Queensland Fishing Monthly - July 2014

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July 2014, Vol. 28 No. 9

Contents SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Tweed Heads 12 Gold Coast Canals 16 Gold Coast 18 Jumpinpin 20 Southern Bay 22 Logan River 24 Brisbane 26 Northern Bay 28 Brisbane Offshore 30 Southern Pumicestone 32 Caloundra 34 Noosa 36 CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Rainbow Beach 38 Hervey Bay 39 Fraser Coast 40 Bundaberg 42 Rockhampton 43 Yeppoon 44 Mackay 45 TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Bowen 48 Ayr 50 Townsville 52 Lucinda 54 Hinchinbrook 56 Cairns 58 Port Douglas 59 Cooktown 60 Karumba 61 The Cape 61

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From the Editor’s Desk...

Snapper trolling. It looks easy on the videos (as it does) and the lures look easy to choose and use but I am buggered if I can do it… yet!

I am aware that it’s time on the water and learning spots, troll speeds, tides, moon phases and even seasons, so this looks like it’s going to be a long term project instead of the simple chuck a lure out and troll along and catch a fish I hoped and even prayed it might be. But nothing in fishing is ever that easy and the challenge is part of the joy. I am desperately trying to avoid going out with a proven expert in the field as there is something very rewarding about getting a few tips and then working it out a little bit for yourself. Add onto this I am not one for stealing other’s spots and lures and techniques, however tempting that seems.

And this brings about the importance of recreational

fishing. I reckon I have a box of lures just for snapper trolling that may add up to $500 and that’s before catching one and really getting the bug.

Sure some of the lures that ‘may’ catch a snapper are reissues from barra boxes, but there are plenty of shiny new ones in there that have been purchased just for the task at hand. I tell you, if my best lure happens to be a $10 ‘cheapy’ my lovely lady may have a few stern words to me about the $20-$35 lures that are floating around in that box, destined to rarely be used. But in the learning phase they’ll all have their chance to shine and let’s hope they do.

Our last trip out was interesting. We have a location we reckon the fish will be, but I am not sure they are there at the moment. Undeterred we started our learning troll run, which was a crazed pattern of u-turns, snaking s-shapes and arrow-like straight runs on

the GPS. Did we catch one?

Nope. Did we even look like it? Nope. But we did catch two squid on the troll lures in 7m of water! While not the target we may just have found ourselves a deepwater squid spot.

That’s one of the reasons I love exploring as you just never know. Squid on trolled lures in 7m of water still seems ridiculous, even as we tucked into some calamari rings and flatty tails for dinner. But you take what you can and try to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I wonder if there are any squid jigs you can troll in 7m?

I like having fishing challenges. New and weird things to try, oddball captures, new tackle to play with, things to buy, places to discover. It’s what keeps you interested in the game of fishing and gives you new inspiration. And these days there are plenty of weird and wonderful things to

try, so grab an idea and run with it. Who knows where the next ‘new’ technique and challenge in fishing will come from? It could be you, it could be me, but as sure as I am breathing, someone will come up with something that sets the fishing world alight in the future.

READER COVERS I’ve enjoyed seeing the reader covers this month and last and there is only one month more to go and I can’t wait to go through the emails to check out some of the great shots sent in. While not everyone can get the shot for the cover, we will be running a compilation of some of the great shots that just missed out in the next issue of the mag. There have been some very impressive fish pics submitted and I congratulate you all on the fish you’ve caught and some of the pics you have taken.

Well done to everyone who submitted some pics.

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Little bars of chrome BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

Inshore anglers, particularly those down south, often long for a fish that goes hard like the ones offshore and jumps madly when hooked but can be handled comfortably on light tackle. The solution to this problem for me is the Indo-pacific tarpon, and fishing for them takes me to some very strange and interesting places.

Tarpon ‘boof’ lures like a barramundi, run hard like a mackerel and jump frantically like a queenfish. This makes these little bars of chrome the ideal light-tackle sportfish and they are readily available if you just know where to look.

MEET THE INDOPACIFIC TARPON Indo-pacific tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides) are a carbon copy of the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) found in America and West Africa, but unfortunately our tarpon don’t grow to nearly the same size.

Usually sporting a magnificent silvery/chrome colouration and big shiny scales, they are certainly very photogenic little fish.

As sea-going adults, they can reach around 10kg! Although most tarpon encountered in Australia and South East Asia are around 1kg with the exceptional fish pushing the 3kg mark.

Tarpon can be found in bays, rivers, creeks, drains, billabongs and even

landlocked lakes all across the top end and down as far south as Sydney on the east and Onslow on the west.

Tarpon have a primitive lung, which allows them to breathe oxygen from above the water when the water quality is bad, and for this reason that they can be found in a variety of different locations. It is also believed that they can breed in both salt and fresh water unlike many estuarine fish species.

Often considered to be a very mysterious fish, not a lot is known about our tarpon and they aren’t usually a prime target for anglers. Most are taken as by-catch for other species like bream, bass, flathead, trevally, mangrove jack, barramundi and even tailor.

Tarpon will always take to the air in spectacular fashion, as seen here through Tom Gordon’s Go Pro. Tom tends to opt for the fly for these acrobatic speedsters!

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Tarpon have huge eyes for their size, which allow them to hunt for prey successfully at low-light periods.

The range in the aforementioned species is no typo, because tarpon can live anywhere! Make no mistake, if you fish for any of these species regularly you will likely run into one of these chromed speedsters and wonder where you can get more!

WHERE TO START Finding tarpon can range from dead easy to frustrating depending on where you live.

Below the tropics they can be a bit of a challenge to find, but this is yet another attraction.

As mentioned above, tarpon are capable of living almost anywhere but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be anywhere at any time.

The time to be looking for tarpon is during the warmer half of the year. Before and after storms tend to produce some great results, although these conditions are not necessary.

Location types they are found in can vary a lot, and this needs to be understood if you plan to go out looking or tarpon. While most mangrove creeks will hold tarpon, there are several things that make a particular creek stand out – depth, clarity and fishing pressure.

You want the creek to be deep enough for fish to feel safe while you’re fishing for them, so at least 1m of water or preferably deeper.

The water needs to be clear enough to fish with lures.

At least 30-40cm of clarity is enough.

Lastly, the creek should be fairly fisher-free and quiet, not necessarily remote but definitely not over-fished.

Mangrove creeks however

are not the only places where you will find tarpon. They are often found in landlocked lakes, golf bunkers, lagoons and duck ponds, but only if these bodies of water occasionally, or at least in the past, have linked up to a stretch of water that holds tarpon. This may be a river or creek, a canal, a beach or another lake known to hold tarpon.

If you can see fish like mullet, herring and noxious species like tilapia or carp in your chosen lake then it is very likely to hold tarpon. In fact, if a tidal body of water has flooded any sort of pond in the last 10 years, it’s a pretty sure bet they’ll be in there, along with other things!

These artificial lakes are basically just like billabongs of the south, providing fish like tarpon with a safe nursery to feed and grow in.

Of course, canals are another great option and are available to most people in one form or another. The three

tests above should be applied for all the location types to help maximise your chances of tangling with tarpon.

TARPON TACKLE Tackle for these guys is simple. Anything light that you would usually throw at bream or bass is fine, so a rod between 1-5kg and a 10003000 size spinning reel will work a treat.

Your mainline should be kept fairly light; 4-10lb braided line will allow you to make lengthy casts often needed for tarpon.

Tarpon have a very hard, bony jaw that can do damage to a light leader, so a 12-20lb fluorocarbon leader, depending on the size of fish, is necessary.

Lures are a personal choice, but anything you feel comfortable throwing at bream, whiting or bass should get snaffled by a hungry tarpon. Tarpon eat small baitfish, shrimps, prawns and insects when conditions allow, so presentations should be

The author’s old man, Andrew, holds up a better than average Indo-Pacific tarpon. It tail-walked about 10m sideways after smashing a small suspending hardbody in under 1m of water.

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kept fairly small and close to the surface. Small stickbaits, walkers, poppers and fizzers about 5cm long worked fairly quickly consistently produce results for me.

Tarpon also love small, lightly rigged plastics hopped all through the water column, so always have some small plastics ready to go with some 1/4oz jigheads and smaller.

Suspending hardbodies are fantastic to add to your arsenal of tarpon lures, my favourite tarpon catchers of late have been Rapala’s range of suspending X-Rap hardbodies in the 4, 6 and 8cm models.

These lures should be worked with a series of twitches and pauses, allowing the lure to catch the sunlight and glimmer like an injured baitfish.

Always make sure your lures have small, razor-sharp hooks so you can drive the hook through the notoriously hard jaw that tarpon are known for.

FLUFF CHUCKERS One of my favourite things about our tarpon is that lovers of the long wand, like myself, can target them on fly! Tarpon are an excellent fly target at any size and smash all sorts of fly patterns.

Your fly outfit can be kept fairly light; 6-8wt rods are fine. A 6wt gives you the chance to have some fun with them and an 8wt is necessary if the winds pick up.

Floating lines will usually cover most situations but an intermediate or sink tip line may be useful if they

In that mouth is a 6cm Rapala X-Rap. Tarpon have big, bony mouths so leaders may have to be upsized from the usual 8-12lb we associate with bass and bream.

Tarpon love surface lures when the sun is down low, and Iain Thornton took this decent tarpon on a small blue and silver Rebel Pop-R. are found to be schooling down deeper.

Flies of many varieties can be used, which makes it all the more fun. Clousers, small Pink Things, shrimp patterns, even Bass Vampire style flies will work. Surface patterns like Dahlberg Divers, Bass Bangers, Miss Prissys or any home tied popping bug on 2/0 hooks or smaller will catch you tarpon on the right day.

Again, be sure to buy or tie flies with razor-sharp hooks or you’ll be telling the ‘one that got away’ story.

ON THE WATER When you arrive at the water, always scan around for signs of tarpon. They have a habit of coming up to the surface and gulping in a mouthful of air in an

boofing small fish and insects, similar to small barra, and this can lead to some very exciting fishing.

But if none of this is happening then your lures will have to find them.

Depending on the day, tarpon can sometimes be hanging around structure or just cruising around in open water looking for a feed. This makes covering water quite important when finding tarpon.

Once you find one, you may be lucky enough to have stumbled across a school.

This means the next 10-15 minutes may turn into absolute

The by-catch of this style of fishing can be interesting sometimes… The author took this massive sea mullet on a small barra fly! It must have confused the green hackle collar on the fly for a juicy piece of weed! action commonly referred to as ‘rolling’.

If they are feeding on the surface they may also be

mayhem with screaming drags and fish flying all over the shop.

When a tarpon hits you, it can sometimes be incredibly

difficult to get a solid hook set and keep them attached. Fly fishing can be a great remedy to this issue because after a good strip-strike to set the hook has been employed, they struggle to shake the fly out because it’s just too light.

With conventional gear however, a sharp lift from the rod may be in order if you’re having a lot of short strikes, and dropping the rod when they take to the air helps to keep them attached, because tarpon will jump!

Always try to handle tarpon with care, as their scales come off easily and they kick about so watch out when using trebles.

Tarpon have been documented as a poor table fare because of the amount of bones they have, so they should be enjoyed purely as a sporting proposition before being released.

UNDERRATED STARS Tarpon are a very undervalued sportfish in Australia, probably because they often co-exist with more famous sporting targets such as barra, tailor, bass and mangrove jack.

Although tiny in comparison to their trans-Pacific cousins, they still pack a punch on modest tackle. I encourage those wanting to find a new and exciting species to fish for to go out scouting for tarpon, I guarantee you’ll become hooked!

JULY 2014

11

Plastics vs bait smackdown THE TWEED

David Solano

This month’s story is a little different because it’s about fishing some of the famous marks out at sea off the Tweed.

I have quite a few mates

with boats but unfortunately they are bream tournament boats, and their skippers are reluctant to go outside – mainly because they don’t have the experience to cross the Tweed bar and are worried that the boats are too small.

Enter my mate Pete.

He’s had numerous boats over the years and his latest acquisition is a slick fibreglass model with a very old Suzuki 40hp on the back. Now Pete’s been asking me for ages to come outside with him, but after a fish in the river off his boat with the engine

Pete with a brightly coloured wrasse. Such a pretty looking fish could almost be a lure!

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stopping several times I told him there was no way I was going out through the notorious Tweed bar with that on the back.

He kept asking anyway, and called a couple of weeks ago saying it was a perfect weekend and that he’d had the motor serviced as well.

“So let’s do it!” he said.

I gave in. “Righto! See you at 4am.”

As I live right on the river with boat ramp out front it was pretty easy for Pete to launch the boat. Off we went, roaring up the river and as we approached the bar my heart skipped a beat. There were waves, big ones.

“Sure you can do this mate?” I asked.

“Yep.” The skipper was determined so I rang VMR to log in then out we went. I quickly discovered that Pete can drive a boat through a bar with skill and confidence and, what was even better, he was teaching me how to do it. Cool.

We made it out and headed straight to Fidos, and the motor worked like a dream thank goodness.

Once at Fidos we rigged up and started a drift over the reef. It looked good as a lot of fish were showing up on the sounder. Pete was using his trusty squid and I had on a 3/4oz TT jighead with a 5/0 hook and Gulp Squid Vicious.

I went through a packet in as many drops, because little fish were chewing the dangly bits off and leaving just the body.

Pete, on the other hand, was pulling up a variety of fish including snapper, parrotfish and one nice size (don’t know the name) fish that hangs out under sharks [remora - Ed].

This isn’t good, I thought to myself. He’s walloping me with bait!

Dave with his first legal snapper (squire).

What gives! I tried all different types of plastics but nothing worked. My mate’s repeated remarks of “I’m on again” were starting to grate on my nerves.

I looked at my jighead and suddenly thought, it’s a hook! I’ll try some bait on it.

While Pete was pulling in his next fish I grabbed a squid, wacked it on the jighead and let it drop. My mate didn’t see a thing.

So far Pete had caught a heap of squire but nothing legal. Well, with the first bit of bait I’d used in years I landed my first ever snapper (squire) and legal at that. I was dancing around the boat, teasing Pete, holding my fish out.

I shouldn’t have held my fish out. Pete noticed the squid hanging out of the fish’s mouth. Oh dear, I’d been done – but to Pete’s credit he shared his squid and we caught a lot of fish out at Nine Mile and the Pinnacle though I have to say he hasn’t stopped paying me out ever since.

WHAT’S BITING The river is at times crazy with bait and predators.

Mates using dead bait have

been smashing the bream off the Kirra groin and the Tweed seaway. Nice mulloway have been caught with deep divers off these walls but be careful fishing like this as it’s not always easy to get a big fish up from the rocks. You’ll get some nice tailor using a popper or fast moving metal slug. As far as I’m concerned though it’s schoolie time, as I love catching a mulloway on my light Nordic Stage rod (I have teamed it with a Stella FE 1000).

I try a lot of different approaches when hunting schoolies but two lures stand out on the Tweed. One is a hidden 1/40oz TT jighead teamed with any colour Z-man 2.5cm grub, and probably the most deadly is the Ecogear VX 35 Blade, so it’s a heavy and light approach. So far it’s worked for me.

One last thing – don’t forget about Jack Evans Boat Harbour as the other night I went for a drive to check the groin out but the sight of all the bait there made me pull up for a look. The place was chockers with pretty well everything bait-wise. Note to self: always carry a rod in the boot from now on.

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Pete with a feisty little remora (suckerfish).

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Fishing Fill-its

Crabber fined plenty!

Know rod holder regs

A commercial crabber has been fined $109,000 with his fishing boat confiscated and licence suspended for 12 months after pleading guilty to 24 offences in the Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) district manager Greg Bowness said the significant penalties should send a clear message to others that serious breaches of fisheries legislation will not be tolerated.

“The fisherman has been charged with numerous counts of unlawful possession of regulated fish and interference with crab pots, in three separate incidents over a nine month period,” Mr Bowness said.

“In March last year, fisheries officers went to the offender’s home and found 31 undersize mud crabs, 200 female mud crab claws, 371 mud crab halves and three female mud crabs.

“The number of crabs found clearly indicates that they were likely to be sold on the black market rather than through legal channels.

Some advice from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland) in regards to the modification of cars to carry rods has been issued by Fisheries Queensland to anglers recently.

Did you know that incorrectly fitting fishing rod holders to your car may make it defective and result in fines or defect

“A second incident occurred in November, when officers patrolling waters near Fraser Island, found 27 undersize fish on board a commercial fishing vessel, believed to be for the purpose of baiting crab pots.

“The third incident involved interference with a number of crab pots belonging to other commercial fishers.

“In this case, QBFP acted in response to complaints from commercial fishers and set up their own surveillance operation.”

Mr Bowness said that

6.8 FREEDOM

notices being issued?

If you fit fishing rod holders to your car’s bullbar you must ensure that they do not obstruct the driver’s view of the road or traffic to the front and sides of the vehicle, they are only attached to the left side of the vehicle, they are designed to carry no more than four fishing rods, that rods, hooks and sinkers are properly

secured, that vehicle lighting is not obstructed by rods or holders, and that they are either removed or retracted behind the profile of the bull bar when they are not in use For more info on vehicle standards and modifications, head to the website at http://goo. gl/FYztKc. – Fisheries Queensland

all fishers are responsible for knowing the rules for fishing and sticking to them.

“The order for the forfeit of the fishing vessel and licence suspension sends out a clear message to the fisher and others who might be tempted to commit such offences in the future,” he said.

“We encourage people to report unlawful or suspicious fishing activities by calling the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.”

For more information on Queensland fishing rules, visit www.fisheries. qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.

– Fisheries Queensdland

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Fishing stays hot this winter Lures 1/28oz or 1/20oz HeadlockZ. My favourite technique for bream is to get the best and most accurate cast onto your desired jetty/ structure. I will either let the plastic sink right down to the bottom, then slowly wind it back with the odd, sudden pause. Or, I will cast a Z-Man 2” GrubZ parallel to the jetty, let it sink just under the lip of the jetty, then a very slow wind, with again an odd sudden pause.

I have found surface hasn’t been the go-to technique in winter, but blades and vibes will be.

My favourite blade and

GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn www.joshdunnfishing.com.au

While the cooler weather in the past couple of months has hit hard and we have had a fair few cold fronts, the fishing has been red hot with offshore and the canals producing well.

As usual, the flathead are out and about, in slightly more impressive numbers.

Trevally are still around busting up along most bridges and taking live bait.

Big bream have been more common, with captured fish getting around the 40cm mark. And plenty more species on offer!

I love my lure fishing, but don’t mind my live baiting either. The best option for night fishing is to use live mullet and herring at an hour before the high and the receiving tide. You might be able to hook a school mulloway, tailor, flathead, trevally or, if you’re very lucky, a jack.

Solid tailor have been schooling up throughout the canals, and you’ll find them in better numbers towards the canal mouths.

Trolling 75mm hardbodied

lures around in a baitfishlike colour or casting soft plastics around should do the job – just find the bait and the fish won’t be too far behind them.

In the next month the flathead will increase in good numbers and we should start to see the big lizards getting around. This is already a good sign as we have the Flathead Classic in October.

Hopefully the weather will warm up slightly, as well as the water temperature.

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Along with flathead, there have been some mulloway getting around.

They are taking the same lures as the tailor, 3-4” natural or white plastics with a rather heavy jighead. Keep the plastics on the bottom for the majority of your retrieve.

You’ll find them in deep holes with plenty of the bait.

I have been starting to see some big bream in the local canals. Try fishing a small plastic with a very light jighead, such as a TT

Sam Keller in Shearwater with his first fish on the TT Ghost Blades. These will go off in winter!

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technique is a TT Lures 1/8oz Switchblade in a gold or green colour. It is as simple as getting a long cast, letting the lure touch the bottom, then either a slow lift or a few hops and returning it back to the bottom – although the retrieve is up to the angler. Drop-offs, sand flats and deep holes are just some of the good places to throw blades around!

I hope you will have a good and safe winter, and the fishing is kind to you! I reckon I will be able to tick off some PBs this winter!

Until next month, Fish on!

Jay Prendergast with a 50cm tailor taken recently in a bream comp on the Gold Coast.

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The author landed his PB tailor that went 51cm on the surface. It’s a nice way to kick off winter!

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Being behind is getting ahead GOLD COAST

David Green

This year has been unusual as everything seems to be a month behind on the offshore grounds.

The water temperatures have been quite high and the mackerel and wahoo have stayed active right into June.

This month should see the current drop and there should be good deep water bottom fishing on the 50 fathom line. Target species this month include kingfish, amberjack, samsonfish, snapper and pearl perch.

It pays to try a few methods when heading out to the wider reefs. Deep water jigging and live baiting should be quite productive this month and snapper fishing should pick up once the water temperature starts to drop. I like to catch a few live baits on the way out to the wide grounds and start fishing for snapper and pearl perch early. When I’ve got a decent feed we then drop a deep live bait and try for something bigger.

The north east 50 fathom line is a great place to fish this month and the further north you head, the better the fishing seems to get. There are also a few good pinnacles out in 90-100m that hold big pearl perch in July.

Mitch Calcutt with a pair of decent mulloway.

They have been best on the change of low tide on the offshore grounds.

In closer, the 36 fathom line should start to produce some nice snapper this month on pilchards, strip baits and soft plastics. The lighter you fish the more

bites you seem to get. A free running ball sinker and 10-15kg leader is the maximum you need for snapper and make sure the sinker can run freely over

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any knots. I generally hold the sinker in my hands, feed out 10-20m of line and then drop the sinker, which slowly tows the bait down to the bottom. This gives a much more natural presentation of the bait.

For the game fisher, there will still be a few blue and striped marlin out wide on the hundred fathom line but the bite slows down a bit. If the water temperature maintains itself at around 22ºC it is worth a troll, particularly if the birds and dolphins are active in the area. In closer to shore there may still be a few Spaniards and wahoo about if the water stays blue and the temperature stays up.

These late season fish are generally good quality over 15kg. Trolling live baits off a downrigger is probably the best method to get connected to big mackerel in July. Cobia are another good option on the close reefs and live tailor, big slimies or large soft plastics are very effective methods.

Fishing the close reefs off Southport at night is another good option this month targeting snapper, mulloway, tailor and teraglin.

By anchoring up an hour before sunset and berleying the results usually come just as the sun dips below the horizon.

Over the last 2 years I’ve found my results on mulloway on the offshore grounds have been best on the change of low tide, and live tailor have been the most consistent bait as they aren’t attacked by teraglin and the mulloway love them.

ESTUARIES July is a great month to fish the Broadwater and as the winter westerlies start to blow a lot of fish move out of the rivers into the main body of water between Jumpinpin and the Seaway. The mullet migration triggers a lot of activity at the entrances and large schools of spawning bream are also in good numbers. I spend most of my time in the estuaries targeting flathead and mulloway in July.

Aykut Ahmet with a nice flatty. Flathead numbers on the flats and weed beds will greatly increase this month.

The number of flathead on the flats and weed beds greatly increases this month and these fish feed up on white pilchards and other bait prior to spawning.

When chasing flathead this month try fishing a few soft vibes, like Jackall Transams and the Samiki Vibalicious.

When flathead are focused on white pilchards, soft vibes and Rattlin’ Spot style lures can be very effective. These lures can often out fish soft plastics and more traditional hardbodies by a wide margin. A slow sink and draw retrieve is all that is required.

Trolling should also be very effective this month.

Target fish in 1.5-3m of water using pink Lively Lures Micro Mullets. I’ve used a lot of other lures but these are number one in my book.

Locally made Pig Lures are also very effective. Work the lure with your rod tip and let it out so it just hits the bottom.

You don’t need to troll your lures a long way back. In shallow weedy areas flathead will follow the boat chasing the bait that your motor disturbs. Repeated trolling the same run can have them come up really close to the boat, which is surprising but true.

Try trolling a lure only 5-10m behind the motor.

Mulloway will be active in both the Seaway area and around Jumpinpin at night.

A live mullet is generally the best bait. During the day soft plastics such as Gulp Jerk Shads produce quite a few fish when fished in the eddies around the entrances, and white is usually the best colour. The last of a run-in tide and the first of the run-out is generally the best time to target mulloway on soft plastics.

There should be plenty of big bream around Jumpinpin and the Seaway this month as the fish congregate prior to spawning on the beaches.

Small metal blades, soft plastics and traditional bait fishing methods should all be effective. There should also be some big tailor on the run-in tides around the entrances and quite a few nice tailor around 2kg turn up in July.

Overall, this month should see a marked change in seasons as things cool down and we move into the traditional winter fishing pattern. It definitely seems, however, that everything is a month late this year and the seasonal changes have been very slow in coming so far.

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Ben Job with a tasty snapper. They should start to pick up once the temperature starts to drop.

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Cool, clear July days JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

July is just a wonderful time of year to head out to the Pin with cool clear days and light winds making for top fishing conditions.

The bream have been on the bite with great catches to be expected all winter long.

Bream are one of the most prolific species throughout the Pin system and are relatively easy to catch, which should put them high on most anglers’ lists.

Using a simple running ball sinker set up to a swivel and about 40-60cm of trace to a 1/0 baitholder hook, you are now armed with one of the easiest and successful

bait rigs that will not only catch you bream but most of the other species at the Pin as well.

Lots of different species will usually congregate in the same areas in deeper water around decent structure and eat the same sorts of baits, so it’s quite common to find a variety of by-catch.

Best baits to score yourself a feed are live yabbies, worms, mullet fillets and gut, prawns, squid, white bait and even bread balled up on your hook works well too. For bream you can’t go past the old favourite spots like Kalinga Bank, the dead trees off the bottom of North Straddie, the eastern tip of Crusoe Island, Short Island, Stieglitz, Flat Rock, the

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Stockyards, the Powerlines, the north wall of the Seaway and the mouth of the Pimpama River. These spots always produce good quality fish and there is even a pretty good chance that you could land a juvenile snapper there as well.

Flathead are being caught on soft plastics from the Pandanus weed banks, Whalleys Gutter mouth, the bottom of Kangaroo Island, the sand flats at the top of South Strddie and Kalinga Bank.

The water quality has been good so soft and hard lures have been working well. For the bait fishos pillies and big fresh prawns are the go and drifting seems to be the best method of tracking them down.

Some big elbow-slapper whiting have been caught from near Marks Rocks and Ageston Sands in the Logan River, Flat Rock, Slipping Sands and the Gold Bank.

Try these areas at night with some live bloodworms just as the tide turns and you should have yourself some decent whiting – if you can brave the cold! Stick with worms, yabbies or peeled prawns as bait. If the weather turns flat and calm, start flicking small poppers and minnows around the sand flats.

Tailor should be schooling up the coast feeding on the schools of whitebait, pilchards and hardiheads. They ball up these schools inside the bar to feed and smash them

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Nothing beats a good quality winter Jumpinpin lizard. breaching the surface, which makes them fairly easy to spot. There’s nothing quite like being in a tailor feeding frenzy with the water boiling around the boat. If you head out during the week when there is less water traffic you’ll have a better chance of this happening.

For tailor I use the same size lures as the bait they are feeding on; usually 10-40g is the right size.

Plastics get torn apart by tailor so unless you have an endless supply I’d stick to

metal slugs. Other than that, try floating lightly weighted pillies or whitebait in the current and a cruising tailor should find it irresistible.

A few good sized school mulloway have been coming from the Logan near Marks and Pitts Rocks, Giants Grave and the Jew Hole off Swan Bay. Live mullet, gar and pike have been proving to be the pick of the baits when chasing a mulloway.

A few sandies have been potted from Cabbage Tree

Point to the Powerlines and in Canaipa and Cobby Passage as well. Muddies are a little harder to come by so stick to the deeper drains at high tide, and get right into the mangroves as well to give yourself a chance at a feed.

Thanks for all you reports and if you need any up to date info on what’s biting drop me a line at Gem Bait & Tackle on 3287 3868 or email gembait@ tpg.com.au. I’ll catch you next month

Cody Lynch with a decent Logan River king threadfin salmon on a banana prawn.

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Craig Chandler caught this fantastic coral trout using yellow tail scad as livies, which they caught on the day.

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Southern Bay fires offerings. If plastics are your game, you’ll find the snapper a touch larger than in previous months and likely a little more often. Fishing plastics from 3” through to 6” on light jigheads has been great for the snapper over the last few months and the cooler water will only increase your success. Look for areas that have a bit of hard structure and find the bait.

It’s not that the snapper are sitting on the bottom,

VICTORIA POINT

Joe Bonnicci

July is really the depths of winter but this certainly does not mean the fishing in the southern bay stops.

In fact this can be one of the truly great times to get out amongst the islands and into the fish.

For starters the run of snapper will be in full swing and anglers will be chasing them with all manner of

but the hard structure tends to force the currents into particular areas and where the current goes the bait follow. The snapper are always chasing the bait so I say again, find the bait and you’ll find the snapper.

There have been a lot of squid taken recently and I see this trend continuing through July. These tasty numbers are great fun to target in the shallows on a rising tide and you can walk the mainland banks

E FREAESURTEE M UO &Q

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The squid have moved in and now is the time to get amongst a few from a boat or from the bank.

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The mullet run has come on with good report from the surf and the rivers as it is breeding season and that can only mean one thing, the mighty mulloway is here! Big mulloway are at the Pin Bar and coming inside fast to eat the mullet and tailor with report of fish in the 20kg range mixed in with hundreds in the 10-15kg range. These

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bars waiting to ambush their dinner. Areas to look include the Pin, Short Island, Salt Works, Marks Rock, Potts Point, Iron Stern, Giants Grave, Lamb Island, the Peel house boat wreck and artificial and Harry Atkinson Artificial.

Live mullet, gar, pike or yakkas should do the trick but if you can get live squid they love it. And given the squid are now easier to catch you should not be lacking in livebait options.

Whiting are thick up at the Chain Bank and through the Rous Channel with reports of anglers getting their bag limit within 2-4

have been working well too so there are plenty of spots to try.

As you can see, winter does not mean that the fishing slows down in the southern bay. In fact July just may be one of the best months to get out there and catch yourself a great feed of snapper or mulloway, tangle with a squid or even get a good bag of whiting.

The ball is in your court, go out and get it.

• For the latest reports, the best advice and the right tackle, drop into Victoria Point Bait and Tackle at 12 Colburn Ave in Victoria Point. You can also give

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Calm mornings are a common occurrence in winter and the fishing can be hot. Just the thing needed to warm up those cold winter fingers. fish have been seen by divers in all the coastal bars and hanging on the walls or drop offs leading to the

hours of fishing. That’s 50 fish each! Banana Banks, Pelican Banks and any banks leading to the Pin

us a call on (07) 3820 9581 or check out what’s biting and where on our Facebook page.

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Quality threadfin in the Logan LOGAN RIVER

Warwick Roberts

Quality king threadfin salmon are a real option throughout the Logan River.

Many people mistakenly think king threadfin are a northern species, but the truth is that the Logan River holds reasonable numbers of this much sought-after species.

Years ago these fish were smaller, but ten years on these fish are growing, breeding and potentially turning the Logan River into a class A fishery. I regularly catch good size specimens in a handful of reliable spots.

Polydactylus sheridani, or king threadfin salmon, are well suited to living and feeding in the murky waters of the Logan. Their ability to use their barbels (whiskers) and large lateral line to sense the vibrations of their prey lets them successfully feed in silty water where the visibility is low.

When you know the kinds of places these fish frequent, you will be rewarded with consistent captures as these fish often hunt the same areas year after year. The areas to find them in have high tidal

flow and also some structure like broken rock on flats with possibly a feeder creek or drain very close by. These flats usually consist of the Logan’s standard muddy or silted bottom with the odd rock or submerged log somewhere on the bottom.

These conditions provide the necessary food source and environment that threadies like to feed in.

These fish prefer the last of the run-out tide when bait is being pushed out of the

makes them the ultimate low water predator. You should also try to coincide low tide with dusk as this seems to be the best time to target them.

My best success usually involves using live bait, although you shouldn’t discount large paddle tail plastics.

The constant vibration and distress signals are what is needed to get a threadfin’s attention.

Live bait can consist of large prawns pinned through the tail, a good sized herring

I have caught many good threadfin with this bait set-up. drains in search of cover and deeper water. Their ability to forage in discoloured water

or the ever faithful live poddy mullet, the latter being my preferred bait. Regular bait

The average size of king threadfin salmon in the Logan has increased in recent years. out directly through the top of their mouth, just before the nares (nostrils). This hook positioning allows for maximum penetration when the fish picks it up.

I fish for these species at anchor so a Baitrunner is a must. Once the fish has picked up the bait it makes a substantial run which is enough time for it to swallow the bait, so winding the handle to engage the drag will set the hook for you.

King threadfin are reasonably clean fighters but be prepared for a long run before fighting them otherwise you may pull the hooks. Don’t bully the fish to the boat as they can sometimes shred the leader if you don’t let them run. With their powerful forked tail they have many good runs in them

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before they can be netted.

Once you have the fish at the boat, back off the drag as they have the uncanny ability to sense the net and always seem to take one last attempt at freedom – and nobody wants to lose a thready at the boat!

These average size of the threadfin caught in the river now ranges between 70cm to 1m, so targeting them is well worth it. To allow the population to grow, please take only what you need so the large breeders can do their thing for the future of the fishery.

Armed with these tips, I’m sure that if you put in the time and effort you will catch one of these special fish that now call the Logan River home. Put in the hard yards and listen to your reel scream!

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changes are a must as your bait needs to swim erratically.

Over time you tend to learn whether threadies are in the area when the water is receding, exposing a mud bank, as bait showers are not uncommon. This lets you know to be prepared for a threadfin’s sizzling run as it closes in on your lure or bait.

Tackle needed to catch these fish is pretty standard: a 6-8kg, 7’0” medium tapered rod matched to a 4500 size Baitrunner-style reel that can comfortably hold around 200-300 yards of 15lb or 20lb line. Monofilament is my preferred line as it has some stretch, which is handy with the threadfin’s erratic runs and sudden direction changes.

Connect your line to a coffin-type sinker, as this will hold your bait to the bottom without rolling around. Next is a good quality crane swivel rated to around 50lb, then the leader which should be about a rod length of 50lb as these fish tend to inhale the bait.

Hooks used should be around 4/0 to 6/0 depending on bait size, and they should have a wide gap between the shank and the barb.

Baits should be pinned through the nose from the underside of the chin, coming

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Give it a try in July BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Fishing throughout the Moreton Bay area during July is usually rather productive, however anglers need to expect some cold morning starts or night time chill to get amongst the better quality fish on offer. Tailor, snapper, squid, mulloway, bream and numerous others are available for

those who make the effort.

With winter well and truly here, now is a great time to get out to make the most of the cold water species.

MULLOWAY In years past, mulloway have been exceptionally hard to locate and target.

However, since 2011 the numbers been increasing steadily throughout the river, bay and estuarine waters, with average sizes increasing. Legal specimens over 75cm are not that hard to locate now and are

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regularly taken on baits and lures. Some of the more reliable locations include the Brisbane River, Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef, Peel Island Artificial, Logan River, around the Bribie Island Bridge, Caboolture River and numerous other locations. Any specimen over a metre definitely rates a mention but it is the larger trophy specimens over 15kg that anglers strive for.

Mulloway will accept a broad array of offerings, both real and artificial. Live baits of mullet, herring, pike, banana prawns and the like are prime offerings yet a broad array of quality dead baits will also interest them.

Try pilchards, whole squid, fillet baits and diver whiting fished on strong, appropriately sized hooks and with at least a 30lb monofilament or fluorocarbon leader.

Targeting larger specimens generally dictates an upgrade in tackle and leader strength.

Lures can be used in a host of situations with different offerings being easier to fish in some situations. For deeper waters such as the Harry Atkinson and Brisbane River mouth, I generally use blades, vibes (such as Trans Am, Samaki Vibelicious, Jack Hammer Fish Candy etc.) or soft plastic shads and curl tails with 3/8oz to 1/2oz jigheads.

Micro jigs can also be put to good use in the many locations, and the knowledge pool on working these lures is rapidly growing amongst SEQ anglers. I was shown few good techniques by a Japanese angler whilst on a trip in Malaysia recently which I am keen to work on, as I have had very little exposure to this form of fishing in the field.

Locating mulloway can often be as simple as locating the bait because the jewies are generally not too far away from a food source.

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After tolerating a cold early morning start, Matt Mundy was rapt with this quality snapper taken on a Z-Man DieZel Minnow. since the introduction of side imaging sounders some years ago. Anglers with a good knowledge of their sounder’s workings can drift through an area locating fish or prominent bait schools more than 30m out to each side of their vessel. From here it is a simply matter of marking that bait and then returning to that location to work it over in your chosen method.

At night, lighted areas within our rivers and estuaries can be especially productive. These attract bait which in turn attracts mulloway and other predators such as threadfin, tailor and numerous others.

Quality mulloway are now fairly easy to locate and catch, so try your luck.

BREAM Another month of cool weather will have done wonders for the numbers of bream throughout the estuaries. These plucky fish can enter the inshore waters en masse during the cooler months and make a great target for anglers of all skill levels. You don’t need to be a tournament pro to get amongst the bream – they can be caught on the most simple hand caster, hook and bait combination. However, a good knowledge of their habits and preferences can go a long way to increasing your results, especially in the size stakes.

Bream will engulf a broad array of smaller lures and most baits. Obviously, quality fresh baits are more likely to produce better quality fish, however humble offerings such as pilchard cubes, mullet gut, fowl gut, frozen prawns and squid strips will still entice them.

Most creek, river, estuarine and shallow bay reef areas will hold some good numbers of bream.

These can be targeted in any

of the aforementioned ways, with some areas being better options on the lower stages of the tide and others during the higher stages. Although each area can fish a little differently you will generally catch bream at any time in most areas. The Scarborough Reef is definitely a good area to prospect for those trophy class bream. Specimens over 1kg are regularly caught here along with an array of other species including snapper, estuary cod, sweetlip, flathead and numerous others.

While bait fishing will produce results, there is no denying that those with good lure fishing skills and a good knowledge of this area will reap the rewards on most days. The shallows around the bay islands (Mud, Peel, Green, Bird, Goat, Coochiemudlo etc.) will generally fish well on the higher stages of the tide. Most anglers cast small diving minnow lures or topwater offerings in these zones.

While specialised techniques at specific locations will often produce those larger specimens, casting out a bait in any creek, river or estuarine system throughout the cooler months is likely to reward you with a feed of tasty bream.

SNAPPER The mostly hotly targeted species by bay anglers during the cooler months is snapper. These are generally available around the various bay islands, artificial reefs and wrecks throughout the bay. Mud Island, Peel Island and the Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef are some of the more popular locations which can produce good numbers as well as quality specimens. However, those anglers who generally get those larger snapper over 6kg will generally be fishing away from the crowds or

during periods of low boat traffic, such as mid-week, at night or when the weather is not the best.

The Brisbane River is a surprise at times and can produce some fairly respectable snapper. Most are caught as bycatch by those targeting mulloway, king threadfin salmon and the like. Specimens over 4kg are caught at times with the occasional fish better than 6kg reported. However, most are in the 35cm to 50cm range, which is a great eating size.

There are many isolated patches of reef and rubble in the bay that will hold good quality snapper but locating these is often a case of putting in plenty of groundwork and using your sounder productively. Many of these patches are only big enough for one boat to fish and thinking anglers will anchor well up from the chosen spot, letting out anchor rope until they are close enough to float baits back into the zone. Good quality fresh baits and careful presentation completes this thoughtful approach, which is generally the key to those 8kg+ trophy knobbies.

Dawn and dusk are prime times to be on the water targeting snapper as these fish generally move around a bit during this period and can be fairly aggressive towards any possible food source they encounter. Bait fishers often find that the periods around tidal change are the best for catching snapper while the lure fishing brigade generally achieve the best results when the tidal flow is at a maximum. Snapper fishing can be exceptional during the colder months but be aware of the minimum size limit of 35cm and a bag limit of four fish in possession, with only one of these over 70cm.

SQUID Targeting cephalopods such as squid is becoming increasingly popular as anglers realise how much fun it can be and how tasty fresh squid can be when cooked correctly. They are also fairly easy to access from a landbased perspective during the cooler months when westerly winds create clean water around the foreshores and within the bay, harbours and canals. All these areas can hold decent numbers, with arrows and tiger squid being the main ones encountered.

Most are caught on egi (‘wooden lure’ in Japanese) which are prawn-profiled lures with several rows of razor-sharp spikes at the back which embed in the squid’s tentacles when it grabs the jig.

Around the foreshores of the bay at places such as Scarborough, Wynnum, Manly, Wellington Point, Cleveland and Victoria Point are popular spots for the land-based brigade. Most squidding in these areas is generally done during the darkened hours however most spots will still produce during the daylight hours.

Around the foreshores, squid are generally caught a little deeper in the water column during the day than they are during the darkened hours.

The residential canals and

harbours also hold good numbers of squid during the cooler months.

Within Moreton Bay, try the shallows around the bay islands, the periodic weed beds along the western side of Moreton Island, the Blue Hole, Rous Channel and other areas where clean water flows over shallow

and the like, try drifting out a pilchard or other whole fish bait rigged on a squid skewer (jag). These are best suspended 1-2m below a just positive buoyancy float.

A trip to Coochiemudlo Island is a good way to spend the day with plenty of good squid fishing areas that can be reached via shank’s

TAILOR The cooler waters produced during the winter and early spring period create ideal conditions to get amongst a few tailor. These can be caught throughout the estuaries, in the rivers, throughout Moreton Bay and on the eastern facing beaches as well as further afield.

Tom Gray nailed some quality mulloway while working plastics and vibes at a few popular locations in Moreton Bay last winter. reef, rubble or weed beds.

All these can be worked over with egi. While you’re drifting around the fringes of the major bay islands fishing for snapper, bream

pony. It is only a short and inexpensive trip over on the ferry, leaving from Victoria Point, and there are also plenty of other fishing options around the island.

Anglers fishing the beaches and some other areas commonly use whole pilchards rigged on ganged hooks however there are several other baits and a

broad array of lures that tailor will accept. Whole fillet baits (including pike, bonito, mullet etc.), pencil gar, frogmouth pilchards and whitebait are also great offerings. Lures such as blades, soft plastics, vibration baits, minnow lures, metal slices, pencil poppers, stickbaits, flies and several others will elicit strikes from tailor.

In the estuaries these fish can be found in a broad array of locations from the shallow flats to the deep channels. The main catalyst for tailor being in a particular spot is baitfish, so working areas where baitfish are likely to congregate is a successful ploy. Working along prominent rock walls (such as at the mouth of the Brisbane River), around lighted areas at night (bridges, jetties, pontoons) and along the edges of prominent channels are just some locations that are likely to produce. The deeper gutters on the beaches are generally the key areas, with dawn and dusk being prime times to soak pilchard baits or spin lures in these zones.

The Brisbane River can produce a surprising numbers of tailor during the cooler months, with specimens over 60cm being caught. I have had sessions where I have landed

more than 20 quality tailor between 40cm and 50cm while casting lures such as Magic Swimmers, blades and plastics around the lights of the Gateway Bridge during darkened hours. Tailor are quite good when eaten fresh but become mushy and oily when frozen so it’s best to only keep enough for your immediate needs.

CONCLUSION These are just a few of the species which are available during July. In addition you will still locate a few tuna and mackerel throughout Moreton Bay, luderick in the estuarine channels, sweetlip, tuskfish, cod and others around the bay islands plus flathead, cod, king threadfin and others in the Brisbane River as well as a host of other possible species.

