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about an hour after we sent the title to the printers. That’s nearly two weeks earlier than they arrive in your mailbox. There has been little confusion about the digital subs; some readers thought that you got it for free with your paid, printed subscription. That’s not the case – for your $65 per year, you get either a print issue (from your state) OR a digital subscription (for three states). Got it? Good. If you have any teething problems, give us a buzz in the office and we can sort you out.

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REDBUBBLE One of our 2018 resolutions was to solve the FM merchandise issue – y’all love it but we infrequently stock it. Problem fixed. We’ve partnered with Redbubble to offer a massive variety of clothing and other merchandise to satisfy your urge, or to fill the gift bag. The way Redbubble works is that you pick your item, pick your logo and they custommake and ship it to you. THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR And apart from all of that, we hope you enjoy the tail end of summer. It offers warm water and what many would argue is the best time of the year to catch fish and spend time on the water. There’s our popular Find-the competition inside and mountains of articles that relate to fishing in YOUR state. Get into it!

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 122 Camping and 4WD 110 Cooking 111 Dam Levels 104 Freshwater 104 Fun Page 120 Junior Northern 101 Junior Southern 36 Politics and fishing 47 Sheik of the Creek 116 Tech Tricks 18 Tournament News 117 Track my fish 102 Trades and Services 118 What’s New Fishing 112 What’s New Boating 123 SPECIAL FEATURES Finding barra in SEQ Coral trout on hardbodied lures DIY lure making: Pop‘n’Doc Summer fishing in Queensland

We love the February magazine for plenty of reasons, but a major one is that we get to include one of the two Tournament Angler Guides from ABT in the middle of this issue – 32 pages of tips, tackle and techniques that have been derived from the BREAM, BASS and BARRA Tour in 2017. Now we know that most of the fishing population aren’t tournament anglers and don’t ever want to be a tournament angler, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that there are techniques and tackle developed on tour that will help you enjoy your fishing even more. So if you keep an open mind, there’s a lot to be gained from those pages. An example is Stefan Sawynok’s piece merging sports science and fishing. Although targeted at tournament anglers who

BOATING AND KAYAK

From the Editor’s Desk...

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Whitsundays 94 Ayr 95 Townsville 96 Hinchinbrook 97 Cairns 98 Port Douglas 98 Lucinda 99 Cairns NFZ 99 Cape York 100 Weipa 100 Cooktown 101

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Hervey Bay 84 Rainbow Beach 85 Bundaberg 87 Lake Monduran 86 Stanage Bay 86 Gladstone 88 Rockhampton 90 Yeppoon 91 Mackay 92

PRO

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The Tweed 24 Southern Gold Coast 26 Jumpinpin 30 Gold Coast Canals 28 Gold Coast 32 Southern Bay 34 Brisbane 38 Brisbane Offshore 40 Northern Bay 42 Noosa 44

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Barra

Barra bounty available in SE Queensland HERVEY BAY

Dane Radosevic

‘Barramundi? They’re a northern species – you won’t catch one this far south will you?’ Working in a tackle shop I am often faced with this exact response whenever I mention that barra can be successfully targeted here in South East Queensland and very consistently. Barramundi aren’t just a northern species. River systems such as Fitzroy in Central Queensland’s Rockhampton region and the Mary River on the Fraser Coast are home to some of the biggest breeding populations of barra on the east coast. Both river systems are renowned for producing outstanding barramundi fishing, and that trophy size fish could be just one cast away. Previously, Hervey Bay was about the southernmost limit for targeting barramundi, however – possibly due to major flood events that occurred over

Jackson ‘Jacko’ Bargenquast with a fish-of-a-lifetime, measuring 132cm. This fish was taken from the Mary River on the Fraser Coast. recent years – we are starting to see more regular captures as far south as the Sunshine Coast and even Brisbane waters. It is uncharacteristic to find them so far south, yet with varying sizes being

how great an impact certain moon phases and tidal variations could have on the behaviour and movement patterns of this species. This has lead to one rule of thumb I fish by with relative success: on the build-up to a full moon when the tides are big I target areas around the main river mouth of the system and the adjacent flats. During these bigger tides your window of opportunity is only short, due to the sheer volume of water that is being pushed around, making it near impossible to fish when it’s running. These larger tides trigger the barra to travel and aggregate in large numbers in certain locations such as rocky headlands or deeper holes towards the main river mouth where they can sit in a back eddy out of the main flow and gorge

prolonged bite periods and more manageable fishing when targeting structure like rock bars and sunken laydown timber. When faced with exploring a new location it can often be quite daunting to know where to start, as some of these systems are huge! I have found this myself in the past, where I have spent the majority of my day searching for the best looking structure or water quality and have missed the key bite periods, because I have been driving when really I should have been fishing. Try not to overcomplicate things. Firstly, locate a likely-looking structure; my preferred structures are rock bars and outcrops or laydown sunken trees with bait present in the area, as big barra have to feed. The next factor (one

caught in multiple systems, is it possible that they could be breeding successfully there too? Time will tell. I had always thought of barra as being a solitary fish that would find a snag to

It always pays to revive the fish before release so hopefully it can do its thing and contribute to future barra stocks.

This screenshot taken from the Simrad NSS12 shows barra beginning to school up in a back eddy off a big snag pile.

call home and never leave. Over the years as I have put in more hours in search of this species, I have started to realise just how mobile they really are and not just over short distances – I’m talking kilometres over a few days. I started to understand just

themselves on the masses of bait that are being flushed out. Whereas around the period of the quarter moon and as tides begin to subside, a percentage of these fish begin to disperse and travel back upriver. With these smaller tides, it allows for

of the most important) is timing, being at that location at the correct stage of the tide when they are going to bite. Timing is so crucial and learning when to be at a location according to the stages of the tide takes many hours spent on the water.

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The author fooled this 93cm model with a suspending hardbody working a back eddy off a rock bar.

Barra Another key feature that I look for when targeting barra is a back eddy, as they just scream ‘barra’ and fishing these back eddies has proven very successful in my local area. A back eddy is formed when the tidal flow meets a structure and is deflected off in a certain direction, creating a patch of still or dead water not affected by the current flow. Barra love to use this to

their advantage, so they can exert minimal energy. This is where timing is so important, as at different stages of the tide there may or may not be a back eddy, so learning to time your session for when the tide is at the right stage to form an eddy at your chosen structure is very important. I have purposely positioned myself at locations before the run starts to identify at what stage of

the tide a back eddy started to form in that location. In doing so, I was able to monitor just how consistently barra moved into that location once it had formed and the same trend followed for a large percentage of the locations I fish. Knowing your tides is also very important. On the Fraser Coast the last of the run-out tide has generally produced the greatest results

Two of the author’s favourite combos – a Chronarch 150G matched to a G Loomis E6X 684BCMH is his preferred setup for twitching and stalling hardbodies and a Curado 200K matched to a Zodias 661 BCMH is ideal for working soft vibes and soft plastics.

