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YOUR GUIDE TO CATCHING MORE FISH IN SPRING!

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Daiwa TD Zero rod range New releases from Rapala A quamaster 490 CC with Suzuki 70hp

Get cracking on calamari • New ways to catch bass

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September 2019, Vol. 25 No. 2

Contents 8

BYRON COAST The Tweed 30 Ballina 32 Yamba 34 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour South West Rocks MACQUARIE COAST

36 38

The Hastings 39 Forster 40 Harrington-Taree 41 HUNTER COAST Port Stephens 43 Swansea 44 Erina 45 Hunter Coast 42 SYDNEY Sydney 12 The Hawkesbury 14 Sydney North 16 Sydney South 18 Botany Bay 20 Sydney Rock and Beach 22 Pittwater 23 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 55 Nowra 57 BATEMANS COAST

From the Editor’s Desk... AUSTRALIA HAS A NEW WORLD CHAMPION A shout out to Aussie angler, Andrew Death from NSW (pronounced DEETH, even though his nickname is ‘The Reaper’). He won the 8th iteration of the Hobie (kayak) Fishing Worlds on the Gold Coast. Being the best in the world is no mean feat, even if it’s held in your own country on a species you have plenty of experience with. So congratulations Andrew, you were a great and humble winner and did your country proud. After helping Hobie to cover this event, I can confidently say that this was the best organised fishing tournament I’ve ever been to – period. And remember, we’ve been running events through

FM’s sister company, ABT, for 20 years. From qualifying events all around the world through to a superb five days of glorious winter weather on Queensland’s Gold Coast, the event was full of fish, fun, friendship, and maybe just a little bit of partying at either end of the stay. Full marks to Team Europe for winning the partying section of the event in quantity, quality and duration. Those guys have a stamina that’s hard to match! Even though the starts were increasingly like a dodgem-car race as the days went on, there was a great feel on the water, both between competing anglers and between anglers and residents. More than a few times the homeowners were happy to point the visitors in the direction of the fish. If you’ve never

witnessed a Hobie Australian Championship or Worlds event before, picture this: 45 identical top-of-the-line kayaks. All fitted with Power Poles, sounders, livewells and every accessory you’d need. Anglers just turn up with their gear and fish. It levels the playing field for everything except local knowledge. In that respect, the Aussies dominated, although several internationals gave them a great run for their money, especially Austria’s Edi Brader and the USA’s Nate Gloria. You just have to watch the final day’s weigh-in to see the passion that these guys have. If you want to see the extensive coverage, Like the ‘International Hobie Fishing Worlds Association’ on Facebook or visit www. hobiefishingworlds.com. Well done to Steve Fields and his hard working team.

GOODIES FROM THE AFTA SHOW Next issue will include our comprehensive coverage from the AFTA Tackle Trade Show on the Gold Coast. I’m sure that plenty of you would have seen the daily coverage on our Fishing Monthly and Tackle Junkie channels. That will be archived on the YouTube channel by the time you read this. We’re looking forward to hearing the feedback from the Public Day on the final day of the show. Fishing Monthly has been pushing for this for years now, and we hope everyone enjoyed it!

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Rupe caught this healthy impoundment bass while field testing some new gear (more info on p54). A Brett Habener image.

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ING TRADE

10 years in - Samaki has a very bright future The fishing tackle industry has changed significantly in the last 10 years, but one brand that has adapted and thrived in that time is Samaki, they are responsible for a fantastic range of high-quality gear covering everything from rods to clothing and an ever growing stable of reliable, affordable lures! This year, Samaki celebrates 10 years in this very competitive industry, and Josh Lowry, the company owner, couldn’t be prouder. In 10 years Josh has started the company from ground zero, built a team, produced some fantastic Australian designed fishing gear, and rivalled some of the best-selling gear in the country and the world. Josh used his experience in tackle retail to pick a good time to enter the fishing tackle market. “I was working in retail at the time, and when I left there was a massive gap in the market for rods, with only a few rod brands dominating,” he said. “I’d always been into my rod building and lure making, and had a crazy habit for lure collecting, so that’s basically how it begun.”

“

Our motto is Quality first

Australia has produced fishing gear locally for a long time, but when Samaki was starting out as a brand, much of the available Australian gear was low quality or for entrylevel users. “We were trying to create a high quality brand made by an Aussie, and at the start it was also super affordable,” Lowry said. “Our motto is ‘Quality first’, we don’t build it for the price, we build it for performance.” Of course, growing the business hasn’t all been smooth sailing, and there have been a few hurdles and mistakes that the team have had to learn from. “We brought out micro jigs in 2010, and we pushed them because it was a craze overseas, but we had to get rid of them because there was no call for it here yet,” Lowry said. “We ended up bringing them back a few years later when the craze finally

reached Australia.” But outweighing these setbacks by a country mile are the achievements, and Josh is particularly proud of some of the products he and the team have managed to create. The design, finish and fish-catching ability of many products under the Samaki banner is testament to the tireless hard work and determination that went into them. “The most painful ones are probably the ones I’m most proud of,” Lowry said. “Making a product that works from scratch is definitely the winner for me.” “A lot of people probably don’t realise how much effort goes into making a lure from start to finish. We have an extremely successful vibe range, and it took nearly three years to develop!” Josh is always looking to the future, and has big plans for the business in the next few years. He sees Australia’s fishing tackle market as having huge potential still, and wants to be there to give the anglers what they want. “We’re about to release a lot of fresh new products over the next 18 months, expanding into new territories with some exciting gear to come.” Josh’s determination to deliver a quality product that is created by Australians for Australians is the reason they have become such a loved brand in Australia. The future clearly holds a lot for the dedicated team at Samaki, and we’re all very keen to see what’s next for this innovative Aussie favourite. Some of their iconic high end graphite rods Zing, Zing Xtreme, Vamp, C-12, Vanquish and Jig Pro series sit at the forefront of the Samaki name. The world renowned Vibelicious and Pacemaker lures have already been impacting in Australian fishing history as well as on the global market. Samaki are proud to be a part of the Australian fishing tackle industry, passionate about our products and their customers. Bring on the next 10 years!!

Calamari

Spring brings southern calamari to Sydney SYDNEY

Ben O’Brien

My favourite season of the year is here. Finally the weather is looking better and it’s far more tempting to get out of bed before sunrise and tackle our waterways. The warmer mornings and longer days

day out on the water, with some of the country’s most sought-after species, the mighty kingfish and mulloway. Both are equally keen on calamari and simply cannot resist when one is dangled in reach, much like myself when a little salt and pepper is added! With the warmer currents finally starting to

protruding reefs that stick out along the headlands is approach. Always be thinking of cover, as squid are soft fleshy creatures and easy targets for most marine predators, including the fur seal, and they rely on cover to survive. Kelp beds or weedy sandy floor coverings are where they’ll usually be found, and it’s

swim across these open passages of water and find themselves on the menu. A hi-tech sounder makes this hunt a lot easier. I use a Lowrance sounder with Side Scan and High Chirp. I like this technology because it allows me to stalk a reef and know exactly what lies to the port or starboard, what substrate the bottom is, and even if there is a fine

Pink is always a good colour for calamari of any size. West Head, targeting the deep waters up to depths of around 20m, sometimes in 30m of water if I found a good reef system. The

was ranging in temperature from 14-16.5°C. However, with the warmer push of currents happening around now and continuing right

Spring usually sees good numbers of squid coming aboard. Southern calamari are a much sought-after species, both as a bait and as a tasty entreé! mean only one thing: southern calamari will be out and a plethora of predators will be about too, looking for a feed! The warmer mornings with the hungry predators are a recipe for a spectacular

push into the shores, this is a great time to chase some squid in the shallow and deeper waters off the coast of Sydney. Throughout winter I have been fishing the 12m+ zone throughout Sydney Harbour and across

A sounder is very handy for finding patches of weed, rock and bait. prominent headlands off the coast such as North and South Head along with Long Reef are great winter spots for these creatures. During winter, the water in around 10-15m depth

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through to the beginning of next year, they will start to move to the shallows, and the usual bait grounds can really start to fire up. I love winter for producing the larger specimens, however when I’m after quantity not quality, this time of year is when I can quickly get a full livewell of baits, with any extras being taken home as a beautiful entree. When spring arrives, we can expect waters to start to exceed 20°C, and soon if we’re lucky, like this year, the waters should get up to the mid 20s around April and May, and we’ll get to experience great pelagic action throughout the Sydney Harbour region. FINDING SPRINGTIME SQUID I often go looking for new grounds on the water when I have the time and have spent countless days searching the headlands for little bommies and reefs that hold a good amount of kelp growth. Without the kelp and reefs, they won’t be about, so watching the sounder and looking for any

very rare for them to be away from cover. I usually look for deeper holes with sandy bottoms bordered by kelp reefs either side. This provides

layer of sea grass. Quite often when I’m prospecting new grounds in the deep water I come across the cuttlefish, a great bait for the kingfish and a great

The end result of a good day squidding. They are absolutely delicious with a bit of salt and pepper. the perfect ambush spot for these aggressive cephalopods, which lay stealthily, camouflaged in a protected environment before jetting out to attack. Small fish and invertebrates often take a risk and

fighter in their own right! They can really have the drag singing when they take off. The shallows and the deeper areas are quite productive in September, with deeper areas holding

Calamari the bigger southern calamari and cuttlefish and the shallows holding the

majority of the perfect live bait size. Having said that, I have encountered some

absolute monsters in the shallows, so it shows how unpredictable they can be as they will venture to the shallows to catch a feed. Approximately eight weeks after the females lay their eggs on the kelp during the winter breeding period, they will start to hatch and rapidly start

family and I will be able to enjoy them. GEARING UP Due to their rapid growth, they have a voracious appetite and will hit most styles of squid jigs. I prefer the more expensive ones, as I feel they have a more realistic fall and twitch action. My preferred

Double ups are common once a school is located.

Having a good selection of jigs will ensure you can find out exactly what they want on the day.

growing and feeding. This is why I’m quite selective about the ones I take in winter. I want to preserve these beautiful creatures for generations ahead and the more they can breed and lay their eggs, the more my

squid jigs and colours are pink, red and natural in 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 sizes from Yamashitas. I find the pilchard and whiting imitations to be deadly on calamari as well at times. For the rod, I have a few

Fishing around jetties and rock groynes from the shore is an effective and hassle free way to get into the squid during spring. sizes ranging from a length of 6’6” with a line weight of 3-5kg, to a 7’6” model rated to 3-5kg and I find these can handle any size squid. Just allow the drag to be set appropriately if a kraken hits and decides your jig will be its last meal!

The line is usually 10lb braid with a leader of around 10-20lb, depending on the terrain I’m fishing. I am conscious that these creatures have exceptional vision (just have a look at the size of their eyes!) and To page 10

SEPTEMBER 2019

Calamari From page 9

with this comes a degree of suspicion when the line in clear water is too thick.

a full livewell is better than ending the day with only one squid from fishing heavier line. I also find the

These five tasty squid on the deck will make a great meal once cleaned and cooked. They can be quite wary, so I’ll always rather go lighter than heavier and sometimes losing a jig with

lighter the leader and line, the better the jig action, which makes it appear far more natural and doesn’t

add to pulling the jig deeper in an unnatural motion. TECHNIQUES Deep water For the deeper water I use a few methods when on a steady drift across water depths from 10-20m. Often I will position the stern of the boat correctly to allow two rods out the back to freely drift while I work a third. The rods out the back are usually two different sizes. One is armed with a 3.0 pink Yamashita and I fish that on the deeper stretch out the back, and the other rod has a 2.5 size jig fished over the shallower side of the boat. With the usual ups and downs of the swell this adds action to the jig and creates the lifts and pauses that a normal retrieve would provide. With the third rod, this normally has a 2.5 size squid jig, and I like to cast ahead of the drift and allow it to sink to an appropriate depth. Once I’ve counted out the depth I wish to fish, I will start to work it back. I tend to not work it too aggressively. I prefer to use a moderate ‘whip-whip’ action then let it sink, but sometimes a simple lift and drop is all that is needed to tempt a squid. Quite often I find it’s actually the rods set out the back that start to load up before the worked jig gets

hit. The natural fall of the jigs really does resemble a prawn, and the more expensive jigs are miles ahead, however, the cheaper jigs will still catch you squid. Shallows For the shallower water, I’ll anchor up or freely drift and be far more

active. Due to the dangers of getting snagged in the shallows, I rarely leave a rod unattended, as without the proper currents and drift they sink quickly and foul themselves quite a bit. I will do a long cast over some ground I feel should hold calamari and count the

sink rate before starting to work it. A similar retrieve to the one mentioned above will suffice, however a slow and straight retrieve can also work, and you can never wind too slowly. Land-based One of my other favourite methods to target

Both calamari and cuttlefish can be found around some of the deeper reefs, and make great tucker and bait!

