yakkas should all work very well.

If you want to get into some huge blue and

red morwong, grab some crabs and cunjevoi and try deploying them over the reefs. Swim lures up and down and I think you should hit on some great fishing.

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Catch rates rising SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

Ah, that’s better… MUCH better. Water temps here in Lake Macquarie are rising nicely and the average

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daytime temps are also on the up. The good news about all this is that the fishing action has also been on the rise.

With water temps getting to 20°C+ and daytime temps sitting nicely in the mid 20s it’s no wonder that November is such a popular time for anglers on Lake Mac. Regardless of whether you’re an estuary angler, shore based or hitting the canyons 30nm out to sea the fish are there and willing to play ball. If you’re after a feed of fresh fish or just want to get out on the water and catch a few, now is certainly a great time to be doing so.

THE LAKE The lake is fishing well, and some good rain fall in the previous months has certainly helped give the lake a good flush. Due to several factors our lake does not get a great water volume change on the tide changes so it is very important to get these rainfall events and subsequent flush-outs every now and then. It keeps the water quality and conditions great for fishing.

Mulloway are certainly about at the moment, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a lure angler or a bait angler – if you put the time and effort the rewards are there. For bait anglers squid is by far the stand-out bait. Live squid is the number one bait and they are relatively easy to come by, but if you don’t have the time or inclination to catch live squid, don’t worry – you won’t miss out. California squid have been producing plenty of quality mulloway for anglers soaking a bait, and although most fish are in that 60-8cm range there are quite a few hitting the 1m mark.

For lure anglers the shads, vibes and Threadybusters have been smashing it to say the least. The one rule you should stick to is fishing where the bait is. I cannot say it enough. No bait equals no fish on most occasions.

Areas such as Bolton Point, Belmont and Valentine have been fishing very well for mulloway anglers.

Bream catches have also been on the improve.

Boat hulls, wind-affected edges, and the flats are all producing. Hardbody lures are working well over the flats while soft plastics in that 2-3” range are getting great results for those anglers working the edges of the lake that have the wind blowing onto them. It really stirs the fish up and helps turn the bite on. Natural colours for both hardbodies and soft plastics are getting the better results.

Whiting have started to move about the sand flats

I recently made the switch to kayak fishing and have been having a great time chasing flathead from my Hobie PA14. as well which is a great sign. Not only are they a very good sportfish and target on topwater lures, they are also an extremely good tablefish. A few fillets lightly crumbed and fried certainly hit the spot.

Flathead are about, and now is one of the best times of the year to target BIG flathead and set your new PB. It is very important to handle these big girls with care, and (after some photos) do your best to send them away healthy and ready to breed. There is something special about targeting these

trolling large bibbed lures.

Although I like natural colours for flathead plastics I do like brighter colours for my hardbody lures when trolling for these fish. For those who also love a feed of flathead, the good news is you should find plenty of quality fish in that 45-55cm range when chasing the big girls so it won’t be too hard to manage a few for the table as well.

During the cooler months most readers would know I like to hit the deep water, but now with temps on the increase I start working

It is fantastic to see parents and their kids out fishing. Seb Thursby caught this snapper on a recent soft plastics session with his dad Rowan. big fish, and releasing them feels just as good.

I’d suggest larger plastics if you’re specifically targeting better quality fish.

I find that 5-6” plastics and 4/0-6/0 jigheads generally do the trick. The weight of the jighead will depend on the water depth you’re working.

Keep it as light as you can but heavy enough to ensure you are hitting the bottom.

Another method that works very well is slow

shallower locations. Finding the fish in 1m of water as we enter summer is not uncommon, so work a variety of depths until you find the fish.

OFFSHORE The offshore fishing has also improved with the rise in water temps. The bait has increased and the big fish have started to move in. If you are looking for a beakie or two this season, now is the time to start your marlin

assault. I’d be sticking with a spread of lures in the 6-10” range at the moment, and I’d also ensure there were a few strings of slimies in the live well just in case you find that bait ball.

Much of the season will depend on the current but many anglers will be keen to see a good inshore small black marlin bite this year. It’s great to see when it works out that way, as there is nothing better than tangling with marlin in small but capable boats just a few nm offshore on light tackle.

It really is such a buzz.

Kingfish and snapper are also about the reefs in both quantity and quality.

Live baits are proving very effective, as is deep water jigging with jigs in the 150-300g range depending on depth and current. Generally those southern reefs around Texas off Terrigal have been producing, but on occasions reefs closer to home such as the Farm have also produced the goods.

ROCK Rock fishing activity has picked up as well. The warm water always sees an increase in angler activity on the local rocks as they begin their summer efforts of spinning for pelagics such as kingfish and bonito. A variety of lures will catch fish but it’s important to have a good mix as what works one day may not work the next. Usually 20-50g metals are used, and other lures such as Ocean Potion surface stickbaits can be deadly on kings and bonnies.

Floating out a live bait such as a live yakka or squid is also a good option. As we move into summer as it can be the difference between a good session and going home empty handed. As always guys and girls, take extra care when fishing the local rock platforms.

We have some good specials on at Jayro Tackle at the moment so check us out at 1/396 Pacific Hwy Belmont.

Estuaries all warmed up for summer fishing CENTRAL COAST

Glenn Ellis-Helmers

At long last the cold weather is all behind us and local estuaries have warmed up nicely. While fishing may not be in full swing just yet, it’s just about there.

One of my favourite fish to target right now and over the coming months is bream. I scored a solid one just nudging the 40cm fork length mark a few weeks back right down the bottom end of Lake Macquarie. A few more reasonable fish have also been providing some fun around Budgewoi and other parts of Tuggerah Lakes recently.

I’ve found it hard to beat the good old 3” Gulp minnow in colours such as watermelon and pumpkinseed. It would be great if Berkley also made them in motor oil with red fleck like some of the other Gulps. But really, many of us will be tying

I’ve heard the prawns are starting to run at The Entrance and Elizabeth Bay so this will also boost the chances of nailing some bream on surface lures. The prawns should get the local flathead more active also,

launch at Norah Head will be hoping the new ramp is completed very soon.

It’s been a giant project and work has taken many months. Some bad weather and big seas probably slowed the progress a bit,

COMPETITION Don’t forget to enter the Lake Macquarie houseboat competition! the sun is still low. A nice breeze blowing to make the surface ripple is also helpful, especially later in the morning or afternoon.

The bream just aren’t so lure shy when the surface is ruffled.

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A bream caught on a 3” Gulp right down the bottom of Chain Valley Bay. There should be plenty more with the water now being warm again. not to mention provide a feed themselves.

Whiting are hitting

but it’s still supposed to be ready by the start of the holiday season.

Work in progress at the Norah Head ramp. The new ramp is scheduled to be ready before the start of the holidays in December. on surface lures from now on and with the warming waters and prawns about, bream are going to be smashing topwaters from this point onwards.

Early mornings are great as our bream are in a feeding mood while

of fun, but many of us do like that sort of sport.

ROCK AND BEACH Beaches and rocks have still been mainly dominated by numbers of salmon. This year they haven’t been as thick as some other recent

lures aimed for bream more often now. Some nice size whiting are always possible in Brisbane Waters, over the tidal flats and through The Entrance Channel. Some big ones often smash topwaters around the southern parts of Lake Macquarie, with thick 40cm fish not out of the ordinary.

Those who prefer to fish baits should do well on the whiting at The Entrance or other spots with plenty of sandy flats.

As always, bloodworms or beachworms are the best but a fresh prawn, pipi or pink nipper will be quickly demolished if the whiting spot it.

OFFSHORE Offshore anglers who

The sea temperatures are improving now. We won’t see the really warm currents for a while yet, but for now most of the coldest stuff has gone. With some luck this will mean improved fishing. In recent times the usual pan-sized snapper, some morwong and flathead have provided some food for the table at the end of the day.

This month often marks the start of those smaller rat kingfish turning up over the inshore marks and near the headlands and bommies. Salmon are still around and so there is a good chance of enjoying some light line action on both the rat kings and the sambos in the one session.

Maybe not everyone’s idea

years, but still they have turned up just the same.

Many are also not as big as I have seen them in the past, with plenty of smaller fish around 1kg.

Some tailor and mulloway have hit the beaches lately, mainly at the usual places like North Entrance near the run out and along Budgewoi. If the sea gets warmer there should be more whiting along the beaches and possibly some bream and flathead as well if you fish small worm or pipi baits in gutters.

This month there shouldn’t be a problem finding some drummer and blackfish from the rocks or even groper for that matter.

All up, November sees some more options beginning to open up regardless of what sort of fishing you prefer to do. I’ll be focusing mainly on bream, flathead and whiting.

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All species on the chew THE HAWKSBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

Some great catches can be expected this month if the previous month is anything to go by. All species seem to be on the chew from Broken Bay to the head waters. This is a big river so it pays to break it down into

sections and species and stay focussed on what you want to achieve.

Kingfish, salmon and tailor have been eating well presented lures and baits on the headlands and inside Pittwater, this should continue for the next couple of months. If you’re after that big inshore kingfish, you can’t go past a well rigged live squid either downrigged or drifted

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over bait balls or isolated structures like reefs, wrecks and moorings. It pays to move regularly when looking for kings and it’s very common to get the bite as soon as the first bait or lure enters their zone, so be prepared.

Tailor and salmon can be caught either casting or trolling the washes around the headlands, rocky points or wherever you see birds working the surface. The bait size will have grown from the last two months with 7-14g metal slices and 3” clear soft plastic minnows working well in previous seasons at this time of year when cast and retrieved. Trolling 3-4” shallow running minnows with white or silver on the belly seems to yield the best results for me. Small rubber skirts and Christmas tree lures can be dynamite on their day also.

Bream, flathead and whiting will start to fire up on the flats in Cowan, Pittwater and Berowra.

Small crankbaits, soft plastic grubs or worms plus surface poppers and walk-the-dog presentations will all have their day. It’s best to vary your approach and a couple of outfits pre-rigged will help you find the pattern on the day. Lighter leaders and a slight breeze to ruffle the surface has been the key over past seasons.

Back in the river proper bream have been holding on the rock walls and worm beds from Brooklyn to Wisemans and beyond.

Live prawns, crabs or nippers cast tight to the walls and allowed to slowly waft into the back eddies is quite challenging at times but very rewarding when stud fish come to the net. Lure anglers will find similar action using 2-3” grubs and creature baits on 2-5g jigheads. Be ready for the bite as soon as your lure or bait hits the water as the fish can sit right up in the cracks and crevices on the high tide.

Flathead have taken up station on the drop-offs, bars and humpy bottom. The windsock at Laughtondale and Dad’s Corner above Wisemans will see the majority of activity, but if there are too many boats there are numerous other areas that produce just as good if not better results.

Prawns live or fresh frozen, soft plastics, soft vibes and blades will all take fish as they are in large numbers and competition is high.

Please remember to limit your catch not catch your limit so everyone can enjoy this wonderful resource right on our doorstep.

Kingfish are suckers for live squid. Make sure your tackle and knots are up to scratch as these powerhouses will test every weak point in your rig!

The estuary perch will be in full swing this month before they disperse and become harder to find through the height of summer. Soft plastic grubs and minnows in blood worm, pumpkin seed or motor oil cast into the back eddies along the rock walls and weed beds should be met with gusto as the fish compete for your offering.

The reaches between lower Portland and Windsor will produce the best results but be sure to get in early before the ski and wake boats make it hard to fish.

Bass will be in the same areas. I love nothing more than an early morning or late afternoon casting small poppers at the rock walls and working them out with quite a vigorous retrieve to imitate a fleeing prawn.

The strikes are vicious and deadly accurate, plus the fight in the tidal water on light spinning tackle is sensational.

The sweet water will have fired up by now, with the water above Yarramundi holding good numbers and sizes of fish. These fish will filter up into the small creeks and streams as the month progresses, especially if we get a decent dump of rain. They will turn on some great action for those anglers prepared to go that extra mile and hike into some remote country. In these situations bass will roam their pool in open water and you can at times sight cast to your quarry.

Don’t forget that the Pitt Town Sports Club is Hosting the Hawkesbury Classic on 14-16 November, and entries are limited to 1000 so get in quick. Any enquiries can be directed to the club on 02 45723 658, or you can visit the club’s website at pitttownfishing club.webs.com.

Mulloway will taper off this month but some 1m+ monsters will still be hunting Broken Bay before they head out to spawn.

Jodie Harris nailed this ripper dusky flathead in a small tidal creek on a soft plastic that she hopped down a drop off on a major bend.

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Dust off the rods, it’s spring fishing time!

PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

I can’t wait for the upcoming season.

Everything seems to be in its place with warm water coming closer to our part of the world each day, bringing with it hordes of baitfish that should drag a plethora of predators with them.

There are schools of baitfish along Broken Bay and Pittwater at the moment but most of the kings and salmon seem to be fixated on the small ‘living eyes’. There is the odd king or salmon that is willing to look at a small, clear soft plastic or 5g metal slice but the casts are many to find that one gullible fish.

In recent weeks I’ve seen schools of uninterested kingfish cruising the surface towards the western shoreline and the same area has tailor. If you really want a chance at one of these kings, try casting a small fresh squid head or gut passage into the feeding frenzy. Have your reel in freespool and let the fish run for about five seconds before

setting the hook. I have been finding some of the kings have been just mouthing the bait and spitting it out if any pressure is felt.

As mentioned, the best chance at tangling with a kingfish is to cover your

bases and catch squid (preferably little cuttlefish) and yellowtail or slimies.

This time of the year will often see the kings change from preferring squid to smashing small yellowtail, and this change can happen

Both blue-spot and tiger flathead are in good numbers this year.

within a single day. Of course, the following day the same fish will be back onto squid again. It’s just Sod’s Law. The area to try for a cruising king at the moment seems to be The Longnose Point through to Stokes Point area. The schools aren’t hard to find when working the surface, just look for the working birds and groups of boats. Salmon schools have been working the Broken Bay area, and a great place to start is from the mouth of Pittwater through to Lion Island and down to Flint and Steel Reef.

Once again the best way to target and track down a decent kingfish is to cover ground and trust your sounder. Downrigging a variety of live baits will put you in with the best chance.

A tip: while downrigging cast a popper out the side of your boat, and vary the retrieves.

What you are trying to do is either hook up a kingfish on the lure or attract him back to the boat where there are fresh offerings for him to choose from.

The areas to try for squid at the moment seem to be once again towards the mouth of Pittwater. At

Coasters Retreat there are still a few large squid being caught, and the smaller squid seem to be at Portuguese Beach, Mackerel Beach, Careel Bay and Palm Beach.

There are a few small ones hanging around the weed fringes of Barrenjoey Headland as well. The better colour has been orange or a lure with a splash of orange on it. The brighter flashy lures are also working well, with the pilchard colour the better choice. The better size for the smaller squid has been 2g, and around the fringes of Broken Bay the 2.5g sizes have attracted most of the attention.

The reefs along Broken Bay will start to fire up this month and as the warm water pushes in the fish will show themselves. This month we can start to chase mulloway around Flint and Steel, Juno Point, Walkers Point, Gunya Point and the bridges on the Hawkesbury River.

Flathead will start to become more aggressive again and the bigger duskies won’t be too far away.

There is the odd bream and flathead being caught at The Middle Grounds on the last part of the rising tide on lightly weighted prawns.

Berley has been a must to attract fish to the area, and the bite seems to shut down once the tide has turned.

The reefs along our part of the coast are all starting to see leatherjackets show up by the boatload. Unfortunately for those wishing to chase other fish, it has been a bit tricky. On the other hand, if you like eating leatherjackets go and get them, please!

If you can avoid the jackets there are snapper to be caught, and the gravel grounds off Long Reef isn’t a bad place to start. Other areas that have been devoid of jackets are Mona Vale Reef, Newport Reef (30m) and East Reef.

The 50m depth range has flathead gathered but take a lot of tackle with you. There are a lot of flathead that can be caught when you find a clear patch of sand but please remember that the bag limit is now 10 flathead per person from the 1 November, 2014.

I hope this report sees you all grabbing a rod or two and heading out to our wonderful part of the coast.

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Heading for a cracker summer SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

We’re getting right into the swing of spring here on the northern beaches, with both the in season and late season species still on the chew. If this keeps up we’re all going to be in for a cracker summer.

We’re in the middle of what’s shaping up to

be an awesome snapper season at the moment, and from the reports I’ve been hearing up and down the coast there are some great fish being caught. Soft plastics and micro jigging are accounting for their fair share of fish, with some reports of specimens up around the 7.5kg mark.

Local fisho Anthony Ball has been getting amongst them using both the above

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methods with great success.

When fishing the 12-70m zone with softies and micro jigs, Bally catches plenty of good sized fish.

Ocean Hunter Sports -fishing is another of the new local charter businesses getting into the micro thing. These guys are often out with a boat full of micro jiggers hitting the local reefs with consistent success. Drew Macfarlane went out with the guys and had a mad session on the jigs, landing kingfish of all sizes. If you ever wanted to tag and release a kingfish, this is the boat to do it from. Other species caught by these guys include tuna, salmon, snapper, samsonfish and john dory.

Some late season tuna are still roaming the wider cool waters, with the odd yellowfin report still coming in from out wide.

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the right ones is to balance your jigs to suit your rod weight and line class.

Deeper water and more current require bigger jigs to stay in the zone longer, increasing your chances of a hook-up. When you’re in shallower water, being a bit more subtle in size and action will help your success.

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However, the marlin season has started with a bang and plenty of fish are being caught by the bigger boats offshore. Fish are averaging 100-150kg so it’s looking like it will be a bumper season for gamefishing out in the deep blue.

Closer to home, rock fishers have been having a field day spinning off the stones. Species like tailor, salmon, bonito and kingfish have been spun up by the metal-pelting brigade.

Metal lures from 30-90g are doing the damage, and brands like Arma and Spanyid are proving popular for this style. Grab a 9ft casting rod, 4000-5000 size reel and 20-30lb braid and you’ll be in the zone in no time. There’s a lot of kit out there in this size but only 1/10th of them are made for casting distance.

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Chris Beverley and Nick Martin with a late season john dory.

If it’s something new you’re on the lookout for, micro jigging may just be your caper. It took off on the west coast last year and is now making a huge impact on the east coast.

We’ve been having some success of late and it seems to be going ahead in leaps and bounds. Parabolic rods from Rapala and Shimano are leading the way, and some of these super light models are incredibly strong and have dead lift ratios that are unheard of.

The Rapala Gomoku series and Shimano Revolution Bottom Ship series are proving to be red hot options for this exciting new style of fishing.

When it comes to the micro jigs themselves, well… there are a lot of them. The secret to picking

Drew McFarlane with a kingfish tagged and ready for release. more of a slow bounce down deep. The fish hit on the rise and fall of the jig. You’ll find that quick short winds with frequent

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The current delivery timetable continues but will be renamed “Print Post Priority.” The second Timetable will be named “Print Post Regular.”

The names “Priority” and “Regular” reflect the different performance of the two timetables. Your magazines will be sent as “Regular” and Australia Post says it may take between two and four business days longer to be delivered than the “Priority” timetable.

We will still endeavour to get your magazine to you before it goes on sale at the Newsagents but ultimately, we are at the mercy of Australia Post and have no control over them once they are lodged into their system.

We welcome your feedback on your Australia Post experience to kym@fishingmonthly.com.au.

NOVEMBER 2014

49

Ready for anything SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

The run of silver drummer is still going but they will taper off with the rising temperatures, preferring the cooler water. They’re up to near 60cm or roughly 4kg, not huge fish but loads of fun on 5.5kg line.

Silver drummer generally feed on kelp and, unlike the rock blackfish, have sharp grazing teeth.

This often results in the larger fish biting through your line during the fight, especially the larger fish. I recommend using a 15cm length of 6-10kg knottable steel leader from Technipeche to reduce the bite-offs.

Unlike the rock blackfish, the silver drummer is not a residential species. North Head in Manly has been producing lately, and Bangalley Head to the north of the peninsula is also a good producer.

Pigs to roughly 3kg, luderick to the 1kg mark and groper are also part of the catches. Cunjevoi, peeled banana prawns or

(if you can get them) blue tail prawns work the best.

Fish very light ball sinkers, long shank Mustad red no. 1 to 1/0 for the silvers or a 92554 1/0 to 2/0 for luderick and groper. White sliced bread with a bread burley works well for the luderick, pigs, bream and some trevally but accounts for much less silver drummer and of course no groper.

SNAPPER The snapper are now on in close, either distance casting or on the wash zone. Bluefish, South Curl Curl’s northeast and eastern fronts, Mona Vale in front of the pool, Bangalley and South Avalon have been producing between one and six reddies from 32cm to better fish to 53cm for clients.

The ever reliable and un-reliable pilchard has been working well.

Let me explain what I mean! Pilchards as far as convenience is one of the best baits for the revellers who don’t have time to get out and catch their own fresh bait like squid, slimy mackerel, tailor and so on (remember you don’t just need bait

for a snapper fish, but the berley as well – especially for a wash fish). Using a pilchard under 145mm can be an agonising experience because 95% of the fish in the wash zone are small bait-vaporizing species that reduce your bait to a bare hook within seconds. Add a bit of extra length to a pilchard – say, 150-170mm – and that will increase firmness substantially. So definitely steer away from small pilchards when rock snapper fishing.

If you can get the volume, squid strip berley and bait or freshly salted slimy mackerel fillets work great. Fresh squid strips and whole bottle squid with a tube size of 3-6cm are deadly on the snapper.

There’s the chance that a king might take your bait so I suggest 10kg mono which will give you a better chance at landing them, while still being light enough to catch reds, bream and trevally.

SALMON Salmon are still in large quantities throughout the day, with tailor and salmon in good numbers in the evenings or early morning.

Lately 2oz Jet poppers

A nice flounder from middle harbour’s Balmoral Beach for Rajiv Kochwalla. Some nice fish are caught here at times. and metals like the Sniper 45-65g in the green strip have been working well for both species.

It is optional whether or not you want to use light or heavier gear. The light option is great for the salmon and tailor but if the kings are around you could end up getting done. The 3-6kg line class is great but have either an extendable net or long handled gaff that

can reach the fish without you risking yourself, or have a strategy in place where you’re going to wash up your fish. You will not be lifting out a 2kg+ fish on genuine 6kg tackle let alone 3kg, so make sure you have the contingency plans in place!

MULLOWAY A few reports from locals have revealed some beach mulloway to 12kg.

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Remember that jewfish are a predatory fish which generally eat live food. A great standby is the quality frozen whole squid that you can buy from a tackle shop that specializes in fresh frozen squid. Some even have whole frozen slimy mackerel which are also a great standby bait.

Try Manly/Queenscliff beach, DY/Long reef, Collaroy from the storm water pipe to a couple of hundred metres past flight deck which is the big block of flats, and the pines at Octavia Street to the North Narrabeen lagoon entrance.

Use some common sense and fish it only if the conditions are suitable.

Not too rough, not full of kelp and don’t forget to get there before your favourite beach gutter is inundated with anglers.

TAILOR, WHITING, BREAM Tailor numbers are increasing with the Aussie salmon still in good numbers on some beaches.

The ganged pilchard is one of the very best ways to catch these species, and I recommend adding a surf popper with 60lb fluorocarbon on the top swivel. Double hook-ups can make things really entertaining. The heavy leader at the surf popper end

is more for those tailor that take the surf popper. They often inhale the whole thing, and if you have a lighter leader you’ll probably get bitten off. Bear in mind

though that 60lb leader will only stop the smaller tailor of around 1kg; bigger fish will still bite you off.

The whiting are on as well, with fish up to 40cm

coming from Dee Why, North Narrabeen, and Palm Beach near Black Rock.

The tailor and salmon are at Manly, Curl Curl, Colaroy/ Narrabeen and Mona Vale.

Bream are mixed in and are being caught on ganged pilchards whilst fishing for tailor or on the worm baits for a whiting.

BEING PREPARED Good anglers have good foresight! Have your gear ready – reels in good working order with smooth drags, good quality lines, mono to braid joins slim and neat, mono or braid spooled reels wound on

tight and neat, premade rigs in good order, and sharp hooks with very little or no rust. Your lures should be in good order with no rust on the metals, rods with no damage to guides, carry bag, bait container, belt, scissors, filleting knife and gutting knife in pack. Purchase live or fresh frozen bait the day before from a reliable tackle shop.

However, by far the most important thing is check out the weather from two or three weather sites, and swell cams for accuracy reasons. It’s not

just about safety – you also don’t want to waste your time if conditions aren’t suitable, especially if you are travelling from some distance away. I could add much more to this but this is a very basic check list.

As always, fish safe, use your common sense and enjoy this great month.

For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters. com, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

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Tips on tackling salmon SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

Normally early spring is my least favourite time of year for fishing in the harbour, but this year has

been exceptional. Kingfish showed up in good numbers very early, the flatfish bite is the best I have ever seen and salmon have flooded in with fury.

The best of the kings have been found on the many points through

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Middle Harbour and are taking both squid baits and small soft plastic jigs. They are averaging around 70cm with a few closer to 85cm showing up. There have also been some bigger fish down around north head.

Squid have been generally pretty easy to catch around most of the lower harbour kelp beds.

Flathead and flounder continue to fire around north harbour and the close drifts around the heads.

There are no really big fish but average size is solid at around 45-55cm, and there are stacks of them.

Try drifting small gang rigged whitebait on the deeper beds or small plastic jigs in the shallows. North Harbour, Rose and Double bays are the pick of spots.

SALMON Salmon are prolific at the moment and the action should continue right through into the new year.

As expected, the huge surface schools have been found around the heads.

They can be a bit fussy but with perseverance they will nail a well presented lure of the right proportions.

More unusual is the smaller pods that have been

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Kings have showed early this year. This one was taken near North Head. found through the upper reaches of Middle Harbour.

They have been working the larger baitfish in amongst the moorings as far up as Roseville ramp. Because they are feeding on bigger bait they have been easy to tempt with a lure. They have also been nailing our squid baits aimed at kings in deeper water.

To maximise your catch rates, here are a few general tips on tackling salmon.

Tips and tricks Australian salmon have made a huge com back in the last few years since commercial pressure eased up on them. What they lack in eating quality they more than compensate for with their fighting ability. They will readily take lures and a wide range of dead and live baits. On the right gear I would rate them as one of Sydney Harbour’s top sportfish.

The one thing that sets them apart from the kingies, frigates, bonito and stripies is their spectacular aerial display. Once hooked they will leap repeatedly before settling into a prolonged fight. They’ve really got it in the stamina department, too.

The numbers and size of salmon frequenting the harbour over the last couple of years has increased dramatically but the real bonus is the extended season.

Traditionally salmon would appear around September and usually disappear around the end of October. These days you’ll find them going as strong as ever right through into the new year and sometimes even until Easter.

Of course, they don’t go all day every day; they come and go just like every other fish. The only exception to this is when they first come into the harbour, and it’s with a vengeance. The feeding frenzies go on relentlessly day after day, regardless of the conditions. Later in the season, however, I’ve noticed an interesting

pattern emerging. During the calm mornings the salmon are evident. You’ll see them milling around just under the surface and very occasionally they bust up into a school of bait, but only for a very short time. Usually by the time you reach the school they are down again and it can become very frustrating.

About midday the northeaster starts to blow up which almost immediately kicks the salmon into gear.

The harder it blows the harder they go.

Similarly, a southerly buster has the same effect.

I was out with a charter client the other day when this situation arose. It was a perfect still morning and the plan was to get some squid and then try for kingies.

While we were squidding I noticed the odd boil here and there, and even spotted a few salmon cruising around. As we cruised up the

intense session I have ever experienced on salmon.

I used to do a lot of live baiting from the rocks and I distinctly remember that as soon as the weather turned foul the salmon would turn up. It’s something I shouldn’t have remembered, because when the weather turned bad I should have cleared out off the rocks – but you do tend to push the limits further than you should when you are young.

Here’s my theory.

Salmon spend most of their time very close to the surface, much more so than most other pelagics. Most other pelagics regularly feed on the surface but travel deep, but salmon are different – they travel on the surface. You can see them, as can the spotter planes and beach haulers on the headlands. When the wind blows up the surface layer churns up and aerates quickly. With all that extra

Middle Harbour salmon are much more responsive to lures due to the availability of bigger baitfish. harbour towards the kingie grounds we were hit by a strong southerly buster. The water was turned to white caps almost immediately and with that the seagulls descended and the salmon exploded. It was an amazing experience. From Clifton Gardens, on one side of the harbour, to Watsons Bay on the other was wall-towall salmon. They were working a tide line and I can honestly say it was the most

oxygen flowing through their veins, the salmon hit overdrive, similar to when I turn the aeration up in my fish tank the fish go nuts. It’s Mother Nature’s No-Doz. My point is, keep an eye out for salmon when it blows up.

• If you are interested in doing a guided fishing trip on Sydney harbour with Craig McGill please call 0412 918 127 or email craig@ fishabout.com.au.

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NOVEMBER 2014

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

One of my favourite types of fishing (I have many) is chasing bream, whiting, salmon and tailor off the beach. After finishing up at my TAFE job I have some extra time on my hands and have been getting amongst a number of fish species. The main two baits that I have been using for the bream and whiting have been beach worms and pink nippers.

For the salmon and tailor it has been whole WA pilchards and whole sea garfish.

The rigs that I have been using for the bream and whiting are a ball sinker down onto a swivel with about a metre of leader.

For the salmon and tailor I have been sticking to a set of ganged hooks with a ball sinker to suit the conditions running directly down onto the top of the bait.

Both early morning and late afternoon trips have been my choice of times because there aren’t as many other anglers out and about at those times, and the sun is much lower in the sky. There have been a couple of days where the conditions have been very overcast and I have ventured down during the middle of the day.

Beaches that I have had success at are as follows: Wanda through to Green Hills, the southern and northern end of Garie Beach in the Royal National Park, Stanwell Park Beach, the northern end of Maroubra Beach and the southern end of Coogee Beach.

I have found that the hour or so before high tide and a couple of hours after high tide have been producing the best results.

If I am going to use beach worms for bait I will go down about three to four hours before high tide and catch my bait. The reason it’s this long is that I am not the best beach wormer, but I do manage to get enough for a session. If the tide is not right to get my own I just ring up Mac’s Bait at Blakehurst or Gabes at Sylvania and see if they have any.

I have had a couple of reports come in from Gavin Stevens from La Perouse who has been getting a number of sand whiting on blood worms while fishing off the beach and small rock wall at Fishermans Beach in Botany Bay. He has also caught two dusky flathead to 63cm on Gulp Shads while waiting for the whiting to bite.

Scotty Lyons reports that there have been a number of good catches of sand flathead coming in off the old hospital from the 45-55m mark. The best baits have been half pilchards, slimy mackerel and yellowtail fillets.

Scotty has also reported that if you anchor in close to the shore just north of Botany Bay and lay out a berley trail you will be able to berley up a few silver trevally and tarwhine. It is best to fish

The sand flats at Darook Park near the end of Gunnamatta Bay are worth a shot for bream, whiting and flathead with both bait and lures.

The wharf in Yowie Bay is not a bad place to pick up a few live yellowtail for live bait when chasing kingfish. with a running sinker that goes down onto the top of the bait.

Squid, s n a p p e r, kingfish and bonito can be caught while working the washes off the Balconies in the Royal National Park.

Botany Bay over the past few weeks has been a

bit hit-and-miss for bream, flathead and mulloway.

Try fishing the run-out tide at places like the Oil Wharf, Mono Point, Towra Wide and at the end of the third runway.

The break wall at the entrance to the Cooks River has been producing

A selection of ball sinkers from 000 to number 4 that I use either off the shore or out of a boat.

silver trevally, but you will need to berley. Sutherland Pint at Kurnell has also been a place to target silver trevally from a boat. For those of you who fish from the shore I recommend trying the groynes at Silver Beach or along Brighton.

The best time has been during the top of the tide.

The Georges and Woronora Rivers have started to produce flathead, whiting, bream and flounder. The best baits have been nipper, blood worms and strips of mullet.

You could also try using soft plastics around the base of any one of the bridges on both rivers.

Picnic Point and the shoreline of the Georges River State Park have been producing good catches of bream, tailor, whiting, flathead and blue swimmer crabs.