The Hervey Bay region has a larger fish population than most.

when targeting barra and I presume the same trend would be applicable in most areas. As the water recedes from behind the mangroves, mud flats, drains and timberlined banks, it forces the nervous baitfish out into vulnerable waters. It also concentrates the barra into smaller key locations for this stage of the tide, in-turn making them easier to locate and target. This low water period also makes finding structure a lot easier, as often it isn’t visible. Modern advancements in electronics have definitely come a

AUSTRALIA’S 1 #

long way with features such as StructureScan and DownScan being invaluable tools when searching for barra, especially in new territory. You can basically scan a rock bar or laydown timber and determine whether or not there are any fish sitting on this structure. Structure Scan allows me to monitor the fish’s movements and basically work out at what stage of the tide the fish would move into a certain location and when they would leave. Learning to read and trust your electronics will enhance your overall results. Once you

gain a greater understanding of where, when and why, you come to the easier part of how. There are many different lures and techniques available nowadays that if used in the correct scenario will undoubtedly work and draw a bite. Soft vibes are one of the most versatile lures, and can be fished both deep and shallow. They can be hopped, double hopped or slow rolled and are a great option for fishing in areas with current, as they get down to the required depth and are easily kept in the To page 12

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Tech Tricks

How to cook and clean blue swimmer crabs BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

For anglers fishing Moreton Bay and other waters, setting a few crab pots can offer a great addition to your seafood feast at the end of the day. Both sand and blue

swimmer crabs are fairly abundant and relatively easy to catch in a baited safety pot. Sometimes legal sized male crabs can be scooped from the water’s surface or the shallows with a scoop net. However you source them, cooking and cleaning them properly will help you get the best from

these exceptionally sweet seafood delights. The whole process of cooking and cleaning crabs is fairly simple and numerous crabs can be processed in a fairly short time. It is advisable to keep your crabs alive until you are ready to cook them. Once they have been removed from your crab pot, this can be achieved

To kill your crabs, place them on ice or in the freezer for half an hour. If you don’t kill them before cooking, many of the appendages will fall off the crab as soon as they hit the boiling water. Additionally, this is the most humane way to kill them.

by storing them in a cool, damp area. An old esky with a little bit of seawater in the bottom is ideal. There is no need to tie up sand and blue swimmer crabs as you do with mud crabs, as their claws are much less powerful and they move a lot slower in a gangly fashion. If they did happen to latch onto you,

they won’t do anywhere near the damage that a muddy could and you will be strong enough to pry their claw off anyway. A bit of ice in the water will slow any crabs down considerably. If kept cool and in a bit of seawater (just enough to just keep them damp) sand and blue swimmer crabs can last for several days. Water

should be changed at least once or twice a day. If any die, remove them from the others quickly and discard them. Techniques and cook times for mud crabs are different to sand and blue swimmer crabs but for now let’s just concentrate on a basic way to cook and clean your sand and blue swimmer crabs.

Use a pot large enough to cook several crabs at once. Fill it over halfway with water then add salt until you get salinity similar to seawater. You can transport some clean seawater home from your trip to cook your crabs in if you wish. Put the pot on heat and bring the water to the boil. Only put your crabs in once it’s boiling.

For two crabs, boil for roughly eight minutes. Seven minutes should do for one crab and a maximum of ten minutes for four or more crabs. Remove them quickly from the water with some tongs once the time is up.

To begin cleaning, turn the crab upside down and lift the tip of the v-shaped flap away from the body. Pry off the entire upper shell (carapace) in one piece to expose the guts and gills. 18

FEBRUARY 2018

Put the crabs in a bowl, bucket or esky and immediately cover them with ice. For a larger number of crabs, pre-mix an ice slurry of ice and salt water. This will stop the cooking process quickly by cooling them down rapidly. Once cooled, the crab can be cleaned. If you want to store a crab for a few days before cleaning, put it in a sealed plastic bag to prevent it drying out.

Pry out the guts in the cavity at the front of the crab with your finger. Wash the remaining gunk out using a high-pressure tap. The gills (pictured, under the thumb) are the next part to be removed from both sides of the crab. These can easily be torn away. With the gills, guts and carapace removed, the bulk of the dirty work is done.

Tech Tricks

Next, you have to break up the crab and extract the flesh. Use downwards pressure on both sides of the crab and upwards pressure in the middle to crack it in half. The small flap at the front of the crab with the brown gunk on it can be cracked off and discarded now too.

To remove this meat you can use your fingers to crack the shell and push the soft white flesh out of the shell pockets. If cooked properly the meat will be moist and white yet firm.

If you’re serving the crab in pieces for a seafood feast, break it into 4-6 portions to provide single serves that can be thrown on a plate for the individual to finish prying the meat out. The meatiest part of a sand or blue swimmer crab is the body. The meat is in little pockets that are divided by a crisp, yet easily breakable shell.

Use a small mallet or the handle of a knife to crack the hard shell of the claw and section above it. Break the shell in half carefully to expose the meat intact. These ‘crab lollypops’ can be served like this or you can remove the meat all together.

The thin leg sections can be cracked through at one end and then squeezed firmly between thumb and forefinger to prise out the meat.

With a nice plate of crab meat and some crab lollypops you now have the tough decision whether you are going to eat it immediately or get back to work and clean the rest of the crabs first. On fresh bread with some salt, pepper, lemon juice and a little seafood sauce, the crab will be delicious. A beer may also be required to wash it down sufficiently. FEBRUARY 2018

DIY Lure Making

DIY lure making: Pop‘n’Doc BRISBANE

Greg Vinall support@makewoodenlures.com

I thought for our final project of this beginner’s lure making series we might do something a little different. So this month we’ll make a little surface popper to take advantage of the upcoming autumn surface bite. The Pop‘n’Doc is a very simple lure to make and a lot of fun if you like splashy strikes on light lines. Ideal for throwing at bream, whiting, trevally, saratoga, sooties, bass and other small to medium surface feeders, you’ll quickly become addicted to flicking this little guy around our inland and estuarine waters! Surface poppers vary tremendously in the amount of commotion they create, which is a function of the size, depth and angle of the concave mouth at the front of the lure. To make a splashy lure, the concave surface needs to be large, so noisy poppers are often oversized at the front to maximise the space for this feature. That’s great if you’re targeting aggressive or inquisitive species in windy conditions, but often you’ll want a more subtle approach that doesn’t send timid

species scurrying off for cover. The Pop‘n’Doc has a small mouth and creates a gentle ‘pop’ that throws a little splash of water forward on each pulse. It sits close to horizontal at rest, making it perfect for still, quiet water fishing. FISHING WITH THE POP‘N’DOC The Pop‘n’Doc is very much a light tackle lure. I generally prefer 2-3kg braid and a matching mono leader. Braid and mono is generally a good line/leader combination for surface fishing, because both the line and leader float. Fluorocarbon may be great for its low visibility and high abrasion resistance, but it sinks, which can spoil the action of a small surface lure. Make sure you attach your popper to the leader with a good loop knot like Lefty’s Loop. All hardbody lures perform best if they have freedom to move at the end of the line. I like a light, reasonably fast taper rod for finesse popping. Unlike stickbaits and gliders, I don’t want a smooth, flowing action when I’m fishing poppers. It’s beneficial for the lure to move in short, sharp jerks that maximise the effectiveness of the popper mouth in creating audible

splashes and pops. Spin gear is usually my preference, and make sure the spool is full for maximum casting distance. Throwing small, lightweight lures on baitcast gear can be frustrating, so I’d usually avoid it. Like stickbaits and gliders, small poppers tend to perform best if you give them just a little slack line between twitches. Often the strike will come when the lure is stationary, during a pause between twitches, so don’t be afraid to let the lure sit momentarily. Pop‘n’Doc is a great option over shallow weedbeds for bass and estuary perch, through shallow, snag dotted flats for saratoga, or around shoals and oyster leases for bream. The key is not to rush it. After you make a cast, let the lure sit stationary for a few moments before you start to retrieve. This allows the fish to come and investigate the source of the splash and often results in an aggressive strike the instant you start moving the lure. You can play around with the cadence until you find what’s working on the day. MAKING THE POP‘N’DOC We’ll use the same materials as we have for all of our projects: balsa

for the lure body, a little stainless steel wire, some size 000 ball sinkers, and a good epoxy adhesive like 24hr Araldite. You also need some paint and clear coat to tart the lure up, of course. I used a round-nosed burr to make the concave mouth for this lure. You’ll find these with the drill bits in larger hardware stores. Alternatively, a countersink bit or a rotary tool like a Dremel can do a pretty good job too. Painting lures is nearly always for the angler more than the fish, and that’s especially true for surface lures like poppers, where the fish are approaching

Tools Utility knife, battery drill and bits, hacksaw, pliers. Materials • 12.5mm x 75mm balsa plank • 1-1.2mm stainless steel wire • 120 and 240 grit sand paper • 240 grit wet sanding paper • Epoxy adhesive (with syringes and mixing sticks) • Ball sinkers (size 000) • Methylated Spirit • Rotary burr, countersink bit or Dremel tool from below and mostly see just a silhouette. Still, painting is fun! I’ve airbrushed the poppers I made for this article in a frog pattern, which seems appropriate, since frogs are a common food item for surface-feeding fish. WANT MORE LURE MAKING LESSONS? I have an online

Template: 1 Square = 1cm

crankbait-making course that will take you through all of the basics. In it I show you how to make a couple of great crankbait projects, give a bunch of painting tips and provide some downloadable templates. It’s 100% free and you can sign up for it at thecrankbaitmasterclass. com.