Although conditions will be somewhat on the chilly side, the quality of the fishing should be enough to get you rugged up and out onto the water. Generally the temperature on the water is a few degrees warmer than on terra firma, however the wind chill can be a factor at times. Regardless, you should get out and experience the awesome species on offer throughout July. I know a large flask of steaming coffee and I will be out there.

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27

Full winter cold ahead NORTHERN BAY

Grayson Fong graysonfong@bigpond.com

With a great autumn behind us it’s full ‘cold’ ahead for the winter and, by all vibes, reports and whisperings the fishing has been pretty good around the northern bay.

Fresh westerlies blowing off the land have kept good bait schools tucked around inshore waters, which in turn has seen them filter into our river and creek mouths keeping many fishers happy.

With our annual bloom of different types of weed throughout the bay and rivers, fishing has become a little testing for many anglers but those knowing areas of limited growth and good current flow have been able to cash in with good reports of fish.

Juvenile snapper tops most of the success stories coming in this month with good catches coming at the traditional night and early morning as well as all hours of the day. Noted hotspots have been the mouth of the Brisbane River, Woody

Rhoul Pendergast getting amongst Redcliffe’s snapper.

Nathan Godillion enjoying some quality land-based fishing.

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Minnows and Shad Lures Flicktails having a large impact on the snapper community. Also anglers have had good success with soft vibes like Jackall Mask Vibes, Shads Lures Soft-ons and Atomic Semi Vibe 60s, slow hopping them with a twitch-twitchpause retrieve.

Flathead numbers

have been great over these cooler months with not only good numbers but good size showing up in all corners of the bay. Our major rivers, the Pine, the Caboolture and the Pumicestone, have been alive with good flathead cruising around most of the high tidal flow areas with the outgoing tide being the

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Point, Otter Rock, Garnet Rock, Queens Beach, North Reef and ‘The Ripples’ in the Pumicestone Passage, with smaller specimens and the odd legal coming out of White Patch.

Pilchards and squid have been the mainstay of the bait fisher with soft plastics like Z-Man StreakZ, Atomic Jerk

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The Zerek Ripper Diver is a diving minnow available in 3 sizes and 3 diving depths. All Ripper divers are floating lures making them ideal for clearing snags when casting or trolling. They have a unique weight transfer system to enhance casting.

The 1m Ripper Diver has an awesome amount of body roll per feet for casting on shallow banks and flats and into drains and gutters or trolling in open water or big rivers. The 3m and 5m Ripper Divers are ideal for trolling and casting as it is great for snag clearing and retains perfect action into strong currents.

common denominator for success in these areas.

Plastics have lead the field in decent flathead catches with several reports claiming a slow rolling retrieve is the right recipe for these bottom feeders. Be careful of their spikes when getting these critters into the boat as a flathead’s subtle fight in the water can quickly turn into mayhem when landed on board. Trust me, it’s happened a few times to me lately! In the Pine, try the mouth of Bald Hills Creek and the lower reaches near and under the Ted Smout Bridge. In the Cabbie, Bakers Flat and King Johns Creek are the picks. With the Pumicestone it’s been a case of ‘pick a creek mouth, any creek mouth’ and you will get flathead.

As the majority of us know, winter is spawn time for our beloved roaming feeder. The full moon phases over the winter months see the bream congregate in deeper waters to spawn (often around the 13-15th). Times either side of this date, the bream are on full attack and feeding up for the next full moon party.

Over the last month the bream have been in great condition, feasting

on baitfish for their annual pilgrimage and being ultra aggressive when caught by anglers.

With this information don’t be fooled by just chasing bream in deeper waters as they will still be

in your favourite bream spot feeding like kids after school camp, just not around the middle of the month! Over this last month, slow rolled hardbody lures have been working effectively for

catching bream, especially in areas where the bottom is rocky and rubbly.

Choosing light leaders increases your bites but can come at a price when encountering by-catch like flathead, tailor or pike, so

be prepared for the worst and you will reap the benefits.

Winter also brings a marked increase in tailor numbers as these speedy inshore pelagics are often found ripping through schools of bait generating that sweet sound of showering baitfish, known to prick the ears of many avid fishers.

Tailor have been

popping up throughout the northern bay with noted catches coming from the mouth of Ningi Creek and the flats, Tiger and Cooks Rocks, White Patch, North Reef at Scarborough, Drury and Osbourne Point, Clontarf foreshore and the middle reaches of the Pine River near the highway bridge.

Happy fishing and keep warm!

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JULY 2014

29

Feast or famine offshore OFFSHORE

John Gooding

This past month has been a real mixed bag. Some days the fish want to jump in the boat and other days we’re struggling to get a bite!

On the days we struggled, the sounder was showing plenty of fish and bait schools but they just didn’t want to feed. Most of the spots where I went looking for snapper seemed to be holding good numbers of fish but the water temp was still holding between 24.5-25ºC – we just need a cold snap to kick start the season.

Once we see the water cool, we will be in for another good season that will go right through to around Christmas, especially in the deeper water around 80-90m.

When the snapper didn’t play the game, we had a couple of reasonable sessions on parrot down around Point Lookout and a few good sessions on school sized amberjacks in the 4-8kg range that were keen to eat live baits. We did pick up a few yellowtail

kingfish to around 10kg but ambos well and truly out numbered them.

Because the water temp has been up there, the pelagics have also been hanging in there. Late May/ June saw a few Spanish mackerel and wahoo caught in the Point Lookout and Cape Moreton areas.

We had a couple of

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short sessions on Spanish mackerel at Shallow Tempest, but then when we started getting bitten off by snapper we got the spin gear out and managed to nail a few.

If you’re keen on a good mackerel, Flinders Reef is worth a troll this month with big baits as there’s quite often a few winter brutes

A quality Shallow Tempest snapper. hanging around there at this time of year.

East of the South Passage Bar, this time of year is all about snapper and once that water cools there should be plenty of red fish hitting the decks.

• Until next month, enjoy your fishing, take care on the coastal bars and if you’d like to join me on charter (max. 8 persons) give me a call on 07 3822 9527 or 0418 738 750 or visit my new website www. outlawcharters.com.au.

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Thick and fast tailor action STH PUMICESTONE

Jason Wallis

This is one of the best months by far for tailor. They come on thick and are well under way on their migration run north to breed. We should make the most of it while it lasts because come mid-August they will be all but gone.

The bait fishing fans will need to stock up on pilchard supplies; buying it by the slab in bulk will save you a few dollars. Buying them in small packs can be expensive, not to mention a pain when you get a hot bite session and run out of bait. When tailor decide to eat they go nuts, it is easy to go through a full slab in a session.

A lot of anglers, myself included, turn to lures instead of bait these days. Hardbodies, surface lures and metal slugs all work a treat. Surface lures can be awesome, as you get to see the fish attacking your lure, which can be a real buzz.

I prefer the trusty old slug, it can be burnt across the surface, fished mid-water or jigged off the bottom depending on the mood of the fish. For me it’s the most versatile, cost effective fish catcher when it comes to targeting tailor, hands down.

Tailor will show up at the southern end of the Passage along Bribie’s surf side and then work their way through the Passage north, schooling up and feeding hard in certain areas at certain times; dawn and dusk are the best times. Be on the lookout for any surface

action or if you find a heap of boats schooled up tight, this is a dead give-away. Take it easy, don’t go in flat out just idle in nice and easy as you don’t want to shut the fish down.

The flathead will also be a great target throughout July and August. We should

This golden trevally was taken on plastic from the middle reaches of the Pumicestone Passage.

Brad with a decent mulloway caught and released after a good fight.

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see good numbers and size coming from all parts of the Passage. A hot spot is inside the Caloundra bar one hour each side of the low tide. Soft plastics or drifting pilchards will do the damage. The mouth of the Caboolture River and Glassy Creek will also be on fire.

Just remember your bag limit for flathead is 5 per person and a size slot of 40-75cm; anything caught outside of this needs to be released unharmed and as quickly as possible. It’s a good idea to carry a camera with you just in case you land a cracker. Most anglers these days won’t keep a fish over 60cm because of their breeding qualities, generally speaking fish over 60cm will

be full of eggs or feeding themselves up getting ready to breed. Looking after the big breeding fish is in everyone’s best interest.

Trolling hardbodies for the flatties can be very productive; I like to use this method when the fish are a little hard to locate as you can cover a lot of water in a short space of time.

The bream and juvenile snapper have also been fished in fairly good numbers throughout the Passage, but sizes have been all over the place. One day you will hook good size fish and the next you will struggle to get one to go legal – go figure!

Running fresh baits on light gear at dawn or dusk is the best method.

There are some great silver and golden trevally in our waters at the moment. These can be caught on plastics slowly hopped through the deeper gutters. I find Z-Man lures are great for trevally as they don’t destroy them as easily. You will know when you have hooked one as they hit hard and run fast and never give up. What they lack in eating quality they make up for

in fighting power.

The winter whiting are thick at the moment from Toorbul south out into the bay and onto the Cockle Banks.

With a bag limit of 50 and no size limit, your family can catch a great feed and have some good clean fun. Squid, yabbies or worms are your best baits.

The squid are in good numbers at the moment schooling up in some areas. If you find feeding dolphins you will find squid. The dolphins give them curry, sucking them up like Smarties. The Bribie Bridge has been holding them in numbers at night as they are attracted to the lights of the bridge.

The sand crabs or blue swimmers are easily caught in the Passage. With a couple of pots and some mullet you are on your way. Fresh mullet can easily be caught with a cast net. If you’re not great with a net, grab some frozen ones from your tackle shop.

I believe fresh is always best and you will yield better quality and numbers.

Get out there, get into the action and have a ball.

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Aim high this winter CALOUNDRA

Brad McKendrick fishingcaloundra@yahoo.com.au

We have enjoyed a great season across the Sunshine Coast; winter has provided numerous opportunities to catch some quality fish and none are regarded higher

than a large snapper.

The good news continues across all of the known reef systems with a wide range of species being taken both in close and wide. Areas like Brays Rock, Currimundi Reef, the Caloundra 7 and 12 Mile, The Gneerings, Murphys and Sunshine are all close to shore and are protected when

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the cool westerly winds are blowing hard. Planning a trip in close is much easier than deciding on a long run out to areas like Wide Caloundra or the Barwon Banks and when one is not firing it is not much effort to move to the next.

When the westerlies are blowing, the seas will be flat so that is the best time to look at heading out to the reefs this month. It is also one of the best times to be targeting the known wrecks to catch a cobia. Big kingfish are smashing baits around the deeper pinnacles on the Barwon Banks along with thumper amberjack. These predators can be caught in the middle of the day but really fire on the tidal changes. The key is there has to be movement in the tide to entice them and a live yakka or slimymackerel will just about ensure a hook up each time.

Pearl perch are another popular target during July and they move in really close off Mooloolaba and are easily taken on a paternoster rig with pilchard and squid baits. If you prefer using soft plastics the best colours are anything with purple through it or plain white. Red throat emperor and grassy sweetlip are in abundance this month along with Moses perch, so there are plenty of different

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Cobia are still around the channel markers out wide. species on offer across the Sunshine Coast.

Winter has really set in by the start of July and the big sea bream that have come in with the schools of mullet hang around the Pumicestone Passage just waiting for a feed.

Fresh herring, which can be caught in a cast net around the many pontoons and pylons around the traps, make great whole bait for big bream.

Other options include yabbies, mullet or fish strips, prawns and soft plastics or hardbodied lures. The making tide is the best bet to target them and the deeper the hole or drop off the better.

Mixed amongst them you can get a nice feed of whiting or an occasional flathead.

Work the weeded areas around Bells Creek and the Powerboat Club to score some nice winter whiting. Best baits are small yabbies, peeled prawns and in the early mornings small surface poppers work a treat.

The river mouths and bars are the place to target mulloway throughout the day and into the wee hours of the morning. They can be caught within the river systems using large prawns or a stack of juicy worms. My preferred bait is live mullet or big strips on a small ganged rig. The key to success is to keep the noise down and don’t touch the line until they are running as they spook easily.

Tailor are the other species I love to chase this month and they can be caught within the estuaries or along the many beautiful beaches. My favourite spot is Noosa North Shore or anywhere along that stretch. Overnight trips fishing the gutters on the high tide and the holes during the ebb offer up everything from permit to whiting and tailor to mulloway.

Fishing along the Wurtulla Strip can also be productive and some of the best tailor I have caught have been taken there on the low tide. A ganged rig with whole pilchards or the use of a paternoster rig with circle hooks and strip baits will serve you well. The rocks and foreshore areas can be used to target tarwhine, bream and whiting, so plan your trips carefully and work the change

of the tides for best results.

King and Moffat beaches are also spots where whiting and bream are regularly caught so once the surfers and swimmers have packed it up then you should be ready to go.

The rocks by Kings Beach are also worth a try but only on the lower tide as they are covered during the high.

Fishing from here can cost you a lot of gear because of the rocky bottom so the smallest amount of weight is highly recommended. Normally I

would fish with just a split shot sinker and allow the bait to float naturally around until a fish strikes.

Winter has really set in and with it all the big bream, drummer, tailor and snapper have followed as if right on cue. This month will see plenty of action and perhaps a few records fall around the place.

Remember that fresh live bait like herring, mullet and prawns will greatly increase your chances of quality fish. Have Fun!

Top: Annie with a canal flathead. Bottom: Damien with a quality flathead caught in Mooloolaba.

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Cold produces red hot fishing but no surface action, they are probably feeding on prawns and crustaceans on the bottom.

In this situation you should use a prawn imitation like the Gladiator Prawn or Marukyu Crab. When worked slowly across the bottom to imitate a prawn moving in the tide or a crab walking across the bottom, these plastics work a treat on a hungry trevally. A little scent on your lures will also help with your hit rate, and the Pro Cure range of scents is great as they have different scents for different lures.

If the fish are busting up on the surface, a surface walker like the Strada Pencil or a popper like the Lucky Craft Tone Splash cast amongst them should see a result. A quick and erratic retrieve resembling a fleeing baitfish is the best way to go.

NOOSA

Peter Wells

Winter has arrived, but don’t let this be an excuse to hang up your fishing gear just yet, as there is some superb fishing happening at the moment!

TREVALLY In the Noosa River, Woods Bay continues to fire with a host of different trevally species, and they love nothing more than the cool, still mornings that winter provides.

Whilst trevally feed right throughout the day, the low light periods are definitely the best time to target these fish.

The best way to catch trevors is to try to match what they are feeding on at the time. For instance, if you can see fish on the sounder

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The smart angler will have both these angles covered and more; to be successful with these great sportfish you need to be able to adapt. If you are just getting into soft plastic or lure fishing call into Davo’s and we’ll be happy to show you which lures are catching which species, and give you the info on what’s biting and where.

MULLOWAY Further upstream, school mulloway have been in good numbers just near the mouth of the first lake. Fish the change of tide with a low light period and you should see some excellent results! Live bait can greatly increase your chances of a good fish, with the odd large flathead also inhabiting this area. When live baiting try snelling a second hook down near the tail. This can greatly improve your capture rate if the fish are not feeding aggressively.

ROCK AND BEACH The larger winter bream have moved into the deeper holes and gutters along the beaches. These fish tend to be larger than the ones you catch in the warmer months, and can be very challenging in the surf, with fish up to 40cm not uncommon.

For those anglers who are lucky enough to have a 4x4, head up to Noosa’s North

02

Shore and keep a lookout for a nice gutter or hole whilst heading up the beach. You will find the low light periods are the best times to target these fish. Bream love prawns, yabbies and small pillies, and don’t be surprised if you pick up a tailor, dart or even a nice mulloway as these baits are favourites of many species.

For those of us not lucky enough to own a 4x4, the southern beaches are also producing, with areas around Sunshine Beach and Perigan Beach working well. They also have got some good looking gutters, with quality fish coming from these areas.

Another location that has been fishing very well lately is the rocks off Noosa’s National Park. Off the rocks, snapper, sweetlip and a range of

Greg ‘Rooster’ Friend tempted this 11kg snubnosed dart with a pipi on the Noosa North Shore.

Sunshine Reef, Jew Shoal and Halls Reef all being good fish producers. These reefs are all within easy reach for

weighed with lead to help them get to the bottom.

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pelagics are easily accessible for those who are willing to walk the distance. When you arrive at the rocks, be sure to watch the waves for a few minutes before selecting your fishing spot, as rock fishing is the world’s most dangerous sport for a reason! Another great way to stay safe on the rocks is to bring a friend with you to help keep watch on the waves.

OFFSHORE The close-in reefs have been the pick of the destinations, with places like

the smaller offshore boats, and on a calm day they also make for excellent kayak fishing. If you can, pick a day with an early morning tide, as this will greatly improve your chances of a good bag of reefies.

A great way to bring the fish on the bite is with the aid of some berley. Small pieces of pilchard dropped over the side at regular intervals will help to bring the fish around and keep them in the area. Berley cages are also a good idea. These cages are

much activity to your spot, this will soon bring the sharks and other non-desirable species into range of your baits.

And lastly, don’t forget to pull up the berley cage before you move off. You would be surprised how many of these have been donated to the reef, or end up skiing along behind the boat on the way to the next spot!

For all the latest fishing and bar reports, visit www. fishingnoosa.com.au, and Tight Lines and Bent Spines from the team at Davo’s!

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Bruce Waldron and Ian Markwell earned a $50 Davo’s Fish of the Week prize with these quality mulloway from Chardons Reef.

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Get stuck into quality fish RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

What a great run of weather we’ve had, so many days of perfect ocean conditions.

There have been plenty of chances to head offshore and get stuck into some quality fish.

OFFSHORE We haven’t had to travel too far as the reef fishing has been excellent in close. We have had a really good run of

pearl perch, bagging out on quite a few occasions.

Snapper have been present around the full moon. Not in huge numbers yet, but that will change as we experience a bit more of a drop in temperature.

Scarlet perch (nannygai) have also been on the chew.

We have been picking up some beautiful coral trout. They have been biting very well and giving our inexperienced clients a little bit of grief with their bricking habits. With a little bit of

advice and guidance from myself and the deck hand they have landed some nice ones.

Mackerel have slowed up a bit, but we are still picking up a few Spanish and quite a few school mackerel.

Amberjack and cobia have been the predominant pelagic species and are a fairly easy target with live yakkas or knife jigs.

GREAT SANDY STRAITS The straits continue to fish well for winter whiting, particularly on the glass-out

MANTA-RAY

days with some huge catches coming in.

There have been some excellent catches of flathead with most boaties coming home with their esky full.

The muddies have slowed right down, but people are still managing to get a good feed of them.

Squid have been a good target lately and are going well on orange prawn jigs about the Carlo Point area.

ON THE BEACH We are still picking up some nice winter whiting in the shallow gutters along Rainbow Beach, despite

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having to contend with a little bit of weed. Some of the locals have been getting a feed of chopper tailor from around Middle Rock.

July would have to be one of my favourite months with pearl perch, snapper and red emperor usually very consistent.

Just a reminder that the local fishing classic is on again from 4-12 July.

• To enjoy a day on the water with Keely Rose Fishing Charters phone Ed Falconer on (07) 5486 3150 or 0407 146 151 or visit www.keelyrosefishing charters.com.au.

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Calm weather proves productive on local reefs HERVEY BAY

Scott Bradley marlin81@bigpond.com

With the continuing calm weather there has been plenty of opportunities to wet a line this past month.

Local reefs have had plenty of pressure from anglers and on some days the Arty looks like a floating city.

along it incorporating spots, including Moon, Bagimba and McKenzies ledge.

These ledges have bommies, soft coral and coffee rock that all hold fish and by studying charts or using GPS map technology to find and scan these areas new ground can be found.

Doing this has helped me find small pockets of reef that receives little pressure

snapper, blackall, trout and cod have made up the bulk of the catches.

Baitfish in the form of herring, pike and yakkas are increasing at most spots and pencil squid have started appearing, which is a good sign.

Trumpeter are still being caught at the Fairway, 25 Fathom, Burrum 8 Mile, Rooneys 6 Mile and the

Sole, bream and winter whiting have been taking yabbies, squid and prawns.

Prawns have made a comeback after going quiet for a while and reports of good hauls have been common the past few weeks.

Mud crabs are still potting well with most creeks and rivers holding enough crab to make it worthwhile, a few are a bit on the light side and are best returned.

A MAGIC PLACE Hervey Bay with Fraser

Island and the Great Sandy Straits has such a unique fisheries that includes amazing diversity in both habitat and fish species.

Because of this it attracts many anglers from across Australia in search of an awesome fishing adventure.

One such angler was Craig Martin who recently bought a boat and made the trip from Toowoomba to the bay to catch a beauty. Armed with his brother-in-law Brett who is a local and a few GPS

marks, they pointed the boat Rooneys bound for a day on the water.

Reef fishing was a bit slow so Craig fired a pilly on a gang out to see if he could change his luck. A short time later he came up tight on a big fish that turned out to be a sailfish. After many jumps, laps of the boat and sharks on its tail he managed to land his first billfish in his new boat. Congratulations Craig on another angling dream made true in Hervey Bay!

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Tailor tip the scales FRASER COAST

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

They might not yet be at their peak, but these next months should see the great tailor fishing for which Fraser Island is known.

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They have been improving steadily and should be firing well for the next few months.

Fortunately the years of mass slaughter of tailor are well and truly behind us. Now with a bag limit of 20 fish and a legal minimum size of 35cm, most conservationminded anglers are happy to play their part.

For most, it is the enjoyment and the challenge that are important, not the number that are taken. Many are opting for chasing the genuine trophy fish, rather than the plentiful 1kg tailor of the dawn and dusk sessions.

One successful approach is to use heavy metals like 65g and 85g Raiders, cast wide and worked hard over outer coffee rocks.

An even more reliable way of connecting with really big tailor is to fish the gutters during the night with well presented slabs of tuna, horse mackerel or mullet fillet. Rigs should be well weighted to keep the baits in position for what could be long periods between bites. The main problem that I have with this approach is that dart can make a total mess of a bait in no time at all. Sometimes it is wise to move to a section of beach with features that might not suit the dart.

Another problem with this approach is that sharks of a number of species also like to patrol the same gutters at night and when hooked up can take up a lot of the angler’s time.

Although a decent mulloway would not be considered a problem, undersize fish up to 3 kg, of which there are plenty, can also take up time in landing and carefully releasing.

During these next months, dart of excellent quality can be as plentiful as tailor in the classic gutters. Considered by diehard tailor anglers as a

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The ‘muddie’ that didn’t go back. This painted crayfish was a welcomed catch. nuisance, they produce great sport on light gear for those who are not targeting tailor.

Popular baits are pipis and seaworms but many small plastics are proving irresistible.

Small curly tail grubs in bright colours like lime green and orange mounted on the lightest possible jighead usually work well.

There are usually plenty of whiting in the shallow ends of tailor gutters but with the noticeable absence of whiting on the beaches so far this year, we cannot be too hopeful.

Small numbers of bream, tarwhine and flathead should also turn up in anglers’ catches.

We recently had some interesting and somewhat surprising experiences with crustaceans on the ocean beach. Not the common paddler crabs off the beach or those small colourful crabs of the rocks, these were much larger. It started when one of the boys came up to the house with a mud crab, a very feisty mud crab, in a bucket. Once everyone had made inspections and were convinced that this was not one creature to tangle with, this large female was returned to the ocean.

I had been aware that female mud crabs return to the ocean to spawn as this heavily berried girl demonstrated, but this was a first for our party.

Within the next two days, two more large female crabs were caught on lines baited with sea worm then released.

On the following evening while fishing over coffee rocks, I felt what started off as a snag, but when it started to come with a little erratic movement, my initial reaction was that yet another muddie was about to hit the beach.

Just as I was hurrying the ‘muddie’ ashore, hoping that she would free herself, my attitude changed completely as a very acceptable painted crayfish complained bitterly about this sudden intrusion on his or her lifestyle. This was one crustacean that was going home to the pot. Crayfish are relatively common amongst the offshore coffee rocks, as

some skindivers know well, but line catches are fairly rare these days.

In Hervey Bay, diver whiting have made a late start but should be well settled into their usual haunts by this month. The most productive areas should be wide of Point Vernon, Gatakers Bay and Dundowran, as well as south of Round Island, the western side of Woody Island and between the Picnic Islands and River Heads. July should also see the peak of the bream season as fish seek the highly oxygenated tide rips over the points of the bay islands as well as Point Vernon, Gatakers Bay, and at River Heads.

The shallow reefs have become quiet as water temperatures drop. The deeper reefs and ledges like the Artificial Reef, Channel Hole, Bogimbah and Moon ledges are still working for mixed reef species. Snapper

have been taken between the wrecks at the Artificial Reef as well as Moon Ledge.

Successful anglers are working live herrings and yellowtail or drifting cut baits of fresh mullet or yellowtail pike.

As I write, excellent reports are still coming in from the northern parts of the bay as far as Rooney Point.

Longtail, mac and yellowfin tuna as well as large school mackerel are still feeding ravenously on small baitfish.

Most are being released.

We have been keeping the odd longtail or yellowfin tuna for the table. These are exceptional fare, particularly as sashimi. Most of the boats making the journey have been hoping for snapper, confidently expected by those in the know at the next full moon. So far bottom fishing the flat slatey reefs has produced a few snapper and javelin.

Asher Forbes from Coolum had some fun with his Dad in the Noosa River. He got a nice sand crab in the pot along with a 55cm flathead.

Luring deepwater bream SUNSHINE COAST

Lane Hoffmann lane_h_96@hotmail.com

It’s that time of year again – bream spawning season! The cooler temperatures excite many bream anglers as larger bream begin showing up in our river systems along the Sunshine Coast.

These spawning bream school in the deeper section of the water column, closer to the river entrances, and you need a lot of know-how to catch them during this time of year. They can be tricky to find, and it can be difficult to tempt those larger, much wiser bream into taking your lure. Big bream have definitely seen a few lures throughout their lifetime, so it helps to refine your skills and techniques in order to trick them into eating your lure.

Although winter is a great time of year to fish for a lot of estuarine species, especially the humble bream, these spawning fish can sometimes be affected by fishing pressure.

For that reason, getting up early on a cold morning can usually pay off as there is less boat traffic. As a general rule, fishing right on dawn and dusk are the best times to fish.

Having a boat with a good

quality sounder is really a must-have with this type of fishing. You will be able to locate the fish in the deeper sections of the river system.

Great places to scout around to find these fish are off the edges of rock walls, the deeper channels around the river mouths, and locally known rubble patches in some deeper water. Bream will usually show up on your sounder in great numbers. Once you’ve found a good show on the sounder that you think will most likely be a bunch of bream, it’s time to pull out the winter bream gear and to do a few drifts over the fish while working your lures through them.

LURES There are a huge range of lures that can be used to target these deep water bream. Small profile, lightly weighted blades, soft plastics, deep diving hardbodies and sinking stickbaits should be in every bream angler’s arsenal.

Big bream are wise! They will avoid anything that looks even slightly unnatural. So thinking about where you’re fishing, the water and weather conditions is important.

I predominately use plastics for deeper water bream (although other lures

can make a difference if the fish are shut down). Having the right jighead size is important, and your choice should depend on the depth you are fishing and the current.

Begin with a light jighead that will allow the plastic to drift down very naturally and slowly through the water. Any plastic that rapidly shoots down past a bream’s face will just spook it. Most takes come on a naturally slow drop, when the bream simply cruise along and eat it.

If your plastic isn’t getting to the bottom at all or it’s taking way too long, up the jighead size slightly to suit the conditions. Test it next to the boat to find out how it presents in the water. If it looks natural to you, you can be confident that you are using the right tackle.

The soft plastics I have had the best success on are Berkley Gulp 2” Shrimp in banana prawn and molting colour, and 60mm Squidgy Wrigglers in bloodworm colour. Remember that you don’t always have to use the smallest plastics to catch bream. Big bream will definitely grab a larger meal on offer, and even 3-4” plastics are a good presentation for a large bream. The Berkley 3” Minnows are great plastics

for targeting some of the larger bream, and Berkley Gulps come with a great fishattracting scent which is great for when fish are bit finicky.

You can work your plastics in a number of ways.

A deadsticking technique, where you let the lure sink down through the water column very slowly without imparting any action into it, can entice the bream into eating the helpless little prawn or baitfish imitation.

Even a dead-slow roll retrieve can work with very subtle lifts of the rod tip. It’s all about mixing it up and sticking to what works best for you.

If the bream are shut down, blades and deep diving hard bodies will often produce the goods. Blades that put out that little bit of vibration can make a big difference.

Blades ranging from 1/12oz to 1/6oz, depending on the water depth and current, will work well. Casting out onto the sounded-up bream, let the lure sink through them and hit the bottom, then begin a slow roll followed by a slow lift retrieve. Working the blades like this will imitate an injured baitfish whilst putting out some vibration which will cause the bream to bite. Work your blade over rubble patches,

The author with a decent bream pulled out of a deeper channel on a Berkley Gulp 2.5” Crabby. making it knock on the rocks as it hits the bottom to attract the bream in the area.

Deeper diving, small profile hardbodies can do the job off rock walls. Slow roll the hardbody down the edge of the rock wall, knocking it on the rocks. Usually, the bib of the lure will jump over the rocks as it knocks about.

This is a good technique for bream that are hard up against the deeper edges of rocky walls and along bridge pylons. Like always, if the fish are quite hard to tempt, fish slower. Fishing a little slower will keep you in the strike zone a lot longer, giving you more time to allow the bream to curiously investigate your lure.

Remember to use light lines, especially in clearer water and/or when you’re

fishing for the larger, much more educated bream. Good quality, sensitive braid of about 4lb is ideal. Your fluorocarbon leader should be around 3-4lb, and you should use a good couple of rod lengths to ensure no fish will spook due to the more visible braid.

If you have the chance to get out on the water this winter or go out on a regular basis, put your skills to the test on some deep water big bream. Remember to get up early before the river systems become busy during the day, and you will increase your chances of having a great fishing session. If you’re in the Noosa area, drop into Hooked On Angling and Outdoors in Tewantin, as the friendly team will give you very helpful advice on how to target these big winter bream!

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Rug up and get out there BUNDABERG

Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

July is bream and mackerel time in our area and both species have really fired up just in time.

Let’s start with bream.

I can’t believe how many anglers wait all year for the run of bream over winter.

There have been some really good bream caught with some of the big fish reaching 50cm which is a cracking bream anywhere in the country. The Burnett River is the most popular of the bream haunts, with the North Wall and Kirbys Wall being the two mainstays. The very end of the North Wall is famous for large schools of

bream moving up out of the channel and hanging there.

For the bait fishers you can’t beat a live prawn or yabby but there are plenty of old salts out there who have their favourites. I have seen mullet and chicken gut catch plenty of fish, as has the old squid and of course the old favourite fresh sprat.

Lightly weighted baits fished on light line will more often than not out-fish the heavier line and sinkers. By light line I mean 4-6lb. You will lose a few fish but you will hook more, so the odds of landing more fish increase.

For the lure fisherman who has a hankering for bream on lures, small blades work very well along the wall, as do a multitude of soft plastics. My favourite

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is the old faithful 3” Gulp Shrimp in the new penny colour, rigged on a nice light jighead. Just let the plastic waft around in the school and look out!

The bream don’t just enter the Burnett, of course; they do enter other rivers and creeks and the Baffle is one of them. Roger from the Baffle Creek Caravan Park reports most of his guests are getting heaps of quality bream. Most fish have been taken on bait but anglers targeting them on lures are getting their share as well. Funnily enough, Roger’s boat ramp is a hot spot with many of his landbased guests catching a feed right where everyone puts in and leaves to find the fish.

His guests have been picking bream up in most sections of the river, and berley is the key to getting the big ones on the chew.

MACKEREL Mackerel have been getting caught up and down the Queensland Coast, and Bundaberg anglers haven’t been missing out either. We should see some settling down of the wind this month, with a few cool westerlies allowing the smaller boats out the front.

Trolling is a very

effective way of targeting these speedsters, and because they cruise at 20km/h it’s a good idea to troll with a bit of speed. Depending on what you are trolling, try to keep your speed up around 12 knots and vary it if you’re not getting bites.

Most quality hard bodied lures should troll at 12 knots.

If your lure is kicking to one side or keeps coming to the surface, try tuning it or just replace it with a lure that hangs in.

I like to start with a few different lures so I can find out what they are biting on.

For example, I will deploy a lure that dives to 2m along with one that dives to 8m.

While I’m trolling, if I see the fish on the sounder sitting very deep I will put two deep diving lures on but in two different colours. If the one coloured lure keeps getting hit I will change the one not getting the bites to a similar colour to the one getting hit.

So where are the mackerel? That’s easy – they’re where all the boats are. It’s not rocket science!

Most keen mackerel anglers will be out before the sun rises, either floating their live baits or trolling just as the sun rises. You should also

Good times with the girls catching winter flathead. look out for birds, as they are your eyes in the sky.

They will dive whenever a marauding school of mackerel or tuna has pushed a school of baitfish to the surface. Popular spots are around the leads at Burnett Heads close to the 2 Mile and the close-in rubble patches that hold bait schools.

Winter isn’t my favourite

angling time of the year, but that’s only because I’m going soft and prefer heat to cold! The truth is that winter does offer some great fishing for those keen to rug up and get out there. I do love getting my family on the water chasing flathead, and right now there are lots of little guys around and they love eating trolled lures.

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ROCKHAMPTON

Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

The recent cold has provided many opportunities for landbased and boat anglers.

The cold waters have created lots of different fishable areas, from awesome early morning flats for estuary species to patches of warm water where big barra are starting to congregate.

Bream are firing up in the narrows, flathead grouping together in river mouths and whiting in exceptional numbers – what more could an angler ask for?

FRESH WATER REGIONS The f r e sh wa t e r areas around town have unfortunately shut down to most fishing techniques, however early morning with a small popper trying to mimic little insects can still cause a reaction strike from the local barramundi population.

This winter has not been as cold as normal so the freshwater will fire up earlier than usual, which

is great news for the landbased anglers that love fishing the lagoons in the afternoons THE FITZROY The river has been fishing well for many anglers and a lot of people have been producing good fish, it shows persistence pays off. A lot of the fish as per usual have been taken between the bridges up in the city reaches.

A great number of blue salmon have been found around the rubble and mud flats along the mouth of the river. The move to these areas suggests that the salmon are getting ready for spawning season and will be feeding up on the prawns and smaller crustaceans in the area.

The barramundi are still active, especially after the few days of weather that would not be deemed as winter weather. The barra have been productive on trolling hardbodies against the tide and casting vibes around the rocks.

Heading to the Narrows can be quite good this time of year as the well-known winter bread and butter species, like grunter and flathead, have become

more active. There are also quite a few spots to target barra and salmon up in the Narrows, which makes for a great day fishing.

INSHORE REGIONS The Keppel Group has been fishing well along with coastal headlands around Curtis Island. A great variety of species have been caught, anything from large tuna through to mackerel and coral trout.

Many people casting for these large long tail tuna are using ‘barra’ spin gear with small metal lures the same size as the baitfish in the water.

Many of the trout and other reef species have been pulled on shrimp imitation lures, such as Zereks and the ever-popular Gulp Jerk Shads, are still taking the fish by storm.

A lot of the rock bars present around the Keppel Group have resulted in the capture of a large number of mackerel on barrasized hardbodies and barra gear, the size of the grey mackerel being caught this year is unreal!

ESTUARIES The estuarine regions have been fishing very well

for almost every species, this time of year the bream have moved quite well and the flathead will be more active in a few weeks.

Many people have been taking their children out recently to show them how good fishing is which is good to see and the amount of people coming in this year to try and target bream and flathead on lures is great. Our waterways are full of good fish to be targeted on lures, a bit of effort and learning is all it takes to unlock the systems.

CRABBING Although the river has been slow for barra fishing from the fresh and cold many people are still pulling ripper crabs out around the port and Thompsons point. Mullet heads and heavy-duty pots have been selling like crazy and the feedback from people and the photos have been insane. Anyone who likes a crabbing session should definitely get down and get some crabs while they are going hard or if you’re new to the process crab pot kits are readily available.

Fish light get the bite.

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Extended mackerel run YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

There has been a fairly good show of snapper in the waters around the islands lately. Though we do get them in ones and twos when the water temp drops that little bit every winter, this year is different. Instead of the large fish, this time we are getting small to medium fish, or what I would call squire. The bonus is that they are in much better numbers than the normal big fish and they seem to be in a wider variety of spots. I would try any of the local grassy sweetlip haunts for a start, and any of the shallow water mackerel spots close to The Keppels.

A few years ago we had an unusual amount of very small squire at spots like Halftide Rocks and Pumpkin Passage. This could be the same population having grown a bit and staying in the local vicinity. We were catching them on the same plastics you would use

for bream, and the same baits including cut prawns and yabbies.

MACKEREL School mackerel usually slow right down by July but, along with Spanish mackerel, they are having an extended run. We have been scoring a few large doggies (Queensland school mackerel) around the islands and have had to leave different spots because they were so thick you couldn’t get a bait down to reefies. The mackerel could be around for a while yet as long as the bait schools remain.

Floating out lightly weighted pillies while bottom bashing is the easiest way to get a mackerel, though spinning and jigging with chromies is by far the most entertaining. The pick of the spots are Wedge and Pelican out from Emu Park, or out from Yeppoon there is Barren, Findlays, Forty Acre and Conical. The bumper year should continue and if current indications are anything to go by, the spotty season in a month or two will be a cracker.

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been left out either, as the majority of reefy lumps along the contour lines are producing quality Spaniards. There are still a few fish around the regular mackerel spots from Liza Jane, Barren, Man and Wife, Outer, Conical, Flat, Perforated and Manifold.

Big troll baits, lures, floating pillies and again my favourite jigging Flashas or Taipans.

GRUNTER Grunter haven’t really gone anywhere this year, as time after time when the conditions are right you can get them at any of the local spots. The offshore spots from The Pinnacles, The Barge, Cape Manifold, The Rama, Findlays and Cape Capricorn all had grunter over the moon. Grunter don’t always hang around the structure and lots of times they will be in the pressure wave in front of ridges or schooling under the current in the undulations caused by the current run. Prawns, squid and pillies have been the pick of the baits.

BLACK JEW Four nights either side of the full moon is prime jew fishing time. Black jew, our local species, seem to fire as soon as the moon peeks over the horizon – although whenever the wind drops and the tide is rising in the evening, jew come to mind. Other times can be worth a go as well, especially the new moon.

If you are looking to land a black jew for the first time, the best places to try are Iron Pot, The Double Heads jew hole, Rita Mada, Mother McGregor, Corio Heads, The Barge, The Pinnacles, The Rama and Findlays. Jew are an extremely tough and dirty fighter on light gear, and will test you and you tackle thoroughly.

Despite theories from many people, jew will definitely take a fresh bait or decent sized live bait over anything else. One thing I can say for sure is that they also prefer ‘fish of the day’, meaning that anything schooling in that area during the day is going to be the best bait that night. Doggy mackerel and ribbonfish are two prime examples, with live or fresh squid up there in the mix. Pilchards do the trick as well, and should be a standard backup.

Paternoster rigs or a running ball sinker over an 8/0 both work well.

SALMON King threadfin salmon have again led the way in The Fitzroy River. They are chewing throughout most of the river from the town reaches to The Narrows.

Lures, prawns and pilchards

Brendan Reed with his first keeper barra caught at Coorooman Creek. have accounted for plenty of salmon in recent weeks.

The jetties in town and the high mud banks heading downstream are favourite salmon spots. These fish have also been in serious form in Coorooman Creek, as some of the biggest kings caught around have been taken there in recent weeks.

Just like the river, around eddies and the shallow mouths of prawn gutters are a fine starting point when you are looking for a king.

King threadfin come right into very shallow water chasing prawns, crabs, yabbies and other critters.

Most salmon are caught just on dark or daylight as a rule, but tides are also an important factor when targeting threadfin.

Coorooman Creek has also been showing up some quality blue salmon, and one or two of the fish taken this week were 900mm+ blue salmon. The best baits have been prawns or yabbies, and blues will take shiny lures like Flashas using the jig-and-pause method. Plastics are another good option, with the more

There have been reports of a few schools of bonito moving into the area in recent days. Bonito will take any fast retrieved small chrome lure or hard body.

Ribbonfish have come in again after a pretty slow couple of years at quite a few of the closer doggie mackerel spots like Corio Heads, Rita Mada, Ironpot, Quartz Rock out from Keppel Sands, Cave and Wedge isles just off Emu Park. Ribbonfish are among the best baits of for Spanish mackerel, wahoo and many other pelagics when trolled whole. They are also exceptional as a slab bait for black jew or strip baits for reefies, and they make a great addition to a chopped up berley mix because of their oily flesh.

Ribbonfish will keep for a long time when they are treated properly after the catch. For best results, lay them flat and cover with ice. Once home I dry them and rig a few up on gang hooks before individually wrapping them in gladwrap and laying them in a single layer in

Deakin Smithwick landed some quality doggy mackerel on high speed jigs. realistic types working well.

BONITO AND RIBBONS My fish diary keeps flashing bonito and ribbonfish this week. All the dry years in the past 20 years have had regular bait schools through the bay, and the best months for horseys and wolfies have traditionally been July and August.

the freezer. They come out in pristine condition which makes them irresistible to predators.

SQUID The many local squid spots are firing at the moment, with a fair few squid being caught in recent weeks. One method that seems to do the trick is to troll very slowly over the

shallows around the islands with a couple of floating jigs hanging out the back.

Soak your squid jigs in pilly juice or tuna oil to give that little bit of extra appeal. As the jigs pass over the colour changes (sand to reef) the squid will come out and nail the jigs. Once you have found where the squid are you can then anchor and cast the jigs over the spot.

Places to chase squid range from Rosslyn Bay Harbour at night, Outer, Pumpkin Passage, Man and Wife, The Keppels, or virtually anywhere you get contrasting bottom colours.

BREAD AND BUTTER Whiting and dart have made their presence felt locally. The beaches and creeks north of the river, Keppel Sands, Kinka, Mulambin, The Causeway, Lammermoor, Ross Creek, Bangalee and Farnborough are great for whiting.

Dart will be in numbers from Three Rivers, Five Rocks, Nine Mile, Corio, Farnborough and Bangalee down to Yeppoon. Yabbies and beach worms are the better baits with peeled prawns as a reserve. The majority of fish caught are right in close at your feet, it is a waste of time and effort casting too far. Results improve on the run-in tide on the beaches. The creeks and sandbanks in Corio and Coorooman have more options, particularly around the yabby beds.

Flathead, bream, queenfish and trevally are also likely captures for anyone fishing the estuaries or the islands beaches in coming weeks.

All the estuaries have at least something to offer most of us, and with the good fish reported in recent weeks why wouldn’t you get out there? Bream prefer structure-rich country like oyster banks, fallen trees and mangrove roots. You’ll find them everywhere from the deepest parts of the creeks right into quite shallow water as the tide moves in. Bream will eat nearly anything including yabbies, pillies, worms and flesh strips.

Snapper are finally here!

MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

Half a year has gone, the Mackay Show holiday is done for another year and the snapper are here!

Unfortunately so is the cold weather and fairly strong south easterly winds, but there is not much anyone can do about that! So it is just a case of grin and bear it and take those rare opportunities of light winds when they happen.

