Queensland Fishing Monthly - June 2016

TRANSITION TIME • WELCOME WINTER WHITING

Features

A day on the lake • Targeting pelagics in the depths • Moreton Bay whiting •

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Boating and kayaking

How-To

Goondiwindi yakking • Camping with a kayak • Buying a boat: estuary rigs • Prepping small boats for offshore • Horizon 525 Scorpion • Iconic 5.5 Cuddy Cab •

Slide bait rig • The dropper knot •

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June 2016, Vol. 28 No. 8

Contents NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

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Iluka 24 Ballina 22 SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND TTweed Heads 25 Southern Gold Coast 26 Gold Coast Canals 28 Gold Coast 30 Jumpinpin 32 Southern Bay 34 Brisbane 36 Brisbane Offshore 38 Northern Bay 39 Caloundra 42 Noosa 44 CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Hervey Bay 48 Rainbow Beach 48 Fraser Coast 49 Rockhampton 50 Bundaberg 50 Lake Monduran 51 1770 52 Gladstone 53 Yeppoon 54 Mackay 56 Stanage Bay 57 TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Whitsundays 60 Ayr 61 Townsville 62 Hinchinbrook 64 Lucinda 63 Cairns 65 Port Douglas 64 Cooktown 66 Cape York 66 TNQ Freshwater 67

THE ELECTION IS COMING With a federal election called just before we went to print, it will be interesting to see how the major parties will roll out their recreational fishing policies. At all levels of government there have been some serious wins and some heavy losses in our battle for access, and to protect our basic fishing rights.

Remember that you do fish and vote, and if there’s nothing else to swing you, why not make a decision on recreational fishing policy? I can think of worse things to tip the balance. Keep an eye on www.keepaustraliafishing. com.au for major policy announcements.

HOBIE WORLDS 6 ANNOUNCED Symbolising the meteoric growth of competitive kayak

fishing globally, the 6th Hobie Fishing Worlds has just been announced for 2016 – to be held in Louisiana, USA this December. Australia will again be sending a strong contingent to contest the title – we’ve had Aussies win the coveted title twice in the last five years.

Believe me – this is a big thing for the anglers involved.

Qualifying events for the Worlds are hotly contested, and places in the Australian team are coveted. Well done to Hobie Fishing for pulling it all together again in spectacular fashion. Keep an eye out for more coverage on hobiefishingworlds.com.

Hobie’s coverage of these events is world class.

COMING TO THE LURE EXPO? And with an eye ahead to next month, be prepared for a great feature on the 5th Australian Lure and Fly Expo

at Ipswich in Queensland.

Increasingly, this event is a ‘must attend’ for lure fishers, collectors and experts from all across Australia. It might seem a fair way to travel for a small show, but there’s never

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been a more concentrated assembly of Australian lure making talent. Anytime, anywhere, ever!

So block out July 16-17 in your calendars and we’d love to see you there!

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This beautiful saratoga was caught on a spinnerbait at Borumba.

A Tom Slater image.

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From the Editor’s Desk...

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LET’S LET’S CUT CUT STRAIGHT STRAIGHT TOTO THE THE POINT POINT If you’re If you’re looking looking to increase to increase your your hook hook up up rate, rate, whywhy ® hook ® hook on on your your next next notnot try try a Black a Black Magic Magic C Point C Point fishing fishing trip? trip?

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You’ll You’ll hook hook them…and them…and you’ll you’ll hold hold them! them!

Billy Papageorgiou Billy Papageorgiou landed landed this 35lb this jewfish 35lb jewfish while while fishingfishing off the offFar theWest Far West Coast.Coast.

Billy used Billy used two Black two Black MagicMagic 7/0 7/0 ® Hooks Hooks to take to his take fish. his fish.

C Point C ®Point

LikeLike all Black all Black Magic Magic hooks, hooks, they they areare manufactured manufactured in Japan in Japan from from premium premium grade grade high high carbon carbon steel steel andand they they areare nickel nickel coated coated giving giving youyou a strong a strong andand rustrust resistant resistant hook. hook.

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PACK PACK SIZES SIZES TO CHOOSE TO CHOOSE FROM FROM

HookHook sizes: sizes: 04, 02, 04,01, 02,1/0, 01, 2/0, 1/0, 3/0, 2/0, 4/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 5/0, 7/0, 6/0, 8/0, 7/0, 10/0 8/0, 10/0

BlackBlack MagicMagic 6/0 C6/0 Point® C Point® Hooks Hooks and Black and Black MagicMagic 20lb 20lb Supple Supple TraceTrace “produced “produced great great results” results” for Neil for Neil Mackenzie.

Mackenzie.

He was Hefishing was fishing in Port in Phillip Port Phillip Bay, Victoria.

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AA CLOSER CLOSER LOOK...

LOOK...

• three • three micro micro cutting cutting edges edges • smaller • smaller than than average average barb barb makes makes for for easier easier penetration penetration

“I have “I have been been using using your your hooks hooks forfor thethe past past 2 years 2 years with with a lot a lot of success of success on on Jewfish, Jewfish, with with solid solid hookups hookups in the in the jawjaw bone”. bone”. - Clint >> >> - Clint Pavlidis Pavlidis - Newcastle, - Newcastle, NSW NSW A Black A Black MagicMagic 10/0 10/0 C Point® C Point® HookHook was used was used

by Clint

by Clint Pavlidis Pavlidis to land to this land33kg this 33kg jewie.jewie.

He used He a used freshly a freshly caught caught squidsquid as a as live-bait a live-bait and was and fishing was fishing in thein Newcastle the Newcastle Harbour Harbour duringduring low tide. low tide.

ForFor more more information information and and where where to to find find your your nearest nearest stockist, stockist, visit: visit: www.blackmagictackle.com www.blackmagictackle.com

A DAY ON THE LAKE

A day on the lake BRISBANE

Tom Slater

As the scorching heat of summer begins to relent, the native fish species in Queensland impoundments begin to move. This reality piece follows local bass angler, Tom Slater as he attempts to unlock the secrets of a new body of water in a day on the lake.

5:40am – A chill is in the air as I back my boat into Borumba Dam for the first time. The vista is thick with fog that blankets the entire dam. I’d left Brisbane at 3:30am, with good friend Andy Mckinstray, to be the first boat on the water.

During the cool months, I’d expect to get a few early bites on a surface lure.

5:50am – I start my Yamaha and motor off down the dam. I’m looking

Andy Mckinstray holds up a beautiful Borumba saratoga. The lily pads are the perfect shady cover for these fish to ambush their prey.

for a likely spot to start my day that is close to deep water, with good shoreline vegetation in the form of weed beds or submerged grass.

5:57am – Andy and I pull up on a main lake point, it’s a steep bank, on the side of a hill plunging straight into the dam.

The edge is fringed with healthy green weed, and the small bays leading off the main point should be a good option for an early bite on surface.

5:59am – The first cast of the day is a long wind-assisted cast to the edge of the weed. I throw a small topwater pencil lure, on spinning tackle for maximum distance. These still mornings call for maximum stealth, so I want to stay as far away from the shore as possible.