100% Scale

Visit www.MakeWoodenLures.com/Fishing-Monthly/ to download all the templates in this series.

Glue some sandpaper to a flat block and with your lure blank on a flat surface, sand the edges square. Use a curved sanding block to clean up the concave edge on the underside of the lure. Gently remove timber until you’ve shaped down to the profile you marked in Step 1.

Cut out the template and trace the side profile onto a piece of 12mm thick balsa wood. Use a utility knife to cut away most of the waste, but stop just short of the lines you marked. 3

Mark a centre line and then the locations of the tow point and hook hangers. Drill a 2mm hole for each of these items, plus a 5mm hole where the belly weight will be. 48

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

FEBRUARY 2018

Mark the top profile on the blank using the template provided, then cut away the waste with your utility knife. Finish by squaring the blank again using your sanding block. One of the advantages of hand carved poppers (as opposed lathe turned ones) is that you can create more complex body shapes. Pop‘n’Doc has a slightly concave belly area, which allows it to sit slightly tail-down at rest. I mark carving lines fairly close to the edge of the blank on all four sides and remove the small amount of waste with the knife. Then I sand the lure until the body is roughly circular in cross section.

DIY Lure Making 6

Using the rotary burr in my battery drill I make the concave mouth of the popper. I find that a high drill speed and light pressure makes for a clean and controlled cut. Start with the burr at an angle to the wood and then straighten it up as the mouth starts to deepen.

Make some stainless steel twist eyes and glue them into the tail and belly hook hanger holes with 24hr, super strength epoxy. While you’re at it, glue the belly weight in place, making sure it sits neatly below the surface of the wood. Then put a little more epoxy on top to fill the hole. Set your lures aside to cure, then trim away the excess epoxy using a knife. Finish by sanding the epoxy flush with the wood. Don’t glue the tow point in just yet, as we’ll need to smooth the popper mouth after hardening the wood. FINISHED LURE

Harden the balsa using some thinned epoxy. You can get full instructions for this on my website at makewoodenlures.com/lure-bodies-hardeningsealing/. Then set your lures aside for a further 24 hours (minimum) before sanding off the gloss with 240 grit wet sanding paper. Use your rotary burr with light pressure to de-gloss the epoxy inside the mouth of the lure. Glue your tow point into the lure with epoxy, wiping away any excess glue with a rag soaked in metho. Now you’re ready to paint and clear coat your lure!

• For extra information and video tutorials please go to Greg’s website MakeWoodenLures.com/Fishing-Monthly/ and complete the free registration. To check out Greg’s other work visit crazylureart. com and his Facebook page Wooden Lure Making.

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BUCCANEERS

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ADRIANS MARINE CENTRE

www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au

CURTIS COAST MARINE

www.curtiscoastmarine.com.au

LAGUNA BOATING CENTRE

www.lagunaboating.com.au

RIFEN BOATS

www.rifenboats.com.au

FEBRUARY 2018

Enjoying the summer fishing BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Here in Southern Queensland, you have to be happy with the variety of fish available in summer. Everything seems to be firing in both the fresh and salt. Boaters can check out Moreton Bay for pelagics such as tuna and mackerel, maybe work some plastics or vibes around some of the numerous artificial reefs. A combination of a favourable tide (some run is good) linked to calmer bay conditions can see the boating team moving about freely, watching for the tell-tale sign of birds hovering over surface feeding fish. Remember, when birds are high the fish are low, and when the birds are low the fish are high. And let’s not overlook the Brisbane River. On the right tide/weather combination it can produce some surprisingly good fish, including quality king threadfin salmon and mulloway. BOATERS’ BEST BETS Tuna have been a bit hard to find in numbers in Moreton Bay over the last couple of years. However,

burners with fast retrieve threadline tackle and slugs should remember that the earlier the expedition, the better. There are two reasons

braid and leader. I’ve found that 15-20lb braid will knock over virtually any tuna in Moreton Bay. If you link this to a 10kg leader (you can

anglers patient enough to suss out a good reef edge spot prior to dark, and then fish quietly and methodically into the night. Fresh bait, sharp hooks and patience are the keys to success. SHOREBASED ANGLING If you don’t have a boat, you can still get a feed of fish. Last year we fished the beaches at The Spit for tailor during winter, and those same holes and gutters hold whiting and dart in summer for the keen light tackle angler. We have also had good flathead sessions at Cleveland Point and Bribie Island around White Patch. The very first of the flood tide is ideal. Just wade out to work the drop-off edge and keep the rod low to lead a fish ashore. Lifting the rod

If you want to catch spotties, head out early and look for birds. pontoon, you’re not going to win friends by lobbing a lure in the mix. There are plenty of other structures you can cast to.

Shore-based fishing is fun in summer. Here the author plays a bream at Cleveland Point. for this. Firstly, these fish have very small gullets and it doesn’t take much for them to finish feeding and go off the boil. Secondly, once a few boats start to get into the action the mackerel become wary and are hard to approach within casting range.

go even lighter if the fish are obviously smaller), you’ll be able to cast your slug or plastic further and present them better. Moreton Bay’s reef areas are also worth a visit early in the morning, when some quality snapper will

Granite Belt cod are great fun for youngsters to catch on spin tackle, and the cooler climate makes a refreshing change.

The Brisbane River can still turn out a thready or two. Denise Kampe took this fish on a Zerek Live Mullet. with some early success by anglers out from Bribie Island last month, we might expect the tuna to soon make their way south into the bay proper. If the bait is there the tuna will be, and once they move into the southern bay areas they often stay well into autumn. I caught a 9kg longtail on fly in Raby Bay in mid-May one year. Mackerel are the same; once the bait schools arrive, the speedsters with the razorsharp teeth will follow. Wise anglers chasing these line 50

FEBRUARY 2018

Another challenge, particularly for tuna, is those occasions when they are feeding on tiny baitfish and won’t take a metal slug. They might follow, but won’t hook up. An alternative method that can work is to substitute the shiny hard metal for a clear or pale plastic, say on a size 2/0 hook. Cast the plastic into the melee and let it sink right through the action. As soon as it gets down, it’s very likely that a tuna will grab it. When chasing these fish, remember not to overdo the

usually be found on the ebbing tide. Generous use of berley can help things along, particularly at the Harry Atkinson Artificial. Around the reef sections of Peel and Mud islands the clue is to fish far off with the boat, or under electric power. Remember that fish in these areas are cunning, and the lighter the tackle the higher the rate of success. Night fishing with fresh bait – squid, fish fillets or prawns – is another matter. Some corker fish are taken by those

high can cause the lizard to shake its head and cut the leader through. Cleveland Point is fun for small bream, a tailor or two plus some very fat and tasty gar. Youngsters in particular can have a lot of fun with fresh bread or prawn bait. Light gear is the trick, keep braid down to 2kg, leader to the same breaking strain and the bites will follow. Fishing at full tide at first light and berleying hard with plenty of sand, wet bread and prawn heads will see some success. There is rock all around this area, so use a stem float to prevent you getting snagged while still keeping the bait moving. THE CANALS The bayside canal estates are well worth an early start in summer, and yield a wide variety of fish; even barra have been caught there. If you have an electric motor, or you’re fishing from a kayak, you’ll get the best of the action due to the stealth factor around the pontoons, mooring floats, small jetties and the like. Please remember that the locals value their privacy, so be considerate. If someone is feeding the fish on their

SOUTH QUEENSLAND FRESHWATER There is some great freshwater fishing within a couple of hours of Brisbane. The upper reaches of the Brisbane, Tweed and Richmond rivers all hold plenty of bass in summer. A short foray via kayak or canoe along the upper Brisbane around Fernvale

worth a fish, especially Maroon Dam. While it doesn’t yield many fish over 45cm, they are willing topwater and fly captures, and it’s one of life’s pleasures to be on Maroon Dam at 4am and watch the day unfold. In Borumba the saratoga are active in the warmer weather, along with good bass. Both lure and fly tackle works well in this impoundment, you just need to finding a quiet area away from major boat traffic. NEW ENGLAND New England trout around Ebor provide top shelf fishing at this time of year, as they hunt beetles and grasshoppers. Ultra light spin or light fly tackle will also take these fish. Even when you’re not catching fish, it’s great to escape the heat in that cool, high country environment. The western flowing New England waters, as well as those of the Granite Belt in Queensland, are all well stocked with Murray cod. These fish offer great sport on spin and fly tackle. While these fish are not found as high up the ranges as trout, you can still experience cooler nights on your cod trips.