The snapper are coming from all the usual haunts around the top of Flat Top Island, off Round Top and the close in reefs will all produce, when you can get to them. There have also been some nice snapper coming to the boats down around the Hay Point area, both from the spoil grounds and any areas of low rubble. Keep a look out for boats anchored in specific areas early of a morning and at this time of the year it is a pretty sure bet they are chasing snapper.

Bait fishing is still the main way to target snapper.

Cut baits, whole pilchards or a fillet of pillie, and squid are the most commonly used baits. Strip baits can be mullet, gar, ribbonfish or small mackerel belly flaps and adding a bit of scent or dipping them in tuna oil will not hurt your prospects one little bit. Unfortunately with our strong tidal runs, it is necessary to use fairly heavy lead to reach the bottom quickly, but a small sinker that makes a bait ‘float’ down slowly can also bring results. In fact it’s not a bad idea to set one rod up like this with a drifting pillie or big strip bait.

If you are a visitor to our area, I suggest calling into any of our local tackle shops as the owners and staff always know what is biting and where. They can assist with general areas to fish, but don’t expect to be given any super secret spots, but they will give out plenty of info. After all, the tackle shops know the more anglers are happy with their trip to our area, then the more likely they are to return and hopefully bring some mates too.

As in years past, the snapper season also brings on a great run of golden trevally, which live here all year round, but seem to be prevalent close inshore during the winter/early spring months. Goldens have saved many a trip from being a disaster, and a good 5-10kg golden is a great fish to catch, and looked after is also pretty tasty on the plate. Bleed them thoroughly straight away, get them

chilled down on ice and the pinkish meat is great for curries, casseroles or just on the barbecue with some nice sweet chilli and lemon or lime juice.

The goldens are not particularly fussy fish, and will take a floating pillie, or a bottom bait intended for snapper. They are also avid lure takers and that is about my favourite way to catch them. Metal jigs, blades (either plastic or metal), jerk shads, deep diving hardbodies will all score goldens and sometimes they will even smash a popper.

Pretty versatile fish and man they fight really well like all the trevally clan.

Goldens show up pretty well on a good sounder, and will often be located with bait balls, or bait sitting on a small rise or pinnacle. For

off at the pass’.

Longtails will take trolled lures and pilchards, but the most exciting way to catch them is to cast high speed small lead slugs to the front of feeding fish and crank like crazy. Don’t use wire and keep your knots small and compact and if you land one, again don’t waste it, bleed the fish thoroughly, get it on ice and when filleting discard the dark red blood line. The rest of the flesh should be a pale pink and it is top tucker.

The creeks are also firing up pretty well with big whiting coming into the systems and there are plenty of genuine elbow-slappers about. The Pioneer River is a hot spot for big whiting and it is a neat way to get some tasty fish from right in the centre of the city.

Luke Vella nailed this king threadfin salmon on a 1/4oz TT Switchblade worked just off the bottom on a long sloping bank in Constant Creek. the small boat angler, there are plenty of these types of spots within 5-10kg of the harbour or mouth of the Pioneer River. Again talk to the staff at the tackle shops and get the good oil.

The early run of northern blue tuna has continued and they will be around probably until the end of the year.

Northerns, or longtails as they are now more commonly called, are a great sportfish and are typical tuna – strong hard running fish that just don’t want to chuck in the towel. Longtails can often be seen feeding on small baitfish at or near the surface and they feed differently to small macks. The macks tend to slash through the bait, same as mac tuna, but the longtails seem to spend less time visibly chasing the bait.

Typically they will hit the surface in a high speed run, sound and then bob up 30m or more away in a matter of seconds. This can be pretty frustrating at times, but watching their feeding patterns will generally show they feed into the wind and up current, so plan your attack using these factors and you can usually ‘head them

Launch at the River Street ramp, move across to the trainer wall and pump some yabbies, and then drift up with the tide. This is best on a rising tide in the early evening and the fish can be followed all the way up past the hospital, although care must be exercised around the rocks and pipe near the Ron Camm Bridge. Downstream of this bridge around Cullen Island is a renowned hot spot for good whiting. Again seek advice from the tackle shops, to avoid disappointment.

There has been plenty of other action in the creeks and estuaries, with king salmon featuring in many anglers catches and they are probably the best bet around at the moment apart from whiting. Kings can be real enigmas, here one day gone the next, but put in the time and you will get fish.

King salmon are more commonly caught on live baits, like small mullet, herring, whiting and prawns, but will often take a bunch of yabbies fished almost right on the bottom. An old, old trick was to rig a fillet of pilchard on a 2 gang hook rig with the sinker just above the

hook and just heavy enough to find the bottom.

In later years, lure fishing for kings has become increasingly popular and while they will readily take hardbody lures, soft plastics are made for king salmon.

I have always been a fan of rattling spot style lures, which are now referred to as vibes, but the soft plastic vibe lure revolution is showing new ways to catch kings on lures. Transams were first cabs off the rank followed closely by Threadybusters, but both these brands are not cheap, with the former usually selling around $30 each and the Threadybusters around $20. If fishing around snags or rock bars, the attrition rate and expense can be quite high, but lately 2 cheaper versions have come to my notice.

I have used Quick Catch vibes for quite a while now and have caught barra, cod, grunter, pikeys and small jacks on them. They are usually sourced via their web site and while there is a limited 5 colour range, they work well and seem to be to the fish’s liking.

Another lure that the guys from Tackleworld Mackay are singing the praises of is

Ben Elsmore has been having a run of fishless outings but broke the drought with this beaut 89cm golden trevally, jigged up near Hay Point while chasing snapper. He reckons it was a top consolation prize! the Fuze Pulse range in 95 and 115mm sizes. Like the Quick Catch ones, these are proving very able substitutes for the dearer brands and when lost it is a bit easier on the hip pocket nerve. The Pulse lures have been well tested by the Tackleworld guys and have accounted for barra, king and blue salmon, jacks, queenies and trevally, so they seem pretty versatile too.

So for those anglers out there that would like to try the plastic vibes, there is no need to go to a $30 lure for a trial run. The vibes can be worked super slow on a ‘sink and draw’ retrieve

which really is just casting out letting the lure sink and then working it up off the bottom with the rod, take in the slack and let it sink, then repeat the process.

They can also be cranked up for queenies and other pelagic and I reckon they will account for a few goldens, longtails and the like over this winter, so give them a try.

While we find the winter here cold it really is nothing compared to further south, so why not come up to paradise for some sunshine, warmth and hot fishing during winter.

See you at the ramp.

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45

Tag lines and tag line returns BRISBANE

Kim Bain

In the final instalment of our in-depth outrigger series, I will look at tag lines; the lines that are run from outriggers when trolling lures.

Mention the term ‘tag’ to an angler and most will probably think of tagging fish for research. In the context of outriggers and lure trolling, tag lines are lengths of venetian blind type cord that connect to the outriggers and reduce the angle of the main fishing line up through the outrigger and therefore the drop back to the lure is also reduced.

Those that advocate tag

lines believe in reducing the amount of slack line just after the strike in order to get a better hook up ratio, this is especially so when trolling large hardheaded lures.

The tag line set up allows the fish to come tight to the reel’s drag at almost the same instant that the fish eats the trolled lure. The caveat here is that there are a small number of anglers who use soft headed trolling lures who like a bit of slack line just after the strike so the fish can turn its head and be facing away from the boat when the line comes tight and the hooks are pulled into the corner of the big fish’s jaw.

In the three previous parts of QFM’s in-depth look

into outriggers we discussed clips as the most common connection to the fishing line.

However instead of a clip, tag lines normally use a rubber band attachment. At one end a tag line is connected to the outrigger halyard, and the lure end of the tag line is attached to the main line via a rubber band (or sometimes a clip).

Tag line set ups (one each side of the boat) normally incorporate a self-retrieve tag line return system. A tag line return is a stainless-steel weight (it looks like a big shiny sinker with a big hole through the centre). Both the tag line and the outrigger halyard run inside the return weight. When there is no pressure on the tag line the

weight slides down over both the tag line and the halyard and the return weight rests at the bottom of the rigger halyard at a point where the rubber band end of the tag line is within easy reach of the crew.

Once the tag line’s rubber band is tied to the main line and the lure deployed into the water behind a moving boat.

Then the pressure of the large skirted trolled lure pulling through the water is enough to pull the tag line tight so that the weight is lifted and it rides up to a position up high on the outrigger. When a big fish eats the lure, the rubber band either snaps to releases the main line and the tagline then

Tag line return weight with the two lines (tag line and outrigger halyard) running through the centre.

STARBOARD TAG LINE

TAG LINE RIG

tag line

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slip knot (half-bow)

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halyard

rubber band wrap

tag line

The slip knot at the end of the tag line goes through the end loops of the rubber band

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46

to lure

loses tension, which allows the return weight to fall down towards the cockpit where the base of the rigger halyard is.

From this base position the tag line can then be reset when you are ready to start fishing again.

It is common to add a foam or cork float (or rubber buffer) under the weight on the halyard. This cushions the return weight during the fall.

Also a cork above the weight reduces the damage that the weight may do if it bounces up

into the rigger hardware.

Incidentally the tag line should be much heavier in breaking strain to that of the main fishing line so that the tag line doesn’t break during use; cord has been mentioned earlier, an alternative is heavy mono leader of 300-400lb breaking strain. Although I prefer tag lines to have minimal stretch and for my way of thinking many mono lines offer too much elasticity. The sacrificial link is the rubber band – therefore

THE SPREAD Tag lines spread trolled lures in your pattern in the same way as your outriggers, however: • Tag lines are normally used with skirted troll lures rather than flesh and\or live baits.

• Tag lines can allow you to use much heavier lures than you can use from lightweight clips.

• The drop-back from outriggers is minimised by using tag lines.

• Tag lines do not allow you to freespool your offering back to the fish.

• Tag lines generally use a heavy rubber band instead of a release clip.

• Tag lines are seldom run from centre riggers.

• Tag line return weights save you a lot of hassle when setting your lures.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Fishing company underpays: faces court An Australian fishing company is to face legal action for allegedly underpaying four of its Indonesian crew tens of thousands of dollars.

Three deckhands and an engineer were allegedly underpaid a total of $77,390 between July 2012 and June 2013, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The male employees worked on the Santo Rocco, which primarily docked in NSW, and the Challenge, which primarily docked in Queensland.

According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, the 457 visa-holders were underpaid

amounts ranging from $14,705 to $24,494.

It has commenced legal proceedings against the fishing company – Australian Wild Tuna Pty Ltd - in the Federal Circuit Court in Sydney.

Also facing Court is company director and manager Angelo Maiorana, of Sydney.

The Fair Work Ombudsman says the Indonesian crew were allegedly underpaid their wages while working in waters off the east coast.

It is seeking civil penalties against Australian Wild Tuna Pty Ltd and Mr Maiorana, alleging multiple breaches of

workplace laws.

Contraventions relating to pay slips, record-keeping and frequency-of-pay are also being alleged.

Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James says inspectors made extensive efforts to resolve the matter before legal proceedings were commenced.

Ms James says the employer’s failure to rectify such a large alleged underpayment of vulnerable overseas workers is a significant factor in the decision to litigate.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has established an Overseas Workers’ Team

responsible for conducting Visa monitoring activities, as well as undertaking high-profile complaint investigations and proactive compliance activities relating to the employment of overseas workers.

Mr Maiorana faces maximum penalties up to $10,200 per breach and the company up to $51,000 per contravention.

Employers and employees seeking assistance can visit www.fairwork. gov.au or contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.

A free interpreter service is available by calling 13 14 50.

– Fair Work Australia

FISHING FILL-ITS

Hands off shark control gear says DAFF

Tag line return weight rigged above a cork ‘buffer ball’. it is obvious that the rubber band should break well before the main line does. It is a good idea to confirm the breaking strain of the rubber bands that you are using with a spring scale at the same time that you are setting the drags on your reels. Most boats have a cross section of sizes of rubber bands to allow the right one to be used for whatever line class that you

are choosing to deploy.

The tag line’s minimum length should generally be long enough to reach from the outrigger to the rod tip in the closest rod holder. A maximum length is normally considered to be the distance from the outrigger to the furthest rod holders on the boat’s transom.

This allows the tag line to be used on any rod from any rod holder on that side of the boat.

Fisheries Queensland is reminding people to keep their hands off shark control equipment or cop penalties up to $55,000.

Fisheries Queensland Acting Shark Control Program manager Michael Mikitis warned people to stay away from shark control equipment not just because of the financial penalty but also

for their own safety.

“It is illegal to interfere with the Queensland Government’s shark control equipment including bait, ropes, netting or buoys,” Mr Mikitis said.

“Any individual or group of people caught removing bait or stealing drumline equipment could face the maximum penalty of $55,000.

“Also, for safety reasons we encourage people stay well away from shark control equipment because of the hooks or the possibility of getting too close to live sharks.”

Mr Mikitis said the shark control program has been in place for over 50 years to minimise the threat of shark attacks and make it safer

for swimmers.

“We have shark nets and drumlines positioned approximately 300–400 metres offshore at 85 popular beaches at 10 regional centres in Queensland,” he said.

Anyone who sees interference with shark control gear should call the Shark Hotline on 1800 806 891. – DAFF

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Get jigging in July BOWEN

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The pelagic fish will be well and truly running in Bowen waters by July and the prize fish in angler’s sights will be Spanish mackerel.

By now most of the larger female Spanish macks will have worked their way inshore following the garfish and wolf herring. These bait sources tend to move into the Bay as the inshore waters clear and become a deep blue.

This is the first sign anglers should look out for and if you see the water looking very clear and blue then you know it is a great sign to get out and get amongst the Spanish mackerel.

Clear blue water is not only important for bringing in the bait but it also helps to snare a mackerel on the jig.

Jigging for Spanish mackerel would have to be one of my

favourite ways to catch a big Spaniards due to its fast pace and brutal action.

The technique is a simple yet effective one however it does require a lot of work, but the reward is certainly worth the effort. Firstly you need to have a reel either overhead or spin which will retrieve your lure at high speed. Typically anything with a 6:1 ratio is up to the task. There is no substitute for speed when you are jigging as this is what excites the fish and gets them biting.

Unlike trolling or bait fishing you are actually working on an instinct bite not a hunger bite from the fish when you are jigging.

To trigger that instinct and turn on a bite from a fish you need that speed to grab their attention and chase.

While a high speed reel is important, so is your rod as this can help immensely with the jigging process. I prefer short jigging rods as they allow the angler to work

their jigs on the high speed retrieve. Long rods over 6’ can be bulky and hard to work, especially when jigging vertically.

You also need a rod with a strong tip as you need to be able to drive those hook point in when jigging to ensure the fish doesn’t find its freedom.

I typically like to set my drag pretty tight for initial hook up and really give the fish some big pumps after the first strike to set those hooks. Just relying on the fish to chew down your lure can lead to lost fish.

I really do prefer trebles as they tend to hook up better than big singles however on the other hand trebles do fall out a lot easier than singles as well. The best thing to remember is to keep that line tight at all times. The moment you have slack line you are giving that fish an opportunity to shake those hooks loose.

While Spanish macks may have some great teeth

Longtail tuna, like the mackerel, will move right in close during July and are great fun on light tackle.

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July is a top time to snare a big Spanish mackerel on the jig. their mouths are very tough and bony and unless you penetrate right through, the odds of landing fish are slim.

Make sure your trebles are sharp or alternatively put new ones on at the start of every trip.

Lures are my preference, and I prefer metal lures over soft plastics and hardbodies.

Big Bumpa Bars or knife jigs are perfect as they mimic a fleeing wolf herring perfectly. Also the 15cm Mariah Jigs are easy to work and catch plenty of fish.

If you are using knife jigs don’t go with the long heavy ones, as the macks prefer something smaller.

Bumpa Bars are always a top choice as their design allows the angler to concentrate on winding as quickly as possible and the bent design of the lure creates a crazy fish-attracting action on its retrieve. You will get more bites without wire but you will also need deep pockets as well.

Rods, reels and lures are all essential but using your brain and sounder is the most important factor when jigging for Spanish mackerel. The ocean is a very big place so doesn’t just pull up to your favourite mackerel spot and start jigging. Look for concentrations of bait on

your sounder because where you will find the bait is where you will find the fish.

If mackerel are present with the bait then the signs are even better. This is where having a good sounder is essential and will really improve your chances of jigging up a big Spaniard. Likewise, if you begin jigging on bait and you catch other species such as queenfish don’t be put off, as big Spanish mack love to eat queenies as well.

There are plenty of spots around Bowen that are ideal for jigging up a big Spaniard and hot spots include Abbot Point, Holbourne Island and the Outer Mackerel Patches. There will also be the smaller mackerel in these spots as well and they can also be taken using the same techniques.

Mackerel won’t be the only pelagic on the rampage around Bowen waters, as the long tail tuna will also be in good numbers. Once again as the clear water pushes in from outside, the bay will become full of these thrashing balls of fun.

Casting metal slugs and plastics into feeding fish is the best way to snare these fish. If you are fishing plastics make sure you give the lure time to sink before retrieving it at speed. If you

are fishing metals then get those lures moving as soon as it hits the water.

While the pelagic action will be red hot, the creeks will also offer anglers lots of fun through July. The jacks and barra might not be too keen to have a go however the whiting will be in big numbers and they are great fun to target on surface. When targeting these fish it’s best to wait until the first of the run-in tide, as this is when the fish are eagerly waiting to get up onto the flats to feed. They are easy to see in shallow water and look for big long silver flashes in the water. This is the result of whiting sliding on their sides across the sand and really gives away their position. Once you have located them, all it takes is a small popper or surface walking lure retrieved at speed to get them to bite.

Next month the action will remain pretty much the same though the Spanish mackerel tend to get bigger and the smaller mackerel, such as the spotties and greys tend to run a lot harder. This will be the last month to get your pelagic fix before we see a transition back to the warmer water fishing, so make the most of it.

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One fantastic creek option in July are whiting on poppers. They hit hard and taste great.

HAWK FISHING • FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

Unwelcome underwater photo bombers

ALGAE BRANCH BUBBLES CAMERA STRAP DEADFLY FINGER HAND HULL LEAF

LINE LOG LURE MOTOR MUD NOTHING PEBBLES PLANT PROP ROCK

Name

ROOT RUBBLE SAND SEAGRASS SHOE SLEEVE TAIL TWIG WASH WEED

Address

P/Code Phone (day):

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win a Hawk Fishing cap, Hawk Fishing line, Hawk HB Lure, assorted Panther Martin lures and 3 packets of Youvella chemically sharpened hooks.

SEND ENTRIES TO:

QLD Hawk Tournament Competition PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129 QLD JUNE 2014

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winners for May were T Griffin of Bundaberg, R Cormack of Wallumbilla, P Searle of Bracken Ridge, D Dave of Bald Hills, D Miller of Moorooka and A Bradfield of Goonellabah, who each an Ecogear lure and accessory pack valued at $125.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

FIND THE SPECIALTY FISHING FISH WINNERS The Find the specialtyfishing.com.au logo prize winners for May were G Le Noel of Birkdale, B Newton of Trinity Beach, L Green of Kairi, S Bainbridge of Brendale, H Ingham of Upper Mt Gravatt, L Nipperness of Victoria Point, J Paul of Inverell, J Bianchi of Springsure, R Waters of Temora, N Thomas of Gatton, J Hollister of Birkdale, J Wilson of Nanango, R Dowden of Goondiwindi, K Martin of Dalby, S Theofanes of Home Hill, B McGuana of Gympie, A Heidke of Windermere, D Stewart of Hermit Park, J Renton of Browns Plains, L MacNellie of Greenbank, W Glynn of Upper Coomera, R Chapman of south Gladstone, B Grant of Atherton, G Watter of Ripley, P Symonds of Kallangur, B Drummond of Mt Warren Park, G Poole of Tweed Head South, D McLean of Shailer Park, N Perry of Tugun, T Hubner of Taunton, R Hilton of Goondiwindi, A Coles of Malanda, G Englart of Blackriver, J Higgins of Bracken Ridge, M Sempf of Palmwoods, J Miller of Moorooka, M Osborne of Alexandra Hills, J Paech of Westbrook, J Buddle of Torquay, E Heathwood of Forsayth, who each won a packet of Hot Shotz pre-rig.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

FIND THE SPECIALTY FISHING MAY LOCATIONS

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The answers to Find the specialtyfishing.com.au for May were: 10, 16, 20, 24, 36, 38, 41, 44, 58, 61, 69, 75, 91, 93, and 106. – QFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to Kane Daly of Blackbutt, who was last month’s winner of the Hawk Tournament Finda-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive Hawk Tournament Tested Bayer Perlon IGFA line, assorted Panther Martin lures, Youvella hooks and a keyring. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM 3

• DECEMBER 2010

JULY 2014

49

Head north for fishing workout AYR

Steve Farmer

Keen Gympie fishermen Phil Morsch and his son Brad covered nearly all fishing options when they visited the Burdekin district recently.

Phil and fishing mate Russell McAuliffe have made four trips north over the last few years

to team up with Russell’s cousin, Burdekin angler Steve McAuliffe. This time Russell couldn’t make the trip so Brad stepped in to take his place. Steve has a hut at Plantation Creek, which was to be their base for their week-long visit.

The father and son team are mad-keen anglers who were just itching to hit the water as soon as they rolled into town.

First option was a little estuary luring from Steve’s tinnie. Fishing Plantation Creek (Steve’s backyard) the trio peppered the snag-lined banks with a variety of hardbody lures, scoring mainly hard-hitting mangrove jack. Steve said their short luring session notched up half a dozen jacks with a number of the better fish up around the 45cm mark.

Red emperor to 7kg were a highlight of the bluewater fishing for the Gympie visitors.

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Of course, barra were also on the target list and for those they fished similar territory, but with live baits. Steve said that they hooked a number of good fish but each time the barra threw the hook before they got it anywhere near the boat. ‘Bad luck brought by the southerners’ is the way Steve explained his inability to produce any of the prized sportfish for his visitors.

With a no-show on the barra the visitors turned to a species they were more familiar with – flathead.

They tend to specialise on lizards in the coastal waters near Gympie and now it was their turn to teach Steve a thing or two.

The first bit of wisdom they imparted was that you should always have a Z-Man shrimp soft plastic in your tackle box. The visitors fitted Steve out with one and on his very first cast he nailed a flathead.

Steve said that working the prawn imitations was dead simple – they just cast and slowly retrieved them across the bottom.

The trio were fishing a stretch of beach near the mouth of Plantation and managed to land six lizards in a variety of sizes, including a monster more than 70cm long taken

by Phil. Phil and Brad explained that if they caught four or five smaller male flathead in an area, they could often count on a large female if they persisted.

With the estuary and beach options ticked off, a break in the weather gave the visitors a chance to sample a bit of bluewater action. They swapped the tinnie for Steve’s reef boat and were soon heading for the shoals.

Their first stop was on Morinda Shoals where they accounted for ten coral trout to around 3.5kg, a similar number of sweetlip and a large gold spot cod, which started the upperbody workout for Phil.

From there they moved to one of Steve’s secret spots and managed to land three red emperor to about 7kg as well as a swag of big Chinaman that ensured they were feeling muscles where they didn’t even know they had muscles!

Steve said the sharks then moved in, taking mainly emperor and leaving the anglers to painfully battle the Chinaman all the way to the boat.

Not keen on wasting quality emperor on sharks, Steve called for a move and they rocketed into Bowling Green Bay in search of grunter. Now while the grunter were as scarce as

Phil Morsch used a Z-Man prawn lure worked across the bottom to fool this flathead. hen’s teeth they did find catfish! And big ones at that. Around 10kg of the ugliest, slimiest, most stubborn fish you could wish to tangle with.

As cattie after cattie scoffed their baits and had to be fought back to the boat the complaints from the southerners about aching arms increased.

Steve told them they had better do a bit of weight training before they come north again and suggested he might put a small container of cement powder on board so they could take a teaspoon and harden up.

Chances are they signed up for gym membership as soon as they got home in preparation for their next Burdekin visit.

THE MONTH AHEAD July should be a fairly steady month for Burdekin anglers, with the winter species now well entrenched.

In the estuaries the good old whiting, bream and flathead will be the mainstays, with most creeks and beaches being a fair bet for these popular species.

This is a great time of the

year to take kids fishing, especially if it’s for the first time. Whiting and bream are kid-friendly and relatively prolific, ensuring plenty of action to keep the billy lids interested.

The cool weather is also ideal for a comfortable day on the beach or water, but don’t forget the slip, slop, slap routine.

Lots of blue water fishers will be gunning for Spanish mackerel at this time of the year and they shouldn’t be disappointed.

The smaller mackerel as well as cobia, queenfish and trevally are also likely to make an appearance on the shoals and around rocky inshore waters, such as Cape Upstart and Camp Island.

July can produce some of that glorious calm, clear weather that open water boaties live for. However, heavy fogs are also a possibility this month so if you hit a pea-souper on your early morning run out to the shoals then slow down and take care. It may also be helpful if you can find your way home in these sorts of conditions.

This gold spot cod came from Morinda Shoals.

Better the storm you know BRISBANE

The Sheik of the Creek

There’s something about good fishing weather that scares the hell out of me.

We’ve had a bit of calm stuff recently and I’ve been so suspicious I haven’t even bothered to get the boat out of the shed. In fact I’ve been more suspicious than something that is very, very suspicious. It’s like when that good looking girl winked at you during the Grade 10 dance and you waved back at her only to find she was interested in the pretty boy behind you.

And she saw you do it. As did her friends. And your friends. Although of course your friends felt for your embarrassment and never mentioned it in front of you in case you felt awkward.

No, wait a minute. I’m sorry what? Can you imagine any Grade 10 boy in the entire history of the world not getting a massive sledge from his mates if that happened?

Ten, twenty, even fifty years ago you would have copped some stick for that. I’ll bet even Grok the Caveteenager at the cave’s annual ‘Bashem-over-the-head-to-show-

em-you-like-em’ blue light soiree would have caught some flack (Grok’s best pick up line? “Come over here baby and join the club.”

Smoooooth that Grok.)

What I’m saying is that sometimes things look so good you don’t trust they’re as good as they appear to be. And he (or she) who hesitates is lost. If you don’t take advantage of that window of opportunity you could miss some of the best fishing days going around.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have missed the boat. There’s that awkward period where you don’t quite trust your new boat to take you back as successfully as it took you out. There’s that little sliver of doubt that makes it impossible to relax. So you settle for some DVDs instead.

Or in my case, you take your reels apart and service them.

Notice that I said, ‘take them apart and service them’ but didn’t say ‘take them apart and service them and then put them back together so that there aren’t any spare bits left in the tupperware container or on the floor.’

It’s a great feeling to get everything back where you thought it was supposed

to go and find that while the spool floats like it’s on air, the spool is actually on back to front. Also the drag doesn’t work, the handle falls off when you wind it, and the ratchet is constantly on whether you’re casting or winding. Sometimes even when the reel is sitting on the bench.

Other worthwhile things that you can do instead of taking the boat out in the best weather since the ancient mariner killed an albatross, include checking the switches on the dashboard (only half of them worked before you cleaned them. Now only one works, and it’s the switch that makes the obsolete piece of equipment e.g. sandwich maker turn on).

Also it’s a good time to put new GPS marks in (you wipe the memory card), check the boat trailer electrics (the brake light now comes on when you put the left blinker on, and nothing else works), and clean your rods (you break the tip off your expensive graphite rod, meanwhile you bend the old workhorse rod that Uncle Kev gave you for Christmas in 1850 into a figure eight, drive over it with a header and put it

through a thermomix and it still stays in one piece).

Basically, by the time you get through a whole day of not fishing because you don’t trust the weather you

realise if you’d taken the boat out you would have saved enough money to buy a new boat even if you did lose the old one. But hey, that’s boating for you. It’s

not for the faint-hearted. Or the rich. And if you were rich when you started, well you won’t stay that way for long. Why do you think Greg Norman sold his?

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51

11/12/13 4:01 PM

July is in, jumpers are on!

TOWNSVILLE

Karim DeRidder

The mild start to winter has had local anglers scratching their heads, puzzled at the lack of the normal cold snaps which usually supply our region with the usual winter species in good numbers.

Hopefully by the time you read this we’ve had more cold snaps, causing the winter species to show up in big numbers.

Local creeks have still been producing solid numbers of barra and jacks, with the schooling mentality usually associated with winter barra only just kicking off.

Winter is as good a time

as any for targeting those monster barra, with local anglers finding clusters of these in our local Cleveland and Bowling Green Bay, and associated rivers and creeks.

Relentless winds haven’t seen too many reports coming back from the reef and beyond.

Reports from bigger boats, able to take on the 15-25s comfortably, have said that trout and red-throat emperor have been in good numbers in the shallower areas with a good rubble bottom and scattered bommies.

Around Magnetic island and Cleveland Bay, reports are still steady with good sessions producing schoolsized Spanish mackerel to 10kg. Smatterings of

20kg+ fish are also being whispered about. More reports of these bigger fish should become frequent throughout this month, so keep an ear out.

The usual bycatch when mack fishing, namely tuna and GTs, have also been keeping arms stretched between Spaniards.

Trolling has been getting the best results, with throwing metals around the pylons in the shipping channel another viable option, particularly for smaller vessels.

Further afield the shoals have been producing Spanish mackerel, tuna and better numbers of billfish.

Bait congregations at the 30m mark have been the key, with focus on pressured

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bait balls often ‘columned’ in appearance by marauding marlin. Methods producing recently have been teasing and switching with live baits or simply trolling rigged small baits or small skirted lures such as Pakulas. With the fish being small early on, keep the hook size down to maintain better hook-ups, and stick to circle hooks where possible rather than the standard J design. This will make the fish easier to unhook, and increase their chances of survival.

Be prepared for the odd large sailfish to jump on, so don’t go too under gunned if you can help it!

One of the benefits of trolling around the 30m mark is uncovering of some fantastic red grounds.

Keep your eyes pealed for isolated lumps, as a drift on these are likely to produce good size red emperor or large-mouth nannygai (saddletail snapper). Fresh strip baits of tuna or mackerel or even live baits are definitely the choice for these bottom dwellers.

ROCK AND ESTUARY Back inshore, with our winter now apparently underway, better numbers

Ethan Farrell with a juvenile black marlin on 4lb braid and light spin tackle.

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Chris Katsaros with a jigged up red emperor.

of whiting, flathead and bream should keep those bread-and-butter anglers happy. The casino rock wall and Lakes area around Castletown are solid breaming locations, with the northern beaches being the pick when targeting flathead and whiting.

If the lure of monster barramundi is still too strong, have a sound around in systems like the Haughton, Crocodile and not to forget the Bohle River for congregated schools of barramundi.

Equipment such as the

Solid jacks are on the hit list. This specimen was caught by Ethan Farrell on surface.

If you see this on your Humminbird, you’re in the right area. Now get the bite!

Humminbird Sidescan units are top shelf, with schools quite easy to find.

While you’re fishing for barra, be prepared for winter runs of blue salmon.

These fish are usually in better numbers through winter, and I have been told they are good on the BBQ fresh after a day of fishing, along with a suitable amber beverage of course!

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Lucinda’s sports fishing heaven delivers LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

Slowly creeping closer to the pylons, my eyes never left the sounder as clear white streaks filled the screen. The sidescan was revealing a thick school of fish sitting about 5m off the structure and 7m down (I love technology!)

A quick flick and the 5” Z-Man StreakZ was slowly drifting through the water column. As it settled on the bottom, a rip of the rod and some quick winds had it on its way to meet its destiny. Sure enough, smack – I was on!

It is no secret that Lucinda is close to sportfishing heaven in the cooler months of the year, and coming into July the mackerel, queenfish and GTs are in full feeding mode. For those anglers who have the need for speed, now is the time to hit the water and hang on!

HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL Crystal clear water and

plenty of bait is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to fishing the channel. It is quite easy to get bait, especially herring and gar, but finding feeding fish to throw them at can be quite difficult.

It is now a game of patience with the barra; plenty of hours and smart thinking is needed to bring home a few for a feed.

They are still there but as I have written before you really want to pick your times of day and tides carefully to give yourself the best chance.

Think warmer water and colour changes (variations) with good baitfish in attendance. I do a lot more slow trolling in the cold for barra and believe that if you hit them on the head for long enough they will eventually swipe at a lure.

Both the king threadfin salmon and blue salmon show up in better numbers in July, and they can be caught in huge numbers if you’re lucky enough to be in the right spot. The blue salmon will use big

incoming tides to push up creeks, feeding along the way. Oh, the fun of watching dozens of salmon chasing your offering in a feeding frenzy that would do a pack of GTs proud!

For those anglers fishing with bait, any creek entrance mixed with live or fresh herring or prawns should see you in with a good shot. Blue salmon can sometimes suffer from worms in the flesh but if eaten fresh they are generally pretty good (they don’t freeze well).

King threadfin are more difficult to find consistently but they tend to hang more in the actual channel and on the edges of sand banks that they will feed over. Quality electronics will help you to find them. Threadfin will eat most bait, alive and dead, and love to smash lures, plastics and vibes. They are spectacular eating and most locals rate them better then barra.

Golden snapper (fingermark) are also about, and fishing live

Slow trolling for barra is worth the time and effort.

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herring on a dark moon night with neap tides will have some rods bending.

These fish can be found holding in creek holes and snags during winter so keep in mind any snags that are sitting in deep water near creek mouths. Golden snapper love Gulps, so if you have not given them a go now is the time.

Bread and butter fishing for the bream and whiting using peeled prawns or pumped yabbies is a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

There’s no need to launch a boat, just walk the sand banks or travel to Taylors Beach and have a flick.

This is simple fishing that is family friendly. The humble flathead will get into the action over the coming months as well, and beer-battered flathead fillets are amazing.

JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF Due to persistent

winds over winter there is not much to report from the reef. Weather windows have been very short, but it’s something we just have to accept as normal at this time of year.

Those boats that have managed to get out have found mackerel in great numbers. The Palm Islands, shoals and reef points have plenty of Spaniards about, and they are feeding up and getting ready to spawn. Spotties are being caught on the rocky points and bays off Hinchinbrook and there have been captures off the fishing jetty and in the channel.

Nannygai are always about as well, and there are some thumpers hanging about out in the shipping lane for those with good marks. A few trout are also being caught around the Palm islands.

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The sugar loader jetty is the place to be for sportfishing nuts like me. The queenfish are stacked up and hungry, and if the weather allows it can provide hours of entertainment. I recently was lucky enough to get Scotty Hillier and some boys from BCF out for a jetty session for his show Creek to Coast, and we got some great footage of queenies doing their thing with double hooks-ups and line-burning, jumping fish. By far the stand-out queenie catchers have been the Z-Man StreakZ and the Berkley Ripple Shads. When rigged on a 1/2oz-3/4oz jighead and worked quickly, both these plastics have been getting smashed. I just wish I had a way of retrieving my gear after getting smoked through the pylons! It’s expensive fishing at times but so very addictive!

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55

A better class of barra HINCHINBROOK

Ryan Moody www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

One thing’s for sure, I don’t mind this warm winter. With nice, moderate water temps the barra have been fishing well, and our clients have been catching many over 90cm while hand casting lures in the shallows. This is some of the best lurecasting I have seen in a very long while, and having big fish smash a lure at your feet is really something else. This action should continue right through the winter if my

predictions are right.

The Spanish mackerel and northern bluefin tuna have been thick inside the top end of the channel, and it’s no wonder with the amount of baitfish. Herring and small gar are in plague proportions and it’s the most amazing sight watching monster Spaniards getting airborne right next to your boat. Spaniards have been in big numbers out wide, particularly on the making tides. These fish all around the 6-8kg mark but they should be as big as 15kg by the time their October spawning run arrives. Hinchinbrook offers so much for the small boat

Richard Kong with a tasty king threadfin salmon.

angler to go rub shoulders with big Spannies.

Golden trevally have been seen on the flats around Gould Island, so that’s not a bad option for flyfishers.

There have also been some milkfish up around the 3-4kg mark on the sand spits in the same vicinity. Giant herring, queenfish, GTs and permit are also seen off the sand spits at different times.

There have been some outstanding offshore captures of late, with many good reports coming from the reefs. Anglers have been getting good trout and sweetlip in the day and plenty of red emperor reports from the deeper reefs at night.

It’s actually been the best reef fishing I have heard about in a long time.

The waters a little closer in have been doing well at night too, with reports from the headlands of black jew around the 90cm and big grunter. Big live greenbacks and squid are the best baits. An hour either side of the tides is usually the best bite period so make sure you are fishing by these times.

You can also run into some stud golden snapper (fingermark) during the night hours. All of the inner islands around the Family group to the north have good golden

Jordy was stoked with this 98cm barramundi. snapper and even black jew in certain areas. Look for the deeper drop-offs that run out from the islands. These areas are also well known for big Spaniards and GTs. You can access the Family group from either Cardwell or at Hull heads to the east of Tully.

I expect July to be a cracker month because when we have warm winter we have good fishing, and so far it’s been great. We’ve been getting nice barra, and we have also seen a return of the king threadfin salmon so it’s shaping up for a good fish or two. If you have never

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Apart from some more hot action on the threadies I think you will also find plenty of their smaller cousins, the blue salmon, coming on the chew.

Blues become plentiful during the cooler months and are easily taken jigging vibes and plastics in the deeper holes.

You can find clouds of them on your sounder out in the main channel as well as up some of the larger creeks on

the sharper bends, but mainly on the smaller tides. The larger tides send them foraging on the flats and they can be taken live baiting or lure casting in the shallow, dirty water stains.

Blue salmon don’t freeze too well, but when they’re fresh they taste as good as king threadfin.

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A good start to the mackerel season offshore CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

A windy winter looks to be on the cards, if the start is anything to go by. The good news is that when the winds have backed off enough for boats to venture out, mackerel have been around in good numbers.

July is typified by extended periods of fresh to frightening southeasters, so when you get a chance to get out into the bluewater, make the most of it. The reality is that most angling will be done in the estuaries this month, unless we get a repeat of 2009 when there was a prolonged run of awesome weather. What we

don’t want is a repeat of last year’s howling conditions!

When the wind allows, it won’t be only the mackerel on the chew; large-mouth nannygai and red emperor should also be turning it on in the deep water. Scoring bag limits of these species is not uncommon in July.

PELAGICS Mackerel will be the main target this month, and reaching the mackerel grounds is a bit easier than getting to the reef so the chances of scoring a trip are also better. Spanish, doggy and spotted mackerel have all been around early in the season, so it’s shaping up to be a bumper mackerel year. The southeasters are usually lighter and more southerly early in the morning, making it more

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viable to sneak out just before or on daylight and get in a couple of hours’ fishing before the winds get menacing again. The likes of the Russell and High islands to the south, the Cairns Inlet leads, off False Cape, Little Fitzroy Island, Double Island and the close wrecks are all possibilities for a lightening raid early in the morning.

The old faithful floating rig with a pilchard down about 3m, will generally do the job when the mackerel are on the chew. However, if they are a little more picky you may need to refine your plan of attack.

Spanish mackerel can be fairly finicky at times but trolling is probably the best all-round approach for chasing these silver bullets. Deploying a trolled gar and hard-bodied lures with a good action at slow speed is a reliable broad brush approach. If you have the gar near the surface, combine it with a deep diving lure or vice versa. Wolf herring, hairtail, mullet, pike, baby barracuda, small bonito, scad, pilchards and grinner all make great trolling baits as well.

Most Spaniards will be in the 6-10kg range but if you are targeting a trophy fish, live baits like fusilier, hussar, pike, mullet, gar and any small trevally will see you in with a better chance.

Super slow trolling live baits is absolute dynamite on Spaniards. The old saying “you can catch elephants with peanuts” certainly applies to Spanish mackerel. Some of the best Spaniard fishing I have experienced has been when trolling live sardines less than 15cm long. Hook the sardine or mud herring using a towing hook in the clear gristle in front of the eye, and have a trailing hook swinging free, level with the tail. Anchoring the trailing hook through the body or

Spanish mackerel like this beauty can be finicky at times but trolling is probably the best all-round approach for chasing these silver bullets. tail of the sardine restricts its movement too much and it cannot remain swimming upright for very long. With just a single tow hook in the bait, it can swim enticingly for a considerable period, provided the boat speed is below walking pace.

Doggie mackerel should be around in good numbers close inshore, and while the old faithful pillie will do the job there is nothing better than live sardines or mud herring.

Doggies respond well to berley, so if they are scattered you’ll find that a good berley trail will bring them to your boat more consistently.

Mackerel won’t be the only pelagics around this month. Cobia, cracking GTs, yellowfin tuna and the odd early baby black marlin can all appear on the radar. All up, July is a great month for the light gear sportfisher when the weather gods cooperate.

REEFS The reef fishing can be awesome in July and it’s a matter of clearing the schedule to take advantage of any drop in the wind.

Often the calm periods will be short lived, as one high pressure fades away before being replaced by yet another. The most frustrating part is these flat periods seldom align with weekends, so they can only be taken advantage of by anglers lucky enough to have flexible work conditions. The deep water is the go, with overnighters the best option, although they’re not the only way to tag a red. Red emperor and large-mouth nannygai to 10kg are not uncommon and they are often found schooling so be ready for a real workout if you strike them on the chew.

RIVER AND ESTUARY The back-to-earth reality of July is that most times the only fishable

locations are tucked away up a small mangrove creek, out of the howling winds.

If this is where you find yourself there will still be plenty on offer, with giant trevally, golden trevally and big queenfish for the thrill seekers, while bream, grunter, flathead and cod will be around for those chasing a feed. The rising tide will generally be more productive. If the water is filthy near the mouth due to the rough seas, try a little further upstream.

There will still be the odd barra, jack and fingermark around for those willing to put in the time and effort. Fishing in heavy cover with live prawns or small baitfish will be the best approach, along with a good dose of patience.

Those prepared to put in the hard yards can also turn up a feed of mud crabs. Here’s hoping for a balmy July to make up for the miserable start to winter!

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Fish kick into gear as new chapter begins PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer

The tail of the wet season definitely lingered this year, encroaching on the start of the dry season and bringing with it fresh winds and associated rain squalls on quite a few days.

The upside to all this was that the currents started running north and the water temperatures on the ocean dropped quickly, igniting the reef and mackerel species into gear.

Our winter days are best spent on the reef for guaranteed fish action when the southeasterly trade winds allow. In recent times we’ve seen the largemouth nannygai really start to gather momentum, and substantial hauls of quality big reds have been common fare. When these fish are on the chew there’s generally a swag of other species in tow, and at times we’ve also seen serious action on the red emperor, spangled emperor (yellow sweetlip), gold-spot trevally and quite a few decent big reef mangrove jack.

Actually, the reef mangrove jack have been competing with the Spanish mackerel for floating rigs with a pilchard or a live bait attached. The

The Spanish mackerel have turned up in healthy numbers.

Spanish have turned up in healthy numbers.

In the shallows there’s also plenty on offer, with plenty of coral trout being caught consistently in water depths from 15-25m. There’s always a host of sweetlip, moses perch, stripeys and juvenile red emperor ready

to take baits as well. The turn of the high tide overall has been the most productive window when the fish seem to pile on in solid numbers.