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Calamari these critters is by trekking our beautiful coastline by foot. Not only is this great exercise, it’s also a great experience. Watching the

on ‘satellite’ so you can see the structure below. Aim for rocky points and kelp beds – you’ll be able to see these on the maps.

well. Clifton Gardens and many harbour jetties when the lights are on at night are also great attractions for these predators, as they

Fishing the deep headlands from a boat is very productive during the winter, or when the shallows are stirred up by rain in spring. sunrise while perched on a headland with nothing but a rod and a backpack is fantastic. With this approach, I will use Google maps to plan an attack. Turn

This method is all about preparation. As most people know, southern calamari and arrow squid like structure, whether it’s a jetty or a rock reef, so target these areas as

Finding rocky and weedy points on a map like these ones is a great way to start your search for southern calamari.

hide on the edges of the light beam waiting for bait to venture within reach. When walking the rocky shore during the day, a good pair of polarised sunglasses are a must, along with a life jacket and good rock fishing shoes. I find the polarised sunglasses are like a sounder for your eyes, giving you great visibility across the water so you can see kelp and sand beds. Try to find an elevated position and use this to plan an attack. In these conditions I like to use a slightly heavier rod with 10-15lb braid, and a slightly heavier leader just in case you do foul on a bit of weed, as this will make it easier to retrieve, not to mention land these critters. SPRING HAS SPRUNG Overall, I’m excited for this spring and if it’s anything like last year then we are all in for a treat! Focus on the kelp beds, shallow rocky reefs and anywhere that has good current flow and constant clean water. If it rains then head out a bit deeper, as they don’t like dirty water and they can go off the bite very quickly after some rain. If it rains, I always go back to winter fishing techniques and fish the deep headlands. Bring on the warmer conditions and good luck out there! SEPTEMBER 2019

BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

W I T H PA U L L E N N O N

Get a start on squid this season Squid are an extremely popular target all around the coast of Australia, and it’s easy to see why as they are great fun to catch, fantastic on the plate and a top bait. Often referred to as ‘egiing’ by enthusiasts, fishing for squid has really boomed in Australia over the past decade. These days, entire walls of some tackle stores are filled to the brim with squid jigs of every size, shape and colour combination imaginable, as well as scents and special tools for killing and cleaning. There are also ranges of squid fishing rods and reels designed solely for targeting squid, and even braided lines just for squid. Expanding even further, much of what we see on the walls here is still only a small portion of what’s actually out there and what’s coming, especially from the squid fanatical Japanese market, which is constantly coming up with new and exciting technology for the world of squidding. With all this going on, it’s easy to get lost and confused in the squidding world and forgot the basics fundamentals that make up the bulk of squid fishing success.

Any squid around 30cm in the hood is a beauty. Perhaps the most important choice to make is what size jig you be should using. The depth you’re

The author took these two monstrous squid fishing out of the boat. 24

SEPTEMBER 2019

fishing should determine this, and to a lesser extent, the size of the squid you’re targeting. The larger the jig will usually mean it’s heavier and sinks quicker. Squid jigs come in a variety of sizes starting from around 1.5 up to a 6.0. Smaller jigs from 1.5-2.0 will sink pretty slow and work well in shallow water less then 1m in depth. I use this size jigs when fishing the shallows at nighttime under around areas that are illuminated by a nearby light. Baitfish are attracted to these sorts of places and squid will move right against the shoreline to feed on them. You can also use these smaller jigs on a paternoster rig when fishing deeper water to get them down. This is sometimes a good idea when there are smaller squid around that are reluctant to hit the bigger jigs, or when you’re in areas where arrow squid are the main target. Size 2.5 jigs are my favourite size to use when casting in waters less than 5m over seagrass beds, which will typically be the best areas to find squid inside estuary. For deeper environments you could again drift with a paternoster rig or up your jig size to a 3.0 The 3.0-4.0 jigs are best suited for those fishing ocean

rocks or boat fishing offshore around the protected bays and coves with kelpy bottoms where big squid like to hang. The 4.5 and larger size jigs are good for getting down to deeper offshore reefs in less then 30m of water, where extra large calamari can sometimes congregate, and there is always the chance of picking up a monster cuttlefish when fishing theses parts too. GEAR While you could go all out and use a dedicated squid outfit, you probably won’t see the benefits unless you are very serious about your squidding. A 2-5kg 7ft graphite rod and 2500 size reel spooled with 6lb braid will certainly still do the job and cover you for just about any form of squid fishing you do, with the exception of the big jigs over 4.0. Also, if you’re land-based fishing the ocean rocks, you should up your rod length to a stick around 8-9ft. I like to use about 1m of 12lb Black Magic Pink Leader on my squid jigs. While some might call this overkill, it will save your jig if you get a tip wrap mid-cast, as it won’t bust off and fly into the drink. BEST JIGS There are so many jigs on the market these days, and they range from dirt cheap to $40 a pop, but the best value for money quality jigs around that I’ve come

The author with a cracker squid that took a fancy to the Black Magic Squid Snatcher in ghost glow colour. natural baitfish patterns when the sun’s out and the waters clear. Pinks, oranges, greens, and whites that have a bit of lumo are better for late afternoon or early morning. The new colour ‘fire glow’ in the Black Magic Squid Snatchers has been my go-to of late and

you make sure you’re letting the lure sink and stay in this zone as long as possible. Once it’s in the zone, a double flick of the rod tip to give it some action on the retrieve will help attract squid to your jig. Try not to allow too much slack line in your

A good selection of jigs to cover all situations will pay off. across are the Black Magic Squid Snatcher range. They represent excellent value for money, with a great colour range for sizes 2.0-4.0, which virtually covers everything you’re ever going to need. When it comes to colour choice, everyone has their favourites, but I like to use

out-fishing everything else. Black also has its place and is an excellent choice when fishing on a moon lit night or around areas of water that are lit up in the evening. TECHNIQUE Most of the time squid will be located in the bottom two thirds of the water column, so it’s important

retrieve, as squid jigs have no barbs, meaning unless there is resistance pulling the other way a squid can easily push forward and disconnect itself from the jig. Another tip is to have your drag set quite loose, as the heaver drag can often rip the tentacles of a squid clean off.

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING EQUALIZER TWIN PIN PRO

The Black Magic Equalizer has grown a reputation around the world for being the ultimate fish fighting gimbal and harness, and now it’s even better. With the advent of different fishing styles and the growing popularity in bent butt rods, Black Magic has introduced a new Equalizer, called the Twin Pin Pro (patent pending). The change is simple yet significant, offering a great advantage to anglers who use both bent and straight butt rod types. As the name suggests, the Twin Pin Pro has two pins, one in the traditional recessed position, and a new pin in the front of the rod bucket. Now, anglers have maximum leverage whether using a straight butt or a bent butt rod, without the need for an adaptor. Simply choose the best pin for your style of rod and you are fishing without restrictions. Head to the Black Magic website to see more information, photos and a video of the Twin Pin Pro. www.blackmagictackle.com

OKUMA HELIOS SX SPIN RODS

Taking on all comers and reigning supreme in the Best New Rod category at the prestigious 2018 EFFTEX tackle trade show, the eye-catching Okuma Helios SX spinning rod is now available in Australia. There are three models in the range, covering many of our most popular light spin applications. Helios SX rods offer anglers high end components, ultra-light feel, crisp actions and incredible value for money. Features include 30T Toray carbon construction, creating slim blanks and fast actions, Japanese EVA split grip design, comfort grip ergonomic reel seat and Seaguide Gun Smoke SS guide frames with zirconia guide inserts. All up, it delivers classy looks, quality components and proven performance at an affordable price. The range consists of the following models: HSX-S-702L (light action, 7’0”, 2-piece, 1-3kg, 1-8g casting weight), HSX-S-702ML (med light, 7’0”, 2-piece, 2-4kg, 3-15g) and the HSX-S-702M (medium, 7’0”, 2-piece, 3-6kg, 5-20g). Price: SRP $109.95 www.okuma.com.au

STRIKE PRO X-BUSTER

The Strike Pro X-Buster is a deadly swimbait with a superior quality and finish. This jointed swimbait replicates a bony bream to perfection and is deadly on barramundi and Murray cod. It has an outstanding side to side action, and you can crank, rip, twitch, pull, jerk or troll it. Just remember to give it a good pause; it glides deadly to the left or right and it stays in the strike zone. This lure is extremely strong, with a tensile strength of 35-40kg, and it comes fitted with extra strong split rings and trebles so it’s perfect to use straight out of the packet for large species. The X-Buster is 17cm long, weighs 80g and suspends at approximately 4ft. It also features extra loud in-built rattles for added attraction, allowing the fish to home in on the lure in murky waters. The X-Buster is available in four natural baitfish colours and is a must for the serious swimbait angler. www.jurofishing.com 50

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BASSDAY BACKFIRE 4 Bassday’s expertise in the surface lure market is second to none, with the SugaPen one of the deadliest surface lures available. Their newest creation, the Backfire, was originally designed for catching black porgy on Lake Hamana in Shizuoka, but it has proven itself in our local conditions already. And like the SugaPen, it’s sure to be a favourite for keen anglers. The Backfire is 65mm long and through wired, making it strong and dependable. It weighs 7.5g and casts exceptionally well for a small lure. The large cupped face is capable of both dramatic pops, and small subtle, ripple inducing pops, when using a slow and light touch. The slim profile produces little wind resistance. The action is that of a classic popper and will be excellent for bass, bream and other surface feeders. It works best with a ‘pop, pop, pause’ technique. The new model comes in eight colours, and all but one have been designed exclusively for Australia. To find out more visit the Bassday Australia website, or Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BassdayAus. www.bassday.com.au

DAIWA KIX LT

Combining many of Daiwa’s latest technologies with stylish looks and contemporary design, the Kix LT delivers on both performance and price. The Kix’s impressive design and strength begins with its ultra strong, ultra corrosionresistant alloy body providing a rock solid foundation for the reel’s long list of features. Daiwa’s LT Concept delivers lightness and toughness while Tough Digigear provides flawless internal gearing, with its high-precision cutting technique achieving perfect gear meshing and ultra-smooth performance. MagSeal protects from the elements, while Air Rotor, ATD, LT’s Longcast ABS spool, Perfect Line Stopper, Air Bail and EVA knob combine for superior performance, power and precision. The new Kix LT is available now in six different sizes. www.daiwafishing.com.au

UPGRADED FG WIZZ

The FG knot is the best braid-to-leader knot because it has the slimmest profile of any other knot, allowing you to reel it through your guides and use longer leaders. It’s also stronger than any other braid-to-leader knot. This tool leaves your hands free to tie a slim, uniform and reliable FG knot every time, quickly and easily. There is no need to use your teeth or your rod. The FG Wizz is compact so you can take it anywhere. This Aussie invention is hand-made by angler Ray Fewell. “The original FG Wizz has been selling well, and everyone who has one loves it,” Ray said. “If there has been any criticism at all, it’s the fact that it doesn’t handle heavy braids and leaders as well as the lighter sizes. That’s because the stems get drawn together at a faster rate. “The new version is more versatile, holding heavy leader better in the back bobbin when finishing the knot.” To see how easy it is to use, look up ‘FG Wizz’ on YouTube. Price: SRP $44 www.fgwizz.com.au

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MAJOR CRAFT N-ONE 7 EGI RODS The Major Craft N-One Egi Series are all 8’6” lengths that cater for small 0.4 jigs all the way up to larger 3.0 and 4.0 jigs. The rods are all spin, using a nano-alloy and carbon blank construction to reduce weight. They also incorporate the CrossForce technology used elsewhere in the Major Craft range. These rods are a delight to use, with a super sensitive tip and an incredibly light weight, which allows anglers to impart jig movement with minimal effort and less fatigue. The guide train is all Fuji SiC, arranged in the KR Concept pattern, and ergonomics are at the centre of the build with carefully constructed composite EVA grips. The rod uses gold winding checks and black, gold and red bindings for a bold look. There are three models, the NSE-862EH (8’6”, PE 0.6-1.5, 3.0-4.0 jig size), NSE-862E (8’6”, 0.4-1.2, 2.5-3.5), and NSE-862EL (8’6”, 0.4-1.0, 2.0-3.5). For more information visit the Major Craft Australia website or Like them on Facebook. www.majorcraft.com.au