A change of pace and a change of climate – trout fishing in the New England highlands. can produce some excellent bass fishing, and that’s just one of the options available. Impoundments are still

So there you have it – summer fishing is all around us. We just have to get stuck into it!

abt

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Australian Bass Tournaments

ABT.ORG.AU

Isuzu D-Max LS-U BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

I’m always up for a drive in a ute that combines work truck reliability with some serious off road capability, so when the chance to review a D-Max LS-U came along, I put my name down for a test run quick smart. The top-of-the-range LS-U Crew Cab D-Max is available in both 4x2 and 4x4 configuration, and I was lucky enough to score a 4x4 model

user-friendly cruise control set-up, and that’s a big deal coming from me because I’m critical of many cruise control systems. My idea of a good cruise control arrangement is one where there’s no need to look at the vehicle’s instruction book. All you should have to do is touch a button to activate it, touch another button to set the speed you want, and just drive easily from then on. “Aren’t all cars set up like this?” you might ask. No, some are certainly not. Fortunately, the D-Max LS-U isn’t one of them.

designed to carry over 1000kg. That same suspension set up surprised me greatly on a gravel back road – corrugations being par for the course – and I must give Isuzu kudos for the way they have balanced load carrying capability with comfort for passengers, who don’t like to be jolted or jarred when the road surface turns ugly. Even travelling pretty quickly on corrugated surfaces did not induce any bump steer or other nasties into the ride. Isuzu have obviously noticed that many of their work trucks are not actually

OK, so there’s no limousine styling in sight, but the D-Max easily lives up to its reputation as a work/lifestyle ute. for this review. I set out for a run to cod country south of Warwick to put it through its paces. The well set-up D-Max has a 6-speed auto box linked to a laid-back but powerful 3.0L diesel engine. On a variety of surfaces ranging from the best bitumen to bad back roads, I came to terms with a ride that was better than passable. The handling on all surfaces was pretty well neutral, and only tended towards understeer when things were really being pushed hard. It recorded some surprisingly good fuel consumption

For a vehicle designed primarily as a work truck, it’s got a pretty good layout. The wheel-mounted controls are intuitive, with sound and other connectivity to the left, and cruise control to the right.

The Isuzu’s radio offered a fair amount of station flexibility and had a pretty good sound to it. That’s one of just three glove box compartments the ute provides. figures of 8.3L per 100km to Stanthorpe and back. On the highway the D-Max was quite enjoyable to drive. I found a comfortable driving position featuring ample support without the need for electric seat adjustment, and smiled at the seamless gear changes from the 6-speed Aisin shifter. I also liked the quite 110

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On the highway run to Stanthorpe and with cruise control locked in, the D-Max grumbled along smoothly with just the odd bump or undulation felt at 100km. Doubtless a load in the back would have sorted things out in that department. The D-Max did, after all, start life as a work ute with leaf spring rear suspension, and it’s still

used for work, but more for towing recreational items like boats and caravans. Isuzu have crafted the suspension accordingly, with a very well sorted independent coil spring/gas shock absorber system up front mated to ride friendly springing under the 1552x1530mm rear tub. Current sales indicate they are onto a winner. Interestingly, the D-Max diesel engine never seems to work hard, yet is willing to handle what ever is thrown at it. The 4-cylinder, direct fuel injected, Euro Five compliant Isuzu engine was upgraded a short while ago to output 130kW of power and 430Nm of torque. There’s some pretty obvious diesel clatter at start up (and through the lower couple of the six gears on hand), but for an engine that seemed so laid back I was pretty impressed with the way the 3.0L 4-cylinder turbo diesel could be stirred when I needed to overtake. It’s no fire breather, admittedly, but with

With ample power from the Isuzu’s 3L diesel engine, towing the author’s 4.5m Galeforce was a non-event. a little wind up the D-Max overtook with ease. With ride pretty well sorted, Isuzu have also made good with the interior comfort levels. Leg and head room, both front and rear, are fine, and at the wheel I enjoyed dialling in my own air-conditioning levels. I was also able to use the GPS on the 8” central dash touch screen without much fiddling about. On the country run, the radio was king with an excellent sound system, but there’s naturally DVD, MP3, USB port, plus iPod and Bluetooth connectivity for phone and audio streaming. A decent dash set-up with easily found switches and controls is a D-Max feature, and the LS-U specification list includes a reversing camera within the central screen as well as a really useful electroluminescent display. The screen is located between the tacho and speedometer, and at the press of the turn indicator stalk, it allows the driver to see a fuel gauge, ambient temperature, current and average fuel usage, distance remaining and a host of other useful information. Driving aids include electronic stability control, traction control system, ABS with ABD and emergency brake assist. As a genuine off-roader the D-Max has 2WD, 4WD high range and 4WD low range. When 4WD low is engaged, ESC and traction control are both automatically disabled, thus ensuring that beach driving in particular is easy.

Climate control air is handy in this weather, and the dial and fan controls are user-friendly. Drive mode selection is as easy as the turn of a console knob, and 2WD to 4WD can be accomplished at speeds up to 100km/h. Another feature, hill descent control, was very handy when negotiating Cunningham’s Gap’s wet road surface on the way home. At the first dab of the brakes, the descent control system started working, with helpful engine braking throughout the descent. SUMMING UP Bling is not a big ticket item with utes of this style and price point, but the D-Max had

Cruise control at 100km/h, the engine revs are a measly 1500rpm and fuel consumption is a great 7.7L per 100km.

a quite reasonable and well set up interior, with LED running lights, side steps and 17” alloys to complement exterior styling. With a 5-star ANCAP rating there are ample passive and active safety features to reassure a driver at all times. As a work/lifestyle alternative use vehicle, it certainly fulfils both roles with ease. Last but not least there’s also a decent towing capacity, with ratings of 750kg unbraked and 3.5-tonne braked trailers. With my 4.5m Galeforce centre console on the tow ball I was able to see just how easily the 3L engine performed. Even a nasty hill near home did little to slow the Isuzu down. Three passengers can be comfortably seated in the rear seat, with ample leg and head room, while the driver plus an offsider will do it easy in the front. Room is certainly no issue within the D-Max’s interior. All up, I see the D-Max LS-U as economical to run with an easy drive. The current price is around $47,000.

Cooking BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

Spice it up with prawn and mango tacos

Ingredients • 1 small carton sour cream (low fat is fine) • 1/2 cup taco sauce • 1-2 tbsp Mexican spice mix • 1 lime, halved • 1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped • 2-3 green shallots, finely sliced • 1 head cos lettuce • 1/2 a cucumber, diced • 1 punnet of grape or cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters • 1 ripe mango, peeled • 1 ripe avocado • 500g cooked prawns, peeled • hard (or soft) taco shells

Mix the ingredients together thoroughly.

Slice the avocado flesh into cubes and add them to the salad. Add the cooked and peeled prawns and your salad is ready to go. Toss it together gently.

Pour the small carton of sour cream into a large jug or mixing bowl then add the Mexican spice mix and taco sauce. Squeeze the lime into the jug.

Remove some of the outer leaves of the cos lettuce for later use in assembling the tacos. Tear the remaining lettuce into small pieces and place into a bowl. Add the cucumber and tomatoes.

Warm the taco shells according to the directions on the packet. After warming, allow the shells to cool slightly and then line the inside base of the taco shell with lettuce leaves. Fill the taco shell with some of the prawn salad.

Now add three quarters of the chopped coriander and the sliced green shallots to the mixture.