Our light tackle scene is in full swing with the arrival of the Spanish mackerel along the coast, and there’s also other mackerel around

in good figures including spotted, school and shark mackerel. Coastal inshore reefs, patches and wrecks have been holding really good numbers of these fish for the small boat brigade, and the outer reefs are producing for the more adventurous. Trolling with a combined spread of hardbody diving lures and rigged garfish is a popular way of catching mackerel, and once sourced in numbers you can have tremendous success jigging for them.

Winter time is also a great time to target big GTs. Casting poppers on the outer reefs and the tides offering more run will provide more fun. You need to concentrate on the edges of the reef which have the current pushing onto the face edge. Look for bait like fusiliers on the surface being pushed up by something bigger below, and cast across the nervous water and plug the lure back. When the tides have plenty of run the trevally are generally very aggressive towards any disturbance on the surface, and will be territorial. The only exception to this rule is directly on the full moon when for some reason they go into lockjaw mode. They will approach a lure on the surface but tend to tail slap it rather than devour it.

Nice calm days with

FISHING FILL-ITS

New artificial reef for the Bay Recreational fishers will have a new place to drop their lines, with the creation of a 20 hectare artificial reef off Scarborough in the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

National Parks Minister Steve Dickson said it was part of the Government’s $50 million Marine Infrastructure Fund and would boost tourism and the local economy as promised at the election.

“This truly is a top spot for fishing, and a new artificial reef will enhance this wonderful recreational activity and tourism opportunity,” Mr Dickson said.

“We’ve dedicated $250,000 towards the project on the Western side of the bay, where local anglers said there was a real need.

“It will be made of environmentally suitable, stable and long lasting materials, and support a variety of activities from spear fishing to game fishing.”

Mr Dickson made the announcement after the Government decided not

to proceed with a proposal to allow limited recreational fishing in the existing Scotts Point ‘green zone’ area.

“Under the proposal, single-line recreational fishing would have been allowed from the shoreline,” he said.

“We began seeking feedback from the community and asked the local MP to continue this consultation.

“However the proposal was not supported by Yvette D’Ath and therefore won’t proceed.

“Anglers told us there was a chance to create a top class fishing spot that would bring people to the area and build the local industry.

“This new announcement assures recreational fishers that while the local member may have forgotten them, we haven’t.

“700,000 recreational fishers across the state generate in the vicinity of $450 million in economic activity annually to the economy and we are excited to give them this new opportunity.”

Mr Dickson said the reef would be named after former Sunfish Moreton Branch

chairman Bill Turner.

“Mr Turner lobbied to have an artificial reef in the area for 24 years, and it’s wonderful to see his legacy continued with the creation of Turner Reef,” he said.

Sunfish Queensland Executive Officer Judy Lynne said recreational fishers from Redcliffe and Moreton Bay welcomed the new reef.

“Bill led the campaign for this reef for more than 20 years, and this is a well-deserved memorial for someone who has done so much for recreational fishing in Redcliffe and in particular for disabled access for recreational fishers,” Ms Lynne said.

“Recreational fishing tourism is a very important social and economic contributor to local and state economies, and it’s great to see this activity further improved.”

Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland also applauded the move.

“Most of the reefs are on the Southern or Eastern side, so this new artificial reef is a common-sense approach which will improve safety

by allowing anglers to be closer to refuges and boat ramps,” Mr Sutherland said.

“The reef will be a fitting tribute to someone that virtually dedicated his life to recreational fishing on behalf of all Queenslanders.”

Mr Dickson said there were no current plans to change any other green zone boundaries. – Minister for National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing

good visibility will always enhance your ability to notice those current lines hitting the pressure points of reefs, and make spotting bait schools a lot easier. Our average GT size is around 15kg but there are always a few big brutes that will exceed the 25kg mark. Your gear has to be supreme to tame these thugs of the sea.

RIVERS AND CREEKS Closer to home our rivers and creeks are probably at their least productive for some of our prime targeted species. However, a change in tactics with some persistence will produce the goods. Live prawns or small lures are good for barra. The mangrove jack will also hit small lures but simply love a lightly weighted half pilchard or strip of mullet. The golden

snapper (fingermark) will always have a strike at a juicy live sardine or small squid dangled in front of their nose.

On the other hand there are plenty of species relish the cooler conditions and there’s normally a good supply of mid-sized giant trevally and queenfish around, plus your bream, flathead, estuary cod and grunter are always opportunistic. Days that are cold, windy, dull and overcast will be tough. Those days with a bit of bright sunshine seem to put the fish in a better mood.

In saying all this, our most genuine action will occur on the Great Barrier Reef and it’s something to really look forward to if you can strike one of those picture postcard days.

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Headlands turn it on COOKTOWN

Nick Stock

During the winter months the sleepy fishing town of Cooktown turns into

a Mecca for grey nomads looking to escape the miserable winters in the southern parts of Australia. At this time of year we usually see spectacular blue skies

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and great temperatures of around 27°C during the day and 14ºC overnight.

Are you thinking all this sounds too good to be true? You’re right. There is one downside, and that’s the 20+ knot trade winds that usually blow for the next five months!

While the trade winds can limit the amount of suitable offshore fishing days, the rivers and headlands are now in full pelagic action with gin-clear water and baitfish holding on literally every bit of decent structure throughout the rivers and bays.

Wi n t e r fishing around the headlands off Cooktown is one of the most enjoyable types of fishing that I have done.

The amount of species that frequent the Endeavour and Annan systems during the winter month is endless, and the fishing can be world class if you go about it properly. Light tackle under 10lb is the go during the cooler months as the water clarity is exceptional.

Like pretty much every decent northern Australian waterway, you can run into freakish river-sized GTs of around 25kg so tourists tend to fish way over the top in regards to the size of their gear. The reality is that your hook-up rates (and ultimately your catch rates) will dramatically increase once you scale down your gear to a good quality 2000-3000 sized spin reel with 10lb braid and 20lb fluorocarbon leader and a nice 7’0” 4 kg rod.

A majority of the pelagic action can be found around the numerous creek mouths and flats. The first 2km of both the Endeavour and Annan rivers are a prime example of the aforementioned habitats that are suited to this style of fishing. While there are countless lure options that could be used, a good place to start would be: a handful

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Permit, snub-nosed dart, oyster crackers… no matter what you call them they’re a prize catch. of the smallest Zerek Prawns; a range of 70mm Squidgy Fish in killer tomato, drop bear and gold; a selection of thin profile poppers like the original timber Lively Lure 90mm popper and a selection of non-rattling hardbody lures around 50-75mm.

Countless species can be encountered, the most common of which are queenfish, GTs, golden trevally, giant herring, milkfish, diamond trevally and permit. Golden snapper (fingermark), flathead, grunter, jacks and of

course barra make up a pleasant bycatch.

The month ahead will see some great barra action turning on in Lakefield National Park. The middle and top end of the National Park are fishing well with plenty of 700-850mm fish being taken. Kennedy Bend and the bottom of Leichardt Lagoon have been producing some good fish and often more than one good sized fish will come off the one snag. Please only take what you need for a feed, and if the barra are brown or bronze coloured,

let them live another day.

Those anglers who put the effort into Bathurst Heads can be rewarded with the chance to tangle with genuine 50lb wild barra from the rocks. However, only 1 fish in 10 is landed here. Be prepared to lose mega amounts of lures when fishing land-based.

Until next month stay safe on the water and be sure to check out the range of handmade timber barra lures I make. Check us out and hit the Like button on Facebook by searching Twin River Lures.

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Thaw out in the north CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly aggott88@gmail.com

Travelling the Cape in July is a pleasurable experience and perhaps the best time for southerners to appreciate the full potential of the tropics.

What would you rather do: suffer the cold weather of a south Queensland winter or experience hungry fish biting their heads off in warm tropical weather?

It’s more than enough reason to jump in your 4WD with a few mates for a northern sojourn.

And while we are asking questions, what is the best way to clear the cobwebs off your favourite tackle?

The answer is simple: head out in July, search for birds and baitfish and then toss or tow your favourite flashy imitations at tuna, trevally, mackerel and queenfish.

Some nice oysters gathered on a remote island rocky foreshore.

Various species of trevally will be kicking around this month.

A small Spanish mackerel caught on light gear next to a reef edge.

The many shoals, reefs and current lines littering the coastline of Cape York are full of all these silvery speedsters.

For the uninitiated Spanish mackerel angler, catching one of these fish can be the most exhilarating experience possible. They are big, they are fast, they are relatively plentiful and they taste absolutely delicious if bled, chilled and filleted correctly.

If you want to catch a mackerel, find a shoal or reef edge with a little current running past or pushing

up against it and baitfish hanging around. There are too many techniques to discuss in one report, but trolling a few large bibbed minnows somewhere between 4-8 knots in the wash is as good a way as any to get your rod bent.

One of the most predictable fish to catch during the early mornings and late afternoons in July is the queenfish. You’ll find schools blitzing baitfish of every shape and size. I have cast tiny silver slugs to 20cm queenies feeding in a creek mouth current line in July and I have cast 15cm poppers to marauding metre-long models kilometres upstream.

Queenies aren’t given much credit for their eating qualities, but after years spent catching them I can vouch for a few cooking methods which appeal to some fishos. Besides just eating the skinless, boned-out fillets dusted in

crumbs or flour and fried, there are various ways to prepare ‘nummus’, which is fish cooked in vinegar or acidic juice such as lemon or lime juice. Using firm, fresh queenfish or trevally fillets sliced thinly is perfect.

If you find yourself at the river mouth of a large west coast river at this time of year as a high tide begins to recede, it is more than likely a few species of trevally will be kicking around the sand bars, gutters and current lines. These trevally come in many shapes and sizes, including golden, giant, diamond, fringe finned, Papuan and turrum. They are often found swimming side by side with similar species such as permit.

Another fish which can light up a fishing session close to shore, roving around in packs of similar sized fish, is blue salmon. They are voracious feeders and, like queenfish, they demonstrate predatory vigour all the way

from juveniles to adults that push a metre in length and go like the clappers!

What July lacks in terms of warm water and rewarding barramundi fishing, it can well and truly make up for in variety. Anglers who love casting soft plastics, flies, jigs and slices around will be well rewarded in the clear, fish-filled shallow waters of Cape York.

Sadly, some anglers cannot push past the need to go barra fishing when they are in the far north and can sometimes leave the Cape a little disheartened after a trip in July. If you want a northern trip to remember, try to keep your expectations realistic and fish for the species that are really on the chew.

Having said that, many a wily old-timer would be smirking with the thought of casting live baits into a proven deep hole and awaiting the sly gulp of a big old barra!

Waiting for weather windows to open up KARUMBA

Alan Gurney awes0me@bigpond.net.au

The change in the weather has got the Spanish mackerel going and some good fish have been caught on the northeast side of the sand island.

You can berley up for them at the drop-off or you can troll spoons and lures for them. Please stay away from anchored boats as there is plenty of room outside them.

To maximise the number of fish you land, use a wire trace and not a lot of drag. Remember that when they run, they can turn and head towards you so if you start to get slack line, wind as fast as you can. If you are going to anchor up to fish I recommend you tie the end of your anchor rope to a white crab pot float.

This will allow you to untie the anchor rope and throw

the anchor line overboard to chase the fish. When you have it on board then you can go back and tie up to the same spot. This simple set-up makes life much easier and gives a faster chase.

Although we always get strong winds up here at this time of year, if you’re

GRUNTER AND BARRA The grunter should be up the river on the rubble patches near the power lines.

You can find the place by leaving late and looking for a group of anchored boats. I like to use a running sinker rig with mono trace to a 5/0 hook with peeled prawns or

A 1.43m fish caught on a Carpentaria Barra and Sport Fishing charter. patient there are always gaps of calm weather to go out the front without getting in trouble.

squid that has been caught in the Gulf.

I would like to congratulate Groover on

getting his client to land a barramundi that measured 1.43m. He has been absolutely awesome and while not every day is a winner he has preformed when needed. Please take advantage of his service if you can because he even cooks a mean seafood lunch.

There is only a small channel that goes near the tavern when heading north so if you anchor up there expect to see boats zooming past about 50m away. They do this as the channel is also shallow and if they come off the plane then they can bottom out.

I have seen some people use inflatable lifejackets up here. You need to check Queensland rules before putting them in the boat, as ignorance is no excuse for not having the correct safety gear.

SWEERS ISLAND This is a great place to be as the fishing is always good and sometimes red

hot. The wind certainly blows but when it drops out you can have an awesome time. This is an island that people come to visit just to get away from

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Contact Your Local Dealer Today NORTHERN NSW / GOLD COAST TWEED COAST MARINE

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Lure-loving mulloway ILUKA

Ben Pilch bjpcdh@gmail.com

Half the year has passed already and it looks like the great fishing we had in autumn has carried through into winter.

The beanies are getting some good use as the late afternoon air cools and the keener anglers start hunting around.

If chasing blackfish is more your thing, places like The Tavern, middle wall and (for land-based anglers) the old ferry should see more than a few fish frequenting these haunts.

However, for me winter is all about mulloway and tailor. This year has been a great year for the mighty Clarence river mulloway, with local lure maker and mulloway fisho Steve Patti catching more than his fair

On the tailor side of things, working the headlands with both chrome spinners and poppers will see you lock horns with some stud-sized greenback tailor in the 3kg and upward mark. The biggest greenback I have seen and weighed was 9.7kg and every year you see a couple up to the 7kg mark, so if you would like to cross a true trophy-sized tailor off the bucket list you could do a lot worse than

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306 Duffield Road Clontarf, Q. 4019 Phone: (07) 3889 3033 | Fax: (07) 3889 5390 Email: info@brismarine.com.au | Website: www.brismarine.com.au

TOOWOOMBA WATERSKIERS WAREHOUSE

91-93 Neil St Toowoomba Phone: (07) 4637 9511 | Fax: (07) 4637 9513 Email: rod@waterskierswarehouse.com.au | Website: www.waterskierswarehouse.com.au

BRIBIE ISLAND BRIBIE BOAT SALES

217 First Ave Bribie Island Phone: (07) 3408 0055 | Fax: (07) 3408 0805 Email: danny@bribieboatsales.com.au | Website: www.bribieboatsales.com.au

SUNSHINE COAST NORTHCOAST BOATING CENTRE

264 Nicklin Way Warana Phone: (07) 5493 9376 | Fax: (07) 5437 6144 Email: mail@northcoastboatingcentre.com.au | Website: www.northcoastboating.com.au

HERVEY BAY BAY CITY MARINE

82 Dayman Street Urangan Hervey Bay Phone: (07) 4128 9944 | Fax: (07) 4125 2350 Email: sales@baycitymarine.com.au | Website: www.baycitymarine.com.au

BUNDABERG ADRIANS MARINE CENTRE

28 Ritchie St Bundaberg Phone: (07) 4153 1819 | Fax: (07) 4153 1819 Email: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com | Website: www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au

ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS

Unit 11-12, 10 Dooley St, North Rockhampton Phone: (07) 4927 9150 | Fax: (07) 4921 3502 Email: rifen.boats@bigpond.com | Website: www.rifenboats.com.au

Steve Patti of Croaker Lures with a solid Clarence valley mulloway taken on a Jewie Jewel.

In the river the bream and blackfish should be showing up in quality and numbers by now. If you’re chasing bream from a boat, places like Browns Rocks or any of the walls in the lower reaches of the river should hold fish. Go to baits for them would be strip mullet or, if you have a good stomach, chook or mullet gut are both gun baits on the local Clarence valley bream population.

There is still action to be had for the lure boys and girls too at these same spots, with blades and soft plastics catching their share when worked deep around structure.

share of these big silver legends on his Croaker lure creations. If you want to get into the action, big shallow diving hardbody lures are the go-to lures in that 14-18cm mark.

Rod-wise, you should go for anything from 10-12ft teamed up with a 5000 or bigger sized reel running 30-50lb line and a leader of 60lb or more depending on the terrain you’re fishing.

If bait is more your thing, putting a double snelled pair of 9/0s in a live mullet and swimming it off one of the walls could also see you hooked up to a few good-sized Clarence valley mulloway.

throwing your lures seaward around the Clarence valley.

My weapon of choice, depending on conditions, is either a Halco Roosta popper 135 or a BJP stickbait. I like the Halco on rougher days and the BJP on calmer days; both have caught me good quality fish in the past.

Outside, the snapper have been going well with plenty of pan-sized fish to be had – and who doesn’t like a feed of fresh snapper?

At this time of year we usually see the bass coming down to spawn. It’s closed season for them until September 1 so don’t forget to put them back.

MACKAY SUGAR CITY MARINE

11 Victoria Street Mackay Phone: (07) 4951 4711 | Fax: (07) 4957 6034 Email: goboating@sugarcitymarine.com.au | Website: www.sugarcitymarine.com.au

YEPPOON SEABREEZE MARINE

150 Scenic Hwy Yeppoon Phone: (07) 4933 6366 | Fax: (07) 4933 7590 Email: info@seabreezemarine.com.au | Website: www.seabreezemarine.com.au

WHITSUNDAY CANNONVALE WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE

1 William Murray Dr Cannonvale Phone: (07) 4946 7286 | Fax: (07) 4946 7848 Email: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

BOWEN REIBEL MARINE

34 Don St Bowen Phone: (07) 4786 2944 | Fax: (07) 4786 6606 Email: remarine@bigpond.net.au

INGHAM J&B MARINE

79 Herbert St, Ingham Phone: (07) 4776 1188 | Fax: (07) 4776 1288 Email: jbmarine@bigpond.com | Website: www.jandbmarine.com

INNISFAIL COASTAL MARINE & OUTDOORS

178 Edith Street Innisfail Phone: (07) 4061 8272 | Fax: (07) 4061 7718 Email: joel@coastalmarine.com.au | Website: www.coastalmarine.com.au

Emma Jordan with her first ever flathead.

JULY 2014

63

Winter species switch on BALLINA

Tristan Sloan

I recently had one of those fishing sessions that remind me why I love this sport so much. I only had a couple of hours up my sleeve so I wandered down to Flatrock headland intending to cut some cunje and fish the low tide change for bream and drummer. It had been a long and tough week and I really needed to scratch the fishing itch.

My plan was immediately abandoned when I arrived and saw a flock of seagulls and terns dive bombing several schools of baitfish pushed

up hard against the southern side of the headland. Over the next two hours the action was frantic as I threw metal slugs to big greenback tailor of 2-4kg, and in total I think I must have landed over 30 fish. Many more jumped off, including one thumper that looked close to 6kg.

In addition I did manage to briefly hook up to a big ‘something’ that peeled about 50m of 20lb braid before the hooks pulled. I have a sneaking suspicion it was a big mackerel as I saw a decent sized Spaniard come over the side of a boat that looked to be slow trolling live bait further off the headland.

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JULY 2014

particularly pleased at such an action-packed session, but I had earlier been actively trying to spin up some tailor for the smoking box of a good fishing mate without any luck. In fact, I was beginning to doubt whether the big greenbacks were going to appear at all, and my scepticism did account for my original decision to chase some bream and drummer.

I particularly like this style of fishing over the winter months and I commonly carry a ‘do it all’ outfit when I have only a few hours up my sleeve and want to maximise my chances to catch a feed of fish off the rocks. For me this outfit consists of a Penn Spinfisher V 4500 model and a 10ft 5-9kg Daiwa Aird rod. The high speed retrieve of the Spinfisher and 12kg of drag makes it an ideal tool for throwing metals for tailor, soft plastics for school mulloway and pulling drummer out of their hidey holes. The extra length and light weight of the Daiwa Aird rod makes it an efficient casting tool and a pleasure to fish with all day.

I would recommend

every angler try this style of fishing. Pick an appropriate tide on a rocky headland and plan to fish either dawn or dusk. You can bait fish the daylight hours, spin the twilight for tailor and throw lures for mulloway in the darkness. It’s a very effective technique to target multiple species. I have a feeling I am going to hook a large groper or mulloway on this outfit one day and I’m confident it will be more than a fair fight.

Expect more silver surf bream this month.

Matt Bowie with a metal-munching mackerel.

THE MONTH AHEAD As I write this the warm water is still lingering off Ballina. In fact, it has been one of the best and most productive seasons for spotted and Spanish mackerel in years. I’m not going to make any predictions as to when they will disappear as I have been wrong in my last two columns; fishing acquaintances further down the coast at Coffs Harbour and South West Rocks have mentioned the macks seem to have moved a bit further out once the water started to cool and they have been commonly catching them in 40m of water. It makes me wonder if we will still be catching them in August.

Snapper and pearl perch have been remarkably quiet on the shallow inshore reefs though nobody seems to be complaining while the mackerel are around.

A few of the keener local fishermen have also caught big mulloway on the reef off Blackhead fishing at night with live slimy mackerel and tailor. Just remember to only venture out when there is a very small swell.

The Ballina bar has claimed enough lives during the day in big seas and I would hate to think what it would be like crossing it at night in a heavy swell.

The usual winter suspects of luderick and bream have slowly started to trickle into the river as the weather has started to cool down.

It won’t be too long before the bait shops start seeing an increase in the sales of herring jigs and mullet gut as local anglers prepare to

target these bream. If you have access to a boat you can often score a good catch of bream by locating schools in mid water in the lower sections of the river and tea bagging blades on top of their heads until you get a bite. The Ecogear VX35 seems to be the most popular model, though I always end up reverting to trusty bait once I have donated a few VX35s to the fishing gods.

They aren’t cheap lures but they are effective.

Despite some decent bream making their presence felt in the river I would

flathead in the deeper water try fishing for them on the very shallow sand flats on the top of tide. Like reptiles, they like to sun themselves in the warm, shallower water.

The expected cold water in the coming months will also start affecting the great mud crab season that we have had so far this year.

I recommend placing your nets and traps further up the creeks to catch the last of that warm water.

Some larger mulloway have moved into the lower reaches of the river this month and have been making some anglers very happy. The stretch from the RSL right down to the end of the walls holds mulloway at this time of year and they are commonly caught on a large live mullet fished on the top of the tide.

I’ve noticed that more and more anglers are fishing for mulloway in the Richmond River than ever before. Please be courteous to your fellow anglers and refrain from shining your light on the water (this puts mulloway off the bite) and ensure you are an adequate distance from other anglers to allow them to fight a

Weedy sand flats are a great place to find some high tide flathead. concentrate my efforts on flathead if I was looking for a feed of fish by fishing the run-out tide with bait or lures. Flathead tend to bite a bit more aggressively on the run-out tide and can sometimes develop a serious case of lockjaw over the coming months when the incoming tide pushes the cold ocean water up the river.

If you can’t find any

fish without worrying about tangling up your line.

Bear in mind that, similar to flathead, these larger jewfish are the breeding females so while I don’t mind keeping the smaller 10kg models for a feed I always let the big girls swim free after a quick photo.

Good luck in the coming month and I look forward to seeing you on the water.

Johnson tops field at BASS Electric Major Matt Johnson (2/2, 2.59kg) has taken out the inaugural Haswing BASS Electric Major at Hinze Dam, Qld. The BASS Electric Major events are new to 2014 and offer BASS Electric anglers the chance to compete for an exclusive sponsors’ prize pool, cash prizes for the event Flow-Rite Big Bass and, to the top three anglers, paid entry into the season ending BASS Electric Convention! With 33 anglers taking up the challenge, it was a class field assembled for the first Major event at a clear and sunny Hinze Dam. Johnson started his event in the eastern arm of the dam, focussing on a location identified in an earlier pre-fish.

“I targeted an edge, fishing tight around spindly trees,” he said. “It was a

matter of weaving through sunken timber to get to the location. Once there I found good concentrations of fish and plenty of bait in the area.”

Johnstone started with a surface presentation, fishing around the trees in the area.

He didn’t get the results he was after so he switched to a jerkbait presentation, specifically the Jackall 61 Squirrel in ghost gill colour. Fishing in 4-8m of water, the change met with instant results.

“The jerkbait accounted for my bigger bass,” he said.

“My thinking was a larger presentation would get the interest of the larger fish, and that’s ultimately how it played out.”

When the bites slowed Johnson made his way out deeper, where he found bass

holding on a deeper edge.

He targeted them using a 12g Smak ice jig in green/ gold colour.

“I used an aggressive lift to get the fish to react,” he said. “I could see them holding on the sounder, it was just a matter of getting them to respond.”

The ice jig presentation accounted for all Johnson’s remaining bass. In all, he

Jackall Squirrel 61 in Ghost Gill

BASS EL E Presente CTRIC SERIES d by Has wing landed 12 bass throughout the session with eight of those meeting the legal size.

“I had a lot of confidence in the Jackall Squirrel,” Johnson explained. “I tried a variety of lures including blades, spinnerbaits and lipless with no success. In the end the key to finding and catching the bass was time and experience on the dam.”

The Gold Coast’s Matt Johnson with a winning brace of Hinze bass.

McClymont takes second

e 2nd Plac Colin McClymont (2/2, 2.30kg) took out second place at the

inaugural Haswing BASS Electric Major. McClymont further bolstered his prizes for the top finish with an additional $120 for being the top placed pro. In

WINNING NOTES

McClymont’s first full year fishing BASS Electric events it was a great result that also saw him qualify for the BASS Electric Convention in October.

“I had fished Hinze once previously,” he said. “In the

Winning Tackle Rod: 7’ BarraBass rod XSB822 Reel: Quantum Exo Line: 8lb PowerPro braid Leader: 8lb Unitika leader

Winning Edge “Time and experience on the dam helped, as well as identifying the locations that produced fish but were less pressured than the regular haunts.”

Big Bass Johnson’s bag was anchored by the event Flow-Rite Big Bass of 1.86kg, taking away a further $100 for his efforts.

Runner-up Colin McClymont scored an extra $120 for being the top placed pro, adding to the already substantial 2nd place prize pack.

pre-fish I found bass holding on the points. I decided to focus on those areas during the tournament.”

Starting at the dam wall McClymont fished four main points during the event.

Importantly, the points identified held underwater structure. The bass were holding in small groups in water between 3-8m deep.

“I used lightly weighted 3” Berkley Gulp Minnows in watermelon pearl colour rigged on a 1/16oz jighead,” Colin explained. “The retrieve was a super slow roll with the lure hitting structure. I had one good bass early fishing tight to structure. It had me around all sorts of underwater branches and nastiness. In the end I got it on board, but it took the best part of 20 minutes to extricate it from its lair! Later in the session I was able to get into some larger fish, but for the most part the remainder were undersize or short strikes.”

TOP 5 WINNERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg) Payout

1 2

3

4 5

2 2

2

2 2

2.59 Haswing motor, Pontoon 21 pack, Free entry to Convention 2.3 Engel fridge freezer, Lure Pack, $200 Haswing voucher,

Free entry to Convention 2.22 13 Fishing rod and reel, Lure Pack, $100 Haswing voucher,

Free entry to Convention 2.09 Shimano Stradic reel, Lure Pack 1.89 Shimano Curado reel, Lure Pack For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Matt Johnson Colin McClymont

Andrew Wilson

David Young Stuart France

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.abt.org.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours.

JULY 2014

65

King of the Pin Competition 2014 Another King of the Pin competition has been run and won. Our fresh new team of dedicated and hard-working members worked tirelessly for the whole weekend to make our competition the success it was. Our very own Scott Lamond from 91.7FM ABC Gold Coast was MC for the day, and he kept everyone involved and informed as the day progressed. This fresh new team will keep King of the Pin successful for many years to come, and we will be the comp to watch for in the future.

This year’s event was up in numbers, 509 to be exact, and we enjoyed better weather conditions than normal. At

least, this year the wind played the game but not the rain! This year’s comp was dominated by tailor, with some pretty impressive fish being brought to the scales. This year’s new venue was the Gem Hotel, which gave us a lot more room and made the day a lot more comfortable for everyone in attendance.

A special thanks to Mr Rodney Watt for taking the time to be our independent adjudicator again this year.

Thankfully this year his job was not too hard, as last year Sundowners set a standard and vowed to keep it up this year.

Again this year a sizable donation was given to the Beenleigh Special School who, without Sundowners’

King of the Pin is a great family fun day out on the water.

RESULTS CATEGORY King of the Pin Steve Badger (Senior) King of the Pin Jack Brehmer (Junior) CATEGORY Men’s Tailor Men’s Whiting Men’s Flathead Men’s Bream Men’s Mulloway Ladies’ Tailor Ladies’ Whiting Ladies’ Flathead Ladies’ Bream Ladies’ Mulloway Boy’s Tailor Boy’s Whiting Boy’s Flathead Boy’s Bream Boy’s Mulloway Girl’s Tailor Girl’s Whiting Girl’s Flathead Girl’s Bream

WINNER WEIGHT (KG) Steve Badger 2.790 Ben Longden 0.502 Josh Charles 2.586 Clive Gray 0.722 Mark Deyude 11.200 Lidiya Penc 0.727 Kim Eley 0.376 Lidiya Penc 1.458 Stephanie Zipf 0.662 Val Hunter 5.088 Jack Brehmer 0.994 Jack Brehmer 0.392 Nathan Huth 1.508 Jett Coe 0.672 Jay Entriken 6.3975 Jessica Hirning 0.848 Ashleigh Powell 0.346 Jessica Hirning 1.078 Madalyn Peddie 0.584

donations throughout the years, would not be able to give some of the special extras required.

Through the support of our sponsors this year we were able to increase the giveaways and random draw prize packs from 25 to over 60. Well done to everyone who managed to win something during the day, especially our unexpected dancers.

With many happy winners

Over $40,000 in total prizes

this year it was great to have 103 junior entrants, with a total of 509 anglers entering.

Thanks to everyone for participating, for your Likes on Facebook and also your feedback on the comp. We will continue to keep everyone informed of our club’s events and next year’s King of the Pin throughout the coming year.

Tell your friends about us! We are running free membership for the next 12 months for

Anyone can win at the Pin, no matter how young. those who entered King of the Pin 2014.

The 2015 comp will be held on 29-31 May. Keep your eye on our Facebook page and the Sundowners website (www.sundownersfishing. com) for all the details.

Finally, I would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters: Club Marine, Austackle, Gem Bait and Tackle, Gem Hotel, 5 Star Timbers, Almar Machinery Sales, Alvey Reels, Anaconda Everton Park, Beenleigh Goodyear, Bush and Beach, Cabbage Tree General Store, Cabbage Tree Boat Hire, Crawford Marine, Datatel, Pritchard Tipper Hire, De Bortoli Wines, Direct Hit Trenchless, Eagle

Car Wreckers, East Coast Trimming, Gold Rush Boats, Greens Marine Stainless, Klik Sinkers, Matty Saverin Plumbing, Multi Spares, Ocean Angler, Office National, Qld Fishing Monthly, Rudi Maas Marina, Southport Dive Centre, Southside Marine Trimming, Tackle Warehouse Coorparoo, Trader Tag, Jacobs Well VMR, Vulcan Steel, Water Tower Bait and Tackle, Wedderburn Scales, Yatala Landscaping, Yatala Outboard Wreckers, Jacobs Well bait and Tackle, Victoria Bait & Tackle, Webforge, Beenleigh Bowls Club, Lucky Strike Lures, Cappuccino Xpress coffee van, Charlton’s Bait and Tackle, Visy and Wilson Tackle. – Don Vogel

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2014 DATE DETAILS

CONTACT

JULY JUNE

NOV 14-16, 2014 Drifter T1

Catfish

TWO LUCKY DRAW BOATS TO GIVE AWAY! JULY

• Lucky draws • Early entry prizes • Catch, photo and release

• All fishing styles permitted • All fishing craft permitted

Lake Maroon is approximately 90 minutes from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The competition will be based at Camp Lake Fire, which has direct boat launching access. Early Entry – Senior: $30; Junior: $15 (junior must be under 14 years on November 15, 2014).

AUGUST Registrations through www.sportstuition.com.au

Jul 5-6

Toray BASS Pro Series Lake Boondooma

ABT 07 3387 0888

Jul 13

Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Series Wivenhoe Dam

ABT 07 3387 0888

July 19-20 2014 Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Bream R10

Gold Coast

Hobie Fishing www.hobiefishing.com.au

July 19-20 ABBT X-Factor Australian Teams Rd 2

Boondooma Dam

Russell Nowland 07 4167 8183

Jul 26-27

ABT 07 3387 0888

ABT BREAM Series Clarence River

AUGUST Aug 16-17 2014 Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Bream R10

Mooloolabah

Hobie Fishing www.hobiefishing.com.au

Aug 16-17 ABBT Basstasstic Bass Qualifying Rd 5

Moogerah

Russell Nowland 07 4167 8183

Aug 23-24 Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Series (Major) ABT

Moogerah Dam 07 3387 0888 Aug 31

Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BASS Series Moogerah Dam

ABT 07 3387 0888

SEPTEMBER Sep 16-17 ABT BASS Megabucks

Lake Somerset

ABT 07 3387 0888

Sep 20-21 Bowen Family Fishing Classic

Bowen

Russ McCabbin 07 4786 3899 0428 776 653

Sep 27-28 ABT BREAM Series

Gold Coast

ABT 07 3387 0888

For listings please email sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au 66

JULY 2014

43867_BFC 2014_PRESS_119x165mm_2.indd 1

12/06/14 9:58 AM

Sooty Grunter Winter League Round 2 of the MTA Sooty Grunter Winter League was held at Eungella Dam on 24-25 May, 2014. Winds had harassed the region for three weeks prior to the comp. However, the wind started to drop on Friday afternoon and by Saturday we had light easterly winds and perfect sunshine and the sooties loved it. There had not been many opportunities to pre-fish the dam other than a few sheltered bays, so the fish hadn’t seen many anglers over the previous few weeks. In light of this lack of fishing pressure and the perfect conditions, the competitors anticipated a hot bite and they were not let down.

It is difficult to track how many sooties were caught for the event as only the best two fish are brought to the scales, however plenty of the anglers reported upgrades and several anglers reported double figure bags in some sessions. A total of 40.9kg of sooties hit the scales in the first session, with 11 anglers getting their full bag of their best two sooties.

The second session saw 46.3kg of fish weighed in, with 13 anglers getting their bag, and the third session saw 48.5kg with 15 anglers getting

their two-fish bag. A total of 135kg of quality sooty grunter was weighed for the event.

The water level for the dam was 100% and steady, and the water temp maxed out over the weekend at around 24°C and started around 20°C on Saturday morning.

Peter Behrens led the first session (8:30am to 12pm) with two cracking sooties for 4.09kg. He was closely followed by his fishing partner Nick Moore in second place with 4.03kg. Peter and Nick concentrated on the bays and points in the main area of the dam before the trees.

Michael Detenon held third place with 3.87kg. Mick RESULTS ANGLER 1 Greg Thomas 2 Neil Wilson 3 Michael Detenon 4 Nick Moore 5 Mat McFarlane 6 Peter Behrens 7 Geoff Newby 8 Geoff Busbridge 9 Paul Butler 10 Phil Lyons concentrated his efforts in the trees around Homestead Bay with the 3” curl tail grub being his go-to lure.

One of the biggest sooty grunter we have seen in any of the MTA tournaments was brought to the scales by Paul Butler, weighing 2.75kg and measuring 54cm.

The second session started Saturday afternoon (1:30pm to 5:30pm) with Peter Behrens and Nick Moore strengthening their first and second positions with 3.92kg and 3.42kg bags respectively. Peter and Nick again concentrated on the same areas of the dam as they had in the first session. Mick Detenon held on to third spot with a slightly lesser bag of 3.28kg. Other competitors were close behind, and the top three anglers knew they WEIGHT(KG) PRIZE 10.480 $280 10.400 $200 10.150 $140 10.100 9.940 9.080 8.900 8.040 7.250 7.020 weren’t guaranteed to hold onto their places.

They were right. The bays and points in the main part

of the dam didn’t perform as they had on the first two sessions for Peter and Nick.

Greg Thomas’ 4kg bag took him from fifth place to first, delivering him his maiden tournament victory with a total of 10.48kg for the three sessions. Greg concentrated in the trees in 25-40ft of water on the western side of the dam. His go-to lure was a Jackall TN60 in black with a red belly, with a count of between five and eight before slowly retrieving the lure.

Greg’s tackle consisted of a Daiwa Finesse rod, Abu Garcia Inshore reel, 12lb Toray braid and 6lb Crazy Tail leader.

Neil Wilson maintained his form from the first round, getting a third session bag of 3.45kg to catapult him from fourth place to second with a total limit of 10.40kg (just 80g short of Greg). Neil concentrated his efforts in the trees around the island on the eastern side of the dam in 40-70ft of water with his most successful lure being a white Rapala clacking rap on a ten count drop before retrieve.

Neil’s tackle consisted of an ACM Sooty Extreme rod, Abu Revo MGX reel, Toray jigging PE 18lb braid and 20lb Toray L-Hard leader.

Greg Thomas’ 4kg bag took him from fifth place to first, delivering him his maiden tournament victory with a total of 10.48kg for the three sessions.

Mick Detenon held onto third place with a 3kg limit for session three, bringing his total to 10.15kg. Mick concentrated his efforts in the western side bay of the dam behind the homestead, fishing the treetops with a 4” Swimming Mullet in white and 3” Swimming Minnow in chartreuse with a two count drop before the retrieve. His tackle consisted of a Samurai rod, Abu Revo Premier reel, 10lb Suffix 832 braid and 20lb Black Magic fluoro leader.

The biggest session prize

was take out by Shane Snell from Blackwater on his first visit to the dam, with a very impressive two fish bag of 4.26kg in the third session.

Round 3 of the MTA Sooty Grunter Winter League was run on the weekend of 21-22 June at Eungella Dam. The first session ran from 8.30am to 12pm, the second session ran from 1:30pm to 6:30pm and the third session on Sunday from 7am to 11am.

More information is available at www.mta. org.au. – MTA

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2014

FLATHEAD CLASSIC The 21st consecutive year of the Flathead Classic come and join the party!

1ST - 4TH OCTOBER 2014 CONTACT YOUR NEAREST DEALER Bundaberg Cairns Mackay

Adrians Marine Centre P 07 4153 1819 E adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com Aussie Marine P 07 4033 8800 E sales@aussiemarine.com.au Shane Morrison Marine P 07 4951 1991 E sales@shanemorrisonmarine.com.au

For more boats visit:

www.polycraft.com.au

TOURNAMENT VENUE : GR Thompson Park, Broadwater Parklands, Southport This year for the first time we trial a later fishing finish on the Saturday with a Saturday Night Dinner, presentation and party.

Sign-On, Briefing and Dinner: WEDNESDAY 1st OCTOBER 2014 from 4.30pm Fishing and Dinner: THURSDAY 2nd OCTOBER 2014, FRIDAY 3rd OCTOBER and Saturday 4th Fishing, Dinner and Presentations: SATURDAY 4th OCTOBER 2014 finish late afternoon

Entry Fees

The price of early entry (prior to June 30 postmark or online) to the 2014 Gold Coast Flathead Classic is:

Seniors (16yrs and over) $225 each Juniors (under 16yrs) $110 After June 30th: Seniors $250.00 Juniors $120 After August 15th: Seniors $275.00 Juniors $130 - Places permitting Entry forms or online available at

www.flatheadclassic.com.au

Gold Coast Flathead Classic JULY 2014

67

Longreach Yellowbelly Classic is a winner SECTIONS SENIOR 1. Longest Yellowbelly (perpetual trophy) 2. Most fish caught per cm 3. Longest Catfish 4. Longest Other Species 5. Heaviest Redclaw 6. Most Redclaw 7. Best Male (accumulation of points) 8. Best Female (accumulation of points) JUNIOR (1st 2nd and 3rd prizes awarded) 1. Longest Yellowbelly (perpetual trophy) 2. Most fish caught per cm 3. Longest Catfish 4. Longest Other Species 5. Heaviest Redclaw 6. Most Redclaw 7. Best Master (accumulation of points) 8. Best Miss (accumulation of points) EXTRAS 1. Best campsite (having the most fun, neat and tidy) 2. Early Bird Draw 3. Farthest travelled

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The L o n g re a c h Recreational Fishing Club are proud to be hosting their third annual Yellowbelly Classic, being held over 29-31 August.

Last year’s event won the Region Event of the Year award from the Longreach Regional Council, a proud support of the event, and this year’s comp is set to be every bit as good.

In 2013 with our sponsors, competitors (in 2013 we had 802) and the hard and committed work from our members and volunteers we raised over $30,000. Profits from the event go back into the community by way of

further community events, improvement of the facilities at the Thomson River and other projects to benefit Longreach.

The LRFC’s mission for our Classic is to create an atmosphere that is accommodating, challenging, pristine, friendly and enjoyable, offering families and groups a safe atmosphere for children and adults alike.

This environment promotes tourism, showcasing our natural river resources and fishing, and shows tourists that Longreach is a great place to visit in both winter and spring.

The competition starts at 5pm Friday 29 August and finishes 11am Sunday 31 August, 2014. The first measuring will be at 6pm Friday night (no pink yellowbelly will be accepted for measuring).

Only fish caught in the first hour of the comp are permitted to weigh in.

The entertainment planned for Saturday night includes a speed shears and the Rayners Hire Tug-O-War, with plenty of fun to be had on the banks of the Thomson River.

This year we have two boats up for grabs, one a raffle and the other just

for entering the comp. You don’t even need to catch a fish to win $9000 worth of boat! Kids don’t miss out either – they have a chance at an Ocean Frenzy Kayak just for entering.

A new section will be announced on Friday night, and all entrants must sign in on Friday night or Saturday morning to compete.

To enter contact Cheryl Taylor, Secretary LRFC Inc., at PO Box 358, Longreach Q 4730. You can also contact Cheryl on 0409 469 119 or at cherbooka69@bigpond. com. - LRFC

Bluefin Lake Maroon Classic The Bluefin Lake Maroon Fishing Classic is scheduled for 14-16 November 2014. After a successful inaugural year in 2013, the competition is shaping to be bigger and better this year.

This competition is catch, photo and release, and prizes are allocated for the longest of each species for both junior and senior entrants. All fishing styles are permitted, including the use of bait, which is designed to encourage participation from novice as well as experienced anglers.

There are some impressive prizes up for grabs, including a senior lucky door prize of a 415 Bluefin Drifter Tournament and a junior lucky door prize of a 3.0 Bluefin Catfish.

There will also be some fantastic random draws. The early registration random draws include an Old Town Kayak, Humminbird fishfinder and a couple of Nordic Stage fishing rods, so make sure you register early to be eligible for these prizes.

There will also be live music on the Friday and Saturday nights with more random prize draws throughout.

The competition is based at Camp Lake Fire, which has direct boat launching access.

All fishing craft are permitted, so whether you are launching a boat, canoe or kayak it is a simple process from the base of Camp Lake Fire. Maroon Dam also has a public boat ramp for those wishing to launch large boats from a concrete ramp.

Families are encouraged to participate, and every child will receive a sample bag containing a variety of items courtesy of our sponsors. All senior entrants also receive a free magazine and generous subscription offer from Qld Fishing Monthly, plus a magazine from Bush n Beach Fishing.

Special thanks go to the very generous sponsors who are helping make the Bluefin Lake Maroon Fishing Classic a premier competition: Bluefin Boats, Wilson Fishing, Austackle, BLA, Old Town Canoes and Kayaks, Humminbird, Dunbier, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Shakespeare, Nordic Stage, Damiki, Bob Jane Tmarts Mt Ommaney, Coles, Queensland

Chris Lee picked up this nice bass during the 2013 Bluefin Lake Maroon Fishing Classic.