Now don’t forget that 3 November, 2014 will see new bag limits come into play in both the saltwater and freshwater of NSW. A total of 16 changes to the recreational fishing rules will apply. If you are not quite sure what the changes are, go to the NSW Fisheries site and check it out at www.dpi.nsw.gov. au/fisheries/recreational.

Drifting for rewards in Botany Bay produces BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

Botany Bay, unlike many other locations on the east coast, is not regarded as a prime flathead spot.

However, It does turn on some good fish for those who go after them.

I often pick up flatties when fishing for bream, especially in the Towra Point area, but the most productive way to catch them is by drifting. Yarra Bay right over on the La Perouse side is a renowned flathead ground. Drift this bay both tides at various distances from the beach until you find the lizards.

They feed all along this stretch. Prawns, whitebait and pilchards are the top baits.

Another good drift is on the ebbing tide, from the bell buoy out from Kurnell Reserve to halfway out on the southern shore between the heads. The fish are not large but double hook-ups are common when you come across them, and all are over the legal length.

Try using a double rig, one hook above and one below the sinker, 28g barrel lead and 3/0 Mustad 92647 long shank bait keeper hooks. There’s no need to fish too heavy. I like a 3-6kg rod with a reel capable of holding 200m of 6kg line and a variety of sinkers to suit the drift. Let the bait go to the bottom then jerk it up and down. This action grabs the attention of the lizards.

The drift from the Kurnell Refinery wharf is another good option to try on a making tide. Please ensure you keep 100m out from the wharf. This drift is started at the administration block on the wharf and will take you along Silver Beach towards Quibray Bay. A northeast sea breeze is ideal for this drift and if you can get some blood worms, you have the added chance of hooking into good bream and the odd school mulloway.

Drifting over from the end of the air strip right to Towra is another top drift on the making tide, but it must be done in good weather conditions. A westerly is the worst wind.

A north to northeast breeze is best on this drift and it pays to have your bream and whiting gear as well.

Being the old fashioned fisherman that I am, I’ve found it very difficult to accept alternatives.

However, during the last few years soft plastics have become commonplace.

While I think that bait will catch more fish, plastics

may account for larger specimens. I have tested this theory and found it to be correct.

I’ve found the 65mm and 70mm Squidgy Fish in the grasshopper colour to be excellent on flatties.

Coupled with a 9g jighead and 2/0 hook it’s a deadly

Prawns and whitebait are both taken freely but keep the bait moving at all times.

Give this are a miss during weekends as there is too much water traffic.

NOVEMBER EXPECTATIONS At the time of writing the water temperature in the

Tony Formosan with a cracking squid from Coalcliffe. combination, and the S-Factor lure additive which comes in the packet is essential for top results.

The Gary Glitter 80mm Fish pattern Squidgy also works well if you’re fishing over a muddier bottom.

The other method I use is very simple: simply cast where the boat is heading, then place the rod in the holder and let the lizards hook themselves.

The action of the ripples on the water will do the work for you.

On the south side of the bay, I like Towra wide.

This is a definite out tide spot, half out to the bottom of the tide slack water. This location doesn’t product large bags of flathead but it does offer quality fish.

Excellent catches are also taken in the Georges River between Captain Cook and Tom Uglys bridges, with the making tide the best. The run of fish usually tips the scales around the 0.5kg mark, with the odd fish nudging 1kg.

It is best to fish this drift with a shallow paternoster rig and two hooks, which gives you a better chance for double hook-ups!

bay has climbed past the 18°C mark. The Georges River is surprisingly warmer by the odd degree.

I don’t anticipate any major changes in November, and we should see stabilized fish feeding patterns and increased catches.

The full moon period will see the first seasonal run of school mulloway in the system with fish around 3-4kg the norm, biting best around the high water mark. The deeper holes of the bay are where you will find them. The eastern side of the oil wharf at Kurnell, Molineaux Point, the green marker on the south side of Bare Island, and the dropover off the new airport runway are all likely possies.

In the Georges River, between the second and third pylons on the northern side of Captain Cook Bridge, Tom Uglys Bridge, Bald Face Point, Kangaroo Point, Caravan Head channel, Como Bridge, Aurora Point and the Princes Highway Bridge at Tempe will produce fish.

Their sizes will increase as the season progresses.

Kingfish will start to show up in numbers and will be targeted around the cans in the middle of the bay, along the Port Botany reclamation wall, Bare Island bommie and Henrys Head, with live baits the best enticer. Live squid downrigged along the cliff faces close to Cape Banks, Sharky, Tabbigai and Cape Bailey will produce the bigger fish.

Whiting schools will congregate on the shallow sand flats at the entrance to the tributaries and bite best on the making tide.

Blood worms, nippers and Rebel Pop-Rs in red and white will be the popular choices at The Patches, The Logs, Towra Close, Douglas Park, The Moons and Soily Bottom.

Bream will be found on the cockle beds at the entrance to the Georges River, with the stretch

between Towra and Captain Cook Bridge the prime possies. Fish between the rid channel markers in the middle of the system. A sneaky place to try at night is Watts Reef at Kurnell using nippers. I have found the rising tide to be best here, with school bream in the 28-33cm class plentiful.

Bass and estuary perch can be targeted at The Needles or Shackles in the upper reaches of the Woronora River and between Liverpool and Cambridge weirs further west. Live freshwater worms are all the go now,

with lures taking over this role later on.

In the next issue of Fishing Monthly I’ll be detailing how some of the bigger mulloway can be caught over the next few months.

For all your fishing needs, as well as the latest info on what’s biting, drop into Gabe’s Boating and Fishing at Narellan (4/1A Somerset Ave), or Silvania (268/264-276 Princes Hwy). You can also call them on (02) 4647 8755 or (02) 9522 5100 respectively, or visit the website at www. gbaf.com.au.

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Getting into the fish again ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

It’s that time of year again when the warm water starts to get a move on down the coast. Even though it may not be tropical summer water yet, and there will be some nasty cool temperature plunges over the coming weeks before the EAC kicks in fully, the whiting already know what’s going on and are on the move in anticipation.

BEACHES Most beaches will have a few schools on them already and will just keep getting better as the weeks head into summer, but for the moment Windang and Warilla are the pick for good catches. Still, it won’t be long before the ever productive MM beach and all the other 17 beaches in our area hit their

straps and start producing plenty of fish.

As always you will need beach worms to be assured of a good catch, but they can be hard to get if you can’t catch them yourself. Some tackle shops sell them and also have a supply of tube worms when they run out, and blood worms are excellent if you can get them. You can try other baits and waste a lot of time and catch other species and yes, pipis will catch a few but nothing like worms. Pipis will attract more bream than whiting, and there are some nice fish mixing with the whiting at the moment when your bait washes off the edges of the flats and into deeper water.

A few nice flathead are starting to show, so a walk along the beach casting plastics could prove rewarding. The everreliable salmon are on all beaches as usual and they go pretty hard on whiting

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tackle, as do the small mulloway that have made an appearance over the past few weeks. No solid fish that I have heard of but they can’t be far off moving along the beaches as the schoolies seem to be making a start during the evenings. A couple have even come in mid-morning from a deep gutter near the lake entrance.

THE LAKE In the lake it’s flathead time with decent catches coming all along the main channel and the edge of the drop-off, but they are most everywhere in the lake at the moment. Live poddy mullet are still a favourite with some and rarely miss if there is a hungry flatty about, but most anglers these days toss plastics.

Prawn patterns are working well at the moment as the prawns are running, providing plenty of food throughout the lake system.

Chopper tailor have become a nuisance, particularly around the drop-off, slicing plastics to bits. Take a few extra tails if you are fishing this area.

Some big bream are on the move around the rocky islands and up in the feeder streams. Forget your lures, they are hard work. Instead, grab a few live prawns and fish them unweighted in the snags (2kg line max for best results) and hang on. Fish well over 1kg will grab these baits as fast as they hit the water if you are quiet and get that prawn right in tight in the snag.

A few mulloway have been picked up down near the bridge and along the entrance wall at night and the salmon and tailor are chasing bait on the run-out tide from the entrance up to the bridge on some days.

Just watch for the splashes on the top and cast small lures at them.

Whiting are taking squirt worms down around the flats at the entrance and

coming up to poppers on the quiet days during the week.

Weekends are too noisy with too much boat traffic to get them unless you are very early (i.e. the half hour before and after sunrise).

Minnamurra doesn’t get as much boat traffic early but it doesn’t hold as many big whiting either. Still, it’s worth a look with poppers and there are always a few flatties to fall back on.

ROCKS On the rocks we could see anything, with the land based season kicking off from here on there will be some solid kings working the ledges on a regular basis with a live squid early in the morning usually producing.

A few decent kings will start to come this month.

It’s not always about the fish, sometimes it is just being out there.

There are some great sunsets on the lake this time of year.

Keep a live yellowtail or slimy mackerel out for more kings plus the chance of a mackerel tuna and even a stray yellowfin tuna as they still sometimes come past when the striped tuna are in close to the headlands.

Casting lures is worth your time now while

waiting for the livey to get eaten as striped tuna, bonito, Mac’ tuna and heaps of salmon are all about the deeper ledges particularly down around Kiama. If you just want some fun, casting whole pilchards on ganged hooks out and slowly winding them back will get plenty

of salmon and even the odd snapper. Add some bread and tuna oil berley and use small pieces of pilchard for bream and trevally and just plain old bread for drummer and blackfish.

OFFSHORE Offshore it is starting to get moving as well, as the water starts to ripple

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This what you want to see, baitfish, and the big fish will not be far behind.

down the coast, warming as it goes. Out wide there have been a few yellowfin about but that can change to lots of yellowfin on a daily basis. If the bait comes in with the current – and it does every few years – and the ‘fin come with it, we could get a bit of close in ‘fin action for the smaller boats.

A few albacore are still in the mix on the shelf and there is the good chance of striped marlin over the coming weeks. Even a big blue is not out of the question as a few early ones often come in at this time each season.

Striped tuna seem to be all along the coast from in close to the shelf and beyond. They make great bait and are fun on light tackle.

In close there are schools of the good old salmon working the headlands and backs of the beaches all along the coast.

Just keep an eye out for the hovering flocks of seagulls and the black plague in the form of mutton birds at this time of year. They are in their millions and can make a day berleying for reds or anything else for that matter impossible, as they migrate down south to their breeding ground around Tassie and beyond. They have come from summer in Russia and Japan which is a bloody long way to fly and they get very hungry, with thousands dying from exhaustion every year and more if the baitfish don’t show as they head south.

It is an offence to hurt mutton birds, with heavy fines for anyone caught, so give them a break. When they get too thick I give them a mega berley feast to give the lucky ones a bit of energy to get their way down south.

Yes, they can be a curse at times but no-one whinges when they are

having a quiet day during the year and that stray flock of mutton birds shows them exactly where the school of tuna are or a big patch of bait with marlin. In summer one mutton bird doing constant figure eights over the same patch of water then every so often dropping to the water can be the difference between no fish and the best day’s fishing you’ve ever had.

the fish are over 5kg and in from the deeper shelf water as they have less of a bump than the shallow water fish seem to have, and often a slightly different head.

These big fish are breeders and, while I don’t begrudge anyone taking the odd whopper, you don’t have to kill them all either.

Limit the catch don’t catch the limit, particularly on bigger fish.

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NAVIGATOR 400 With the bait come the yellowfin, and with a bit of luck they’ll come in close to the coast this year like this one did.

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59

Light at the end of the tunnel NOWRA

Wes Murphy wesmurphy@bigpond.com

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However, like all anglers I still see the light at the end of the tunnel.

St Georges Basin is seeing the fish move up into the shallows and has been fishing better of an afternoon than of a morning. Places like One Tree and the Wandy Creek mouth have been successful when throwing shallow diving crankbaits like the Jackall Chubby and Cranka Crank for bream. I haven’t seen or heard of too many bream being caught on the surface, but that can only be a matter of weeks away.

At this time of year we should see the big crocsized flathead turning up more and more, with places like the Christians Minde drop-off being a go-to location for many of the bigger-sized fish.

Make sure you’re upping your leader to at least 10lb and throwing around the usual soft plastics like the Squidgy Fish and Z-Man MinnowZ in black and gold.

There are still plenty of good Basin snapper to be had from the deep water, and they can prove good fun when caught as a by-catch on 3-4lb bream gear. Both east and west sides of the islands in 7-10m of water have produced regularly using the Fish Arrow J-Flash soft plastics on 1/12oz jigheads.

Further south Lake Conjola has been fishing fairly well after recently opening to the ocean.

Plenty of land-based fishers have reported good catches

The author with a bream from the Basin taken on a Chubby. screaming in no time. If it’s the kingies that you’re after, concentrate around Jervis Bay in the usual haunts under the cliffs, up to side boards, Drum and Drumsticks and Currarong Bombie. I haven’t seen any reports inside the bay at middle ground or Long Nose yet, but they won’t be far away.

Whilst in JB take some cooked prawns and small sinkers and start fishing the washes on the northern side of Bowen Island. There have been some cracking drummer caught recently, but make sure you have someone in control of the boat at all times whilst someone is fishing. This style of fishing could easily see you on the local news if

The Shoalhaven River has been fishing tough as usual, however there has been a late spring run of small mulloway around the canal and Shoalhaven Heads. Bream have been scarce, but that’s nothing new for this waterway.

With the warm weather, now would be the time to start planning a weekend canoe/kayak trip from the dam wall in Kangaroo Valley to either Gradys or Coolendel downstream chasing bass. Reports are that there are plenty of fish in the upper reaches for those who have access.

Further downstream the bass and estuary perch have been biting for those who put in some effort. However, unlike

Tim Francis with a 47cm estuary perch from the Shoalhaven River. of bream and flathead, with the bait guys saying that whitebait is a must if you want to take a feed.

On the inshore reefs between Jervis Bay and Ulladulla, reports are that the snapper are still hanging around. The size that we’ve seen over winter has dropped but the numbers are great for this time of year.

Be ready for an unexpected fight with some rat kings which will have your reel 60

NOVEMBER 2014

you’re not watching what’s happening around you.

If you want to target big fish, the black marlin should only be weeks away. They are always great fun, and live bait is your best bet. If a boat isn’t an option, then these amazing sportfish can be targeted off the rocks at Point Perpendicular, but if you can head out wider I recommend that you start your search around the Banks.

last season when they were hanging around the golf course and ski park, they are now being found further up at the end of Longreach around Riversdale. They’re not yet taking much off the surface, but are liking deep diving crankbaits like the Ecogear CX40HS and Lucky Craft Cra-Pea. That’s it for another month. Tight lines and good times!

Kingfish chasing the bait schools this month BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

We got the most rain ever, now the most sun ever. I don’t care as long as it’s the most fish ever! And at this stage it is looking pretty good.

It only feels like yesterday we were talking about bluefin tuna, probably because such a good run is still etched into our memories. Now offshore we are eagerly waiting for the beakies to show up, and with the way the warm water is moving in it could be sooner rather than later. The last few years we saw a few marlin kicking around in December, but with the water warming and the current pushing down they are definitely more than welcome to visit us in November.

There have been few whispers of small yellowfin just north of Batemans Bay, but we haven’t had much action off here at this stage.

November can be a good month for school yellowfin and albacore so don’t write tuna off the menu yet.

Boats are still excited about getting out and putting their electric reels to good use and the currents are still favourable at this stage.

There have also been plenty

schools out in the 50-90m depths. So far there has been a good run of snapper and along with them there have been plenty of mowies, nannygai, pigfish and plenty of big blue-spot and tiger flathead. Spring has seen an abundance of inshore reef fish at this stage.

There seems to be a lot of bait, and chasing the bait are schools of kingfish.

Through the spring you get the whales, dolphins, seals, stripy tuna and kingfish chasing the bait all over the place, and chasing the stripies and kingies are the anglers in their boats. This can be a bit of a cat-andmouse game. You see the birds working and you rush over there only to push the fish down. Then you see the fish have popped up right where you were a few moments ago. You can find yourself darting all over the place trying to get onto the surface action. It’s probably best to take your time and slowly cruise up towards them and shut down your motor just within casting distance of a 60-80g metal.

Obviously a 7’6”-8’0” rod will get you extra distance.

Sometimes the lure landing on the fish will spook them, so if you can get it past them that would be ideal. I let the lure sink

of stripies by running them right back also. The few buoys in the area will hold kingfish at times now as well.

BEACH AND ESTUARY Beaches have been fishing OK with salmon and tailor present and some whiting being caught on live worms. There’s also the possibility of a mulloway, which are still being caught around our small oceanic bays. Our man Ray Smith cracked his previous PB record of nine mulloway in one session on lures the other day by catching a remarkable 13 jewies! Pretty good effort for daytime fishing off the stones on lures. John Hilyear landed a 30kg and a 25kg mulloway in one night on his livies as he does this time of the year in one of his river locations. A few jew have been getting caught up the river a little also. There should be a fair bit of mulloway movement through the estuary system as you read this, and November should continue to be a great month to target them.

The flatties are on the chew, the bream are moving back in, and the perch are moving further up and are on the snags, rock walls and holes. It’s a great time to be in any

Corruna was the spot. Must be Coila’s turn this year.

All up, it doesn’t matter what you’re into, it’s the time of the year with many options. Enjoy!

For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff.

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This snapper was caught by Naite Turner. He’s a little champion and out-fishes adults most days. of makos out there for the shark fishermen, so if the conditions are favourable the shelf and beyond isn’t a bad place to be.

INSHORE Moving in closer to the inshore reefs, the snapper are doing what is expected of them at this time of the year. That hot shallow water snapper bite has slowed right off and now we are finding bigger

for a few seconds and then I bring it up through the water column at a fast speed. Sometimes the fish are very flighty and easily spooked no matter what you do, so bottom fishing in the area and waiting for them to come to you can be the best option. When trolling the area sometimes they come up close to the boat and might take a lure, and I have caught plenty

one of the south coast’s estuaries.

The lake systems are kicking into gear now and a lot up and down the coast seem to be open. Some good schools of whiting have been seen in Tuross and the flatties are there in Durras. And it’s also time to come in and get your prawn light and nets. Last year Lake Tabourie was popular, and the year before

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NOVEMBER 2014

61

Wagonga warming and the fish are swarming NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

It’s a cracking time of year to fish our local estuaries with most species on the fang.

It really depends on what species you want to target and how, but anglers are catching plenty on both bait and lures.

Narooma’s Wagonga Inlet has really fired up of late, the water temperature is around 18-19°C, which is OK for so early in the season. The place is loaded with pilchards, whitebait, glassies and prawns.

It’s a fish’s smorgasbord and if you have the right presentation at the right time, you’re in for some serious fun.

The pelagic action

continues like previous months with salmon and tailor in huge numbers. We had a recent guiding session there with Josh Hollis and his kids and they caught around 70 fish for 3 hours, all on soft plastics. To say it was hot is an understatement with triple hook ups the norm. This type of action is awesome for the kids, they learn the basics of casting, hooking and how to fight a fish properly using the rod to their advantage while catching fish, it doesn’t get much better than that in my books.

Under the pelagic schools there’s plenty of scraps hitting the bottom from frenzied feeding, this action above has certainly helped the bottom dwellers like flathead, bream, snapper, flounder and

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mulloway. If you can get your lure to the bottom it won’t take long before one of these species takes a liking for your offering. We’ve managed some solid flatties to 86cm over recent weeks and I expect the big girls to really fire up over the next month or so.

I’d also be concentrating my efforts around the weed edges in 6-8m of water, casting big soft plastics and vibes in the main basin. These areas will hold plenty of big lizards, but remember to let these breeders go and handle them with care.

Up at Tuross, the water is warming up considerably faster due to it being shallower, especially the river section.

This has really fired up the flatties with 15-20 fish the norm on most outings. Casting smaller softies and hardbodies has worked with live poddies doing OK for the bait anglers.

It won’t be long before the surface action hots up and bream, whiting and flatties will be on the cards with walk-baits and poppers the go-to lures.

I’ve said it before but this visual fishing is very exciting, if you haven’t done it before give it a crack this summer, you will be surprised how rewarding and fun it can be.

Those fishing offshore are getting itchy feet with kingfish,

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tuna and an early marlin all on the cards. The water is around 19°C out wide, which is good

on prevailing conditions.

Anglers after a feed of flatties won’t have too many

in bonito numbers as well with the chance of a kingfish too. Casting metal slugs up

Josh Hollis with his kids Jack and Clare with some salmon from Wagonga Inlet. They managed 70 odd fish for the morning session, which is great fun in anyone’s books. for this time of year and I wouldn’t be surprised if it all starts to happen early. There’s already been yellowfin tuna to 30kg caught, mainly by anglers trolling skirted pushers with a few decent-sized albacore thrown in to. These fish have been wide, with a 40km+ boat trip needed to get to the good water. That’s a long way in a small trailer-craft boat, but the rewards may just be worth it if you venture wide.

Closer to shore at Montague Island, the kings have been all right but they will get better over coming weeks. They are still pretty sporadic but they are there, we just need some solid southerly current to get them firing properly. The kings are school fish around 3-4kg with a lot of under-sized models in there. Jigs have definitely been the pick of methods working but once the currents change, live baits should produce bigger fish.

There have been good quantities of bonito right through the cooler months with fish to 6kg still being caught.

The majority of these fish are falling to smaller Xmas tree lures trolled around the Fowl House Reef with the southern pinnacles also producing.

For those after a feed the snapper fishing is still excellent and will continue to fish well over coming months.

These fine eating sports fish are a year round proposition, you just need to change your methods throughout the year to get consistent results. Most reefs are holding reds with Potato Point to the north of Narooma the pick of the spots.

Concentrate your efforts in 50-60m of water. Drifting and anchoring will both work, but the method you try will depend

worries as the inshore flatty grounds are loaded with fish.

I’d be fishing in 30-35m of water straight off Dalmeny Headland for the sandies. If you fish a little deeper in 60m you should get plenty of tiger flathead. Don’t be surprised to nail a few gummy sharks doing this; there have been good reports of quality gummies right along the South Coast.

The ocean rocks and beaches continue to fish well for salmon and tailor. These pelagics are in solid numbers on most headlands with Mystery Bay and Dalmeny Headland holding plenty of fish.

You should see an increase

to 40g will work, with whole pilchards rigged on ganged hooks a good option for the bait anglers.

The beaches will also start to fire for the bread and butter species like bream, whiting and yellow-eyed mullet. These fine table fish will only get better as the water warms further with pipi, beach worms and tuna strips all working.

Better beaches to try include Tilba, Hankerchief, Brou and Blackfellows beaches. Most of the beaches have plenty of decent gutters that will hold most species, fish the flooding morning tide for your best chance at a decent feed.

Josh Hollis with a solid dusky flathead that fell to a Shad Lures vibe. The fish was released as are most large duskies at this time of year.

Seafood delights BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Spring is nearly finished!

That means fishing is only going to get better as we blast into the summer months.

All the following has been contributed to by the good winter rains. Estuaries have been replenished with fish stocks that were able to enter rivers and lakes that are now open to the ocean.

Along with the fish, the prawn spawn will hopefully be one of the best prawning seasons for many years.

Wallaga Lake has good prawns at present and so do many of the other systems.

For those who like culinary delights, the oysters, of which the Bermagui area has some of the best in the country, are there for the taking. There are also lobsters and mussels, but you will have to visit to discover the rest.

When the prawns are active in the estuaries is my favourite time to work those softy lures. These lures resemble small fish or prawns when worked with the proper technique and you can manipulate them to kick like a panicked food item. Early mornings on the bottom of the tide is a prime time, before the

the lights fade out over the water. Prawns flooding out on the tide attract lots of predators here and some

A result of a successful night, a full bag of fresh prawns!

Oysters are a true seafood delight. There’s plenty to be found around Bermagui this time of year!

Flounder aren’t a common catch down this way, but make for an interesting and welcome by-catch. wind gets up. If you are in Bermagui, try around the main bridge at night where

even the most seasoned anglers gasping.

Water temperatures are changing offshore and

of the imprints left in the sand the following morning by flathead will leave

depending on just how warm they get will determine how hot the fishing can be this early in the season.

November is notorious for early season tuna schools moving along the coast, which can create some of the best lure trolling sessions game fishers can experience.

Not a lot of people visit here at this time of the year sadly, but for those who do, know that there has been plenty of yellowfin and albacore taken around the Melbourne cup weekend.

Sharks are also prevalent following the schools of tuna and many a record mako has been captured at this time of year. With them, striped marlin can handle relatively cool water and you can expect them to turn up this early as they love to feed on small albacore tuna.

There is plenty of kingfish activity up at Montague Island where you should have little trouble gaining a feed.

Bottom fishing out at sea is at its best, with large tiger flathead providing anglers with plenty of fresh tasty fillets. Anywhere from around 40m of water depth and beyond should see anglers encountering these fish. Mixed in are some very nice sand flatties, gurnard, gummies on the right moon,

plenty of morwong and the close to shore reefs south of Bermagui are still holding reasonable numbers of snapper. This time of year the northeast trade winds will kick in around lunch time so early morning starts are paramount.

Moving down the coast providing beach and rock anglers plenty of action is Australian salmon returning south from their northern breeding grounds. Some of these fish are reaching in excess of 10lb. The beauty about these fish is the variety of ways you can target them, whether you lure, bait, fly or troll you would be hard pleased not to appreciate these hard pulling sportfish. Remember, there has been changes to NSW bag limits for both fresh and salt water so please check the new guides to avoid embarrassment.

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63

Prawns mean flathead TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Warmer weather and warmer water have the prawns on the move, and more prawns equals plenty of flathead to be found for anglers. Now is the prime time for those big flatties to be moving about in the river, and at this time of year the main food source for the lizards are prawns.

As a result of heavy winter rains this system has received good prawn stock which is great not only if you’re a flathead, but also if you’re a human with a liking for these tasty crustaceans.

When there are a lot of prawns about like this, soft lures are the way to go.

Early morning starts are a must as the predators are lurking for that stray prawn that hasn’t yet returned to the sand, and some of the strikes can be awesome. If

you are into early starts, try getting up before daylight, grab your prawning gear and go gather some fresh bait. Once you have your prawns, keep them alive by simply placing damp seaweed over them. You can either fish them from the shore or, if you have a boat, just drift around on the tide above the bridge with a simple running sinker rig with the prawn hooked once through the middle. It’s not just the flatties that respond well to this – you can also encounter bream, trevally, mulloway and many more of the estuary’s inhabitants.

Offshore we’re seeing a great run of flatties, mainly tigers, with some very nice sand flathead thrown in. The tigers are prolific anywhere over 50m of water, with the hot spots being out from Bournda and east of Wapengo Lake entrance.

Check weather patterns as to which way you should go so you can travel home with it. The winds are

likely to be predominately northeast, so I suggest you go north which will also eliminate boat traffic out of Merimbula, plus give you the added bonus of fishing the reefs out from Aragunnu and Nelsons Headland.

Speaking of these reefs there are plenty of morwong coming from them with a handful of snapper. Ocean perch, leatherjackets and wrasse will keep anglers occupied while waiting for the better fish.

Keep in mind, on the full moon fish a little closer to shore out from any of the beaches within the area, where you can target gummy sharks. These areas will also produce good sand flathead to top up bags. Those gummies can also be targeted by shorebased anglers fishing the beach. Night time is the best, using fresh squid or fish strips as bait. Find a good gutter and remember you will have to put in the time. Using those baits may

The result of matching the hatch – a nice flattie that scoffed a soft plastic prawn imitation. also see small whaler sharks appearing on the catch list, with an occasional mulloway to boot.

Of course, you would expect plenty of salmon at this time of year and that is just what is happening with lots of schools migrating back down the coast after visiting their northern breeding grounds. This year

has seen some exceptional fish being captured, with some specimens reaching double figures in the old scale. Not only are anglers targeting them from the beach, there are just as many being captured from the rocks or Tathra Wharf by those casting lures.

Speaking of the wharf, no visit to Tathra is

complete without checking it out. Once there you will find silver trevally on the chew, as are the yellowtail and early season mackerel.

Night time can be special with schools of tailor lurking in the shadows.

They will eagerly fall to a well-presented mackerel strip, providing a nice way to round off the day.

National parks worth a try in November EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With the warmer weather here the town starts to liven up. The days are getting longer and visitors to the area can get out and enjoy all the things the area has to offer.

Many of the fishers who visit the area head off

fishing in the national parks, which are both to the north and south of Eden.

Good beach fishing for salmon has been had with good gutters along the beach holding plenty of quality fish. The salmon love the colder water and will be around in good numbers for a few more months. With the salmon, there have been a few good size tailor caught.

Plenty of good rock fishing platforms are found in these parks with salmon, tailor and snapper being caught and when the water warms in the months ahead the variety of fish available increases.

Some of these ledges are recognised land-based game fishing spots with kingfish, tuna and marlin all available to the anglers prepared to put in the time.

The offshore game fishers use this time of year to ready their boats and fishing gear, as the months ahead will see the fishing fire up as the water warms.

Closer to shore the inshore reefs have been fishing well with good catches of pinky snapper, morwong and flathead (both tigers and sandies) being caught. The successful anglers are getting

an early start and you need to be prepared to move around until fish are found.

The past month has seen some good rainfall keeping the local creeks and rivers flowing, which is great for the bass population. This allows the fish to move, which is critical for spawning and higher river levels allow the fish to move back to there summer haunts.

Black bream are being caught in the upper reaches; again these fish are there for spawning and can be hard to catch.

Good yellowfin bream, big blackfish and sand whiting have shown up around the entrance area.

Fishing this area with baits of nippers and worms will almost guarantee you a feed of fish.

Staying in tune inshore MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With winter behind us and spring here it’s great to see the warmer days as we head towards summer.

The past month has seen some good rain, which has been great for the fishing.

Good rainfall at this time of the year will see good fishing in the months to come.

The sand around The Entrance is really shifting with the main wharf area through to Captain Stevens Point really silting up with Harrisons Channel taking most of the flow. Little fishing has been done offshore, those who have

The author with a black bream caught above Gypsy Point.

64

NOVEMBER 2014

ventured out have been getting the odd gummy shark along with a few flathead gaining access is via the lake.

Work is still going ahead on the break wall and boat ramp with the completion date due in November as necessary adjustments are been made that change the expected completion. It will be interesting to see how much more fishing is done offshore once the new facility is up and running.

All the local beaches have been fishing well for salmon. Fish to 2kg are not uncommon with plenty of salmon also being caught in the lake.

The bottom lake has been fishing well for silver trevally and yellowfin bream with some great sand whiting caught around The Entrance area with squirt worms and beach worms the choice for bait.

Dusky flathead have been taken throughout the

A decent trevally caught on a blade in the bottom lake. system with the fishing improving as we move closer to summer. The days are really starting to warm up but the water temperature is still around 12°C. This makes the fish a bit doggy and catching them is a matter of persisting in the

right spot as they will eat, you just have to be there when they decide to come on the chew.

The fishing for black bream has been good with fish caught from the top lake right through to the top of the system. This is

spawning time and because of this they can be hard to catch. Bait fisherman have done well using fresh local prawns as bait while those fishing with lures have had to chop and change to find the lure that works for them.

Estuarine madness in Merimbula MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Anglers fishing the Merimbula region are in for some serious fun with both offshore and estuary fishers getting among some quality fish.

Those fishing offshore are getting great results on snapper. These fine eating fish have been excellent of late with good numbers coming from most reefs. The fish aren’t huge, averaging 1kg or so with the odd better model to 3kg but what they lack in size they make up for in numbers.

Most crews are getting a dozen or more fish each session, which is a great feed with plenty of other species thrown in to make it interesting. It’s not uncommon at present to get snapper, morwong, sand flathead, pigfish and gummy sharks in one outing, which is awesome to see and great for the visiting angler as well.

Almost all reefs are firing, although you may have to move around a bit to locate the bigger schools with Long Reef, Whitecliffs and Lennards Island all worth a look.

A little further offshore there’s reports of yellowfin

tuna and SBT, but not in big numbers. I talked to a visiting angler that got 3 yellowfin around the 30-35kg and saw plenty more jumping about so they are there. He said the fish were up on top for 20 minutes or so, but he was marking them consistently on the sounder.