6:24am – I round the first small point on the way back into a cove off the main lake. My second cast on the point heralds a strike from a nice size saratoga. I hook-up, but it throws the lure with violent jumps and headshakes.

LOCATION During this time of year, when the harshest heat of summer has ended, the fish tend to stay shallower longer. In the heat of summer, water temperatures on the edge can exceed 30°C in some impoundments, which is far too hot for species such as bass to remain all day long. So they tend to move deep, out into the main river channel and relax in the deeper, cooler water. That’s not to say that they are never shallow in summer, it’s just more of a morning or afternoon bite.

Now that we’re into the cooler months, the water temperatures have started

Covering ground is the most effective way of working out a new lake. Get there early and make the most of your day!

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JUNE 2016

This toga chomped the author’s chatterbait, a great tool for catching predatory fish shallow. to fall and the bass will feel more comfortable in shallower water for a longer part of the day. Species like bass and yellowbelly use structure like weed beds

the area. You can fish it slowly along the bottom, to imitate a small crustacean like a yabby.

6:37am – I place a cast on the far side of

lure. By now several boats had driven past and the sun was creeping above the horizon and the surface bite was receding.

7:34am – With no other

Big timber and spindly trees are the perfect places to cast for Australian natives at all times of the year. The trees provide shade that fish crave during the day. to help acclimatise to new water temperatures. The weed bed acts as insulation, keeping water cooler in summer and warmer during winter. So targeting shoreline weed is a popular technique through autumn, winter and into spring.

6:33am – I change to a small wakebait, this is a crankbait that dives shallow. This lure works just beneath the surface and pushes a wake and bubble trail that’s hard to ignore. They’re great lures for covering water quickly.

As I haven’t fished this dam before, I need to cover some ground to maximise my chance of finding fish.

6:35am – The new lure immediately produces the goods, and a bass exposes itself from under a laydown tree among the weed on the shoreline. I reach for my rod rigged with a skirted jig.

The jig is something I’ve only begun to experiment with in the last few years, but it works well when you know there’s a fish in

the tree limb, it sinks and immediately I set the hook on a nice sized Borumba bass.

THE SWITCH-UP The old adage of ‘never leave fish to find fish’ is true in this instance. I could have easily resigned to the fact that I’d missed that fish on its initial strike of my topwater, but I knew it didn’t feel any hooks and so it was likely to bite again. Rather than throw the same lure back in there twice, I chose a different lure, one that I could fish much slower and I ended up catching the fish. This is why it’s always a good idea to have a smaller profile lure, like a soft plastic or jig tied on that you can fish slowly around an area where you may have missed a bite or seen a fish. If you haven’t spooked them, chances are they might still be around to catch later.

6:57am – I’d fished back into the small bay off the main lake for only one other small boil on my surface

action to speak of after fishing another small point and adjoining cove, and with the sun now firmly beating down onto the once shady bank, I made the decision to put down the surface lures and fire up the Yamaha to look for some fish in a little deeper water.

CONDITIONS Weather conditions can make or break a fishing day. If you’re greeted with overcast skies and low light, the fishing in the shallow fringes can fire. On the contrast, days like the one I experienced at Borumba with high bluebird skies and not much wind can limit the time you spend looking for fish in really shallow water.

As the sunlight starts to hit the surface, fish start to retreat either out to slightly deeper water, or deeper into structure like snags or weed. To catch more fish, alter your fishing style and techniques with the changing weather. Use subsurface lures once the

sun is up or start fishing deeper into the snags or weed to get those fish that have moved back into the shade to come out and strike.

7:56am – I idle back into the main lake and make my way towards the timbered section of the dam. It’s easier to locate an old creek bed with the presence of standing timber. You can generally pick out the channel just by looking at the placement of the trees and the size of them relative to how far they come out of the water.

8:14am – My aim was to locate schooled fish sitting on the break of where the old creek bed rose up onto a shallower flat. I set my Humminbird to side imaging and used it to scan 30m out either side of my boat. It doesn’t take long to find a few fish schooled around a point that extends out into the main riverbed.

8:28am – After throwing a number of casts with a jighead rigged soft plastic I notice fish holding very tight to the bottom. I reach for a soft vibration style lure, which I drop vertically onto the fish I can see on my sounder.

Within two hops of the lure off the bottom I feel no resistance as I go to lift the lure for a third time – a fish had grabbed it on the drop and I’d not felt anything.

A nice-sized yellowbelly found its way into the net.

8:36am – There is one isolated tree standing proud atop the high spot I am fishing. Standing timber like this may as well have a giant illuminated ‘yellowbelly’ sign at the top – this is the leading

be the easiest way to locate fish if you can’t find success around the edges. Often, the larger the tree, the better the chances of finding a fish

and use a dark colour like black or camo to make a better silhouette. Just drop it to the bottom and ever so slowly wind the lure back up the tree.

A fresh bass with a fair amount of length jigged up from the depths of Borumba. or two holding off it. When approaching standing timber like this, there are a few different lure styles that always seem to be effective. The first is a lipless vibration style lure.

These lures sink and can be jigged off the bottom

8:39am – I drop my lure straight down the trunk of the tree and start to jig around the base of the tree in 22ft of water. This style of vertical jigging for bass and yellowbelly is sometimes more about annoying the fish into biting

The feeling of successfully netting a toga after a battle is unbeatable. These fish throw hooks so easily, that by the time you fetch the net you’ll be wiping your brow with relief! way to target them in our lakes and dams.

TIMBER Targeting vertical standing timber can be an exciting way to catch species like yellowbelly and bass. It can often

around the base of the tree, or simply retrieved straight up the trunk to trigger a bite. The second lure I’d recommend for doing this is a curl-tailed soft plastic.

Generally, I would rig the plastic on a 1/4oz jighead

than actually triggering a feeding response. After a minute of short sharp hops off the bottom, my lure gets crunched on the free fall and a healthy-sized bass completely inhales the lure.

To page 12

JUNE 2016

11

A DAY ON THE LAKE From page 11

9:06am – I start to move my way through the dam using my electric motor, making sure I stay close to the old creek bed. I make sure I cast at least once at every large tree I encounter. Many casts produce smaller-sized yellowbelly.

9:29am – After losing the saratoga earlier in the morning and hearing so much about the excellent Borumba fishery, I was determined to land one of these amazing sportfish.

Lifting my Fortrex out of the water and cranking up the Yamaha, I make my way through the timbered section of the main basin and begin to work up the Kingaham arm of the dam.

9:37am – I knock the engine into neutral, cut the power and am greeted with weed and lily pads that line both sides of the arm.

Adding to the attraction is an increasing amount of spindly trees that emerge out of the water along the edge.

9:40am – My first cast with a chatterbait in and around the lily pads produces a savage strike.

I fire another cast into the area but can’t convince the fish to come back for another try.

10:13am – I enter a small cove littered with weed, lily pads, and small trees

gear. A massive saratoga launches out of the water, trying to free the hook from its mouth. My rod bows and my braid traces a line through the lily pads into the shallow water where the toga battles hard. I fight the fish all the way to the side of the boat, but at the last minute the hook pops free and I watch 80cm+ of Borumba saratoga slither back into the weed.