Fishing Monthly, Bush n Beach Fishing, EvaKool, BCF, Barz Optics, Westpac and Westfield.

For all details and to register go to Sports Tuition at www.sportstuition.com. au. – BLMFC

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James won this rod and reel combo during last year’s Abu Garcia and Shakespeare Kids’ Casting Competition, and he put it to good use collecting several bass during the Sunday morning session of the comp.

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s you may not be aware, from 2nd June, Australia Post will introduce 2 delivery timetables for their Print Post services, which will affect the delivery time of your magazines.

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

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

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

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

JULY 2014

69

Tech Tricks

Learn how to rig small weedless plastics BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

These days, soft plastics are commonly used for a broad array of species in salt and freshwater environments. Many good fishing areas contain heavy structure in the form of mangrove snags, weed beds, reef structure and rock walls. This kind of structure holds quality fish therefore it pays to be able to present your soft plastic in a manner that reduces snagging

Choose a suitable hook and sinker weight.

Generally I use a fluorocarbon leader however I am using some high visibility monofilament. Cut a length of leader and do a simple overhand knot before placing the tag end through the sinker.

Wrap the tag end around the main leader six or so times and then pass the tag end back through the loop that has now formed adjacent your overhand knot.

Push the plastic up the hook and turn it 180Âş until the penetrated section sits on the kink near the eye of the hook.

Pass the point fully through the plastic so the point exits the back centrally at the position where the plasitc coincides with the rear of the hook.

With this basic rig you can fish your plastic in heavy cover with minimal chance of fouling. Additionally, it is easy to change the weight on the plastic when required by simply cutting the leader and retying the knot.

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and allows you to fish it effectively.

Although called weedless rigging, the following method will reduce snagging on all manner of aquatic obstructions and will give you the confidence to fish your plastic closer to the structure than you normally would dare.

Many types of plastics are used to target species in fresh and saltwater environments.

Larger offerings have many different rigging methods available to them such as TT Snakeheads, Owner

Beast Hooks and Mustad Power Lock Hooks, just to name a few. For smaller plastics the range is extremely limited.

For my smaller plastics I commonly rig using a very simple method that allows a huge combination of different weighting and hook combinations because all the hooks and weights are interchangeable. This system is especially useful when fishing from a kayak, via Shank’s pony or when traveling as it reduces the number of hook rigs you require to rig a range of smaller plastic sizes.

Now pass the tag end through the eye of the hook and then back though the overhand knot from the same side that the tag end exited the knot.

Pull this knot up tightly but ensure that the loop is large enough so that the sinker can swing freely. This part of the rigging is complete but we still need to put our plastic on.

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5

Plastics of 10cm or shorter are great for species such as bass, jungle perch, flathead, bream and a host of others. I commonly use plastics of this size when targeting bass, especially when the barometer is low and they are shut down, which often results in them hanging deeper in the water column.

For this rigging method you will need an array of good quality small (size #4 to #1/0) worm hooks and small sinkers. Most of the larger hook companies make quality worm hooks including Gamakatsu (EWG Worm and G-Lock), Mustad (Ultra-

Lock Light Wire and UltraPoint), Owner (Wide Gap Plus), Daiichi (Worm 360) and numerous others. You will need a worm hook that has the point in line with the shank near the eyelet for the best weedless rigging. I mainly use the Gamakatsus as they are readily available and come in smaller sizes (down to a size #4) than many of the others and are made from a fine yet strong wire.

I generally use size #2 and #1 for many of the smaller plastics that I like to fish. These include paddletail grubs and shads, curltail grubs and jerk-shad

Pull the overhand knot up tightly around the leader as shown.

Push the point of the hook into the centre at the head and then it pass out the chin area of the plastic as shown.

Note that the hook sits flush along the back of the plastic. Many plastics have a small groove for the hook point to sit in.

This increases snag proofing but you can even push the hook point lightly into the plastic for increased snagging protection.

styles however numerous other plastics can be rigged weedless as well. For the weighting I use small ball sinkers, generally from size #00 to #1, depending on the depth of water and current.

These can be purchased in individual packets, however many companies have combination packs of different sizes, including L.Wilson and Co. under their Surecatch brand. With several sizes of sinkers and hooks you have a huge combination of weedless rigging options for your smaller plastics.

Let’s look at setting up our weedless rig.

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CONCLUSION Weedless rigging makes a lot of sense when fishing around weed beds, timber or rocky areas. I use it a lot for bass fishing from the kayak as it decreases the amount of tackle I need to carry and is a convenient and cost effective way to fish your plastics.

When a fish strikes, the hook point pushes outwards prominently and the hook is easily set.

This rigging can be done with larger plastics

by upgrading the hook and sinker size and I even use it to lightly weight deceiver style flies when the need arises. You will find it suits virtually all your plastic styles and you will soon be confidently fishing your offerings closer to structure, which will increase the number of strikes you receive. From here a healthy drag setting and a bit of luck will be required to pry the assailant away from the structure.

Tangle with tailor on fly BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Some people don’t enjoy winter. Too cold, blah blah. Me? I love it. There’s always a trip to some inland waterway on the cards, or fishing for bass in one of the big southern Queensland dams.

And then there’s chasing tailor on fly. It’s something that doesn’t happen in the warmer months at all, but it’s certainly a realistic proposition right now.

NO BOAT, NO WORRIES The best thing about chasing tailor on fly is that you don’t need a boat. There are plenty of places to tangle with a tailor without putting a boat in the water as these fish will feed very close to the shore. They push bait in against structure and hammer it so where there’s some close-in depth, white water or a bit of surge, tailor will feed virtually at your feet.

Canal estates all over

Tailor don’t mess about with a fly and about the only downside comes from those razor-sharp teeth and strong jaws which require a small section of bite-off prevention leader tip as a safeguard.

Tailor are not at all leader shy so a small section of 15kg hard line (I use FC100) at the end of the rod-length leader will not be an issue.

TACKLE Tailor are strong fish but entirely clean fighters so there’s no need to go overboard with the likes of a 9wt or 10wt outfit. Let’s face it – most tailor taken will be choppers and an 8wt outfit will play out a fish quite efficiently. Also, as we are trying to imitate baitfish with our flies, there’s every likelihood that flies won’t be tied on hooks much larger than 2/0, so these flies should be easily cast with the 8wt as well.

Choice of fly rod comes down to quality. The better the quality the easier it is to cast.

Throughout all of flyfishing nothing ever changes there.

Top: The author’s flies are not fancy but they certainly work. Note the fly tied well back on the hook to prevent bite-offs. Bottom: While the author took this chopper from his boat a lot of tailor can be taken from land-based locations as well. southern Queensland have channels with rock walls and groynes at entrance areas where bait and tailor can be found congregating. River and creek mouths exiting cleanly into the ocean along the south Queensland and northern New South Wales coastline also feature rock walls where a fly cast into the white water will quickly bring a solid yank on the line followed by a decent bend in the fly rod.

When selecting a fly line for the job you have some flexibility. Either a floating or intermediate sink rate line will be fine. Tailor will hammer popper-style flies quite as readily as they attack a minnow or Deceiver type of fly so if a floating line is the one on hand you can use it quite readily for either surface work or sub-surface action where the fly is allowed to sink prior to the usual strip/ stop retrieve.

The reel needs some serious thought. A reliable and smooth drag is a must.

Also, this is definitely saltwater work and there could be some spray and wash about the place, so if the reel isn’t a dedicated salt water model the only option is to give it a thorough clean up after use. I believe all fly reels need a wash after saltwater use; it’s only common sense. However, a make-do freshwater one will need a more prolonged clean up which should also include the fly line. It’s a no brainer really.

I don’t see a real need for 300m of backing on a tailor outfit. If the fish can’t be turned within 100m it’s either a definite line class record tailor for the angler or a sneaky but large trevally has come into the fray unannounced. In my experience, 150m of 50lb braid backing is sufficient.

FLIES AND HOW TO FISH THEM Flies for tailor need to have a general baitfish profile, which takes in a whole gamut of contenders from various Deceivers through to Clousers and Pink Things.

Tailor are not choosy fish; they’re more opportunistic than selective. For this reason, as long as a fly looks generally like a baitfish it should be taken provided you don’t get too carried away with the retrieve and have the fly moving as quickly as if you were targeting mackerel or tuna. An exact imitation of a baitfish is fine if it’s convenient, but it’s certainly not mandatory.

Here’s another tip: although we think of tailor as surface ripping feeders they are not keen on things moving at supersonic speeds. A degree of stop/ start in a retrieve will bring the most hits.

If you’re fishing for tailor from the shore, there is one item that’s worth its weight in shining gold: the trusty stripping basket. Keeping the fly line free from tangles is important when trying for some cracker casts with perhaps rough going underfoot, or maybe a series of waves washing about and trying to grab the fly line.

Lastly, don’t be put off from flyfishing for tailor if you don’t have good success straight away. There’s usually a lot more going on below the surface of the water than above. Fishing just on first light or on dusk should pay dividends but it always comes down to having faith and making plenty of casts, retrieving in an enticing but not too fast manner, and keeping slack line out of the equation so that you can easily feel a bite and convert it to a fish on the rod.

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Make way for Isuzu’s MU-X BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Selecting the right off roader for the family has just become a whole lot harder. Within a mighty strong field of contenders the Isuzu MU-X seven seater has thrust its way into the mix as well.

Based on the very successful and well acclaimed Isuzu ute’s underpinnings, the new MU-X is a 4x4 wagon with go anywhere attitude, yet it feels just as good offroad as it does on the bitumen. What’s more, the MU-X wagon looks good, as if it should be in the carport or garage at home.

Isuzu are old hands in the family wagon stakes.

Remember the successful Jackaroo that can still be

found on our roads today?

Marketed by Holden, they were made by Isuzu.

That was then, this is now, and Isuzu have hedged quite a few bets with the MU-X wagon; as well as being available in three different 4x4 models it also comes in a pair of 2WD models to round up the fleet buyers.

ALL NEW MU-X All that aside, the MU-X is a totally new vehicle. Yes, there are some similarities to the Colorado 7 wagon but differences range from gearboxes to engines. The MU-X in its top spec LS-T guise sees leather dressing up the seating, fog lights, chromed grille and exterior mirrors, 17” wheels, aluminium side steps and other useful features.

All three MU-X variants are powered by Isuzu’s strong four cylinder intercooled

DOHC 3L variable geometry turbo diesel engine, churning out 130kW of power and 380Nm of torque. The LS-T reviewed was equipped with a five speed Aisin autobox linked to a Terrain Command all wheel drive system – in tests the system activated instantly with a rotary dial mounted on the gear selector console. Flicking between 2WD and 4WD can be done at speeds up to 100km/h but transferring to low range requires a stop. These options do, of course, make the MU-X a ‘proper’ 4WD, not an SUV pretender.

A PLEASING INTERIOR More than just a make do wagon to cash in on the success of the Isuzu Ute, the MU-X features a mix of excellent exterior styling plus a well finished interior mated to subdued tonings that is

Left: Leather trim, an electrically operated seat and everything within easy reach all adds to the pleasure of driving Isuzu’s MU-X. Right Top: It was refreshing to find the MU-X blessed with a very user friendly sat nav system. Right Bottom: A rear under floor storage compartment was a definite bonus within the MU-X.

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Even climbing Cunninghams Gap saw the tachometer conceding the need for a mere 300rpm while the five speed box stayed in fifth gear.

More like a car than an offroader the MU-X impressed me with its highway work.

With its pliant suspension there was little effect from undulations or the inevitable bit of rough surface. Ride remained quite smooth – with just a tad of body roll in tight corners – and quite silent with only some slight tyre noise intruding into the cabin’s interior. Fuel consumption was excellent at 9.2L per 100km/h; tank capacity is 65L. I’d like to see it larger.

Seating configuration is very flexible with the latter two rows of seats folding flat for extra large loads. Luggage capacity is some 1830L with all rear rows of seats down; 235L capacity when all three rows of seats are up ready for use. An under floor storage compartment was a bonus.

Several different seating arrangements are on hand.

The MU-X features a tow capacity of 3000kg for a braked trailer and 750kg unbraked, which takes in a lot of things we anglers like to tow.

SUMMING UP Pleasing styling, plenty of overall room and comfort, a great highway cruising ability, ample power for city cut and thrust driving, plus quite capable offroad manners make the Isuzu MU-X a very serious option for today’s offroad or adventure-seeking family.

The 3L turbo diesel engine just seems to do everything so easily and with its steel timing belt should last for a great many kilometres in my opinion. Factory warranty is for 5 years or 130,000km, same as the roadside assist package. List price of the LS-T as reviewed was $53,500 but my advice is to talk to a dealer and see what sort of deal is on offer.

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Top: An upward opening rear door certainly makes it easy to load up the Isuzu with camping or fishing gear.

Bottom: It’s hard to see in the image but a steel bash plate is featured under the Isuzu’s vital running gear.

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easy on the eye and mind. All main dash dials and gauges are where they should be and easily identified at that.

Important features for driver and passenger in the LS-T included the Multi Information Display which included a very user friendly sat nav system , iPod and Blue Tooth connectivity, eight speaker audio, reversing camera, and Ecology Info linked to fuel consumption data. Also on offer were electric controls for most functions, pollen filtered climate control air conditioning within all three rows plus an electric driver’s seat. There were also two glove boxes, dash top grab handles, plenty of cup holders, rear entertainment screen while all passengers had lap sash type seat belts. A five star crash rating is standard.

Entry to the third (rear) row of seats could hardly be easier and other makers might like to have a look at the set up: the side steps allow easy entry or exit via a split fold and tumble second row outer section, which reduces in seconds with finger tip effort.

GENTLE RIDE IS THE NORM Never hard on the back or nether regions the Isuzu MU-X garners road and offroad manners from a revised suspension set up revolving around coil springs linked to gas shock absorbers all round. Even offroading in low range 4x4 mode saw the very pliant suspension insulating myself and passengers from the majority of the terrain induced bumps and thumps going on at extremities thanks to the combination of excellent suspension and long wheel travel.

The 3L diesel engine was the big surprise. Flexible to the utmost and seemingly without the slightest turbo lag the powerful diesel with its modest rev range of 18002000rpm for all highway (100-110km/h) work took all in its stride on a country run to the NSW border and back.

The Isuzu MU-X looks like it should be at home in the carport or garage.

Sensational Somerset sizzles BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Camping in winter at Somerset Park is always a lot of fun, even in winter.

All it takes is some warm gear at night around the fire before heading to bed and, with fishing handy, it’s one of life’s rare pleasures.

With the colder weather now thoroughly entrenched, our impoundment bass season is in full swing and the everreliable Somerset Dam is rightly receiving plenty of attention from anglers keen to tangle with a big fat bass or other exciting freshwater native fish.

For those who like to make the best of an extended stay in the area, there are two main camping areas on offer on the west side of the dam. There’s Lake Somerset Park (the former Kirkleigh camping area) up towards the Kilcoy end of the lake (which I reviewed a few issues back) and the camping area that I’m reviewing now, at Somerset Dam Village on the southern outskirts of the small township of Somerset Dam. The tiny town of Somerset Dam has a rare rustic charm.

A place of tall trees and enticing bush fragrances, the township is totally enclosed by mountains virtually on all sides with Lake Somerset backing to the north of the adjacent dam wall and the Stanley River flowing to the south where

it joins the Brisbane River in the backed up waters of Lake Wivenhoe.

SOMERSET DAM VILLAGE This very long established camping area is located between the main Esk-Kilcoy Road and the Stanley River.

It’s a quite long expanse of well-grassed paddock with a decent sprinkling of shady trees, which always seem to be populated by a group of somewhat noisy koalas. You

didn’t know koalas were noisy? They croak and groan quite amazingly at times.

Camping here could hardly be easier – it’s on a first in best dressed basis. At times certain areas may be reserved, which will be segregated by small barriers; otherwise it’s easy to find just the right spot and set up camp for a spell.

Features within the camping area include shelter sheds, wood barbecues, a couple of concrete pads for

sufficient. The Somerset Dam General Store adjacent to the camp grounds has a fair range of small goods, cold drinks, ice, fuel, gas refills plus some fishing tackle and delicious coffee, but there are no other retail outlets closer than the town of Kilcoy, which is around a 30 minute drive away. A public phone is available in town and there’s not much mobile coverage in the area.

The wall of Somerset Dam – constructed last century in the 1940’s and made entirely of concrete.

Very clean amenities with a hot shower are part of the attraction of this laid back camping ground.

A couple of tracks lead down to the Stanley River below the camp grounds.

Camp sites at the grounds are without power but generators are allowed up to 8 pm.

Top: A couple of picnic tables are on hand for campers as well. Bottom: Don’t forget the goldens when fishing Somerset Dam – these anglers certainly enjoyed some fun with them.

caravans and plenty of level ground. There is an office at the entrance with a clean amenities block close by that features hot coin operated showers. At the end of a day’s fishing that shower is certainly going to be much appreciated.

Somerset Park is a very laid back camping area – there are no boom gates, no entry codes or other restrictions.

Should Hans the manager not be present, then it’s fine to set up camp and greet him later in the day. Although this is an unpowered camping ground – generators are allowed until 8pm – Hans can arrange for 240V power leads to be extended from the office near the entrance to charge batteries for boat motors.

Camp fires are permitted in the plentiful fire drums provided, or campers can enjoy their own braziers at camp sites. It is best to take firewood as all likely timber has long been scavenged.

Also of interest is the rest area opposite the general store and adjacent to the northern end of the main camping area. There’s a playground for children plus BBQs, several picnic tables and more amenities.

When camping here it’s best to be largely self-

GETTING THERE West from Brisbane on the road to Toowoomba there’s a turn off at Blacksoil to Esk and Toogooloowah.

You won’t miss it as you will be travelling very slowly because of the extensive road works! Once on this road, turn right just after Fernvale after crossing the Brisbane River; it’s where the road leading to Mt Glorious and other areas skirts around the eastern side of Lake Wivenhoe. Thirty minutes’ drive will see the car crossing the Stanley River just below Somerset Dam village.

Turn to the right and opposite the Somerset Dam Village sign is the entrance to the camping area.

Coming from the North Coast the Caboolture/Kilcoy turn off is easily seen on the M1 opposite the Bribie Island exit. Just out of Kilcoy there’s

a turn off to Lake Somerset and Kilcoy. The somewhat winding road passes the camp grounds after a 20 minute drive with the scenic views of Lake Somerset on the left.

THE FISHING? Good idea, let’s look at the fishing! Somerset Dam has been famous for its bass for around 30 years. Bass are slow growing fish but with the abundance of bony bream and tilapia in the system, Somerset’s fish are some of the biggest bass in the business.

A 50cm specimen does not create a lot of interest until it gets to at least mid-50s.

Bass aside there are also plenty of golden perch and catties (tandanus) in the waterway with goldens also growing to very good sizes.

Goldens and bass respond well to all manner of lures with the current wave of

metal vibes being red hot, nevertheless there are still a lot of fish taken on the everreliable spinnerbaits and soft vibes as well. Bait fishing is still probably the best way of getting a young angler attached to a fish with shrimps and freshwater yabbies hard to beat. Worms will take all species but will most likely interest the catties and goldens best.

Don’t forget the red claw pots if heading out in the boat as these tasty fellows are still on the job even through winter.

A boat is a necessity to fish this dam so both a SIP and general boating permit are required; the latter permit is easily obtained from the Ranger at the The Spit (the nearest launching area) just over 2km to the north.

Hans the manager can be contacted on 07 5426 4729.

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JULY 2014

73

Camera Feature

Waterproof video cameras – relive every moment All anglers love bragging about what they’ve caught.

It’s built into our genes.

Catching a great fish and then telling your mates about it is awesome.

With the growth in social media, bragging just went global. You can show off your images and videos of your fishing prowess near-instantly to an audience limited only by your circle of friends and whether they want to watch.

The tools you need to capture the moment are getting smaller, more versatile and more user friendly each year.

You don’t need a film-crew

following your every move to get awesome vision – you just need some (relatively) cheap cameras and a bit of creativity to make clips that fellow anglers and friends will want to watch.

This feature outlines some tips to help you make better fishing clips to share with your mates and takes a look at some of the latest gear available to help you get the job done.

CAMERAS You’re probably familiar with the ‘GoPro Hero’ genre of action cameras that are fully waterproof, and which you can set-and-forget while you’re

fishing. Usually recording on an SD card, it’s possible to record hours of footage at a time.

There are pros and cons to using these cameras. The downside is usually that audio suffers inside the waterproof housings that these little machines use to stay dry and operational. The upside is that if they cop a wave or some spray, it’s not an issue and that most things are in focus all of the time. If you want to put the camera underwater to look at your catch face-to-face, that’s also easily done. Just don’t drop it into the ball of feeding longtail tuna – you mightn’t get it back!

MOUNTING SYSTEMS If you want a set-andforget camera, you’ll need a good mount to hold it in place. No use turning to the camera and smiling with your catch to find that the camera has dropped off somewhere between the ramp and your first fishing spot.

Some anglers are pretty creative with their mountings.

Attaching mounts to ends of poles, outboards, landing nets and fishing rods all give interesting results that can add variety to your final clip.

The new Sony Action Cam comes with a cool bulldogclip mount that can perch in most danger-free clippable areas in seconds – great for the land-based angler who wants a diversity of angles in their fishing videos.

EDITING Unless you’re shooting some video on an iPad, you’ll have to use some sort of basic, computer-based editing software to polish up your creation. This basically involves pulling out the boring bits and then tacking the awesome bits together in a logical sequence.

Most of us have a home computer and there’s often decent software supplied with

the camera to do this. Apple’s iMovie, which comes free with all their computers, also does a good job.

Most cameras also come with some of their own, in-house editing software that’s eminently suitable.

SHARING IT Most anglers I know have some sort of social media profile or presence. If you want to get your word out there, create a channel on YouTube for free and share it through your Facebook or Instagram profiles. There’s no cost associated with any of these platforms.

Remember, the more interesting and succinct your videos are (read: short and sweet), the more likely it is that people will watch them and share amongst their networks of friends.

Think about the last video you watched on social media – did you watch it all the way through? Was it too long? Did you share it? If not, keep this in mind when making your own masterpieces.

Head Mounted Camera Head mounted, wide angled cameras are great for capturing just about everything that happens from a first person viewpoint.

These cameras provide a unique viewpoint and their wide angle allows everything to be captured.

Still Camera A still camera provides the ultimate in memory capture and is an absolute must have on any fishing trip.

A still camera (DSLR) will provide the best reproduction for the wall hanging image that you blow up to ‘real life’ size simply to brag to your mates.

Safe Storage

EXAMPLES Below is a selection of fishing videos made on action cameras to give you some inspiration.

Regardless of the multimedia device you have on hand, it needs to be stored correctly to avoid all sorts of damage and an early death.

Shock and waterproof casings are one solution, however travel cases, dry bags and weather bags are other options that need consideration.

HERE’S SOME EXAMPLES OF HOME MADE FISHING FOOTAGE

Shimano

nowCatches

EVERYTHING!

http://youtu.be/4741DeY91E8

http://youtu.be/vCG-b46fdqg

http://youtu.be/Gxz25pI2MLc

http://youtu.be/m-Bv0uQhG-k

86 GRAMS IN WEIGHT 10M WATER PROOF (WITH OUT CASING)

INCREDIBLE LOW LIGHT FILMING WWW.SHIMANOFISH.COM.AU 74

JULY 2014

Camera Feature TOP TIPS • Avoid foul language.

Awesomeness is better conveyed by other means.

• Shoot wide angle. It’s better to see it all than half of it.

It also makes your video less shaky.

• Experiment with camera angles. Breaking up the clip with different shots makes it visually more appealing.

• Talk! Let us all know what you’re doing. Grunting while you’re pumping and winding may not hold interest for more

Video Glasses

What better way is there to film exactly what you are seeing than straight through your sunglasses?

The option of protecting your eyes, seeing into the water and filming what you’re looking at is a great option for those on the water wanting to capture their memories.

than a few seconds.

• Keep your clips short.

Anything more than 90 seconds will lose people. Trust us – it will.

• Tell a story. Make sure you put the clip into context. Where are you? What are you fishing for and why? What techniques are you using? Your mates WILL want to know.

• Respect your quarry. If you’re going to release your fish, do it quickly and give it the best chance of survival.

If you’re going to keep it to eat, treat it properly and kill

it quickly.

• Be legal. Make sure you obey all Fisheries and Boating regulations. I guarantee at least one of your viewers will relish the chance to sink the boot in and will have the evidence to prove it.

• If your clip definitely needs a soundtrack, avoid stealing copyrighted music. Some hosting sites will reject clips with copied music in it anyway (yep – they can tell). A lot of editing software comes with a selection of free-to-use music that you can use instead.

Hand Held Camcorder These days hand held video cameras are cheap and easy to use. Some are even waterproof and allow you to get in the water with the action.

Perfect when you want a more traditional look to your videography.

Pole Mounted Camera Pole mounted cameras, depending on how they are set up, provide unique angles that a hand held camera cannot provide.

You can get up above the boat, down below, off to the side or any combination of these. Mounted in a rod holder they can capture the moment the fish strikes without you having to remember to turn on the camera.

HEAD MOUNT

Net Mounted Camera A camera mounted on the net being used to land fish provides some amazing footage of the final moments of any capture.

A net camera by necessity needs to be waterproof and also ideally it will have a wide shooting angle to capture that moment when the result is beyond doubt.

CHEST MOUNT

SCAN THE QR CODES ON YOUR SMARTPHONE TO WATCH

http://youtu.be/nraM-nj7AhQ

http://youtu.be/ixspQvXMXbk

SCAN THE QR CODE TO WATCH THE SPORTS CAM VIDEO http://youtu.be/KHROh2cXjLM

http://youtu.be/em1nfxdV8LQ

WWW.SHIMANOFISH.COM.AU JULY 2014

75

Camera Feature 

Distributed in the fishing industry by the same company that blazed the trail for GoPro (Lusty Industries), the Sony Action Cam is cool piece of kit. The basic kit comes with a HD Sony Action Cam, a Waterproof case (to 5m), a Live-View remote that you wear around your wrist and some mounts to get you going. It’s even got in-built GPS. This means your camera can not only capture the fishing footage, but map it for you via a GPS track at the end of the day using the free Sony software provided.

Pretty cool.

The Action Cam’s 170º filming angle comes with Sony’s Steady Shot technology, which takes out a lot of the bumps and jolts that the camera is exposed to while filming.

And while it mightn’t be relevant while you’ve only got one camera, the Live-View remote can take feeds from and control up to five Sony Action Cams at once. So if you’re the ultimate fishing action hero, you can capture your captures from five different angles. These different shots are all time coded, which makes editing them easy.

It’s definitely drool material for when you’re back on the PC at home.

A final note about the Sony Action Cams is that there’s a great bulldog-clip mounting system that’s useful for anglers.

Combining a rubber-coated clip with a universally swivelling lockable head, it gives both boat and land-based anglers dozens of options for cool angles that are achievable in seconds.

RRP $499 www.lustyindustries.com

Sony Action Cam SRP

$

499



GoPro Hero 3+ SRP

$

529

Sony Action Cam



Contour +2 SRP

449

$





One of the original choices for a fishing cam, the GoPro has come a long way since the clunky original version. Now 20% smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the Hero 3+ delivers improved image quality and features geared for versatility and convenience.

The new Super View mode is superwide angle while Auto Low Light intelligently adjusts frame rates to improve low light performance.

With a 30% better battery life, faster Wi-Fi and a sharper lens, the Hero 3+ is the most advanced GoPro yet.

RRP: $529 www.gopro.com.au

Contour ROAM2 SRP

$

269





Shimano CM-100 Sport SRP

400

$



iON Adventure SRP

76

JULY 2014

$

399

GoPro Hero 3+



Contour +2

Taking their most coveted attributes from the ContourROAM and the original Contour+, Contour’s top camera is packed with features, easier to use, and brings an entirely new perspective to your adventures. Featuring even better video quality, an Instant On-Record switch, and a 60m waterproof case for those underwater adventures, the Contour+2 will bring your fishing stories to life like never before.

A GPS receiver allows you to capture and share a different perspective with an overlay of speed, distance, elevation and GPS data as well as crisp 1080HD video and up to 120FPS. When used with the mobile app, the inbuilt Bluetooth chip turns your smartphone into a remote control allowing you to preview your shots, change camera settings, and check memory and battery status on the fly. You can also use the infrared laser to confirm that you are shooting at the correct angle.

It has a huge variety of mounts to choose from, an included waterproof case

and a 270° rotating lens that allows for mounting in any position, so the camera will work virtually anywhere.

RRP: $449 www.meecosales.com.au



Contour ROAM2

The ContourROAM2 is touted as being the easiest-to-use camera on the market. With a quick slide of the ‘On & Record’ switch you’re filming your favourite adventures in crystal clear 1080p HD video.

The Instant On-Record switch means there is no standby mode, so the battery is only in use when shooting, giving you more bang per charge and a total recording time of up to 3.5 hours.

The ContourROAM2 is lightweight and waterproof to up to 1m without the addition of an external housing, making it the best all weather action cameras available. Whether you’re fishing, snorkelling or tearing up single track, the ContourROAM2 is ready for any adventure.

It’s compatible with every Contour mount giving you unlimited angles, and with the trademark 270° rotating lens, you’ll always get the perfect, level shot no matter where the camera is mounted.

RRP:$269 www.meecosales.com.au

Shimano CM-1000 Sport



The specifications of Shimano’s light and compact CM-1000 Sport Camera are impressive: full HD resolution, 10m underwater with no housing, 135° or super wide 180° viewing angle options, and an F2.0 lens perfect for low light conditions.

The battery takes less than four hours to charge, and it runs for two hours.

What’s more, it’s possible to link this camera to other devices via WI-FI, ANT+ and ANT private connectivity.

The Shimano Sport Cam comes with a lens cover, adhesive mount, vented head mount, USB cable and an instruction manual. Optional accessories include a case waterproof to 80m, tripod, arm extender, flat polarised lens cover and silicone sleeve.

It’s not only a video camera though; the CM-1000 will also take still images at 6MP 4:3 (2848 x 2136). With the Shimano Sport Camera you’ll never miss a fishing photographic opportunity ever again.

RRP: $400 www.shimanofish.com.au



iON Adventure

The iON Adventure shares several features with the Air Pro range, but has some key differences which make it better suited to anglers. While it shares the non-housed design (which means no fogging) and tripod mount with the Air Pro, the Adventure comes equipped with a single button instead of the slide design of the other iON cameras. It’s still easy to operate, with vibration and visual feedback, but the flat lens on the Adventure helps underwater footage look sharp and focused. It has a built in GPS, which includes location, speed, and altitude.

Finally, the Adventure features a loopfilming mode that constantly records, making sure you capture those big moments and never miss a fish jump again.

RRP: $399 www.aus.ioncamera.com

Camera Feature 

iON Air Pro 3

The iON Air Pro 3 is the flagship of the iON range of cameras. It’s able to shoot 1080p at 60 frames per second, or 720p at a whopping 120 frames per second, which gives you the ability to shoot ultrasharp slow motion footage.

The iON is waterproof straight out of the box, removing the need for a waterproof housing and preventing lens fogging. The one touch slide, along with its vibration feedback feature, offers easy operation, and with a 160° field of view you can guarantee you’ll never miss the action. All iON cameras use standard ¼” Tripod mounts, and a variety of mounts are available.

RRP: $449 www.aus.ioncamera.com



iON Air Pro 2

Sony Action Cam Accessories

3

Once you have your Action Cam, and know how to drive it, you’ll be in a position to take advantage of all of the accessories available to make your shots even better. Here’s a snapshot of some of the angler-friendly accessories available for the Sony model.

A float attachment is great insurance when you’re pushing the limits on the water to get a great shot. The flat-fronted dive housing ensures that the focus underwater is crisp as can be – and extends the depth capabilities to 60 metres.

Stick-mounted cameras can give a unique perspective while driving boats or alternatively sneaking up on spooky fish while underwater, while the rail clamp is great for boats with rails around the gunwales.

Lastly, the universal clamp is the accessory that you need if you’re just going to get one accessory.

RRP: From $19 More Info: www.sony.com.au/actioncam

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the Air Pro 3, the Air Pro 2 is the perfect solution. It still shoots in slow motion (but at a lower frame rate), and is waterproof to a depth of 10m, so it’s still a great choice if you’re looking for an action cam. Sharing the Air Pro 3’s one touch slide, lack of housing and tripod mount, and with an even wider 180° ultra wide angle field of view, the Air Pro 2 is perfect for the budget-conscious buyer.

RRP:$349 www.aus.ioncamera.com

iON Air Pro 3 SRP

$

449



iON Air Pro 2 SRP

$

349



Sony Action Cam Accessories SRP

from

$

19 3

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channel?

150

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has a

JULY 2014

77

Top winter tactics TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

Finally it’s started to cool down and the water temperature has dropped as a result. It has been a slow process this year, which has allowed the fish plenty of time to adjust and therefore keep biting quite well. Even golden perch have continued to fire well for lure fishers much longer than expected.

There is a fair chance all this will change this month as now things have finally

cooled down enough to have some significant influence.

Lure anglers can still expect to have quite a bit of action if they are smart about the way they fish. In the lakes, where the closed season doesn’t apply to bass, lures will be a great option for those looking to catch plenty of fish. While chasing bass on lures, you can expect to come across the occasional golden perch. Specifically targeting goldens will be tougher unless you use bait.

In the rivers, big Murray cod will be on the hit list for some anglers. These fish bite right through the coldest

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY The schooling fish in Somerset have gone into shut down mode. Schools of bass have been turning up around the flats close to the river bed in the middle reaches of the dam. While easy to find, they are hard to catch. Live shrimp would be one of the best ways to tempt them but this doesn’t help if your heart is set on landing them on lures. Casting soft plastics, lipless crankbaits and blade baits can score the occasional fish but don’t expect miracles.

The fish have bit in windows and if you are lucky enough to be on them when they bite you can put a few quick ones in the boat before they shut down again. The use of deep flies and ice jigs in the schools are often the most reliable winter approaches.

A mate from work, Slipdog, has been doing better in the upper part of the dam. Trolling lures above the power lines has produced some nice bass.

Try working lures along the banks and riverbed drop offs in 5-8m of water.

The golden perch have been quiet in the area but it’s good to see reasonable

numbers of bass. Lure casters could also give the area a try.

Try casting the edges but keep a close eye on the sounder for any deeper fish.

Hopping blades and working lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits deep through these fish may be rewarding.

WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, FERNVALE Wivenhoe Dam has been fishing quite well for those using the right approach.

I fished the dam several times over the last month and found a great edge bite on the steeper banks. Not many fish are showing on the sounder but as you move along slowly on the electric motor casting into the shoreline, bass tend to move off of the bank where they are holding in the shower water and swim out and suspend under the boat.

When the fish are suspended under the boat, they are tough to catch and one of the best ways to fool them is to jig ice jigs at the depth they are holding.

I have found continuously moving along the bank and not stopping to be most effective approach. The fish stay in on the bank where I am targeting them and I can then come back to the area and fish it again. If you stop

for too long, the fish will end up schooled below the boat and will follow you along as you travel down the bank.

Both bass and golden perch have been taking lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Try casting right into the bank and winding the lure about 10m out before pausing and letting it sink for about 5 seconds then slowly winding it back in. Most bites will come when winding after the pause when the lure sinks to around 3-4m deep. Lipless crankbaits in 50, 60 and 70 sizes all produce fish. It pays to fish with both rattling and silent models to see if one is working better than another.

My favourite spinnerbait has been a 5/8oz O.S.P. High Pitcher in nickel tandem blade configuration and a purple skirt (colour ST-17).

Dropping down live shrimp to fish on the steeper banks will certainly get results. If bass or golden perch are present they will quickly snatch them up. If you’re in the wrong area, you will be harassed by tilapia, banded grunter and fork tailed catfish. If you fish just off the bottom in around 5-7m of water on the steeper banks chances are you’ll catch the more desirable species.

Winter offers some beautiful days with light To page 79

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78

JULY 2014

16

14 31

Weipa

17

28

34

18

Toowoomba

BRISBANE 27

21

23 Impoundment Dams 1 Tinaroo Falls Dam 2 Peter Faust Dam 3 Burdekin Falls Dam 4 Eungella Dam 5 Teemburra Dam 6 Kinchant Dam 7 Cania Dam 8 Lake Monduran 9 Isis Balancing Storage 10 Wuruma Dam 11 Lenthalls Dam 12 Boondooma Dam 13 Bjelke-Petersen Dam 14 Lake MacDonald 15 Gordonbrook Dam 16 Borumba Dam 17 Somerset Dam 18 Wivenhoe Dam 19 Pindari Dam 20 Copeton Dam 21 Moogerah Dam 22 Maroon Dam 23 Leslie Dam 24 Connolly Dam 25 Coolmunda Dam 26 Clarrie Hall Dam (NSW) 27 Hinze Dam 28 Lake Cressbrook 29 Callide Dam 30 Lake Awoonga 31 Lake Samsonvale 32 Fairbairn Dam 33 Koombooloomba Dam 34 Cooby Dam

Gold Coast

22

24 25 Cairns 1

26

19 20

33

Townsville 2

3 4

Proserpine 6 Mackay

5

32

Rockhampton

Emerald 29

Gladstone

30

7

8

10

Bundaberg 9 11

Highlighted dams are covered in this issue

Maryborough

Roma

BRISBANE

Bass and the occasional golden perch have been taking lipless crankbaits fished around the steep banks at Lake Wivenhoe.

Try to get the lure down at least 3m for best results.

DAM LEVEL Report       

13

15

months on lures but expect to work hard for them and the action to be slower as golden perch won’t respond to artificial offerings as well.

Barra anglers can still managed to score if they put in the time. Fishing in stable weather conditions when the days are warm and wind free should see the fish more responsive. Winter is a good time to chase these fish if you like having the water all to yourself. For some reason fishers give the winter months a miss in the belief that barra are impossible to catch.

Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel!

DAMS FEB MAR APR MAY JUN Atkinson 70 64 70 68 65 Awoonga 91 87 99 98 96 Bjelke-Petersen 78 72 68 68 67 Boondooma 84 80 78 77 76 Borumba 84 77 100 100 100 Burdekin Falls 63 100 101 100 99 Callide 68 64 66 64 63 Cania 94 90 92 92 91 Clarendon 80 74 78 75 73 Clarrie Hall 61 94 91 n/a 99 Cooby 93 92 85 83 81 Coolmunda 55 47 51 51 50 Copeton 37 33 33 33 33 Cressbrook 94 93 98 98 97 Dyer/Bill Gunn 80 73 78 77 74 Eungella 100 100 100 100 99 Fairbairn 54 54 53 51 50 Glenlyon 43 39 38 37 37 Hinze 90 88 95 93 92

Gympie

12

For fortnightly updates Julius 62 85 80 76 73  Kinchant 69 93 99 98 97 Koombooloomba 28 60 70 92 97  Leslie 48 40 38 38 37  Macdonald 60 54 104 103 100  Maroon 90 88 96 95 94  Monduran/Fred Haigh 86 81 87 87 86  Moogerah 85 82 92 91 90  North Pine/Samsonvale 76 74 78 76 74  Peter Faust/Proserpine 88 89 89 96 95 Pindari 20 16 17 17 17  Somerset 96 95 100 99 99  Storm King n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a  Teemburra 93 98 101 101 101  Tinaroo 58 67 77 91 91 Toonumbar 92 89 100 100 100  Wivenhoe 90 87 91 91 89  Wuruma 89 84 83 81 80

on Sunwater dams visit www.sunwater.com.au



This symbol

indicates that a

Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

All figures are % readings Current as of 18/6/14

From page 78

winds and these days are the ideal time to head out on the water. When the wind is blowing from south east or south west at over 15 knots a lot of the steep banks in the lower part of the dam where the action is best are uncomfortable to fish due to the dam being so open.

Remember, Wivenhoe has been opened to powerboats. Only 4-stroke outboards or low emission 2 strokes are allowed to be used on the lake and boats must not exceed the 6 knot speed limit. Even with these restrictions in place it is much faster to get around the lake than using just your electric and you don’t have the fear of running out of battery power.

MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, ARATULA Lake Moogerah fired up last month and anglers flooded there to cast lures and catch huge numbers of bass. The bass turned up in several areas and moved around a little due to the high amount of fishing

pressure. One of the best areas to target was to the left of the boat ramp closest to the trees. Bass schooled out from the first tree-lined point up into the timber in 7-10m of water.

The same area will be worth a look this month. Be prepared to look around as the fish have been mobile but once found bite quite well. Bass will respond well to soft plastics and hopped 1/4oz blades and lipless crankbaits. The action may not be as furious due to the high amount of fishing pressure the fish have experienced over the last month. Fishing on weekdays when there are fewer boats about is the best way to ensure a good bite. I headed to the lake on a weekend last month and we were scoring fish in double hook ups to start the day off but as other boats moved in to the same area the action died down until it was hard to get a bite.

Bait fishers who can get their hands on some live shrimp will be well rewarded. Try fishing the same areas as the lure casters and drop shrimp straight to

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSET TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA The golden perch have moved out into the deeper parts of the lake. Fishing in 13-17m of water has produced good numbers of golden perch. Out from the steep bank at the start of the northern arm has been productive. The fish are responding well to lures in this depth where the water temperature is more stable than right on top where weather has a big influence on suddenly changing temperature.

If luring these fish, stick to blades, soft lipless vibes or ice jigs. These lures can be slowly hopped off the bottom where the fish are most likely to hold. Trolled lures don’t reach the required depth and therefore won’t produce fish.

Bait fishing with shrimp and saltwater yabbies to the deep fish can be even more productive. A lot of successful anglers sit on a spot and fish both bait and lures at the same time. The bait tends to draw the fish in and keep them interested while you are jigging lures on top of them. Pinpoint anchoring in the deep water is a must for guaranteed success. If the wind is changing direction, the boat will swing around a lot when anchored. An i-pilot electric motor will allow you to take a GPS spot lock and hold right on your chosen mark.

Cooby is an electric motor only dam and is well

suited to kayaks and canoes.

The concrete boat ramp is on a shallow angle when the dam is full and can be slippery in places but a big electric powered boat can still be launched with care. Outboard motors can be left on the boat but must not be used.

Live shrimp and saltwater yabbies can be purchased from Highfields Bait and Tackle on the New England Highway in Highfields. Call in and see Doug and check out the great range of fishing gear, kayaks and accessories he has on display.

COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD Coolmunda is still fishing well for golden perch. Baits have been the most reliable producer and shrimp, saltwater yabbies and small crays are all taking fish. The deeper parts of the timber close to the creek bed are certainly worth a shot.

This area has been producing golden perch and the occasional big Murray cod.

The Coolmunda Caravan Park is only around 1km away from the lake. The park is just off the Cunningham Highway but far enough away from the noise of trucks to get a good night’s sleep. It offers camping sites, cabins, caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. The park now has an extra two new wheelchair friendly cabins to add to their older ones. Camping is also available near the boat ramp with toilets and hot

the bottom under the boat.

Fishing up in the trees on the eastern side of the dam in about 7-9m of water is a good option and here you should also encounter some golden perch mixed in with the bass.

MAROON CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, BEAUDESERT Maroon will be a good choice if you want to catch a winter bass. There are smaller schooling fish to be caught on the points and outside the weed edge.