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RAPALA TOURNAMENT 8 SHIRTS

You can fish all day in comfort with the new Rapala Tournament Fishing Jerseys. These quick drying, 100% polyester shirts make a day on the water comfortable, and have a UPF 30+ sun protection rating to protect you and your kids from the sun’s harmful rays. These jerseys are available in adults’ sizes small to XXXL and kids’ sizes 2 to 14. For more information visit the Rapala Australia website, or check them out at your local tackle store today. To find out more about these and other products in the Rapala apparel range, check out the Rapala Australia website or like them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapala. australia), or Instagram (@rapalaaustralia). www.rapala.com.au

SHIMANO SLX DC

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The Shimano SLX DC offers smarter, more efficient lure casting under a variety of conditions. Shimano’s Digital Control braking system automatically activates and controls brake force at every moment of the cast. A microcomputer controls the spool rotation by measuring and adjusting its speed, at 1000rpm/second, during a cast and little to no thumbing of the spool is required. It doesn’t require a battery, as the system re-charges itself as the spool rotates. Four adjustable settings enable anglers to fish a wide variety of lures in all weather conditions, without having to constantly fiddle with internal brake settings. The DC system can also accommodate various casting styles and even different line types, with setting 1 providing the least amount of brake control and 4 providing the most. The Hagane Body helps to ensure that the reel is extremely rigid and durable, so all movement results in smooth, yet strong cranking power. There’s an enlarged 48mm Throw Handle across three right-handed models, with gear ratios of 6.3:1, 7.2:1 (HG) and 8.2:1 (XG), and one left-hand (7.2:1 HG). With a maximum drag output of 5kg, the SLX

DC can provide great stopping power. Price: from SRP $339.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

SALTIGA 12 BEX UVF 10 PE+SI Made with UVF (Ultra Volume Fibre) and Evo Silicone, Saltiga 12 BEX UVF PE+Si Line is the ultimate high-density braid, exhibiting supreme abrasion resistance and ultimate strength. With 72% improved abrasion resistance, 20% more strength, an 18% more slippery surface and 30% less line stretch compared to 8 braid premium PE lines, Saltiga 12 Braid UVF is the ultimate in line technology. A reduced diameter provides an ultrasmooth surface for less friction/resistance on the guides and spool rim allowing for longer smoother casting, less noise, minimal water penetration and incredible sensitivity. Saltiga 12 is the ultimate heavy duty jigging and casting line for big gamefish, and is colorcoded in 10m, 5m and 1m increments to allow full line control. It’s available in a range of sizes from PE0.6 (200m spool) up to PE8 (400m spool), and you can see all the specs at Daiwa Australia website. Price: from SRP $99 www.daiwafishing.com.au

OKUMA EPIXOR SQUID RODS

A dream rod for egi anglers, Okuma Epixor squid rods feature stunning aesthetics, top quality components and slim blanks with crisp actions. Balanced for long casts and imparting action into jigs, with plenty of power down low for casting and control, combined with tips that can bring jigs to life in the water and control the surges of hooked squid, while reducing the chances of tearing jigs free. High end components are used in the manufacture of these rods, including 40T Toray carbon blanks for a light and responsive rod, finished with Fuji K guides and Fuji reel seat. Okuma Epixor Squid rods are available in 7’6” and 8’3” two-piece models, rated PE 0.61.2, with a casting weight of Egi 2.5-4.0. For more information head to the Okuma website, or look them up on Facebook (www.facebook. com/okuma.australia). Price: SRP $179.90 www.okuma.com.au

NEW FISH TRAP COLOURS

Anglers who love the Zerek Fish Trap will be excited to hear that seven new colours have arrived. The new colours have been developed with the assistance of gun anglers across Australia and with the help of tackle stores. Needless to say, Zerek has delivered an exceptional new range. Within the range are the following colours: BF – blended fog, GC – ghost carp, GH – gold herring, GS1 – green sunset, PS1 – pink sunset, SH – silver herring, and SS – sunset. Initially available in the 95mm size, these colours will be rolled out into the 65mm and 110mm sizes in the coming months. The Zerek Fish Trap features virtually indestructible TPE construction matched to forged split rings that hold the Mustad 4x strong Saltism treble. www.wilsonfishing.com

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au SEPTEMBER 2019

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Perfect timing for flathead season

The flathead season on Australia’s east coast hits its peak in Southeast Queensland in late September, and the action filters its way south as water temperatures increase in December and January. Anglers all the way to bottom of East Gippsland in Victoria, and the southern coast of Western Australia, head out looking to tussle with a flat fish. Those of you who follow the Tackle Testing Booths in the magazines and the www.tacklejunkie.fish website know I love targeting flathead. When the team at Rapala Australia wanted to do something flatheadrelated, I was on board straight away. Much of what they sent me was newly released in 2019, and I could see that the lures were likely to catch their fair share of flathead. For now though, let’s start with the rod, reel, line and leader.

Rapala Australia’s portfolio of brands cover all the bases for you to catch flathead. The author’s chief product testing assistant, Nicholas Willett, has had a lot of success using paddle tail plastics this season. This flathead took a liking to a 4” 360GT Coastal Mangrove Minnow. The Rapala Maxwell rod that they matched with a Rapala R-Type reel immediately intrigued me. The Maxwell rods are available in nine different spin configurations, two of which are new for 2019. The rod to be tested was the 7’ 2-piece, 2-4kg model (MXS702L). Maxwell rods fit into the finesse spectrum of rods – super lightweight, quality Fuji KR Concept

guides, skeleton reel seat with an EVA foregrip and composite cork rear grip. They are a fast taper configuration. The Rapala R-Type 25 reel they matched it with is a new size within the R-Type Spin range, added in 2019. It and the R-Type 35 have been added to the three other sizes available this year. These reels have 6+1 ball bearings and the new models have a 5.2:1 gear ratio with a 6kg drag rating. A big part of the Rapala Australia portfolio is the Sufix range of lines. I was provided with a 10lb 150yd spool of Sufix 832 Advanced Superline in coastal camo colour to put on the reel, and some Sufix Super 21 fluorocarbon leader to go with it.

Both lines are recognised for their abrasion resistance and sensitivity. The Sufix 832 is an interesting concept. It is an 8-strand line with 32 weaves per inch of line. The line itself is a blend of 7 HMPE fibres and a GORE performance fibre. The GORE fibre assists with abrasion resistance while the HMPE fibres provide the strength and sensitivity. The Sufix Super 21 complements the main line, providing a strong, supple and invisible leader to fish with. VMC COASTAL X JIG HEADS AND STORM 360GT COASTAL SOFT PLASTICS The Coastal X jigheads and 360GT Coastal soft plastics were a new release for 2019, following on from the highly successful Storm 360GT Searchbait range. The VMC Coastal X jigheads range from 7-14g and come in 2/0-4/0 hook sizes. I would call the hook medium heavy, certainly fine enough to get through the top lip of a flathead. Storm 360 Coastal plastics come in a number of profiles and sizes, and you can find more information in the fact box hereabouts. Each style has eight colours. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The combination of the Rapala R-Type

reel and the Maxwell rod is a good one. It is well balanced, and although the reel feels a little heavy compared to some out there, it is spot on for the rod. Initial impressions of the rod where that it is quite soft or very tippy, whichever way you want to say it. I did have concerns that casting a 3/8oz or 1/2oz jighead and plastic may be a challenge, and that the initial power required to set the hook on a larger flathead may not be there. Loading the rod correctly (not the wiggle test) alleviated this concern. As tippy as the rod may be, there is plenty of power from two thirds of the way down the blank to deal with the above lures and to drive that hook home. The VMC Coastal X jigheads are also a little different. Their medium heavy wire covers the best of both worlds – fine enough for quick hook penetration with the strength to give you peace of mind if you need to dictate terms while fighting a fish. I would have loved for the 3/8oz to come in a 4/0 hook (like the 1/2oz) not just 2/0 and 3/0. It just has that hook point a little further back when you are fishing 4” and 5” plastics. I did love the concept of a second eyelet under the head. You can run a blade or add a treble or stinger hook, something that shifts the odds just a little

STORM 360GT COASTAL PLASTICS Type

VMC Coastal X jigheads have a second eyelet so you can add a blade, treble or stinger hook. The author has chosen to add a stinger to the tail of this 4” Storm Coastal Shrimp.

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Coastal Shrimp Coastal Mangrove Minnow Coastal Manta Tail Coastal Largo Shad Coastal Trick Tail Minnow

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Plastics per packet

3” and 4” 3” and 4” 4” and 5” 3” and 4” 5”

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PRODUCT GUIDE more in your favour. The 360GT Coastal plastics range has five styles, of which I selected four, and they are a good variation on traditional proven profiles. The Coastal Shrimp and the Manta Tail were my initial favourites. I also like the colour range, as I have always been a fan of contrast colouring, whether it’s layers or tail contrast. Each model has enough natural and ‘out there’ colours to meet most anglers’ needs. IN THE FIELD It has been an interesting three months testing the gear and plastics on my local flathead. Lower rainfall and longer than expected warm weather has my local haunts fishing a little differently from previous years. Smallish (3-3.5”) baitfish profiles have been the go. I expected the 3” Coastal Shrimp and Mangrove Minnow to be the standouts,

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too many fish that don’t like a feed of prawns. Also coming in 3” and 4” sizes, the larger size seems bigger than it is. I did use a stinger hook set-up with it on those occasions when the fish weren’t in full smash ’em mode. It has proven to be the downfall of plenty of flathead, and has its fair share of bycatch as well.

Flathead haven’t been the only fish to take a liking to the 3” Storm Coastal Shrimp. This nice little snapper smashed one in the new penny colour.

The Rapala Maxwell rod fully loaded during a cast. and I was half right. The Mangrove Minnow paddle tail comes in two sizes (3” and 4”) and is quite a slender profile. What was unexpected was how hard the tail thumps. The feedback through the rod in amazing considering the profile of the plastic. This has translated into some good fish being caught, but not as many as I expected it to. The season has been about finesse, and maybe the Mangrove Minnow was a bit full-on for some of the fish. The Coastal Shrimp, however, has exceeded my expectations. The profile suits any style of retrieve, and I don’t know

The Coastal Manta Tail and Trick Tail Minnow are a jerkshad configuration with different tail set-ups. Flathead love this style of plastic, and this proved to be the case with both lures. The Trick Tail Minnow is a 5” plastic where the Manta Tail is available in either 4” or 5” sizing. Flathead are not afraid of a large plastic, and the Trick Tail Minnow has caught its fair share of fish, but the Manta Tail has been winner between these two plastics. Like the Coastal Shrimp, the Manta Tail has accounted for some fun bycatch as well. The Rapala combo has been ideal for targeting flathead. The reel has a smooth drag and the rod is easily powerful enough. The combination of the Sufix 832 braid and Super 21 leader with the outfit is next level. The feedback through the rod from the line is second to nothing I have tested. You feel everything that is happening at the end of line, which is exactly what you want when you’re fishing plastics. The

No wonder the author is a fan of the New Penny 3” Coastal Shrimp!

Although all the Storm plastics tested caught fish, the author’s favourites were the 3” Coastal Shrimp and this plastic, the 4” Coastal Manta Tail.

This mulloway was a welcome by-catch. It was caught on a 4” Storm 360GT Coastal Manta Tail in the kickin chicken colour.

marketing for the Superline in particular is all about abrasion resistance, and I can’t fault it. More importantly for me, they are great to tie knots with. You can deal with your line being rubbed through, but not your knots giving way. FINAL THOUGHTS As an overall package, Rapala Australia has done a great job, and anybody who likes chasing a flathead or two should check out these products. The standouts for me were the Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp and the Coastal Manta Tail. The Sufix 832 Superline is amazing too. Although I did like the coastal camo colour that I tested, I would probably steer towards the neon lime colour, as my aging eyes need all the help they can get. You can check out these products in your local tackle store, on their website at www.rapala.com.au or like Rapala on Facebook to get all the updates on their new products. – Peter Jung

The author didn’t expect to catch this on a 360GT Coastal Shrimp.

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A perfect combination of touch, power and looks It would be the understatement of the millennium to say that product developer/fishing nerd Tommy Slater and the team at Daiwa Australia have been busy in 2019.

some time working out exactly which rods I’d get the most use out of. I initially asked for one of each model (16 total rods), and once the laughter on the other end of the phone stopped we settled on one

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setting means little to nothing once you’ve actually strapped a reel to it, chosen a lure and set off to put a REAL bend in it. As crazy as my old mate Jimmy Reid from ABT can be, he’s got nothing on a wild bass who’s decided your Mazzy Pop looked good for afternoon tea and is heading back to the gnarly snag he calls home. In the three months or so I’ve been fishing the TD Zeros I’ve been most impressed by how well they’ve thrown lures of all different shapes and sizes. Using everything from Bent Minnows and iWavers through to

Throwing jigs into tight cover was easy with the TD Zero baitcaster.