10:21am – I continue to work along the edge of the main arm, placing casts around the numerous lily pads that line the bank.

Not even 100m from the cove where I lost the fish earlier, I hook-up again.

This one isn’t as big but any saratoga, no matter the size is a beautiful fish.

SHADY BUSINESS Finding and targeting areas of shade later in the day is key to finding success in shallow water.

Fish of any species rarely find comfort exposed to direct sunlight, and so they seek out shade in any form they can. Trees are the obvious candidate for number one shade producer, but many of the lakes and impoundments have abundant lily pad fields that when grouped together, block a huge percentage of the sun’s rays from entering the water.

This shade offers a perfect ambush point for predators

off the line of lily pads.

My lure lands gently so as not to disturb the area and almost immediately my line snaps straight as another saratoga grabs my chatterbait.

11:19am – I’d now worked the Kingaham arm of the dam right up to where it began to narrow down and become as shallow as 8ft in the main channel. The channel is now littered with timber both above and below the waterline, while the lily pads continue to meander along the edge. With this much structure around, a spinnerbait is the obvious choice. The rigid arm helps the lure track over obstacles like branches, and allows you to slowly retrieve the lure through even the thickest of cover. I pick up my spinnerbait rod and launch a cast straight down the middle of the narrow channel. I can feel the bait bumping its way over tree limbs and try to slow it down even more after I feel it clear each snag. This allows the lure to free-fall just for a split second after bumping over a log, which gives nearby predators an opportunity to strike. My rod bows again and another beautiful saratoga finds its way into the boat.

TOGA PARTY Saratoga are built to feed on the surface, and their lack of dorsal fin means they can

around the shade whether it is cast by trees or other vegetation. In this instance, the lily pads I targeted all morning were beginning to shallow out. Originally I fished them with 4-6ft of water beneath them, but as I traveled up the arm they began to appear in only 1-2ft of water. I knew that fish in this area would have moved out, away from the shallow edge and sunk back into the main channel. With plenty of timber there was still ample structure and shade. These are the sort of adjustments that need to be made throughout a fishing session to maximise your opportunities.

11:46am – I’d fished back into the Kingaham arm of Borumba Dam as far as I could. So I make my way back out of the arm and through the timbered section of the main basin. When you approach any new body of water, try to sample everything it has to offer.

11:59am – Back in the main basin with only a little time left for the day, I notice the steep rocky bluffs that line the northwestern edge of the main basin. I pull up and drop my Minn Kota into the water and begin to methodically cast a chatterbait along the bank. As I had expected, the bank is quite steep, so deep water has to be nearby – this is the perfect place for bass to hang out.

12:05pm – I’d fished approximately 70m of bank before coming to the first of many tiny coves that cut their way into the steep bank that offered a likely place for a bass to wait in ambush.

DEEP WATER Steep rock faces and bluffs can be a productive area to chase predatory fish in our impoundments. They generally have deep water very close to the bank, and the inherent nature of the

A chunky bass taken as the sun starts to climb. rock, means that there will be plenty of nooks and crannies for fish to use to ambush prey. The small coves that cut into the face of the bank meant that at their entrance, the water was much deeper than what it had been. These are like finding the spot within the spot. The spot

This big yellowbelly was a welcome catch on a lipless vibrating lure.

Look for big timber to find dinner plate-sized yellowbelly. off from the main channel.

The trees and lily pads provide plenty of shade to keep the water cool. I fire my chatterbait over a small patch of lilies and watch as the water erupts as soon as I click my reel into 12

JUNE 2016

like saratoga and bass to use to catch their prey, and focusing on finding shady areas is key to finding more fish up shallow.

10:47am – I notice a swirl on the surface underneath a tree just out

lie millimetres under the water without breaking the surface. They are a fantastic species to chase on surface lures early in the day or late in the afternoon. During the middle part of the day, focus your attention

might be the rocky bluff wall, but the spot within the spot on this particular day were these little coves that provided something unique along this stretch of bank.

12:06pm – My first cast into one of these coves

A very successful day on the water – it pays to research the conditions, locations and possible lure tactics to land some incredible fish.

produces a small 35cm bass that hit hard for its size. I began to fish fast between each of the coves that cut into the bank. As I approach each cove, I slow down and pick apart each one. Soon I had put another four small bass in the boat.

HOME STRETCH By now it was time to head back to Brisbane. My first trip to Borumba had been a resounding success.

Never having fished here before, I relied solely on my knowledge of fish behaviour and seasonal movements.

The surface bite will continue before the big chill hits South East Queensland.

Shallow fishing in impoundments will continue to produce good numbers of bass, yellowbelly and saratoga – just remember to adjust throughout the day.

As the sun rises, fish tighter to the structure, or try fishing slightly deeper. During the middle of the day find areas where fish can transition in the water column, places like the edges of old creek beds are perfect.

Attempting to break down and figure out a new piece of water in one day can be a tricky task. Sometimes it takes a little more time, but by paying attention to the time of year and the changing weather you should be able to identify likely spots or areas that fish should be using, and hopefully experience the kind of day that I did on Borumba Dam.

Targeting pelagics in the depths few months, as cooling water temperatures and different weather patterns bring the dreaded southwesterlies and southerlies.

With winter nearly upon us, it’s time to have one last shot at some autumn

HERVEY BAY

Mark Bargenquast

It’s that time of the year again to pull out the winter woolies and rethink angling opportunities for the next

pelagic action, as water temps in the southern half of Queensland drop well below 22°C inshore and pelagic predators become less active.

Many will migrate offshore or back north, following the warmer

currents and bait schools.

Longtail tuna disappear from their surface feeding action and migrate, however a handful of larger specimens over 20kg quite often hang around all winter, changing their feeding habits from surface forays on pilchards, flying fish and gar to deeper schools of yakkas, squid and bottom species like juvenile sweetlip, happy moments and prawns.

This can be a tough time to find pelagics, as

There’s still a few big threadies, just find the prawns.

A deep bait school with some big predators not far behind.

Winter will see a reduction in tuna numbers on the surface.

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they can’t be seen on the surface, and all the action is down deep so a quality sounder, preferably with side imaging is invaluable.

I use a Lowrance HDS 12 with structure scan, using this unit’s ability to look sideways up to 50m clearly either side of the boat, lets me find bait schools or fish that I would otherwise miss.

Find deep bait schools and that’s where the big predators will be this time of the year. It’s not just big longtails either, big cobia, queenfish and big golden trevally often hunt deep for bait. If you are fishing for these bigger early winter predators, be

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is invaluable for this type of fishing.

Barra that were once thought of as being too hard to catch in winter are a viable option. I have found that the bite window is much smaller, but they are there in numbers at times.

The last few years we have been catching them in water as cool as 18°C in the salt!

The usual flathead, bream, whiting and tailor will start to increase in activity as well and if fished for on ultra-light tackle will provide fun for the keen anglers. Live yabbies and worms will also produce good catches, especially on the first of the flood tide in the drains.

There’s nothing like a fresh meal of whiting fillets,

but these days it’s becoming harder to catch a decent feed of them, especially in Hervey Bay. This is possibly due to excessive commercial pressure on the species.