Bigger fish can be caught closer to the weed beds.

Casting is the best way to extract these better quality bass. Jerk baits and suspending minnows are a good option in the winter months. These lures can be ripped down into the weed and paused in the pockets where big fish lie in wait.

One of my favourites is the Cultiva Rippin’ Minnow 70SP. These lures are light and I find a spin outfit spooled with 6lb braid best to get the good long casts needed to not spook fish.

Twitching lightly showers to make your stay more comfortable. To take advantage of this and the great fishing opportunities in the lake and the river below, give the park a call on (07) 4652 4171.

LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Usually the cooler water temperatures in winter shut the golden perch down on lures. The warmer than usual conditions last month had the fish biting quite well on cast and trolled lures.

Trolling will slow right down this month but lure casting may continue to produce reasonable numbers.

Hopping lures around the rocks in the upper part of the dam around the Black Boys can produce great fishing.

Soft lipless lures like Jackall Mask Vibes and Transams are the pick with small blades under 1/4oz also worth a try.

Last month, Toowoomba angler John Schwerin, managed to score dozens of golden perch and one cracking Murray cod on lures. The secret was using the Side image feature on his Humminbird sounder to locate submerged granite rock formations and then cast a lure and hop it over them. At times they were having double hook ups on golden perch and the cod they landed really topped a great day off.

While it may be worth hopping lures around the rocks this month, be prepared to give the lure fishing away and try some bait if the action is slow. Live shrimp and saltwater yabbies will be the best baits when fished near

Blake Ehrlich landed this Moogerah bass on a hopped Jackall Mask Vibe. weighted soft plastics or subsurface flies through the weeds are other options.

The key to catching fish in Maroon at this time of year

is putting lures in their face.

This will mean dealing with weed. You need to be close to it and be able to twitch out of it and have your lure

come out weed free so you can continue fishing.

It takes a while to master the art but the rewards are worthwhile.

the bottom in around about 4-7m of water.

For any tips and gear for fishing Leslie Dam or the

Warwick area, call in and see the guys at Warwick Outdoor and Sports in Palmerin Street Warwick.

The store stocks a great range of freshwater gear, which is well suited to catching our Australian natives.

The South Burnett Experience www.southburnett.qld.gov.au

Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam villa & cabin accommodation powered & unpowered sites swimming pool & tennis court ensuited caravan sites camp kitchen dump point Book your BP Dam stay today on (07) 4168 4746

ONLY 1 HOUR APART

and only a couple of hours from Brisbane

Lake Boondooma Caravan and Recreation Park self contained cabins powered & unpowered sites kiosk camp kitchen refuelling facilities walking tracks dump point Book your Boondooma stay today on (07) 4168 9694 JULY 2014

79

WIDE BAY AND BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY Boondooma is a great winter bass fishery. While chasing these fish you can expect to encounter quite a few golden perch as well.

Up in the timbered reaches of both the Boyne and Stuart arms, the bass have been whacking spinnerbaits around the deeper trees.

Most of this action takes place in the upper parts of the timbered sections.

In the basin of the lake schooling fish are a lot of fun. These fish have been quite mobile and can be found anywhere from the middle reaches of the dam’s basin to the start of the timber. Sounding out from the banks in 4-9m of water should reveal the schools.

When the cold finally arrives it may force the fish a little deeper so be prepared to take this into account

when searching for fish. Once found they can be caught by casting soft plastics, soft vibes, tailspinners, blades and ice jigs.

Boondooma is a great trolling dam in the warmer months but trolled hardbodies aren’t very effective once it cools down. Forget the hardbodies and switch to trolling soft plastics rigged on 1/2oz jigheads as this is a great winter technique. Fish the plastic about 40-50m behind the boat and drag it along at 2-2.5km/h using the electric motor. This is a good way to locate fish. If one rod goes off, stop moving and fish any plastics still in the water back to the boat or cast another back to the spot where the fish was hooked.

Boondooma is a great place to camp right near the water and sit by the fire when it’s cold. You could also do it in more style and book into one of the cabins overlooking

Your Impoun dment Specialis ts

We ha ve it AL L…

115 Palmerin St, War wick Qld

PH

07 4661 3533

MORE &QUA LITY

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JULY 2014

the dam. The kiosk at the main office does hot food and other basic items. For campsites, cabins and bunkhouse rooms call Corey and Niki on (07) 4168 9694.

BJELKE-PETERSEN CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI There should be reasonable numbers of golden perch and smaller bass to be caught in the main basin. Jigging lures in 5-8m of water will catch both species. Blade baits in 1/4oz and 3/8oz weights and lipless crankbaits are perfect for this approach.

Last year the fish moved well up into the timber. This year the lower lake level should see them closer to the start of the trees. Try fishing the deeper trees rather than the banks in the timber.

Redclaw numbers have dropped right off so if you are visiting the lake concentrate on bagging some fish rather than the crayfish.

For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into your local Bass 2 Barra store. You can see Matthew at Kingaroy or Dylan in Dalby and the boys will have you all geared up and ready for action in no time.

ISIS BALANCING STORAGE CLOSEST TOWN: BUNDABERG The weed beds are dying off in the Isis, which is encouraging more bass to head to deeper water. It looks as though the schooling bass in the middle of the lake will provide the most action next month. These fish were fairly small last month but as more fish retreat to the deeper water, bigger models will turn up.

Hopping lures off the bottom through the schools is a good way to get them to bite. Blade baits around 1/4oz in weight are great for fish of all sizes. If you want to target the bigger models, try hopping Jackall Mask Vibes. These soft lipless baits have a bigger profile and often produce better quality fish. I like to load my Mask Vibes with catch scent and love Halco Freshwater and Estuary Scent or Pro-Cure Gel in mullet or nightcrawler to make them even more appealing to fish.

Sound around in the middle of the dam a couple hundred metres out from the boat ramp where the three arms meet to locate the schooling fish. Usually they will hold in areas which are less than 10m deep but on occasions may turn up even deeper. You will need to be able to rely on your sounder and your ability to read it to find success out in the open water.

Closer to the edges, the remaining weed will still hold some fish. Some of the locals like to use lightly weighted 3” plastics, which

they cut down even shorter to give them a smaller profile.

Just make sure you trim a bit off the head end. Other options include small blades, beetle spins and suspending minnows. When fishing the weed, look for the healthiest patches. This healthy weed won’t always be visible on the surface but you will hook and pull in plenty so just make sure the area you’re fishing has lush green looking weed.

The boys at Bundaberg’s Saltys Tackleworld fish the dam on a regular basis. Being so passionate about their bass fishing, they are the ones to talk to if you are heading to the lake for a fish. Saltys stock a great range of lures for both fresh and saltwater fishing and the Bundaberg area has plenty to offer.

MONDURAN CLOSEST TOWN: GIN GIN Last month, the barra went nuts. The fish fired up on plenty of the points upstream of White Rock.

Suspending or slow rising hardbodies continued to be the most productive. Plenty of these fish were in the mid 80cm size range and judging by the amount of bust ups and lost fish to tackle failure and lines breaking they are angry and strong. The barra are a really deep and chunky fish in Monduran and this gives them plenty of muscle to pull hard.

The points and backs of bays have been productive and it is handy to have side image on your sounder to see if the fish are moving through. If they aren’t on the sounder after an hour of flicking lures, move on until you find a point where they are cruising. At times, the fish can be stubborn and will sit right at the base of the old flooded black wattle. Keep casts tight to these spindly dead trees and when the fish light up, hopefully your lure is in the right area.

Jackall Squirrels have

Michael Hartin shows off some quality Cressbrook bass, which were caught in deep water using shrimp suspended below the boat. been very popular but other lures will work well too.

Jamie from Monduran Barra Charters has been doing well on bigger fish with the Storm Thunder Barra rigged to slowly rise during the pauses.

Pausing the lure and using a slow retrieve is the trick to getting the fish to bite. If the fish are on your sounder, slow it down even more and keep it in their face. A change in lure or technique can be made if you don’t have a bite and you know the fish are there. Don’t just change lures, sometimes minor changes in the retrieve can be the trigger.

Mix it up giving the lure soft or violent twitches or just a slow roll and pause. Other times it is just a matter of waiting until the fish light up and a bite window opens.

Don’t leave fish unless you know you’ve got another fish holding spot to head to.

The fish may slow down at the first sign of a cold snap but the action should pick up when the weather is stable. If you are doing it tough, just kick back and relax and slow everything down. The barra will be a little more lethargic. That is until you hook them!

The tackle store in Gin Gin, Foxies, stocks a range of effective barra lures. The store will mail order and you can check it out online at www.barratackle.com. au. Be sure to call in and get directions to some of the best barra fishing in the area or pick up one of the detailed maps.

Spinnerbaiting the banks in the lower reaches of Wivenhoe and up in the timber at Somerset can produce some decent bass. The fish will start to get fatter over the next couple of months as they roe up.

Accommodation can be booked through Lake Monduran Kiosk and Tackle Shop. They look after all the cabins, houses, powered and unpowered campsites, as well as house boats and boat hire. You can also make bookings for Guide Lines fishing charters through the kiosk, on (07) 4157 3881. I usually stay at the Gin Gin Hotel which

is about 20 minutes from the boat ramp. The rooms are very affordable and pretty basic but you can get a great feed and cold beer. To make a booking call (07) 4157 2106.

Jamie Bein runs Lake Monduran Barra Charters and fishes that dam more than anyone I know. His regular visits ensure he has a good understanding of what’s going on. Contact Jamie on

CAPRICORNIA REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE The dam has been quiet with not many anglers chasing the barra. The weed beds and lily pads are starting to return and the water looks quite healthy.

Redclaw numbers have been good but may taper off for the rest of winter.

Below the dam, the Boyne River is still producing barra. The saltwater reaches have had a big flogging by the netters so the numbers will be fewer but in the freshwater, barra are still being caught.

The fish are very pressured above and below Pikes Crossing in the freshwater but still continue to bite.

Soft plastics have worked well but a switch to hard bodies may be necessary to get them to chew now the water is colder. Slow presentations and staking out a good looking spot and working it over until the fish move through can pay off.

Plenty of the barra are around 70cm in length and will remain in the fresh until the next flood goes through.

This could be some time as the dam would need to run over again to push enough water down to allow them an escape route. Until then, they will keep getting hammered by anglers but will continue to grow.

If you are keen to try to tackle some fish in the dam, give Lyn and Mark

his mobile, 0407 434 446 or through his website www.lakemonduranbarra charters.com.

WURUMA CLOSEST TOWNS: MONTO, EIDSVOLD I’d love to hear more reports from Wuruma. Most people have commented on how tough the fishing is but I heard of some really hot bass fishing there about two

months ago. Well over 150 bass were caught between two boats trolling the timber over two days. The fish were of exceptional quality and came from the deep channel side of the tree-line.

If you are catching fish at Wuruma or take this advice and give it a go.

I’d love to hear your report and see your pictures at fishability1@bigpond.com.

from Awoonga Gateway a call on (07) 4975 0033. At Awoonga Gateway you’ll find clean, modern cabins

and your hosts will be full of useful advice to help you try to land that barra of a lifetime.

The freshwater below Awoonga Dam has been producing quite a few quality fish. Mark from Awoonga Gateway took out one of their guests who scored this decent barra.

Shantel Pavey caught a 66cm, 3kg cod at Bribie Passage using pilchards while drifting. She had on 25lb line and 30lb leader. She was pretty stoked as it was the first cod she’s ever caught.

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Hot on the light tackle CALOUNDRA

Rob Smith

As I write this, amazingly the Sunshine Coast is in the middle of a hot light tackle bite. We have not seen action this good for May or June since probably the super hot years of 90s. The negative is the blue marlin have been very hit and miss when everyone was expecting a good year. We are now well overdue for a big run of blue marlin on the shelf.

One of the last tournaments of each season is the Mooloolaba Gamefish Club’s Billfish Bonanza Tournament, which is always held around Anzac Day. This year it was a blue bite and not a sailfish bite that determined the winners. There were quite a few light tackle fish about but not everyone took their chances.

Dave Trask and his 51’ Riviera out of Redcliffe called Big Business did make the most of his chances with heavy tackle and went on to win with two tagged blue marlin.

Champion boat under 7m was Troy Proctor’s 6.85m Cruise Craft Dragon Lady. Troy is showing up on the podium a bit lately and will be one to watch next season.

The Gold Coast club also conducted their Garmin Heavy Tackle Tournament and it was the Sunshine Coast team from the 34’ Black Watch

weekend where the weather was not really favourable.

The blues luckily turned up for the Gold Coast Club that weekend with 31 heavy tackle fish being tagged.

Boats tagging blues at the Gold Coast during this bite period were usual suspects, Mistress, Murphys Law, Jugs, Gods Hands, Lucky Strike, Unreel, Ocean Instinct and Gemma III. Murphys Law the Stehman family trailer boat made the most of it with a nine strike, eight hook-ups and five fish tagged day on the blues around that time.

Across the other side of the earth a host of Australian teams were competing in the Offshore World Championships at Quepos Costa Rica. Unfortunately no Aussies finished on the podium this time but some epic fishing was experienced all the same. 2,314 billfish were released over the course of the tournament. The winning Angolan team released 76 billfish in just four days to win. The team representing the Sunshine Coast had a prefish day and were able to release 14 in a day on one of the gun boats, which was their highlight. The boat draw is the biggest factor in those types of tournaments and then you have to take all of your chances.

Up at the Sunshine Coast the light tackle fish kept coming. The battle for end of year trophies developed into a two horse race for quite a

centre console Jim Bob and 575 Cruise Craft Never Home skippered by Alex Fenwick.

Mick will be one to watch next season if he fishes as hard all season as he did at the latter part of the year. Alex put his fiance Kourtney onto her first blue marlin recently that was truly up there over 500lb.

Kourt had been working out to take on a blue and knocked it over in around 40 minutes.

The day before Dan Smith and his 530 Cruise Craft Game Plan weighed a 540lb blue marlin that died on them after only taking 300m of line and Megumi the charter boat out of Manly Harbour released one at 400lb the day before that so there were some definite big fish getting around that week.

Special mention also has to be made of Mick and Nicki Reeves from their Trailcraft runabout Dunno who on Easter Monday christened their boat after a few false starts. They went on to tag three for the day. Another 530 Cruise Craft newly launched for photo journalist David Granville and now called Cover Shot captured seven billfish on his first outing chasing them which was a great way to christen it.

With these billfish hanging in so late, so too have the mackerel and on charter we have been getting quite a few a day. The snapper are yet to show up with the warm water about but I did have one good afternoon chasing them with

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A fantastic 25.8kg Spanish mackerel on 15kg line from Caloundra.

Outside Edge who held on to win with three tagged blue marlin. They actually tagged four but reloading the tag pole at one stage they realised the tag didn’t come off the applicator and had the fish boat-side on the leader. Rules are rules so they didn’t count that fish but they got their win on count-back.

Surfers Paradise boat Ripples, Lance Ripley’s Haines Hunter, also tagged three to take out the small boat section and they did well fishing two up in the small boat over the course of the

while with Catapult and Misty duking it out, fish for fish but after a seven week lay off due to a faulty exhaust manifold, Reel Capture are back in the mix. 14 fish over one weekend, which included an eight fish day, certainly put them back in the mix. Things will go down to the wire over the next three weeks at this rate. Catapult had close to 80 tagged billfish and it is only the points differential due to line class separating the boats.

Other boats getting in on the action up the coast include Mick Lassen and his red

five after dark and three of the five true snapper size. During the billfish action I snuck out one Wednesday getting the first for Chris with the hot action only every second day then steady fishing the days in between. That fish brought up my 40th for the season.

• Give me a call at Smithys Fishing Charters on 0407 574 868 or check out my website, (www.smithysfishingcharters. com.au) if you are wanting to go out on charter, either offshore in my 7.7m vessel or inshore on my 4.55m Seajay Nomad barra punt.

JULY 2014

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KISS complicated rigs goodbye! widely popularised in modern times, these minimalist concepts are by no means new. In fact, renowned Italian artist and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci, summed them up beautifully more five centuries ago when he stated: “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.

I’m a firm believer that the ideas embodied in the KISS principle, Occam’s Razor and the belief that “less is more” all have a great merit when applied to angling, particularly

NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.me

In nine out of 10 cases, according to Starlo, the simplest terminal rig suited to the fishing task at hand is also the best choice for the job.

I’m sure most readers will have heard of the so-called ‘KISS’ principle. Depending on who you listen to, this popular acronym stands for either “keep it simple, stupid!” or “keep it short and simple”. Either way, it’s an idea commonly applied to all sorts of disciplines, from accountancy, medicine and marketing to various sports… including recreational fishing.

Along with KISS and the associated idea that ‘less is more’, I’m also a big fan of another time-proven principle known as Occam’s Razor, which can be distilled down to an eight word statement: “the simplest answer is usually the right one”. Successful police investigators employ this deceptively straightforward approach to narrowing down their lists of suspects for a crime, and smart doctors also apply it to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries.

Although they’ve been

A black drummer or “pig” taken from the rocks on a deadly simple running sinker rig. Need a bit more weight? Add a second sinker!

Swinging up a keeper bream caught on a straightforward bait fishing rig consisting of a small sinker running all the way down to a hook.

That’s all you need in so many situations.

Kids, in particular, really benefit from the use of simple rigging strategies.

What could be simpler than a hook tied directly to the end of your line?

in terms of how we choose, rig and use our fishing tackle.

I can’t believe how complicated some of the rigs I see illustrated or described in fishing books and magazines are. In a few isolated instances there may be good reasons for using more complex arrangements of terminal tackle when constructing a rig. However, it’s my firm belief — one born out by a lifetime of fishing experience and observation — that in at least nine out of 10 instances, the simplest rig for the job at

hand is also the best one by far!

Look at it this way: Every extra knot you add to a rig introduces one more potential failure point into the tenuous, fragile chain between you and the fish. Every additional item of terminal tackle you include increases the cost and time involved in constructing the rig… And every shiny doo-dad or nifty gizmo hanging in front of your bait, lure or fly is one more thing that’s likely to spook, alarm or distract a fish, potentially preventing it from taking your offering.

In a surprising amount of instances, a bait hook, lure or fly tied directly to the end of your line or leader is all you really need to catch a fish. If a sinker is required (especially for bait fishing), try simply threading one onto the line so it can run freely all the way down to the hook. If you really believe you need to keep that sinker away from the bait for some reason, add a swivel to the rig 30 or 40 cm from the hook and run the sinker on the line above this instead.

Those three rig variations — no sinker, running sinker right to the hook or running sinker above a swivel — should easily cover 95 per cent or more of your bait fishing needs. Sure, if you’re using a sidecast reel, you can always add another small swivel a metre or so up the line, above any other item of terminal tackle, to prevent twist. But that’s about it. You don’t need anything else!

Whatever you do, don’t overcomplicate things just for the sake of doing so, or because you’ve admired some snazzy, convoluted set-up illustrated in a book or magazine.

We’ll return to the subject of rigging many times in future instalments of this column, but for now, I want to leave you with a marvellous quote from the early 20th century French aristocrat and aviator, Antione de Saint-Exupery, who sagely said: “It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Think about it…

FISHING FILL-ITS

Fishers urged to help protect the endangered Mary River cod The Mary River Cod, one of Australia’s most endangered fish species, is listed as a no-take species under the Fisheries Act in 1994 to help preserve the remaining natural population.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) district officer Russell Overton said that the no-take classification requires fishers to return Mary River Cod back to the water unharmed if caught.

“Possessing Mary 84

JULY 2014

River Cod caught in its natural distribution is illegal in Queensland and can carry an on-the-spot fine of $440 or a maximum penalty of $110,000,” Mr Overton said.

“If caught unintentionally while targeting other species, care should be taken to ensure the fish is immediately returned unharmed to the water from which it came.

“If the hook cannot be successfully removed without harming the

fish, try to cut the line as close to the hook as possible to give the fish the best possible chance of recovery.

Mr Overton said that studies have shown that growth rates and the ability to breed are reduced significantly in fish that are caught on a regular basis.

“It’s important we do everything we can to protect the natural population of this iconic native species,” he said.

“Fishers who

regularly find they are unintentionally catching Mary River cod should consider altering their fishing equipment or location to try to decrease the likelihood of catching the species.”

Mr Overton said that fishers could legally catch and keep Mary River Cod at the state’s Stocked Impoundment Dams.

“Fishers are permitted to possess one Mary River Cod provided it is a minimum of 50cm in length and caught upstream

of the walls of Cressbrook, Hinze, Maroon, Moogerah, North Pine, Somerset and Wivenhoe dams, and lakes Dyer (Bill Gunn Dam) and Clarendon,” he said.

“Outside these areas, Mary River cod are strictly a no-take species.

“Regular patrols are conducted along the Mary River and its tributaries to ensure fishers are complying with the law.

“Members of the public can assist with the protection of Mary River Cod by reporting illegal

taking or possessing to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116. “ To assist investigations, take note of personal details such as the offenders’ appearance, age, clothing, vehicle registration details and location, however, do not engage the person, as this can compromise an investigation.”

For more information on no-take species of fish in Queensland, visit www. fisheries.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23. – DAFF

Testing Booth

Power-Pole Micro Anchor - The Game Changer The Power-Pole Micro Anchor has landed in Australia and it’s a great way to set your boat or kayak up in one location allowing you to fish without the worry of your rig moving while you’re concentrating on the fishing.

We’ve had three anglers, Grayson Fong, Simon Goldsmith and Steve Morgan out in the field testing the Power-Pole Micro Anchor and following are their thoughts on how well these units operate on various craft.

GRAYSON FONG This recent addition to the Power Pole family has really set a new benchmark in the kayak fishing stakes with its worldwide popularity making it a ‘must have’ for all serious kayak fishers. With its ability to anchor 1500lb of boat weight, kayaks of all shapes and sizes are covered, making it versatile for all applications.

My first exposure to the Power-Pole Micro Anchor was at the 2013 Hobie Fishing World Championships (HFWC) in Victoria where, freshly off its ICast Best New

Showcase Product win, the unit was fitted to each of the competitors’ factory Hobie kayaks for them to put to the test. Under the watchful eye of Power-Pole’s Vice President Rob Shamblin, who made a special trip Down Under to not only to showcase his pride and joy but to keep an unbiased eye on its international debut at a major competition. Rob’s apprehension for ‘his baby’ was soon turned to delight as anglers returned from their day one prefish with nothing but glowing praise for this awesome product. From ‘I can’t wait to buy one’ to ‘can I carry this back to England’, Shamblin’s wry smile was filled with satisfaction.

During the HFWC, weather conditions really put the Power-Pole Micro Anchor (PPMA) to the test as anglers battled through wind gusts up to 35 knots making conditions unsavoury to say the least.

But this is when the PPMA really came into its domain, holding anglers in spots we didn’t think was possible even with a boat anchor! I really put my PPMA through its

The Power Pole Micro can be controlled with a switch on the unit or the wireless remote. paces the whole weekend as fishing large weed flats, wide rubble patches and wind swept banks is my strength and with this tool it just added another weapon to my armoury.

The fibreglass spike allows for horizontal flex during wind gusts coupled with its low RPM, high torque motor to keep the spike firmly planted allowing me more fishing time and less stress in trying to hold position using the old conventional method.

Ideally I would use the PPMA to anchor my kayak in 5-6ft of water allowing the wind to point my kayak in the direction I was wanting to cast. This gave me the opportunity to punch an array of casts a full 180 degrees both sitting and standing without the worry of drifting and spooking fish through my chosen fishing spot. When finished with

Over 100 Micro Power Poles on the Hobie World Title competitor kayaks was a spectacular sight!

an area, having the PPMA’s wireless remote made moving effortless and quiet as I would simply up spike and pedal to my next spot.

I couldn’t imagine fishing ever again without the PowerPole Micro Anchor on my kayak as I believe it’s taken kayak fishing to a whole new level. Its quietness, efficiency and simplicity makes it a product you can easily fall in love with. As I usually tournament fish out of a boat, I couldn’t imagine not having an electric motor on it, which is my exact sentiments for the Power-Pole Micro Anchor on a kayak.

SIMON GOLDSMITH The Power-Pole Micro Anchor is the must have new fishing accessory for the small boat or kayak angler alike.

The Micro Anchor is suitable for boats under 16ft and all kayaks/canoes alike.

We have used the PowerPole Micro Anchor on a 16ft fibreglass bass boat and have been blown away by its performance and ease of use.

Combined with the separate composite spike you are able to quietly and efficiently anchor your vessel in up to 8ft of water, the same depth achievable by all but one of the full sized PowerPole anchors.

Compact and lightweight are the two biggest drawcards for the Power-Pole Micro Anchor. Not all boats are big enough and stable enough to allow the full sized PowerPole anchor and this is where the Power-Pole Micro Anchor fills the void and allows all the same great benefits at a more manageable and affordable size.

The Power-Pole Micro Anchor is controllable via the top of the unit itself or by a wireless remote you can either mount on the boat or keep on your person for ease of use from on the boat or on the bank.

The Power-Pole Micro Anchor is perfect for holding over productive areas. For example, when you are drifting over a productive flat and you hook a nice bream, set the Micro Anchor down and you could catch multiple fish from the same area. Previously you would have continued to drift over the flat, and these fish, while fighting and landing the first fish hooked.

It’s also incredibly handy for use around the boat ramp when launching and retrieving your vessel. No more needing to pull the boat way up the bank and potentially scratching or damaging the hull of your expensive investment. Just drop the Power-Pole Micro Anchor and keep your boat or kayak anchored just off the bank, ready for retrieval or to head out on the water.

I have so many anchors, but only one Power-Pole Micro Anchor.

STEVE MORGAN I’ve come at the PowerPole Micro Anchor from the other direction. Being a bass boat owner, I’d had a bass boat Power Pole fitted to the last three of my boats. And what I thought was initially a bit of a novelty quickly became a must-have piece of equipment.

Grayson and Simon have run through the basics of this unit, but as you become a proficient Power Pole user, you’ll find there are subtle advantages that you won’t read about in the marketing material.

Firstly, the Micro has an easily removable pole for transportation. This mightn’t seem like much, but a bass boat Power Pole in constantly up and I guarantee that it adds plenty of drag as you’re towing down the highway.

Take the Micro Anchor’s pole out and strap it to the deck and you’re resistance-free.

Secondly, I love being able to feel the bottom composition with the Power Pole. Seriously.

You can tell the difference between sand, gravel, mud and rock with the feedback from the pole. There’s plenty of situations where I’ve found isolated rock piles by lifting and dropping the Power Pole on the drift. And we all know that bream, barra, grunter and other estuary predators love rocks and rock-bars.

Thirdly, I love the stealth.

Sure, you can hold position with a standard anchor or an iPilot with Spot Lock, but the Power Pole does this the most silently of all. Drift up to a snag, deploy the Power Pole with the push of a button

and you can work over the prime structure quietly and efficiently.

Lastly, the Power-Pole Micro Anchor effectively gives these advantages to boaters for a fraction of the price of the original versions.

You don’t get much change from $2,500 for a standard Power Pole. For under $1,000, the tinnies of Australia now have another ‘must have’.

Nowadays, every other tinnie has a bow mounted electric motor attached. The Power-Pole Micro is the next on the list.

Check out a Power-Pole Micro Anchor at your nearest Hobie dealer or at the Fishing Monthly Bluefin Jon Boat at any of the boat shows we attend. – FMG

JULY 2014

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What’s new fishing Powered by

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ZEXUS FROM JAPAN

After a year of testing in the Australian outdoors, Fish-Tec Solutions is proud to introduce the high quality Zexus light range from Japan.

Zexus has been making lights in Japan for 30 years, so you know you’re getting a tried-and-tested, quality product. The range is comprehensive and you can pick from headlamps, cap lamps, lanterns or torches.

Zexus lights come with state-of-the-art functions such as motion sensor on/off, adjustable light diming, battery power saver and up to 8W Japanese LED power – there really is a light for every situation. And these lights are made by fishermen for fishermen, so you can always rely on them to perform.

For more information on the range of Zexus Lights visit the Fish-Tec website or email sales@fish-tecsolutions.com Price: Varies www.fish-tecsolutions.com

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WILLIAMSON POPPER

The Williamson Popper Pro takes the traditional popping action to the next level and produces extraordinary results.

At a length of 130mm, the streamlined profile of the lure opens up a range of surface fishing options to all anglers. You can pop, bloop, slash and stall the lure to mimic a frantically fleeing baitfish across the surface.

The designers have precisely weighted the Popper Pro at 35g to ensure the lure’s natural buoyancy when in the water, and maximum hook exposure. In addition to this, the rear casting mechanism ensures the angler is able to maximise their casting distance.

By incorporating heavy-duty oval split rings and VMC 7266 single hooks, Williamson ensures you remain connected once your fish is hooked. Additionally, the laser-cut plate hook hangers and in-line hook design further enhances the Popper Pro’s swimming action, point exposure and hook set.

Price: RRP $21.95 www.rapala.com.au

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SHIMANO BLACK TEREZ RODS

Shimano’s Terez series was launched back in 2012 with much deserved fanfare, as here was a complete range of rods designed with the right tapers, actions and componentry to fish braided lines to the absolute hilt.

Now Shimano has released a completely new series for the 2014 season, with one major difference — this time they’re black! All the popular models have been retained in the choice of spin or overhead configurations, as has the commitment to first class fittings — custom EVA butts and foregrips, custom aluminium reel seats, Fuji K series Alconite guides, and it’s all based around Shimano’s legendary TC4 blanks. These contain double inner layers of advanced TGlass over-wrapped with a spiral of high modulus graphite to bring out the best in braided lines.

The two lightest models in the range are actually built on Shimano’s high modulus C4S blanks, which are cross-wrapped with extra layers of graphite for even greater sensitivity and robustness.

Price: from RRP $199 www.shimanofish.com.au

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NEW TONIC STYLES

Tonic Polarised Eyewear added two new high-fashion frame styles to its range of high-performance sunglasses: the Torquay and Cove.

“The new models are for people who want all the Tonic performance, but prefer a more cosmopolitan style,” said Tonic founder Doug Phillips.

Mr Phillips said the new models were available with the same range of lens options as Tonic’s original fishing styles, including grey and photochromic copper in Tonic’s UltraOptic lightweight glass lenses.

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

The range includes eight wraparound styles, including Evo and Rush with ClikStrap removable safety strap. To find your nearest stockist check out the new store locater on the Tonic website, which lists all 200-plus retailers in Australia and NZ. Price: RRP $259 with UltraOptic glass lenses www.toniceyewear.com.au

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ECOGEAR SHAD COLOURS

The body roll and sonic body sound are features unique to the Ecogear Shad. The special body design makes the lure achieve the maximum vibration in the water at the slowest retrieval speed.

These soft baits use natural sinking material. It allows for further casting with great swimming actions on the surface with the no sinker rig for sight fishing. It is easy to make long casts due to the special Ecogear heavy soft plastic material and centre of gravity of the lure design. Two tournament winning colours – rainbow trout and eel – are being reintroduced to Australian market, along with the new colour mud gudgeon. Log onto the Ecogear website to check out the full range of colours for the Ecogear Shad.

Price: RRP 12.95 www.ecogear.com.au

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PR KNOTTER TOOL

S.A.S Braid continue to push the boundaries with innovative new products.

To complement their ultra-thin, high strength line they have released their own modified PR Knot Tying Tool. The PR Knotter gives anglers the advantage of an incredibly strong knot with a super slim profile.

The PR knot provides maximum strength, not found in other knots, which dramatically reduces the chances of line breakage at the weakest point (normally just above the knot). Its super slim profile makes running long leaders a breeze and minimalizes noise through the guides. Boasting a tested average of 97% knot strength it ensures it is a stand out from all other knots. With three different sizes available there is a PR Knot Tool for every application. To find your nearest stockist jump onto the S.A.S Braid website or follow them at www.facebook.com/sasbraid. For all trade enquiries call (02) 6551 5029.

Price: from RRP $119.95 www.justfishingtasline.com

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Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JULY 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by

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THE STUBBY STRIP

Aussie Brett Gresham developed the Stubby Strip to provide a convenient new way to carry beer and other beverages.

It’s designed for the times when you just want to have ‘a couple of drinks’ – perhaps you’re in the car, watching footy at a mate’s place or having a BBQ at the park – but don’t want to lug around an esky.

Designed to carry between one and seven drinks, the Stubby Strip has pockets that safely and conveniently store your beverages while keeping them cool. You just put the stubbies in the pockets, roll the Stubby Strip up, fasten it with the Velcro flap, grab the robust handle and you’re on your way. And you’ll never again forget your stubby holder because there’s a detachable one built in.

As well as holding stubbies, the versatile Stubby Strip can hold soft drinks, water bottles, kids’ drinks and cans. And as an added bonus for keeping drinks cooler for longer, you can put a frozen water bottle in the middle pocket as an ice pack for the other drinks.

Once the Stubby Strip is empty, you simply roll it up and stick it in your pocket.

The Stubby Strip currently comes in five colours – black, camo, blue, red and purple.

Scan the QR code hereabouts or visit the website to watch a video of the Stubby Strip in action. You can also ‘Like’ the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stubbystrip to keep abreast of the latest developments.

Price: $29.95 www.stubbystrip.com.au

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FLASHERS HOOKS

The Flashers hook is the perfect hook for making your own paternoster rigs when fishing the reefs or sand flats.

They are designed in specific fishattracting colours tied to a chemically sharpened circle hook. The tied flashing material catches the attention of the fish while the super sharp circle hook ensures that the fish is hooked on when it bites into the bait. Improve your chance of hook-ups by using bait for the best results.

Flasher circle hooks come in two sizes, 6/0 and 7/0.

Price: RRP $7.95 www.elkatfishing.com.au

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ZMAN SCENTED PADDLERZ

ZMan Scented PaddlerZ are a realistic baitfish profile that are available in nine colours and 4” and 5” models to suit your favourite medium to large predatory species.

They have already proven to be dynamite on flathead, snapper, mulloway, barramundi, mangrove jack and more.

The segmented tail design of the PaddlerZ creates maximum action with minimal movement, making it an extremely versatile lure option – slow roll it like a swim bait, twitch it and hop it like a jerk bait, or retrieve it at speed for pelagic species.

PaddlerZ feature ElaZtech, 10X Tough construction for ultimate durability. Other benefits of ElaZtech include its super-soft and flexible realistic feel that keeps fish biting, and built-in buoyancy that sees the tail standing up and moving with the water when at rest on the bottom.

Available colours include bad shad, Houdini, electric chicken and smoky shad. Available in 4” and 5”sizes and 9 colours, PaddlerZ come in packs of five and are pre-scented with Pro-Cure to attract fish and trigger strikes.

Price: SRP $9.95 www.z-man.com.au

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ABU KR-X LIGHT JIG

Abu Garcia Salty Stage rods were designed in Japan for the ultimate in micro and light jigging performance. They feature the latest in Japanese jig rod design, quality components and striking cosmetics.

Powerful composite blanks incorporate carbon and glass with carbon X-wrap to reduce rod twist and increase power. The lightweight properties of the Fuji KR concept guide system improves the blank action while tight line control is achieved with reduced diameter KR ring sizes. The upshot of all this is improved sensitivity, particularly on the drop when jigging.

Salty Stage rods feature a sophisticated grip design that delivers a lightweight and ergonomic grip system developed for unparalleled comfort and control.

The six model line up includes three spin and three overhead models. All models are 6’3” 2-piece with a maximum PE rating of 1.5. The maximum jig weight is what differentiates each model with 80, 120 and 150g models available in both spin and overhead configurations.

Abu Garcia recommends using the KR-X Light with C’ultiva Gekito jigs. It is perfectly matched to Penn Conflict, Abu Garcia Revo SX and Revo Toro NaCL reels.

Price: from RRP $ $299 abugarcia-fishing.com.au

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ECOGEAR CK 40F07

The CK 40F07 is a range of classic ‘bulbous teardrop’ shaped lures that are synonymous with serious sportfishing.

These lures have been designed for fishing in and amongst the shallows and deep in both fresh and salt water. The compact shape of the CK 40F07 means that it casts like a bullet, and fish love its classic sideways wobble.

This lure is now available in popular colours 313 and 392. Log onto the Ecogear website to check out the full colour range.

Price: RRP $22.95 www.ecogear.com.au

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OKUMA OZMODO

Designed to combat Australia’s harsh saltwater conditions, the Ozmodo steps out with a full aluminium gearing system that is incredibly strong and exceptionally lightweight. With ABEC5 spool bearings making up the bearing system, the Ozmodo delivers lasting power and performance.

The low-profile design of the reel and soft touch handle grips make the Ozmodo extremely ergonomic as it sits comfortably in the angler’s hand. As a result of this, the angler’s casting accuracy and lure control is increased considerably when pitching lures close into snags.

As with all Okuma reels, the Ozmodo comes complete with a Lifetime Guarantee.

Price: from RRP $259.95 www.okuma.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JULY 2014

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What’s new fishing Powered by

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SHIMANO SPHEROS SW

The Spheros series of spin reels has been given a full makeover. The previous FB series were reliable work horses, while the new ones have increased creature comforts for improved performance, while still remaining a gutsy, no-nonsense reel.

New features include X-Ship and X-Shield.

The former sees a larger cold-forged drive gear and a double bearing supported pinion gear increase performance under load, while the latter means sealing gaskets have been placed in locations where water could otherwise enter the reel body.

Depending on the reel model, the Cross Carbon drag can be cranked up from 10 to 18kg. The machined aluminium handle and the four SA-RB bearings making winding effortless, even under heavy load.

Accurate distance casting, even with big, bulky lures and baits, is achievable thanks to the AR-C lip design of the cold forged spool.

Price: RRP from $299 www.shimanofish.com.au

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PROX LIP GRIPS

Specialty Fishing continues to expand on their range with the PROX Fish Catcher Long and Fish Catcher 2 lip grips, imported direct from Japan.

Fish Catcher grips are made of a combination of stainless steel, aluminium and carbon fibre. This makes them strong, lightweight and, with their ergonomically designed handle, a pleasure to use. Both have a spiral cord and carabiner that allows you to have them always within arm’s reach.

Both sizes come in three colours, with the Fish Catcher Long also available in a limited edition black/silver checker plate print while stocks last.

To order your lip grips go to www. specialtyfishing.com.au. The Fish Catcher 2 is $65, the Fish Catcher Long is $82, and the limited edition version is $92. All prices include free shipping.

Price: from $65 www.specialtyfishing.com.au

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LIVE BAIT SLIDERS

Online retailer specialtyfishing.com. au has added new innovative live bait sliders to their list of products. Made in South Africa, these sliders are all about quality, strength and attention to detail.

Two styles are available, a Live Bait Slider (no spring) that allows your live bait to swim up and down your main line and a Non-Return Live bait Slider (with spring), which will not allow your live bait to swim back up your main line, only further down your main line.

They come in packets of two, with the non-return bait sliders costing $11.45 per pack and the bait sliders costing $10.95 per pack. Includes free shipping.

Price: from $10.95 www.specialtyfishing.com.au

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MEGABASS FX68R

The Megabass FX68R low profile baitcaster features a stack of innovative design features

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to make the fishing experience more effective.

The ergonomic design of this model features a T-Wing spool disengage lever which means when you press the lever to disengage the spool, the top of the reel rises creating a comfortable platform to press to quickly re-engage the gears.

There is also a magforce 3D dial located on the left hand side allowing over 60 individual adjustments. This controls the backwind and can be set for angler preference.

In addition there are also three settings underneath the reel, which also adjusts the magnetic control. They are Maxbrake, for heavy class lures such as large bibbed lures, All Round for general lures and LongCast, which is useful for anglers using a low pitch cast or flick where they cannot have room to use their full range of motion.

The FX68R weighs 190g and its highdensity carbon composite body is extremely rigid. The gear ratio is 6.8:1 and the reel can exert 5kg of drag.

Price: RRP $736 www.megabass.com.au

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MUSTAD FASTACH CLIP

The new Mustad Ultrapoint Fastach single piece clips are a game changer for Australian anglers. The Fastach saves you leader and time – you just twist and change your lure.

It really is the simplest method of changing lures and jigs you’ve ever seen.

These clips are made with strong stainless steel wire with a black nickel finish, and they’re available in six different sizes (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) to suit a wide range of species and situations.

Price: from approx. $6 www.wilsonfishing.com

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MAGELLAN EXPLORIST

The waterproof Magellan eXplorist range of outdoor GPS gives anglers the right tools to keep them on track and get them back to their starting point safely.

The eXplorist 610 and 710 include highly detailed Summit Series Australia Topographic maps that enable anglers to see and navigate inland river and lake systems. The maps also provide thousands of points of interest for useful facilities like toilets, shops and camping grounds. A breadcrumbs feature also records user’s tracks and helps them find their way back.

Other features include: Hunt and Fish and Sun and Moon calendars, up to 2000 waypoints, a transflective screen (makes the device readable in direct sunlight), and a 3.2 mega-pixel camera, microphone and speakers.

Magellan eXplorist 610 and 710 are compatible with Navionics maps.

Price: from $479 (610 model) www.magellangps.com.au

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TASSIE DEVIL COLOURS

Tasmanian company Wigston’s Lures has released 11 new Tassie Devil colours, which are available now. These new arrivals include a special KG lure in memory of a much-loved staff member of distributor JM Gillies, Ken Gangell, who passed away earlier this year.

Keep an eye out for the new colours in your favourite tackle store.

Price: approx. $5 www.wigstonslures.com.au

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Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JULY 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by

TESTED: Samurai Kestrel KE-402-70 and MajorCraft Crostage CRK 864E

halfway along the rod it’s closer to the butt end. Kestrels come supplied in a neoprene rod bag which offers protection to the blank and components. The top section fills the length of the bag and the butt piece in a pouch on the side.

Build-wise, Frogley’s hold nothing back with this range. Titanium-framed SiC guides with the K-style frame means that your line is looked after and wind knots are kept to a minimum.

The distinctive feature of the build, though, are the grey, offset rings in the black fore- and rear-grip Hypalon. All of the rods in the Kestrel range have them, and if you pick up a Samurai with that pattern it should have a RRP of $449.

What I liked • Classy rod bag.

• Quality build.

• Tangle-free K guides.

• Titanium guides reduce weight.

• Uplocking inset VSS reel seat a pleasure to fish with.

What I’d change • I’d put a hook keeper on above the foregrip.

• Does the bling catch you any more fish?

Some people think a first-cast fish is bad luck. I’m not one of those anglers.

First cast fish are great!

Recently two of our contributors had the opportunity to review two of the specialised rods in the Frogley’s Offshore stable: the Samurai Kestrel KE-402-70 (Steve Morgan) and the MajorCraft Crostage CRK 864E egi rod (Kaspar Lenigas). Here’s a rundown on how these rods performed.

SAMURAI KESTREL KE-402-70

It’s not often that testing meets with success as instantly as happened with the Samurai Kestrel. QFM Editor Stephen Booth delivered the KE-402-70 to my desk one afternoon with the instructions to “try this out on some of those night-time threadfin you’ve been catching”. So I did.

Matching it with a Daiwa Certate 3012 spooled with 12lb Unitika Silver Thread fluorocarbon, I tied on my favourite topwater – a 130mm OSP Bent Minnow.

Now, that’s a big call. Those bent baits are ridiculously expensive. It physically hurts paying $36 a pop for them (yes, I pay for my baits – this one came from the Tackle Warehouse and I did get my 10% ABT member discount!), so I’m pretty protective of them.