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A wild fish that was extracted from a nasty snag thanks to the abundant low end power.

various bass jigs, crankbaits and vibes, they’ve handled everything asked of them with ease. And when I put those lures in the right spots and actually hooked a fish or tiger squid, the fun really began. Ask any angler or experienced tackle store employee, and they’ll say that previous Daiwa rod ranges had too many versions of the same rods. The livery, cosmetics and price points would all change, but most of the lengths, weights and actions were very similar. This has really started to change in the last 12 to 18 months, and the TD Zeros are a perfect example of that change. The two models I’ve fished with so far (I’m still holding out hope the other 14 models will show up any day now) both have actions that are different from older Daiwa models I’ve got in the rack. If you were to just read the numbers though, you’d assume they’d be very similar to fish with. The spin rod has a light action and a fast taper, making it perfect for light lure work, so I’ve primarily used it for casting surface lures across flats for bream and whiting. The extra rod length means I can cast a long way without a lot of effort and once connected, the fast taper surrenders the tip of the rod without giving away power. This means you are less

FOR EXTR

spin, and one BC option. You can’t knock a bloke for trying right? In the end I settled on the 6102MLB for the baitcaster and the 732LS in the spin, with the bulk of my fishing being done in skinny freshwater and my local estuaries targeting bass, bream, squid, jacks and so on. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Unboxing is always fun, and holding both of these rods in the hand was no exception. Yes, they’re very pretty and everything is styled perfectly from the hook keeper to the ergonomic Daiwa reel seat and EVA grips, but the first thing you notice is just how light they are in the hand. As you all know, the natural thing to do with a new rod is to put a bend in it, and so every person who walked through our office did exactly that and everyone remarked how nice the new tapers were and how much power you could get out of a light set-up. ON-WATER PERFORMANCE Of course, how a rod performs in an office

Constant releases of new ranges of line, accessories, reels and rods has created plenty of work for them, and have given us mere anglers plenty to drool about as new press releases were rolled out and videos of them in action dropped on YouTube. One launch that really took my fancy was the re-vamped TD Zero range. The Zero name has been stickered on Daiwa rods for a long time now, but the 2019 version is the boldest and most ambitious version ever, with a range of spin and baitcast options to suit just about any light tackle angler in the country. Striking colours, unique handle designs, a balanced combination of Fuji stainless steel, titanium and SiC anti-tangle guides and the inclusion of a rod sock make the 2019 model an instant and impressive upgrade from previous offerings. When I was asked if I’d be keen to put them to the test for Fishing Monthly readers I said YES! very quickly. Then I had to spend

Close quarters bassin’ means you better have quality gear on your side.

likely to pull small hooks out of lips, but you can maintain control during the fight. It was matched with an older model 2506 Luvias and felt very well balanced in the hand. The baitcaster has now accompanied me on many boat and kayak trips on dams and skinny bass water, and has been tasked with fishing everything from Soft Shells and Shinmushis in the timber at dawn to spoons, jigs and vibes on schooled fish while the sun blazed above. I paired it with one of the new Tatula 150H reels and it’s been a dream to fish with. BANG FOR YOUR BUCK The RRP on the TD Zero range is $299, which is about the middle of the road in today’s fishing retail market. There are plenty of rods that sit either side of this price point, but there aren’t too many that offer as many options in the range and come packed from tip to butt with so many premium features. The 16 models cover everything from ultra light finesse fishing through to heavy work you’d expect to encounter in far north QLD or the Territory, and if all the models are as well built and thought out as the two I’ve been playing with, they’ll handle it easily. PICK ONE UP As I’ve mentioned, the rods do have particular actions that may be a little different from Daiwa rods you’ve used in the past, so I’d highly recommend getting into your local tackle store and putting a bend in one. A red hot looking rod with a free Daiwa rod sock for under 300 bucks is well worth it. – Rupe Gaden

Be prepared for anything ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

September can be a tough and unpredictable month. At this time of the year, warm sunny days can give way to strong westerly winds, and the next thing you know the temperature has plummeted 10°C and you’re freezing. For this reason you should make sure you’re prepared for everything mother nature can throw at you, because she probably will. The ocean has the same sort of feel to it, with warm top layers of water merging with cooler currents deeper down. The fishing is much the same – hot and cold depending on what species you prefer to chase. Most fish rely on certain water temperatures, and if it’s not right they’ll disappear. You can spend a lot of time searching for a feed at this transition period of the year. Towards the middle of this month we should see the lake and Minnamurra start to pick up after the lean, cold winter period. Although not regarded as a good month for prawning, if conditions are right and we get a good run of sunny days to warm the shallows, enough prawns can move on the dark to kick-start the fish out of their winter hibernation. A few flathead should start to show this month, along with the bream that re-emerge from the creeks and backwaters of the lake. In past years the early fish have tended to be larger than

odd early flathead and some stud bream. Pilchards on ganged hooks have been getting the best results, but fillets of yellowtail and slimy mackerel are taking their share of the fish. Although most beaches have been producing, the better beaches have been Windang, Warilla and Coniston. Late winter and early spring is usually the domain of the larger mulloway but you have

Barracouta will be around to snip off hooks and lures. to work for them, with plenty of cold evenings on the top of the tide. You should score a few smaller fish up to about 8kg as by-catch, particularly on the northern beaches. Off the rocks the fishing is improving every day as the weather warms and the afternoons start to drag out a little longer. Salmon are again predominant off most of the spots that have a bit of deeper water close by, with lures and pilchards both scoring fish. Try the Port Kembla break walls, Honeycomb, all the deeper southern ledges around Kiama and up at Coalcliff and in the Nation Park at Wattamolla. In the washes there are plenty of big drummer to over 3kg being caught, and

Striped tuna make great cubes for bigger tuna, and sensational snapper bait. average, and hopefully this will be the case this year. The main channel and around the bridges of both the lake and Minnamurra are the best places to start looking. While the fishing probably won’t be red hot, there should be enough around to keep ardent anglers amused. The best baits would be live prawns if you can get hold of some, or squirt and blood worms for an early whiting. Blackfish like them too. Small plastics in prawn styles should start to work on the flathead now. ROCK AND BEACH Things are starting to happen along the beaches too, with salmon feeding on most beaches along the coast. Mixed in with them are a few quality tailor and even the

Bombo often produce solid mac tuna, and (if everything aligns) the odd yellowfin tuna at this time of year on live baits. It used to be the place to start, and YFTs were caught 20 years ago so the odd stray may still pass by even today if the water is right. Then there are the bigger yellowtail kings that start to show along the stones from early spring. Whole live squid are top bait at this time of the

given the right conditions they should remain around for a few more weeks. Crabs, cunje and royal red prawns have been taking the majority of fish, with the really big ones being caught during the hours of darkness. A few bream have been hanging around in the washes too, picking up the drummer baits. Their size is up on average, with some fish regularly going over the 1kg mark. Bass Point and the rocks to the south have seen a few nice catches taken in recent weeks. Speaking of the southern rock platforms, it’s time to start breaking out the land-based gear for an early start to the season. Spots like Marsdens, Kiama Blowhole Point and

year if you can get them. A few just legal rats are always in the mix too, and they are much easier to get out of the water than the big fish. Groper are another fish that can be found around these deeper ledges. They take exception to someone trying to out-muscle them, and they usually win the tug of war on the stones. Fishing the rocks is hard enough without the fish fighting dirty, adding to the level of difficulty. A few red crabs and a calm sea will usually produce a couple of runs from the big blues in the southern locations. OFFSHORE Offshore things are improving as well, with a few schools of striped tuna keeping sportfishers on their toes as they slice up the surface in pursuit of tiny baitfish. The action seems to be spread all along the coast, so keep an eye out for birds working the surface to find a patch of fish to play with. Small chrome lures cast into the feeding schools should get the action started, while small flies or Christmas trees trolled around the edges of the schools will get results as well. As always, when the stripeys show up it isn’t long before the small makos arrive to aggravate and annoy the snapper fishers. These fearless little sharks will tackle just about anything, including 6m boats. They are great fun on light tackle and really put on a show with their spectacular cartwheeling leaps and sizzling runs, and to top it off they aren’t bad tucker. Other close inshore pelagic action at the moment includes bonito and salmon, and spring just wouldn’t be spring if there weren’t a few barracouta around to bite off everything they come in contact with. The bonito seem to be concentrated over the close-in shallow reefs, often mixing with the schools of stripeys,

while the salmon are popping up along the back of beaches and as usual around the islands and Bass Point. They are forming large schools and really making life hard for the seemingly endless amounts of tiny baitfish that are around at the moment. Further offshore, now is the time that the gamefish snap out of their winter hibernation, as the yellowfin tuna and albacore start to make their presence felt around the continental shelf. Kiama canyons and the Stanwell Park canyons are both worth a try, but it’s a bit hit-and-miss these days, with fish there one day and gone the next. Both trolling and berleying with pilchards will get results, and usually the fish will be schoolies, up to 35kg, although there have been some larger fish spotted smashing sauries on the surface. There were some nice fish to 70kg taken during July and August but they were not overly abundant, and you virtually had to get your passport stamped they were so far out, with some boats racking up to 200km+ in a day. There are also a few striped tuna out wide and, just as the makos show up in close following the tuna, the sharks also show up out wide, only they are a whole lot bigger. Makos to 200kg+ and blues to 150kg are not out of the question at this time of the year, and both command the utmost respect and are not to be treated lightly. Only experienced crews should take on these larger fish, as they are unpredictable and very powerful. Makos have long been tagged with the label ‘blue dynamite’, and deservedly so, but the more sedate blue shark is often treated with less respect. Blues may not be as dynamic as makos in the power stakes, nor do they leap into the air, but they are extremely elastic and can twist around far enough to bite their own tail. You have to be very careful when working in close quarters with these creatures. If you treat a shark without respect, you do so at your peril. A few striped marlin have been seen in close proximity to the schools of striped tuna in the deeper water. Although it’s often a long time between strikes from marlin at this time of year, it’s always worthwhile putting out a larger lure when trolling for albacore or ‘fin. Sometimes a billy pops up following one of these smaller lures, and while they are often landed on small skirts you stand a better chance on bigger fish when you’re using larger hooks and traces. Bigger tuna will often nail the largest lure in the pattern, so that is another reason to run an extra lure slightly larger than the others at this

Salmon will be about this month, with light line and small lures working best. time of year. Back in closer there are still plenty of trevally over most of the shallow reef systems. The larger fish that are about seem to be travelling under the schools of salmon and tuna working the surface, and they can be taken by jigging small lures and plastics under and around these schools. A little berley can attract the hordes of smaller fish that gather around the islands and Bass Point at this time of year. Pig and Gap islands are good spots to start looking. A bit of berley is the way to go if you want to attract a few reds too, as the cuttlefish season has now finished and the fish have spread themselves a bit further afield. A few nice snapper are still coming in, along with enough pan-sized reds to keep most anglers happy. Cuttlefish is still a top bait as the snapper still have a taste for it and it’s harder to come by, so an easy feed of free floating cuttlefish pieces is quickly devoured. Plastics drifted over the deeper reefs in 40-60m of water are picking up the better fish. For the bottom bouncers things are starting to liven

up, but the fish seem to be in patches. Even the sweep are a bit hit-and-miss at the moment. To make up for this the mowies are on the bite just about everywhere along the edges of the reefs and over the gravel patches. Even the snapper fishers have been picking them up in the berley trails. Flathead have been unpredictable, with catches of mostly smallish fish. The next month or so should see them back on the bite over most of the sand, and gaining a bit of size. If all else fails there are still a few big leatherjackets over the reefs along with some quality pigfish, so it shouldn’t be a lost cause. Pike will be a bit of a problem this month as they always are during early spring; they gather together and it’s impossible to catch anything else if you find yourself among a patch of smelly pike. The best thing to do is find another spot to fish. September is a top month for calamari so make sure you have that jig in the tackle box. It would be a strange day indeed if a squid or two didn’t find your bait.