Let’s hope the flow on effect of the new net free zones further north will follow on down this way and give us some new opportunities in the near future. Tight lines!

A few juvenile diamond trevally will start to appear in the straits as the water cools. prepared, as fish over 15kg are common, so I prefer a minimum of 30lb braid on a good heavy duty reel.

One of the best techniques is to fish heavy jigheads with big plastics down deep. Other techniques such as microjigging and trolling ultradeep divers works just as well depending on the depth and location. Quite

often big predatory fish will rise up from 20m of water to hit a lure sitting at 8-10m.

Live baiting is also a very effective way of getting bites, but sharks can be a problem, especially if using bigger livies like yakkas! I don’t baitfish, I much prefer hunting down fish with lures, but it has its place at times, especially

on a slow day when the fish are inactive from a barometric change.

Inshore, barra and threadies are still there, and there’s some excellent threadfin being caught on vibes and plastics if you can find the prawns.

Prawns are quite often in deeper holes and gutters and once again, good side scanning sonar

It’s nearly time to chase a few snapper in the bay.

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Take better fishing photos NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Everyone loves to capture a great photo of their catch, and in the era of social media, it’s fun to share those images with friends, family and fellow fishers. But how

can you ensure that your fishing happy snaps are up to scratch? These days, just about every angler takes a camera with them whenever they hit the water, even if it’s only the one built into their mobile phone.

Digital cameras (including the phone variety) are getting better, easier to use and more

affordable every year, so there’s really no excuse for not coming home with a few halfway decent images of your latest adventure.

What you do with those photos is a personal choice. You might e-mail them to friends, post them on your Instagram account or Facebook page, show them to club-mates at

Here’s a well-composed grip-and-grin shot of Adam Royter holding a lovely Kiwi brown trout. Sometimes it makes a nice change to have the angler look at the fish and smile, rather than straight at the camera.

You don’t always need a person in the frame to capture an interesting fishing image. The author used his Nikon AW1 held in one hand, with the fish in the other, to snap this striking bream portrait.

a meeting night, put them on an internet forum, blog them, or even submit them to a magazine like this one.

Whatever their fate, the better those images are, the more impact they’ll have… But what do I mean by ‘better’?

Any good photo needs to be in focus and properly exposed: neither too dark nor too light. It also helps if the horizon is reasonably straight and the picture is composed so the subject stands out, and extraneous objects in the background don’t distract the viewer. Beyond these basics, there’s a world of difference

between an adequate fishing photo and a brilliant one.

‘Grip-and-grin’ is a term used (sometimes disparagingly) to describe the photos that dominate fishing magazines, websites and anglers’ photo albums. These images consist of a delighted hunter proudly showing off his or her prize catch while smiling at the camera. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen a thousand! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this style of shot, especially if it’s done well. In fact, grip-and-grins are the bread-and-butter of fishing photography, and most fellow anglers love looking at them.

They also make great ‘brag shots’ and lasting memory joggers… if they’re any good!

To produce a quality gripand-grin, you need a live, wet, healthy-looking fish that’s being supported by the angler, with no blood, mud or sand clinging to it. The standard grip-and-grin can be further improved by slightly angling the fish’s head towards the camera, and by minimising the amount of its body obscured by the angler’s hands.

Avoid the exaggerated, extended-arm stance that supposedly makes the fish look bigger. Few people fall for this, especially when your subject’s hands appear twice the size of their

A reasonable grip-and-grin of a stud bream, but the image could be improved in several ways. Firstly, some flash or a different angle to the sun would help to remove the shadow on the angler’s face. Secondly, not having the other angler’s back and shoulder in frame would lessen clutter in the background. Thirdly, some would argue that the fish is being held too close to the camera’s wide-angle lens, distorting the proportions. basics right and your gripand-grins will start to sing.

As an aside, I’ve spent my working life looking for the ‘perfect’ camera for anglers. I haven’t found it, but I’m currently using

Basics’ column each month (especially the underwater images) have been shot using Nikon’s AW1. If you’d like to see my full video review of this nifty camera, scan the QR code,

Using flash has really helped to pump some life into a snapper snap taken on a drizzly, overcast and very grey day, but getting the horizon straight would have improved the shot, as would moving that tackle box at lower left out of frame. heads! Instead, have your angler strike a comfortable, balanced pose with bent arms and encourage them to look genuinely happy.

Work with the sun behind the photographer (so it illuminates the subject), or consider using flash to fill in the shadows under those ubiquitous hat brims. Finally, focus the camera on the eye of the fish, hold the shutter button halfway down to maintain that point of focus (or use the camera’s focus lock) and carefully re-frame (with a straight horizon) before shooting. Get those 16

JUNE 2016

something that comes close to achieving that mark. It’s Nikon’s AW1: a compact, mirror-less camera with inter-changeable lenses that’s capable of capturing high quality stills (both JPEG and RAW), as well as very passable video. But the best thing about the AW1 is the fact that it’s waterproof to a depth of 15m, shockproof if dropped from a height of 2m, and extremely well sealed against dust and grit.

It’s not indestructible, but it is tough!

A lot of the photos that accompany my ‘Back To

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Until next time, happy snapping!

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Technique

Get maximum distance with a slide bait rig BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Over the last few years, slide baiting has become a popular technique for anglers targeting large gamefish from the beaches and rocks. This effective technique basically allows you to deploy a large bait further from the shore than previously possible. You don’t cast the bait, only the sinker. After you have cast the sinker, you attach the slide bait rig with the bait attached and float it out using the current, or coax

it out with gentle lifting of the rod tip. After numerous large Spanish mackerel to over 40kg were caught with this technique at Fraser Island, more anglers have been keen to try this exciting form of fishing.

The sinker commonly used is a grapnel (sometimes referred to as an anchor sinker) which has forward facing wire arms which help it bed down and hold into the sand or debris on the bottom. Many of these sinkers have the arms fixed in place but some have a release system where the arms fold back when extra pressure is applied. This is

usually when the angler lifts the rod abruptly to wind in or a fish grabs the bait and goes for a run. Once the sinker has hit the bottom you need to do small lifts with the rod tip (without retrieving line), tightening and relaxing the line to get the sinker to bed into the sand.

Once your slide bait rig is set up with the bait, you attach it to this taut main line and put it into the water where the wave action and decline of the line angle will coax it to gradually make its way out to the sinker. This approach allows you to cover a broad area of water and permits you to deploy a large (often live)

bait out as far as you can cast the grapnel sinker.

For large baits, live bait sliders are ideal. Casting only the sinker and not the weight of the bait will greatly increase the distance out that the bait can be fished.

Additionally, live offerings will be a lot healthier as they aren’t subjected to the forces involved during the cast, or from plummeting into the water. Slide bait rigs have accounted for some pretty spectacular fish in the few years that they have been fished in Australian waters and are fast becoming an essential piece of any serious beach or rock fisher’s arsenal.

To sinker

There are numerous types of slide bait rigs on the Australian market these days, some locally-made and others imported. Some rigs can be made with hi-tensile wire ranging from 1.2mm to 2.2mm in diameter. Locally, anglers fishing the surf and rocks commonly use the 1.6mm and 1.8mm slide bait rigs. If larger sharks are your target, 2.0mm and 2.2mm would be your best choice to put the odds in your favour. The smaller rigs are used for lighter lines or where the target species is not likely to be large.