Only occasionally do I use a biteleader at the end of the straight-through fluorocarbon. It’s not often that you hook a salmon big enough in the Brisbane River to swallow a 130mm bait fully and if the lure is outside the mouth, these fish have a soft enough body to not damage the line – even relatively light 12lb.

Fishing with my brother Tim, we stopped at the first location: a nice light/ dark line with plenty of current running. Tim mucked around tying a new lure on, and unfortunately for him there’s an unwritten fishing rule that ‘if you snooze, you lose’.

Even though he hadn’t landed his first Brisbane night-time thready yet, I flicked the Bent across the current.

After its second twitch on the light/dark

line, it disappeared in a decent swirl.

Luckily, most of these fish swim upstream when hooked. It’s very handy, especially when fishing from the shore. After their initial shock, however, there’s a 50/50 chance that the second run may be downstream – and that’s exactly where this unit went.

After about 20 seconds the Kestrel was really being put through its paces. Naturally, there was only one piece of structure in the river anywhere near me, and the salmon was heading right towards it. If I had been fishing from a boat I would have let fish run around it, back off the drag and then go in and untangle the mess, but the opportunity to do that from the shore is minimal. If the fish makes it around the structure, the chance of a $40 bait going AWOL increases exponentially, so there’s not much choice but to lock up and see what happens.

There are only four things that could happen: 1. The line breaks.

2. The rod breaks.

3. The hooks pull out.

4. The fish turns around.

Luckily it was a #4 happy ending. The rod and line remained intact, the fish swam away after some happy snaps, I kept my Bent Minnow and some tourists walking past were impressed with the size of the ‘catfish’ in the Brisbane River.

Subsequently, the Kestrel has become one of the regulars for my night-time river raids. The casting distance is less with the fluorocarbon than braid, but I’m willing to sacrifice that for pulling fewer hooks with this soft mouthed species.

Technical

The Kestrel range is an evolution of the Frogley’s-designed Samurai rod range, and the entire Kestrel series is geared at bigger species in the estuary and bluewater.

The model tested was the 7’0” model rated at 10-20lb line. It’s an asymmetric 2-piece, which means that instead of the join being

MAJORCRAFT CROSTAGE CRK 864E

A specialised egi rod is crucial to successful squidding as it has a precise and specialised action to work your jigs to entice the shyest of squid, but most importantly fight squid and absorb their lunges without tearing the squid jig prongs through their soft tentacles. I’ve recently been using the new MajorCraft Crostage CRK 864E egi rod and I can confidently say that I’m highly impressed with it.

When I first laid eyes on the rod I noticed something very interesting: it’s a 4-piece squid rod which is pretty cool as most squid rods are 2

the jigs and the way the rod handled the squid during a fight. The rod has a beautiful soft tip and mid section to absorb the lunges of squid, but a slightly stiff bottom section. This low-down stiffness surprised me. I expected it might be an issue, because it was much stiffer than my other more expensive squid rods, but I didn’t drop a single squid out of the hundreds I caught on the rod. In fact, it felt like I had a little more control when fighting the squid with the stiffer bottom section, and I got better hook-ups from the strike as I got better prong penetration.

When I was working the squid jigs I tried aggressive jigs of the rod as well as slow jigs.

I found that no matter how big or small the squid jig was, the rod imparted a great darting action which really drove the shiest squid wild. With the stiffer bottom section I found the rod was able to work heavier jigs in deep water effectively and still be sensitive enough to feel the faintest touch of a squid (which can’t be done as effectively with most other squid rods on the market). Probably the most impressive thing I did with the rod was catch a 2kg tiger squid in Moreton Bay which is a pretty good achievement and my PB tiger squid to date.

After using the Crostage CRK 864E for a while I knew it was good for more than just squid thanks to its heavier bottom section. I decided to tie on a few surface lures and soft plastics and try for some fish.

You might think an 8ft rod is pretty long for fishing, but it’s actually great for land-based fishing or any application where you require a bit more distance. I managed to catch hairtail, squire, whiting, flathead, trevally and a few tarpon on the Crostage. The soft tip section gave the plastics and surface

Left: I was impressed with the action the Crostage imparted to the jigs.

Right: The rod’s slightly stiff bottom section gives more secure hook-ups and better control when fighting the squid. pieces. This 4-piece rod gives you more options as it’s easy to travel with, coming in a nice carry case. It comes fitted with Fuji K guides to prevent guide wraps from wind knots, and I can honestly say I didn’t have one issue with the rod casting.

I initially used the rod for squid using a variety of Yamashita jigs from 2.0-3.5. I was highly impressed with the action I got out of

lures a great action with minimal effort. The stiffer bottom section had great power to set hooks, even on fish with bony mouths such as tarpon.

If you’re in the market for a specialised squid rod or general purpose travel rod, the CRK 864E is definitely worth looking at. It has a lot of great futures and is an exceptional rod for the money.

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JULY 2014

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Old Town Predator 13 FMG

Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au

The Old Town Predator brings a lot of very good kayak innovations into the one package making this one heck of a fishing yak!

The company’s statement says ‘The Predator will bring you closer to the water and the action with highly customised features that are engineered to meet the needs of avid anglers and weekend warriors alike’. So let’s take a look at these features and while we are on the water, check out how well they perform.

SEATING This is perhaps the most important consideration for me as my old back just aint what it used to be these days. The Predator uses the Element Seating System, a system that provides three primary positions to offer the user the best seating position for the job at hand.

There is the travel setting, the attack setting and the stand-up setting, each providing a different seat arrangement.

The travel setting provides a lower centre

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of gravity to provide more stability. The attack setting provides a raised seat position for fishing and better overall view of the water and the stand-up setting allows anglers to stand up and have the Element Seating System quickly flipped out of the way. I played around with all of these settings and found the attack setting the easiest all-round setting.

Being a little older and wiser than I used to be, standing up in a yak is something I really don’t do much, however as the seat could fold away I thought I’d better give it a go and found it easy to do and stable with the seat folded away.

There was ample room and the strap attached in front of the mod pod allows less nimble users to lever off it to help them stand.

On the water, altering the seat was a bit of a drama.

I found it easiest to set it where you wanted it and go from there. The seat is absolutely magic. During a full day’s kayaking I did not have any dramas at all with the seating. In fact, as described to me when I picked up the yak, the seat is like being in a lounge

chair, and that’s pretty close to the mark!

Brilliant and comfortable is a simple summary.

EXO-RIDGE FLOORING In a departure from the smooth surfaces found on most yaks, the Predator has incorporated the Exo-Ridge deck. Essentially this feature is a textured design that ensured you and your gear stay as dry as possible while providing grip when standing up. It’s an interesting concept so I thought I would give it a go with shoes and without to see what difference it all made.

With shoes (I wear dive booties when yakking) there was absolutely no slipping at all. Without shoes I found the deck ridges a little harsh on my soft office feet. As for keeping dry, the ridge pattern was brilliant and when combined with the one-way scupper stoppers, the craft remained dry all day.

I thought the flooring was magic and a really good way of dealing with water in a sit on top kayak as they are all wet. Old Town has been sensible enough to understand water gets in and have developed ways to get the water out!

A POWER-POLE MICRO ANCHOR FROM

COMPETITION Fishing Monthly Magazines in partnership with Power-Pole and Hobie Cat® Australasia have created a competition where you can win one of these fantastic Micro Anchors for your kayak or tinnie.

It’s easy to win, just collect the three “code words” from the Power-Pole Micro Anchor ads in the May, June and July Issues of the magazine.

Enter the code words on this entry form and send it in for your chance to be in the draw.

First correct entry drawn wins the prize. Entries close July 31, 2014. Winners published September issue.

May code word: June code word: July code word: Name: Address: Phone [Day]: Email:

State:

P/C:

Send your entries to Micro Anchor Competition P O Box 3172 Loganholme, Qld, 4129

If you miss an issue of the magazine you can find previous issues archived digitally for free at www.issuu.com 90

JULY 2014

The proof is in the pudding. This little Australian bass slammed a Bassman Yellaman spinnerbait in tight to the sticks while we were drifting down the Brisbane River on our test day. Now that’s testing the product!

OTHER ADDITIONS There is a host of other features that make this yak such a good unit in the field for anglers. The large bow hatch with Old Town’s Click Seal Cover has plenty of room for bulky items like a tent, spare clothing or food bags, plus it’s waterproof!

The centre console makes use of the Mod Pod Cover, a cover that allows you to essentially customise where rod holders, sounders and other accessories are placed. It also has a drink holder right in the perfect place!

Additional storage can be had under the Mod Pod and if options are not enough in the standard position you can turn the entire mod Pod around and create double the positioning options. The foot rests are fully adjustable and there is side mounted paddle storage to keep the paddle safe and out of the way when necessary.

Two features I really like and that worked well in the field were the rod tip holders and the really neat one way scupper valves that slot into the 8 scupper holes.

The rod tip holders are two angled flaps found on the bow of the yak and when rods are stored along the length of the kayak, the tips slip under these flaps, protecting them, yet maintaining easy access to the rod. I will admit to not knowing what these flaps were when I picked up the yak, but they are brilliant in the field.

If you ignore the legs and booties (hey I never said I was a good looking man!) you’ll notice the easily adjustable foot rests and how close everything is to the skipper. It’s a very well thought out fishing craft.

The scupper valves are awesome. Kayaks are wet, or at least when I paddle them they are wet. Scupper holes are pretty standard on most yaks and some even have scupper stoppers, but the Predator has one way scupper valves that allow water out and no water in.

Add these to the Exo-Ridge deck and this craft is really

dry underfoot. I found it a brilliant combination to keep you drier, especially for us fair weather yakkers who don’t have the skills or the tendency to bash around in surf-like conditions. I will leave that to those way more talented than me for the moment!

SPECIFICATIONS Length:................................................................ 4m Weight:...........................................................32.7kg Width:............................................................. 0.85m Seat Width:..................................................... 0.54m Seat Height:.................................................... 0.38m Leg Length:.................................................... 1.22m Capacity:.........................................................190kg Price (from):....................................................$2,199

Scan this QR Code to check out the video on the Predator 13

The Venturi, one-way scupper stoppers are sensational. If water intrudes into the cockpit it can escape through the scupper stoppers but cannot come back in with the ingenious one-way valve. Combined with the Ex-Ridge flooring this craft stays super dry.

Accessories and some clever thinking are everywhere on this kayak.

The removable mounting plates found all around the craft allow even more customisation and they are strong enough that a Minn Kota will easily be fitted if you want powered yakking. You can put more rod holders, position the sounder exactly where you want, add cutting boards, tie down straps, safety lanyards and more to these mounting plates.

And being that this yak was designed for anglers there is a Humminbird transducer scupper included. In fact you can purchase the Predator with three package options and these are the basic unit, a 386CXI DI Humminbird option (as we tested the craft) and a 798CXI SI option. These options really make this unit buyer friendly as you can supersize the purchase and get one of the best sounders on the market or grab a base unit and add all those extras yourself. I love that idea.

ON THE WATER So while the Predator is one of the most well thought out kayaks for anglers I have been in, the big question is always, how does it perform in the real world?

And that’s what we wanted to test on the Brissie River one fine day while chasing bass.

Launch and retrieve is simple with this kayak and on the water it is fantastic. I’ll not say this is a racehorse with all the flighty characteristics of one, but rather it’s more of a reliable trail horse that gives incredible service every time.

All set up and ready to go with the sounder mounted on the Mod Pod, threadline stored in the gunwale rod holder and tip stowed safely while the baitcaster is ready to go in the Cannon rod holder. Bring it on fish.

Long distances in open water would tax paddlers, however if you’re wanting to explore the water closely and poke around while fishing, the Predator 13 is sensational.

Our trip down the Brisbane River was a great example of what this yak is perfect for. We travelled with the current, poked in and around all the snags and deeper edges and had some

fun tracking through some small rapids. At one point we did travel upstream about 3km and once you had some good momentum going the paddling wasn’t overly difficult, but the trip back down that pool, with the current while fishing was magic.

Stable?

Absolutely.

I swapped between a baitcaster and a threadline throughout the day and, as

you do in a yak, found myself doing all sorts of inventive casts at odd angles and not once did I feel like I was going to tip the craft. Landing fish, crashing through trees while I wasn’t paying attention, resting up against branches and logs, pushing down small rapids and simply paddling were great experiences. There is a lot to be said about a craft that allows you the peace of mind to simply concentrate on fishing rather than concentrate on staying upright, especially for those like me who are solely interested in the fishing side of yakking and not the fitness or distance or challenge of it all. Yaks for me are a means to an end and the Predator 13 is a terrific means to an end for low grade river fishing.

I reckon it’d also be great in canal estates, smaller coastal systems and inland lakes as it is simply such a fantastic fishing platform.

GET INTO IT Or should that be get on it? The Predator is a really good sit on top kayak that offers an angler a one-stop package where all the work is done for you. The options are almost limitless, the standard inclusions are great and everything works really well in the field.

If you want to grab a yak that has the ability to be a one person job, then the Predator is well worth having a look at as it meets a lot of criteria. So did the manufacturer’s claims come up to scratch? Simple answer is yes they did. The Predator is a bloody good kayak, one that will fish a variety of waters and take on a variety of fish with ease.

Top: The Mod Pod allows a large degree of customisation for rod holders, sounder and other accessories. Pre-drilled holes and Cannon rod holder slots mean you do not need to do much to have this rig ready to roll.

Above: The Click Seal Cover is a great way to keep things dry and safe. Super simple operation and a rubber seal underneath that stops water intrusion make this a great addition to the craft.

The rod storage system is fantastic. A bungy cord straps over the but end of the rod while the tip is protected by the soft tip protectors meaning overhanging branches do not snag and snap your rod tips. Great practical idea that works.

TOURS - Half Day and full day tours Southern bay Gold Coast.

5 Hobie Mirage Drive Pro Anglers and 1 Hobie Double Oasis in the fleet all fishing gear provided.

Phone for bookings 0439 714 345 website www.kayakfishingtours.com.au JULY 2014

91

Cooking

Cray Cocktail BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

First cook the freshwater yabbies.

I put my yabbies in the freezer to quieten them down. Then put about 4L of water into an 8L stockpot. I add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar for each litre.

Next put the pot of seasoned water onto the stove and bring it to the

boil. When the water has reached a rolling boil, you can then add the yabbies to the boiling water.

THAI COCKTAIL DRESSING 1 cup coconut cream 2tbsp chilli jam (or sweet chilli sauce) 2tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves 1/2tsp grated ginger 1tsp Thai fish sauce.

Stir these ingredients together until they are well combined.

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4

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Going in. When the water has reached a rolling boil, you can then add the yabbies to the boiling water.

3

When the yabbies are added, the water will go off the boil.

Bring the water back to the boil and the yabbies will be red and cooked.

5

Then twist one way, and then twist back the other way.

6

Pull the head away from the body (and visa versa) – clean out the ‘mustard’ from the tail flesh.

The thumb and forefinger grips on the body and the head.

Grip to crack the underside of the body shell (the soft side) open so that you can get at the body meat.

8

Using your thumbnail, continue cracking your way along the underside edge and open it up.

9

As soon as the yabbies come out of the boiling water, dunk them immediately into iced water in order to halt the cooking process.

Place the yabby meat onto shredded Iceberg lettuce and spoon the Thai Cocktail Sauce on top.

Pest fish tilapia threatening our waterways Fishing is one of Australia’s greatest recreational past times, with one in four of us enjoying casting a line. However, with the enjoyment of our rivers, dams and waterways comes responsibility for their sustainability and wellbeing.

The Murray-Darling Basin, Australia’s largest catchment, offers some outstanding angling opportunities including the mighty Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch and tandanus catfish.

If we want to continue to enjoy these fantastic fishing expeditions, we need to ensure we take care of our waterways by fishing responsibly and knowing what lives in our waterways.

Tilapia, one of the most invasive pest species in the world, is spreading rapidly throughout Queensland.

Condamine Alliance is urging everyone to be vigilant in the fight to stop it spreading into the Murray-Darling Basin.

Tilapia are regarded as one of the greatest threats to Australia’s aquatic ecosystems. They are known as the cane toads of our waterways and once they have become established in a flowing river or creek, they are almost impossible to eradicate.

Mozambique tilapia are now distributed throughout many locations in southern Queensland and are well established in four neighbouring catchments of the Murray-Darling Basin and are 3km away from the basin in some areas.

The Murray-Darling Basin is one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in Australia. It is home to 46 native fish species, including Australia’s largest and most significant freshwater fishing species the Murray cod.

If tilapia become established in the MurrayDarling Basin, they have the potential to decimate recreational fishing opportunities and negatively impact the ecosystems, economies and communities of the basin.

Covering more than a million square kilometres of land, the Murray-Darling Basin is Australia’s largest river system and one of the biggest river systems in the world. The basin includes 23 major rivers and passes through five states and territories—Queensland, New

South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia.

These pest fish cannot move overland so they rely on people to unwittingly or deliberately move them to new areas. Using tilapia as live or dead bait, releasing live aquarium fish and populating farm dams with tilapia present some of the greatest risks for them entering the Murray-Darling Basin.

Tilapia are mouth brooders so they keep live eggs and babies in their mouth. Even moving dead adult fish into the basin is high risk as live eggs or babies could be in their mouth.

Tilapia are the perfect invasive pest fish due to: • Highly efficient reproduction: tilapia are prolific breeders with a high survival rate due to parental care of fry. During drought conditions tilapia stunt and continue breeding to dominate drought refuge waterholes.

• Adaptable: tilapia can adapt to a wide variety of aquatic habitats, food sources and water quality. They can successfully survive in fresh and brackish water

Consultant Greg Ringwood from River Health and Habitat Restoration and Kevin Graham, Manager Water Condamine Alliance, on the hunt for the destructive pest fish tilapia.

WHY ARE TILAPIA SO BAD? Tilapia are a very adaptable and hardy fish.

They can destroy aquatic habitats, outcompete native fish for food, and their feeding and nesting resources, and can degrade water quality. If tilapia become established in the Murray-Darling Basin the

In winter tilapia can die off and in significant events choke and pollute waterways.

This would impact on native fish in a similar way to black water events currently do.

Tilapia can quickly outnumber native fish and often runt when resources and habitat are under pressure. All of these impacts are potentially

usually caused by people moving the fish between waterways.

Don’t use tilapia as live or dead bait. It is illegal to use them as bait. Tilapia are mouth brooders and even dead adults may still be carrying viable eggs/larvae in their mouths.

Don’t return tilapia to the water. If you catch any tilapia, kill them humanely and either bury them or put them in a bin.

Don’t empty aquariums or stock dams or ponds with tilapia.

It is illegal to stock, possess or release tilapia.

Heavy fines of up to $200,000 in Queensland and $11,000 in New South Wales apply.

Lastly, spread the word.

Tell your friends and family about tilapia. Our community is our best defence against

this potentially devastating infestation.

Report tilapia sightings The state governments track pest fish infestations. If you catch or sight any tilapia, or if you suspect someone of stocking or moving tilapia, report it. You will need to provide information such as the date, location, description of the fish, a photograph (if possible) and a description of the waterway.

An easy way to report tilapia sightings is by downloading Condamine Alliance’s mobile phone app.

The NRM Mobile Phone Plus App was designed to make it easy for the community to record sightings of tilapia.

The NRM Plus App helps to generate, store and share information about the environment, and is particularly useful when it comes to noting a potential invasion of a pest such as tilapia.

By sharing observations and findings with this app we can develop a greater understanding of the habits of tilapia, and track their movements in our waterways.

To report a tilapia sighting or for further information, contact Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on 13 25 23 or visit www.daff.qld. gov.au/fisheries/pest-fish or the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries on (02) 4916 3877 or Victoria DEPI on 13 3474.

The Northern Basin Tilapia Exclusion Strategy is funded by the Murray Darling Basin Authority.

– Condamine Alliance

Stop the spread of one of the top 100 worst pests in the world – tilapia. and will consume both plant and animal matter. Tilapia actively prey on small and juvenile native fish and are highly aggressive.

• Evolved to deal with the extremes: tilapia thrive in stressed aquatic habitats.

They have evolved unique adaptations to overcome drought, withstand high salinity and out-breed competitors. Tilapia dominate the fish biomass or stressed river systems.

pest would quickly dominate the water body.

Potentially the largest impact of tilapia becoming established in the Murray Darling Basin will be on water quality. This would likely impact on potable water treatment costs and water availability (stock, domestic and irrigation) for agriculture and food production. In addition, further reductions could be devastating to native fish numbers.

HOW TO HELP • Don’t bring tilapia into the Murray-Darling Basin alive or dead • Spread the word - tell your friends and family about tilapia • Don’t use tilapia as bait for fishing – dead or alive • Don’t empty your aquarium into rivers, creeks or dams • Don’t stock tilapia in dams or ponds – use native fish instead • If you catch tilapia, kill it humanely and bin it or bury it • Report any tilapia sightings or catches and if possible take a photo

damaging to recreational fishing industries.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Know how to identify tilapia Tilapia vary in colour from dark olive to silvergrey, depending on their age and their environment. They are generally deep-bodied fish with thin profiles, long snouts and pronounced lips/ jaws. Their dorsal (upper) fin is continuous and ends in an extended point. Most native species have a dorsal fin with a dent/gap in the middle and a rounded end.

Their pelvic (belly) fins are long and almost touch the front of the anal (bottom) fin. This is unlike most native species, which have short pelvic fins.

Don’t spread tilapia Tilapia infestations are

State governments track pest fish infestations. An easy way to report tilapia sightings is by downloading Condamine Alliance’s mobile phone app.

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2014 • AUSTRALIAN

9 - 10 AUGUST 2014

EXPO lureshow.com.au Australian Lure and Fly Expo upsizes in Ipswich LURE AND

Just like your three year old grows out of their favourite pants, Garry Fitzgerald’s Australian Lure and Fly Expo has outgrown its inaugural

venue at Fernvale and is relocating to Ipswich. The now home of the Expo at the Ipswich Showgrounds, which makes it more accessible to Brisbane

Some of the lures on display at the Expo are real collectors’ pieces.

August 9am – 4pm

FLY

day-trippers, but still maintains the country atmosphere.

Holding entry prices at $10 per adult (kids are free) and with rock bottom exhibitor fees AND free parking, the Expo draws a diversity of exhibitors that won’t be seen at major (read: more expensive) shows and expos anywhere in Australia.

We caught up with Fitzy at the venue to discuss the relocation and his excitement is evident (see the QR code hereby for the link to the video).

“This event was designed to showcase the dying art of luremaking in Australia,” said Fitzy, “and more recently it expanded to include fly making and fishing.”

“The new site at the Ipswich Showgrounds is six times bigger than the old site, and it’s also undercover, which makes it an all-weather option for the winter weekend,” Garry continued.

In fact, his enthusiasm about the show is infectious

Entry

9th & 10th 2014

Adults $10 / Under 16 FREE 2 Day Pass $15

s • Plastic Lures • Metal Lures • Old Lures • New Lures • Timber Lure • Spinnerbaits • Custom Lures • Skirted Lures • Wet Flies • Dry Flies PLACE TO SEE THEM IF IT’S AUSSIE MADE - THIS IS THE

REEF SCIENCE TANK See live lure demos and talks daily

LUCKY DOOR

PRIZES

Ipswich Show Grounds - Exhibition Centre

Anthony Curtis with one of the prime targets for his AC Lures – a big Murray cod! and this is reflected in the increased patronage (from both exhibitors and visitors) each year.

“Anyone can be involved in this. Whether you’re a cottage lure maker who knocks a few out in the shed or are a commercial maker who makes lures by the thousands, this is THE place to be if you make lures or flies in Australia.”

“We always have some really old, Australian collectibles, vintage lures and some of the best lure makers in the world on display,” Fitzy continued.

“You’ll be able to learn how to make your own lures, so that you can turn a hunk of wood into something you can go and catch a fish with. You’ll learn how to shape them, how to add fittings to them and how to finish them if you’re that way inclined.”

BAREFOOT FISHERMAN ON SHOW The Barefoot Fisherman

is bringing his antics to the 2014 Australian Lure & Fly Expo offering hints and tips and without a doubt harassing everyone with a sneaky casting plug landing in pockets and handbags.

Be sure to keep a sharp eye out for the big bloke with an equally big smile as you browse the many thousands of lures and flies at the Expo, or catch one of his demonstrations throughout the weekend.

Just like a gun slinger from the Wild West movies, the Barefoot Fisherman can shoot a can in mid flight, not with a gun but using a rod n reel, a casting plug is the bullet.

Born and bred in western NSW, Dave Hodge cut his teeth trudging barefoot along mountain streams to open rivers and lakes pulling Murray cod from under rocks and snags of all shapes and sizes.

Those formative years on tough water has given him

an uncanny ability to read the water and land a lure in exactly the right spot for best effect.

It seems that everything Hodgie turns his hand to since then is quickly mastered. From offshore fishing, fly fishing the high country to the tropical north where he now resides.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE AWARDS The Australian Lure Awards have again expanded. They recognise outstanding contributions and designs of Australia makers. In addition to separating the cottage industry makers and the commercial operations, the major change is that it’s going from a “Judged” format to a “Voting” format.

This means that everyone who visits the show has the ability to vote on their favourite lures and contribute towards the selection of the Best of the Best.

• Lure collections • Lure making fication • Live demonstrations • Lure identi play • Buy, sell, swap • Live native fish dis • Food and drink available PLUS LOADS MORE!!

IPSWICH SHOWGROUND Warwick Rd, Ipswich

lureshow.com.au 94

JULY 2014

Where art meets lure crafting. The Lure and Fly Expo has it all.

See Fitzy talk about the new show venue.

The awards function happens on the Saturday night, on site at the Showground Function Centre.

MEET YOUR MAKER We stress it a lot throughout this feature, but the best source of advice you can get about how to fish a particular type of lure is directly from the maker who designed it.

Of course, you may have discovered a way of fishing a particular lure that knocks ‘em dead, and that feedback is also invaluable to makers.

You may also see a gap in the market for a particular type or action of lure.

There’s no better place to stress this point than to the guys and girls who make a business of making baits that catch fish!

So let’s get into a bit of a preview on what you can see at this year’s Australian Lure and Fly Expo.

lureshow.com.au ewa y

GETTING TO THE LURE AND FLY EXPO

BRISBANE

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SEE THEM THERE GARRA LURES Garra Lures has been quietly making exceptional hand-carved lures for native fish in the borderlands of NSW and Qld for years.

Terry Marshall is one of the absolute cottage industry lure makers with a real penchant for designing lures. In fact, he designs lures that not only catch fish, but are appealing for anglers as well.

At the show, Terry will be displaying some of his popular models that include the Pondi, Terra, MandM, Tarki and the Peeli in 3 sizes. He is likely to have some new models and old models on display too for anglers to buy at amazing prices.

Fishing Monthly has also engaged Terry Marshall to supply our limited edition subscriber lures for the Australian Lure and Fly Expo. Terry has put together a brilliant Pondi in a one-off colour that Terry tells me is catching way too many fish – and that’s typical of a lure made by Garra Lures.

AC LURES Anthony Curtis is again joining the exhibitors at the Lure and Fly Expo and is excited to showcase his great range of lures that are right now taking massive

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9 - 10 AUGUST 2014

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2014 • AUSTRALIAN

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To M1 Sydney

DETAILS WHEN: TIMES: WHERE: ORGANISER: ADMISSION: WEBSITE:

Saturday Aug 10 and Sunday Aug 11, 2014 9am to 4pm Ipswich Showgrounds Exhibition Centre, 81 Warwick Rd Ipswich Garry Fitzgerald 0423 464 311 or info@sweetwaterfishing.com.au Adults $10, children under 16 accompanied by a paying adult are free. 2-day pass, $15 www.lureshow.com.au

cod in the cold winter waters of the Murray.

With a range of lures that extend from a tiny

50mm right up to 150mm, AC Lures will have a lure that is just right for where and how you fish.

The range of colours is impressive and, like a lot of lure makers, the colour range is always being

The Bassman Yellaman will be on sale, amongst a host of new and existing models on the Bassman stand.

developed to meet the needs of regional anglers.

For the collectors, AC Lures will have the last few

HAND CARVED TIMBER LURES Available in • Shallow • Deep • Surface 100% Aussie Made And Owned

Follow us on www.facebook/garralures

Trade enquiries welcome Terry: 0414 846 995

or

: 07 4684 3153

JULY 2014

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2014 • AUSTRALIAN

LURE AND

Drop by the Lively Lures’ stand and grab a Micro Mullet for only $10 at the show. Bugger that, grab half a dozen at that price! of their spectacular limited edition yabbies on sale and Anthony tells me he is hoping to have the first of his 20th Anniversary sets on show – a set of nude lures that covers his range and a collector’s set you should not miss out on.

So drop by AC Lures stand, have a chat to the maker and get the lure that is right for you or your collection.

BASSMAN SPINNERBAITS Bassman Spinnerbaits has long been established as making the best spinnerbaits for Australian conditions and with a willingness to consistently

update colours and models, redesign head shapes and components, the team at Bassman continually come up with offerings that catch Aussie fish.

At the Expo Bassman will be releasing a host of new colours suitable for the bass market, a market that is booming thanks to the overflow bass fisheries in Queensland and the wonderful natural fisheries in NSW. The team will also be re-releasing the basssized Mumblers, a much under-used lure that Glen recently used with great success in several NSW impoundments.

Bassman Spinnerbaits

has a range of lures from the smallest 1/8oz spinnerbait through to the giant 2 1/2oz spinnerbait that will cover everything from bass and trout through to the biggest cod and barra you will find anywhere.

And late mail suggest that Glen may be releasing a Japanese range of Bassman Spinnerbaits under the title 低音 男 スピナーベイト.

Look out for these exciting products at the Expo.

RIO’S LURES Manufactures of the original Australian Rio’s Prawn lure and the new Lethal Action range of offshore trolling lures taking SE Queensland by storm, Rio’s Lures are almost an institution in Queensland and more broadly across Australia.

For the Lure Expo Rio’s Lures will be displaying and selling their full range of lures and Eio will be on hand to explain how to get the best out of all of his lures.

Of most interest will be the showcasing of the new range, the Lethal Action range of offshore trolling lures taking SE Queensland by storm. But they will also be showcasing the original Australian Prawn lures, their Live Chrome range of metal lures, the Big Eye Poppers and they will also be releasing a new offshore metal lure that can only be seen at the Expo.

Still 100% Australian made, all Rio’s Lures at the Expo will be at factory outlet price so you’ll need to check this stand out.

Nick 0412 360 634 Follow us:

www.facebook.com/twinriverlures

EXPO

COOBY COBBA LURES Cooby Cobba Lures is one of the many lure companies emerging from the boutique or cottage lure scene. Manufacture of these lures commenced around the

Ipswich Show Grounds - Exhibition Centre

lureshow.com.au great swimming action Cooby Cobba Lures are known for. Lures are effective either casting to the fringes or trolling. Pillie and Poddy Mullet are other models in the range.

Get hints and tips on how to tie your own flies with live fly tying demonstrations daily. time Toowoomba’s Cooby Dam opened for fishing in the late 80s.

Early models were out of timber, now their lures are manufactured using polyurethane with quality components moulded in, including through the bib stainless steel wire and laser cut polycarbonate bibs. Lures are a slow rise floating lure with the 60mm model being the flagship of the range. Based on the same profile, 90mm and 50mm models were introduced while still maintaining the

ONLINE

STORE

www.riolures.com.au

Rio : 0412 854 257 Laser Cut

Although originally designed for Murray cod, golden perch and bass, don’t be fooled into thinking this is the case; these lures have accounted for many a finned quarry including fickle jungle perch, ultra aggressive sooty grunter. Had there durability tested on barra, jacks, fingermark and trevally.

Ambushed by big flathead and fooled the wily bream and shy whiting.

Cooby Cobba Lures have proven their versatility and durability and have

www.bassmanspinnerbaits.com.au ANTHONY CURTIS

S H

ES CE FR

ORMAN

WATER & SALT

ROBERT - 0487 353 582 TOOWOOMBA QLD 96

JULY 2014

• Y-S81 size 8 - 1/0 • Y-S82 size 2/0 - 5/0 • Super heavy duty

LASERWORX has been supplying custom designed polycarbonate lure bibs to the major Australian lure makers for over 13 years. We also offer a standard range of bibs for the DIY angler.

AR 20 YE

RF EN PE

PROV

icon lure that has stood the test of time and keep coming back for more.

At the Expo Lively Lures will be displaying the full range of their lures to show off just how diverse their products are.

Best of all though, with Lively Lures recently opening a direct on line store (www.livelylures. com.au) visitors to the Expo can go home, log into the site and purchase whichever lures took their fancy, safe in the knowledge that they have handled the lures and know what they are getting.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK! Bassman Spinnerbaits Official

• Y-S81 size 8 - 1/0 • Y-S82 size 2/0 - 5/0 • Super heavy duty

OVER

more applications than you could likely poke a rod at.

Do yourself a favour, check out these great Aussie lures at the Expo.

LIVELY LURES Lively Lures are an Aussie

100% Australian Made Lures

Built FNQ tough!

Trade Enquiries Welcome

FLY

9 - 10 AUGUST 2014

CONSISTENT ACCURACY

HIGHEST QUALITY POLYCARBONATE 1, 1.5 and 2 MM

LASER CUTTING

CONTACT US TODAY PH 1800 555 911

(02) 6931 2796 / 0408 688 805

E: aclures@internode.on.net

www.aclures.com.au

2014 • AUSTRALIAN

LURE AND

FLY

EXPO

To add to this for the collectors, Lively Lures will be displaying and selling a range of historic Lively Lures at the Expo. There are some lures that will be available for purchase that are over 25 years old. This will prove a very popular stand as literally pieces of Australian lure history will be sold off at the Expo.

The late news was that Lively Lures will be selling their range of Micro Mullets at only $10 a pop – that a saving from their already incredibly cheap online price and something all trollers will need to budget for – especially if flathead, bass, bream and trout are on your target list!

With all models on show, the ability to add to your collection with some seriously old and valuable lures, the Lively Lures stand will be a must visit at the Expo.

HAVE YOU BEEN GOBSMACKED? Gobsmacked Lures is a family owned and run business operating out of Goulburn NSW. Owner Jamie Judd has always had a love of fishing, and loves to tinker with his own lure designs.

Jamie said “When my hobby turned into a business, I was glad I could pass this passion on to others as well as my children, who love helping me make lures. My youngest daughter even had a lure (without hooks) as a baby rattle.

“My main passion is surface lures, especially designed for targeting Aussie natives. While I love fishing in general, there is nothing more exhilarating than that big BOOF, when your lure gets smacked off the top. Hence the name Gobsmacked, because often that’s how that sight leaves you, gobsmacked “I will be bringing my

9 - 10 AUGUST 2014

Ipswich Show Grounds - Exhibition Centre

lureshow.com.au some small, mixed bags of bibs that you can use to get your hobby up and off the ground.

BUMPA BAR DOUBLED Bumpa Bar lures will be attending the Lure Expo again with their great range of sized and coloured Bumpa Bar lures, including the new Double Up range.

The Bumpa Bar range has always offered a variety of sizes and weights to accommodate fishing for a wide range of species and fishing conditions.

The lures are proudly Australian-made using 316 Stainless steel. They are all equipped with heavyduty spilt rings and hooks,

Quality Hand Crafted Timber Lures Made in Australia

Cod Cruncha Wilbarra Fatty Ripple See us at the Lure Expo

There is plenty to see at the Lure and Fly Expo with some amazing displays.

Valuable collector sets will be on display and there will even be a chance to bag yourself a set. lathe, and will be doing demonstrations on lure turning. In this day and age of mass produced lures, I love the art of taking a piece of wood, and crafting a quality timber lure by hand. I want to show people, that for very little outlay, you can still produce a quality product. And keep

the tradition of handmade Australian lures alive”.

Gobsmacked Lures range in size from 50mm bass lures, to huge lures for targeting Murray cod and barramundi.

This range is ever changing, so keep your eyes open for some new releases at this year’s Lure and Fly Expo.

LASERWORX THE MOST PRECISE Laserworx, who cut all types of bibs with remarkable accuracy, has been supplying lure bibs to manufacturers for the last 13 years, offering a competitive, consistent and quick service to Aussie lure makers country-wide.

The benefit of having your bibs laser cut is consistency in shape (every bib will be identical) and reduced labour in the whole manufacturing process allowing lure designers to concentrate solely on making the best designs around.

And although Laserworx does a lot of business with established lure-makers, like Alan Dolan’s Lively Lures, they do also cater for the hobbyist via a standard range of bibs that can be ordered in smaller, non-commercial quantities.

In fact, drop in and see the Laserworx staff and you’ll find that they may well have

HANDCRAFTED, HANDPAINTED AND INDIVIDUALLY TANK TESTED

Contact: Sales@gidgeelures.com or call 0428 147 035

NO BOAT SHOULD BE WITHOUT THEM NO BOAT SHOULD BE WITHOUT THEM

PRODUCT ANDORDERING ORDERINGIN IN FORMATION: FORFOR PRODUCT INFORMATION: FOR PRODUCTAND AND ORDERING FORMATION: Phone: +61418 418419 419 999999 Phone: 999 Phone:+61 0418 419 Email: info@ bumpabar.com Email: info@ info@bumpaba.com Email: bumpabar.com Web: www.bumpabar.com www.bumpabar.com Web: www.bumpabar.com

ONLINE STORE & SA FLATHEAD LOLLIES VE FULL RANGE FOR ALL SPECIES

MICRO MULLETS

BU

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DI

12 COLOURS

STOCKHISUP

RE

11

$

CT

EA

FOR T YEAR’S FLATHEAD SEASON

The Cooby Cobba lures are real fish takers and they’ll be at this year’s Expo giving you all the info on how to build your own and also the lures to catch fish like this beast!

FOR ORDERS E G A T S O P E E R F

OVER $50

www.livelyluresonline.com.au JULY 2014

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AND

built to withstand the harsh Australian conditions.

The lures have been getting some strong press of late for being such a versatile lure. The erratic action of the lure produced by the Bumpa Bar is what attracts the fish. Cast, jig or troll – all methods are popular and effective ways of using the lures. With its origins from Northern

Queensland – the lures now have a strong following in the southern states using a variety of applications.

So come and say G’day to Steve at the Bumpa Bar Lure Stand and make sure you stock up on a few of their lures. No tackle box should be without some!

TWIN RIVER LURES SPECIALS Twin River Lures will

FLY

be attending the expo for the third straight year and second year as an exhibitor.

They will have a selection of colours across all 12 models that they make.

Expo special pricing will be on offer ranging from $12.50 - $17.50 with custom Expo-signed sets available.

Twin River Lures are made by long time Far North

Rio’s Lures are tough and catch fish. Check out his range at the Aussie Lure and Fly Expo.

Queenslander’s Rex and Nick Stock from a selection of native FNQ timbers. Rex first started carving red cedar barra minnows while working in Cooktown in the mid 1970s. On moving to the Atherton Tablelands in the early 1980s and having his own furniture making business meant no shortage of timber to make lures from. While never offering these lures for retail sale, they accounted for plenty of northern estuary species.

Nick has been living in remote communities over the last 10 years and shares his old man’s love of chasing barra on hand-made timber lures. With decent timber barra lures getting harder to find these days, the dedication was made to quit working in the mines in Weipa and continue making lures on a full-time basis approximately 3 years ago.

With Twin River Lures supplying over 20 retail stores in Northern Australia they will continue to be many barra angler’s go-to lure for years to come.

Call in and say G’day at the Expo and like their Facebook page for lure giveaways, prizes, updates and photos.

lureshow.com.au

Legends of the lure world will be there to answer questions and advise visitors.

FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINES Fishing Monthly will be offering those who renew or take up a new subscription the chance to own a Limited Edition Garra Lures Pondi lure that is individually numbered and signed by Terry Marshall of Wallangarra, Qld. There are only 80 of these lures available in a one-off Fishing Monthly

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YOUR FISHING MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION AT THE EXPO

colour scheme and these will be the centre of the subscription offer.

Please note this offer is only available to those visiting the show as the lure is a limited edition.

We should warn you these lures are responsible for many XOS cod captures and we’re guessing even the die hard collectors may take these gun lures for a swim!

R

SUBSCRIBE OR RE-NEW

EXPO

Ipswich Show Grounds - Exhibition Centre

DEAL • GR AT

LURE

9 - 10 AUGUST 2014

• GR

2014 • AUSTRALIAN

stop casting to where

he fis t h aren't!

Introducing a cast & retrieve lure, designed to give you all the control you've been craving: • It’s rear-weighted during casting, for improved casting distance and exceptional accuracy • It's forward-weighted during retrieve, giving it a lifelike action and balance • It has interchangeable bibs, so you can change your target depth without changing your lure • It's neutrally buoyant, so it can suspend in the water column, right in the fish’s face • It's super tough just like every lure we make. It's the Halco Hamma 85.

HAMMA 85

www.halcotackle.com

Available now for control freaks at all good tackle stores.

Extreme 610 Game King: a fishing battleship the step of the walk-through transom, while hovering above the transom was a bait board and rod holder assembly, complete with steel

WARRAGUL

Martin Auldist martinauldist@gmail.com

As the Extreme 610 Game King slipped off the tandem trailer and into the drink at the main Inverloch boat ramp, it occurred to me that this 6.1m of red and metallic awesomeness looked near damn near indestructible. In fact, if it wasn’t for the bright red colour, this ruggedly impressive vessel wouldn’t have looked out of place with an anti-aircraft gun either side and a machine gun turret on top!

That’s not surprising, seeing how these fully aluminium alloy fishing boats

The Extreme 610 Game King was a very sure-footed and stable boat, even in sharp turns, with minimal pounding as it cut through the chop.

Side pockets keep the cabin uncluttered.

are designed and built by our Kiwi cousins across the Tasman – and we all know how they can’t stand namby-pamby hunting and fishing gear.

To be precise the Extreme range of fishing boats are made in Whakatane, on the east coast of the North Island – not very far at all from the fish-rich waters of the Bay of Plenty. They currently have the largest market share of any aluminium boat in New Zealand and are the most awarded alloy boat in the last

At rest there is plenty of boat in the water, which, with the flooding keel, gives the Extreme 610 Game King great stability at rest.

There are underfloor kill tanks plumbed into the flooded keel.

100

JULY 2014

ski tow hook.

Beneath the treadplate floor, there are three large buoyancy tanks, a 190L fuel tank, 300L of storage space,

7 years.

I got to have a squiz at three of the models in the Extreme range. Astute readers will have noted my previous reviews on the Extreme 570 Centre Console and the Extreme 700 Game King – both magnificent specimens of waterborne fishing machinery.

I’d have to say, though, that the 610 was my favourite. I guess you could say it is the ‘Goldilocks model’: not too big, not too small, just right. As far as I’m concerned it is the perfect all-rounder, no matter whether you’re looking for a day on the bay with the fam, or heading out wide chasing gamefish with your mates.

Walking around the 610 it was immediately obvious that she was well prepared for fishy battle. The cockpit was huge, open at the back and very spacious. Space had been maximised by attaching the driver and passenger’s seats to the wall not the floor, while there were also side pockets for keeping gear out of the road. The control panel had been fitted out with all the fruit, including VHF radio, AM/ FM radio (iPod compatible through Bluetooth) and Garmin touch-screen depth sounder/GPS combo. The cabin has sliding windows and a bonnet access hatch if you’re looking for a little fresh air, and there is a dashboard grabrail in case things get rough.