Unfortunately, they had no cubes or berley to hold the fish up top so they could only troll. It’s good to see these fish around so early in the season and I suspect we are in for a

cracking few months. There should be albacore around and if sharks are your thing, then a solid mako is definitely on the cards.

In the estuaries, it’s all systems go with Merimbula and Pambula both fishing well despite Pambula receiving a flogging from the professional netters of late. To see multiple boats hammering this tiny system is a little disturbing to say the least, I wonder how long it can handle it…

Despite this, if you fish the lower sections towards the entrance on a flooding tide, you can expect salmon, tailor, flathead and a few trevally. It’s certainly not as good as it was before, especially in the main lake basin, but if you persist you should be able to get results. Casting smaller stickstyle softies is the go with bait anglers fishing live prawns or nippers.

In Merimbula it’s a different story; the fishing is

Munnys and the boys had a cracking day on the black bream, which were all caught on softies and released.

Tyrone with the sort of black bream that any angler would be happy with. All these brutes were released. excellent! Both the top lake and channels are fishing great for all estuary species. The top lake around the ribbon weed edges in 3-4m of water is dynamite with flathead, bream, trevally and blackfish all possible. Casting soft plastics, vibes and blades will all catch fish with flathead upwards of 90cm definitely a possibility at this time of year.

Tailor are abundant as well, so try to cast your offerings at the back of the tailor schools to be a chance at mulloway and mega flathead.

Every November sees some solid mulloway captured and going by the way the bait and tailor are stacked up, l can’t see why this month will be anything different.

The lower sections in the channels will see the bait anglers come into their own.

Anchoring up and using lightly-weighted baits like tuna strips, prawn and worms will see bream, whiting, blackfish and flathead all caught. I’d be fishing the draining tide with the last 2 hours of the run-out best.

On the beaches, fishers targeting bream and whiting for a feed are doing particularly well. Lightly weighted baits like pipi and worms cast just past the shore dump on light gel-spun line is the go. Most beaches will hold fish but Tura Main and North Tura towards the island would be my pick.

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65

Cranking in the gold TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

Last month the weather turned on its head and the fishing around the region has been nothing short of sensational. From Keepit to Chaffey and the rivers north and south of town – everywhere is running hot!

Much to the delight of

anglers, the golden perch have been very plentiful and aggressive, with lipless crankbaits the weapon of choice. There are plenty of lipless cranks on the market and I use many different models for different scenarios. I use the heavier models like the Jackall and Megabass varieties in the dams, and use the lighter models like the Balista Juggernaut and Kokoda

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G-vibes in the rivers. Their slower sink rate not only stays in the strike zone longer but you will snag up far less and save yourself some money in the process.

For this style of fishing, a baitcaster or spin outfit rated at 2-5kg or 3-6kg loaded with 10lb braid line will do the trick.

LAKE KEEPIT The dam is currently hanging around 17% and dropping, but with the increased water temperatures the perch are hungry and on the move.

They will have come off the shallow weeded banks now and moved back into a more comfortable ground between 4-6m of water.

Not all the fish are hanging around the standing timber though, with many of the rocky points around the dam fishing really well. Shrimp are the gun bait at the moment, and if you have a few they’re as good as gold.

However, for me lure casting at this time of year does not get any better.

Casting parallel to the trees and allowing the lure to sink right to the bottom followed by a slow methodical retrieve is all that’s required.

Or, if your lure is coming off the bottom too far, pause the lure halfway back to the boat and allow it to free-fall back to the bottom. This is often when the fish will pounce on the lure and give you a real run for your money around the sticks.

Trolling is a good way to search for fish, and following the old river

Golden perch and deep diving crankbaits go hand-in-hand. This fish loved the Balista Dyno fished around some willows.

Stuart Glasby of Tamworth bumped into a closed season cod. Supporting these fish correctly will optimise their survival rate. course around the dam is normally very productive on both golden perch and Murray cod. Just remember Murray cod season is still closed until the 1 December.

If you do encounter one or two cod please treat them

with the utmost care to ensure they’re released in good health.

The European carp in the dam have become a real pest for anglers bait fishing from the shore. I heard one report of close to 50 of these

being a real standout early in the mornings.

I have noticed a real resurgence in Murray cod numbers. On a recent outing four cod under 30cm were caught which is great – it means the breeding fish are still doing well.

Snakes have become a serious hazard around our local waters, with red bellies and browns being spotted on regular occasions. Slow down and take your time when moving from spot to spot as you never know what could be right in front of you.

CHAFFEY DAM Chaffey Dam is fishing well, and sight casting around the edges of the dam with the fly or soft plastics is a great way to find plenty of mud marlin (carp).

They’re great sportfish and put up a sensational fight on light line.

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After the sun comes up, target the shadowed side of structure as the author did to find your own slice of mid-morning gold. fish in a single weekend.

They have been taking baits of shrimp, corn, yabbies and bread but I’m sure most things will tempt them given their insatiable appetite.

PEEL/NAOMI The Peel and Naomi systems have been in great shape in recent weeks, with most trips providing plenty of action with diving lures like the 60mm Balista Dyno

The dam can also be a great golden perch fishery but the key to finding them is a quality depth sounder.

Look for them around the submerged hills and flooded timber on the bottom of the dam.

Silver perch should be around in good numbers and are suckers for a wellpresented worm fished lightly along the bottom.

Warming trend continues LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

With increased daylight hours and a warmer sun overhead, water temperatures continue to climb. Aquatic life is in full bloom – thick and luscious weed beds wave back and forth in water currents and waves, occasionally exposing shrimp and baitfish to the finned predators lurking nearby. All you see is a flash of silver or gold as another hapless shrimp or baitfish becomes dinner.

Overhanging branches shade the water’s surface, dropping the occasional struggling insect, and the tell-tale rings on the water tell you nature is at work.

It’s great to watch if you take the time to sit back and observe it.

FLYFISHER’S DREAM November is one of the best months to walk the streams stalking and casting to trout. Flows should still be

quite good with the occasional storm to top things up. These storms usually build up in the afternoon, and as they do the insect activity can go through the roof at the water’s edge.

Trout take full advantage of

this, rising freely to the melee above. For the most part a well-presented nondescript dry fly of similar size will grab their attention, although at times I have seen very selective behaviour when it comes to

a termite hatch landing on the water. Be mindful of the approaching storm, and plan to be back at the car by the time it hits.

Lakes such as Thompsons Creek Dam (TCD) will see

It had been a while since I had picked up a fly rod and reel, and the advances in technology amazed me.

Learning to flyfish can be the start of a lifelong journey. Quality tuition is a big help, and Josh Hutchins and Juan Delcarmen make a great team in this regard. the same hatches, and to see a full-blown rise on these lakes is a real eye opener. I have seen it only a few times, and it’s amazing to see so many fish cruising about slurping down the insects. It can also be frustrating as hell as you watch your little fly floating out there amongst the millions of drowned trout lollies. It’s like a needle in a haystack.

After dark the rise can continue. This is the mop up stage when the fish wipe the table clean. The trout throw caution to the wind with the cover of darkness, moving into the shallows and tailing.

Many a time I have had them between me and the bank as I have waded. Brown trout seem to dominate night time captures, especially at Lake Lyell, although it’s not always the case. Keep some deer hair poppers handy if it’s warm and

humid and have a cast for a bass. You will know when you get one on.

Keep Oberon Dam in the back of your mind if you are heading up this way. It’s not the trout fishery of years gone by but it still offers some reasonable fishing.

BLESSED WITH GOLDEN WATERS To have two first-rate golden perch fisheries on our doorstep is something to behold. Burrendong and Windamere have really fired this spring and this should continue into summer although the fish may move a little deeper.

Burrendong differs a little from Windamere. Weed growth usually nowhere near as prevalent in Burrendong, and redfin pin fry can also dictate where fish will be in Burrendong. I am sure that these pin fry make up a large part of the Burrendong goldens’ diet when they are available.

Slow rolling plastics in the trees works well in both dams, although Burrendong has the biggest following with this

tactic due to some tournament wins there using this method.

The boys at Loomzys Fish & Fix in Forbes have really taken this style of fishing to a new level and do it better than anyone.

Windamere golden perch tend to relate more to the weed bed edges and broken rock that harbour firetail gudgeon and shrimp. As the waters warm in November, golden perch can be seen in the early morning chasing these gudgeon close to the surface, with the odd one taken right off the top, bass and barra style. I have yet to take one of these goldens on a surface lure, and I have vowed every year for the last decade to do so. Maybe this this year I will… it has been done!

COD SEASON A MONTH AWAY It’s not long now until the cod season opens, so do yourself a favour and prep your gear. Sharpen those hooks, practice your leader knots, stock up your surface lures, do your research and practice your casting. It won’t be long before that first green mottled monster will be on the deck.

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67

Surface lures in low light MAITLAND

Dave McLean djfmclean@bigpond.com

The weather pattern over the past month has been quite mild with some fairly cool nights. This has led to the water temperature remaining quite low and, combined with the low water levels in the dams, this has greatly restricted the weed growth.

It shouldn’t be long before the crickets and grasshoppers begin to appear and it’s time to get out the surface tackle for some of those adrenalinrush topwater hits. There are heaps of surface lures available now but I still like to use poppers and fizzers.

My favourite fizzers are the Taylor Made Fizz Banger and Heddon Tiny Torpedo.

The poppers I like to use are the Jackall SK, Megabass Siglett, and for the rivers the Paul Nicel Crickeye. The prime time to use these lures is around the new and full moons and about one hour before daylight and around sunset, and two to three hours after.

The Paterson and Williams rivers are in

pristine condition and quite clear, and they’re producing some nice bass, especially around the lower reaches.

The Hunter River is also in good condition but a little dirty, and it has good flow with the bass down around the lower reaches, around the top of the tidal change.

in the middle of the river and around rock walls, or 1/4oz spinnerbaits and beetlespins along the banks with some cover or shade.

There are heaps of 40mm lures available these days but I still find the locally made Marz and the Jackall Chubby right up there.

Scott Everitt from Gresford with his first bass of the season.

In the clearer water I find the 40mm hardbodies a very good option, especially the surface lures under low light conditions. Other options are blades in the deeper holes

Up at the Barringtons at the beginning of the season there are plenty of areas with good water and the trout are taking all forms of bait, lure and fly.

LAKE ST CLAIR On some days the dam has been fishing well, then it has shut down for a couple of days before picking up again.

You may have to do a fair bit of searching to find the fish. Another problem is the water temperature has been a bit low at the end of October but as this month progresses the temps should climb up to around the mid-20s.

The thermocline during this month is usually all mixed up but as we move into summer it should settle down, usually sitting at 5-8m in depth with a width of around 2-3m.

Another problem with the dam at its current level is that there is very little weed, and any bankside cover is now up 20m from the water line.

There aren’t too many big schools of bass, with most of the fish coming from off the banks in the 5-7m range.With the lack of cover in this depth I have found the best time to fish is from sunrise to about 9am and then back out for the last two to three hours before and after sunset.

Another reason the bass can be hard to find is the lack of the schools of smelt and gudgeons which are very late coming on the scene this year,

This quality bass recently fell to a Jackall lipless crankbait fished off the banks. along with the lack of weed.

The bass on the edges are best targeted using plastics, blades, spinnerbaits or mumblers and deep hardbodies. Last season the Jackall TN60 and 50 were dynamite in brown dog pattern. In the spinnerbaits/ mumblers I recommend the Bassman 3/8oz in purple/ black for overcast days and bright days the green/silver.

Some areas to try this month up the Falbrook are from Redhead Corner up to Eurella Point trolling and working the edges along the old river, and also down the entrance around Richards Point. Good tolling lures are

the big and small Ferralcatts, Stuckeys and AC invaders.

The Carrowbrook Reach should also produce some nice fish for anglers trolling or casting from Loder Point up to Adam Point, especially around the larger timber that follows the river. This is also a good area for baitfishers using worms and yabbies for the odd golden, but there are plenty of catties as well as bass.

In the Broadwater the areas to target are Perkins Point and across to Gindigah Point. If there have been some westerlies happening, try along Thunderbolts Run.

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To page 69

Last chance for lots of goldens BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Blowering Dam, as is usually the case in spring, has fished really well over the last couple of months and this should almost definitely continue for the

Bait fishing with worms and yabbies is a popular way of targeting the golden perch population this month as they start to move off the edges and into slightly deeper water. The best results come from actively fishing your bait when targeting golden perch as these fish much prefer a

are on any given day. In our first effort at targeting the golden perch early this season we landed five nice sized fish, and the fishing has continued to get better since then.

Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits have been the main fish takers as usual, with the matt black/

decide on what species to target and where to target them. The lakes are still fishing well, but after what feels like the longest closed season in history it would be hard not to target some trout in the running water this month.

The creeks and rivers will only continue to fish better and better as more and more insects start hatching and the water temperature starts to warm up.

Trout will still be gorging themselves after their spawning efforts, especially the rainbows, and most techniques are accounting for fish. Bait anglers are doing well drifting worms and some are still catching plenty on

Now that the trout season is up and running it’s hard to decide whether to target them in the lakes or the running water as they both are fishing so well.

The author’s mate Grant with a golden perch he landed recently whilst fishing with the author. rest of this month. Golden perch have of course been the main target for anglers but there have also been some nice trout caught and plenty of bycatch Murray cod as well.

GOLDEN PERCH It’s no secret that golden perch fire during the spring months no matter where you fish, but this is especially true at Blowering Dam. During spring it’s not uncommon to land 10 or more a day, whereas the rest of the year if you can manage to land more then one golden perch a day you’re doing quite well. This month could be your last good chance to get amongst good numbers of big golden perch.

From page 68

LAKE GLENBAWN Lake Glenbawn has been a bit slow to hit its straps this late spring as the dam is lower than last year and also a bit cooler. The fishing has also been a bit slow; some days the fish bite their heads off and the next day they shut down. Up the back of the dam the water is a nice colour but down around the main basin it is gin clear. Another problem this year is the lack of good weed to hold the fish in particular areas.

To give yourself the best chance of hooking onto the bass and goldens you will need to get onto the water very early and then back out for the last hours of the day. An exception to this is if you want to troll, in which case around the middle of the day can

moving bait over one that is fixed to the bottom. Try lifting your bait a metre or two off the bottom, allow it to freefall then repeat the process all the way back to the bank or the boat.

You will be surprised how many more golden perch you will catch when bait fishing this way.

Lure casting has been awesome in the last couple of months, with cricket scores of big golden perch being landed on the cast.

Fish have been encountered in the tops of trees, in the backs of bays and along rocky banks and points so it pays to fish a number of different types of areas to find where the active fish

chartreuse tail Insanity Tackle Slap Walkers being the pick of the bunch.

However, suspending hardbodied lures and plastics have been the go-to lures when the fish have been too finicky to hit your usual noisy or flashy lures.

Trolling in 3-7m of water is another good way to target the slightly deeper goldens, and some of the better lures to troll are the ones I’ve mentioned for casting. They work just as well on the troll as they do on the cast.

TROUT Now that the trout season has officially opened there are so many options to choose from that it’s hard to

be very worthwhile as this is usually when the barometer is at its peak and the fish tend to feed a bit more aggressively.

The better lures for this are

again the Stuckeys, green or purple, and Ferralcatts, black or purple with silver tiger stripes.

There are some good

Ethan from Scone (Alan Price’s grandson) with a healthy Glenbawn bass that fell to a plastic.

Goldens have been going great guns at Blowering Dam and this month should be no different. This was one of many fish caught for the day on a matt black/chartreuse tail Insanity Tackle Slap Walker. dough baits like PowerBait which imitate trout eggs, showing that there might be some late spawners still about.

Lure anglers are still accounting for the biggest numbers of trout and it is very hard to beat spinners schools of bass and goldens up the back of the dam around the Panhandle and the Dogleg, and these are best targeted with blades and plastics. Up further the fish can targeted working the banks, heavily timbered, using lipless cranks and spinnerbaits in the 5-7m depths. This is also a good area to fish the bigger timber out in the 10m depth that adjoins the river channel using yabbies and worms.

Around the heavily timbered areas of Yellow Buoy Bay and the main basin are also very productive in the final month of spring to work with surface lures in the low light, and casting Jackalls and spinnerbaits.

For those who don’t mind losing lures, dropping down into the tops of the trees is also very productive

like Roostertails, Cocktails, Bangtails and Mepps bugs.

Alternatively you can try a small hardbody under 3cm in length like the Rapala ranges to give the fish something a bit different to have a go at. At this time of the year there will be a few

small fish around so you are essentially matching the hatch by using this style of lure.

Fly anglers have been accounting for most of their fish on gold bead nymphs with the odd angler still bagging out with glo bugs.

Bass at St Clair holding along a bank early in the morning. They fell to a Jackall TN60 brown dog pattern and Bassman spinnerbaits. but you need a very good sounder and I like to mark the depth on my line so as not to go to deep. Ice jigs are also good for this as well as plastics on light jigheads.

Lastly, this month the

Aberdeen Bowling Fishing Club, with money raised from its Glenbawn Classic, will distribute their bass fingerlings into Glenbawn Dam in the dollar for dollar scheme.

NOVEMBER 2014

69

Good early season trout conditions and inflows CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

Conditions were pleasant for the opening of the 2014-15 stream trout season, with lots of snowmelt providing good flows in higher country streams. Lower-country streams weren’t as flushed but were still in better and more fishable condition than they were at the 2013 opening. Importantly, too, there is a lot more snow on the mountains this year than in many previous years, and alpine bogs are full of water which will be released as we pass from spring to summer. A good start to the season.

There are some good fish around, too. Many of the browns which spawned in June and July have returned to the lakes but enough will have stayed in the streams to provide good fun for fly and lure fishers as the season develops.

Natural recruitment and stocking with fish from Gaden hatchery should ensure there are enough fish in all the major streams and some of the smaller creeks to keep anglers happy. Anglers can reciprocate in various ways but in particular by sticking to bag and size limits, using only legallyallowed tackle and by not fouling the water and land environment where they are fishing.

Most of the rainbows, which breed later in the year than browns, have now finished spawning but as

always there will be some latecomers which will be exposed to anglers during October and even early November. Hopefully when anglers encounter these late spawners they’ll give them a wide berth and release them if caught inadvertently.

Spawning fish are useless to eat and fight poorly so there is no incentive to target them. It’s also pretty silly to kill them given the scarcity of rainbows over the past year or so.

LAKES FISHING WELL Recent good catches in the big mountain lakes suggest they could be a useful alternative to the streams in the early part of the season when the streams are most crowded.

There have been some good browns and some rainbows taken on scrub worms, bardi grubs and PowerBait in Wangrabelle Bay, Yens Bay, Braemar and Coppermine Bay in Eucumbene and East Jindabyne and Creel Bay in Jindabyne. Lots of small to medium-sized browns also have been taken in Tantangara. The fish have been taken at all times of the day and night, with no special hot period.

Some nice fish also have been taken by trollers using brightly coloured Tasmanian Devils, green Celtas and silver or gold spoons. Several anglers did especially well using Cowbells and lead core line.

Flyfishing has been quiet, mostly because so few anglers have ventured out in the cold weather, but it should pick up from now

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on as the caddis and then mayflies hatch. Woolly Worms and Woolly Buggers should be an effective pattern

some from as far away as Nowra and Newcastle.

Everybody appreciated the free tuition and were able

Canberra angler Val Starr with a dead Murray cod.

Cod up to a metre long and up to 14 years old have died in large numbers in Lake Yerrabi and Lake Gungahlin. There is concern that a waterborne pathogen may be involved, which could spread to Lake Ginninderra, then to the Murrumbidgee River and Burrinjuck Reservoir. Photo: Jenny Starr. for general blind fishing, but watch for specific hatches and rises and try to match the critters involved. Bogong moths, for example, are likely to come blundering along at the moment and can be easily matched with an artificial. Dark caddis, also likely at this time, also can be easily matched, but when in doubt fall back on the old favourites such as dark nymphs, small red and black matuka, Woolly Bugger and Woolly Worm, stone fly nymph and stick caddis.

Polaroiders have pulled a few nice browns from the shallows in Jindabyne using small dark nymphs and this should continue to be productive on still, crisply cold mornings before the wind gets up. Try for a sheltered location and treat every dark shadow, log, stick, rock or weed bed as if it was a fish, which quite often it is.

Having a mate higher up the bank spotting for you often is a great help in locating fish, and helps you plant an effective cast without spooking your quarry.

FLY CLASSES SUCCESSFUL The free pre-season fly fishing classes run for the public by the Canberra Anglers Association attracted a big crowd of men, women and children this year. Run on Sunday mornings, they had about 60 people attend,

to cast a reasonable distance by the time they finished one or more lessons. They can now go out on the water and practice their new-found skills. It is always a delight to watch or hear of somebody catching their first-ever trout

time you read this.

A problem has developed in Lake Yerrabi, however, which has everybody really worried. Large Murray cod, some up to 14 years of age, mostly in the 50-100cm range and seemingly in otherwise good condition, have suddenly died and floated to the surface. None of the fish examined have shown any sign of net marks or other likely physical causes of death. The water looks to be in good condition; it’s clear and smells OK. There is no sign of an algal bloom and no obvious contamination.

One early suggestion was that the fish died from spawning stress, but too many fish have now died and other causes seem more likely. Dead fish have been found in all parts of the lake, not just in one location.

Only cod, and only large fish, seem to be affected.

Golden perch, carp and redfin remain in good health.

Given the time, effort and money involved in stocking and raising cod to this size in an urban fishery, the loss is considered significant.

More worryingly, just as we go to press there is news that more cod are dying in Lake Gungahlin, which is immediately downstream from Yerrabi. This suggests that a pathogen, waterborne, is likely to be responsible.

Given that the lakes drain into the Murrumbidgee River and then Burrinjuck, the signs are quite frightening. I have sent word to NSW Fisheries and to various colleagues in tackle shops in the relevant areas

caught in the Main Basin or just a short distance up the Murrumbidgee Arm in Macys Bay. Now though, they have shown well up the Yass River Arm and a long way the Murrumbidgee Arm as far as Good Hope and Hume Park. Many are located in deep water but 3-5m down, above a flooded tree or along a rock face.

They can be taken on bibless minnows or bobbed scrub worms, yabbies or shrimps.

NEW REGULATIONS New Fisheries legislation due in November will be welcomed by anglers. There is strong support in particular for the rules that call for all Murray cod over 80cm to be released immediately after capture and allow for yabby nets to be used in Googong Reservoir. Sensible and well thought out changes.

CATFISH CONCERN The big Grabine Tournament fished back in August in Lake Wyangala was a well organised and highly successful event.

Lots of golden perch, some nice Murray cod and lots of carp were caught by the 916 anglers participating, but the fact that only four catfish were weighed in is cause for concern. Wyangala used to have a massive population of catfish, and if you dropped a worm in almost anywhere you hooked one.

Four from 916 anglers is not a good result, especially as many of them fished day and night for the two and a half days of the tournament using worms – the catfish’s favourite tucker. The reason for the apparent decline in

Lake Yerrabi, where large numbers of Murray cod have died. The resident redfin, carp and golden perch seem unaffected by whatever is killing the cod. on fly. It’s a memory that most anglers treasure forever.

PROBLEM IN LOCAL LAKES Redfin and golden perch are steadily coming on the bite in the local lakes as the water warms, and should really be on the bite by the

and await the results of analysis of the dead fish to determine whether a fungal, bacterial or viral pathogen is involved.

GOLDENS SPREADING Golden perch in Burrinjuck are on the move.

Until recently, most were

the population is not known, but one suggestion is that carp are eating the eggs of the catfish which are laid in stone nests scattered around the lake. If this is correct, it’s just one more reason for trying to keep carp numbers under control.

All methods are go for trout in November JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

November is a busy month for trout anglers in the Snowy Mountains. Since the environmental water releases down the Snowy River in October, the lake has been pretty stable and is looking great for all methods of trout fishing.

We have seen some great catches of late with big browns and plenty of rainbows captured. There is no place

mean a continuation of the great lake fishing.

On the rivers and streams, we are starting to see plenty of white moths and tea tree beetles; the beginning of the hopper season may be happening soon as well. If you want to you can still use a small nymph dropper in the faster water just to double your chances at catching a fish.

The flyfishing on the lake is still very good around the edges. Fishing the small bays and inlets will get some results very early and late in the day if you’re careful not

well worth fishing at sunset with both Hayshed Bay and Hatchery Bay fishing the best.

Bait fishing has been good in the lake, and teaming up your rig with worms and artificial baits are really producing. Put two hooks on the line and combine a worm and artificial bait to double your chances of a trout. If the fish are a little picky try using muslin on your line to keep it floating out of the weed and reduce the drag created by the water tension.

Best areas for bait fishing at the moment have been Waste

Amanda Walshaw with a healthy winter rainbow. A wet end to spring may mean a continuation of the great lake fishing. better than the other on Lake Jindabyne at present with the cooler water temperatures, but the edge fishing is still very good.

There was a lot of snow on the mountains this year to melt and so the rivers and streams are still looking great.

If anything we have a little too much water in some of the streams and it may be the end of the month before the best of the dry fly fishing starts.

How the season will progress from now on will depend on how much rain we get. A wet end to spring may

be the best methods to get a trout at the moment. It is also definitely worth trolling some minnow lures early in the morning off the lead core lines.

The Scatterrap Rapalas have proven to be very effective with their unique action and it would be wise to try one off your lead core line early in the day, especially before sunrise. Don’t worry about using bigger lures as they are best for the bigger fish.

If targeting rainbows, and yes there are plenty being caught at the moment, smaller StumpJumpers along with Tassie Devils Canberra Killer and the Willy’s Special are still catching their share of fish. We are using leadcore lines and downriggers at the moment and in the middle of the day on those sunny still days we are downrigging to almost 40’ where the bigger rainbows are holding out.

Best areas to troll at the moment with the high lake level have been the East Jindabyne Islands, Hayshed and Hatchery Bay and up at Creel Bay. Lure spinning has been good early and late in the day and should continue that way for a while yet. There are trout about and the best fishing is in the shallows early and deep water later in the middle of the day. Minnow lures like floating Rapalas, StumpJumpers and other minnow style lure in either natural rainbow trout and brown trout patterns or

gold colours to represent the Jindabyne goldfish that the trout love to chase and eat.

Don’t stay in one place too long and only put in a couple of casts in each area.

25TH ANNIVERSARY COMP On 8 November I will be holding my 25th Anniversary Fishing Competition and my Celebration Dinner on Saturday night. The competition has limited numbers and you need to call my shop to see if there are any last minute positions available. There are also limited seats available for my official celebration dinner so get in while you can.

A lot is happening this November especially with the Snowy Mountains Trout Festival week coming up (more information can be found at www. troutfestival.com).

• Why not call into my shop next to the Shell Service Station at the intersection of Kosciusko Road and the Alpine Way or give me a call on 02 64561551 for more details and latest updates.

Don’t forget that if you want the best daily update you need to become our Friend on Facebook – Steve Williamson’s Lake Jindabyne Trout Fishing Adventures.

EUCUMBENE’S

BEST FISHING IS RIGHT HERE....

• Close to boat ramp and streams • Multiple options to suit all budgets • Accommodation on the shores of Lake Eucumbene

TROUT Best method: Bank-based bait on the lake with artificial bait or scrub worms Best lake trolling lure: Rapala CD07 Scatterrap Gold and Tasmanian Devil green and gold number 111 Best lake area: Creel Bay and Waste Point area and Stinky Bay (The Haven) Best fly method lake: Black weighted Woolly Bugger and Williamson’s Goldfish Best River Fly Fishing: Black bead head nymphs and a size 12 Tea Tree Beetle Best River Lures: Gillies Feathertail Spinner and Trout pattern 3cm Bullet Lures Best lake spinning lures: Spotted Dog or Brown Trout pattern Rapalas and 7g Holographic Tassie Devil to spook the trout. Woolley Buggers, Craig’s Nighttime and Williamson’s Goldfish have been the flies well worth using at dawn and dusk. The shallow bays on the lake are

Point area, The Claypits and at East Jindabyne near Rushes Creek.

For the lake trollers, surface trolling lures at 2m deep and lead core lines will

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DAM LEVELS

Dam

% Full

Dam

% Full

Blowering............................. 68

Glennies Creek....................... 85

Brogo................................ 100

Hume.................................. 78

Burrendong........................... 25

Jindabyne............................. 67

Burrinjuck............................. 84

Keepit.................................. 14

Carcoar................................ 31

Lostock................................ 99

Chaffey................................ 39

Oberon................................. 64

Clarrie Hall..........................N/A

Pindari................................. 15

Copeton............................... 30

Split Rock............................. 20

Dartmouth............................. 94

Tantangara............................ 23

Eucumbene........................... 48

Toonumbar............................ 99

Glenbawn............................. 88

Windamere........................... 49

Glenlyon............................... 35

Wyangala............................. 55

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.)

NOVEMBER 2014

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Good weather and great fishing ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Who said good weather doesn’t make for good fishing? It’s been a cracking month for perch in most of our local waters made even more memorable for the picture perfect weather that’s accompanied most trips.

Swan Hills to the Pentel Island area has fished well on bait with perch up to 54cm. There is no shortage of fishing options in the Swan Hill at present with most locations firing. While it’s the closed cod season, numerous incidental captures of good-sized cod in the Swan Hill area along the Murray are a good sign for the coming season. It seems it’s hard to do a bait session on the without a heap of cod muscling in on the action.

Some of these fish have been over the 1m mark and all have been released.

The Little Murray, Lake Kangaroo and Lake Charm have good numbers of perch and plenty have been taken on bait.

At other locations incidental cod captures have been less the accident unless you consider 120mm lures the perfect perch selection.

While we cannot stop cod from hitting lures we can downsize the offering and vastly increase the chances it will be subbed as not worth the effort. Those involved need to remember are fooling no one and it’s poor form.

The Murrumbidgee at Balranald has good numbers of perch and they’ve been hitting bait and lures. The water clarity is quite good and this location should fish well for perch for the next month or so for those using a variety of smaller lures and spinnerbaits.

The Wakool River at Kyalite has perch taking bait and a few overzealous cod in the mix.

In the Murray River good numbers of golden perch have been biting at many locations with some sizable fish among those getting in on the action. Robinvale has and should continue to fish well for perch. Anglers

Below the weir at Euston good numbers of perch have been caught on lures and bait. The bite continues downstream through Wemen and into the Hattah Kulkyne National Park.

Carp have been about in good numbers and are quick to snatch a bait.

It seems the beautiful spring weather has the fish on the chew at most locations. From here on in the fishing should only get better as the weather and water continue to warm.

MURRAY COD SLOT LIMITS CONFUSING. New recreational catch limits for Murray cod in Victorian and NSW waters

A minimum size limit on Murray cod of 50cm in Victorian and 60cm in NSW waters will see confusion among anglers and fisheries come open Murray cod season. bobbing shrimp and small yabbies around the snags have reported great catches.

Some of these fish are up to 56cms and most anglers are catching their bag.

will improve the species’ sustainability and improve fishing opportunities for anglers in the long term. In a recent press release Minister for Agriculture and Food

Security Peter Walsh said recent public consultation had indicated substantial support for the introduction of a 50-70cm slot limit and a reduced bag limit in rivers of one Murray cod per day.

“The current 60-100cm slot limit does not sufficiently protect the older, more valuable breeding Murray cod, which are the future of this iconic species,” Mr Walsh said. “Scientific modelling by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries indicates that Murray cod populations would be enhanced under a slot limit regime of 50-70cm.” Mr Walsh said scientists had also modelled other scenarios including a 60-80cm slot limit.

“The results of the modelling indicated that under Victorian conditions, a slot limit of 50-70cm was better for the fish and better for recreational anglers,” Mr Walsh said. “The bag limit of 2 in lakes would remain unchanged because most Murray cod fisheries in Victorian lakes are stocked populations, where angler takings don’t pose a sustainability threat. The reduced bag limit in rivers would enable Victorian anglers to take one smaller fish for the table, whilst ensuring all large breeders are returned to the water and contribute to future populations.” The new Victorian regulations will be introduced by a Fisheries Notice before the opening of the Murray cod season on 1 December 2014.

Redfin have been biting in most of the Kerang lakes and channel systems.

At the same time the NSW Department Of Primary Industries is also changing the existing size limits for Murray cod. A maximum size limit of 80cm for Murray cod will provide protection for large breeding fish while the minimum size limit of 60cm will remain in place. These changes will apply from the 3 November 2014.