Most slide bait rigs are of the non-return variety, which means they are shaped so

that a bait can only go down the line. If a live bait turns and swims towards shore, the rig slightly kinks the line and limits the bait’s transit shorewards.

Slide baiting is very popular in New Zealand and South Africa, and there are specific rods made for this form of fishing, with tapers designed to increase casting distances with large sinkers.

Their length increases the angle in relation to the water which aids in getting baits out more efficiently. Many hardcore anglers use overhead reels for this type of fishing but large spinning reels and Alveys will suffice.

To rod

1

Monofilament is reputed to give the slide bait rig a smoother transition down the line, so many anglers solely run monofilament on their reels. However, for increased capacity, some anglers predominately load their reels with braid and just use monofilament for the final 100150m that the rig slides on. If they hook a predator which takes heaps of line, those anglers always have a good capacity of braid backing line, which will increase their reel’s line-holding abilities. If you want to add a monofilament leader or top shot of monofilament to your braid, you’ll need to use a low profile knot. This will let the slide bait rig pass from the braid to the monofilament leader easily, or for the top shot to exit and enter the guides without fouling. The knot that’s pictured above is an FG knot, however PR knots and other similar low profile knots could be used.

4

Attach the main line or leader to the solid ring with a sliding uni or a blood knot. It is important that this part of rig is the correct way around, as the slider needs to rest against this solid ring once the bait is fully deployed.

The sinker is now ready to be cast out and allowed to settle on the bottom.

5

2

For setting up your basic rig for fishing the Southeast Queensland surf you will need a 1.6mm or 1.8mm slide bait rig, some 20-40lb monofilament or fluorocarbon, some 60-80lb monofilament or fluorocarbon, some live bait hooks and a grapnel sinker. Quality scissors or mono shears will also be useful.

An alternative to heavy monofilament is wire, which may be required if you are going to target some toothy creatures like mackerel, big tailor and sharks.

The rig you can use for your bait can vary. If you’re targeting mulloway, snapper and the like, a monofilament leader will suffice. I usually attach two or three hooks to the leader using a simple snell. How large the hooks are and the distance they are spaced apart will vary depending on the bait being used. For toothy creatures such as large greenback tailor, Spanish mackerel and sharks, you will need to have a wire leader.

You may decide to run only a short length of wire between the hooks and then use monofilament as your main portion of hook rig leader. The leader configuration is generally determined by the possible target species.

3

For the attaching the sinker you will generally use slightly lighter line than your main line. This will break first if the sinker becomes snagged, so you won’t lose the entire rig and hooked fish. Generally the length between the sinker and the swivel will be 0.5-1.5m, depending on the ability of your outfit to cast this length and how far off the bottom you want the bait to rest. The swivel and solid ring combo should be supplied in the packet with your slide bait rig. Attach one end of the leader material to the grapnel sinker and the other to the swivel.

18

JUNE 2016

6

Attach the hook rig leader to the swivel on the slide bait rig.

I generally keep this leader less than 1m long in turbulent waters as it decreases the chance of it tangling with the main line. However, in stronger currents and when using larger live baits, a longer leader is desirable.

Technique

Rig in use

7

Once you’ve cast out your sinker and it has bedded in the sand and silt, the next step is to attach the slide bait rig to the main line. The rig needs to be put on so that the arm of the rig is facing towards the sinker and the spiral portion is facing towards the rod. Hold the front of the slider rig and the main line (going to the rod) between your thumb and forefinger of your left hand. Pass the line around the back side of the rig (furthest from you) then between the main arm and opened clip before winding it around the spiral closest to your left hand, as seen in the photo above.

8

Repeat this process five or six times or until the main line is running straight through the wire spiral as shown. Close the clip, making sure that the lumo bead is still in position directly under the spiral. This is to ensure that the clip does not open under extreme pressure once the spiral is resting against the solid ring.

This is how your grapnel sinker will sit once it is set on a sandy bottom.

Light lifting of the rod tip, and turbulence on the bottom, will help it to sink into the sandy bottom and bed right in. A good purchase will allow you to keep the main line tight, which will aid the bait’s transit down the line to its destination. With the sinker set in the bottom and the rig on the main line now you just have to add the bait (dead or alive) to your hook rig and put the bait in the water. Repeatedly putting tension on the line and then letting it go slack will help to coax the rig and bait out along the line until it reaches the solid ring. Sometimes you can use the current to your advantage to help drag the bait out as well.

With this kind of fishing the baits are generally left out in the water for a long period of time, especially large live offerings. A solid strike of the rod will lift the sinker from the sand when you want to wind in. Once retrieved, your rig will look somewhat like this, the same as it does when out in the water. You than unclip and remove the slide bait rig from the line so you can cast the sinker out again and repeat the process.

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JUNE 2016

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Press play on pelagics HERVEY BAY

Jackson Bargenquast

Summer has sadly come to an end but the fishing has been as good as gold. The rivers at this time of the year have generally shut down, but with the warm weather hanging around, the fish are extending their stay. The barra and salmon are biting and are generally found in deeper

Kickin’ Minnow and the SX Soft Vibe. While some may consider blue salmon a bad table fish, they are actually quite delicious if bled and iced straight away. They have very white, slightly oily flesh similar to tailor. As with any species – limit your kill and don’t kill your limit.

Offshore tuna have been crazy, smashing schools of baitfish and creating acres of boiling water where they feed. Longtails are the prize,

on are small pilchards and hardiheads. Larger tuna stalking the shallow flats feed on large squid and small fish surrounding the coffee rock patches. The best offerings are small soft plastics, metal slugs and flies, and on the flats a large stickbait or plastic is probably your best bet.

Aside from tuna, other big pelagics such as Spanish and spotty mackerel have been lurking in the depths.

Just one of many good-sized blues found schooling up in the river lately. This one fell for a Storm Live Kickin’ Minnow.

A beautiful queenfish caught on the flats. This fish violently smashed one of Storm’s new stickbaits, the Arashi Top Walker 11 that ended up pinned to his chest. holes upstream past Beaver Rock.

Large schools of blue salmon are schooling up around the mouth of the Susan River, and are quite happy to eat just about anything, but large soft plastics and vibes seem to have the best effect – I’ve had great success with the variety of Storm soft plastics such as the Live

but they are cruising with mixed schools of mac tuna and bonito, so which species you pull out of the school is a lucky draw.

Most of the longtails are around 6-8kg but some of the bigger fish reach the 15-25kg mark. They seem to prefer smaller offerings at this time of the year and the main baitfish they feed

While spotty mackerel can be caught on slugs and soft plastics, your best bet for a big Spaniard is to troll big minnows around the feeding tuna schools where the macs hunt.

It is a good idea to have one lure rigged up with a shallow runner, or stickbait and the other a deep diver to cover more ground. It

The author and his grandad display the average-sized longtail to be caught in and around Platypus Bay at this time of the year.

The fish were a little finicky but eventually succumbed.