Meanwhile, downstairs, there is a substantial sleeping area, complete with mattresses that lift up to reveal a flushable, underbunk toilet. The selfdraining anchor locker and winch can also be accessed from downstairs.

Out the back on the expansive decks there was lots of fishing space. To keep the decks ready for action there were yet more storage areas, including side pockets and two large compartments in the transom. Along the top of the gunwales there are rod holders welded into place (rather than screwed) to help prevent corrosion. There is also a live bait well incorporated into

Top: Downstairs there is a substantial sleeping area with mattresses that lift up to reveal a flushable toilet.

Middle: There are two storage lockers in the transom to house batteries and other gear.

Above: The anchor is retrieved by a concealed drum winch that deposits the rope and chain below the bow platform.

Below: There is a livebait well cleverly incorporated into the walk-through transom.

A bright, roomy and comfortable cabin is a feature of the Extreme 610 Game King.

The driver also gets a comfy padded seat within easy reach of all the controls. and kill tanks plumbed into the flooding keel (which, incidentally, further assists stability at rest). Then, on the roof of the hard top right up out of the way, are the radio aerials and yet more ‘rocket launcher’ style rod holders.

Finally, all Extreme boats have external, transom-mounted fuel filling ports, which saves getting fuel spilt in the interior.

To put the boat through its paces, we left the jetty area and powered the boat towards the deeper water near the entrance to Andersons Inlet.

It was immediately noticeable was that this is a very stable

and sure-footed vessel, even in sharp turns. The V-bottomed hull also cut through the minimal chop with ease, with little pounding apparent. Tim explained that – as with other boats in the Extreme range – the 610 has a 20º deadrise, aggressively down-turned chines and a broad waterline beam that leaves more boat in the water. These features are specifically designed to provide an exceptional ride and stability at rest.

I felt confident they would also allow the 610 to cope easily with seas much rougher than those that

presented on test day. The keel hits the water well forward, too, with a nice slope and a broad, proud nose helping the transition from standing to planing. Incidentally, with the 610 powered by a Yamaha

150hp 4-stroke outboard spinning a 17 pitch SDS (shift dampening system) propeller, the 610 popped out of the hole at around 25km/h and reached a top speed of nearly 70km/h with three persons on board.

The hull, like the rest of the boat, is constructed from marine-grade aluminium alloy. The aluminium on the sides and decks is 4mm thick, while that on the hull is 5mm – so this beast is made to last and should be well capable of withstanding most of the abuse you can throw at it.

If you’re ready to wage war on your fishy foes, get into some extreme fishing of your own? The Extreme 610 Game King is a tough-asnails, spacious, good looking and purpose-built fishing boat. What’s not to like? The 610 Extreme, with a 150hp Mercury, electric motor and electric anchor. stereo and offshore safety gear is priced at $89,700.

For further information or

to arrange a test drive, contact Karee Marine on 07 3875 1600, or send them an email at www.kareemarine.com.au.

You could also have a look at www.extremeboats.co.nz for more information.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied

SPECIFICATIONS Length:............................................................6.18m Beam:............................................................... 2.5m Transom thickness:........................................ 5mm Hull bottom thickness:................................... 5mm Side and deck thickness:............................... 4mm Recommended:......................................115-150hp Aluminium: ........................................ Marine grade Deadrise:............................................................ 20º Towing weight:........................................... 1,600kg

Downstairs there is a substantial sleeping area with mattresses that lift up to reveal a flushable toilet.

MARINE 650 Game King

610 Game King

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.

Phone: (07)

3875 1600

570 Game King

NEW

K

K

OC IN ST

Mercury 200hp Verada 4-stroke, fridge, electric anchor, toilet, Dunbier trailer and much more.

OC IN ST

Mercury 150hp 4-stroke, electric anchor, 190 litre fuel tank, toilet, Dunbier trailer and much more.

K

OC IN ST

Mercury 115hp 4-stroke, 140 litre fuel tank, rear lounge, Dunbier trailer and loads more extras.

1776 Ipswich Motorway Rocklea Photos for illustration purpose only

Can’t make the yard? Shop online for quality new and used boats!

Phone: (07)

3875 1600

www.kareemarine.com.au JULY 2014

101

This section in QLD 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.

Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029

Walk on/off, or tow away Fish finder/gps, marine radio, all safety gear Half day, full day, and overnight rates True locals with great advice

Bait & Tackle GOLD COAST

www.goldcoastboathire.com.au 71 Stradbroke Street, Runaway Bay 07 5577 1516

BEST LURE RANGE THE Fishing GOLDON COAST

Coastal Powerboats (07) 5568 0904 Coorparoo Marine (07) 3397 4141 Capalaba Boat Centre 04011 728 379 Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928 Cunninghams Marine (07) 3284 8805 Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944 Bribie Boat Sales (07) 3408 0055

NORTH BRISBANE Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521

Boat Mechanics – Mobile

Boab Boat Hire - 1300 002 622

SUNSHINE COAST

GOLD COAST

Promote your Sunny Coast boat hire business here! For as little as $15 per month.

Phone (07) 3387 0800 Email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

TOP BRANDS • TOP SERVICE • GREAT PRICES

07 5526 2786

Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727

GOLD COAST

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

INSIDE SPORTY’S WAREHOUSE

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Boat Hire – Trailer

MAIL ORDERS

WELCOME

For all your Honda sales and service needs

CAPE YORK

32 Straithaid Rd BUNDALL 4217 QLD

4/26 Taree Street Burleigh Heads Qld

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Tackle Warehouse Brisbane (07) 3398 6500 BCF www.bcf.com.au Victoria Point Bait and Tackle (07) 3820 9581 Spinnaker Sound Chandlery Ningi (07) 5497 6007 FTO Tackle Outlet Brisbane 0416 017 094

Phone 07 5522 1933 MOBILE SERVICE AVAILABLE

Boat Hire – House PHONE: 07 4069 3695 www.capeyorkboats.com.au

CAPE YORK, QLD

GOLD COAST

Great family and fishing boats!

Boat Licencing

+ 50km of sheltered waterways on the Gold Coast’s Broadwater + No Licence required + Boats from $795 + 2-12 berth

BRISBANE

GOLD COAST

CLA SSE AVAIL S OVEABLE WEE R KEN DS

+ 07 5502 6200 + houseboat.net.au

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING Line listing from $90 + gst 6 months* 2cm x 2 from $195 + gst 6 months* 4cm x 2 from $320 + gst 6 months* 8cm x 2 from $590 + gst 6 months* Rates exclusive to Trades and Services Directory *Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

www.bundallmarinecentre.com.au

5504 7446

Bundall Marine Centre

No.1 Ashmore Rd, Bundall

0422 198 651

Marine Mechanics GOLD COAST

• Sales • Service • Spare Parts • Warranty and Insurance work * REPOWER SPECIALISTS *

www.runawaybaymarineservice.com.au

Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

2/247 Bayveiw St Runaway Bay GEOFF NEWMAN PH 55774411

Boat Hire – House

QLD HONDA DEALER OF THE YEAR 2011/2012

Bundall Marine Centre – Servicing all makes and models. MOBILE SERVICE AVAILABLE (07) 5504 7446

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Lake Monduran House Boat www.lakemonduranhouseboathire.com.au

Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au 102

Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au MACKAY / WHITSUNDAYS

If you have any other trades or services that you would like to see in this section please don’t hesitate to give us a call

JULY 2014

BRISBANE WIDE

W h ui ttsbuOnadrady O entre C

We Service all Motor Brands!

1 William Murray Drive Cannonvale Qld

07·4946 7286

Authorised Mercury Outboard and Mercruiser Motor Sale and Service Centre

www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

Marine Trailers

Rod and Reel Repair

SAMPLE AD -BUSINESS NAME

Oceanic Boat Trailers (07) 5597 0577 Seatrail Trailers www.seatrailqld.com.au Tinnie Tosser (07) 5498 7339 Sea-Link Special Trailers (07) 3881 3568

D&H REEL REPAIRS

This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 50 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Marine Electronics

MARINE ELECTRONICS

ce Reel Performan

e parts needs repairs and spar For all your reel Servicin Phone/Fax: 07 3372 2740 or major b g all call Duncan on 0439 717 839 rands Email: dhreelrepairs@bigpond.com Drag upgrades available • Rod repairs • Mail orders welcome

SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLATIONS

ONSITE AND MOBILE INSTALLATIONS

www.reelrepairs.com.au North Queensland 110 Sherbrooke Rd, Willawong Qld 4110

• Sounders • GPS • Electric Motors • Marine Radios and accessories • Stereos • Televisions • Radar Units • Autopilots

Marine Outboard Wreckers

JT Reel Repairs, Mackay 0427 552 485 or (07) 4955 2485

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND

Unit 4/1440 New Cleveland Road Capalaba

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www.trymax.com.au PHONE: 07 3245 3633

This is where your copy will appear.

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Boat Modifications and Repairs

07 5529 2292

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

20 Wrights Place Labrador Qld 4215 website www.brumbsmarine.com.au email brumbsmarine@bigpond.com

North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748

Online Tackle Products Continued

Aluminium fabrication • Steel fabrication • Boat repairs Boat modifications • Aluminium sales

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

She Left Camera Sunglasses www.hdvcs.com.au

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

U-Make-Em Sort Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

CUSTOM MARINE WELDING & ELECTRICAL

Holiday Accommodation

Marine Transport SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Marine and Auto Electricial n All types of Welding n Stainless Steel n Aluminium n Mild Steel n Boats Repaired n Fuel & Water Tanks n Bow and Stern Rails n Canopies n Custom Vehicle Tool Boxes n

Hemingways on Tin Can Bay (07) 3219 9376 Bribie Island Real Estate (07) 3408 1006

MORETON ISLAND

Shed 1 281 Jacobs Well Road

BOAT TRANSPORT AUSTRALIA WIDE FROM A TINNY TO 50 FEET WEEKLY SERVICE BRISBANE TO CAIRNS

Behind GEM Service Station, Alberton 4207

Phone 38077846 Mob 0427142201 Fax 3807 2468

www.custommarinewelding.com.au

Moreton Beach House Kooringal

DJ Freight Marine Transport 0418 793 357 0427 341 076 contact@djfreight.com.au

Bluewater Windscreens Brisbane (07) 3382 7883

✦ Beachfront accommodation ✦ Sleeps up to 12 ✦ Self contained ✦ BBQ ✦ TV ✦ Foxtel ✦ Walk to “Gutter Bar”

Boat Modifications and Repairs Marine Trimmers

ASM Mobile Welding Brisbane 0409 624 402 Marine Windows and Doors Brisbane (07) 3284 5088 Small Craft Electrics (mobile) 0408 063 064 Boat Collar (07) 5441 3636 CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808

BRISBANE

• • • • • • • •

Spray painting Re-sprays Fairing Paint protection Touch ups Repairs New or old Anti-fouling Fiberglass repairs

Professional paint jobs made to last.

all!

No job too big or too sm

0433 356 620

moretonbeachhouse@bigpond.com

MOBILE MARINE CANOPIES

Boat Painting

•

0403 704 555

BRISBANE

Shed 3 Redland City Marina 100 Beveridge Road Thornlands 4146 Qld

WWW.BRISBANEBOATPAINTING.COM.AU

Canopies Bimini tops Cockpit covers Front and side clears Full boat covers Upholstery Pontoon carpet ... and more!

FRASER ISLAND

OVER 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Fraser Island Fishing Units INDIAN HEAD

For bookings or enquiries contact: Cliff Andreassen 07 5449 9346 or 0428 712 283

Martin Costello 0434 615 936 www.mobilemarinecanopies.com

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Rowland Street Boat Trimmers Springwood (07) 3208 9511 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Rays Canvas & Marine Caboolture (07) 5499 4911 Affordable Boat Covers Gold Coast 0419 424 587

A FISHO’S DREAM

bearfish@bigpond.com Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2014

103

BAFFLE CREEK / 1770

Baffle Creek Retreat

JC’S FISHING CHARTERS Sportfishing the Burdekin and Bowen district for barramundi in the rivers to juvenile black marlin offshore, or sightfishing for permit with fly on the flats.

Contact John 0438 753 382 or www.jcsfishing.com.au

NORTHERN NSW

WATERFRONT HOLIDAY RENTAL

sleeps up to 8

BURDEKIN

Charter Boats

Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835

Four bedroom lowset ranch style house set back 50 metres from water’s edge high above the river with uninterrupted water views.

•

Private jetty, boat ramp, deep water access to the ocean and the Great Barrier Reef

•

Natural and man-made wetlands, with walking tracks and bird watching

• •

Bitumen road to front gate, motorhomes welcome

•

6km from Rules Beach with 4-wheel-drive access to the beach

Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962

GOLD COAST True Blue Fishing Gold Coast (07) 5510 9622 BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0414 293 034

Pet and horse friendly with fenced house yard — No pets allowed in house

Fairdinkum Fishing Charters Townsville (07) 4751 5324 Cairns Reef Charter Services 1800 119 044 Cairns Charter Boat 0427 533 081 Cairns Fishing Charters 0427 400 027

My Charter Boat Tweed Heads 0407 347 446

Fishing Guides

RU4 Reel Tweed Heads 0449 903 366

07 4156 6606 • 0412 312 085 www.bafflecreekretreat.com.au • Kenton@bafflecreekretreat.com.au

Discovery Fishing Charters G old Coast 0427 026 519

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

Fish The Deep Charters 0416 224 412 Paradise Fishing Charters 0403 531 428

nage Bay?

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Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0411 605 090

t Sta Looking to stay a

Hooker 1 Charters Gold Coast (07) 5528 6469 Sea Probe Fishing Charters 0400 312 330

Fully setup fishing accommodation

Coastal Sports Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0412 691 929

Call Von 07 4937 3145

Gone Fishing Charters Gold Coast (07) 5529 7833

Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Stanage Bay Marine and Accommodation w w w.stan a g eb ay. co m COOKTOWN

BRISBANE

River of Gold Motel Plenty of room for boats and trailers PH: 4069 5222

Tom Cat Charters (07) 3820 8794

HINCHINBROOK

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Moreton Island Fishing Charters 0413 128 056 Brisbane Fishing Charters 0427 026 510

Cardwell Beach Motel - www.cardwellbeachmotel.net (07) 4066 8776 or info.cbmotel@bigpond.com

Bucket List Fishing Charters 0428 368 316 John Gooding Outlaw Charters 0418 738 750

BACKING ONTO

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Frenzy Charters Brisbane (07) 3209 4576

LAKE SOMERSET

900 acres with dam frontage

SUNSHINE COAST

Suncoast Barra Fishing Park www.suncoastbarrafishing.com

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Hooked On Hinchinbrook www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151

Fish Taxidermy

Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109 Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868

Twin share SAFARI TENTS & Van Sites

Neptune’s Treasures - Your Catch Reproduced 0405 226 282 www.neptunestreasures.com.au

Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012 Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814

+

4 BEDROOM LODGE with Lake Views

Email desleylaycock@bigpond.com

Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671

Secluded Camp for up to 12 people Hot Showers/Camp Kitchen/Fire Pit

LEOPARD TREE LODGE www.leopardtreelodge.com

Fishing on TV

Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956 Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170

07·5422 0700

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Fish Taxiderist www.fishtaxidery.net.au or 0428 544 841

Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402

Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958 Incredible Charters 1300 655 818

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Bite Me Fishing Charters Yeppoon 0419 029 397 Ultimate Sportfishing Charters 0450 753 726

CAMPINGGROUND AND FISHING LODGE

IDEAL GIFT!

MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters 0427 125 727

Grassed Beachfront Camping • Air-conditioned Lodge Rooms Self-contained beach house • Licenced dinning facilities 4WD Cape York tours • Fishing charters • Boat Hire Booking agents for Peddells T.I Tours, gateway Horn Is tours, Brazakkas Helicoters and more.

Bundaberg Fishing Charters 0429 017 217 Sport Fish 1770 (07) 4974 9686 Coral Coast Game Fishing 0447 347 437 MV James Cook (1770) (07) 4974 9422

Ph: 4069 3372 Fax: 4069 3770 Patsy: (07) 4069 3808 fishcapeyork@bigpond.com • www.loyaltybeach.com P.O Box 49, Bamaga QLD 4876

Norval Reef Charters 1800 771 234 Iluka Fishing Charters Gladstone 0414 940 911 Kanimbla Charters Gladstone1800 677 202

FRESHWATER Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746 Lake Boondooma Caravan Park (07) 4168 9694 Lake Cressbrook Regional Council 131 872 Yallakool Park and Kiosk on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Eclipse FNQ Weipa Charters 0488 058 668 Action Charters Mackay 0417 452 346 Fishing Charters Townsville 0403 386 722

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au 104

JULY 2014

DVD’S -

Series 2 through 8

$19.95 each GST INC. - with FREE P&H

1800 228 244

THE RECREATIONAL ANGLER’S LINK The warmer days at the start of June were a pleasant surprise. It meant that here in the South East we were getting good catches of bream and summer whiting. It made for some very balmy weather for families to wet a line.

This month I intend to highlight one of our recent kid’s fishing days.

TYGUM LAGOON KID’S FISHING DAY ••••••••••••••••••••

Logan City Council, Healthy Waterways and Sunfish combined to create a wonderful kid’s fishing day at Tygum Lagoon Logan.

The weather held out and we had a sunny and warm day with very little wind. There were 25 kids registered and all preschool to primary school age. DJ and Katy from Logan Council rocked up early and were surprised at the amount of gear we had.

We knew that in addition to the kids there were going to be a significant number of parents as well. What we didn’t realize was that the kids were all going to be so young. Luckily we had 4 instructors on hand, Margaret, Karolyn, John and myself. Later on the Logan Albert Fish Management Association Secretary, Lloyd Willman arrived and lent a very welcome helping hand.

Once the kids started to arrive we did a quick re-arrange of our program to suit the ages of our new keen anglers. From the moment they all arrived we could feel their excitement grow. In the session work they were attentive and involved and just soaking it all up. These kids already had a really good handle on the need for clean water and good habitat for fish. We have some budding waterways warriors in the pipeline.

Once we started casting it was amazing the accuracy these kids had. I think part of it was competitiveness to see who could cast their plug into the hula hoop.

As soon as they went down to the water we couldn’t get them away.

Even when we broke for lunch they went back and then when the day was over we still had some who wanted to fish a little longer.

Some of the parents were fishers before this weekend and some weren’t.

They all are now. Feedback was great, the future for rec fishing in the Logan area is looking very bright. Thanks to Logan Council for you innovative recreational fishing programs.

CORAL REEF CLOSURES ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• The closures apply to coral reef fin fish only, so fishers can still enjoy fishing for a wide range of other fish during the closure period.

The closures will be in place from the northern tip of

Cape York to Bundaberg in the south (the southern boundary is at latitude 24º50’S). The eastern boundary of the closure is the same as the eastern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

CLOSURE Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

DATES Closure 1 21 Oct to 25 Oct 10 Oct to 14 Oct 28 Oct to 1 Nov 17 Oct to 21 Oct 6 Oct to 10 Oct

Closure 2 19 Nov to 23 Nov 9 Nov to 13 Nov 26 Nov to 30 Nov 15 Nov to 19 Nov 5 Nov to 9 Nov

DON’T LET TILAPIA SPOIL OUR WATERWAYS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Fishing is one of Australia’s greatest recreational past times, with one in four of us enjoying casting a line.

However, with the enjoyment of our natural resource comes responsibility for its sustainability and well being.

The Murray-Darling Basin is right on our doorstep with a wealth of aquatic species presenting exciting fishing opportunities including chasing the Murray Cod, battling with barramundi and stalking rainbowfish.

But if we want to continue to enjoy these fantastic fishing expeditions in their pristine environment, we need to ensure we take care of it by fishing responsibly. This means knowing what lies beneath our waterways.

Tilapia, one of the most invasive fish species in the world, is spreading rapidly throughout the State and the Condamine Alliance is urging the community to be vigilant in the fight to stop its spread. So far, Tilapia haven’t invaded the Murray-Darling Basin, and we need to keep it this way.

“Tilapia are regarded as one of the greatest threats to Australia’s aquatic ecosystem,” Condamine Alliance’s Manager River Kevin Graham said.

They are known as the cane toads of our

waterways and once they have become established in a flowing river or creek, they are almost impossible to eradicate,” he said.

Mr Graham said two species of tilapia have infested Queensland waterways: the Mozambique tilapia and the spotted tilapia. These two species are now distributed throughout many locations in Queensland and are threatening to invade new waterways.

“If Tilapia were to invade the MurrayDarling Basin, this would have highly detrimental effects to the ecosystems, economies and communities of the Basin,” Mr Graham said.

“Tilapia are prolific breeders and are an extremely hardy fish.

They impact on our native species including the iconic Murray Cod, by competing for food and habitat, introduce disease, reduce water quality and cause blue-green algae blooms.

“They have the potential to devastate entire freshwater systems,” Mr Graham said.

It is almost impossible to eradicate a population of tilapia from a flowing river or creek. Therefore, the public needs to be aware or these pests and know what they can do to help stop them from spreading further.

www.sunfishqld.com.au

“Our message is simple: don’t bring tilapia into the Murray-Darling Basin dead or alive,” Mr Graham said.

The public can greatly help control the spread of tilapia by knowing how to identify them, avoiding any actions that could result in them being moved between waterways and reporting them.

“These pest fish cannot move overland so they rely on people to unwittingly or deliberately move them to new areas. Using tilapia as live bait, the aquarium trade and populating farm dams with tilapia present some of the greatest risks for them entering the MurrayDarling Basin.”

It is illegal to use tilapia as live or dead bait and if anyone catches a tilapia, they must kill it and bury it instead of returning it to the water, Mr Graham said.

People should also make sure they stock dams or ponds with native fish, as it is illegal to stock tilapia.

Possessing or releasing tilapia in Queensland is illegal and carries a hefty fine of up to $200,000.

You can help protect our rivers and creeks and native fish populations from tilapia by: • Spreading the word - tell your friends and family about tilapia • Don’t use Tilapia as bait for fishing – dead or alive

• Don’t empty your aquarium into rivers, creeks or dams • Don’t stock Tilapia in dams or ponds – use native fish instead • If you catch Tilapia, kill it humanely and bin it or bury it • Report any Tilapia sightings or catches, and if possible take a photo.

Again, the message is clear: don’t move tilapia, dead or alive.

For further information on tilapia or to report a tilapia sighting, contact Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on 13 25 23 or visit www.daff.qld. gov.au/fisheries/pest-fish.

– Condamine Alliance

Email: judylynne@sunfishqld.com.au

JULY 2014

105

Sure footed Surtees 6.7 Gamefisher goes hard BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

I always enjoy time spent in a New Zealand-made Surtees plate alloy craft.

The heritage behind these rigs is pure fishing, pure boating excellence; any boat that does well in the Shaky Isles is certain to gain wide acceptance in our boating conditions. With 20-odd years’ involvement in the boating industry, Surtees certainly know what makes a good boat and are happy to back it with a 6-year world wide hull warranty.

The 6.7 Gamefisher Hardtop reviewed was the ‘Open’ version which featured a curtained entry to the cuddy cabin rather than a lockable door. Construction was to the highest standards with a 5mm bottom, 4mm sides, water ballasted hull featuring no less than 6 under floor, full-length stringers mated to a pair of factory-tested air tight buoyancy chambers; the result being the ultimate in strength.

Total integrity matched to the utmost in deck rigidity thanks to a fully welded tread plate floor.

Attention to detail within the Gamefisher was obviously a priority, yet not always evident. Wiring running the length of the gunwales sat on neat but concealed bracketing while a panel behind the dash area could be removed to access wiring or fuses.

Externally the paint job was of the highest quality finish, upholstery perfect and all welded surfaces neatly smoothed. The end result saw the Surtees being a very handsome and well-designed boat with eye catching dark livery offset by gleaming white topsides and cuddy, bright rails and other chrome work.

Strikingly good lines are just one of the many great things about the 6.7 Surtees Gamefisher.

DESIGNED FOR OFFSHORE FISHING At 6.7m long, 2.39m beam and 1000kg hull weight, the Surtees 6.7 Gamefisher is very solid craft. The hull, with its fine entry and an 18° Deep Vee design, has a 380L under

anchor well complete with winch for easy ground tackle management were all set within a strong bow rail. Exterior side height was 950mm, interior floor depth being 720mm, all of which gave the craft great sea keeping capability

The Surtees Gamefisher sported a very strongly made cabin hardtop, providing ample shelter for skipper and mate.

It featured overhead lining, interior and external lighting, 8 rod holders, a fabric extension for extra shade and large rear

hand holds. Most importantly, it had terrific headroom making it particularly easy to stand at the helm and drive if sea conditions demanded close attention to travel. A 3-piece, armoured glass windscreen was connected to both fixed and sliding windows each side, the sliders providing just that bit of extra visibility when open.

Aft of the windscreen a very large flat and carpeted area was available for installation of navigation aids, with a Lowrance HDS9 unit taking up only a small amount of that handy area. Items placed there would remain in place, too, thanks to a lip at the rear of the shelf.

SMART DASH LAYOUT The Surtees Gamefisher’s dash was compact, uncluttered and uncomplicated. Yamaha LAN gauges plus a set of

switches were uppermost. Trim tab and windlass controls were to port of the hydraulic wheel with both marine and pleasure radios lower and to starboard; everything in place and easily identified.

The three spoke, soft feel steering wheel was central and with engine forward controls set up on the side of the hull it was a pleasure to drive the powerful rig.

Helm seating was deluxe, consisting of a well shaped and very supportive Softrider mount pedestal bucket seat for the skipper, another bucket seat for the mate mounted on a large storage box with aft facing squab attached for a passenger to enjoy. A storage shelf for the mate plus hand holds were also featured. Note that the speakers for the craft’s Fusion iPod and stereo system were set by both skipper’s and mate’s sides.

SPECIFICATIONS Length of hull:............................................. 6.84m Length on trailer:........................................ 8.56m Height on trailer:....................................... 2.995m Beam:........................................................... 2.39m Hull construction:......... 5mm bottom, 4mm sides Hull weight:.............................................. 1,000kg Deadrise:.......................................................... 20º Fuel:............................................................... 240L Engines:................................................ 140-250hp Engine fitted:....................200hp Yamaha 4-stroke Persons:........................................................... Six Towing:................. 6 cylinder wagon or large 4 x 4 hull water ballast system that allows water to flood a compartment at rest, and spill out freely as the hull moves forward or onto the plane. Yet there’s flexibility in the set up: a hand operated flap system on the water ballast system can either prevent water from entering or keep it trapped if required.

Up front of the cuddy cab a wide, almost over-sized, well-sealed cabin hatch allows access to the bow area. A bow roller, large bowsprit and deep

and plenty of cockpit depth for ease of fishing.

CABIN AND HARDTOP OFFERED GOOD SHELTER The cabin was well set up. There was a floor mat, excellent head and leg room, overhead shelving and the 1.9m long bunks had deep storage boxes under them. An infill converting the bunks into a large bed was also available.

Side windows allowed in plenty of light, as did the cabin entry area proper.

Top Left: A very neat dash layout is just one of the many great features about this boat. Top Right: Well-padded bunks with storage under them offer great comfort in the Gamefisher’s cuddy cab. Above Left: A sensible battery management system is feature of the Surtees craft.

Above Right: The Surtees Quick Hitch trailer coupling makes locking and unlocking the Gamefisher onto or off a trailer very easy work.

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106

ANGUS SMITH MARINE TOWNSVILLE Plume St Townsville 4810 Phone: 07 4771 4046

REBEL AUTO REPAIRS WEIPA 27 Iraci Ave, Weipa Phone: 07 4069 7708

THE BOAT CHANDLERY BUDDINA 12 Orana St Buddina 4575 Phone: 07 5444 8625 or 0402 105 502

BUTLERS MARINE SERVICE BUNDABERG 1 Collins St Bundaberg East 4670 Phone: 07 4152 5660

SEA ADEX CAPALABA 2/82 Redland Bay Rd Capalaba 4157 Mobile: 0414 821 448

PACIFIC MARINE CENTRE LOGANHOLME 3920 Pacific Hwy, Loganholme Phone: 07 3801 1722

STEVE FLEETWOOD MARINE GLADSTONE 10 Morgan St Gladstone 4680 Phone: 07 4972 9463

BOATIES WAREHOUSE MARYBROUGH 21 Ellena St Marybrough 4650 Phone: 07 4122 4819 or 0423 219 717

KINGAROY GREAT OUTDOOR AND MARINE 1 Ivens St Kingaroy 4610 Phone: 07 4163 6333

JULY 2014

GATEWAY BAIT AND TACKLE BRIBIE ISLAND / PACIFIC BLUE MOBILE MARINE 1383 Bribie Island Rd Ningi 4511 Phone: 07 5429 8825 or 0417 027 086 BBB MARINE AND WELDING SERVICES PADGET/MACKAY 81 Archibald St Padget via Mackay 4740 Phone: 07 4952 1412

DEALER ENQUIRIES WELCOME

REMOVABLE ROD HOLDERS The cockpit work area of the craft was almost 2.2m long and offered plenty of fishing features. Wide, 400mm decks equipped with non-skid rubber sections came with three rod (and three drink) holders per side. Very wide side pockets were large enough to hold a lot of fishing or diving gear and came with snap-in-place, totally removable rod holders to complement the four rod holders mounted on the floor aft. The port pocket had a deck wash unit, which is a very handy item on any fishing rig.

An aft bait station was also equipped with a cutting board and rod holders while the battery compartment at the transom featured a strongly hinged vertical door that,

when lowered, also doubled as a seat.

Boarding was via a large ladder and cut out step to port; the step actually being on top of the craft’s live bait tank with its Perspex front. Hand rails

of the art technology ensuring that any battery down in power received first top up from the Yamaha 4-stroke 200hp astern.

HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE Out off Shorncliffe in the

SPEED VS REVS Planing 2800rpm 13 knots (25km/h) 3000rpm 18 knots (34.5km/h) 4000rpm 26 knots (48km/h) 5000rpm 29 knots (53.3km/h) WOT 5500rpm 40 knots (72.5km/h) were fitted both sides, as was tread plate full width across the boarding platform aft.

Note that both paired engine/house batteries plus fuel filter were very easily accessed astern. The battery set up in particular was well thought out with today’s state

Moving off: the 200 Yamaha was ample power for the well built Surtees.

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wide expanse of Moreton Bay, with two aboard, the 6.7 Surtees Gamefisher Hardtop was given a chance to show what it could do. The ride was at all times exemplary.

I noted ample power from the responsive Yamaha 200hp on the pod astern, and powering through Moreton Bay chop and swells saw the craft never falter, never bang or wallop nor did any spray come aboard thanks to the protection provided by the cuddy cabin and the craft’s metre-high sides.

The 20º Vee hull, with its wide reversed outer chine but totally smooth bottom might have been expected to roll around at rest or perhaps lean excessively into turns but this was not the case. At rest the water ballast system settled the hull just a little deeper to allow the outer reversed chine to maintain easy stability. While

under way the hull’s design maintained an easy, upright, stance at all speeds.

Hydraulic steering made driving very easy and the response from the extra quiet Yamaha 200hp was everything one might desire in a fishing orientated craft. Engine ratings are from 140-250hp, which saw the Yamaha 200hp 4-stroke at mid-range power.

While the top speed was impressive at just under 40 knots (73km/h), I was also impressed with the instant response from the Yamaha virtually through the entire rev range. If you need power to get out of trouble, it was certainly available.

FISHABILITY AND SUMMING UP There can be no denying the credentials of this purpose

Looking into the Gamefisher’s anchor locker it’s obvious that Surtees allow for plenty of anchor rope in their boats. built fishing craft. It’s built to a standard, not a price, and the six-year hull warranty speaks well of the sort of service life expected of the rig. Finish is of the highest quality and with the craft’s great sea keeping

Powering along at speed the Surtees’ hull throws spray and chop well to the side.

ability linked to easy handling and ample performance from the chosen engine, off shore fishing would be something to really look forward to.

Supplied by Northside Marine and on a Redco Sportsman trailer (with Surtees Quick Hitch system for ease of loading) plus registration and safety gear the rig as reviewed would come home for $107,653. Northside Marine can be contacted on (07) 3265 8000 or on the net at www. nsmarine.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

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BRISBANE MANLY HARBOUR MARINE

570 Royal Esplanade MANLY QLD 4179 Phone (07) 3893 2199 Fax (07) 3893 2188 Email info@manlyharbourmarine.com.au Web www.manlyharbourmarine.com.au

YEPPOON SEABREEZE MARINE

150 SCENIC HIGHWAY YEPPOON QLD 4703 Phone (07) 4933 6366 Fax (07) 4933 7590 Email info@seabreezemarine.com.au Web www.seabreezemarine.com.au

MACKAY SUGAR CITY MARINE

11 Victoria Street MACKAY QLD 4740 Phone (07) 4951 4711 Fax (07) 4957 6034 Email goboating@sugarcitymarine.com.au Web www.sugarcitymarine.com.au

BRISBANE BRISBANE MARINE

306 Duffiled Rd Clontarf QLD 4019 Phone (07) 3889 3033 Fax (07) 3889 5390 Email info@brisbanemarine.com.au Web www.brismarine.com.au

WHITSUNDAY WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE

1 William Murray Drive CANNONVALE QLD 4802 Phone (07) 4946 7286 Fax (07) 4946 7848 Email www.woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

JULY 2014

107

What’s new boating

1

New Mercury Diesels

Mercury Diesel has released new 150hp and 170hp variants of its 2L Inline-4 platform. Mercury’s innovative technology provides increased power-to-weight ratios, cleaner starts and less noise, while eliminating the smoke and smell often associated with diesel engines.

Very reliable, compact and robust, the new engines are available as both inboards and sterndrives, and are fully compatible with Mercury’s DTS (Digital Throttle and Shift) technology. Variable geometry turbo (VGT) technology provides peak torque at 2000rpm, so turbo-lag virtually disappears, the boat gets to plane faster and drivers enjoy outstanding operating characteristics.

The new engines are only 80cm long and 71cm wide. Producing only 68 decibels they are quieter than a normal conversation, and a closed cooling system increases engine longevity by keeping corrosion at bay.

All models offer the latest Common Rail Fuel Injection technology and are fully Mercury SmartCraft-compatible. To find out more visit www.mercurymarine.com.au. - MM

2

Black Rhino Boats

Black Rhino Boats was born from the concept that Australia’s boating industry was suffering from the same old, same old syndrome, so we teamed up with world renowned, award winning boat designer, Scott Robson to produce a range of plate boats.

Here at Black Rhino we are manufacturing fresh boats with a contemporary style that is unique on the Australian market. As our range of boats are Australian made for Australian conditions, our design focuses on strong capabilities and top performance in harsh waters, while also maintaining a modern luxury feeling with a fresh new sleek finish.

While the name Black Rhino might be new to the boating industry, our experience and knowledge shows through from each weld with over 100 years of collective boat manufacturing and customising experience in the team. Our builders are fisherman themselves. They understand what will or will not work when you’re out on the water and bring this experience to every boat.

When it comes to service and after sales back up, you are dealing direct with Black Rhino Boats, not through a reseller or an agent. We can offer repairs and service second to none, because we build what we sell, we service what we sell and we maintain an open relationship with every boat owner we sell too.

Our passion, experience and dedication is what sets us above from the rest. When buying a Black Rhino Boat you’ll have guaranteed satisfaction.

For more information on the range, contact Black Rhino on 1800 559 608 or log onto www.blackrhinoboats.com.au. – Black Rhino

3

Software Upgrade

Lowrance has announced enhanced navigational functionality for its HDS Gen2 and HDS Gen2 Touch range. This functionality provides Easy Routing from C-MAP and Autorouting from Navionics.

Users can now easily and automatically create the shortest, safe route based on selected start and end points to plan a route.

Routes are shown overlaid on the chart, highlighting the safest route.

The software update also adds Dynamic Tides and Currents for Jeppesen C-MAP Max-N+ users, providing a graphical representation of current conditions when the chart is zoomed beyond the 1NM scale.

108

JULY 2014

This software is available as a free download and also includes improvements to charting and navigational features. To get HDS route planning visit www.lowrance.com.

- Lowrance

4

1

GME MT600G EPIRB

GME has released the MT600G, an EPIRB with improved GPS functionality ensuring faster location in an emergency situation.

The MT600G features a 10 year battery life and advanced self testing capability, giving users greater peace of mind.

Features include a 66 channel GPS receiver which reduces the search area to less than 100m radius, and a 121.5MHz homing signal to further aid in location and retrieval in an emergency. Complete with quick release mounting bracket and automatically deployed antenna, the MT600G is certified by COSPAS SARSAT for worldwide usage.

“GME EPIRBs and PLBs have lead to more rescues in Australian waters than any other brand, and the MT600G continues this heritage,” said Marine Marketing Manager at GME Brad Darch. “It was designed and manufactured in Australia to deliver next generation performance and reliability.”

The MT600G is priced at RRP $399.

To find your nearest dealer log onto www.gme.net.au. - GME

5

2

Marine Graphics Ink

3

Marine Graphics Ink has been at the forefront of Australian boat wraps since 2007. Their fish illustrations and boat wraps are now recognisable at the boat ramps and on the floor at the boat shows.

Nick Hannan, MGI owner and head illustrator, said wraps are becoming a popular and cost-effective option for boat hull protection.

“It is a great alternative to painting your boat,” he said. “It’s faster, cheaper and offers a wider range of options.”

Starting at $480 for the half wrap ready-to-go stock designs through to full blown custom jobs, it’s definitely worth a troll through their site. Check out www.marinegraphicsink.com or call Nick on 0432 499 492. - MGI

6

4

Horizon Boats FP Pack

Horizon Boats EasyFisher range consists of five models, the 415, 435, 450, 465 and 525 and is available in four configurations that include the thwart seat model, pedestal seat model, side console and centre console.

Key features of the EasyFisher range includes 3mm bottoms and sides, bow and side rails, anchor well, splash well, front casting deck with storage, rear step and rail, side pockets, soft edge side decks, bow roller and they are fully welded under gunwales.

To offer customers even better value for money with the EasyFisher range, Horizon Boats has introduced the FP pack The FP pack includes a rear casting deck, plumbed live bait tank, custom decals and a Humminbird PiranhaMAX 196CXI Sounder*.

The FP Pack is available on the EasyFisher, EasyFisher Pro, EasyFisher SC and EasyFisher CC models meaning you can have the boat you love with the extras you always wanted.

Terms and conditions apply to this great offer so refer to your local Horizon dealer for all the details or log onto www.horizonboats. com.au for more information. * Humminbird PiranhaMAX 196CXI bonus while stocks last, model subject to change without notice depending on availability.

– Horizon Boats

5

6

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Coffs Harbour Marine

Dave Hill Marine

59 Union St, Lismore, 2480

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Coffs Harbour Sth, 2450 Slades Paradise Marine White Water Marine 02 9456 1444 02 4423 6137 www.huettmarine.com.au 02 6652 4722 davehillmarine@onestream.com.au 16 Paradise Parade 10 Hinde Street info@huettmarine.com.au

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07 5577 1011

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Tully

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332 Soldiers Point Rd, 28 Ritchie Salamander Bay, 2317 Street

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02 4982 7899

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Adrians Marine Centre Bundaberg Qld

07 4153 1819 www.bayboatsales.com.au

Graham Barclay Marine

02 6554 5866

07 4946 6136

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Cowra

Whitsunday Bowen

Hunts Marine

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Blakes Marine

Forster

sales@cannonvalemarine.com.au

All Service Motors 1 Redfern St, Cowra, 2794 www.allservicemotorscowra.com.au

07allservicemotors@bigpond.com 4068 2222 www.huntsoutboards.com.au hos3@westnet.com.au

© 2014 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Terms and conditions apply, excludes commercial purchases. # Extended warranty covers MY11, MY12,

© 2013 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Terms and conditions apply, excludes commercial purchases. * 'Spring Cashback Promotion' offer valid on MY11, MY13 MY13 & MY14 Evinrude E-TECE-TEC engines 40HP40 and newlynewly purchased and and registered from participating authorized dealers. full terms and conditions please contact local participating dealership.

BRP January 31styour 2014.

Cashback will beEvinrude in the form of a Prepaid MY12, & MY14 evinrude engines HPabove, and above purchased registered from participating authorized dealersFor between December 1st 2013 and Visa Card. the ** For normal recreational use. # Extended warranty covers MY11, MY12, MY13 features, & MY14 Evinrude E-TEC engineswithout 40HP and above, obligation. newly purchased and registered from participating dealers between October reserves right at any time to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, models or equipment incurring Products are distributed in Australia authorized and New Zealand

by BRP Australia st st 1 and December 31 2013. ^ 25hp-250hp consumer models. For full terms and conditions please contact your local participating Evinrude dealership. BRP reserves the right at any time to discontinue or change specifications, prices, PTY Ltd.features, Card Issued byorHeritage Bank Limited ABN 32 087 652 Products 024 AFSLare240984. designs, models equipment without incurring obligation. distributed in Australia and New Zealand by BRP Australia PTy Ltd. Card Issued by Heritage Bank Limited ABN 32 087 652 024 AFSL 240984. Visa Card Terms and Conditions apply.

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JULY 2014

Engel Spotters are exactly what you need when you’re out fishing!

- Paul Worsteling

They’re not just for guys, the whole family can wear Spotters and stay cool!

- Cristy Worsteling

If you want to stay cool, you need to be seen in Spotters. Thanks to Engel they can be yours.

- Ernie Dingo

FREE ENGEL SPOTTERS PACK! VALUED AT ALMOST $350!

GET YOUR FREE ENGEL SPOTTERS PACK THIS WINTER! There’s never been a better time to get yourself a new Engel fridge-freezer.

During May, June and July 2014, when you buy any fridge-freezer from the Engel MT series, you get a free Engel Spotters Pack!* Valued at almost $350, the pack contains an Engel backpack plus your very own pair of Engel branded Spotters Fury sunglasses and a Spotters cap! *While stocks last. Engel reserves the right to substitute products with those of similar value if the need arises. All promotional items must be redeemed at time and place of purchase and are only available with purchases from participating Engel retailers within Australia.

For stockists call 1300 302 653 or visit www.engelaustralia.com.au

The Torque of the Town.

The 150hp Mercury FourStroke.

We could continue to talk up its strengths. Instead it has spoken for itself.

And now, Australia’s leading marine reviewers can’t stop talking about it.

Clearly the most compact and durable, lowest weight and highest displacement 150hp FourStroke outboard the world has ever seen.

Visit www.mercurymarine.com.au

“This engine was so good it actually made me rethink my love of direct fuel injection two-strokes.”

Andrew Norton - Tradeaboat

“It takes the recent trend of making four-strokes smaller, lighter and more responsive to the next level.”

Jim Harnwell - Fishing World

“I walked away impressed with the performance, technology, passion and insane amount of R&D... squeezed under the cowling of 150hp four-stroke.”

Matt Jones - Tradeaboat

“The large cubic capacity 3.0L block means the engine’s more chilled out than a Buddhist monk, but with plenty of torque.”

Matt Jones - Tradeaboat

Image courtesy of Shane Chalker, www.shanechalkerphotography.com