As an angler I support the move on slot limits but can’t help but wonder why both states could not adopt the same sizes so they leave no grey areas surrounding the capture or keeping of Murray cod. At the moment,

if I launch my boat in the Murray River in NSW and motor into the Lindsay River in Victoria and catch a cod of 50cm I am legally allowed to keep it.

My question is how I get it back to the boat ramp in the Murray where I launched from where the minimum size limit on Murray cod is 60cm? This interpretation is open at many locations and remains confusing to all anglers fishing for Murray cod. While slot limits are a welcome move, those imposing them might not have thought things through very well. One fish, one set of rules, no confusion.

Mulwala Yella fever YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Not being Nostradamus or a fortune teller, predicting when and where the yellas will fire up in and around Lake Mulwala this spring is only an educated guess at best.

Water temperature, rainfall and who knows what else makes these lurebashing bruisers turn on.

One thing we do know is it will happen and when it does! So it’s time to pack the lighter native gear and get among them.

Traditionally the water above Majors Creeks up to Bundalong and surrounding backwaters or areas with increased current flow should be your first port of call.

TN60 Jackalls, hardbodied lures in the 50-70mm size range or smaller profile spinnerbaits in natural colours would be 72

NOVEMBER 2014

my preferred option.

The last weekend of cod season proved fruitful for numerous visiting anglers with some nice cod reported. A 107cm beauty was the best reported while the unluckiest cod fell victim to local character Joe Linehan! A quick arvo jaunt with his 4 year-old daughter Emily saw the pair troll no more that 100m before they had hooked up to a nice 65cm model that made for an enjoyable outing.

A few diehards have been out in search for perch throughout September with limited returns. George Jovanovic has been turning up the odd prize while Dave Adams had a reasonable day recently with a couple measuring well into the 40cm bracket. Cooper Bennett has snared the best so far, with a lump measuring a creditable 52cm. A small Yellaman Series Bassman spinnerbait was his weapon of choice.

Without going into too

much detail, both NSW and Vic Fisheries have recently implemented some new ‘slot size’ limits for cod on both sides of the border. For NSW the new slot size 60-80cm while Vic’s is 50-70cms.

Once again, the interstate anomalies astound me and leave you wondering why both could not work jointly on this. Apparently, relevant state authorities have worked together for a long time on studies that relate to fecundity levels, growth rates and breeding cycles but cannot agree on what their studies actually mean. My question: What happens if you catch and keep a legal size 50cm cod in the Ovens River (Vitoria) above Bundalong and then get intercepted by NSW Fisheries while fishing below Bundalong (NSW)?

This means you are in possession of an undersized cod in NSW water, even though it was caught legally ‘interstate’. Everybody will

Cooper Bennett with his 52cm yella. A Yellaman Series Bassman spinnerbait was the undoing of this fish. have their own opinions but make sure you are all up to speed on these new legislations by December 1.

Organisation is well under way for the 2014 Yamaha Cod Classic. The Cod Classic promises to be

huge with $150 000 prizes up for grabs. Your choice of either a Ford Ranger or Ford XR6 Ute plus 7 Quintrex, Yamaha and Lowrance boating packages make for an event that shouldn’t be missed. Entry forms

are now available at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the official Cod Classic shop (Opposite the Post Office) or call 0357 441667 for further information.

Until next edition, happy fishing.

Illegal fishers caught out NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries officers have issued fines totalling $5200 to a group of fishers after they were found illegally fishing on the Macquarie River in the State’s Central West.

DPI Acting Director Fisheries Compliance, Tony Andrews, said fisheries officers conducted a targeted operation on the Macquarie River, downstream of Narromine.

“Fisheries officers

located a camp being used by a number of fishers downstream of Narromine,” Mr Andrews said. “A number of fisheries offences were detected including the use of 41 unattended lines that were set and left unattended, possession of fish illegally taken, the use of 31 live finfish as a lure or bait to take fish on inland waters, the use of a gaff to take fish on inland waters and a master of a boat not preventing a serious fisheries offence taking place.

“Seven people were

apprehended by fisheries officers and admitted to the offences when interviewed.

Officers seized 41 set lines, two gaffs and 31 European carp and fines totalling $5200 and a number of written cautions were issued to the members of the camp.

“Unattended lines and other illegal fishing gear are prohibited for a reason as their use poses a very real risk to the sustainability of our native fish populations and other protected fauna.”

A maximum of two

attended fishing lines are permitted in NSW inland waters. Attended lines must be within 50m and in the line of sight of the person who is using the line.

The use of live finfish as bait is prohibited in NSW as it presents biosecurity risks to our waterways through the potential spread and transmission of noxious aquatic diseases through the transfer of fish from one body of water to another.

Mr Andrews reminded fishers that fisheries officers

Gear and fish seized from the Macquarie River near Narromine. regularly patrol waterways to detect illegal fishing activity.

“Fisheries officers are targeted in their operations and if you are doing the wrong thing it is only a matter of time until you are caught,”

Mr Andrews said. “Members of the public can also report any suspected illegal fishing activity to the Fishers watch hotline on 1800 043 536 or directly to your nearest Fisheries office.” – DPI

Yellas biting baits as Mildura water clears MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

The river has been running a bit dirty around Mildura for the past month or so, making lure fishing very difficult in the main parts.

Fortunately though, water clarity is improving, which should see lures work better. In the mean time we have seen some nice yellowbelly caught on bait.

Yellowbelly are coming on the bite around Mildura due to the warmer water temperatures and weather we have been experiencing lately.

As the sun continues to shine, more and more of these fish will be caught particularly easily below the locks and weir structures. It is not unusual to see yellowbelly activity at a high around spring time and once the water clears up we’ll be set for a bumper yellowbelly summer.

Fishing with bait around most places near Mildura

has been the best way to pick up a yella or two lately, particularly around Hattah.

Baits that are working the best are shrimp and worms, even though live shrimp are still difficult to find, but the warmer weather should bring them out as the season goes on. It’s great to be able to take the family down the river for a few hours on a weekend and bag a few yellas and have some fun catching large carp on light gear.

Backwaters have been producing some good yellas,

particularly around snag piles and in eddy currents.

Even though water clarity has been poor, a slowlyworked lipless crankbait or small hardbody in the right spot has seen a few fish caught. Tying up to a snag to throw lures along the bank and slowly retrieve them is also a good method.

Pick of the spots to target yellowbelly on bait at this time of year is around the Hattah area and downstream Mildura, close to the banks tight up on most major

structure. Places like Wemen and Fort Courage are great spots to fish at the moment.

Murray cod season will once again open very soon and is set to be a cracker of a season with some very nice cod caught right up until the close in late August. In the meantime, anglers should not be targeting Murray cod in any way to allow them to nest without disturbing the breeding chain. Most anglers around Mildura will be waiting for summer when the cod season to officially

opens again. By then, waters should be back in their banks and we should see a Murray cod season like no other.

Redfin should also come on the bite and are fun to catch on light gear using soft plastics and blades.

This summer should also be a cracker for surface fishing, especially in the shallow waters of local billabongs and creeks.

Fly-casting is a great method of surface fishing as you can present really small lures in hard-to-reach spots.

Lots of gold to go around MOAMA

Ian Page

We’re deep into spring and the local waterways are producing some great opportunities, with water temperatures rising, the yellowbelly have been very aggressive and striking both lures and bait.

The Gunbower Creek and Kow Swamp have seen some top fishing with Jackalls accounting for many fish and for the baits scrub worms and shrimp would be my preference.

If trolling upstream in the Murray above Torrumbarry, find the deeper banks and troll medium diving lures such as Oargees, Custom Crafted, StumpJumpers or something similar that will dive to a moderate depth around 15ft and work close to the banks trolling over the same areas several times and changing lures every couple of runs.

If angling with bait I like to use a running sinker rig with just enough weight to hold bottom and a circle hook with multiple shrimps or I run the small ball sinker down to the hook and ‘tea-bag’ the shrimp at different heights above the bottom to entice the fish

to strike.

Up around the Five Mile boat ramp has been good with good reports also coming from above the East ramp.

The Goulburn has been more stable with

can get a fair number in small amount of time.

This is also a good time to check your equipment to ready yourself for cod season, so service your reels, make sure rods and lines are in top condition ad

SEASON XI

11.30am Sunday Morning

V V The Mathoura boys caught this tidy yellow on the troll recently. water heights and this has helped the water to clear and rise in temperature and in turn the fishing has improved. Flicking lures and spinnerbaits from the bank on light gear can provide some great sport and good fish.

Redfin fishing has been a little patchy but if you do manage to find them, you

see that your lure selection is topped up. I always look forward to November as the wether is stable and the fishing is great!

• For the latest fishing and boating information in the Echuca/Moama region, drop into Boats and More’s Echuca store at 76 Northern Hwy or give them a call on (03) 5482 1992.

Airs from October 12 Australian Fishing Championships NOVEMBER 2014

73

2014 Cod Classic Australia’s richest freshwater fishing tournament and most eagerly awaited social event on the fishing calendar, the 2014 Yamaha Cod Classic and Wilson Slick Back Lure’s Junior Cod Classic is drawing near, 5-7 December will see Lake Mulwala come alive with an expected 3000+ anglers.

Organisation is well under way for the 15th Cod Classic. This year a staggering prize pool that totals in excess of $150 000 including a Ford vehicle and 7 boating packages will be up for grabs. Incredibly, 83 boating packages will have been given away through the Cod Classic after this year.

The Fishing & Outdoors Expo will be a main feature with the chance to grab a bargain not to be missed.

Other popular parts of the competition include iconic entertainer Flathead Fred for the juniors; Cod Talk with Rod ‘Codmac’ McKenzie and Gus Storer, as well as the Samurai Rods Australian Pro Casting Championships.

The Native Watercraft Australian Canoe & Kayak Cod Fishing Championships enters its 4th year. Catering for the new breed of anglers

Expect big golden perch to get in on the madness as these waterways aren’t just famous for their cod! who fish from either a canoe and kayak, this event is a must for those who chose paddle and pedal over petrol and power.

Designed for the family with all levels of fishing skills catered for, everybody has a chance of winning one of the many great prizes on offer whether using bait or lures. The majority of prizes are randomly drawn with you not having to catch a fish to be a winner! Those that are lucky enough to register either a legal size Murray cod or golden perch go into additional draws to win extra

The Cod Classic promises to be a great day for all participants.

On 5-7 December, Lake Mulwala will come alive with over 3000 anglers expected to compete.

great prizes. There will be over 1500 prizes (adults) and all juniors will receive several prizes. A Ford Ute, boating packages, sounders, canoes, kayaks, fishing trips, holidays, fishing gear, camping equipment and clothing just to name some of the gear lucky anglers will go home with.

Entry fee for adults is $90 and $40 for kids. This includes 4 meals, souvenir stubby holder, a free ticket in major boat raffle, Wilson Slickback lure and Bassman Spinnerbait (for the kids), entry into thousands of lucky

door prize draws and the promise of a great weekend.

You would be crazy to miss this great weekend in Yarrawonga/Mulwala and the chance to catch a legend on the twin towns’ famous cod fishing ground, Lake Mulwala.

For more information check out visit www. codclassic.com.au.

You can also call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski at 74 Melbourne St Mulwala (Opposite Post Office) the official Cod Classic shop or you can call Tony Bennett on 0439 441667.

FISHING FILL-ITS

New Port Stephens Family Comp NOVEMBER 29th & 30th, 2014 BRIEFING RSL NOVEMBER 28th @ 6PM

74

NOVEMBER 2014

The award-winning Soldiers Point Marina in Port Stephens will host a major new family fishing contest in February next year, with a prize pool of $10,000 available for lucky anglers.

Entries are now open for the inaugural Port Stephens Family Fishing Competition on Saturday February 7 and Sunday February 8, 2015. Soldiers Point Marina is hosting the event, and Pantaenius Sail and Motor Yacht Insurance and Ibis Styles Salamander Shores at Soldiers Point are the chief sponsors.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Soldiers Point Marina was named Australian Marina of the Year by the Marina Industries Association in 2013/2014, 2011/2012 and 2007 and also received the maximum five Gold Anchors in 2010 under the prestigious Gold Anchor international rating scheme for marinas worldwide.

The General Manager of Soldiers Point Marina, Darrell Barnett, said the new event was designed as a fun event for the whole family.

“Fishing is a great pastime for the family to share in the great outdoors,

and the chance to win cash prizes is a bonus. You can win prizes without getting a bite too!” Mr Barnett said.

Anglers can win a main cash prize of $5000, with five other prizes of $1000 cash also available along with a three-night accommodation package at Horizons Golf Resort.

There will also be lucky draw prizes and prizes for

salmon, snapper, bonito, tailor, mulloway, luderick and drummer.

Entry is $40 for juniors under 16 and $60 for adults. For entries or more details call 02 4982 7445 or visit www.portstephens fishingcomp.com.

For information on accommodation, dining, attractions, activities, holiday deals and maps,

Soldiers Point Marina will be hosting the inaugural Port Stephens Family Fishing Competition on 7-8 February, 2015. senior and junior anglers for the heaviest fish in each of these categories – bream, whiting, flathead,

visit Destination Port Stephens’ website at w w w. p o r t s t e p h e n s . org.au. – SPM

Mighty Bonanza Fishing Comp The Mighty Bonanza Fishing Competition, run by the Tomakin Sports and Social Club, certainly lived up to its reputation this year. All the children present at the weigh-in on Sunday in any category got something to take home, whether it was a prize, or a free hand-out of vouchers and fishing equipment. There were

beaming happy faces all round.

This year all the senior prizes were cash and in most cases were presented by the comp’s sponsors. In the Sub-Junior (under 12) category the winners were: Avril Long (698g bream), Noah Milczarek (1.146 dusky flathead), Brendan Bingley (703g morwong), Cassandra Wright (1.222kg

snapper), Mia Dutkiewicz (533g blackfish) and Reef Quinton (483g salmon).

In the Junior section (ages 12-17) the winners were: Anthea Hasler (1.2kg snapper, 1.143kg morwong), Madison Mineham (615g flathead, 526g bream, 394g blackfish), Kyle Jenkins (630g salmon), Sarah Green (190g leatherjacket), Scott Rigby Jnr (420g

Junior competitor Anthea Hasler displaying her fine catch.

abt

pigfish), Courtney Harvey (355g nannygai), Keshi Quinton (234g whiting), Caleb Martholomu (7.05kg mako).

In the Seniors division the winners were: Sandra Boneham (3.146kg snapper), Timo (1.7kg morwong), Daniel Dowley (1.561kg dusky flathead), Andrew Tinsley (440g tailor), Brendon Winnell (1.979kg salmon), John Muir (831g leatherjacket, Rick Walker (577g pigfish), Andrew Tinsley (947g bream), Rick Walker (532g nannygai), James Nott (1.291kg drummer), Dale Evens (307g whiting), Brendon Winnell (900g trevally), Adrian Connor (863g blackfish), Rowan Rivett (55kg blue shark).

Rowan’s blue shark was the best gamefish weighed in, and Rowan also claimed the Best Shark prize with a seven giller weighing in at 37kg.

The organisers were delighted with the overall outcome and particularly the enthusiasm displayed by the sponsors, the junior anglers and the family participants. This is what made it such a great competition.

Gamefish winner Rowan Rivett with his 55kg blue shark.

Unfortunately the Tomakin Sports & Social Club’s Fishing Club took out the annual Inter Club Competition. We would much rather another competing club walk away with this honour! Our win was contributed to by four

of our top monthly anglers.

Don’t forget the November monthly competition is our last one for 2014 so sharpen up those hooks and hope the weather stays fine. Good luck and good fishing. If you’d like more info visit www. tomakinclub.com.au. – TSC

e t i s b e W T B A w Ne  Launched Feb 2014 RRA  BREAM, BASS and BA all on one site  Mobile phone friend

ly

 Calendars  Entry forms  Tournament Results deo  Photo gallery and vi

u a . g r o . t b a . w Visit ww NOVEMBER 2014

75

2014 Hobie World Championships The finest kayak anglers from around the world converged on the Vinkeveense Plassen, 20 minutes outside Amsterdam, during early October for the 4th Hobie Fishing World Championship presented by Rhino-Rack.

Pro Angler 12s. Each kayak was rigged with Lowrance Elite-4 HDI sounders, Power-Pole Micros and Ram mounts and accessories. The identical kayaks level the playing field.

THE LAKE The competitors’ first

predatory pike, zander and perch ambush their prey.

Anglers were able to put what they learned into practice during the Daiwa Pre Fish Day, taking on the perch, zander and massive pike. The day’s fishing was cut short by the Tournament Director Keeton Eoff for

today,” he said. “I fished with Richard Somerton [2013 World Champion from Melbourne] but I dropped a couple of perch early on and Richard caught a few. Then we headed into a bay, came out and I got a 68cm pike, and my legs started to shake. I couldn’t even pedal I was that excited. I dropped a couple of other fish near the boat, but that’s fishing.

I watched Richard land some absolute behemoths, so that was great fun.”

Steve Lessard from Louisiana, USA,

The 2014 Hobie World Champion, Steve Lessard, was thrilled with his win.

Home base was a hive of activity, humming with a dozen different languages.

Steve Lessard from the USA with a hefty pike.

They came from four continents and 20 nations to take part in the first Hobie Fishing Worlds to be held in Europe.

Hobie Cat Worldwide, its subsidiaries and partners have worked together for over a year to put together an event of this scale. The event, born out of Hobie Cat Australasia, was first held in Port Macquarie in 2011, then in Bastrop Texas in 2012 and again in Australia in 2013 at the Bemm River and Marlo in Victoria.

As with all Hobie Fishing World Championships, anglers compete from identically rigged Hobie-supplied kayaks. This year they were 2015 model Hobie 76

NOVEMBER 2014

taste of what was to come was on the ‘Lowrance Navigation Day’ when anglers hit the waters of Vinkeveense Plassen for the first time. Fishing was prohibited but anglers used their time on the water to gather information about structure, locations, distances, water conditions and survey the arena with their Lowrance Elite-4 HDIs. Vinkeveense Plassen is a huge artificial lake created over centuries of peat harvesting. It has stretches of water that separate long, narrow strips of land. The deep cut-out canals offer protection from wind and related heavy chop and provide structural overhangs from which the

safety reasons, but not before more than one angler landed a 90cm+ pike – a taste of what was to come over the next three days!

DAY 1 On the first day of competition at daybreak, anglers stood for the national anthem of the Netherlands and then with the cry of “Power-Poles up” the tournament director sounded the starter’s siren.

Winds of 35km/h+ tested the anglers’ patience, resulting in many heading for the protection of the canals away from the more open southern lake. The 2011 World Champion Scott Baker from Mornington in Victoria was upbeat about the first day of competition.

“I had a really good day

Many anglers tried their luck at catching a zander during the comp, but none succeeded. enjoyed his first day in a Hobie Fishing World Championship. He was interviewed after coming straight off the water and unknown to him at the time had finished in second place on day one.

“I had an awesome day,” he said. “I got a pike and a perch: a very nice pike and my perch is a legal perch, it’s a 25cm which is good enough. I’m very

excited to try to duplicate that tomorrow.”

Richard Somerton came out of day one leading the tournament.

“It started off pretty slow,” he said. “I could find fish but getting them to bite was hard. I ended up getting a couple of perch early. Then I gave Scottie (Baker) a bit of a hand with one of his fish and then I picked up a nice

Competitors were supplied with 2015 model Hobie Pro Angler 12s with Lowrance Elite-4 HDI sounders, Power-Pole Micros and Ram mounts and accessories.

pike myself. I upgraded a cracking perch later on, while looking for zander.”

Pike and perch continued to be caught in good numbers throughout the competition and it was the anglers who landed more than one species who made it into the top of the Lowrance leaderboard. A 26cm could be enough to push you into the top five when added to an 85-95cm pike. It was definitely a game of tactics when it came to targeting species.

Many competitors hit the pike early, got one on film, then went for the perch and later (time permitting) tried to upgrade the pike and repeat.

The zander remained elusive. On the third day of competition, Richard Barth offered up a Hobie Revolution 11 as a prize for the largest zander caught over 53cm. Many anglers tried, and it became quite crowded in the zander’s preferred murkier waters, but not a single one was caught.

DAY 2 There was a lot of movement on the scoreboard on the second day. Day one favourite Richard Somerton (VIC)

came back empty-handed, making way for the USA’s Steve Lessard to jump into the top spot. Canada’s Kyle Moxon climbed seven places to move into second for the day while the UK’s Rob Appleby-Gouberg moved into third.

Somerton’s day one perch measuring 47cm was the largest of the species caught, with Jason Reid from Sydney giving chase and landing a 45cm specimen. Lessard’s (USA) day one 106cm pike remained the largest for the competition.

perch to move him 14 places up the leader board.

Varty’s tactic was to hop soft plastics across the bottom in 2m of water under the cover of trees.

He soon got a couple of quality fish, again proving that catching two or more species was the key to getting ahead.

Having won the St Georges Basin NSW round of the Hobie Fishing Bream Series just two weeks prior to qualify, and with limited preparation time, Varty was amazed by his podium finish.

One day you’re catching peacock bass in your home waters of sunny Singapore, the next you’re in freezing Amsterdam chasing fish you’ve never seen before!

Australian competitors Scott Baker and Patrick McQuarrie get in on the action.

what to expect. Could I get another pike? I didn’t know, but I just went back to the same spot and did the same thing. Just casting under the trees and letting the lure sink to the bottom, slowly hopping it back to the kayak. It paid off, I got my pike at 95cm.

here and I’ve had a great time. Great sponsors, great people, everybody’s been awesome. I couldn’t have imagined it could be so good and I’m stoked to be third in the world.”

Even happier was Steve Lessard from Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA, who was

83cm and a perch at 29cm was enough to win him the world championship.

“Wow! What a tournament! I am so excited to have won,” he said. “Thank you to all of the competitors for being so courteous, working together and for the tough

DAY 3 RESULTS

LENGTH LENGTH LENGTH LENGTH TOTAL PLACE ANGLER COUNTRY FISH PIKE PERCH ZANDER DAY 3 DAY 2 DAY 1 TOTAL FISH 1............. Steve Lessard ..................USA ...............2 .......83 ....... 29 ............. 0 ............. 112 ........... 120 ........... 132 ............. 364 .............6 2............. Kyle Moxon ......................CAN ...............2 .......66 ....... 28 ............. 0 .............. 94 ............. 96 ............. 84 .............. 274 .............5 3............. Kevin Varty .......................AUS ...............2 .......95 ....... 35 ............. 0 ............. 130 ............ 76 .............. 0 ............... 206 .............3 4............. Edi Brader ........................AUT ...............2 .......76 ....... 25 ............. 0 ............. 101 ............ 95 .............. 0 ............... 196 .............3 5............. Justin Ritchey ..................USA ...............2 .......58 ....... 28 ............. 0 .............. 86 ............. 29 ............. 70 .............. 185 .............4 6............. Scott Baker ......................AUS ...............2 .......52 ....... 30 ............. 0 .............. 82 ............. 29 ............. 68 .............. 179 .............4 7............. Rob Appleby Goudberg ...GBR ...............0 ........0 ......... 0 .............. 0 ............... 0 .............. 76 ............. 98 .............. 174 .............2 8............. Jonathon Chen ................AUS ...............2 .......70 ....... 29 ............. 0 .............. 99 ............. 29 ............. 37 .............. 165 .............4 9............. Patrick Mcquarrie.............AUS ...............1 .......76 ........ 0 .............. 0 .............. 76 .............. 0 .............. 85 .............. 161 .............2 10........... Lars Lundberg ..................SWE...............1 .......82 ........ 0 .............. 0 .............. 82 ............. 75 .............. 0 ............... 157 .............3 crowned Hobie Fishing World Champion after consistently landing two species on each day of competition. Lessard was ecstatic after finding out his day 3 score of 112cm from a pike measuring in at

competition. Anyone of us could have won, it’s just that it was my day and I want to once again thank everyone who has supported me.

“Today I struggled for the first two hours with

the pattern that I was on yesterday. That pattern didn’t pan out so I had to make an adjustment and the power fishing that I had been doing was not working. The fish had moved and I went to finesse fishing.

“I switched to a small jig and I caught my first pike and was able to stay with that pattern and upgrade to another one. I went from a 65cm pike up to an 83cm with my second pike. Then I went perch fishing and immediately I got it in the area that I wanted to be in. It was the biggest perch that I caught in the tournament – a 28cm. So I’m just very, very excited.”

At the awards presentation dinner, anglers were asked to pick a fellow competitor who they thought best exemplified the spirit of the event. Each participant could vote for one angler that they thought best represented the highest level of sportsmanship, ethics, character, camaraderie and acts of selflessness in what was to become the “Hobie Fishing Worlds Sportsmanship Award.”

The award was picked up by the UK’s Ian (Dizzy Fish) Harris. He was overwhelmed to find out he had been awarded the honour by his peers, and also to find out that he had been awarded entry, travel and accommodation to next year’s Hobie Fishing Worlds by naming rights sponsor Rhino-Rack.

The Australian team stayed on in Amsterdam for an extra day’s relaxation where Jonathan Chen (NSW) and Simon Morley (NSW) both managed to land the elusive zander while fishing in the built-up city canals of Amsterdam. – Peter Costello

The 47 competitors set out to see who is the world’s best.

DAY 3 The third and final day of the competition saw things mix up again, with four Australians finishing in the top 10. Lessard (USA) and Moxon (CAN) held on to first and second, but third place was picked up by NSW, South Coast Fisho Kevin Varty, landing a 95cm pike and a 35cm

“On day one I didn’t catch any fish at all and I was pretty unhappy with that,” he confessed. “On day two I got a 76cm pike on 3lb braid and 3lb leader and that put my heart in my mouth for a few minutes.

Just as I got him in the net the line broke, but I had him so that was all good!

“Today I wasn’t sure

“Then I went after the perch. I got one at 30cm and I was just about to take the photo when he flew off the measuring board and into the drink. I was really panicking then! I quickly cast back into the same spot and fortunately pulled out one at 35cm.

“Seriously, this is a great place. I love being

Ivan Aznar from Spain tries his luck on the perch.

NOVEMBER 2014

77

AM OPEN QLD BteRdEby Power Pole Presen chor by Hobie Micro An

Team Bush ‘n Beach/ Berkley (Chris Britton and Anthony Wishey) returned to the winner’s dais at the QLD BREAM Open with the Moreton Bay bream stalwarts claiming victory in the 2014 Power-Pole Micro Anchor by Hobie presented event.

Bush ‘n Beach bag out Compiling a 15/15, 9.31kg three-day limit to secure the event win, the pair came from last on the first day, 2nd on second day, and went one better on the final day to once again add their name to The Open trophy.

For three times QLD Open champions it was a southern bay fueled event with the pair fishing a milk run of proven tournament winning spots and locations

they were confident would hold fish.

Day one saw the pair start out fishing rocky locations in the middle of the bay and throwing a combination of hardbodies, namely a Berkley 3B Crank and a 3B Scumdog. With a limit in the well by 9.30am the pair start to cover more water in search of upgrades, fishing fresh ground on a rising tide with shallow cranks and lightly weighted

plastics. Weighing in the lightest bag (2.95kg) for the day and sitting in last place, Britton and Wishey were far from dismayed.

“Sure we weighed in the smallest bag, but it was the heaviest bag that we’d ever weighed on the first day of this tournament! We were far from disappointed with our start because each of our two QLD Open wins saw us with a 1kg deficit at the end of the first day,” Team Bush ‘n Beach/Berkley secured their third QLD BREAM Open win with victory in the 2014 Power-Pole Micro Anchor by Hobie sponsored event.

Bush ‘n’ Beach’s Combination Approach

“We chatted about our game plan and knew it was important to manage our spots, get out timing right, and resist the urge to hit our big fish spot too early and spook rather than catch the big fish that it held,” said Britton.

The pair filled their bag quickly courtesy of early wind, then when the tide was right hit their big fish spot.

“While the stage of the tide was right there just wasn’t enough wind to get the big fish to bite like

Nothing gets you closer to the fish than your small craft.

And nothing anchors you better than a Power-Pole made just for your vessel.

Enter the MICRO Anchor. This all-new, all-electric wonder is the first of its kind – a super-compact powerhouse that was built to give you the ultimate shallow water fishing experience.

Available now from your local Hobie Cat dealer.

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78

NOVEMBER 2014

With a variety of mounting options, the MICRO quickly mounts to any small boat or kayak. The adjustable mounting bracket allows you to mount to the transom or deck. The optional adapter plate, clamp-on bracket or rail system (not shown) give the MICRO the versatility to mount to almost any small vessel. All these mounting options mean you can easily transfer the MICRO unit from one boat or kayak to another.

said Britton.

Day two dawned and the pair started once again with a rocky hardbody approach, albeit with a different outcome.

“It glassed out in the morning and when that happens on the Bay it gets very tough,” said Britton.

Grinding out the morning the pair finally filled their limit mid way through the session, then spot hopped throughout the session before one final pit-stop before the 1.15pm finish.

“We want to time this spot perfectly with the tide and that’s exactly what happened, and in the space of an hour we upgraded our whole bag, including no fish smaller than 30cm,” said Britton.

Delivering the biggest limit for the tournament to the stage the pair stormed through the field, with their 3.77kg limit leapfrogging them into second place.

“It was a great feeling to come back like we did, especially on the back of the late flurry and complete upgrade of our whole limit,” said Britton.

Heading into day three with their sights on their third QLD BREAM Open victory and only 170g and one team in the way of achieving it Britton and Wishey had a spring in their step courtesy of their strong day two.

day. It was here that they picked up one more upgrade, a 29cm that booted a 25cm specimen out of their bag and, as the weigh-in would show, would prove crucial.

“Most teams struggled on the final day, so when we weighed in 2.59kg to grab the lead and ultimately the victory by 210g we realised it was that last fish that gave us the added weight we needed to win.”

Britton and Wishey now join Tristan Taylor and Dave McKenzie as the two most successful

Berkley Gulp 3 inch Minnows (colours: lime tiger, nuclear chicken) rigged on Nitro Bream Pro jigheads

Berkley 3B Fatdog (shallow and deep) (colours: mongrel, mutt, dirty dog and mowgli)

Cultiva Zip ‘n Ziggy

Berkley 3B Scumdog (large) (colours: warrigal, terrier) they did the day before,” said Britton.

Heading back to the check-in, the pair made one more stop, hitting Green Island for a quick power fish before calling it quits for the

teams in the history of the Power-Pole Micro Anchor

by Hobie QLD BREAM Open. A history that’s sure to see the two teams go head-to-head for ultimate supremacy in 2015.

Able Traffic stop for podium finish For event runners up Team Able Traffic/Diztek Lures (Darren Borg and Nathan Grima) is was a nail biting final weigh-in with the pair grabbing the event lead at the start

CE 2ND PLA

of the weigh-in and just getting pipped at the post

by Britton and Wishey.

Day one saw them fish the Cleveland area on the western side of the bay and it was here that the pair

focused on a rocky mussel bed as the key area to fish.

“We fished a Diztek FB35 crankbait and slow rolled it across the bottom with a dead slow retrieve,” said Borg.

The approach delivered them a 3.02kg limit and had them sitting in second place at the end of the day. Day two once again saw them start their day at Cleveland cranking the

QLD BRE

for them to fire up,” said Borg.

And that’s exactly how day three played out, with Borg and Grima fishing a milk run of spots whilst they waited for the wind to pick up and the big fish to come out to play.

“The winded picked up about 11am so we made the move to Cleveland,” said Borg.

They timed the move

Presented AM OPEN by Micro Anc Power Pole hor by Ho bie

perfectly and slow rolling a black and orange coloured FB35 across the bottom they soon found the big fish eager to play.

“The last hour was the real standout, we upgraded our whole bag and put together a limit that was close to 3.5kg,” said Borg.

Weighing in a 3.44kg

Team Able Traffic/Diztek powered through the field on the final day to finish 2nd.

The big boys came out to play in the 2014 event.

Fishing from the smallest boat in the field Borg and Grima punched well above their weight in the event.

rocks and mussels for fish.