To ‘hedgehog’ a mango, start by slicing parallel cuts deeply into each mango cheek. Then slice cuts perpendicular to the first set of parallel cuts to create a grid. Invert the mango cheeks by pushing on the back of the skin. Using a spoon, scrape the mango cubes into the salad.

Spoon some of the sour cream and taco sauce salad dressing over each filled taco. Top the filled tacos with the remaining coriander and serve. A soft taco or tortilla is an alternative to the hard taco shell. FEBRUARY 2018

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI VIBELICIOUS 1 UV SQUID

DTD WHITE KILLER OITA

Samaki Vibelicious brings a new colour to the lure market: UV Squid. This new pattern is all about the detail. It has long tentacles extending over the tail, and a soft spot and stripe details add the pearl underbody plus a very lifelike green eye. This colour has proven itself time and time again in field testing around Australia, accounting for barra, mulloway, bream and flathead to name a few. The fish-attracting features of the Vibelicious Fork Tail and Thumper Tail are further enhanced by the ultra-violet properties of the new UV Squid colour. The Vibelicious Fork Tail and Thumper Tail come in three sizes: 70mm, 100mm and 125mm. The 100mm and 125mm models have now been upgraded with new BKK Raptor Z Hooks and new Decoy EX Strong split rings. New quality hardware like this assists longevity and promotes better hookups, as the hook penetration is on point. As always our Vibelicious contains premium Japanese Stainless wire and is made of the toughest 10X super stretch material. www.samaki.com.au

The White Killer Oita is the latest innovative European squid jig to hit the Australian market. Manufactured by leading Croatian company DTD, this baby is taking the world by storm. Unlike any other product in the market, the defining difference is the White Killer cannot help but be noticed by any lurking predators. Made with all the durability and quality you’d expect from DTD, it is bright, attractive, and features three unique ‘glow’ points. The body of the jig omits a green glow in night conditions, and the coloured ‘spine’ is UV enhanced and ensures high visibility during daytime conditions. And as if that wasn’t enough, the side of the lure features a blue glow point to once again enhance visibility. These glow qualities, coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensure great balance and results in superior catching ability. The White Killer Oita is available now in three sizes (2.5, 3.0, and 3.5). Price: SRP $17.95 www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

WILSON LARGE LURE WRAP

SAMURAI OSPREY BOAT RODS

The arrival of the Wilson Large Lure Wrap has allowed lovers of big lures to keep themselves, their lures and their rods safe from the rigours of travel on the water and during transport. The damage that can be caused to a rod blank, the bindings and the guides can be quite significant if you travel any distance in a boat with lures rigged (as almost all of us do). The Wilson Large Lure Wrap stops this damage by protecting the rod blank from a wildly swinging and swaying lure. Measuring 26cm x 28cm, the Large Lure Wrap securely encloses both the lure and the rod, stopping the lure from banging around while you are underway. Additionally, the wrap reduces the risk of anglers catching themselves on the hooks, and allows for better storage of rigged rods, whether in rod lockers or in rod stands. The Large Lure Wrap comes in a single pack and measures 26cm x 28cm. It is simple, effective and one of those products that you can’t believe you didn’t think of yourself. www.wilsonfishing.com

OBSESSION GUMMY 3 BAITS Large spinnerbaits to target big Murray cod are a must-have for serious native fish anglers. Australian-made Obsession Spinnerbaits have plenty of options in their Gummy Bait range to meet the needs of these anglers. Available in 3/4oz, 1oz and 1 1/8oz and four blade configurations (single, double, quad and six blades on request), Gummy Baits are designed to tickle the fancy of Australia’s largest freshwater fish. There is a huge range of head colours, which are matched with Obsession’s hot tip and turbo-flared skirts and finished off with a curl-tail grub and stinger hook to match the head. If you love casting or trolling large spinnerbaits, Obsession Gummy baits are for you. To find out more about Obsession Spinnerbaits you can contact Ray on 0428 462 397, or to find your nearest stockist go to the Obsession Spinnerbaits website. www.obsessionspinnerbaits.com 112

FEBRUARY 2018

Samurai has released a new series of all-rounder boat rods with user-friendly actions and a wide weight range, perfect for any offshore boat style fishing. These very versatile rods can be used for bait fishing, lures, trolling, casting or for the keen jigger. Each rod is fitted with the finest rod components by Fuji — anti-tangle K Frame guides with alconite rings and Fuji reel seats. The grips are custom shaped and the rods are pimped out with aluminium decorative parts for some essential bling. A premium rubber gimbal cap is dual purpose: fit it into your rod holder or hold it freestyle. There’s no need for those annoying caps anymore that everyone loses! There are six models, all 6’0”: OS-25 (1525lb, spin), OS-40 (20-40lb, spin), S-60 (3060lb, spin), OS-H25 (15-25lb, overhead), OSOH40 (20-40lb overhead), OS-OH60 (30-60lb overhead). www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

EGI OH Q LIVE COLOURS

PRODUCT GUIDE

The Yamashita Egi Oh Q Live series has eight new high-contrast colours added to its range. These incorporate UV and glow paint to create a unique contrast to the cloth and undertape. Like all Live jigs, they are fitted with the ‘warm jacket’ cloth which converts light into heat. This capacity to hold a level of heat similar to natural fish makes the Lives more successful in attracting squid interest, helping you to catch squid even when conditions are tough. These jigs also have a patented thin nose design, which minimises water resistance when hopped to give the jig more action for less effort. Other features include large, flat eyes with a glow edge, super fine spikes, Hyper Direct SUS eyelet to maintain jig strength and protect against breakage or leaks, a knife-edged sinker to reduce resistance in the water, and a strike body to make it easy to retrieve the jig. It also has a much longer casting distance than many other jigs, and comes in 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 sizes. www.ejtodd.com.au

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING STORM GOMOKU SURF RODS

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No one knows what crustacean or insect ZMan’s new creature bait is meant to imitate, but the TRD HogZ has already accounted for a stack of species in both the fresh and salt. Plenty of moving parts, in the form of large antennae and fine legs, create vibration and water movement, while the natural buoyancy of the 10X Tough ElaZtech material encourages an ‘antennae up’, life-like pose when at rest on the bottom. This buoyancy, combined with TT Lures’ new NedlockZ jighead, creates a deadly stand-up presentation that reduces snagging and puts those antennae right in the face of the fish, triggering strikes. A ribbed body adds to the realistic feel and creates additional water movement, while also being perfect for holding scent. A solid core allows the TRD HogZ to be trimmed shorter for a more finesse presentation. Available in six natural colours, the TRD HogZ is a go-to for anglers chasing bream, bass, trout, redfin, flathead and more. Price: SRP $10.95 (6 pack) www.z-man.com.au

CODGER TOPWATER

ET’S FISHING ADVENTURES

LUMO SNAPPER SNATCHER

The world renowned Storm Gomoku micro and light jigging rods are the ultimate weapon for all manner of vertical fishing in both salt and fresh water – and they are now available for surf and rock fishers as well. Light and powerful, the new Gomoku surf rods have soft tips for casting distance and accuracy but plenty of power in the lower end to be able to stop even the biggest mulloway or Australian salmon. They feature hi-modulus graphite blanks, colour-coded shrink wrap grips, Fuji KR Stripper Guides, Fuji O Guides and Fuji Reel seats. Gomoku surf rods are available in three lengths of 9ft 2-piece medium heavy, 12’ 2-piece medium, and 13’ 3-piece heavy. Line breaking strains range from 8kg up to 15kg on the heaviest model, and lure casting weights start at 30g all the way through to 150g. They are available now at all leading tackle retailers. www.stormfishing.com.au

Graham Saunders, the man behind Goulburn Lures, has expanded his Codger range into the topwater market with his Codger Topwater. Easy to use, these super strong lures have a super loud clacking and splashing action that will tempt even the most fussy Murray cod. Available in nine colours, they come equipped with double rear split rings and are fitted with VMC 3X tough trebles for an increased hook-up rate. The Codger Topwater has a medium sized profile that can be cast using your standard cod fishing tackle. No need for specialised rods and reels – just put a Codger Topwater on and you can experience the cod surface fishing that everybody is talking about. Or if you just love catching Australian native fish using surface lures, then here is another quality offering from an Australian lure maker that is a must-have for your tackle box. Price: SRP $25 goulburn.lures@bigpond.com