20

JUNE 2016

‘Match the hatch’ is a very important thing to consider when chasing tuna, as generally once they begin feeding on a certain baitfish they will not eat anything else. A Gomoku microjig was as close as we were going to get to the small pilchards on this particular day. is also important to use a short 10-30cm trace of wire for mackerel, especially Spaniards to prevent them from biting off your precious lures. Spotty mackerel are fine to eat but Spaniards are known carriers of ciguatera and should be released as soon as possible. This is

also the same for barracuda, which are a common by-catch when fishing for mackerel.

Snapper should start to turn up on the reefs, alongside the regular catches of grunter, pearl perch and red emperor.

These fish can be caught on soft plastics, micro-jigs and

of course livies from crabs to prawns and even yakkas.

Large schools of queenfish and school mackerel are also showing up around the inshore reefs and these can be caught on slugs and soft plastics.

Big longtails are hanging around on the flats, and goldies, queenies and even GT are swimming beside them so make sure you target the flats with a fly rod. Lately Ungowa has been quiet with no real good number of fish showing up, but in the next few months barra, grunter and of course threadies should begin to school up around the rocky ledges.

Don’t forget to pack your deep divers when heading down that way.

While autumn and winter may be recognized as a cold fishless time of the year, if you know where to look and what lure or bait to use, it can be as successful as fishing the warm summer months. Good luck to all anglers over the autumn months and don’t forget to think like a fish.

A nice-sized spotty mackerel caught on a slug. These fish are great fun to catch and even better to eat!

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Surprise snapper are spicing up the season BALLINA

Joe Allan

The lower reaches of the Richmond River are fishing well for mulloway, and surprisingly, snapper which have also ventured

run in spits and spats, and should develop into some solid numbers towards the middle of June. Best baits to try are blue pilchards or to throw metal slugs.

Looks for gutters along the open beaches with plenty of white water either side.

the inshore reefs. Target them with plastics between 4-7” with the brighter colours proving to be more successful. As the water cools, the inshore will continue to improve.

If you’re chasing flathead, try the stretches between Burns Point Ferry and Pimlico Island.

Throw plastics over the flats on high tide and move into the deeper holes as the tide drops away.

Like with snapper, the brightest plastics you can find seem to be the best like the Atomic Prongs in radioactive rooster and electric chicken. The old favourites of Carolina pumpkin and red pumpkin are always worth a throw.

Good numbers of bream have moved into the rock walls in the lower reaches of the river. Float fresh prawns on very lightly weighted lines down the rock walls. You might pick

Kellie Stewart with a beautiful snapper from the Ballina town stretch of river.

There have been plenty of crabs caught in the mid reaches of the river around Pimlico Island and

Taylor Egan with a bream caught on an Atomic Prong. in, pushed by the rougher seas. The mulloway seem to be more active on the larger tides at night.

Check out the deeper holes around the town stretch of the river, the South Wall and the rock wall above the Burns Point Ferry.

Tailor have started to

Try these spots with a slice of tuna or bonito at night and you might be surprised at some of the fish you come across.

The offshore stretch of the coast between Evans Head and Ballina has been on fire for pelagics such as mackerel, and some great numbers of snapper off

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Jake Stewart with a cracking mulloway from the Ballina town stretch of river. up the odd small mulloway doing this, and they’re great fun on light gear.

If you’re throwing lures at them, the ever-reliable Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep in Tim’s prawn and Tristo ramjet are doing well at the moment. As the number of bream grow, switch to lures like metal blades and heavier plastics up to 1/4oz around the Porpoise Wall, Bream Hole and Dans Lane.

Wardell. Muddies are the most active. The bigger night tides that push the most water should get the best results.

The winter whiting should start to come on towards the middle of June.

Try the reaches of river either side of Pimlico Island where the shallow flats run into the deeper holes. Fresh beach worms and bloodworms are by far the best baits.

Adrian Melchior with a beautiful flathead caught on an Atomic Crank 38 Deep fished over shallow flats around Pimlico Island.

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Iluka region rustles up some stunning snapper ILUKA

Ross Deakin

The Iluka region has experienced excellent weather over the last month and fantastic fishing – especially

offshore, and on the beaches and headlands.

A busy tourist influx, and very kind weather conditions led to many very happy anglers.

Catches have included spotty and Spanish mackerel north and south

of Iluka that have taken pink trolling squid skirts, live bait and lures.

Longtail have also been taken outside and off the main wall, often preferring live bait, especially garfish under floats. There have been some incredible

Matthew Hayden weighed in this 4.9kg snapper caught off Woody Head.

stories of sharks getting in on fish hook-ups and depriving fishers of some awesome fish.

Good numbers of marlin were caught and released recently only a few kilometres offshore. Black Rock has seen excellent cobia, snapper and teraglin, as have the fishing grounds of Angourie and the FAD. The main wall and headlands have recorded trevally, awesome-sized tailor, snapper, bream and tarwhine.

There has also been some very nice dart and whiting caught in gutters at Shark Bay on worms and nippers.

There were weigh-ins for Kurt Murphy’s 5.1kg trevally caught at the Bluff, Ralf Karsten’s 7.5kg snapper taken at Black Rock, and Gordon Collins took a 15kg longtail tuna at Black Rock.

The river has experienced nice catches of school mulloway, bream, flathead and whiting.

Better-sized fish and numbers are a bit further up the Clarence around the Harwood Bridge and Maclean.

This is also the case for mud crabs, but there

Huge snapper like this one can be found around Black Rock this month. are still some nice-sized specimens down the river.

Epic catches of the month go to Bob Gutteridge for his 4.82kg flathead caught at Browns Rocks (catch and release), Brian Sullivan’s 400g whiting caught up past Harwood, and Ralf Cutter’s 1.34kg blackfish.

Please remember to take care if fishing the headlands and walls in Iluka and to please take your rubbish home with you. Unfortunately there has been a lot of rubbish

left out on Iluka Wall, which just isn’t on. Iluka is beautiful, so let’s keep it that way. Happy fishing everyone.

• For all your fishing needs and up-to-date information and tips for spots and fish drop into the shop for a chat.

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Great winter whiting THE TWEED

David Solano

The Tweed area is producing a huge catch rate at the moment, and if you’re into crabbing, you’re in for a good time.

The muddies are out in numbers, and so are sand crabs, try using a dilly for the sandies – you’ll find them out toward the middle of the river, whereas the mud crabs tend to hang in the mangroves and weed beds.

Jesse Garrett with a whiting caught on the Tweed River.

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I’ve mentioned pumping live worms and nippers for whiting, and it’s a good idea to get into this practice as there have been some crackers caught in the shallows. I chase whiting on poppers on the high tide in the shallows – it’s a lot of fun so give it a go. If you’re unsure of what to use, ask at your local tackle shop for some advice. It helps to have a stiff, light, graphite rod to skip the lure across the surface.

Bream are around in numbers, and the bigger fish have been caught up off the walls at Chinderah as well as both sea walls.

What’s really surprising is the amount of yellowtail kingfish caught at the seaway. They aren’t big fish but boy, there’s a lot of them around. Big ZMan paddle-tails are my lure of choice. I haven’t caught any kings from the rocks, but I have from my yak.