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2019 2019 Local Time

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

LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m

Time

1 1 0329 0936 TU

SU 1531 2150

2 2

0414 1025 WE MO 1627 2241

3 3 0500 1115 TH

TU 1725 2333

4 4

0545 1207 FR WE 1827

m 0541 0.08 1208 1.64 1759 0.22 2358 1.91 0633 0.14 1310 1.66 1857 0.26 1.77 0044 0.23 0720 1.65 1400 0.34 1947 1.59 0127 0.34 0803 1.63 1445 0.42 2032

Time m 0441 1.47 1.57 0.35 0.67 0.58 0318 1100 1.49 1.28 1.33 0926 WE 1652 0.42 0.53 MO 1523 2300 TU 0.50 2135 1.57 0536 1.57 1.63 0.38 0.58 0.52 0348 1208 1.51 1.30 1.30 1000 TH 1800 0.45 0.50 TU 1601 2355 WE 2210 1.50 0630 1.69 0.51 0.42 0.45 1.69 0419 1309 1.52 1.34 0.47 1036 FR 1902 WE 1644 0.48 TH 1.30 2248 1.41 0048 0.46 0.52 0.47 1.82 1.73 0452 0722 1.52 0.33 0.42 1115 SA 1403 0.52 1.39 TH 1730 1959 FR 1.31 2330 1.32 0141 0.40 0.52 0.53 1.93 1.76 0530 0814 1.50 0.22 0.39 1159 SU 1455 0.56 1.45 FR 1823 2052 SA 1.32

1 1 0341 0959 FR

16 16 17 17

6 6

0130 0725 SU FR 1403 2051

7 7 0243 0826 MO

SA 1509 2206

8 8

0400 0932 TU SU 1615 2311

9 9

0506 1036 WE MO 1714

1.58 2114 0.50 0245 1.26 0920 0.56 1600 1.54 2152 0.55 0323 1.16 0957 0.63 1635 1.52 2230 0.55 0400 1.13 1031 0.66 1710 1.52 2306 0.52 0437 1.17 1107 0.64 1745 1.55 2344

1615 2222

2 2

18 18

0424 1045 SA 1711 2315

3 3 0508 1134 SU

19 19

0207 1.41 20 5 5 0844 0.46 20 1523

0029 0632 SA TH 1302 1935

Time

1324 2025

1529 2233

1638 2333

0541 1111 FR 1739

10 10

11 11 0042 0639 FR

11 11 0139 0745 MO

WE 1217 1844

12 12 0117 0715 SA TH 1258 1920

13 13 0149 0749 SU FR 1335 1955

14 14 0219 0821 MO SA 1410 2028

15 15 0249 0853 TU SU 1446 2100

0.60 1.59 0024 0.43 0559 1.29 1220 0.55 1900 1.62 0107 0.39 0645 1.34 1300 0.50 1940 1.65 0156 0.36 0736 1.39 1345 0.46 2024 1.66 0247 0.34 0836 1.43 1439 0.43 2113 1.65 0344 0.34 0945 1.47 1542 0.42 2205 1.62

26 26 1.31

0210 1.51

0103 0710 SU 1258 1913

1339 1950

0.17 0.54 0211 27 0812 12 0.66 0045 12 0818 27 1.52 1.51 1.53 0650 SU 1416 TU FR 1241 0.50 1901 1.32 0.70 0130 1.44 0738 MO SA 1334 0.53 1952 1.34 0.73 0215 1.37 0824 TU SU 1427 0.54 2042 1.39 0.72 0258 1.31 0911 WE MO 1520 0.55 2131

0.30 2041 1.90 0308 0.11 0921 1.63 1518 0.21 2134 1.91 0410 0.09 1037 1.71 1628 0.17 2230 1.86 0511 0.13 1152 1.77 1740 0.17 2327 1.76 0608 1256 TH 1843

28 28 29 29

30 30 31

1.62 2131 0.47 0306 1.19 0936 0.65 1610 1.54 2205 0.53 0343 1.13 1010 0.72 1642 1.48 2239 0.55 0419 1.13 1044 0.73 1713 1.45 2314 0.53 0457 1.18 1118 0.70 1745 1.47 2349

18 18 SA 1230 1.35 1909 0.51 1.74 0111 0.37 0647 WE SU 1321 1.38 2012 0.50 1.74 0215 0.37 0749 TH MO 1424 1.39 2124 0.50 1.71 0330 0.38 0903 FR TU 1535 1.40 2233 0.51 1.67 0445 0.41 1022 SA WE 1648 1.41 2334 0.54 1.60 0547 0.44 1131 SU TH 1752

20 20 21 21 22 22

23 23

SA 1416 0.45 2026 1.50 0.61 0241 1.36 0850 WE SU 1453 0.53 2100 1.51 0.63 0310 1.25 0922 TH MO 1530 0.59 2135 1.54 0.61 0339 1.21 0954 FR TU 1607 0.61 2211 1.58 0.57 1.21

13 13

14 14 15 15

0.65 1.50 0029 0.45 0619 1.33 1230 0.58 1854 1.53 0111 0.41 0707 1.41 1313 0.51 1932 1.56 0159 0.38 0802 1.47 1402 0.46 2018 1.57 0253 0.36 0909 1.53 1505 0.42 2115 1.56 0355 0.36 1028 1.58 1621 0.39 2220 1.53 0500 0.38 1144 1.62 1741 0.38 2328 1.49

1.41 0.58 0027 1.52 0640 MO FR 1233 0.48 1848 1.42 0.63 0115 1.43 0728 TU SA 1330 0.53 1942 1.43 0.66 0200 1.34 0815 WE SU 1425 0.57 2032 1.45 0.67 0243 1.27 0900 TH MO 1517 0.60 2123 1.49 0.64 0326 1.23 0946 TU 1610 0.60 2214 1.57 0.56 0408 1.25 1032 WE 1702 0.57 2304

25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29

31 0450 1117

m 0537 0.52 1230 1.76 1827 0.37 2358

m Time m 0432 1.60 1.51 0.53 0.52 0.60 0454 1124 1.77 1.27 1.19 1125 SA 1730 0.37 0.63 SA 1805 2310 SU 0.69

0049 0618 SA 1251 1946

3 3 0146 0709 SU 1342 2046

0.33 2.01 0249 0.13 0809 MO 1.61 1.57 MO 1440 2128 0.48 2145 0315 0.28 1.22 2.04 0356 0941 0.63 0.10 0919 1614 TU 1.58 1.62 TU 1545 2216 0.51 2242 0408 0.26 1.18 2.01 0457 1030 0.67 0.13 1030 1659 WE 1.55 1.65 WE 1649 2305 0.49 2331 0501 0.28 1.19 1.91 0547 1120 0.68 0.20 1134 1744 TH 1.56 1.65 TH 1745 2354 0.44 0556 0.33 1.26 1.76 0015 1210 0.63 0.31 0630 1828 FR 1.61 FR 1228 1832 0.36 0043 1.63 1.37 0.42 0052 0652 0.54 1.58 0709 1300 SA 1.69 0.43 SA 1314 1912 1915 0134 1.59 0.27 0.51 0126 0753 1.50 1.41 0744 1353 SU 0.42 0.54 SU 1355 1958 1954 1.75 0229 1.55 0.21 0.59 0158 0900 1.63 1.27 0817 1452 MO 0.31 0.64 MO 1434 2048 1.77 2031 0329 1.51 0.18 0.64 0230 1013 1.74 1.18 0851 1603 TU 0.23 0.70 TU 1513 2149 1.75 2110 0434 1.50 0.19 0.64 0301 1127 1.83 1.16 0926 1720 WE 0.18 0.72 WE 1552 2256 1.68 2149

6 6 7 7

1.66 0.46 0051 1.19 0720 0.71 1400 1.56 1958 0.52 0135 1.16 0800 0.76 1435 1.47 2033 0.56 0215 1.17 0837 0.78 1507 1.42 2106 0.56 0250 1.22 0912 0.76 1538 1.41 2138 0.53 0326 1.30 0945 0.71 1608 1.42 2210

SU 1212 1859 0.65 1.60 0103 0.49 0634 MO MO 1304 1.32 1959 0.59 1.64 0207 0.44 0737 TU TU 1405 1.38 2103 0.54 1.68 0316 0.41 0849 WE WE 1513 1.43 2206 0.50 1.70 0424 0.39 1005 TH TH 1623 1.47 2303 0.47 1.70 0523 0.38 1116 FR FR 1729 1.50 2355 0.46 1.67 0616 0.39 1222 SA SA 1828 1.53

18 18 19 19

20 20 21 21

22 22

0401 0.49 23 8 8 1019 1.38 23 1638

9 9

10 10

11 11

12 12 13 13

0.24 1.87 0.18 1.58 0.32 1.87 0.22 1.47

0.42 1.83 TH 1755 0.29 2356 1.36

14 14 0336 1002 TH TH 1633 2232

15 15 0413 1042 FR FR 1717 2317

0.64 2243 1.45 0439 0.46 1054 1.47 1708 0.56 2317 1.46 0518 0.43 1130 1.55 1740 0.49 2354 1.47 0601 0.41 1208 1.62 1814 0.43 1.47 0034 0.41 0648 1.69 1251 0.39 1852 1.45 0120 0.42 0744 1.74 1343 0.35 1939 1.42 0215 0.45 0850 1.78 1447 0.34 2038 1.38 0319 0.48 1008 1.79 1609 0.35 2154 1.34

0.47 1.63 0044 0.41 0705 SU SU 1322 1.55 1923 0.49 1.57 0129 0.45 0753 MO MO 1417 1.56 2016 0.52 1.49 0213 0.50 0839 TU TU 1510 2108 1.56 0.56 0255 1.40 0925 WE WE 1600 0.56 2158 1.55 0.60 0338 1.31 1009 TH TH 1648 0.62 2247 1.54 0.62 0420 1.24 1053 FR FR 1736 0.67 2335 1.55 0.60 0503 1.22 1136 SA SA 1824 0.68

24 24 25 25

26 26

27 27 28 28

29 29 30 30

31 SU

Time

1 1 0024 0547 MO

16 16

0542 0633 1.55 1.29 1.26 0.54 0008 17 2 1230 1320 2 1916 0.58 0.62 17 1.26 0541 SU 1836

17 17

0536 0.50 9 24 9 1153 1.26 24 1818 0023 0630 SA 1209 1830

0516 0.48 10 25 10 1143 1.22 25 1821 0001 0558 TH TU 1131 1802

1849

5 5

8 8

24 24

1 1 0533 1203 FR

16 16

5 5 0111 0646 TU

7 7 0437 1001 TH

23 23

Time

4 4

0010 0554 MO 1227 1915

6 6 0322 0849 WE

22 22

Time m 0603 1.69 0.61 0.41 0.43 1.62 0410 1250 1.65 1.32 0.51 1029 SA 1848 WE 1646 0.39 FR 1.24 2249 1.43 0030 0.50 0.59 0.45 1.81 1.66 0442 0702 1.66 0.31 0.46 1105 SU 1346 0.41 1.41 TH 1729 1945 SA 1.28 2330 1.36 0128 0.41 0.56 0.50 1.93 1.70 0518 0757 1.64 0.20 0.41 1145 MO 1438 0.44 1.50 FR 1815 2038 SU 1.32

0222 0230 0.53 1.29 1.30 1.73 0016 19 4 0901 0849 4 1537 0.55 19 0.57 0.39 0559 TU 1527

0.52 0233 0.36 1.24 2.02 1.77 0021 0905 0.59 0.14 0.37 0615 MO 1545 1.49 1.49 SA 1249 2145 SU 1.32 1927 0.59 0.53 0326 0.32 1.17 2.07 1.77 0124 0956 0.64 0.10 0.37 0711 TU 1635 1.49 1.52 MO SU 1351 2236 1.32 2043 0.57 0.54 0419 0.32 1.15 2.05 1.75 0241 1047 0.65 0.12 0.38 0822 WE 1724 1.53 1.53 TU MO 1501 2328 1.32 2159 0.50 0.56 0514 0.34 1.19 1.98 1.72 0400 1138 0.61 0.17 0.41 0938 TH 1813 WE TU 1612 1.61 1.31 2302 0.39 0.59 0020 1.53 1.28 0.39 1.67 0506 0610 0.52 1.85 0.44 1046 FR 1229 1.72 0.26 WE 1715 1901 TH 2356 0.27 1.31 0114 1.52 1.40 0.47 0.62 0600 0708 0.41 1.68 1.60 1145 SA 1321 1.83 0.36 FR TH 1810 1950 0.47

21 21

1810

m 0020 0.20 0700 1.78 1346 0.21 1935 1.61 0108 0.31 0745 1.76 1428 0.29 2018 1.45 0151 0.43 0824 1.70 1503 0.38 2056