“There was less wind on day two and fishing got very hard in the clear glassed-out conditions,” said Borg.

In search of active fish the pair ventured further afield and spot hopped locations as they worked their way through the southern end of the bay.

“We travelled as far south as Macleay Island, catching a few fish and also identifying plenty of good looking spots for the last day,” said Borg.

Weighing in a 2.64kg bag the pair weighed in the lightest bag of the field, but better things were just around the corner.

“We knew we were on good fish, we just needed to have the right conditions

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle Rod: Abu Garcia Vanguard 3-5kg (surface), Abu Garcia Vanguard 1-3kg (crank), Berkley Venom 1-3kg (plastics) Reel: Abu Garcia Revo SX20 Line: Stren Microfuse 3lb, and Spiderwire fluorocarbon 1kg Leader: 4lb Berkley Trilene flurocarbon (cranks), and 4lb Berkley Trilene mono (surface) Lures: Berkley 3B Fatdog (shallow and deep) (colours: mongrel, mutt, dirty dog and mowgli), Berkley 3B Scumdog (large) (colours: warrigal, terrier), Cultiva Zip and Ziggy, Berkley Gulp 3 inch Minnows (colours: lime tiger, nuclear chicken) rigged on Nitro Bream Pro jigheads.

Winning Ways

Britton and Wishey’s victory was based on extensive Moreton Bay experience, a solid foundation of proven fish holding locations, and the ability to hit each of their locations as just the right time.

RESULTS QLD OPEN Place Team

1

2

3

4 5

Anglers

Fish

Weight Payout

Chris Britton, Anthony Wishey

15/15

9.31

$3,000

Darren Borg, Nathan Grima

15/15

9.10

$1,000

Grayson Fong, Tom Slater

15/15

9.09

Aaron Sharp, Steve Eldred

15/15

9.00

Tristan Taylor, David McKenzie

15/15

8.33

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

limit, the biggest for the day by 400g, the paired moved through from last to first, to then just got beaten by Britton and Wishey by 210g.

“If we got a couple more bigger fish on day two things may have been different, but that’s the way tournament fishing goes,” said Borg.

ABT would like to thank all the teams and Hobie Australasia the eventnaming sponsor of the Power-Pole Micro Anchor QLD BREAM Open for making this year’s event another success. – ABT NOVEMBER 2014

79

O SERIES BASS PR

Steve ‘Killer’ Kanowski claimed the biggest honour in Australian BASS fishing with the 50 year

Killer victory in Toray BASS Pro Final old tournament veteran shaking off the bridesmaid tag to secure victory in the 2014 Toray BASS Pro Grand Final on Queensland’s Lake Wivenhoe, 18-19 September.

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.abt.org.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours.

80

NOVEMBER 2014

Grabbing the lead on day one with a new ABT Big Bass bag of 5.91kg, Kanowski reined supreme in a talented field to claim his second win for the year and his maiden Grand Final win.

Finding the needle in the haystack in the lead-up to the tournament, Kanowski identified an area in the middle reaches of the lake as the area on fire and it was here that he headed to first on the Saturday morning.

“It was a 30-35ft flat that was adjacent to the river channel on the eastern side of the lake and it was here that I had a collection of GPS marks that had fish on them,” said Kanowski.

The first two marks produced nothing but the third was where everything fell into place.

“I spotted a fish on my sounder sitting mid water so I drop the lure down to it and the fish hit it. Initially I thought it’d missed the lure but when I went to wind up the slack he was already powering away with the ice jig,” said Kanowski.

A short fight followed and Kanowski soon had his first fish in the well. Where there’s one bass there’s often another so Kanowski once again fixed his eyes on his Lowrance and motored around in search of his second fish. He didn’t have to wait long and he soon found a cluster of fish sitting on the bottom.

“I free spooled the ice jig to the bottom and gave it a couple of sharp hops.”

A big fish bit and soon Kanowski had his second fish in the well.

“It was 9 o’clock and I had my two fish, and they were two good fish. Kris Hickson had a look at my limit and thought I had close to 6kg,” said Kanowski.

Resigned to the fact that he was unlikely to upgrade

what he had Kanowski searched around for the rest of the session looking for fish for day two.

Weighing in a 5.91kg limit Kanowski claimed the day one lead with ease, and heading into day two was in a comfortable position to claim his maiden Grand Final win.

“I’ve picked up every place in a grand final except first, so I was keen to make sure I finally got the one [1st] that always alluded me,” said Kanowski.

Straight back to his flat at the start of day two Kanowski, like all the anglers in the field, found that things had changed.

“I found a couple of fish on the sounder, but the majority of fish had simply vanished. The weather change had really shaken things up,” said Kanowski.

Searching hard and fishing hard Kanowski managed to catch two catfish, a yellowbelly, and most frustratingly lost four bass.

Steve Kanowski’s 3.47kg session two limit was the bag that anchored his win, and included the Austackle Big Bass for the event.

had already resigned himself to another missed grand final victory.

Winning Ways “I was busy thinking about The foundation of Kanowski’s win was thorough what prize they had for 4th prefishing. The 2014 champ identified a reliable place, I really thought I’d let it and productive area of the lake where he slip away,” said Kanowski. recorded multiple GPS that he called upon.

With a 1.37kg lead heading into day two and a shut down Winning Tackle final day bite plaguing the Rod: 6’4”, 2-4kg, Pflueger Trion (baitcaster), entire field, Kanowski’s lead

6’8”, 2-5kg, Pflueger Patriach (spin) in the end was too much for Reel: Pflueger Patriach (baitcaster), anyone to run down.

Pflueger Arbor (spin) “Those two big fish I Line: 12lb Berkley Fireline Exceed Crystal (baitcaster), got on day one proved to be

4lb Berkley Fireline Exceed Crystal (spin) enough. To finally claim the Leader: 8lb fluorocarbon (baitcaster and spin) title that has always alluded Lure: 11g Smak ice jig (colour purple nightmare), me is incredibly satisfying,”

fitted with Decoy Stinger hooks (small) said Kanowski.

WINNING NOTES

“I pulled the hooks on three fish, then had another one get away because my line broke mid fight,” said Kanowski.

With no bass in the well, and

time to think on the 30 minute drive back to the finish line Kanowski

Killer’s Ice JigTechnique

Glyn grubs into second place Anstead’s Glyn Barkhuizen stood up to be counted in the 2014 Grand Final, with

CE 2ND PLA

Glyn Barkhuizen secured his best result in a Grand Final, finishing 2nd at the Lake Wivenhoe final.

the 40 year old tournament angler weighing fish each session to come close to denying Kanowski his Grand Final win.

Fishing the 30ft depth zone in the middle reaches of the lake close to the old riverbed, Barkhuizen used a soft plastic approach to catch his fish.

“While there was fish holding in 30ft of water, it was the area with a layer of silt or vegetation on the bottom that held the best fish. You could pick this layer up on your sounder and the bigger fish would sit in it,” said Barkhuizen.

Using a watermelon/ chatreuse tailed 3” Charlie Brewer Slider rigged on a 3/8oz PML jighead, Barkhuizen would drop his offering directly below the boat until it hit the bottom then start a slow roll back.

“You’d occasionally get a hit on the sink, but

most of the bites came as you were rolling the plastic vertically back to

Shaun Falkenhagen claimed his biggest win to date in his bass career with the 30 year old Redland Bay angler compiling a 2/4, 5.69kg bag to secure the non boater title.

Fishing a flat with Warren Carter on day one, Falkenhagen threw a Maria Tailspinner working it with a lift and drop retrieve.

“The key was to lift the Maria a fair way off the bottom then let it sink back down on a semi slack line.

Most of the hits came as the lure was sinking back down,” said Falkenhagen.

While Shaun’s retrieve was standard fair for tail spinning, his lure was less straight out of the packet.

“I swapped out the rear blade and upsized it to a mag willow, a cross between a Colorado and a willow, for more vibration,” said Shaun.

The approach delivered Falkenhagen his limit in the first 10 minutes of fishing

Shaun Falkenhagen nailed the big bass to claim the non-boater title.

the boat. If you got a bite you’d just keep winding and waitingfor the rod to load up,” said Barkhuizen.

To enhance his contact with the lure and for maximum feel,

landing 6 fish for the session including 1 upgrade.

Weighing in 5.69kg limit for the session Shaun held a 2kg lead heading into day two. A lead that would seem insurmountable, but on a lake that holds 4kg fish, no lead is ever assured on Wivenhoe.

Back to the productive day one flat and fishing with Dave Young, Falkenhagen once again threw his tail spinner in search of fish.

“Search as we did we couldn’t sound up any fish,” said Falkenhagen.

Despite covering lots of water and throwing a host of different lures Falkenhagen headed back to the finish line fishless and with no addition to his day one bag.

“I really thought I’d blown my chance, but as it turned out everyone struggled and I held onto the lead to claim the win,” said Falkenhagen.

The tackle he used to claim the win included a Barrabass XP841 rod, Daiwa 1000 Luvias reel, 8lb SAS braid, and 8lb Sunline FC Rock fluorocarbon leader.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place Angler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Stephen KANOWSKI Glyn BARKHUIZEN David YOUNG Warren CARTER David LANE Craig SIMMONS Mark LENNOX Mark REINBOTT Michael THOMPSON Dean SILVESTER

Weight

2/4 3/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 3/4 2/4 1/4 2/4 2/4

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

“The grip on the new Samurai allows you to feel more, while its greater sensitivity means you feel every hit and bump,” said Glyn.

Glyn’s deepwater plastic approach paid dividends, delivering him his limit in the first hour, and a 3.28kg bag that had him sitting in 5th place at the end of day one.

Heading back to his day one hot spot on the second day, Barkhuizen struggled to find fish like he did the day before.

“I scanned all the locations that had fish on the first day but struggled to find any so I moved to an nearby slope that in the past has held fish,” said Glyn.

Once again looking for the fish holding layer on the bottom, Barkhuizen dropped his plastic to the bottom and on the retrieve came up tight on a fish.

With one fish in the well, Glyn went searching for his second, and almost found it.

“I pulled the hooks on a fish not long after the first, but that was it,” said Glynn.

While he searched hard he was unable to catch his second and returned to the weigh-in with only one fish. One of only two boaters to weigh fish both days, Glyn’s 1.42kg bass was enough to elevate him to second place and a podium finish in the Toray BASS Pro Grand Final.

Steve Kanowski and Mark Lennox hold the Toray BASS Pro Grand Final and AOY shields aloft.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS Payout

5.91 4.70 4.54 4.37 3.88 3.49 3.05 3.00 2.93 2.83

Barkhuizen used his newest go-to rod, a Samurai Reaction RE302-70.

The Toray Angler of the Year and Grand Final trophies were both up for grabs at the Wivenhoe final.

Shaun in a spin for win -BOATER 1ST NON

BASS PR O SERIE S

$5,750 $2,800 $1,750 $800 Prize Packw

Place Angler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Shaun FALKENHAGEN Aaron WATSON Ben BIGGS Allan PRICE Samuel HOSKINS Brett HYDE Peter HOLMES Mike CONNOLLY Stephen MCLEAN Travis DOWLING

Weight

2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 1/4 1/4

Payout 5.69 4.64 3.69 3.29 3.11 2.86 2.77 1.99 1.67 1.66

Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au NOVEMBER 2014

81

Gold Coast Flathead Classic 2014 The Gold Coast Flathead Classic was a roaring success with 5,566 flathead caught and released over three days with 2,678 of them measuring over 40cm. From deep water through to shallow water, big fish and small fish alike were hitting the measuring tapes and being counted toward the team scores.

The weather as always is a key factor and a southeast wind on the first day sent a few teams into a bit of a spin looking for cover. Friday was a

spectacular day with only slight northerlies for most of the day that picked up in the afternoon. Saturday saw more northeasterlies but the sun was out for most of it and all 3 days were t-shirt and shorts fishing weather.

The longest flathead for 2014 was caught by first time competitor Joe Bonnici. His 94cm fish was caught early on day one. The longest mulloway was caught by Brendon Knight and measured a very nice 106cm.

The Overall Champion team for 2014 was long-term

team competitors Lowrance Whyte Boyz, who scored a massive 4,895 points by being very careful in their preparation and fishing throughout the competition.

David, Nick and Brendan reported that everything went their way from start to finish always being able to find the fish. Their preferred technique is fishing the deep and they have spent many years searching out deepwater banks where the fish gather and can be targeted with lures. It was in this deep water that Lowrance Whyte Boyz made their

RESULTS Totals Total flathead caught: 5,566 Total flathead over 40cm caught: 2,678 Category....................................................................................................... Angler Longest Flathead Overall and Casting...................................................Joe Bonnici Longest Flathead Trolling......................................................................John Rafton Longest Flathead Caught by a Junior....................................................Aidan Scott Longest Mulloway.............................................................. Brendon Knight, 106cm Longest Trevally...................................................... Shaun Hazza Harrington, 51cm Longest Tailor................................................................................ Matt Long, 43cm Longest Mangrove Jack.......................................................... Trent Hopkins, 50cm Longest Estuary Cod................................................................. Josh Pagura, 41cm Longest Whiting......................................................................... Nick Milford, 40cm Longest Bream.......................................................................... Dean Dibeler, 32cm Random Junior Boat Winner............................................................ Timothy Angus Random Senior Boat Winner.................................................................. Richard Fry

mark on the competition.

The runners up were Team Hi-Seas/AFW Ross McCubbin, Ben Job and Brad Job with 4,049. This team are very familiar with big numbers in the Classic and this year was no exception. All three are considered gun anglers by themselves and to have them as a team is a frightening prospect for all other teams in the Classic.

The overall Champion Angler was Robbie Payne with 2,135 points. Robbie was fishing with Wilson Fishing (Rob Payne and Scott Flemming) who were also the Champion 2 Person Team. Robbie and Scott fished a number of areas very carefully and precisely trolling and casting lures to amass their points.

Runner Up Champion Senior was Paul Neilsen with 1,893 points and he was also awarded the Champion Club Member trophy.

It was a tough three days fishing for all of us but for the Juniors are even tougher! The Austackle Champion Junior award went to a Bribie angler Aidan Scott with 1,116 points, while Runner up

TOP 20 TEAMS

TOP 20 SENIOR ANGLERS

Place........... Team...........................................Points 1.................. Lowrance Whyte Boyz...................4895 2.................. HiSeas/AFW...................................4049 3.................. Wilson Fishing................................3905 4.................. Dead Fishy.....................................3334 5.................. The Flatliners..................................3065 6.................. Team Sands...................................2665 7.................. Pig Lures........................................2609 8.................. Brumbs Marine..............................2554 9.................. Team Next Year..............................2546 10................ Doug Burt’s Tackleworld................2529 11................ Team BCF 1...................................2480 12................ Team On Strike...............................2462 13................ The Mad Hueys..............................2439 14................ Live Fibre/Zerek Lures...................2433 15................ The Reel Teasers............................2375 16................ Victoria Point Bait & Tackle............2370 17................ Cabbage Tree Point Bait................2344 18................ STS Marine....................................2207 19................ Team ZMan....................................2183 20................ Keep It Cool...................................2121

Place.................Angler...................................Points 1........................Robbie Payne...........................2135 2........................Paul Neilsen..............................1893 3........................Nick Whyte...............................1812 4........................Scott Fleming...........................1770 5........................Jason Heller..............................1769 6........................Brad Job...................................1625 7........................Brenden Whyte.........................1577 8........................Shane (Piggy) Gartner..............1565 9........................Luke Rafton..............................1558 10......................Mark Grice................................1536 11......................David Whyte.............................1506 12......................Alex Hallam..............................1447 13......................Matt Bryson..............................1344 14......................David Cooke.............................1335 15......................Glen Jackson............................1295 16......................Mick Horn.................................1267 17......................Brett Rayner.............................1264 18......................Danny Sands............................1241 19......................Richard Morris..........................1229 20......................Ben Job....................................1222

The Lowarance Whyte Boyz up on stage accepting the spoils of a great win.

82

NOVEMBER 2014

Junior was Cooper Sands with 1,111 points Cooper.

Champion female angler was Fay Rohweder who scored 524 points for the competition.

A highlight for this tournament is the random major prize draw and thanks to fabulous sponsors the GCSFC were able to put together a Junior Draw and Senior Draw this year along with all the giveaways each night and the tournament bags and shorts the total prize pool amounted to over $200,000 worth of goodies.

This year’s boat winner was Richard Fry who was lucky enough to take away a brand new Bluefin Wildcat Pro. The boat is the first off the production line for Bluefin and judging by the

Joe Bonnicci’s sensational 94cm flathead was caught on day one and held on to be the biggest fish for the competition.

Scott Flemming with a 91cm honker taken trolling a Zerek Tango Shad in 1.2m of water.

JUNIOR ANGLER RESULTS Place.................... Angler................................Points 1........................... Aidan Scott...........................1116 2........................... Cooper Sands.......................1111 3........................... Rebecca Hay..........................905 4........................... Jaimee Horner........................799 5........................... Joseph Sangster.....................753 6........................... Jacob Mibus...........................670 7........................... Kyle Paterson..........................488 8........................... Nicole Sands...........................423 9........................... Emily Backus..........................303 10......................... Harry Leonard.........................300 11......................... Isaac Mibus.............................281 12......................... Timothy Angus........................235 13......................... Logan Calnan..........................234 14......................... Brandon Leonard....................225 15......................... Madeline McKenzie................210 16......................... Lucy Macdonald.....................205 17......................... Dylan Steffensen.....................196 18......................... Salli Seebach..........................190 19......................... Elise Ballantine........................165 20......................... Harry Morgan..........................161 21......................... Liam McMahon (Jnr)...............125 22......................... Mariah Neilsen........................119 22......................... Jett Fraser...............................119 24......................... Brayden Kliendienst................103 25......................... Gilbert Huggard........................93 26......................... Tiana Pelman............................79 27......................... Tony Pring.................................75 28......................... Tommy Coyle jnr.......................64 29......................... Poppy Macdonald....................55 30......................... Zac Marshall.............................35 31......................... Emily Templar............................20 32......................... Flynn Jekyll...............................10 33......................... Brandan Aubrey..........................5 34......................... Hamish Munro............................0 34......................... Blade Payne................................0 34......................... William Murphy...........................0 34......................... Elliot Clark...................................0 34......................... Shannon Souter..........................0 34......................... Tom Davies.................................0 34......................... Logan Munro...............................0

looks of it and its water test, it is going to be a real winner for them. The package included a Mercury 4-stroke 60hp thanks to Nitro Marine and Mercury and a Dunbier Trailer.

The boat was finished off with a Bonza wrap and the package was worth over

$30,000. Richard was deep in shock at learning of his win, he had not fished the comp in 7 years as he didn’t have a boat. This year, not wanting to miss out again, he borrowed a boat from a mate and we are sure we will see Richard back in his brand new Bluefin in 2015.

JO BONNICCI BIGGEST FLATHEAD AT 94CM Caught on day one at just after 10am, Jo Bonnicci’s first Flathead Classic will certainly remain a memorable one for him.

His 94cm lunker was taken casting to 12’ of water and fishing back into really deep water with lots of pauses on a McCarthy 5” paddle-tail plastic in cherry ice colour rigged on a 1/2oz McCubbin painted jighead. Caught on the first hop, the fish took a bit of coaxing to get to the boat, but when it arrived, everyone on board was stoked.

Not a bad effort for your first Flathead Classic and a cracking fish to boot. Joe said, “It was the best feeling catching such a big fish and to win the biggest flathead in the competition was a great surprise and an awesome honour”.

TEAM WILSON TAKE TWO PERSON TEAM TITLE Team Wilson had a great run at this year’s Flathead Classic with their Two Person Team win being complemented with Robbie Payne taking out Champion Angler and Scott Flemming coming in fourth place overall.

Their technique revolved around simplicity and trolling in the shallows was the most productive method for the boys, especially depths between 1.2 and 1.8m. They both used Live Fibre Ultralight Blade n Tails rods for the trolling and these were loaded up with 4lb main line and an 8lb or 10lb leader.

Scott said, “The catalyst for our success was the use of the 50mm Zerek Tango Shad with double hook-ups quite common once fish were located.

This lure also accounted for my best fish of the comp and our team’s best, a 91cm monster”.

Team Wilson also used the 4” Live Shrimp Hot Legs to good effect in deeper water, but Scott stressed the key was to find concentrations of fish and stick to them as they would turn on at different stages of the tide.

Tom Ryan made it down to the final two, but missed out on the boat package. He didn’t go away too disappointed though winning a fantastic holiday to the Papatura Holiday Resort in the Solomon Islands thanks to Papatura Resorts, Go Tours and Solomon Airlines. The rest of the 28 lucky draw members took home a great assortment of prizes including Lowrance electronics thanks to Navico and Marinonics, Hobie Fishing Kayak thanks to Sunstate Hobie, Humminbird and Minn Kota boat electronics as well as a bounty of fishing and boating gear.

The Junior Boat winner was Timothy Angus who won a Bluefin Scallywag and a Watersnake electric motor. The rest of the Juniors took away an assortment of Wilson Fishing gear, Shimano rods and reels and Abu Garcia rod packages along with tackle from Doug Burt’s Tackle World.

Thanks to Pig Lures all Junior competitors received a Pig Lure, one of the best trolling lures on the market for flathead.

This year for the first time a longer final fishing day was trialled with a night presentation on the Saturday. From all the feedback so far this proved to be a popular option

Champion Overall Angler Robbie Payne with the type of flathead Team Wilson caught in the shallows trolling lures. pulling down and running around, it’s a mighty effort.

Lastly I would like to acknowledge and thank the event’s sponsors. Bluefin Boats announced they were recommitting their support for a further 3 year and on top of this commitment, in partnership with Nitro Marine, they are offering a 5% manufacturer’s rebate on any Bluefin purchased by a FHC competitor for the next 3 years! Now that’s support!

Great Northern Breweries have also recommitted to the event and they provide invaluable support that without it, the competition really would not be the major event that it is. So get into some of their great product when you get the chance.

Event and festival tourism is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism.

This event provides revenue generation for local economy and the

boating and fishing industry something the committee is very proud of. Without the support of the council and sponsors this event would not be possible and the value to the local area would not be so grand.

Check out all the results by clicking http:// goo.gl/EXMWzV to see how well everyone went during the Gold Coast Flathead Classic.

– S. Booth and C. Hunt

LOWRANCE WHYTE BOYZ BLITZ FIELD Stringing together an almost flawless tournament, the Lowrance Whyte Boyz (David Whyte, Nick Whyte and Brendan Whyte) landed fish in every single hour of the tournament to record a very impressive team score of 4,895 points, over 800 points clear of the next best team.

A long time coming win for the Flathead Classic veterans who started fishing the event in 1999, it was a mix of technology, good decision-making and years of experience coming together in a magic moment.

Fishing no further south than the Jumpinpin, Lowrance Whyte Boyz targeted water that was 20-50’ deep fishing a variety of plastics and vibes (both metal and soft) to amass their fish.

David Whyte said, “We got all the little things right. We moved at the right time, we fished the right lures and we all caught fish. We didn’t have a standout angler on board, rather it was a great team effort where everyone contributed”.

Catching 85 during the competition, Lowrance Whyte Boyz landed to fish over 80cm, half a dozen over 70cm and a dozen over 60cm in a blistering display of deep-water fishing skill.

Their keys were to find good water with bait in it that had low fishing pressure and to do this they relied on four immense sounders, three 12” Lowrance HDS units and a brand new 12” Simrad that allowed them to virtually see everything they needed to. The energy drain from these four units actually meant the team had to jump start their outboard 8 times during the tournament!

David also mentioned the use of his favourite Loomis NRX rods allowing the team to feel the bottom and know what they were fishing over.

It’s that attention to detail that shone through in everything the team did and ultimately allowed them to take out the competition.

Left: Junior boat winner Timothy Angus looks set to hit the water again after winning this great Bluefin package. Right: Richard Fry was lucky enough to take away a brand new Bluefin Wildcat Pro package as the senior random boat draw winner. The package included a Mercury 4-stroke 60hp thanks to Nitro Marine and Mercury and a Dunbier Trailer. with the punters and the organisers giving everyone a bit of breathing space to ensure the presentations and paying credit to our sponsors went smoothly.

This event would not happen without the hard work of the Committee and Club members who roll up their sleeves. Led this year by GCSFC President Bruce Anderson who really stepped up to the plate, the team worked tirelessly to ensure 2014 was another successful event.

This is not an easy event to pull together and it doesn’t happen overnight.

A big thanks must be given to all who assisted, from raffle sales to setting up,

for sale on

Skeeter ZX190/Merc ProXS175 Freshwater use only! 80lb Fortrex, HDS 8 and 5, EasyTow trailer. ............................................... NSW $44,000

2013 Triton18 Pro/Mercury 150 4-S Dunbier Glider trailer, 82lb MotorGuide Tour, Simrad NSS9. ........................................................ QLD $37,900

2004 Quantum Bass Pro 5.2/Merc 175hp Opti EastTow Trailer, 80lb iPilot, HDS 12 and 5, Hydrowave. ............................................................. NSW $24,500

Legend 199/Merc 225HP ProXS Twin Console,HDS 10 and 7, 220hrs, 24v MinnKota..................................................................... VIC $55,000

2007 Nitro 428/Merc 117HP MotorGuide cable steer electric, imported trailer. ....................................................................... NSW $29,000

LIKE ‘TOURNAMENTBOATS.COM.AU’ ON FACEBOOK FOR AUTOMATIC UPDATES NOVEMBER 2014

83

Aussies dominate international China kayak comp For the second year running, the Chinese Angling Association, along with their generous sponsors, have put together an international kayak fishing tournament.

This time round they increased the total prize money from $55,000 to $80,000 and total competitors from 30-57 from 9 countries, all fishing out of identical Hobie Pro Angler kayaks, fitted with Lowrance sounders, Hobie livewell and wide angle camera mounted at the front.

With Richard Somerton (last year’s Champion), Scott Lovig, Andrew Death and myself from the original 2013 Australian team available to return to

weigh 3 times heavier than the culter.

PRE-FISH DAYS With only 3 weeks to prepare for this trip, all members of the team, both past and present, put their heads together via a Facebook group and shared as much info we could to take this challenge head on.

Starting with a plan on how to tackle the prefish days.

Due to half the kayaks not being completely fitted out and still in dry dock, it was decided by the officials that all international competitors would have 2.5 hours fishing in the morning and the Chinese would have the water in the afternoon, with the following day in reverse order.

rainfall, the waterside outdoor auditorium still looked a picture with at least 10,000 locals turning up. Highlight of the event was seeing 4 new team members, Scott Baker, Clark Wilson, Dave Hedge and Carl Dubois representing the team as the Australian flag bearers.

DAY ONE We had 6 hours to find a bag of 5 fish, so we all raced off in all directions to our preferred areas of the lake.

Richard Somerton and myself headed straight to our favourite points on an island, roughly about

An Aussie-filled podium! Matt Petrie, Scott Lovig and Carl Dubois with their winning cheques.

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

Angler Richard Somerton Scott Lovig Andrew Death Carl Dubois Chinese angler Kris Hickson Jonathan Chen Clark Wilson Chinese angler Chinese angler

defend our success from last year, selections were carefully made to complete the 11 man Australian team, including Chris Burbidge, Kris Hickson, Scott Baker, Carl Dubois, Jonathan Chen, Clark Wilson and Dave Hedge, all with a mixture of diversity and experience, working as a team, to give us the edge to again dominate the top end of the leader board.

This year the rules were changed to the traditional weigh-in with the total combined bag weight from both days. Targeting a variety of 5 different fish from the red-tail and top mouth culter, expected to be the predominant bread and butter bag filler, to the rarely caught, yet prized catfish that could

Weight (lb) 3.77 3.36 2.69 2.60 2.58 2.51 2.48 2.20 1.85 1.74

With the knowledge of what lures smashed the fish last year, we first set out to confirm these lures and retrieval technique still worked, then experimented with a variety of untried lures on this waterway.

After each pre-fish day, as a team, we sat down with a cold beer (yes cold) and shared our day’s experience and determined what lure worked and what didn’t.

These daily team meetings were an integral part to achieving our goal with all team members ready with a plan in hand to tackle day one of competition.

OPENING CEREMONY With crowd numbers down from last year’s opening, possibly due to the morning’s torrential

The Australian team took out $70,000 from a possible $80,000 winners’ pool. The team accredits this amazing finish to team work by all 11 members.

FINAL RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

NOVEMBER 2014

Angler Matt Petrie Scott Lovig Carl Dubois Richard Somerton Chris Burbidge Chinese angler Clark Wilson Kris Hickson Chinese angler Jonathan Chen Andrew Death

200m apart. These points had shallow banks that gradually dropped to deeper water and were very productive last year and also on the pre-fish. We

Team meetings were essential for planning the team’s strategies in preparation for challenges from the Chinese anglers.

84

results to be posted up on the wall. Anticipation was high, as we knew that a number of the Aussie members had good bags, expecting the top 10 to be well represented with Australians. During our team meeting, the results were up with 7 Australians in the top 10.

DAY TWO After our team meeting we planned our strategies in preparation for a challenge from the Chinese anglers to try and pressure our fishing zones. With communication between anglers on the water prohibited, we all made sure we understood each other ’s ‘body

Weight(lb) 5.39 5.34 5.03 4.62 4.51 4.39 4.23 3.88 3.34 2.96 2.69

were prepared to fish these points all day if needed, with the occasional point swapping.

I could see Richard was having a ripper day watching as he bagged fish after fish while I was really struggling to get a bite. After 4 hours of pure frustration and still no fish in the well, I decided to change location to another island with deeper edges.

It wasn’t until the last hour of the day that I managed to land a legal sized redtail culter. With time running out, I starting my way back to the weigh-in waiting zone, disappointed to only have one fish to hit the scales.

There were only 27 competitors booking a date with the weigh master, so it was straight onto the bus back to the hotel where we awaited for day one

Winnings (USD) $30,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $4,000 $3,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 language’ when it came to how well we were doing.

Little things like livewell lid up meant ‘no fish in livewell’ and our Hobie cap worn backwards indicated you were bagging out and smashing the fish, etc. We knew, with our experience and fitness levels on the Hobie Pro Anglers, that we could race to our preferred fishing areas before any other competitors could get there.

Richard Somerton and myself raced back to the same points as day one, ready to swap positions when a change was needed.

I decided to change up my retrieve, as it was obvious it just didn’t work for me on day one. This change proved to be the ‘retrieval code cracker’, hooking up fish immediately, with fish coming in every second cast. Weeding through the

undersized fish, I had a full bag within one and half hours had elapsed.

Upgrades were coming in regularly for me in a stark contrast to day one.

After 4 hours of fishing the points with Richard and with Scott Baker, Scott Lovig and Chris Burbidge now covering the area, I decided to make the move to another Island, fishing deeper edges and finding more upgrades, before making my way back to the weigh-in zone.

At this stage I was just happy to have a bag to present to the weigh master and knew it was bigger than the average bag, to help bump my position up the leaderboard. Being one of the first to weigh-in, to my amazement, the bag pushed the scales over the 5lb mark, prompting me to think this could get me into the top ten.

With most of the Australians cementing their position in the top ten, with some good bags weighed in, we all climbed back on to the bus to race back for the closing ceremony, with the final results to be announced.

While on the bus, the numbers were crunched and estimations were concluded that we might even have 7 in the top 10 places with the Chinese team not breaking the scales with their weigh-ins.

It wasn’t until just prior to presentations that the top 20 placegetters were sat down in order of placing that we knew we had 9 Aussies in the top 11 and to my disbelief, I had taken out 1st place with Scott Lovig closely behind in 2nd and Carl Dubois filling the final spot on the podium.

With the Australian team splitting up $70,000, of a possible $80,000 guaranteed this trip was one to never be forgotten and was only achieved due to extraordinary team work by all 11 team members.

– Matt Petrie

S M SERIE A E R B K a KAYA d by Daiw Presente On September 13-14, the south coast waterway of St Georges Basin was the venue for round 13 of the Hobie® Kayak Bream Series. Kevin Varty and Brett Crowe took out top honours and earned themselves a spot on the Australian squad to compete in the Hobie Fishing World Championships presented

by Rhino-Rack to be be held in the Netherlands from October 5-11.