Look for the roughest water you can safely fish in, then wait for the swell to push in and cast right up next to the rocks and let it drop.

Slowly reel the plastic in and you’ll have some good fun on light gear.

Flathead seem to be

Pete Kyvetos with a massive cobia caught offshore during a delightful weather window. disappearing to Terranora and Cobaki, as I still can’t catch a decent one. I know they are around as I’ve seen them being caught!

So many of my mates are catching jacks right now – and big ones at that!

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I’m in the right area as I remember seeing a photo that the previous writer for the Tweed, Roderick Walmsley posted on Facebook. I could clearly see he’d been casting from the shore next to the boats moored a few meters away.

Those red devils are still around Chinderah way and Oxley Cove and I’ve heard the sand-pumping contraption in the middle of the river is fishing well

on the first hour of the run-out tide.

Outside, I mentioned a mate of mine last month who hadn’t been able to use his boat outside because of the strong winds. Well, unfortunately for me the weather cleared during the week (when I was at work) and out he went to fish Fidos, Nine Mile and the Mud Hole.

They managed to catch tuna, snapper and a massive cobia, which is quite a haul.

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Cooler species headed our way SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Danny Sands

After May produced some good reef fish, the signs look good on the fishing front for June. The fishing should be red hot this month, with all the winter species on fire.

The current should have slowed right down, making it a lot easier to fish on the wider grounds. Pearl perch, snapper, tuskfish, and a few

slows down at this time of year, so it’s a great time to chase a few kingfish and amberjack on the Gold Coast and Tweed Coast.

Both live baits and jigging will be very effective.

Closer in, the inshore reefs off the Tweed Coast should start to fire this month with good numbers of snapper, tuskfish and big spangled emperor on offer.

Places like Kingscliff Reef, Fidos and Tweed Nine Mile are all worth a look this

you’re travelling. Along with the humpback whales, the Gold Coast will see good numbers of cobia on our local reefs. Cobia are extremely fast growing fish with high energy requirements, and they love to eat just about anything.

Berley definitely helps when targeting cobia on our local reefs. A constant cubing of pillies, slimies and yakkas will work well too. I still like to use live legal tailor down deep, and

George Sands did well to land this beast of a mulloway on his flathead gear. arm-pulling kingfish and amberjack will make up the bulk of fish on the outside reefs. A simple paternoster rig with two droppers is a really good way to target reef fish on the wider grounds, and by using multiple droppers you can use various baits and bait sizes at the same time. A mixture of baits like pillies, squid, bonito and slimies will work well this month.

The current typically

month. Float lining is the most effective method to get quality snapper. Just be sure to choose the right sinker size for the conditions you’re fishing – you don’t want your sinker to be any heavier than it needs to be. This rule also applies to jighead sizes for your soft plastics.

Big numbers of migrating humpback whales pass the east coast in June so be careful when

float lining pillies down your berley trail will do the trick. Last year cobia up to 25kg were caught, so we can expect long, brutal fights this year as well.

Focus and Casino reefs typically hold good numbers of cobia in the winter months so they may be worth a try in June.

On the last couple of trips outside I have found big schools of yakkas there.

The other places that hold

cobia are the 30 fathom line off the Tweed, and 18 fathom off Southport.

With the start of the westerly winds, June is a great month to chase tailor behind the breakers along the coastline. Casting 25-40 slugs work well on feeding fish. Always look for diving birds, as they’re a dead giveaway that tailor are feeding.

INSHORE June is a perfect month to fish because both boat and jet ski traffic is minimal on the cooler days and nights. With the start of the westerly winds, migratory fish like bream, luderick and mullet start to filter into the estuary system ready for their spawning run. Most of the spawning revolves around the moon phase.

Bream fishing is at its best leading up to the full moon, when big numbers of bream are caught around the bar and river entrances.

Flesh baits like herring, mullet and gar with a running ball sinker with a 2/0 hook are perfect in this application.

Plenty of school size flathead are on offer this month, and on some days up to 40 fish can be caught in a few hours.

Most of the flathead will be in the shallows this month, so casting soft plastics on the last of the run-out and the first of the push is usually the best.

A typical school size flathead for this time of year.

There should be plenty of squid on offer as well.

There’s nothing worse than having a squid eat your soft plastic when flathead fishing (it won’t stay on the hook and will bite chunks out of your plastic), so it pays to have a spare rod with a squid jig on it. Plenty of squid have been caught already this season. The south wall of the Seaway, the weed beds north of Wave Break Island and the Grand Hotel Jetty have been the pick of the

to catch them is a simple rig of a peeled prawn or a piece of squid (squid lasts longer) under a quill float, and plenty of berley like breadcrumbs mixed in with tuna oil.

Plenty of school-size mulloway will be on offer this month in the Seaway, and you can catch them by tea-bagging big plastics like 7-8” ZMans and Gulp Jerkshads. Fishing the top and bottom of the tide around the North Wall, the pipeline and the reef

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Soft plastics like Gulp Minnows and Swimming Mullets in chartreuse and pumpkinseed work extremely well.

The Aldershots, Crab Island and the banks along Currigee will fish really well this month.

places so far.

Garfish have also been in good numbers places like the weed beds north of Wave Break Island and the southern weed beds of Crab Island. Big, clean, full tides with no wind are perfect for gar fishing. All you need

in front of the Seaway Tower will produce good numbers of fish.

Overall, June is a month of bright, cool days with not much boat traffic and with plenty of fish on offer. How good is the Gold Coast!

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Get some trevally up your alley during winter GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn

With the cool weather set in, we will say goodbye to most summer species, and hello to the winter species!

Tailor, trevally, bream and mulloway are just some of the regular customers.

When I say trevally, that’s not only GT, but also long-nose, cale cale, brassy and big-eye. They all have something in common, which is they move at fast speeds, always finding bait and giving anglers a run for

their money on light tackle.

In saying that, these fish all require different techniques and locations.

For example, long nose will be caught mainly on the bottom, almost like fishing for flathead, whereas GT will be caught from midwater and topwater. Some good spots include the Coomera, Nerang, Jacobs Well, and throughout the canals around Southport.

Nighttime around lights will definitely be a good option.

But it can be very dependent on the tide. You will work that out after a few sessions, as it varies with locations.

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The odd last jack is getting around, and there are still some keen jack anglers out and about scoring big reds. Winter jack fishing is just a matter of flicking more casts into jetties and structure than you normally would in summer. Jacks fire with

the heat and they turn off when they feel the cold, so if they are annoyed and fired

up enough from your lure continually going past their nose, you’re more likely to

hook one. Make sure you throw repeated casts into structure!

In the next month or two, we will see the cooler weather set in, and it will hit hard! Cooler mornings mean rugging up and gritting through the pain. The rain shouldn’t be a problem, but make sure you check the weather sites just incase of an unexpected shower or storm.

Mulloway are getting more and more common.

Live baits and lures both work well, especially a mullet around 10-15cm.

Again, nighttime and afternoon sessions will be more successful.

Lure choice is up to the angler, but for me it depends on the water clarity. Don’t be dismayed if you missed a good hit, just open the bail arm and put the lure back in his face. I’ve had this happen a few times and they have come back to smash it.