Local Time APRIL DECEMBER Time Time m

1218 1911

1.70 0.41 0114 1.37 0634 TU 1.74 MO 1302 0.40 2000 0017 0.54 1.26 1.81 0206 0644 0.63 0.30 0727 1325 WE 1.69 1.48 TU 1350 1930 0.42 2050 0116 0.43 1.24 1.90 0302 0739 0.67 0.22 0828 1415 TH 1.64 1.59 WE 1445 2020 0.42 2142 0212 0.34 1.27 1.95 0400 0831 0.67 0.17 0936 1501 FR 1.61 1.68 TH 1547 2108 0.40 2231 0304 0.27 1.35 1.95 0456 0922 0.63 0.17 1045 1545 SA 1.60 1.75 FR 1649 2154 0.36 2318 0357 0.25 1.46 1.88 0544 1012 0.56 0.22 1149 1629 SU 1.61 1.78 SA 1745 2240 0.32 0448 0.27 1.58 1.77 0000 1100 0.46 0.30 0628 1710 MO 1.61 1.78 SU 1244 2326 1836 0542 0.33 0.29 1.63 0039 1149 1.71 0.41 0706 1751 TU 0.36 MO 1331 1.60 1921 0011 1.74 0.29 0.42 0115 0635 1.81 1.47 0745 1239 WE 0.29 0.53 TU 1415 1831 2005 1.56 0058 1.68 0.32 0.51 0152 0732 1.88 1.33 0821 1330 TH 0.24 0.64 WE 1456 1914 1.50 2047 0147 1.60 0.36 0.59 0230 0834 1.91 1.23 0900 1428 FR 0.23 0.74 TH 1537 2003 1.44 2131 0244 1.53 0.43 0.64 0310 0941 1.91 1.17 0942 1536 SA 0.25 0.80 FR 1620 2105 1.37 2217 0348 1.49 0.50 0.65 0353 1048 1.86 1.18 1025 1652 SU 0.31 0.81 SA 1706 2219 1.31 2306 0456 1.48 0.57 0.63 0440 1149 1.79 1.23 1111 1758 MO 0.38 0.78 SU 1755 2329 2358 0556 1.51 1240 0.58 1847 1.30

2 2 3 3

4 4 5 5

6 6

7 7

m 0026 1.26 0645 0.64 1321 1.69 1928 0.45 0113 1.22 0728 0.70 1357 1.59 2003 0.51 0153 1.20 0806 0.75 1430 1.50 2036 0.55 0230 1.21 0842 0.78 1500 1.43 2107 0.56 0307 1.25 0916 0.79 1530 1.38 2140 0.55 0344 1.32 0952 0.76 1600 1.35 2213 0.53 0323 1.40 0930 0.70 1531 1.35 2148

m Time m 0524 1.78 0.72 0.53 0.33 1.55 0530 1159 1.85 1.58 0.53 1200 TU 1812 MO 1846 0.31 1.38

16 16

0.65 0005 0.47 1.33 1.83 1.59 0052 0619 0.57 0.28 0.48 0626 WE 1246 1.78 1.70 TU 1252 1900 1.45 1941 0.34 0.58 0100 0.38 1.34 1.84 1.63 0151 0712 0.60 0.27 0.45 0727 TH 1331 1.70 1.79 WE 1348 1945 1.52 2038 0.36 0.53 0154 0.32 1.37 1.80 1.64 0254 0802 0.62 0.29 0.43 0834 FR 1414 1.61 1.86 TH 1450 2030 1.58 2134 0.38 0245 0.30 0.48 1.43 1.72 1.64 0357 0851 0.62 0.35 0.42 0948 SA 1455 1.53 1.88 FR 1558 2114 1.64 2230 0.39 0.46 0335 0.32 1.52 1.62 1.62 0457 0940 0.58 0.44 0.43 1102 SU 1534 1.48 1.87 SA 1705 2157 1.68 2323 0.40 0426 0.37 0.45 1.62 1.50 1.58 0552 1029 0.51 0.53 0.46 1214 MO 1614 1.44 1.82 SU 1810 2240 1.71

17 17 18 18 19 19

20 20

21 21 22 22

0404 0.45 0516 0.51 1.52 0014 0.41 23 8 1009 1116 8 1605 1.49 23 1.72 0.50 0645 TU 1653

9 9

10 10 11 11

12 12 13 13

14 14 15 15

0.62 2226 1.36 0448 0.49 1052 1.58 1642 0.54 2307 1.37 0538 0.47 1141 1.67 1724 0.46 2355 1.37 0635 0.46 1237 1.75 1815 0.39 1.38 0050 0.46 0742 1.82 1345 0.33 1920 1.38 0158 0.46 0856 1.87 1503 0.29 2039 1.37 0312 0.48 1005 1.89 1618 0.28 2158 1.36 0422 0.50 1105 1.89 1719 0.28 2305 1.34

MO 1317 1.72 1910 0.48 1.45 0101 0.56 0735 WE TU 1414 1.71 2005 0.51 1.37 0148 0.62 0822 TH WE 1503 1.68 2056 0.54 1.30 0232 0.69 0907 FR TH 1550 2144 1.65 0.56 0315 1.26 0950 SA FR 1633 0.73 2229 1.63 0.54 0358 1.27 1031 SU SA 1714 0.73 2311 1.66 0.48 0439 1.35 1111 MO SU 1754 0.68 2353 1.72 0.41 0520 1.46 1149 TU MO 1833 0.58

24 24

25 25

26 26 27 27 28 28

29 29

30 30

0.44 1.39 0.63 0.42 1.75 2323 1.41 0609 0.52 0.42 1.30 1206 1.80 0.72 1734 0.35 1.39 0008 1.66 0.43 0.59 0704 1.86 1.24 1300 0.30 0.80 1822 1.37 0058 1.58 0.46 0.64 0802 1.89 1.21 1401 0.28 0.85 1921 1.36 0157 1.51 0.48 0.66 0901 1.88 1.23 1510 0.29 0.87 2033 1.34 0303 1.48 0.52 0.64 0958 1.84 1.28 1613 0.33 0.84 2146 1.31 0406 1.49 0.56 0.61 1048 1.78 1.35 1705 0.38 0.78 2249 1.29 0500 1.51 0.60 0.57 1131 1.71 1.44 1747 0.43 0.71 2342

31 0035 0602

1.27 0.65 TU 1227 1.62 1913 0.48

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2018, Bureau of Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2018, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. 62

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Schwerin pulls Somerset sneaky Jake Schwerin is from the Toowoomba area, which pretty much makes him a local to Lake Somerset. Being able to fish this impoundment regularly definitely gave him an edge over the rest of the 52-boat field. Coming into the Friday pre-fish, Jake had one key area in mind, but he didn’t throw one cast at it on practice. He did a few sneaky passes checking with his Hummingbird Solix Side Scan, making sure they were still there from a few weeks beforehand, and he was happy to find out they had not moved. Jake said he didn’t fish this spot because he didn’t want to arouse any suspicion, or give anyone reason to think the area was worth looking at. On day one Jake made the quick run to his spot, which was within eyeshot of the start, just inside the timber at Kirkleigh. The area he was fishing ran into an old creek bed. Jake said this spot was the key to his win, as the fish had a nice flat to feed and deeper water to retreat to if need be. On arrival, the ledge of the flat was stacked with

BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lure:

Edge Rods Black Widow 703 Daiwa Steez 2004 Toray F4 0.8 braid and Toray Power Game 10lb leader O.S.P. HD Shad Tail 3.1” (dipped tail) with 5/8oz Smak jighead

BOATER 2ND PLACE GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lure:

Boater and non-boater winners Jake Schwerin and Bronson Tilley display the sort of bass that helped them to take out their respective divisions. fish, so he dropped his trolling motor, hit SpotLock, turned his sounder off, and proceeded to knock their lights out! Between him and his non-boater Bronson Tilley, they caught 20-30 legal fish and upgraded half a dozen times. If the bites stopped, he would turn the sounder back on to see if the fish had moved, and if they had he would sound along the drop-off to find them, before repeating the process. Jake was fishing a 5/8 Smak jighead rigged with a 3.1”

O.S.P HP Shad Tail with a chartreuse dipped tail, making long wind-assisted casts and letting it hit the bottom. He would then give the plastic ten or so winds before opening the bail and letting the lure hit the bottom again. Schwerin repeated this process all day. His tricks definitely worked well for him, reaching his limit of four fish very quickly, and he finished the day with an impressive bag weight of 8.79kg, putting him in first

place with a lead of 2.74kg. Day two had Jake heading out with non-boater Tom Deer. The pair went straight back to the area that was so productive the day before. The weather conditions were very different, with the wind already blowing quite hard due to a cold snap from the south, and this had changed the way the fish were biting. Schwerin noticed the fish were sulking on the bottom. The only way he could get a bite was to dredge his plastic along the bottom, and

Daiwa TD Black Wicked Weasel Daiwa 2500 LT Caldia Sufix Nano Aqua Camo 8lb braid and 8lb FC Rock leader Nories Wasaby Metal Spoon 18g in colour vr313

even then they were taking biting very timidly. The pair didn’t let that worry them, and by putting their heads down and grinding it out they managed to catch a fish every hour or so. Jake knew he was in with a good chance of taking out the 2019 Somerset Sufix BASS Pro with the lead he had from day one. He was the last to weigh on Sunday, only needing 1.87kg to take the win, and Jake made his way up to the stage with his limit of four fish with a weight of 5.95kg and a total of 14.74kg, smashing the

rest of the field to take the win of the 2019 Ecogear sponsored Somerset round.

Scan the QR code to see Jake Schwerin Interview.

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Jake Schwerin 2 Anthony Thorpe 3 Nick Price 4 John Ciancio 5 Mark Parriott 6 Charles West 7 Keeghan Painter 8 Lloyd Brown 9 Steve Chang 10 Jordan Stoddart

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize Money 8/8 14.74 $3000 7/8 10.56 $1750 + $250 Evinrude Bonus 8/8 9.47 $1500 6/8 8.82 $1250 + $500 Garmin Big Bass 8/8 8.73 $1000 6/8 7.83 $900 6/8 7.55 $800 6/8 7.43 $700 6/8 6.92 $600 5/8 6.39 $500

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 76

SEPTEMBER 2019

It’s clear that Somerset is still the premier big bass lake in the country.

Thorpey says the fishing was ‘fully sick’ Anthony Thorpe is from the Newcastle area, which is a long way from Somerset Dam. He had only fished this dam once in a competition, and one other time socially. Before the tournament, he’d caught one fish in two trips, so coming into Friday’s pre-fish he was not overly confident. He got a few bites but struggled to hook anything in the pre-fish. He did land a fish at Red Rock of around 32cm, but he was a little worried. He had a quick sound over the Kirkleigh flats and saw what looked like better fish. This area became his game plan for the fifth round of the 2019 Sufix BASS Pro Series. On the first day, he had a loose game plan, but wasn’t confident and knowing there was a cold front coming dampened his spirits further. Despite this, Thorpey started off strong, filling

his four-fish limit within an hour and a half, and this had him feeling a little more confident. He caught his fish on a 18g Nories Metal Wasaby spoon in colour VR 313 by just dredging it along the bottom. His non-boater Luke Sticklen caught their kicker for the day, which saw their bag of four bass weigh 5.23kg. The second day had Thorpey choosing to stick to his day one plan, and he headed straight back to the Kirkleigh flats. On arrival he noticed the fish seemed more active and were sitting higher in the water column, even though the weather was a lot worse than the first day. To get them to bite he noticed he had to speed his retrieve up a bit. Anthony caught three nice fish straight up, but the rest of the day was a grind, with he and his boater catching no more fish. Despite this, his

Anthony Thorpe travelled a long way to fish the Somerset leg of the Sufix BASS Pro Series, but went away $2,000 richer! day two bag of three fish was heavier than his day one bag of four by 100g! Day

two’s bag weighed 5.33kg, and a total of 10.56kg, securing him second place!