ZMAN 3” TRD HOGZ

Black Magic Snapper Snatcher flasher rigs have landed some serious fish over the years, and it’s not by luck. Australian anglers continue to swear by their quality, and constantly send Black Magic great fish photos and feedback. Now the range has been further improved with the exciting new super lumo colour. This new rig is tied with the popular KL recurve hooks and Tough Trace, but what makes it stand out is the ‘flash’ colour, Super Lumo. The rigs tied with this material out-performed many other products during field testing, and this is due to their high luminosity and UV content. And you can also ‘super charge’ them with a Black Magic UV Torch. Snapper Snatcher super lumo rigs are available in sizes 5/0, 6/0 and 8/0. For more information visit the Black Magic website, or look them up on Facebook for all the latest catch photos, news and competitions. www.blackmagictackle.com

ET’s Ultimate Fishing Adventures features Andrew Ettingshausen’s favourite fishing destinations with hundreds of his wonderful images, essential tips and background stories of adventure. This is the ideal book for any casual or novice angler who dreams of landing the perfect catch. While reading its photo-filled pages you will explore some of the most beautiful fishing destinations across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Isles with ‘ET’ as your guide. ET’s extensive fishing experience makes him a knowledgeable and well-rounded author. While filming Escape with ET and Seafood Escape, he has travelled all around Australia, trekking inland to its rivers and gorges and fishing the deep blue oceans offshore to find the best fishing destinations. His adventures have also taken him to New Zealand, the Pacific Isles and countless islands and territories around our continent. ET’s Ultimate Fishing Adventures, published by New Holland Publishers, is available from all good bookstores or from the New Holland website. Price: SRP $49.99 www.newhollandpublishers.com

HURRICANE FAT 37 12 SHALLOW CRANK Hurricane Lures is continuing to expand its range of tournament-tested quality lures, which are not only suitable for the tournament angler but the everyday angler as well. The new Fat 37 Shallow Crank is a shallow-running lure with a fast, wide action, designed to draw attention from predators in a large area. It is ideal to use over weed beds, rock banks, sand flats and any other fishy looking structure. Suspending in freshwater and slow sinking in saltwater, it runs at a depth of just under a metre. Weighing 4.4g it has great castability, allowing you to cover large areas of water. It also comes in a huge range of colours suitable for any situation. To check out the Fat 37 and the rest of the lures in the range, go to the Hurricane website or look for them in your local tackle store. You can also find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HurricaneAustralia and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/ HurricaneLures. www.hurricanelures.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au FEBRUARY 2018

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING BERKLEY POWERBAIT POWERPOP FROG 13 A favourite meal of just about any freshwater fish is the frog.The new Berkley Power Pop Frog is a unique soft popper with inbuilt PowerBait scent and flavour. The Power Pop is equipped with a cup face popper at the front end and a mass of trailing legs at the backend combining to give it an action that fish can’t ignore. The Power Pop Frog comes with a weedless worm hook ready to fish, inbuilt glass rattle and 3D eyes. At 70mm long, plus training legs, the Power Pop Frog is a tasty meal for a variety of freshwater fish that love a surface presentation such as bass, cod, barra and saratoga. It’s available in eight colour variations so you can match the hatch to perfection. The Power Pop benefits from Berkley’s legendary PowerBait scent infused into every bait. Berkley PowerBait makes novice anglers good, and good anglers great. Berkley scientists have spent over 25 years perfecting an irresistible scent and flavour – the exclusive PowerBait formula. Fish love PowerBait so much they hold on 18 times longer, giving you the time and confidence to feel more bites, set more hooks and catch more fish! Price: SRP $8.99 Berkley-fishing.com.au

2-PIECE ATOMIC ARROWZ

Atomic Arrowz rods launched in early 2017, and brought together advanced designs and the finest Fuji components assembled on a full-graphite blank. Designed originally as series of 1-piece rods, they are now available in 2-piece models featuring the same high quality components. The focus has been on the Estuary, Offshore and Bream models, and ensuring no flat spots through the join to maintain sensitivity. The 2-piece Estuary Series has four models, starting from the finesse 70SUL (2–6lb) up to the 70ML (6-14lb). The 2-piece Offshore Series delivers superior control across four 7’ spin rods. They feature ultra-refined fore and rear neoprene grips and have an excellent balance. The 2-piece models again have seamless transition. For the Bream fans there are now 2-piece versions of the Bream Surface 70BS and the Bream Crank 70BC, making transportation and storage easier and safer. All Atomic Arrowz rods are balanced perfectly to deliver the ultimate feel and bite response, and are lightweight without sacrificing strength. Price: from SRP $189 www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

NEW COLOURS BULLET LURES

Bullet Lures have become a favourite for many trout anglers in the form of the Bullet Minnow and the Five-O Minnow. These lures’ popularity has reached the point where users are now demanding more colour options, and Bullet Lures has done so with two new colours: pearl widow and black widow. These very distinctive patterns are highlighted with UV-enhanced dots on the side of the lures, adding even more attraction to the lure. The new colours will be available in the sinking 3cm Bullet Minnow and all three styles of the Five-O Minnow (floating, suspending/ slow sink and sinking). If you are already a fan of Bullet Lures you will want these, and if you haven’t tried Bullets you should get into your local tackle store and check them out. You 114

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can also browse the range on the Bullet Lures website. www.bulletlures.com

NEW MONO FROM SHIMANO

PRODUCT GUIDE 13

Shimano has released three new mono lines: Exage+, Tiagra Hyper, and Tiagra Leader. Exage+ is a fine diameter Japanese manufactured monofilament with excellent clarity and super sensitivity. It has a soft feel with low memory so it lays neatly onto the spool. It’s ideal for floater fishing for snapper or even surf fishing for species such as salmon. The new Tiagra Hyper gamefishing line uses premium class Japanese IGFA-rated nylon monofilament that combines high abrasion resistance with optimal stretch. It’s available in invisible clear blue and high-vis fluorescent yellow in 15kg, 24kg and 37kg breaking strains in 1000m spools (15kg and 24kg breaking strains are also available in bulk). Manufactured in Japan, the new Tiagra Premium Nylon Mono Leader is significantly tougher in abrasion resistance than standard nylon, and offers the very best in knot and crimp strength. Available in 20-150lb, the leader is suited to making rigs for snapper right through to trolling leaders for marlin. www.shimanofish.com.au

NEW FLUTTER JIG COLOURS

Black Magic’s Flutter Jigs are designed to create a fluttering effect when dropping and retrieving, and are built with highquality components to ensure anglers are getting the most bang for their buck. Now Black Magic has introduced two new colours to the range that are sure to turn on the predatory instincts of many species. The new colours are silver with orange and lumo stripes, and blue with lumo stripes. Flutter jigs come in four sizes, 40g, 60g, 80g and 100g. The 60g, 80g and 100g sizes are supplied rigged with a high strength assist hook rigged on Kevlar thread. The 40g model has a lighter gauge hook more suited to the size of the jig, and it also uses Kevlar thread. Flutter jigs are available from Black Magic stockists nationwide. For more information visit the Black Magic website or like them on Facebook. www.blackmagictackle.com

TICA TACTICA GCA REEL

The new Tactica Baitcasting reel certainly fits the bill for the angler looking for a small baitcaster for species like bass, estuary perch, trout, redfin and for trolling. The Tactica baitcaster is packed with excellent features including a one-piece, high-strength aluminium body with a V-shaped, forged machine-cut aluminium spool. It also features a magnetic cast control system, precision-cut brass main gear, quick remove sideplate, soft EVA handles and eight ball bearings, featuring two RRB rust-resistant bearings and six stainless steel ball bearings. This new reel offers a 6.3:1 high speed retrieve that retrieves 71cm of line per handle turn, and holds 150m of 20lb braid. It’s a great choice for the beginner right through to the more experienced angler. For more information visit the Juro website. www.jurofishing.com