DAY ONE On the morning of day one competing anglers pedalled off from the PowerPole starting line in overcast conditions, which began to clear later in the day. Anglers were chasing bream with a bag limit of three fish to be brought back to the Berkley Bump Tub. As the day one session came to a close on the calm waters of The Basin, the impressive field of 48 anglers began to accumulate and throw their final casts around the Atomic Launch site at Palm Beach.

Fishing throughout the day was fairly tough although around half the field still bagged their three legal bream, but upgrades were scarce in most locations across the tournament arena.

For most competitors the fish were on the bite early but became more timid in the calm conditions and as the light began to break through the clouds later in the session.

Varty victorious on the Basin At the completion of the weigh-in. James Kilpatrick from Belmont was leading the field with a 2.92kg bag, comfortably ahead of Brett Crowe (2.24kg) and Kane Terry (2.22kg). Jason Lambert was leading the Hog’s Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream with the biggest fish of day one that weighed in at 1.61kg.

DAY TWO Hoping to improve on their day one catch, anglers were faced with conditions that were vastly different to the previous day, with clear blue skies and temperatures ranging up to 22ºC. A cold wind picked up at the PowerPole Starting Line that became a fluctuating 20km/h breeze throughout the day.

After two long days on the water and with all anglers safely back at the tournament location, bags were removed from the Berkley Bump Tub and placed on the scales for the final weigh-in.

Kevin Varty from Nowra snared the major prize for the event. He gained a hefty cheque, an excellent sponsor prize pack, and his two day aggregate bag weight of 4.03kg won him a place in the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Grand Final in Western Australia and a position on the Aussie team to compete in the Hobie Fishing World Championship in Europe commencing at the start of next month.

Kevin’s tournament victory was his second tournament win. After his day one standing of 6th place

and almost a kilogram behind the leader, his plan of attack for day two was a simply one – “More of the same!” Varty felt that there was no need to change what had worked for him on day one and the plan of sticking with a consistent approach brought him home with a win on one of his local waterways.

“Today I just thought that I would follow the same plan I had on day one because I did pretty good yesterday. I was always going to stick to about 15′ of water and throw Z-Man Grubz, which was

Top place-getters Kevin Varty (1st), Brett Crowe (2nd) and Jason Meech (3rd).

CE 1ST PLA just the right combination for me on the first day. It was all pretty basic stuff but I just did the same again and it worked when there was no wind and grey sky yesterday and when there was a lot of wind and sun today. I just kept throwing Grubz for both days and that’s all it took.

“I did get two good upgrades on the last day though, while I was using an Ecogear Blade”.

Brett Crowe reels in second CE 2ND PLA Brett Crowe, competing in only his second Hobie Kayak Bream Series tournament, netted a full bag of bream on day one but only brought home two fish on the second day of competition giving him an accumulated weight of 3.95kg, short of the tournament winner by mere grams and giving him an overall advantage in weight

been to. I got my third fish by 10.30am and quickly upgraded to just under a 1kg bream about ten minutes later and that put me in second place at the end of the first day.

“On day two I found the wind was a hindrance to me, some people like it, but I don’t. I had my first fish that went 1.18kg at 11.30am on a dusk coloured Squidgy Lobby. At 12.30pm I got my second fish also on a Dusk Lobby. Try as I might, I wasn’t able to get any more, but that big fish was enough to get me across the line and keep me in second place.

“I’m really looking

November 22-23 grand final in Mandurah, Western Australia.

Thanks to Chris Purnell and the team from Totally Immersed Watersports in Nowra for providing dealer support as well as BBQ and drinks on both days of the tournament. Like all of the events in the Hobie Kayak

Fishing Series presented, this round could not have gone ahead without the great support of our generous sponsors Daiwa, Berkley, Atomic. Lowrance, RhinoRack, Strike Pro, Austackle, TT Lures, Yamatoyo, Ecogear, Power-Pole and Hog’s Breath Cafe . – Hobie Cat Australasia

WINNING NOTES

Winning Ways

When asked what gave him the winning edge in the tournament Varty replied, “That’s simple, being consistent but mostly it was just the massive want to make the Aussie team to go to Amsterdam. The desire to be a part of that was the motivation, the winning edge, that’s all it was.

Now I’m definitely going”.

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Itchy Twitchy and a Daiwa Two Drunk Monkeys Reel: Shimano Stradic Line: Stren 3lb Microfuse Leader: 3lb Sunline fluorocarbon Lure: Gudgeon coloured Z-Man Grubz on TT Headlockz HD jighead TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG BASS ELECTRIC SERIES

Brett Crowe finished second place in his second ever Hobie Kayak Bream Series tournament.

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.abt.org.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours.

of 170g over the third place finisher Jason Meech.

Crowe who sat in second position as he set off on the final day peppered the same couple of hundred metres from 7.30am, cycling through a number of soft plastics. At 11.25am he thought his chances of stepping on the podium were slipping away. Then he pulled out the old school Squidgy Dusk Lobby, it barely hit the bottom and bang! A 1kg+ bream.

“On day one conditions were reasonably good and I had two fish by 8am. I found them on plastics in 12′ of water. To get the third fish I had to go searching and use my knowledge of The Basin and target areas I knew other people hadn’t

forward to the opportunity and the challenge of fishing waters that are foreign to me in the Hobie Fishing World Championships in Amsterdam”.

Next Round It’s time to start planning for the two day

Jason Lambert’s 1.61kg beast ate a Pontoon 21 Crackjack 38 Shallow slow rolled along weedy flats around the western end of The Basin.

DATE:

HOGS BREATH BOSS HOG PAY TO:

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TOP 10 KAYAKERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

6/6 5/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 5/6

4.03 3.95 3.78 3.61 3.52 3.45 3.39 3.35 3.27

Kevin Varty Brett Crowe Jason Meech Scott Marcinkowski Wal Balzan Mark Crompton (P) Simon Morley Ben Phayer Kane Terry

$1,200 $750 $450 $220 $165 $150 $130 $120 $110

Prizes Lowrance Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au NOVEMBER 2014

85

Carl has completed his journey to the Elites Toowoomba angler Carl Jocumsen, has finally completed his quest to qualify for the highest level of tournament bass fishing on the planet – the USA’s Bassmaster Elite Series. It’s a journey that’s taken him much more than the recent fouryears Stateside to achieve.

It’s the culmination of a lifetime of thinking, breathing, sleeping and living fishing and fishing tournaments.

Surviving and excelling in a ridiculously difficult pathway proved that Carl (who is yet to reach his 30th birthday) not only had the technical skills to compete with the world’s best, but he also has the mental and

“Whatever it takes” is Carl’s motto.

Particularly on the water.

In a very short time compared with other competitors, Carl has become in tune with the American largemouth bass.

INTERVIEW

Here’s an example of the kit Carl uses to compete on the USA Bassmaster Tours. physical aptitude to mix it with the big guns.

After all, none of the current Elite series pros had to travel to the other side of the world – to a different hemisphere – to ply their craft.

All of them grew up fishing for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. None of these fish exist in Australia.

All but a few of the Japanese pros didn’t have to contend with Visas, travel and a government that gives you limited scope to follow your dream and become a truly professional angler.

Carl did.

And on Saturday the 13 September, 2014, Carl weighed in a limit of bass in his final Central Bassmaster Open event of the year to seal the deal.

Soon afterwards, Fishing Monthly (FM) caught up with Carl via phone to hear from the man himself about the successful climax to his Stateside campaign. (Click the QR code to listen to the full interview.)

PRESSURE COOKER To say that Carl had a lot of pressure on him to perform in this final event of the season is a huge understatement.

He’d made himself a solid platform for qualification by coming into the event at 4th in the Central Opens Angler of the Year (AOY) points. This was through great finishes at Lake Amistad (6th) and the Red River (23rd). These results were in fields of near-200 boats.

To gain an invitation to the Elite Series, Carl

Scan to watch a recording of Carl’s final weigh-in.

needed to finish in the top three anglers in the AOY points race. Possibly lower if qualifiers ahead of him were already Elite Series anglers.

Carl had come close before. In 2012, Carl was the next-in-line for qualification through the same series. Unfortunately, the anglers above him all took up their invites.

And after an underwhelming 2013 campaign, this year saw

Carl’s first success for the 2014 season was at Texas’ Lake Amistad with a 6th place – and some donkeys like this to show off.

Carl on his last year of his USA Sportsman’s Visa, which allowed him to stay in-country.

“I don’t think I’ll ever have as much pressure on me as I had fishing that last day of the event. I only weighed 4 fish on the first day and knew that I needed to catch a limit to seal the deal,” Carl explained.

Trouble was, though, with a cold wind blowing, heavy rain, depleted batteries on his electric motor and all of his best spots blown out with muddy water, Carl had no fish in the livewell at noon on that final day.

“One thing I’ve learned through the past four years is that I should never let a negative thought in myhead. I knew that I had to catch them and I knew that I was going to catch them,” Carl continued.

And that’s exactly what he did.

Picking up a spinning rod and finesse fishing like he did so well back in Australia, Carl used his Power Poles to hold position on stumps and root mounds in shallow water to accumulate a limit.

“As soon as my 5th fish was in the livewell, I didn’t really have time to celebrate, I just got my lure back in the water to fish for upgrades.”

CARL’S SPONSORS

Want to help Carl out from a sponsorship perspective? Have a product that needs exposure in the USA? Email xtremeangler@yahoo.com 86

NOVEMBER 2014

Being the top level of bass fishing on the planet means that Carl can now seriously expect to make a living from fishing. Each event of the Elite trail is broadcast domestically in the USA and internationally.

If Carl makes the top cut of an event, he’ll get some serious air time. And that means some serious value for his sponsors.

Entry fees are big (approaching $5,000 per event), payouts are big (how does $10,000 for 50th

INTERVIEW

Scan to hear Carl’s interview after qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series.

Carl’s Skeeter/Yamaha has a distinctive wrap with an Aussie theme – thanks to Richie Potter’s design prowess from X-Factor signs in Sydney.

Carl upgraded twice, with his last fish – a solid three-pounder – ensuring that his fate was secured.

“It didn’t really hit

me that I might have done it until I was loading the weigh-in bag. It was then that I started getting tears in the eyes,” Carl continued.

WHAT IS THE ELITE SERIES? So, what’s the big deal about qualification for the Bassmaster Elite Series?

2015 BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES SCHEDULE Mar 19-22..................................................................Sabine River, Orange, Texas Apr 9-12................................................ Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Alabama Apr 30 - May 3.................................... Sacramento River, Sacramento, California May 7-10................................................Lake Havasu, Lake Havasu City, Arizona Jun 3-7............................................................... Kentucky Lake, Paris, Tennessee Jul 30 - Aug 2.....................................St. Lawrence River, Waddington, New York Aug 13-16............................................ Chesapeake Bay, Cecil County, Maryland Sep 24-27............................................................Lake St. Clair, Detroit, Michigan

2014

Here’s Carl’s first 10 pounder. First of many, we bet.

+ COD CLASSIC

place sound?) and running costs are high.

As such, Carl now has to pick up enough cash sponsors to cover a $120,000-ish operating budget for the year.

Sounds scary? Sure, but we reckon that raising the money will be easier than the qualification process that he’s been through so far.

“Currently I’m backed by some of the best companies in the industry and I’m grateful for their support to date. I hope that I can give them back their value ten-fold when I fish the Elites in 2015,” Carl finished.

We’re sure he will and like you, we’ll be following him throughout his 2015 Bassmaster Elite campaign!

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87

Boat test: Bluefin Tournament Drifter Pro 455 FMG

Simon Goldsmith simon@fishingmonthly.com.au

Bluefin Boats are synonymous with quality and attention to detail. The Tournament Drifter Pro 455 is a testament to their company motto of ‘Built

Partnered with a 60hp Mercury 4-stroke outboard, Power-Pole Micro Anchor, Bluefin trailer and Haswing Cayman bow-mount electric motor the package is tailor-made for lure and tournament anglers.

A turn-key tournament rig at its very best, the package we tested and reviewed is to be

Pro drives and handles well beyond its length, thanks in large part to its rear pod. The rear pod enhances running speed and stability due to the extension of the hull-planning surface and combines with the Drifter Pro’s Ezi Ride hull design to allow it to cut effortlessly and quietly through the water.

THE PRIZE The boat package tested and reviewed will be presented to the champion team at the Bluefin/Mercury BREAM Classic Open to be held on Sydney Harbour, 11-12 November. To enter or find out more about the event visit www.abt. org.au.

The Drifter’s sports console gives you protection from the elements and houses the majority of the boat’s controls.

A 90L Flow-rite controlled livewell has the Drifter pimped and ready for the tournament trail.

The Dunbier trailer is tailor-made for the Bluefin Drifter and makes launching and retrieving effortless. with Pride’ and, as 4-5m sized aluminium lure fishing vessels go, it has few peers.

Designed with tournament and lure anglers in mind, the Tournament Drifter Pro 455 integrates Bluefin’s build quality with advanced design and forethought to actual on-water use and practicality to deliver anglers a boat that delivers when it comes to looks, function, and performance.

88

NOVEMBER 2014

presented to the champion team at the ABT BREAM Classic Open on Sydney Harbour, NSW, in November. Let’s see how the package stands up and how it performed when we put it through its paces.

LENGTH The Tournament Drifter Pro’s performance pedigree begins with its 3mm plate side and bottom pressed aluminium hull. Despite its 4.55m length and a 2.04m beam, the Drifter

Balance, power and comfort, the Bluefin Tournament Drifter Pro 455 is a cut above the rest.

Bluefin’s Ezi Ride design features an increased deadrise that extends a long way forward towards the bow to create a sharper vee than traditional hull designs. This increased forward extending deadrise combines with a reverse chine to deflect water spray away from the hull to generate lift and achieve a smoother, faster planning hull.

On the water the combination of the hull length,

hull pod, and Ezi Ride hull design enables the Drifter Pro to cut through the water smoothly, efficiently, and quietly. On the day of our test the Gold Coast Broadwater had its usually wind blown chop and the Drifter Pro powered through it without hull slap, banging and the reverberation that often occurs with this style of hull and in these conditions. The hull’s spray-chines further enhances its running performance and deflects spray outward from the hull for a drier and quieter ride.

As impressive as it is on a straight run, the Drifter Pro definitely takes it up a notch when you start to put it through its paces, with its Ezi Ride hull allowing you pull into the tightest turn with ultimate ease, stability and comfort. Smooth under steering and willing to go where you want it, when you want it, the Drifter Pro makes child’s work of cutting through boat washes and threading your way through sandbanks and tight corners.

At rest the Drifter Pro is equally impressive with its large beam extending well forward towards the bow of boat to maximise hull stability, particularly when fishing from the front casting deck. This

stability is so good in fact that two large men can easily fish from the same side of the boat with minimal change to the boat’s position and balance in the water.

Equally stable and assured at speed and at rest the Drifter Pro has the hull design and performance that all flared bowed aluminium boats strive to have but not all achieve to have.

DECKED OUT The Drifter Pro’s impressive hull design equals performance and design driven above the waterline. A large raised forward casting deck offers plenty of room, and will easily accommodate two anglers up front, while the rear casting deck offers ample space for a tournament non boater or someone wanting their own area away from all the angling action.

Both the front and rear decks, as is the floor, are fitted with a hookless carpet ensuring ultimate angling ease and comfort. Anglers who have had to pull trebles out of non-hookless carpeted or found themselves kneeling on rough and uncomfortable carpet when re-tying leaders or changing lures will appreciate the luxury of the Drifter Pro’s plush carpet.

Housed beneath the Drifter Pro’s carpeted floor is full underfloor fuel-resistant floatation, while a 60L underfloor fuel tank keeps fuel storage out of sight and out of

Tournament anglers and lure casting anglers are fully catered for their electric needs, with a full length, rock solid electric motor bracket located on the portside bow of the boat.

A reinforced battery shelf is located below deck at the bow of the boat and has space to accommodate two large deep cycle batteries meaning you’ll never get caught short when it comes to battery power.

LOCKED AWAY When it comes to keeping your tackle safe, secure, and stowed away the Drifter Pro has it covered. A 7’ long carpet-lined rod locker runs alongside the port gunnel and joins flush with the front and rear casting desks, providing a full walkaround deck and flat level platform to lay your rods on.

Beneath the rod locker is a long lockable storage hatch that provides a great storage solution for items such as removable navigation lights, or your keys or wallet.

The front deck is loaded with storage options with the portside main hatch fitted with a storage bin that comes pre-loaded with six tackle trays. An additional hatch next to it provides full access to storage below deck while an anchor locker fitted with an internal tie off point is located in the hatch closer to the bow of the boat.

Located at the rear of the front casting deck is a 90L tournament ready livewell

SPECIFICATIONS Hull Length:.................................................... 4.55m Beam:.............................................................. 2.04m Max hp:................................................ 90hp (181kg) Transom Height:................................................long Capacity:........................................5 people (400kg) Motor:...................... 60hp 4-stroke Mercury (112kg, Trailer:......................................... Bluefin by Dunbier Shallow Water Anchor:.... Power-Pole Micro Anchor mind and leaves above floor/ in-hatch storage space free for more important things, like fishing tackle.

that’s fitted with a full Flowrite livewell system and divider for optimum fish welfare and management.

Left: A port-side hatch in the front casting deck comes preloaded with tackle trays for ultimate tackle storage. Right: The 7 foot long carpeted rod locker keeps your rods safe and secure, and below deck.

CREATURE COMFORTS The Tournament Drifter Pro delivers when it comes to life’s creature comforts with twin custom upholstered foldable pedestal seats providing ultimate seating comfort. With five seating positions throughout the boat, there’s a host of seating options available to make full use of available space and layout of the boat.

The primary seating position of course is behind the sports console, and it’s here that you’ll find a full screen, grab rail, sports steering wheel, and an assortment of modern conveniences. A multi-switch panel connects to the custom wiring harness throughout the boat and controls the LED navigation lights, bilge pump,

livewell system, and LED under-gunnel cockpit lights.

The Tournament Drifter Pro also delivers on the technological front with a Fusion radio and speaker system featuring an iPod dock and Bluetooth connectivity keeping you connector while on the water.

POWER UP Powering the Bluefin on-water and controlled by the factory supplied and installed Teleflex steering system is a 60hp 4-stroke Mercury outboard. While the Bluefin is rated up to a 90hp motor the 60hp Mercury was a powerhouse on the back of the 455 Drifter Pro and powered the hull with effortless ease.

Installed and water tested

by Mercury Australia the 60hp 4-stroke generating exceptional

hole shot, even when loaded with two 80kg+ adults, and a livewell full of water.

Top end speed was equally impressive with the Mercury hitting maximum speed easily and without any hesitation.

Sharp, nimble, and aggressive through the power range, the Mercury works flawlessly with the Drifter hull for optimum speed, performance, and economy.

FULL CONTROL A Haswing Cayman bow mount electric motor offers ultimate finesse control for the lure casting angler on the move. Its 80lb, 24-volt, cable steer set-up delivered plenty of thrust thanks in part to its large 12” diameter 3-blade prop; a 12-volt motor ensures optimum power longevity and thrust.

A large foot pedal featuring a momentary power button (located on the top), speed adjustment dial, and a constant-off-momentary power switch (located on the side of the pedal) provides full underfoot control. Being cable steer means directional adjustment is instant, rather than a lag that’s commonly found on non-cable steer, electric steering units. Easily deployed and stowed with one hand the Cayman makes life for the casting angler effortless, efficient, and one that’s not short on power.

When it comes to effortless fishing the new Power-Pole Micro Anchor by Hobie is equally giving, with

8’6” spike that extends and retracts through the unit and into the bottom, the Power-Pole Micro Anchor makes holding position simple and worry free.

Perfect for keeping your boat in the one spot when releasing fish, re-tying lures and leaders, or securing your boat on the shore while launching and retrieving, the Power-Pole Micro Anchor makes your time on water stress and trouble free.

LAID TO REST The package sits on a fully galvanized, tailormade, Bluefin trailer.

Featuring powder-coated galvanized wheels, LED

As tournament-ready and lure fishing boat/motor packages go, the Bluefin Tournament Drifter Pro/ Mercury is hard to go past.

Performance inspired and designed-focused the hull and motor deliver power, stability, economy and comfort that you need. The Haswing electric motor and Power-Pole Micro Anchor delivers the level of control and precision you need to maximise angling success.

Performance meets power and price in the Tournament Drifter Pro/Mercury package.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/

The Drifter’s Ezi Ride hull eliminates spray and increases lift for improved hull performance. the innovative shallow water anchor allowing you to stop on a dime with a simple click of a button.

Featuring a small (3kg) motor unit, and a

lights, swing away jockey wheel, and 3 year warranty.

There’s no trailer better suited or better built to get your Bluefin to and from the water.

trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Nov 1-2

Lake Hume Classic Rob Lees - 0417 400 651

Lake Hume www.lakehumeclassic.com.au

Nov 1-2

Gamakatsu TS Grand Final GTS - 0459 401 612

Gold Coast fishingcomps.com.au/gts

Nov 11-12

ABT BREAM Classic Championship ABT - (07) 3387 0888

Sydney Harbour www.abt.org.au

Nov 14-16

ABT BREAM Grand Final ABT - (07) 3387 0888

Hawkesbury River www.abt.org.au

Nov 14-16

Hawkesbury Classic Brett Chain - 0408 464 945

Hawkesbury River www.pitttownfishingclub.webs.com

Nov 22-23

Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM GF ABT - (07) 3387 0888

Mandurah, WA www.abt.org.au

Nov 29-30

Jackall Yellowbelly Championships Series Bruce Anderson - 0419 011 333

Keepit Grand Final www.yellowbellychampionships.com

Nov 29-30

Sussex Inlet Family Fishing Carnival www.sussexinlet.nsw.au

Sussex Inlet

Dec 1-8

Rapala BARRA Tour ABT - (07) 3387 0888

Teemburra, Kinchant, Peter Faust www.abt.org.au

Dec 5-7

Great Inland Fishing Festival Inverell Shire Council - (02) 67288 288

Copeton Dam www.inlandfishingfestival.com

Dec 5-7

Yamaha Cod Classic Tony & Vanessa Bennett - (03) 5744 1667

Lake Mulwala www.codclassic.com.au

Jan 19-20 Hay Lions FC Fishing Comp Hay JANUARY Add your tournament or competition Hay to this list FNC by emailing nsweditor@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Lions - haylionsclub@hotmail.com www.visitnsw.com/events Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

NOVEMBER 2014

89

Understanding the different sounder frequencies BRISBANE

Nabeel Issa

Understanding the different frequencies your sounder is capable of using can make a great deal of difference to what you see on your screen.

The frequency that I’m referring to is the number that is shown on your screen in kilohertz (kHz).

This is frequency of the sound pulses that are sent through the water from your transducer. When these sound pulses are sent and hit an object, they are returned to the transducer and an image is then displayed on the sounder screen.

There are a various frequencies out there that sounders can use. Generally most sounders with a basic off-the-shelf transducer will have two frequencies – 83kHz and 200kHz. For

are also high frequencies that are used in Lowrance Structure Scan for giving us picture-like images, these come in 455kHz and 800kHz. If you aren’t already confused, we also have CHIRP, which is basically a variable range of frequencies that are sent (as opposed to a single number). I won’t go into too much detail about CHIRP just yet, it’s quite a complex topic and I think it deserves a whole article for itself!

So what’s the point of different frequencies? The best way to explain the different sonar frequencies is in Fig.4. The lower frequencies such as 83kHz and 50kHz will have a wider cone angle, we can see from the image that the fish A, B and C are picked up with this beam (in the green cone). Compare that to the 200kHz (pink cone) and we are only picking up fish B.

This image compares the difference between 455kHz of Structure Scan and 83kHz of traditional sonar. Which one gives you more information?

Transducers come in many different shapes and sizes. It pays to make sure you have the right one to suit your fishing style. sounders that are designed for more offshore and deep water work, they have the option of the 50kHz and 200kHz transducer. There

Generally the narrow cone of the 200kHz will give us better detail and better target separation. It also shows us what is directly

Fig.5

Fig.4

Sound pulses are sent and when they hit an object they are returned to the transducer and an image is then displayed on the sounder screen.

90

NOVEMBER 2014

under due to the smaller cone. The lower frequencies and wider cone of the 50kHz or 83kHz will give us more information as it covers a greater area. The 83kHz is great for shallow to medium depths and the 50kHz is great for deep water, as it is able to see down in over 200m depths.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of the cones, with the Structure Scan frequencies of 455kHz and 800kHz added. The red being the Down Scan and the yellow the Side Scan.

The Side Scan will pick up fish that are wider than our conventional cones and the Down Scan will tell us what is directly beneath, but with much greater definition than the normal sonar cones.

These are very narrow beams but give us amazing quality images due to such a high frequency.

When selecting frequencies for Structure Scan, use 800kHz when in shallow water (less than 5m deep) and then switch to 455kHz for anything deeper.

When selecting between 83kHz and 200kHz go with the 200kHz in shallow water and move to the 83kHz when in water deeper than 30-40m.

If you have the option to use 50kHz, this is best for water depths around 100m and beyond.

It can all vary depending on your own set up so it pays to play around with it and see which one works better for you and gives you an image that you can understand.

As long as you understand the basics of how the sonar works and what the different frequencies are capable of, you will be able to correctly pick the right frequency for your fishing scenarios.

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Whittley Clearwater 1750 and 90 HP Yamaha BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Whittley Marine Group of Melbourne have turned out some very desirable boats throughout the last couple of decades.

C u r r e n t l y, the company’s range of fabulous Cruisers, the blue water biased Sea Legends and value for money Clearwater Range are still turning heads wherever they appear whether that’s on

an impeccable finish. Joins in fibreglass mouldings don’t exist, all corners and mouldings are neatly rounded. On the exterior we see the transom’s neatly swept back lines highlighting the attractive and contrasting toning on the side panels.

Let’s take a closer look at the CW 1750. At 5.2m long, 2.11m wide it’s small enough to be towed with the family sedan or wagon, yet large enough to take up to 4 anglers out for a day on the bay, work for a feed of fish within an estuary or

SPECIFICATIONS Hull length.........................................................5.2m Beam................................................................ 2.11m Length on trailer...............................................6.4m Height on trailer..............................................2.18m Deadrise...............................................................17° Fuel capacity................................................ 90 litres Engine ratings..........................................70-125 HP Engine fitted........................ 90 HP Yamaha 2-stroke Persons...................................................................5

Stepping aboard the CW 1750, it’s obvious that attention to detail is evident from stem to stern and from the ease of access up front to the large storage areas there is little in the way of compromise; always a factor with boat ownership.

In the grand scale of things, the rig’s cuddy cab is not too large to inhibit fishing yet it’s great for a rest or stowing gear. The cockpit is not at all cluttered thanks to smartly designed side storage pockets and the work area also having a good share of the craft’s interior dimensions.

GENERAL LAYOUT VERY PLEASING With a sensible-sized bowsprit and a split bow rail up front of the cab, there’s easy access to the Whittley’s large anchor well. This is largely due to the screen and cabin hatch hinging to the side to create a wide

The Clearwater’s cabin offered storage below bunks as well as within overhead shelving.

Many of the cockpit’s features can be easily seen in this shot.

Note the removable lounge and those handy side rod racks the road, at the ramp or on the water.

Whittley always have that special something that creates pride of ownership.

Moreover, a casual glance at the Clearwater 1750 reveals 92

NOVEMBER 2014

head offshore for some reef fishing and light game work.

It’s undeniably an ideal rig for a family group to enjoy as a day cruiser thanks to the handy features and high comfort levels.

foredeck companionway. A moulded step in the bow allows a deckhand to safely stand braced against the companionway to work the pick while entry or exit could not be easier thanks

The Whittley under full throttle showed a very clean and unfussed passage through the water. to the split bow rail and inner cabin step.

The cuddy cab is equipped with a 5-piece windscreen and accompanying grab rail, neatly blending into the aft section in fine style.

The cuddy was set up with well-padded paired bunks each side of a deep foot well and a large storage box under each bunk. There was overhead shelving all round and thanks to a cut out in the bulkhead moulding down low in front of both skipper and first mate there’s sufficient room for a passenger to lie down and stretch the legs out. The well-designed cut out also served as a footrest.

The bulkhead section ahead of the first mate was equipped with 3 levels of storage. Uppermost was a glove box with 2 other shelves below. There was a grab handle by the mate’s arm.

The bulkhead section to starboard was neatly fashioned as the craft’s dash. On the uppermost level paired Yamaha multi-functional gauges were joined by a compass.

The next level down was taken up with the craft’s Fusion radio, a Raymarine Dragonfly sounder plotter, while the wheel linked to non-feedback steering was a little lower again with a bank of switches nearby. Forward controls for the engine were handily side-mounted.

Seating for skipper and mate consisted of supportive, swivelling, pedestal-mounted buckets with the Clearwater logo on the rear. From the skipper’s seat, I noted virtually unlimited visibility and a high degree of comfort thanks to the handy footrest below.

COCKPIT The main cockpit with its clip-in carpet was surprisingly large. The

first item of interest for the angler would be the under floor fish box located between the forward seating. The next would be the size of the inbuilt side pockets, which took up virtually all of each of the cockpit sides. These pockets were recessed into the 750mm high sidewalls and came equipped with paired rod racks, providing safe rod tip storage within the sides. Below these racks was quite wide and deep off floor shelves, with a toehold under them to assist an angler playing a fish.

Paired stainless rod holders were set into each gunwale as were cleats astern.

Aft seating consisted of a removable 3-piece folding lounge, which if fishing is designed to be easily removed. The backrest section, with the lounge removed, would make a great brace point for fishing astern.

The full height transom came set up with bait wells – or storage boxes for ice and drinks – within each neatly rounded corner while the craft’s battery and fuel filter were freely available below. Boarding platforms and handrails were featured each side of the 90 HP Yamaha with a telescoping ladder linked to the port platform.

Top: Paired live wells are featured within the CW 1750’s transom corners, which are great for storing drinks on a hot day. Bottom: The Clearwater’s well-designed hull; note the rounded bilge and prominent under hull strakes.

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE FROM 90 HP YAMAHA Engines ratings for the CW 1750 were 70-125 HP, which saw the 90 HP Yamaha 2-stroke a fair distance from top power.

It did an excellent job of powering the craft’s 665kg hull with its 17° deadrise.

The engine started first turn of the key and was not too noisy or smokey, despite the fact it was ‘old’ technology. The truth is that these conventional 2-stroke motors still work well.

The craft easily planed with 2 aboard at 20 .7km/h at 2600rpm quite smoothly.

Bumping up to 3000rpm saw 33.2km/h on the GPS, 4000rpm got us up to 43.7km/h, at 5000rpm we were 59.4km/h and an open

throttle speed at 5300rpm of 64.6km/h. The feeling I had from the Yamaha’s response was that the engine would just as easily have powered the craft even with a couple more people aboard. It certainly did not require much throttle movement to quickly gain more speed, that’s for sure. The hull’s ride impressed me. Even powering into 0.5m chop at full throttle produced no pounding or bumps and with very little displaced water evident. I feel that the 1750 would make an excellent offshore or bay rig with little to worry about if things turned nasty.

The stability of the Whittley was also an important point. The hull featured a 17° ‘V’, a rounded central bilge section, with

A six cylinder sedan will tow the Clearwater with safety.

several strongly formed strakes moulded into the under water surface. The end result was excellent inherent stability with even both of us to one side causing little leaning to develop. Our turns were pin-sharp with some decent G-forces being produced in the sharper turns and without the slightest prop slip whatsoever.

FISHABILITY AND SUMMING UP I saw the CW 1750 as a great all rounder for either serious fishing or family boating pursuits. The level of features aboard and the sensible layout created a high level of creature comfort for virtually any manner of boating. A family of 4 would really enjoy time aboard, as would up to 4 anglers heading out for a day on the water. A Bimini top is included within the package, as is safety gear for 5 persons. On a Mackay or Whittley trailer and with a tonneau travel cover, Fusion RA 205 radio, GME radio and aerial with front and side clears the rig would come home for around the mid forties, surely great value for money. Whittley Marine can be contacted by phone at (03) 8339 1800 or on the net at info@whittley. com.au to located your nearest Whittley dealer.