All action for Bronson Bronson Tilley was pleased when he got paired with local Jake Schwerin, as Jake had an awesome plan to head up in the sticks and fish a nice flat that he sounded up the day before, and no one else had fished there in the pre-fish. On day one they pulled up and sounded around for 5 minutes until the sounder lit up with around 25-35 fish on the Side Scan, and they decided to switch the sounders off, so as not to spook the fish, and hit Spot-Lock on the electric. Bronson fished with a 5/8oz Smak Jighead with a baby bass coloured Charlie Brewer Slider that Jake supplied him with. After five or so casts, Jake was hooked up and as Bronson was netting his first legal fish for the morning, he too hooked up. All the boys were doing was slow rolling the plastics along the bottom. By doing this, they were getting double hook-ups and caught around 15-20 fish within 30 minutes, and upgrading

Bronson Tilley fished hard through a tough weekend to come out on top, and took home some great prizes for his efforts. their bag twice. It then went quiet, so they stuck around for a bit and as the day went by, they upgraded a few more fish. Bronson landed the biggest of the day, going 51cm to the fork and weighing 2.53kg, which was a new Somerset PB for its captor. The team then headed in to weigh their bag of

four fish, and they noticed that not many people had a bag over 5kg. With their bag weighing a whopping 8.79kg, it put Bronson and Jake in first place. Day two on Sunday came around, when Bronson was paired with Greg Burke. Greg and Bronson took off in 23rd place and headed up towards Pelican Point,

where Greg got his bag on Saturday. The boys pulled up and found no fish what so ever, so they thought they would give it 20 minutes in case a school swam through. The guys struggled ‘hard core’, as Bronson put it, with the wind in this spot blowing over 35 knots, and they couldn’t manage in the wind without a Spot-Lock. The boys then decided to go up to Kirkleigh flats and try to hide from the wind for a bit. By the time they got up there it was around 10am, and Bronson stuck with what caught all his fish on day one, which was the 5/8oz Smak jighead with a baby bass coloured Slider. Again, he was fishing this presentation with a slow roll and letting it sink back down every so often. Bronson hooked up and landed a 2.02kg bass, and that was it! Greg had run out of battery for the electric motor, so they decided to call it and head in. As it turns out, Bronson’s 2.02kg fish was enough to secure him first place, with a total weight of 10.81kg!

Bass Pro Series presented by

Scan the QR code to see Bronson Tilley interview.

NON-BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lure:

Samurai 201 Daiwa Certate Finesse Custom 2506 Sufix Nano Camo 10lb braid Charlie Brewer Slider in baby bass (dipped tail) with 5/8oz Smak jighead

GARMIN BIG BASS John Ciancio managed to land the biggest bass for the tournament, weighing in a 2.66kg beast! The fish was caught around Kirkleigh working an 18g Nories Wasaby Metal Spoon up a creek bank ledge.

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

Tom Deer Allan Price Leaon Walker Darren Greenstreet James Browning Jason Sheehan Steve Muldoon Matthew Martin Nathan Huggett

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 5/8 10.81 Bassman Spinnerbaits Prize Pack + $300 Sufix Bonus 8/8 10.24 Fishtec Prize Pack 8/8 9.19 Tackle Tactics Prize Pack 7/8 9.14 Sufix Prize Pack 6/8 8.30 Daiwa Prize Pack 5/8 8.22 Sunline Prize Pack 6/8 7.83 Keitech Prize Pack 6/8 7.15 Lucky Craft Prize Pack 5/8 6.81 Ecogear Prize Pack 6/8 6.60 Shimano Prize Pack

This short-wheeled model got some chuckles back at the ramp. SEPTEMBER 2019

Trades, Services, Charter COFFS COAST

HOLIDAY RENTAL

SYDNEY Penrith Marine (02) 4731 6250 Cohoe Marine Products (Sydney) (02) 9519 3575 Blakes Marine (02) 4577 6699 Watersports Marine (02) 9676 1400 Marina Bayside (02) 9524 0044 Shannons Outboards (02) 9482 2638 TR Marine World (02) 4577 3522

Freshest Fishing Tours 0421 405 221

MACLEAY VALLEY COAST

CRESCENT HEAD HOLIDAY RENTALS www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

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

www.crescentheadholidayrentals.com.au

Email: holiday@crescentheadrealestate.com.au 6 MAIN ST, CRESCENT HEAD NSW 2440

Phone: 02 6566 0500

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

CHART

H2O Marine (02) 6280 0555 Offshore Boat Sales 0433 531 226 u Mid week packages from $420 p/p* u Weekend packages from $320 p/p*

*Minimum 6 people

On board our fully equiped 38ft Randell TRIFECTA Contact: David Hayman (Stumpee) Mobile: 0411 096 717 info@swrcharters.com.au

MACQUARIE COAST

SYDNEY Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters (02) 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351 Sydney Sportfishing Adventures 0405 196 253

Crescent Head Holiday Rentals (02) 6566 0500

HUNTER COAST

TWEED/BYRON COAST Tweed Coast Marine (07) 5524 8877 Ballina Marineland (02) 6686 2669 Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

QUEENSLAND

Wangi Point Lakeside Holiday Park (02) 4975 1889 Blacksmiths Holiday Park (02) 4971 2858

Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters Swains & Coral Sea 0427 125 727

MIKAT CRUISES

CENTRAL COAST Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

ILLAWARRA COAST Riviera Caravan Park, St George’s Basin (02) 4441 2112

FRESHWATER Burrinjuck Waters State Park (02) 6227 8114 Grabine Lakeside State Park (02) 4835 2345 Alpine Tourist Park (02) 6454 2438 www.alpinetouristpark.com.au Milani Trout Cottages (02) 6775 5735 www.milanitroutcottages.com Wyangala Waters State Park (02) 6345 0877 Chifley Dam Cabins 1800 68 1000

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

FISH TAXIDERMY Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

CHARTER BOATS

SATELLITE TV INSTALLED

Dave Gaden’s Yamba • Deep Sea

REEL TIME FISHING CHARTERS

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

www.mikat.com.au FISHING GUIDES

• 6am to 2pm $150pp • 3 boats – holds up to 30+ people • All fishing gear and bait is supplied • No fishing licence req. • Pickup from Yamba Marina or Iluka ferry wharf

ILLAWARRA COAST EDEN COAST

EASY PARKING

OPEN 7 DAYS

MARINA BOAT & TACKLE, YAMBA MARINA

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

CLARENCE COAST Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962 Yamba Fishing & Charters 0401 564 052

Captain Kev’s Wilderness Fishing Tours (02) 4474 3345 or 0424 625 160

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

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

MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS // BOAT & TRAILER

ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam

Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

Phone Dave today: www.fishingyamba.com.au 0428 231 962

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

SYDNEY

Fish Port Stephens Estuary Charters 0434 370 687

MACQUARIE COAST

• All electric motor brands • Australia wide freight • Quick turn around • Authorised Minn Kota/Watersnake repairer

Salt Away 1800 091 172 www.salt-away.com.au

PORT STEPHENS

Castaway Estuary Charters 0427 239 650

MINN REPAIRS & SERVICING

The Boat Pimpers (Sydney) (02) 9792 7799

BAIT & TACKLE

CLARENCE

YAMBA BAIT & TACKLE “Yamba’s Leading Tackle Shop” “IN THE MAIN STREET” Shop 3, 8 Yamba St, Yamba

02 6646 1514

•

OPEN 7 DAYS

“The Home of Leavey Lures” • Stocking all Major Brands • Experienced Local Knowledge • Tournament Bream Gear in Stock • Snorkelling gear in stock

Drop in to see Mick & Kelly

Marina Boat and Tackle (02) 6646 1994 Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514

COFFS COAST Compleat Angler Kempsey (02) 6562 5307 MOTackle & Outdoors (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Rocks Marine Bait & Tackle South West Rocks (02) 6566 6726

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. 80

SEPTEMBER 2019

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory MACQUARIE COAST Ned Kelly Bait n Tackle Port Macquarie (02) 6583 8318 Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

HUNTER COAST

A U S T R A L I A

Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144

SYDNEY

Margay 2017

Australian Bass Angler www.abafishing.com.au

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FRESHWATER Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors (02) 6543 7111 Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853 Loomzys Fish and Fix (Forbes) (02) 6851 1425

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MANNING RIVER MARINE 13 Victoria Street, TAREE (02) 6552 2333 jim@manningrivermarine.com.au www.mercurydealertaree.com ABERDEEN FISHING & OUTDOORS 69 New England Hwy, ABERDEEN (02) 6543 7111 aberdeentackle@gmail.com www.aberdeenfishingandoutdoors.com.au

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boats & kayaks

In the skipperâ€™s seat

Inside story...

Made in Brisbane, Aquamaster boats have been enjoyed by fishers and their families for almost 30 years. Known for their quality, design and safety features, Aquamaster boats are built to suit Australian conditions.

Made for...

Aquamaster is well-known for building affordable, premium aluminium cuddy cabins, bow riders, centre consoles, runabouts, open boats, punts and car toppers. All models are renowned for their strength and build quality, soft ride, great performance and stability at rest.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan checks out the 490 Centre Console with 70hp Suzuki 4-stroke! Check it out on page 90.

85 Kayaking forays at Forster Dayne Taylor visits this beautiful part of the coast in search of its wonderful estuary bounty!

86 Used boats: what to look out for Wayne Kampe looks at some things to consider when buying a used boat.

88 To SUP or kayak?

Justin Willmer discusses when to kayak, and when to SUP, and some pros and cons of both.

SEPTEMBER 2019

WHAT’S NEW BOATING OVERBOARD ALERT 1 SYSTEM

TITAN OUTBOARD LOCK

The new ACR OLAS (Overboard Location Alert System) product range includes the ACR OLAS Tag for attachment on your wrist or lifejacket. The technology works by detecting a break in the ‘virtual tether’ from the mobile device to the OLAS MOB system within eight seconds of someone falling overboard. The phone stores the GPS location, sounds a loud alarm, alerting the crew to the man overboard incident before the OLAS app then aids the recovery with directions to the stored GPS location. The Tag’s universal silicone strap can be used by crew, children and animals, and is ideal for daytime cruising. An alternative option is the OLAS Float-On, a water-activated USB rechargeable torch, which is easy to attach to a lifejacket and is ideal for boating at night. Introducing the latest 5.0 Bluetooth technology, the ACR platform also features the OLAS Core Base Station and OLAS Guardian, a wireless engine kill switch, for boaters who require extended functionality. Keep an eye out for ACR OLAS in selected chandlery outlets later this year. www.acrartex.com

The Titan Outboard Motor Lock has been cast for strength and durability. This lock comes in two sizes, and features an easy-to-use locking system that comes with two keys. It has a brass locking mechanism for long-lasting performance, and easily mounts over the mounting clamp handles for cut-resistant protection. It has been cast from aluminium alloy, and its Marine Grade black paint provides superior rust resistance, withstanding over the 500 hours of salt spray testing. Standard stainless steel cap locks are installed. The smaller model has a 12mm bold, a 14mm slot size and measures (L)280mm x (W)50mm. The larger version has a 16mm bold, a 17.5mm slot size, and measures (L)280mm x (W)50mm. Price: SRP $90-$100 www.titanmarineproducts.com

REPOWER PROMOTION

Mercury is offering a free rigging kit worth up to $1,575 with the purchase of a new 4.5L, 6.2L or 8.2L MerCruiser package. The kit consists of Mechanical SC1000 SmartCraft rigging kit, a single panel control, two control cables and one trim harness. Those wanting the premium experience can use the bonus value and upgrade to Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) and simply pay the remaining difference. These MerCrusier engines have been designed and built for true customer value, with a proven durable marine design, smooth and quiet boating experience, greater performance with increased power and torque, exceptional fuel economy at cruising speeds, and improved access to maintenance touchpoints. Mercury MerCruiser engines and drive systems are designed, tested, and built exclusively for the marine environment. They have ultra-responsive acceleration, impressive manoeuvrability and superior durability. The large displacement of a Mercury MerCruiser means it will barely break a sweat while it delivers all the well-mannered power you want. The offer runs until 27 September 2019. www.mercurymarine.com

MAGMA KAYAK HOLDER

No more cluttered decks or damage to expensive kayaks and paddleboards from inadequate transport. Magma’s new adjustable, all-angle, rod holder-mounted kayak/SUP rack fits into any standard paired set of rod holders to safety transport your water toys. This convenient storage rack easily attaches to any paired set of standard straight or angled rod holders to crate a strong and reliable rack system. Made of 100% 304 marine stainless steel and 365 hand-anodized aircraft quality aluminium, each arm has two strong welded tie-down loops and is covered with a durable UV-protected polyethylene foam pad to protect your water toys from damage. These racks are designed to hold almost any kayak or one or more SUPs, wakeboards or surfboards. Magma’s LeveLock all-angle adjustable mounting system, along with the Pow’rGrip adjustable quick release rod holder system, allows the racks to be quickly installed and adjusted without tools. Price: SRP $430 www.magmaproducts.com 84