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

The revamped Costa range - bigger, better and more affordable US-based sunglass and apparel brand Costa Del Mar have been in the premium eyewear game since 1983, and have been available here in Australia for many years. They have gone through a lot of very important and sometimes industry-defining changes in that time. The range is now bigger, the quality is better, the price tag has been lowered and they’re now available from one of this country’s largest and best known fishing wholesalers: Rapala VMC Australia. This move to Rapala brought with it renewed focus, larger distribution networks and a better connection to anglers, and a whole new range was unveiled at the 2017 AFTA Tackle Trade Show on the Gold Coast. What a perfect place to launch new sunglasses! Not only was it warm and sunny, a lot of the patrons were left needing shades all day and even inside, thanks to overindulgent nocturnal activities. Costa have always been known for lens quality, but in years gone by their range of On the saltwater flats or in the middle of the rainforest picking off carp on fly, if frames wasn’t as diverse as it could be. With the increasing need of people wanting you’re hoping to sight fish, you’d better take a high quality pair of polarized glasses. My second pair, the Half Moon, has a slightly smaller frame and lens, and is just as comfortable and easy to wear all day. For this pair I went for the blue mirror 580 glass lenses, to try something different.

TESTED

an alarming rate of 190 sharks a minute. Mostly for soup! Anything that helps to restore balance and strength to the oceanic ecosystem has my vote every day of the week. This program, as well as others that are helping coastal villages recover from devastating hurricanes or floods, is just a small example of the charity work Costa is doing at the grass roots level. But back to the glasses themselves, since that’s what we’re here for, the bulk of my on-water time is spent in small, clear-ish rivers and creeks. I sight cast to most of my fish, and for the rest I rely on spotting a split boulder or submerged laydown where the target species is likely to be. Having the right eyewear in these types of situations can be the difference between a session I’ll be exaggerating about to my grandkids one day, and a dreaded doughnut. I’ve found the Costas to cut through the glare very well in all manner of lighting, enabling me to target fish quite easily. In days gone by a 580 glass lens pair of Costas would set you back as much as $500, but right now you can pick up a set for around the $350 mark from your local stockist – and it’s cheaper again for poly lenses. This is a big win for all anglers as we have another $150 to spend on lures we certainly don’t need! The next time you’re

I found the Costa Rincon frames to be comfortable enough to wear all day, and they cut through the glare in all light situations. to wear the same glasses on the water as they do driving around town or at the pub, a freshen up was needed. Costas new range certainly offers this versatility. Gone are the days where we can get away with a pair of $14.95 servo sunnies – we need to protect our eyes and not be shunned by the fairer sex in doing so.

You can even wear the Costas in combination with a 90s-era flap hat to spot pies at the shops on the way to the water.

Most of the old Costa classics remain, but there have been some really cool new styles released that have already been a hit with anglers, myself included. I’ve worn most of the major sunglass brands over the last 10 years or so, with varying levels of success. Each brand has its strengths. Some have great lenses but the frames are bulky, rigid and heavy; some have lightweight frames but are not as good on the lens front. I’m pleased to say that the Costa Rincon and Half Moon sunglasses I’ve been wearing for the last 6-7 months are the best combination of vision, comfort and style I’ve ever owned. The bride even likes the look of these ones, which hasn’t always been the case with my fishing sunnies. She actually liked them so much we had to go and buy another pair of Costas for her in the Remora model. The Rincon are a slightly larger frame, which suits my large noggin. I’ve been able to wear them for hours and hours without the discomfort I’ve felt from a couple of other brands over the years. Clarity of vision and the lightweight frames are the standout features for me. I went for the green mirror 580 polarized glass lens, which was described to me as being the best allrounder for the mix of fresh and saltwater fishing I do. They have not disappointed in either field.

Mr Sun was certainly doing his job this day, but spotting this feisty pest wasn’t a problem with the help of the 580 lenses. Again, I have worn them in both fresh and in your local tackle store, ask about Costa saltwater situations and they have always eyewear and give them a go for yourself. You can thank me later. - Rupe performed very well. Both pairs are flexible enough that they don’t push into the side of my head too hard, but at the same time they hold firmly enough to not slide down my nose when I look down or bend over to pick up a fish. While Costa do offer both polycarbonate and glass lenses, once I tried the demo pair of 580 glass on and walked out into the sun for a test drive, I had to go that way. Weight has traditionally been the downfall of glass, but in these new styles the difference was undetectable. Something else that drew my attention to the Costa brand was how much it’s putting back into our sport and the people who enjoy it or even rely on it. Costa has long been associated with the OCEARCH Another sight cast victim - I took the program, whose goal is to save the world’s sharks from mass slaughter. Every pair of glasses off for the obligatory solo bass fishing selfie, but I wouldn’t have had OCEARCH-branded Costa models helps fund on-water research and put science the opportunity without seeing the fish first in fast-flowing water. on the side of sharks, which are killed at

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A value package – the Sea Craft Xtreme 5.2 CC

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Boat reviews are always dominated by weather. Overly calm conditions can make a craft’s ride quality more difficult to assess. On the other hand, it certainly makes taking photos real easy and provides some interesting top performance figures from hull and motor. In the Sea Craft Xtreme’s case we launched at Manly on Moreton Bay on a day of beguiling calmness, and that’s how things stayed. Ray Dial of R & M Marine (Hemmant) assisted with the launch and review and I doubt I’ve seen many craft leave their trailers – and be driven back on later – as easily as the 5.2 Sea Craft.The trailer was a custom-made Sea Trail trailer featuring alloy C channel construction which combined strength, a functional design and light weight quite superbly. A no-nonsense sort of alloy rig, the Sea Craft had a rigid feel about it thanks to 4mm plate all around. I SPECIFICATIONS Length: 5.25m Beam: 2.25m Hull construction: 4mm plate alloy all round Weight hull: 655kg Engines: 90-150hp Engine fitted: 90hp Evinrude E-TEC Fuel: 95L Persons: six Towing: Family wagon or a 4x4 ute 128

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Main: On the move and doing it well; the Sea Craft’s hull design sees the craft planing very freely and kicking displaced water well away from the hull. Above: With the its interesting design, the craft rides very freely up on top of the water, not through it, which is a bonus for performance and fuel consumption. noted that although welds were not smoothed, they were continuous and of a fairly high standard. The wide non-skid decks looked good to sit on in quiet conditions and with check plate on the self draining floor and raised forward deck, the fishing team would enjoy sure footing on the water with the owner having an easy wash-out back home. I love hose-out style boats. PLENTY OF FISHING FEATURES Full cockpit-length side pockets looked great for stowing long items and with a 60L in-floor kill tank/storage compartment and a shelf within the centre console a fair amount of equipment would find a home for a day on the water. The rail and windscreenequipped centre console

offered some breeze protection with a Raymarine Dragonfly 7 GPS/sounder and a compass. Marine radio, gauges for the 90 E-Tec astern and switches were all handy, and the wheel was linked to hydraulic steering, which was easily reached from the fore/ aft bolster seat set onto a big storage box. Bolster seats are great when travelling then easily reversed when watching a couple of baited rods and enjoying a snack. I noted a 30L livewell aft and a transom-mounted bait station equipped with a cutting board, tackle drawer, four rod holders and side tool compartments as well. A folding rear seat is standard but was removed for our water test with only the backrest in place. The full transom-height lockable boarding gate to port would

be appreciated by an angler hauling in a big one or a swimmer returning to base. There is a grab rail and ladder tucked into the transom for that latter purpose. 90 E-TEC AMPLE POWER Powered modestly by a 90hp Evinrude E-TEC – top power is rated as 150hp – the Sea Craft Xtreme 5.2 performed quite well. A 15” Viper prop kicked the solid 655kg hull onto the plane at a modest 3000rpm and 13.7km/h. It turned more revs into forward motion at the following rate: 4000rpm for 32.3km/h, 4500 for 38.2, 5000 for 45.2 and 5800 for 58.3. Although it’s a small engine compared to the maximum 150hp, the 90 E-TEC still had plenty of power given the ease with which it kicked the rig (with two on board) quickly onto the plane and had ample power reserves throughout the rev range. Evinrude’s fuel injected 2-strokes are like that, of course, and with that sort of get up and go even

having four anglers aboard should present no problems. In the prevailing conditions, fast runs and sharp turns were a breeze. The hull with it’s massive double reversed outer chines tracked like it was on rails and was then rock steady at rest, so it’s good for virtually all fishing pursuits. Ride assessment was facilitated by some big Moreton Island-bound ferries leaving Manly and I guess the excited youngsters aboard might have wondered why an alloy boat with two grinning persons aboard came zooming in on their wash and jumped straight through it a couple of times. The Sea Craft handled that bit of sport quite well; there were no hard bangs or jarring, just a smooth impact with spray thrown well away. SUMMING UP Stability’s assured, an excellent and wellcontrolled ride’s a bonus, and with 1.45m high sides the Sea Craft 5.2 Xtreme certainly had plenty of freeboard.