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Savage revamps 2015 range at conference FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

At the recent Dealer and Media Conference on Queensland’s Gold Coast, local manufacturer Savage unveiled a refined and upgraded range of 2015

interest to FM readers will be the aggressive pricing that will be seen on all Savage models.

“Our motto is that we’re the ‘Oldest Brand with the Newest Boats’,” explained Telwater’s Marketing boss, Damien Duncan, and we’re sure that anyone looking in the marketplace for an

Indeed, the flotilla of new and refined models presented for viewing was impressive.

Well thought-out designs with impressive wraps powered by an assortment of Evinrude E-Tec outboards felt right at home in and around the Gold Coast Seaway, but let’s break down exactly what’s happened to the range.

Scorpions are available in a range of sizes and configurations – like this SC (side console).

The Savage 575 Bluewater holds a 150hp outboard. hulls – based on feedback from customers and dealers alike. Of particular

aluminium Savage boat will be pleasantly surprised by the pricing.

NEW SCORPIONS Savage’s older Piranha line of boats has been

replaced with the new Scorpion models. These hulls will be right up any angler’s alley, with full floors, casting decks, high sides and 3mm plate aluminium throughout the hull.

The smooth, non-clinkered sides hold a printed boat wrap well and there’s a variety of designs and colours available ex-factory for all of the new models.

Why choose Brand X, when you can have a Quintrex?

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Visit our website and see the amazing range of tinnies that maintain an incredible resale value.

No matter where you are, or what you need, a qualified Quintrex dealer is nearby to help you out. After all, only someone who really knows boats can give you the best advice on boats!

(actually there are 23!)

Most of the hulls in the Scorpion range are available in a variety of combinations – tiller steer, side console or centre console – to help the buyer get the combination of layouts that they want.

And key features have been retailed – like the low transom on certain Scorpion Pro models that’s popular with anglers and divers who like getting

into and out of the boat with ease.

575 BLUE WATER The new 575 Blue Water is a new model, specifically designed do carry 7 people and 150HP of outboard on the transom.

This has been a gap in the Savage range that has been addressed, as most outboard manufacturers carry excellent motors in the 150HPO class.

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that Savage now has a more comprehensive range of boats available to their dealers and that the range had been rationalised where there were confusing or conflicting models.

The 150hp Powered BlueWater will be a popular addition, as will the Scorpion range of fishing boats. And the pricing will be compelling.

Check them out at your local Savage dealer of visit www.savageboats.com.au.

Click the QR code hereby to watch the interview with Telwater’s Damien Duncan about the new releases.

The Savage 515 Beachcomber is an ideal family boat.

Anglers will love the launch of the Scorpion line of Savages.

SA022

NEW STRIPING AND WRAPS Although the Savage logo stays the same, the striping on Savage boats has all changed. Modern fonts for the models and a classy new combination of three stripes is distinctive on the water.

If you like your Savage to standout on the water, the Telwater factory offers several designs and colours of factory-applied wraps.

These protect the boat’s paint job.

BOTTOM LINE The take-away message from the Media Day was

Factory-installed boat wraps are available in a range of designs and colours.

Drop in and see your local Dealer!

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95

Morningstar 4.6m Offshore Cuddy Cabin SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Ever since I was 14 I have always had some kind of boat. At the moment I have a 4.5m aluminium boat and I will always have an aluminium boat – that’s just my preference.

When I was given the opportunity to test a couple of aluminium boats from Morningstar I jumped at the chance, as I had never heard of them before. When I arrived on the morning of the boat test I was met by Chris Tocchini.

He’s clearly very proud of the range, and told me that the journey started in 2010 when Taiwanese-based company CadCam approached Australian boat builder Troy Munnery with plans to use their experience, knowledge and plant equipment to build an aluminium boat unlike any seen before.

The basic concept behind the design was to take the lessons learned from 20 years of metalworking in the car industry and build a boat hull stronger, tougher and smarter.

The manufacture of the Morningstar boats uses 5083 alloy, which is stretch formed

SPECIFICATIONS LOA:.................................................................4.65m LOA on trailer:......... 6.3m (motor in locked position) Beam:.............................................................. 2.00m Trailer width (outside of guard to outside):....2.1m Weight:............................................................390 kg Max load:.........................................................755kg Max persons:..........................................................5 Max outboard:...................................................60hp Fuel tank:.................underfloor AT60 aluminium 60L Steering system:.................................... mechanical Bow rails:....................................... bow, side and aft Prop size:................................... 13.5 x 15 alloy prop Variable deadrise:............................................... 19° Depth at mid ships:..................................... 700mm Battery type and size:...... SeaMaster Gold MFM50 800MCA 640CCA sealed Trailer:................... Mackay, braked and fully rollered

and work hardened, to deliver a hull that is tougher than the original sheets it was formed from. By stretch forming the bottom of the hull from one 3mm sheet using a 150 tonne press, the need for a keel weld is removed from the hull (and therefore the key weakness), increasing the overall strength and durability of the boat.

Similarly, the two sides and transom are stretch formed thus creating a boat hull from four pieces.

This is not the only major advancement. Using the plant equipment employed for manufacturing car bodies, the company has also completely innovated the so-called ‘stiffener’ system used in small craft.

The patented Origrid design of the internal framework is created by cutting a single 5083 sheet and then pressing pieces of the sheet to form the frame. This minimizes the number of welds and creates a repeatable, perfectly-fitting frame each time.

The combination of the four-piece stretch formed hull and the Origrid frame deliver a boat that looks great, is lightweight, super strong, tough and robust, and rides and performs almost like a fibreglass boat.

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The boat sits near to level at rest, even with only the driver on board.

On closer inspection I was shown that the unique design of the aluminium plate formed hulls with a second reversed chine was like no other. During forming, thousands tonnes of force is applied on premium aluminium plates and the material becomes almost liquid-like, evenly spreading on dedicated design dies.

Flat plates become complex shapes. This allows the single plate bottom of Morningstar Boats to incorporate reverse chines, strakes, and variable deadrise, and eliminate an external extrusion keel.

Additionally, side plates and gunwales can now be integrated into a streamlined shape with a second chine and flared bow. Together, these formed plates give the hull outstanding hydraulic properties, static and dynamic.

That’s why they call it the Hydro Hull.

Strength is another important characteristic of the hull. The formed plates act as a strong outer shell.

This ‘unibody’ concept is popular with high-end sports cars, planes and top-end bicycles. No longer dependent on frames alone to provide structural strength, the net result is a stronger, lighter and more rigid integral structure.

Special folding technology is also used to construct stiffeners and transom. Folded stiffener system and transom dramatically decrease welding and increase rigidity and durability.

PERFORMANCE It wasn’t before long that we had the Morningstar 4.6m Cuddy Cabin at the ramp in the Pittwater rolling into the water and motoring through the 4 knot and 8 knot zone so that I could open up the throttle up.

I was very impressed by how dry the ride was as we headed up towards Barrenjoey Headland and turned out to sea, even though there was a fair bit of a northeasterly wind blowing. The second reversed chine on the boat was definitely doing its job by pushing the water and the spray back down towards the water’s surface. The axe-like

forefoot and deep V give this boat a very smooth and soft entry into the water.

When turning the boat at top speed and going over the wakes of other craft there was no sideways slipping, creating a stable track as you turned.

The Honda F60hp four-stroke pushed the boat extremely easily out of the water and up onto the plane within approximately three to four times the boat’s length.

When you push the throttle, the outboard engine drives the boat forward, while the water gives the boat a lifting

help to conserve more lifting force and allow the boat to plane quicker and increase its cruising stability.

SAFETY At rest with two adults on board and on the same side of the boat there was a slight lean.

This would be understandable when you have around 180kg on one side of the boat. The height of the gunnels from the floor allowed me to easily lean up against the side to brace myself.

There were no grab rails on the boat that I tested, but if you look closely at the photos

Top: The second chine has been reversed. This, combined with the flared bow, pushes the spray down to give a stable and dry riding experience. Bottom: There’s plenty of room behind the windscreen to mount your GPS/sounder, plus an area below to store an esky or two. There’s also plenty more room to add more dials and switches to the console. force to plane. Bow-to-aft reverse chines and strakes on the Morningstar bottom plate

with this article you will see there is a rectangle section that forms the top rail. This

gave me somewhere to hang onto, but if it was my boat I would get them to install a grab rail on the passenger’s side at least.

At the rear of the boat there’s a fold-down seat for a couple of extra passengers, who could hang onto the side rails while travelling.

ERGONOMICS This boat comes with two side pockets at the back half of the boat, a five-tray storage system under each seat, a storage rack at the rear of the of the boat for PFDs and the battery, plus two small shallow storage trays under the cabin. I need a ton of storage though, so I’d get them to customise a storage box up the front in the cuddy section of the boat.

In the test boat the instrument panel contained a fuel gauge, rev counter, voltage gauge and a 12V socket. The five black switches from left to right are: nav lights, anchor light, bilge pump, live bait aerator and a spare switch. If you want a different layout, the guys at Enterprise Marine can customise the console to suit your preference.

The boat comes with a covered anchor well which can be accessed by climbing through the lockable hatch at the front of the cuddy cabin.

If you frequently go on solo trips, I recommend that you change the lock to a doublesided one so you can access

the interior of the boat while launching.

Personally, I found the throttle position to be a bit too far back from the steering wheel when standing to drive the boat. When I was sitting it was OK though.

FISHABILITY When taking a boat for a test drive you don’t always get a chance to fish, but on this occasion I was able to troll a couple of lines out the back when a school of tailor showed up. The boat was very stable even though I was moving about a fair bit setting up the rods. There are four rod holders in total, one on either side of the rear of the boat and two on the self-draining cutting board.

If you are into live baiting for kingfish, mulloway, sharks and so on, there is a plumbed 20L live well on the port side.

The 3mm checker plate floor is self draining which makes it very handy if you want to hose out the boat while on the water. You could easily wash the floor down if you were to install a hose.

This boat is designed to take five adults and would fish four comfortably either trolling or drifting offshore or in the estuary. Anchoring up would also be a great option as two anglers could fish from the front two seats and the other two anglers could use the back bench seat.

There was plenty of room to mount a GPS sounder combo, compass and so forth up behind the windscreen.

The CM500 seats with a fivetray compartment underneath were quite comfortable when driving and at rest.

NOISE Many of the aluminium boats I have tested over the years have a fair amount of noise when travelling at speed.

Even mine. Morningstar boats are constructed differently from conventional pressed our plate alloy boats, however.

This construction, along with the one section flared sides and revered chine, provides not only tremendous strength but

cuts down on the noise when travelling at speed and coming down off a wave or wake.

The only thing I would say about the 3mm checker plate floor is that if you dropped something metal on it this would send a fair amount of noise through the water, which could possibly scare off the fish. If you were really worried about this you could always carpet the floor.

The Honda F60hp fourstroke outboard is so quiet you can easily have a conversation while travelling.

The Morningstar Hydro Hull comes with a five-year warranty and the test boat also came with a water safety kit,

At the rear of the boat you’ll find the alloy self-draining preparation board, a 20L live well and the fuel inlet.

boat and trailer registration, battery box, a fold-down ladder and a non-slip pad, plus all the required navigation lights. The RRP is $31,300 from Enterprise Marine at Unit 8, 77 Bassett St, Mona Vale. For more info contact Chris Tocchini on (02) 9999 5558 or email chris@ enterprisemarine.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

Both the driver’s and passenger’s seats have a five-drawer storage compartment built in.

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Sterndrive advantages With the rise in efficiency and reliability of modern outboards, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there was only one option for powering your trailerboat. But the outboard isn’t the solution for every single fishing or boating situation. Petrol and diesel sterndrive motors are available in plenty of configurations and ho rse po wer combinations in the smaller (<300hp) sizes.

And it’s not just about having a rear cockpit free of an outboard protruding several feet from the boat to work around – although anglers that enjoy setting a spread of baits for everything from snapper to whiting will appreciate the options that an outboard-free boat offers.

Whittley’s Angelo San Giorgio doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to separating sterndrive fact from fiction.

“You’d be forgiven for thinking that marine diesels are heavy, noisy, unrefined lumps of iron that chug along at low revs belching smoke, and vibrating

“Mercury’s TDI sterndrives will use half the fuel of a comparable petrol powered V8 model, but that efficiency comes at a price – the TDI’s are more expensive to fit than both

transom to address this potential problem.

“We position the sterndrives so their weight never contributes to the ‘pendulum’ effect often exhibited by the installation

Transoms on sterndrive boats are remarkably clear of obstructions.

Sterndrives allow trimming the boat with a tilt-able leg.

The compact Volvo Penta D3 diesels might be light in weight but are no lightweight when it comes to performance. be dictated by budget and intended application,” he said. “The diesel alternative comes at a premium, but still represents remarkable value, particular considering they are freshwater cooled, and burn fuel at up to half the rate of petrol options. In the case of Volvo Penta’s D-3 series, they are also lighter than the petrol equivalents while

packing prodigious torque at all revs.”

SERVICE COSTS Both of our sterndrive experts agree that although the maintenance intervals are around the same, the service costs of a sterndrive are higher than an outboard.

“Stern drives traditionally are a bit more expensive to service than outboards. Allow for an

extra couple of hundred dollars per year, but bear in mind that you would’ve saved more than that on your annual fuel bill not to mention that low initial purchase price if you purchased a boat with Volvo Penta’s V-6 200,” Angleo says.

“Every year or 100 hours – the same as our outboards,” says Mercury’s Tony.

THE LAST WORD Both advocates of the inboard-option stated some compelling reasons to at least consider the possibility of buying a fishing trailerboat with an inboard motor, but we let Angelo have the last word.

“Since Volvo Penta’s V6-200 sterndrive is now the standard engine for every model in Whittley’s Cruiser (CR) and Sea Legend (SL) fleets, we can package this four-stroke 4.3L petrol engine for the equivalent price of a 70-80hp fourstroke outboard or less than half the price of a 200hp outboard,” he said.

“That’s right... improved performance and handling for half the money!”

Check ‘em out.

Clever sterndrive installations can enhance a boat’s rear end. more than a coin-operated washing machine down at the two dollar laundromat – hardly suitable attributes for compact trailerable craft,” Angelo said.

“You’d be wrong.

“Recently Volvo Penta released the second generation of its compact D3 diesel platform aimed squarely at the trailerboating fraternity. These lightweight, diesel sterndrives with Electronic Vessel Control (EVC) thumb their collective noses at conventional wisdom and are now offered across the entire Whittley Marine Group’s fishingoriented Sea Legend (SL) and Cruiser (CR) ranges.”

When it comes to diesel sterndrives, Mercury’s Tony Smith agrees.

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NOVEMBER 2014

petrol inboard or outboard options,” he said at a recent boat test of their Rayglass TDI project boat.

That boat was fitted with the TDI 260HP and Tony continued about the advantages of the low centre-of gravity and different positioning of the engine.

“In rough water the ride is definitely different in a sterndrive powered craft,” he explained. “A big 400kg Verado on the transom when coming off a wave behaves very differently from an inboard, which, being centrally located, is much more stable.

Angelo said that Whittley sterndrives are buried low in the hull and forward of the

of heavy outboards on deep vee hulls,” Angelo said.

“All our sterndrive installations can be upgraded to Volvo’s Duoprop drive which features an enhanced gearbox running a pair of counter-rotating props on the one shaft. The net result is instant holeshot with minimal bow lift and better tracking at low speeds, all while burning less fuel than its outboard equivalent.”

In the coming months, you’ll read about a couple of Whittley Volvo-inboard powered boats that Wayne Kampe got to Melbourne to test. Whittley’s Angelo continues about whether petrol or diesel sterndrives are the best.

“Either option works well and the choice would

Convenient engine access is a Whittley trait.

NEW MERCRUISER 4.5L STERNDRIVE

Get the purpose-built powerhouse behind you.

The next generation 4.5L. A high-torque, lightweight V6 sterndrive that delivers V8 performance. Designed specifically for marine use – with innovations like a rear-facing throttle body that directs noise away from the helm for quieter cruising. Adaptive Speed Control maintains rpm regardless of load or condition.

It’s good to have Mercury behind you.

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

ALBION PARK HI TECH MARINE

NEWCASTLE ENDEAVOUR MARINE

40 Princes Highway ALBION PARK 2530 Phone: (02) 4256 6135 Email: pauline@hitechmarine.com.au Website: wwwhitechmarine.com.au

1 Nanda Street MARMONG POINT 2284 Phone: (02) 4958 4588 Email: sales@endeavourmarine.com.au Website: www.endeavourmarine.com.au

BATEMANS BAY BATEMANS BAY MARINE

NEWPORT NEWPORT MARINE SERVICES

6/37 Gregory St BATEMANS BAY 2536 Phone: (02) 4472 7133 Email: batemansbaymarine@hotmail.com

COROWA MAVERICK BOATS

Cnr Hamersley Rd/Theiss Rd COROWA 2646 Phone: (02) 6033 3222 Email: doug@maverickboats.com.au Website: www.maverickboats.com.au

GRAFTON DISCO MARINE

46 Prince Alfred Pde NEWPORT 2106 Phone: (02) 9997 7702 Email: manja@newportmarineservices.com.au Website: www.newportmarineservices.com.au

NTH NARRABEEN K.B MARINE 58 Garden St, North Narrabeen 2101 Phone: (02) 9913 3522 Email: sales@kbmarine.com.au Website: kbmarine.com.au

PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS MARINE

160 North Street GRAFTON 2460 Phone: (02) 6643 1199 Email: sales@discomarine.com.au Website: www.discomarine.com.au

185 Hastings River Drive PORT MACQUARIE 2444 Phone: (02) 6583 5511 Email: sales@hastingsmarine.com.au Website: www.hastingsmarine.com.au

HORNSBY SHANNON OUTBOARD SERVICE

ROZELLE OCEANLINE MARINE

3/41 Leighton Place HORNSBY 2077 Phone: (02) 9482 2638 Email: sales@shannonoutboards.com.au Website: www.shannonoutboards.com.au

LIVERPOOL GO-BOATING

Cnr Terminus & Charles Streets LIVERPOOL 2170 Phone: (02) 96013022 Email: info@goboating.net.au Website: www.goboating.net.au

NAROOMA KINGFISHER MARINE & AUTOMOTIVE 19 Graham Street NAROOMA 2546 Phone: (02) 4476 2650 Email: kingfishermarine1@gmail.com

Sydney City Marine, James Craig Road ROZELLE 2039 Phone: 0419 492262 Email: oceanlinemarine1@bigpond.com Website: www.oceanlinemarine.com.au

SANS SOUCI AQUATIC POWER

2 Wellington Street SANS SOUCI 2219 Phone: (02) 9529 8109 Email: aquaticpower@optusnet.com.au

SILVERWATER AVANTE MARINE

212 Silverwater Road SILVERWATER 2128 Phone: (02) 9737 0727 Email: info@avantemarine.com.au Website: www.avantemarine.com.au

TAREN POINT ADVANCE ENGINES & MARINE

10/14 Atkinson Road TAREN POINT 2229 Phone: (02) 95254262 Email: advancemech@bigpond.com Website: www.advancemarine.com.au

TAMWORTH TAMWORTH BOAT SALES

9 Denison Street TAMWORTH 2340 Phone: (02) 6762 7700 Email: sales@tamboatsales.com.au Website: www.tamboatsales.com.au

WEST GOSFORD INSINC MARINE

278 Manns Road WEST GOSFORD 2250 Phone: (02) 4324 4300 Email: troy@insincmarine.com.au Website: www.insincmarine.com.au

What’s new boating

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GARMIN ECHOMAP DV COMBOS

Garmin’s new echoMAP dv combo units combine detailed mapping and powerful GPS performance with advanced highdefinition sonar and scanning sonar.

The echoMAP 70dv and 50dv come with BlueChart g2 coastal charts, and include an all-in-one transducer to deliver both Garmin HD-ID (77/200kHz) sonar and DownVü scanning sonar.

With the ability to display both sonar readings in split screen configuration, HD-ID tracking technology and DownVü scanning sonar deliver incredible underwater definition in shallow and deep water. You can see isolated targets and difficult-to-find secondary structure, plus variations in weed growth and bottom hardness.

The optional GCV 10 black box adds DownVü and SideVü scanning sonar with CHIRP to the echoMAP 70dv, and both echoMAP dv models have a built-in 10Hz GPS/GLONASS receiver.

Featuring a pinch-to-zoom 7” touchscreen, the 70dv outputs 4000W peak-to-peak power for sonar performance down to 700m (2300ft), as does the smaller 50dv 5” touchbutton model. RRPs start from $899, and there’s more info at sites.garmin.com/clearvuscanning. - Garmin

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RAYGLASS USES MERCURY TDIS

NZ powerboat manufacturer Rayglass is installing Mercury DieselTDi diesels as its engine of choice in its Legend 2350, 2500 and 2800 models.

“They are a premium product and are simply better for us on a number of fronts,” said Scott Little, Sales Manager for Rayglass.

The TDi engines show their Volkswagen heritage by providing a diesel driving experience which is superior to any other.

Lightweight, quiet and fuel efficient, the TDi engines are exceptionally reliable and suitable for both sterndrive and inboard applications.

Rayglass are regularly using the 370hp TDi 4.2L V8 and the 260hp TDi 3.0L V6 in both new boats and repowers.

“Our Legend 2800 is 8.5m long and weighs 3.5 tonnes so we usually install the V8, but even when we use the V6 there’s still enough power to reach 64 km/h and you can cruise comfortably as well,” Scott said.

To find out more visit www.mercurymarine. com.au. - MM

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LOWRANCE HDS PRICE DROP

Lowrance’s latest special deal will save you hundreds of dollars when you buy any fishfinder, chartplotter or combo unit from the HDS range.

Lowrance customers will continue to have access to the HDS Gen2 Touch combo bundles which include a free 83/200khz skimmer and StructureScan transducer. The HDS Gen2 (non-touch) bundles with a free 83/200khz skimmer and StructureScan kit with HDS-8 and HDS-10 Gen2 models will also remain available but with a further saving of up to $800 for the HDS10 and $550 for the HDS8. The HDS-7 bundle with a free 83/200khz skimmer will continue with a further saving of $400, reducing the RRP to $1099.

Pricing has also dropped by as much as $1000 on HDS-10 skus, $750 on HDS-8s, $500 on all HDS-7 skus and $300 on HDS-5s with and without transducers.

The HDS price drops are available now while stocks last. For more info visit www. lowrance.com. - Navico 100

NOVEMBER 2014

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QUINTREX 610 FREEDOM CRUISER

Quintrex’s Freedom Cruiser is built for comfort, fun and durability. It features Quintrex’s renowned Blade Hull and Flared Bow to glide through rough water, offering a smooth and reliable ride.

With new 5mm bottomsides and 3mm smooth topsides and a new raised aluminium top deck, the 610 Freedom Cruiser looks sportier than ever before. There’s a 120L underfloor fuel tank, room for up to eight people, and a stereo and speakers, cockpit lights and rod holders are all included as standard.

Quintrex National Account Manager Cameron Wood said the new top deck created a sleeker look and allowed for the new low profile windscreen.

“Powered by Mercruiser with a rating up to 220hp, you can’t go wrong with the Flared Bow and Blade Hull,” he added. “It’s a tried and tested formula.”

The Freedom Cruiser is available as an Instant Boating Package including a Quintrex trailer and Mercruiser engine. For more info head to www.quintrex.com.au. - Telwater

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STACER 429 SEAWAY

The 429 Seaway, always been popular as an entry level runabout, has now been re-worked to keep up with customer demand. It’s now wider and deeper, with a 2.04m beam and more freeboard for superb stability. It has been upgraded from the flat back transom in favour of a new podded style, which aids stability and provides better flotation.

There’s a comfortable new dual position rear lounge, a lean-through windscreen hatch and new moulded anchor well. This craft can carry up to five people, and other changes include 3mm bottomsides and a rating of 50hp. Options include a live bait tank in the back deck, extra rod holders, radio, covers and canopies, a 50L underfloor fuel tank and a stereo.

The 429 Seaway is available as a Ready 2 Go boat-motor-trailer package with a threeyear limited warranty. For more info head to www.stacer.com.au. - Telwater

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GARMIN CLEARVÜ WITH CHIRP

Combining advanced HD-ID sonar, ClearVü scanning sonar and CHIRP technology, Garmin’s fully-networkable GPSMAP 820xs/1020xs series offers a powerful sonar/chartplotter solution.

The GPSMAP 820xs (20.3cm/8”) and GPSMAP 1020xs (25.4cm/10”) come with an all-in-one 77/200kHz transducer to provide traditional sonar and DownVü scanning sonar with CHIRP. Adding a GCV 10 black box delivers both DownVü and SideVü scanning sonar with CHIRP (frequency bandwidth is 445-475kHz and 805-840kHz) for an ultraclear, near photographic picture of what’s beneath and to the sides. DownVü’s finer concentrated sonar signal helps anglers recognise variations in weed growth and bottom composition down to 800m+, while SideVü can scan the water up to 150m on either side.

As advanced combo units, the GPSMAP 820xs and 1020xs also incorporate a 10Hz GPS/GLONASS receiver and come preloaded with a worldwide base map. Upgrading to BlueChart g2 Vision charts adds hi-res satellite imagery, 3D FishEye and 3D Mariner views and more. - Garmin

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Choosing the right brakes for your trailer Christian Bold

There is always confusion about what type of brakes are needed for what trailer.

The majority of boaters will have a mechanical over-ride system fitted to their trailer. This is the most commonly used braking system. The problem is that the bigger and heavier the boat, the higher the rating your trailer needs to be.

There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when rating the capabilities of a trailer. The brakes are only one factor, however if you know the rating capability of your braking system you are able to know straight away whether you have the right one or not.

NO BRAKES Not all trailers need brakes, if your trailer has an ATM of 750kg or less then by law you are not required to have a braking system on your trailer.

Just keep in mind that although your boat and trailer unloaded (no fuel, equipment, water, etc.) may weigh less than 750kg when you load it you may go over. Not a big deal right? WRONG. If you are involved in an accident and the trailer is taken away for weighing and comes in over its rating then you have a problem, not to mention the insurance company having an excuse not to pay up for repairs. And do we really need to give insurance companies another reason not to pay?

RATED BETWEEN 751-2000KG As I mentioned earlier, most boat trailers will have a mechanical over-ride braking system fitted to them, however, there are 2 types of over-ride braking systems: one is mechanical and the other is hydraulic.

Both types have a

maximum rating of 2000kg with a hand brake attached to the coupling. They both also work on inertia, meaning that when you apply the brakes on your car, the force of the boat and trailer push on the coupling shaft, which applies pressure to the handbrake leaver that will either pull on the cable (mechanical) or pushing fluid in a cylinder (hydraulic).

These systems require brake callipers fitted to one axle and both need the callipers serviced (usually when you have your bearings changed).

There are positives and negatives for both systems, for example hydraulic callipers don’t need to be adjusted like mechanical callipers do, but the brake lines do get rusty and can create cracks and leaks that allow air into the system causing the brakes to fail.

Overall, it really comes down to preference and practicality when choosing the right over-ride brakes for your trailer.

RATED OVER 2000KG If you are lucky enough to have a boat that requires the trailer to have a rating of over 2000kg you have a lot more responsibility when it comes to the maintenance of your trailer. Your trailer will have a hydraulic over electric braking system fitted to it.

If you have a straight electric brake system fitted with drum brakes then I strongly suggest you change immediately – electricity and water don’t mix!

There are a lot of braking actuators out there that are capable of pulling up your boat and trailer; depending on the make of trailer will depend on what system you have. All work the same way and require you to have a brake control unit fitted into your car.

Your brake control unit is connected to your brake light switch on your brake pedal, so when you apply pressure

to your car brakes, a signal is fed to your brake control unit.

From there a signal travels through wiring to your car trailer plug and when the trailer is connected through to the trailers brake actuator. The actuator then pushes brake fluid to the brake callipers.

know the ins and outs of the different braking systems found on boat trailers. If you are unsure of whether your trailer needs brakes or if they are working, make sure you speak to an expert as safety is always number one!.

caravan repair specialists.

As the Director of Bold Trailers he is a licensed motor mechanic, auto electrician and automotive body builder. Christian is also an AUVIS and e-safety examiner for the RMS. You can contact Christian and

These brake pads are rusted out - they won’t stop you when you need them to.

The amount of pressure applied to the brakes depends on the settings on your brake control unit (refer to your owner’s manual when setting your brake control unit).

You will also have fitted to the front of your trailer a ‘break away switch’ and ‘break away battery’. These are required by law and the battery needs to be always charged enough to apply the brakes for a 15 minute period if the switch is deployed. Your car is also required to have a ‘battery charge indicator’ fitted, to show you whether your break away battery is charged or not.

The braking system is only one element when it comes to the rating of your trailer, you can’t change the rating of your trailer just by adding or removing a braking system, a lot more is involved, but at least you

modifications, legal requirements, imported trailers, parts and accessories and new and used trailers for sale.

Their friendly technicians are always willing to help you to make your towing experience safe

The majority of boaters will have a mechanical over-ride system fitted to their trailer.

• Christian Bold, also known as ‘The Trailer Guy’, is one of Australia’s leading trailer and

the team at Bold Trailers for any information regarding trailer and caravan repairs, maintenance,

and enjoyable. For more great tips go to www. boldtrailers.com.au or Phone: (02) 8544-8114.

QX064

SYDNEY

Built tough by the best boat guys in the business.

Trailers can be optioned up with a swing away draw bar if you have size restrictions in your yard or garage.

Swing up jockey wheels are standard across the range.

Extensively tested, undergoing a simulated 100,000km around a specialist Army ‘Torture’ test track.

Constructed from rolled aluminium I-Beam creating an overall stronger frame with no weak points and less flex.

The first aluminium trailer suited for boats as small as 4.2m.

All Quintrex trailers have drive-on capability.

Our range has a proven lifespan 3 times longer than steel trailers (aluminium is extra resilient to rust and corrosion).

You love our boats, now you can love our trailers. The new range of Quintrex aluminium trailers are perfect for your current Quinnie or as an upgrade for your existing boat.

We’ve built in some unbeatable features and created a range big enough to match a long list of old and new boat sizes.

Overall, it really comes down to preference and practicality when choosing the right over-ride brakes for your trailer.

See the full range and find your nearest dealer at quintrex.com.au NOVEMBER 2014

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What’s New FISHING

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BUSHNELL BINOCULARS

Bushnell’s range of optics and gadgets encompasses a vast range of outdoor activities, and the Marine is the latest set of binoculars tailored specifically for boating. Fully fog-proof and waterproof to stand up to the changing conditions on the water, the Marine Binoculars are covered with a durable, non-slip rubber armouring perfect for wet conditions.

The tough exterior also helps protect them from knocks and bumps.

The 7x magnification provides ample power while maintaining focus in unstable environments, such as on-board a boat on the open sea. The Marine also features an advanced internal rangefinder that enables you to determine distances to objects with ease.

An illuminated compass has been built into the viewing optics and bearings are read out in precise one degree increments, making the Marine the ideal set of binoculars for navigation and locating objects accurately.

And despite their power and impressive capability, the Marine binoculars weigh just over 1kg.

Price: RRP $329 www.tasco.com.au

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PFLUEGER PATRIARCH XT

Bream and bass anglers take note, Pflueger’s all new 172g Patriarch XT is here and it’s the lightest reel in its class.

The body, rotor and sideplate are constructed from a magnesium alloy to keep the reel ultra light. The skeletonized, braidready spool is a bold approach for improved skirt design and reduces spool weight. The carbon handle with its lightweight EVA knob and carbon fibre core is 21% lighter than other handles. The stem is ported and the spool drag is inlayed with carbon fibre.

Nine shielded, stainless-steel bearings plus an anti-reverse bearing ensure a smooth performance day after day in the salt. Line retrieval is enhanced with the antitwist titanium line roller and solid aluminium wire Sure-Click bail. For added strength the reel features a solid titanium main shaft. The gear ratio is 5.2:1.

The Patriarch XT comes in sizes 30 and 35. Match it with a 40 ton Patriarch XTR rod for the ultimate lightweight finesse outfit.

Price: RRP $349.95 pflueger.com.au

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MIMIX POPPERSAURUS

Beautifully designed both in look and action, the Poppersaurus is definitely the ultimate lifelike popper that produces a loud popping sound on the water surface.