SEPTEMBER 2019

PRODUCT GUIDE

MOTORGUIDE CABLE5 STEER TOUR PRO The MotorGuide Tour Pro is the industry’s first true cable-steer motor with GPS anchor. Tour Pro models combine Pinpoint GPS, the most accurate GPS anchor available, with traditional pull-pull stainless steel cables for smooth, responsive steering. The Tour and Tour Pro motors are both built for tough conditions with a full 360° breakaway mount with integrated bounce buster and a rugged 2-piece shaft with metal outer column and composite inner shaft. Both models include a no-flex metal foot pedal that provides the most solid steering in the market. The new motors will include MotorGuide’s Zero-G lift assist system, which requires half of the effort compared to the competition, as well as the new Katana propeller – a Mercury designed two-blade weedless prop that delivers more power and up to 30% better battery efficiency than previous props. Both models also offer options for MotorGuide’s new HD+ universal sonar with both traditional 2D views and high-definition down-looking views compatible with most major fishfinder brands. The Tour and Tour Pro will be available in the first quarter of 2020. www.mercurymarine.com

NAVIONICS SONARCHART SHADING

Navionics has released SonarChart Shading for its Platinum+ cartography products for Australian waters. Embedded within the satellite overlay content layer, SonarChart Shading provides a detailed rendering of the seafloor. Varying shades of blue reveal changes in depth, highlighting channels, drop-offs, and other structures that give users better situational awareness and clear, visual cues to identify fish-holding structure. SonarChart Shading can be viewed on the same GPS chartplotters that are compatible with Platinum+ satellite overlay and with the same options, including selectable overlay on land, land and shallows or full overlay. Adjustable transparency allows customers to view the new imagery blended with either the SonarChart bathymetry map or the Nautical Chart. At closer zoom levels, SonarChart Shading is replaced by the actual satellite imagery over water, allowing boaters to see a bird’s eye perspective of sandbars, marshes and backwater channels. In addition to SonarChart Shading, Platinum+ will offer updated and optimized high-resolution satellite imagery. www.navionics.com

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

Going on Forster fishing forays in the kayak URUNGA

Dayne Taylor

Forster is adjacent to its smaller sister town Tuncurry, and they are split by the Coolongolook River which stretches west around 50km and opens into the Pacific Ocean right near the mouth of the Wallis Lake estuary system. Wallis Lakes is around 25km long and covering over 98 square

and security, and offer both powered and unpowered sites, and a nice variety of self-contained cabins. This is located close to the water’s edge, the centre of town and is walking distance to cafés, restaurants, pubs and clubs. A short 5-minute drive south along the lake’s way, and you will find a massive shopping complex, including a Woolworths and Coles, and right opposite are BCF and the local Hobie Kayak dealer and

A whiting that took a liking to a Bassday Sugapen. kilometres. From Newcastle you would be looking at a four-hour drive north along the Pacific Highway, and about 2.5 hours drive south from my hometown of Coffs Harbour.

shop, Graham Barclay Marine. The crew at Graham Barclay Marine are a great insight into where the fish are biting and always good for some helpful pointers. They stock a great range of quality fishing tackle

of Wallis Lake for bream is to find the wind. Whenever it is calm and glassed out, it can be tough going, but if you can find a spot with enough wind, it seems to create some type of cover for the fish to congregate under. It also stirs up the bottom and the bait hiding in the weed beds, making the bream more likely to feed. Shallow hardbodied crankbaits are all proven producers for me out on the flats and come spring through to autumn, surface offerings small stickbaits and bent minnow styles drive the fish crazy. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of a soft plastic out in the lake, as some days a plastic cast to shy fish will turn a bad day into a cracker! Not to mention the flathead population will also go crazy for a plastic. Around the edges of the lake you will also be treated to a mix of sand banks, rocky reef, grassy banks and artificial structures such as boat hulls, pontoons and jetties. Back up towards the entrance to the Coolongolook River and the Forster/Tuncurry area, you will be treated to arguably some of the best rack fishing in the country. There isn’t a hard-core bream angler who hasn’t had either dreams or nightmares about the oyster leases at Forster! It can be both heartbreaking yet rewarding trying to extract XL yellowfin bream from deep inside the sharp oyster encrusted trays and poles. If

The author navigates the floating oyster leases at Forster. ACCOMMODATION, TACKLE AND FOOD/SUPPLIES Both Forster and Tuncurry boast a whole range of accommodation options to suit every budget and style, from motels, caravan parks and out of the road campsites. You can even venture south to Pacific Palms to find something more out of the way if you like. The Reflections Holiday Park at Forster ticked all the boxes for amenities, safety

brands and are sure to have anything you might require or may have left at home. FISHING AND KAYAKING As I mentioned above, there is over 98 square kilometres of tidal estuary in Wallis Lake, with flats with sands, weed beds, gravel and broken reef for miles. These areas are loaded with flathead, whiting, luderick and bream. A little tip I learned a while ago about fishing out in the open waters

you are not a fan of losing lures, then these areas probably aren’t for you. The fish play nasty, and often play hard to get, meaning you’ll need to downsize your leader and offering sizes, making it hard to get them out once hooked. High speed reels are handy in this situation, because you can sometimes get their head up and aquaplane them across the tops of the trays. There is a multitude of videos of local guns such as Russell

A couple of bream from a Hobie Kayak competition at Forster. Babekuhl and Kris Hickson demonstrating exactly how it’s done online. As for lure selection, I like to use a heap of different soft plastics rigged on jigheads from 1/20-1/40oz,

and even unweighted at times. Crab imitations are a must when fishing for bream, but a larger range of line and leader is recommended to assure your return ratio is higher.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to head on over to Forster for your next kayak adventure. The area is beautiful and it offers so much for kayak enthusiast.

FISHING NEWS

Murray crayfish clawing back A further 200 Murray crayfish have been successfully relocated in the Murray River, as part of the NSW DPI’s Murray Crayfish conservation stocking program. NSW DPI Senior Fisheries Manager, Threatened Species, Dr

our teams captured a range of sizes and ages as part of this year’s surveys, including some recaptures of translocated crayfish from previous years at the release site. “The team was very excited to capture a very large female (over 1.5 kg) at

which means they struggle to recolonise areas where their population has declined,” Dr Daly said. Murray crayfish can be identified by their large white claws and spiny green and brown abdomens. Murray crayfish may only be

Murray crayfish struggle to recolonise areas where their population has declined. Image courtesy of NSWDPI Trevor Daly, said the success of the stocking program is providing a great benefit for securing the future of the vulnerable species. “Murray crayfish were once widespread throughout the Murray and Murrumbidgee catchments, however in recent decades they have declined in range and distribution due to a variety of environmental factors,” Dr Daly said. “Fortunately

the collection site, providing assurance there are still some very old (25+ years) crays surviving in some parts of the Murray River.” Dr Daly said the declining populations were further exacerbated by widespread hypoxic blackwater events in 2010 and 2011. “We’re running this conservation translocation program because Murray crayfish have very low dispersal abilities and occupy small home-ranges,

taken by the use of up to five hoop nets per person from specified waters between June and August (inclusive). The daily bag limit is two per person within a 10-12cm size bracket (measured from the rear of the eye socket to the rear of the carapace). Any Murray crayfish carrying eggs externally or accidentally taken in the closed season must be immediately returned to the water. - NSWDPI SEPTEMBER 2019

Aquamaster 490 Centre Console with Suzuki 70hp - SC

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RE ONLINE MO

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Main: Aquamaster’s 490 Centre Console is a great all rounder and a blank canvas for those wanting to step up from a simple tinny to a boat capable of broadening your fishing horizons. With packages starting from the high $20,000s, you can fit it up to suit your style of fishing. Above: Powered by Suzuki’s 70hp 4-stroke outboard, it’s a frugal rig. At maximum economy of 3.4km/L it gives a theoretical range of well over 200km with a 70L underfloor fuel tank. There’s also a bug anchor well to turn this into a rig that you can fish into the night and bag a PB snapper on a livey on a shallow reef. Aquamaster is a well established (if not heavily advertised) aluminium boat brand that have been punching out fully welded hulls for the last 30 years. They were an

RPM......Speed.(km/h)........... Economy.(km/L) 700 ...........................4 .................................7.1 1000 .........................6 ................................ 4.7 2000....................... 10 ................................ 3.8 3000....................... 17 ................................ 2.8 3500 ....................... 27 ................................ 3.3 4000....................... 34 ................................ 3.4 4500 ....................... 40 ................................ 3.3 5000....................... 47 ................................ 2.6 5700 ....................... 52 ................................ 2.1 SEPTEMBER 2019

the 20th time. Additionally, there’s a stack of room for all the camping gear you’d want for a weekend away with the lads. For more information on Aquamaster boats, visit Northern Beaches Marine, 33

SPECIFICATIONS

PERFORMANCE

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Most people I know go through boating phases. We graduate from being a bank angler to a tinny and then to bigger and bigger boats. We then tend to downsize when we get older. Aquamaster’s 490 Centre Console is an ideal rig for those who feel limited by a tinny. When there are too many days that are just a little too rough to go and run the crab pots, or when you’re tired of running for cover then the afternoon sea breeze kicks in… Sometimes an extra metre of boat and 50hp of outboard will let you stay out and fulfil your fishing desires. Priced from less than $30,000, the basic Aquamaster Centre Console is a fantastic blank canvas for those wishing to fit out a 5m centre console to be their next fishing boat. With a narrow console for true 360º access and a flat floor that runs from the bow to the transom, there’s capability for this boat to be a great crabbing platform, a super tuna chasing craft or an electric motor fitted rig for casting at snapper in season.

Steve Morgan

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AN THE

On the water, these Aquamasters feel solid. There’s no noise where it shouldn’t be and this hull rode and trimmed nicely at all parts of the rev range. It’s no rocketship with the 70 fitted, maxing out

FMG

original adopter of the upswept bow – a feature that many other manufacturers have thought was a great idea since. They have a couple of dealers, including Australian Marine Centre in Slacks Creek on Brisbane’s southside. AMC’s Rod Elliott took us for a drive in the first Aquamaster I’d tested for Fishing Monthly. “These are a fully welded boat that we have absolutely no problems with,” Rod said at a calm morning’s meeting at the Raby Bay boat ramp. “There are eight centre consoles in the range and they vary from 4.2m to 6m.” We think that he won’t be the sole Queensland dealer for long. Arriving on a single axle Redco trailer, the test rig weighed in at around 1000kg,

meaning that there’s not many vehicles around that won’t tow it. And that single axle coupled with a folding windscreen means that you’ll shoehorn it into plenty of suburban garages.

Length......................................................4.90m Beam........................................................2.20m Hull.weight ..............................................400kg Depth .......................................................1.05m Fuel ..............................................................75L Max.HP ..........................................................90 Bottom.sheet ............................................3mm Side.sheet..................................................3mm Capacity ............................................ 5 persons at 52km/h, however if speed is your thing, you’re allowed to drop a 90 on it. Economical cruising speed was at 4,000rpm and 34km/h where the 75L tank gives over 200km of theoretical range. Fishability is great in this hull configuration. The narrow console gives full 360º access – ideal for when a longtail tuna is circling the boat for

Mitchell Road, Brookvale, 02 9905 2117 or go to nbmarine. com.au or aquamaster.com. au. The test rig was priced in the low $30,000 range. Also, check out the video boat test by scanning the QR code on your smartphone, or by visiting the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel. You can see this rig in action there.

Moreton Bay’s near-shore islands like Peel are easily within the reach of this boat, even on days much rougher than the test day.

There’s no denying that there’s mountains of room in this boat and the narrow console gives great 360º access.

Aquamaster maximise their internal space by having no false transom. The result is the widowed battery box – no biggies.

Looking back from the bow you can see that it’s easy to walk around the console. It’s always a balance between protection and access.

The transom is high enough to make this boat well capable of handling rough water.

Aquamaster have opted for a narrow console to maximise accessibility. There’s dry storage underneath and room to mount a big sounder on a bracket up top.

With a reasonable shallow transom deadrise, this centre console is definitely not built as a true nasty-water boat. You’d need some more vee and another tonne of hull to claim that. It does, however, offer decent stability and some limited nasty-water performance.

Suzuki’s 70hp 4-stroke is one of the most frugal outboards in its class. It’s an ideal match for this hull, even though it’s rated to take 20hp more.

There’s some wet, underfloor storage under the front deck. Don’t leave your keys and mobile phone in here.

The console windscreen folds over for boat storage, which will let you get this boat into a smaller garage.

There’s a big, inbuilt anchor well up front with a bollard and roller.

There’s a few built in rod holders scattered around the gunwales.

This is definitely a ‘console for’ard’ rather than a ‘console back’ rig. It gives you a bigger cockpit space.

Simple side pockets keep your accessible gear off the floor. SEPTEMBER 2019