The Chinese-made Sea Craft boats are somewhat new to our market and offer a range of craft extending from 5m right up to 7m in length. With everything from cuddy cabs to both centre and side consoles on the books there’s a pretty good choice on hand. Keen anglers and family boaters could enjoy them equally. For a test run, contact Harvey Bay Marine on (07) 4124 9955 or R & M Marine of Hemmant, Brisbane on 3393 9463. Both are happy to assist potential owners to open the throttle and experience the ride and handling of these Vee hulls. The price as reviewed was $42,990 (with high-end C channel trailer). • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

The Sea Craft Xtreme 5.2 CC is a handsome craft with great potential.

Top: That’s a 26° Vee there; those wide reversed outer chines gave the hull terrific stability. Above: Among the angler-friendly features was a well-equipped aft bait station.

A sensibly-sized centre console makes a decent hub for controls and gauges and still allows plenty of workroom around it. Note those great non-skid decks as well.

The Sea Craft has room for up to four to fish in comfort. The checker plate floor is nice and grippy underfoot and easy to wash out back at base.

Some of the features that make the 5.2 Sea Craft Xtreme 5.2 an excellent fishing or family craft are easily seen here. Note the great freeboard, wide decks, well set-up bait station, console seating for two and neat boarding platform. While it was a long way from maximum allowable power, the 90 Evinrude E-TEC did a very good job of powering the solid Sea Craft hull.

Top: Useful fishing features here are the long side pockets, great toe rail under the pockets and paired rod holders within decks. Left and Right: Bolster seats are great in small craft. With their two-way backrest it’s just as easy to watch a baited rod astern as it is to study the sounder at the hotspot. Allocating storage duties to the shelf in the centre console makes sense.

Top: Easy launch and retrieve capability is a great feature of the custom C channel trailer that the Sea Craft Xtreme 5.2 is carried on. Above: A deep Vee with a difference – those two larger outer reversed chines certainly provide ample stability to the Sea Craft’s hull both underway and at rest. FEBRUARY 2018

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Horizon Scorpion 485 a great entry-level rig - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

Firstly, the rig is well priced. Scott James and his team at Horizon boats specialise in getting affordable packages on the

SPECIFICATIONS Length.........................................................4.9m Length on trailer........................................6.0m Height on trailer.........................................2.4m Beam...........................................................2.2m Depth........................................................ 1.16m Bottom........................................................3mm Sides...........................................................3mm Hull weight............................................... 510kg Max hp............................................................75 Capacity............................................. 5 persons a little boat testing, fishing and tubing on the Tweed River. And the question we set out to answer was this: does the Scorpion offer a good compromise between fishing, fun and family? The answer was a definite ‘yes,’ and let us tell you why. 130

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water. As tested, the Scorpion came in at under $33,000, which is at the affordable end of family boating. Secondly, you don’t need to trade in the family car for a 4WD to tow it. With a dry hull weight of just over 500kg and an on-trailer weight of less than 1000kg,

you’ll move it around nicely with most family sedans. The added bonus of a light rig is that you can use a single axle trailer to tote it. Single axle trailers have inherent manoeuvrability advantages in small spaces and garages and an overall length of 6m means that it’s not impossible to fit in most spaces designed for cars. Thirdly, there’s abundant shade and areas out of the weather in the Scorpion. The cuddy cabin design’s open cabin pairs nicely with the added soft top to create a space out of the sun for anyone to chill out who has gone a bit hard early on. While travelling, the rear bench seat offers a smoother ride and folds away neatly for when the serious action takes place. There’s been a lot of thought put into getting the crew on and off the boat – a shallow draft means that

you can pull the boat to the beach transom-first and load through the duckboard and transom door. Not all boats are that easy to load. Step back to the power plant and the Yamaha

DE FOR EX

Main: The Horizon Scorpion 485 can get a lot done with not that much boat. It has a big cabin, shade and enough grunt to easily tow a tuber, as well as comfortably fish in a hull length of less than 5m. Above: Yamaha’s Will Lee eagerly volunteered to do a few laps of the lower Tweed on the biscuit. The Scorpion ticks a lot of the boxes for fun family boating in a package that won’t break the bank, or your tow vehicle.

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you have a family and like fishing, you always seem to be confronted with a series of compromises. What may be the ideal fishing boat for dad may be totally unsuitable for mum, or vice versa. Add in a couple of kids with the attention spans of a small insect and compromise will be right up there on your radar. Horizon Boats’ Scott James is right up to speed on this situation. They manufacture and sell a range of boats that are both affordable and tackle some of these issues head-on. We recently got out on the water with the Horizon 485 Scorpion Cuddy Cabin – powered by a Yamaha F60 4-stroke outboard – to do

4-stroke F60 offers great fuel economy. Delivering 38km/h at 4500 rpm and 3.4km/L of fuel, the combination is definitely easy on the pocket when it comes to running costs.

Steve Morgan

CON

AN THE

FMG

test – just scan the QR code on this page or visit the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel. Fishing-wise, we eased the rig out through the Tweed Bar and found the

PERFORMANCE RPM Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L) 1000.......................... 5.3.......................... 4.0 2000.......................... 9.3.......................... 2.5 3000........................... 14.......................... 2.3 4000........................... 31.......................... 3.3 5000........................... 43.......................... 3.1 6000........................... 52.......................... 2.4 *Tested with a 12” pitch alloy Yamaha propeller. Of course, we had to answer the question of whether it was ‘tubeworthy.’ Yamaha’s Will Lee readily stripped down to the boardies and contemplated how fun his job was while sliding around the Tweed. You can see the vision of Big Willie in action in the video version of this boat

Scorpion seaworthy enough to easily take offshore on the good days. For more information, you can visit Horizon’s website at www.horizonboats. com.au, like their Facebook page (Horizon Boats) or look up your local Horizon dealer and have a chat. Packages start from $31,690.

Fancy a quiet fish? The Scorpion draws little water and the transom set up with door and ladder allows you to get in and out easily when you’re in or out of the water.

Powered by Yamaha’s F60 60hp four-story outboard the fuel economy was always going to be good. How good? At 4500rpm cruising at 38km/h, you get 3.4km/L of fuel – very frugal.

The transom door is a simple design, but it makes the boating experience for the family so much better. No more busting your nuts clambering over the bow rail!

You can access the anchor well through this for’ard hatch. The crew can, at least. It’s the unwritten rule that the Captain doesn’t have to pull up the anchor.

The fold-away rear lounge seats are a comfortable place to travel and stow away when the fishing rods come out.

You can feel the weight of the cabin on the hull – the centre of gravity is higher than similar hulls with different layouts.

It looks like a lot of boat, but the family car will have no worries towing the Scorpion/Yamaha package and with a single axle trailer, you’ll be able to manoeuvre it into tight garage parking situations.

The helm will fit all of the gadgets you’ll need to spend a day on the water. Larger units will need to be bracket mounted.

There’s a pretty big cabin in there for a 4.85m boat and the fact that it’s open means that it seems even bigger.

Whether you use the cabin for storage, relaxing or both, the design is simple and easy to maintain.

Ready to roll for under $33,000, the Scorpion is a logical step to a family boat from an open tinnie. FEBRUARY 2018

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