The Poppersaurus lure was designed and 100% hand-painted with great details to imitate a T-rex dinosaur. It’s equipped with two sharp and strong treble hooks that make every single Poppersaurus the perfect lure to attract and drive fish into a frenzied feeding mood. It weighs 23.5g and measures 9cm long.

Besides its popping action, the Poppersaurus is also able to produce a ‘pop-walk’ action, so you can easily make small twitches to work it like any other walkthe-dog style surface lure.

Price: RRP $19.99 www.jml.net.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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OSPREY TRANSPORTER

Osprey are luggage experts, and their Transporter Series makes the oncefeared job of hauling luggage incredibly easy.

The Transporter’s sleek, compact design makes it the perfect choice when you need to fit in more than you think. It’s as easy as throwing your gear in the bag, slinging it over your shoulder and chucking it in the boot of your car.

There’s a large U-zip for the main compartment and zippered front and side pockets, allowing for easy access, and the large handle converts to a shoulder harness.

Made with 900D nylon packcloth and 420D nylon hex rip, the Transporter Series is built tough. Whether you need a duffle bag for a quick trip to the beach, or to lug camping supplies to your site, just sling it over your shoulder and head off. These bags come in your choice of red, blue or grey, and there are four models: 130L (RRP $159.95), 95L ($139.95), 65L ($114.95), and 40L ($99.95).

Price: from RRP $99.95 www.ospreypacks.com

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TTS FROGGERZ JNR SPINNERBAIT

The FroggerZ Jnr is the latest spinnerbait release from TT Lures. These frog profile spinnerbaits are built from quality components, loaded with features and are already proving effective on Murray cod, bass, golden perch and saratoga.

Features include a hand sculptured, realistic frog profile with 3D frog eyes and lively, 10X tough Z-Man web-foot frog leg trailer. A HeadlockZ grub keeper ensures your Z-Man, or other soft plastic, trailer stays locked in place and the included stinger hook turns short strikes into hook-ups.

Other quality components include a silicone skirt, matched to the head and trailer colour, chemically sharpened black nickel hook and nickel and 24K gold plated Colorado blades for plenty of flash, vibration and a frog leg thump under the water.

FroggerZ Jnr are available in two weights, 3/8oz and 1/2oz, and nine colours.

Price: RRP $16.95 www.ttlures.com.au

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UGLY FISH KRYPTON

Aussie eyewear label Ugly Fish have released the new Krypton range, which combines protection, functionality and comfort.

With maximum UV protection (category 3) and polarised lenses, this range is perfect for anglers. Offering superior optical clarity and extremely high polarising efficiency, the Krypton cuts out glare off the water and helps you make out the light and dark shapes lurking under the surface more clearly.

The lenses are polycarbonate plastic, making them super lightweight and impact resistant, so next time you drop your pair in the tinnie they won’t fall to bits. Combine that with the anti-scratch, anti-reflective and hydrophobic lens coatings, you’ve got yourself a damn good pair of sunnies that won’t leave your head.

Available in smoke, brown or red revo lenses, Kryptons are perfect for those who live hard, play hard and are always out and about.

Price: RRP $149.95 uglyfisheyewear.com/krypton

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

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

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SCAN THE QR CODE!

What’s New FISHING

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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STRIKE PRO CYBER BAIT

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SONY ACTION CAM AS20

Juro Oz Pro Tackle has released a much anticipated new model from Strike Pro, the Cyber Bait.

The Cyber Bait is a floating lure that’s 8.5cm long, weighs 9.8g and dives to approx. 12ft. This new lure has an irresistible swaying action and features a Weight Transfer System to eliminate tumbling during casting and increase casting distance. It’s fitted with quality Owner hooks and has loud in-built rattles for added attraction. It comes in eight colours and is deadly on barramundi, mangrove jack, flathead, salmon, tailor and large trout.

Price: RRP $16.99 www.jurofishing.com

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

Sony, manufacturers of the hugely popular Action Cam, have now added a new model to the range: the AS20.

This camera captures clear, noise-free images even in dimly lit environments with the powerful Exmor R CMOS Sensor. You can turn your fast-action adventures into smooth and sharp motion with Full HD recording at 60p/50p and 28Mbps.

You’ll also enjoy clearer images with Steadyshot Image Stabilisation that compensates for any vibrations in motion, enabling smooth blur-free shooting. Scan the QR code on this page to see a video comparison of the Action Cam’s stability vs that of its competitors, or search for ‘stability comparison Action Cam’ on YouTube.

Other features include: capture breathtaking panoramic scenes such as winding trails with the 170° wide angle lens; control up to 5 Action Cams simultaneously with Multi Camera Control, with optional Live-View Remote (this feature enables you to capture scenes from multiple angles); and enjoy up to 150 minutes of recording time with a longer battery life, ensuring more shooting opportunities wherever you go.

Price: $279 www.lustyindustries.com

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ZMAN 5” POP SHADZ

The 5” Pop ShadZ popper is constructed from Z-Man’s buoyant, 10X Tough, supersoft and flexible, ElaZtech material.

With a baitfish profile and cupped face designed to pop and spit water, the Pop ShadZ appeals to barra, cod, jacks, trevally, tuna, mackerel and more. Unlike hard-bodied poppers, Pop ShadZ feel real so the fish continue to strike, even after making contact with the lure.

Rigged weedless on a worm hook or unweighted TTs 6/0 ChinlockZ jighead, the Pop ShadZ will float, allowing you to work the lure quickly across the surface or pause it and pop it. The ability to weedless rig the Pop ShadZ allows you to target the nastiest of timber, weed, lilies and other structure that would be difficult with traditional poppers.

Once a fish strikes, the hook point emerges and hooks the fish.

Pop ShadZ come in eight colours with three per pack.

Price: RRP $11.95 www.z-man.com.au

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VIVA UV TORCH

UV torches can dramatically improve your rate of catch by supercharging your lures. The use of UV when fishing for squid is well known, but there are many other marine dwellers that respond to UV, ranging from smaller fish up to and including the marlin family. It seems that if it swims it loves UV! To a human’s eye UV light is invisible, but to fish UV really stands out. Most lure paint coatings hold material that will be activated by your UV torch. Just turn in on and scan over your lure, giving your lures an extra edge in the water.

At just $14.95 this neat little single battery UV torch will bust open your tackle box in a brilliant display of UV fluorescence. It’s available now from leading tackle retailers.

Price: RRP $14.95 www.vivafishing.com

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FISH ARROW BABY CICADA

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ABU GARCIA REVO 3 BEAST

Last year the 45mm Cover Cicada from Fish Arrow became a favourite with many bass fisherman, and now building on that success comes the release of a small version.

The Fish Arrow Baby Cover Cicada is 35mm in length and weighs 3.5g. This soft bodied cicada imitation is completely weedless, soft and supple, yet tough as well.

It’s perfect for throwing right into thick weeds, lily pads and snags and it’s extremely easy to work. Simply hold the rod at a 45° angle and retrieve the lure. Its soft wings do all the work for you and work the lure in a way that bass and bream just cannot refuse! When not being used in weedy areas, a stinger hook can easily be added to maximise your hookup rate.

The Baby Cover Cicada is available in eight colours. For more information visit the distributor website at www.searingtackle. com.au or call 0404 719 944.

Price: RRP of $19.99 www.searingtackle.com.au

Armed with a 22lb max drag and deeper spool for extra line capacity, the new Abu Garcia Revo Beast will change the way anglers fish.

The reel weighs 266g and is equipped with oversized, ergonomic handles and EVA power knobs to harness the muscle of this powerful reel. Titanium-coated sideplates provide increased scratch resistance.

An X-Cräftic alloy body gives the Beast a durable corrosion-resistant framework to complement the lightweight, well balanced platform. The Carbon Matrix drag system delivers smooth, consistent drag pressure at any drag setting. The Duragear brass main gear and D2 Gear Design extend gear life and maximize performance. The line guide is titanium coated to reduce friction, and the Infini II spool design is super smooth.

There are seven stainless-steel High Performance Corrosion Resistant (HPCR) bearings plus one roller bearing and 7.1-to-1 gear ratio, while the Infini brake adjusts for a variety of lures or wind conditions.

Price: RRP $599 www.purefishing.com.au

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

What’s New FISHING

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SLINKY MINNOW 75

Juro Oz Pro Tackle has released the new Strike Pro Slinky Minnow 75, a fantastic new surface slide bait that darts and swims like an injured or fleeing baitfish or prawn.

It floats at rest with its tail underwater at 45° and can be worked with an erratic swimming action, skipped like a fleeing garfish or prawn or can be worked like a traditional diving minnow and even trolled (it runs at around 1m with a superb rolling action). This lure is 75mm long, weighs 4.6g, has Owner ST36BC trebles and comes in seven colours. It’s deadly on bream, estuary perch and bass.

Price: RRP $16.99 www.jurofishing.com

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NEW BIGFISH RANGE

Bigfish has just released their latest prints in time for summer fishing. Muddie is the latest creation, an incredibly detailed illustration that’s a must for every serious crabber. The new snapper design and the camo styled water of the flathead look awesome, and topping off the summer collection is ‘razor gang’ – a Spanish mackerel and wahoo image of these speedsters chasing down a lure.

Keep a lookout for the new speciesspecific Skelefish shirts that will also be released before Christmas: Skelefish snapper and barra.

Every shirt in the Bigfish range is printed, cut and sewn in Australia. They are incredibly soft, cool, lightweight, UPF 50 and made from the highest quality Australian knitted polyester. These shirts are not only stunning to look at, they’re extremely comfortable, stylish and provide superior sun protection.

See the Bigfish website for their entire range of shirts, hats, fish heads, jumpers and package deals.

Price: RRP $89.95 www.bigfishgraphics.com.au

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DAIWA BLACK LABEL

The foundation for the impressive Black Label range is Daiwa’s HVF graphite.

Light, responsive and crisp in action, Black Label blank performance is further enhanced courtesy of X45, 3DX and Bias Wrap Construction blank technologies, delivering a lighter and small diameter blank with enhanced strength. The blank maintains its form when loaded, allowing the rod’s power to be located at the lower section of the blank for maximum power and reduced angler fatigue.

Other key features include Daiwa’s Surround Reel Seats, cork and Air Foam fore and rear grips, and ultra-light Fuji SIC guides.

The current models are: 601HFB BC (183cm, heavy action, fast taper, 10-28g cast weight, 6-10kg line rating); 641MLFB BC (195cm, medium light, fast, 4-12g, 2-5kg); 641MHFB BC (198cm, medium heavy, fast, 7-21g, 4-8kg); and 681MHFB BC (204cm, medium heavy, fast, 7-21g, 5-8kg).

For more detailed information and specs visit the Daiwa Australia website.

Price: N/A www.daiwafishing.com.au

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SHIMANO SUNGLASSES

13

Shimano have released 13 new pairs of sunglasses in time for the summer season. Naturally they’re polarised, Australian standards-compliant, light to wear thanks to the use of polycarbonate lenses in black and amber tints, and this makes them ideal for everything from freshwater to offshore fishing.

There’s one metal-framed pair and 12 fashionable wrap-around models in black, blue-grey, turtle shell, white and burgundy frames. The wrap-around style cuts out peripheral glare, and to maintain optical clarity the lens is decentred (the optical centre is offset from the actual centre) to align properly with your eyes.

These sunglasses are also very affordable, with the new models priced at RRP $69.99, and the existing classics in the range just $39.99. At those prices you could afford to have a spare pair in the tackle box, the boat, the car or at home.

Price: from $39.99 www.shimanofish.com.au

17

MICRO JIGS FROM JURO

The Zest Micro Leaf Jigs and Juro Twisty Lazer are two of the latest micro jigs from Juro.

Zest Micro Leaf Jigs have been designed and are made to the highest quality featuring a wire through body. They sink effectively in the current and are scalloped out on the reverse side to increase the fluttering action on the drop. These jigs come in 40g and 60g weights and five colours. Each lure has a holographic finish and is pre-rigged with quality twin assist hooks.

The Juro Twisty Lazer is a new take on the popular Lazer lure, a stalwart of the Aussie metal lure market. This new lure has an increased body twist to increase the flutter on the drop, and comes pre-rigged with a high quality Gamakatsu G-Stinger assist hook.

Like the rest of the Aussie-made Lazer range it has a wire through body. It comes in 20g, 30g and 45g sizes and six colours.

Price: from $14.99 (Lazer), $19.99 (Micro) www.jurofishing.com

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SPIDERWIRE STEALTH BRAID

Spiderwire Stealth features Tefloncoated microfibers for smooth casting.

Made from 100% Dyneema fibers, Stealth is smooth and round to resist digging in on spools, is whisper quiet and shoots through rod guides with less friction – adding distance and accuracy to casts.

The new Stealth will maintain all these properties, with improved strength – up to 25% stronger! All of this, plus Colourlock technology that locks in colour for long lasting colour retention. Stealth braid is available in two colour variations: Stealth Code Red and new Glow Vis. Stealth Glow Vis features a unique UV reflective coating that appears to ‘glow’ in sunlight for better visibility, allowing you to track your line like never before. High visibility for the angler and low visibility to line shy fish. Stealth braid is available in 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 65 and 80lb tests and 150m and 300m lengths.

Price: from $34.95 www.purefishing.com.au

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

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

What’s New FISHING TESTED:

Senshi Hooks

Senshi fishing products offer premium quality terminal tackle. ‘Senshi’ means ‘warrior’ in Japanese, and all Senshi products are manufactured using the finest quality Japanese raw materials, made to the highest standards in a state-ofthe-art facility in Korea. The manufacturing facility has ISO 9001 Certification and has also been awarded many government awards and achievements, so anglers can rest assured that the build standard and quality control is up to scratch.

TESTED:

POWERED BY

The initial Senshi Hook range available in Australia includes the models Live Bait, Octopus Beak, Mutsu Circle, Long Shank, O’Shaughnessy, Bait Holder, Wide Gape and Finesse and offer a vast array of sizes so they have most angling situations and species covered.

All Senshi hooks are produced on high-grade carbon steel, feature superior chemically sharpened needle points and have a high quality black nickel finish.

All Senshi hooks are available in a Pre-Pack format with 10 hooks in each pack. The only exception is the Live Bait series, which comes with five hooks in each pack.

The Senshi hook range delivers exceptional quality and pricing and give anglers superior fishing hooks at the most important connection to the fish. Prices vary across the range but start from as little as RRP $2.99.

This brand is distributed in Australia

by Juro Oz Pro Tackle, and you can find out more information by visiting their website at www.jurofishing. com. Juro’s brand stable also includes such well-known brands as Strike Pro, TiCA, Relix, Daiichi, Kilwell and many more. - FMG

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE TESTED:

Samaki Vibelicious

I’ve never really been a fan of soft lipless baits. Not because they’re not any good – the genre catches loads of big fish all over Australia – but just because I wasn’t any good at fishing them. And nearly every river system on the east coast now has a posse of anglers that excel in slinging these baits.

They catch anything from barra in the north to mulloway and snapper in the south – with a host of freshwater species in between.

When a couple of review samples came across my desk I knew I had to learn. So I did. I tied a loop knot in the end of some 60lb leader and attached a clear/pink, 20g model (20 and 30g versions are available).

Dropping it into the current and twitching the rod tip, I could see the appeal of these baits. Shake the line and the dance in the water like a dying baitfish. Let them sink and they drop rapidly to the bottom. Rip them hard and they swim true.

They’re a great tool for probing the depths and using them with braided line will let you know if the lure is wobbling or fouled up. You can feel the

The in-your-face nature of these baits means that often the predators swallow them. action through the no-stretch connection.

I used mine to probe depths in fast flowing water that I can’t sink a stickbait into. And the results were pretty much instantaneous.

A couple of mulloway and threadfin salmon fell victim before the baits found a permanent home on the bottom of the Brisbane River.

Important safety tip: when the bait hits the bottom in current, don’t let it drag along.

Pop it up straight away. Otherwise it’ll snag.

These baits retail around the $20 mark.

Although the supplied hooks look a tad too small, I couldn’t bend them out in some fairly full-on situations. More information from www.samaki.com.au – Steve Morgan.

Maverick Hammock Swag does it all

A swag that doesn’t sit on the ground, a hammock that looks like a swag, a mozzie dome that floats in mid-air, have I got your attention? Well let me elaborate.

It’s the Maverick Hammock Swag, a hybrid hammock that will change the way you go camping.

It’s a versatile lightweight new product designed by a very clever Queenslander Jeff Mee, having a motorcycle background and sick of the size and weight of his old swags.

Jeff set out to revolutionise personal camping gear, and he has certainly kicked some goals.

The hammock is made from Dyneema reinforced nylon material and is tear-proof.

Support comes from an alloy frame with fibre cross braces that keep the hammock rigid and yet still very comfortable. You can set the hammock up in a few different ways.

The original design is to hang the hammock as you would a normal hammock (between two trees). The hammock’s ratchet cinch buckle are adjustable, which offers a wide range of flexibility in location when setting up.

But now you’re thinking, what if there are no

trees around? Well don’t worry, this hammock can be attached between anything – vehicles (roof rack, bull bar, etc), boats, or any stable structure. And if you’re out on your own, then one end can be attached to a pole.

The hammock can also be setup on the ground using the frame pole inserts as uprights. This allows the hammock to assume its correct profile and attachment of the bug netting and tarp.

Another major benefit is that you can use this hammock in any type of terrain, be it on a hill, over sand, over rock, mud, the list goes

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

on. It’s the easiest and most versatile personal sleeping product on the market.

My first trip was on South Stradbroke Island, not far from home but still a night away from the TV and the usual. I found a position close to the bank where I could keep an eye on the boat.

Set up was very simple: I wrapped the straps around the tree twice, threaded the cinch buckle through the ratchet and pulled tight, repeated the other side, clipped the hammock to the straps at both ends, turned over the hammock, inserted the base alloy frame with the cross braces, turned back over, zipped on the mozzie screen, tighten both ends to make the hammock taut and I was done.

That easy! It takes about 15 minutes to set up but I’m sure you could trim this down with practise.

It also comes with a fly, to keep you dry.

Again, it was easy to install: run a small cord from strap to strap, spread fly over, tighten and peg out the four corners and you’re ready for a shower or morning dew. Head and foot partitions also provide storage for your gear.

The best thing I liked about its design is that you don’t need to use a mattress, just throw in your sleeping bag and a pillow and the calm rocking motion is enough to send an insomniac to sleep quickly. However, Jeff explained in cold climates a self-inflating mattress will prevent cold air rising and keep you warm.

It is surprisingly very stable. When you are lying in the hammock you can’t make it tip if

you try. It is also very steady if you’re a side sleeper like me (I hate sleeping on my back).

The hammock packs down to roughly 700x200mm travel size. It is the perfect for boats and kayaks where space is limited.

I was lucky to test the hammock where midges were not a major problem, but there were enough around and the fine mesh keeps them at bay.

I look forward to continue testing this product and have it pencilled in for an extended trip to Fraser Island this summer, which will really give it a run for its money.

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for the results closer to Christmas.

This would be a fantastic gift idea for the camper that has it all.

The Maverick Hammock Swag is available from most camping outlets or you can visit www.maverickgear.com.au or give Jeff a call on 0400 902 624. – Greg Livingstone

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

This section in NSW Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

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

www.fishin.com.au

Boat / Trailer Modifications & Repairs

ONLINE BREAM TACKLE STORE

Bold Trailers (02) 8544 8114 www.boldtrailers.com.au Salt Away 1800 091 172 www.salt-away.com.au

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH Specialising in “Tournament Quality Lures” 0425 230 964 CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

Bait & Tackle

WARNING!

BYRON COAST Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion

COFFS COAST Compleat Angler Kempsey (02) 6562 5307 Rocks Marine Bait & Tackle South West Rocks (02) 6566 6726

MACQUARIE COAST Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333 Port Macquarie Tackle World (02) 6584 9972

ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR. SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

FREECALL For more info

HUNTER COAST Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144

WASHING BOATS FISHING & DIVE GEAR

SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

Blue Bottle Fishing www.bluebottlefishing.com info@bluebottlefishing.com Ph: 0409 333 380 Out of the Blue Tackle 0417 608 344 or www.outofthebluetackle.com.au Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au Techni Ice www.techniice.com Jayro Tackle www.jayrotackle.com.au

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING

1800 091 172

Line listing from $15 + gst per mth* 2cm x 2 from $35 + gst per mth* 5cm x 2 from $50 + gst per mth* 7cm x 2 from $74 + gst per mth* 9cm x 2 from $89 + gst per mth* 10cm x 2 from $99 + gst per mth* 11cm x 2 from $105 + gst per mth* 12cm x 2 from $110 + gst per mth* * Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

VISIT www.salt-away.com.au SYDNEY

SYDNEY Gabes Boating & Fishing Centre Narellan (02) 4647 8755 Gabes Boating & Fishing Centre Sylvania (02) 9522 5100

The Boat Pimpers (Sydney) (02) 9792 7799 CMC Marine Sales www.cmcsales.com.au

Windybanks Bait and Tackle (02) 9477 1520

3Gelcoat repairs 3 Insurance repairs

3 Transom & floor repairs 312v Electrical installations 4 Aspinall Place, MULGRAVE 02 4577 3482 www.westernboatrepairs.com.au

Chandlery & Accessories Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014 Korr Lighting www.korlighting.com.au

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Fish Taxidermy Neptune’s Treasures - Your Catch Reproduced 0405 226 282 www.neptunestreasures.com.au Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

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Marine Mechanics Cont...

Breakdown Response

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MOBY MARINE

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FOR OUTBOARD & STERNDRIVE SERVICE OPTIONS Outboard and Sterndrive Specialists All Services & Repairs by Qualified Technicians We are one of the Largest Distributors of After Market Marine Engine Parts in Australia

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44 Barry Ave, Mortdale, NSW Marine Mechanics Cont...

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EDEN COAST Fishermans Rest (Eden) (02) 6496 1999

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a lifetime of memories

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PH: 02 4731 6250

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Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321

Killalea State Park, Shell Cove (02) 4237 8589

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Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au ILLAWARRA COAST Sunset Motors & Marine (02) 4297 2888 Nowra Marine (02) 4423 3440 Dave Hill Marine, Nowra (02) 4423 6137

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Trades, services, charter boats & guided fishing tours directory Greenwell Point only 10 mins from

SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

NOWRA NSW

Game and Deep Sea, Charters ing Reef Fish

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Boat Hire Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 622

Fishing Guides ILLAWARRA COAST Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

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Email : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au EDEN COAST Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658 Freedom Charters Eden (02) 6496 1209 or www.freedomcharters.com.au

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BEST VALUE FOR MONEY ON THE NSW STH COAST! • Reef, Game and Kingfish • Shared and private charters • Bait and tackle supplied • Homemade morning tea • Packages available • Owner operated

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QUEENSLAND

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2015 TRIP NOW

Swains Reef • Bunker Group • Coral Sea • Shoal Waters and Beyond

Mick Ryan caught this seven-gill shark off the rockwall in Batemans Bay.

Sam Johnson and some super reds.

HAWK FISHING • FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

All things beach fishing

ALVEY BEACH WORM BREAM BUCKET COCKLE DART EUGARIE GUTTER LINE TWIST METAL SLUG

MULLOWAY PILCHARD PIPI ROD SALMON SANDWORM SHARK SIEVE SOLDIER CRAB SPINNING

Name

SPOON SPRAY SURF TAILOR WADERS WADING BAG WEED WHITING WORM PLIERS

Address

P/Code Phone (day):

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win a Hawk Fishing cap, Hawk Fishing line, Hawk HB Lure, assorted Panther Martin lures and 3 packets of Youvella chemically sharpened hooks.

SEND ENTRIES TO:

NSW Hawk Tournament Competition PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129 NSW NOVEMBER 2014

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winners for September were R Mannion of Castle Hill, J Lyneham of Fern Bay, M Ferris of Holsworthy and I Thomson of Kyabram who each won a Ecogear lure and accessory pack valued at $125.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE SPECIALTY FISHING FISH WINNERS

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The Find the specialtyfishing.com.au logo prize winners for September were: K Lee of Concord West, O Paterson of Sawtell, G Sanson of Boronia Park, J Wicks of Forbes, R Cooper of Forster, C De Boer of Valentine, C Wheatland of Wentworthville, C Ramage of Davistown, D Ayling of Swansea, K Batho of Quirindi, J Gill of Laurieton, D Luke of Batemans Bay, J Natt of Sussex Inlet , G English of Bowen, D Collister of Tamworth, D Darwick of Wentworthville, E Howarth of Cowra, J Scanlon of Croudace Bay, J Morante of Singleton, S Green of Padstow, A Hepper of Iluka, P Lyneham of Fern Bay, D McIntosh of Blacktown, R Lewis of Casula, B Bell of Wodonga, B Hester of Beverly Hills, M Thompson of Hillvue, J Mansfield of Valentine, T Turnbull of Grafton, P Kennedy of Raymond Terrace, S Horan of Orange, B Schmierer of Sanctuary Point, L Cupitt of Goulburn, R Waters of Temora, S Mathews of Edgeworth, W Hazelton of Bulli, P Bedingfield of Merimbula, L Robinson of Fishermans Paradise, L Beetham of Forster, F Simpson of Nambucca Heads.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM FIND THE SPECIALTY FISHING SEPTEMBER LOCATIONS The answers to Find the specialtyfishing.com.au logo competition for September were: 11, 14, 16, 23, 41, 44, 49, 55, 56, 61, 73, 77, 91, 92, 95. – NSWFM

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

SEPTEMBER SAMAKI PRIZE PACK WINNER The Samaki prize winner for September was G Galvin of Warabrook, who won a Samaki product prize pack valued at $300. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to Janis Natt of Sussex Inlet, who was last month’s winner of the Hawk Tournament Find-aWord Competition!

Monthly winners receive Hawk Tournament Tested Bayer Perlon IGFA line, assorted Panther Martin lures, Youvella hooks and a keyring. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

2

• DECEMBER 2010

TIDE PREDICTIONS FOR SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) NOVEMBER – 2014 FOR SYDNEY (FORT EASTERN STANDARD TIME TIDE PREDICTIONS DENISON) Add one hour to the predicted times during periods of Daylight Saving

NOVEMBER – 2014

EASTERN STANDARD TIME

Add one hour to the predicted times during periods of Daylight Saving SUNDAY 0231 1.41 30SUNDAY 0823 0.58 1437 1.53 2112 1.41 0.36 30 0231 0823 0.58 1437 1.53

1.5m

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

0837 0.58 SATURDAY

1.5m

2112 0.36

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

1 1

0252 1.31

6

12

86 8

0227 0.34 0851 1.85 12 1523180.230 2124 0227 1.43 0.34 0851 1.85 1523 0.23 2124 1.43

6

12 18 0 0226 1.22 0806 0.74 12 1416181.360 2101 0226 0.55 1.22 0806 0.74 1416 1.36 2101 0.55

1500 2142 0252 0837 1500 2142

1.55 0.35 1.31 0.58 1.55 0.35

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

0.5m 0

6

12

0

26 2

0357 1.40 0950 0.52 12 1608181.570 2237 1.40 0.31 0357 0950 0.52 1608 1.57 2237 0.31

3 3

0455 1058 1710 2329 0455 1058 1710 2329

0.5m 0

6

12

0

6

0

96 9

0308 0.40 0933 1.81 12 1609180.280 2211 0.40 1.36 0308 0933 1.81 1609 0.28 2211 1.36

106 10

12 18 0 0349 0.48 1015 1.75 12 1654180.340 2257 0.48 1.29 0349 1015 1.75 1654 0.34 2257 1.29

0.5m 0

6

12

0

166 16

0.5m 0

6

0

236 23

0.5m 0

6

1.5m

18

0 1.51 0.44 1.59 0.27 1.51 0.44 1.59 0.27

4 4

0546 1159 1806 0546 1159 1806

1.63 0.35 1.60 1.63 0.35 1.60

5 5

0015 0635 1254 1859 0015 0635 1254 1859

6

12 18 0 0515 0.62 1139 1.58 12 1825180.480 0515 0.62 1139 1.58 1825 0.48

0.25 1.73 0.27 1.58 0.25 1.73 0.27 1.58

6 6

0100 0722 1346 1948 0100 0722 1346 1948

6

12 18 0 0031 1.21 0603 0.68 12 1224181.490 1915 0031 0.52 1.21 0603 0.68 1224 1.49 1915 0.52

0.26 1.81 0.22 1.55 0.26 1.81 0.22 1.55

7 7

0.5m 0 0145 0.29 0807 1.85 1435 0.210 2037 0.29 1.49 0145 0807 1.85 1435 0.21 2037 1.49

18

0

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

1.5m

18

NSW tides 6

116 11

12 18 0 0430 0.55 1057 1.67 12 1739180.410 2343 0.55 1.24 0430 1057 1.67 1739 0.41 2343 1.24

126 12

136 13

6

146 14

12 18 0 0126 1.20 0700 0.72 12 1316181.420 2007 1.20 0.55 0126 0700 0.72 1316 1.42 2007 0.55

156 15

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

1.5m

0

6

0326 1.27 0915 0.73 12 1520181.340 2153 1.27 0.53 0326 0915 0.73 1520 1.34 2153 0.53

18

176 17

12 18 0 0419 1.34 1020 0.68 12 1619181.340 2240 1.34 0.50 0419 1020 0.68 1619 1.34 2240 0.50

6

186 18

12 18 0 0506 1.42 1117 0.60 12 1712181.360 2321 1.42 0.46 0506 1117 0.60 1712 1.36 2321 0.46

6

196 19

12 18 0 0547 1.52 1206 0.52 12 1759181.390 0547 1.52 1206 0.52 1759 1.39

6

206 20

12 18 0 0000 0.43 0626 1.61 12 1249180.440 1843 0000 1.41 0.43 0626 1.61 1249 0.44 1843 1.41

6

216 21

12 18 0 0036 0.41 0703 1.69 12 1331180.360 1925 0.41 1.42 0036 0703 1.69 1331 0.36 1925 1.42

6

226 22

12 18 0 0115 0.39 0743 1.77 12 1414180.300 2008 0115 1.43 0.39 0743 1.77 1414 0.30 2008 1.43

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

1.5m

12

0

6

0154 0.38 0823 1.83 12 1457180.250 2054 0.38 1.43 0154 0823 1.83 1457 0.25 2054 1.43

18

246 24

12 18 0 0236 0.38 0906 1.86 12 1542180.230 2142 0.38 1.41 0236 0906 1.86 1542 0.23 2142 1.41

6

256 25

12 18 0 0322 0.41 0951 1.86 12 1630180.230 2232 0.41 1.39 0322 0951 1.86 1630 0.23 2232 1.39

6

266 26

12 18 0 0412 0.44 1040 1.83 12 1722180.250 2327 0.44 1.37 0412 1040 1.83 1722 0.25 2327 1.37

6

276 27

12 18 0 0506 0.49 1131 1.77 12 1816180.280 0506 0.49 1131 1.77 1816 0.28

6

286 28

12 18 0 0025 1.36 0605 0.53 12 1228181.690 1915 1.36 0.32 0025 0605 0.53 1228 1.69 1915 0.32

6

296 29

12 18 0 0127 1.37 0712 0.57 12 1330181.600 2014 0127 0.35 1.37 0712 0.57 1330 1.60 2014 0.35

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m 12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

 Copyright: Commonwealth of Australia 2012, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) 0 Disclaimer: 6 12 18These 0 tide 6 predictions 12 18 are 0 supplied 6 12 in18 18 to 0 be 6correct.

12 18 0 good0faith6and12 believed No warranty is given in respect to errors, omissions, or suitability for any purpose.  Copyright: Commonwealth of Australia 2012, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) Disclaimer: These tide predictions are supplied in good faith and believed to be correct.

No warranty is given in respect to errors, omissions, or suitability for any purpose.

110

NOVEMBER 2014

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

Tidal information is provided courtesy of the Sydney Ports Corporation. Copyright in the Tidal Predictions is owned by the Bureau of Meteorology.

Users of these tables should be aware that the heights shown in this publication are predictions only and that the actual water level height may vary due to meteorological conditions (including barometric pressure, wind effect and storm surges) and seasonal variations.

Sydney Ports Corporation is not responsible for the average time differences for other locations.

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