Along with the mulloway, the flathead will also be on the bite, so don’t be surprised to find yourself catching more flathead than mulloway. Just persist in the area and the tides and you will find the fish.

In conclusion, June is a perfect month for fishing with the winter species really firing up and the bait working throughout the canals, Broadwater and the seaway!

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Hot mulloway action kicks off GOLD COAST

David Green

The water temperature on the wider grounds should drop this month, but it is still up to 26°C on the wide grounds. This month is a good one to troll the wide grounds beyond the continental shelf, as the current tends to eddy a lot and slow down.

OUT WIDE I think there should be some great blue marlin fishing on the edges of the eddies and temperature breaks. There will be a lot of fish moving north as the NSW waters cool.

A good tactic this month is to work the area between 200-400m in depth on the continental slope. Troll big lures on 37kg tackle, be patient, and if you put in the time a big blue marlin won’t be too far away. This season has been erratic early, but should improve late in the season.

As well as blue marlin there should be a few striped marlin and wahoo on these grounds. The weather patterns are generally quite favourable for working the wide grounds with light

winds and clear skies. Work hard in the hour around tide changes and if you find bait and birds, stick with the spot, as it may take a few persistent hours to get a fish up into your spread.

Big mulloway are a winter specialty on the Gold Coast.

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effort to catch live bait on the way out, it is generally a good investment. There are a lot of 30cm juvenile snapper and pearl perch around, which reflects fishing pressure, but as winter sets in the fish should improve in size.

Soft plastics and microjigging are also very effective methods in June. They tend to work best when there is only a trickle of current. The reefs to the north east of the Seaway often fish best in June.

The close reefs off Southport will still produce some big mackerel this month, and the biggest Spanish mackerel are often caught in June. Slow trolled large live baits such as tailor can be deadly when fished off a downrigger. Keep the wire to a minimum.

If the water is warm in close and the current is running, it is also worth targeting wahoo on the Tweed Nine Mile reef. Trolling small live tuna can be deadly, and high speed trolling weighted skirts such as the famous Hex Head range can also be effective. The odd monster wahoo over 30kg commonly turn up in June.

Mulloway are another good target species on the inshore reefs, and the last two

The action out wide should continue for a few months yet. seasons have been great for mulloway on the reefs close to the Seaway. Live baits fished close to the bottom from dusk into the night are generally effective, but when the fish

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are active they can be caught on pilchards, tailor fillets, soft vibes and soft plastics.

Most of these mulloway are between 100-115cm long and are great eating.

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RIVERS AND ESTUARIES The estuaries cool down considerably this month as the westerlies start to blow and there is a lot of fish movement around the Seaway and Jumpinpin as the mullet start to school up prior to running along the beaches to spawn. This attracts a lot of predators. June is the first month of the year where we start to target big mulloway in the Seaway at night.

The key to success is cast netting a good supply of tiger mullet and fishing them around the rock walls and eddies. When the current runs hard, I often use a sinker and a long trace and hold the bait close to the bottom. I use two 8/0 octopus hooks on 15-20kg leader. When the current slows I fish the bait free swimming in the areas where the mullet schools are visible. At this time mulloway commonly feed on the surface and most of the fish we catch bite on slack water.

The nighttime mulloway are generally good fish, with quite a few over 120cm in length. It takes a bit of practice, but once you find a pattern and catch a few, the method will reward you season after season.

Flathead fishing improves this month as the water cools. There should be good

numbers of 40-60cm fish on the flats between Crab Island and Tipplers Passage,

The most reliable trolling lures I have used are the famous lively Lures Micro

With flathead coming on the chew, there’s no better time to get the kids involved. with the odd bigger fish. Soft vibes, plastics, blades and trolling all work well.

Mullet, the Zerak Tango Shad and the locally made Pig Lures. The water quality

is generally very good in June and the fish are active.

Most of our flathead sessions produce around 20-30 fish in June. The by-catch includes bream, flounder and pike.

Keep all the pike you catch, they are great troll baits for mackerel and snapper love them.

In the deeper water, fishing soft plastics, bigger vibes and live baits should produce school mulloway, a few flathead and tailor. The run-in tide and the first hour of the run-out are generally the best times to fish the Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances in June. If a cold westerly blows, the fish can shut down a bit, especially early in the morning.

The occasional really big mulloway turns up on live baits during the day. The best live baits are squid and yellowtail pike. Fish seem to really be able to find a live pike easily, even in dirty water. Bull sharks can be a big problem and it is not unusual to have your mulloway chewed up, leaving you with just a head.

Overall, the start of winter is a great time to fish the Gold Coast. As conditions cool, there are plenty of opportunities, and clear skies and calm conditions are generally the norm. From blue marlin to flathead, there are plenty of options.

Xavier Box caught this great Spaniard off the Barwon Banks 45km off Mooloolaba.

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Fishing heats up as cold sets in It’s been a great start to winter with most of our favourite species of fish on the bite. Flathead and

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Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

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bream have been around in good numbers with the odd good whiting, mulloway and tailor also being caught.

What a fantastic year it has been on flathead!

Anglers have been catching quality lizards all year long.

Normally at this time of year they go off the bite as the water cools down, but there are just so many flatties out there that the season has continued into winter. The pick spots to try this month are the sand and weed banks and mud flats between Cabbage Tree and the Powerlines around the three green beacons, along with Slipping Sands, Kalinga Bank, the drains on the Western side of Short Island, Cobby Passage and Tipplers Island. Fish good quality prawns, small pillies, yabbies or whitebait on the first of the run-out tide, and hopefully you’ll have flathead for dinner. Lure fishers should try using small 2”-5” soft plastics around the edges of the weed banks and sand flats as the outgoing tide drains off the banks.

TAILOR The run-in tide is the best time to chase some tailor this month, although most caught lately have been chopper size; it’s been pretty quiet so far this year on the greenbacks. If you’re using metal lures try to use smaller 10-40g ones as the bigger ones aren’t getting the hits.

The tailor should be schooling up so keep an eye out for the birds working and move with the schools.

If not, try floating a pillie or dropping one to the bottom in the deep water off Kalinga Bank or Crusoe Island.

Anglers have been picking up the odd tailor around Tabby Tabby to the mouth of the Logan River as well.

BREAM 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, the beach off South Straddie in the deeper gutters, 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 a pretty good chance you could even land a juvenile snapper as well. These fish usually congregate in the same areas in deeper water around decent structure and eat the same sorts of baits, so it’s not an uncommon by-catch.

The best baits to score yourself a feed are live yabbies, worms, mullet fillets and gut, prawns, squid and whitebait. Even bread balled up on your hook will do.

WHITING Winter whiting should be around in good numbers and great fun for the kids as they are easy to catch and handle. Identifiable by the dark spots along their flanks they have no size limit but a bag limit of 50. The best spots to try for some winter whiting are the Banana Banks across from Redland Bay, Slipping Sands, Tiger

Richie Morris caught this great flattie on a black and red Zerek Tango Shad near Rocky Point.

Mullet Channel and the Never Fail Islands.

• If you have any reports of fish, any questions, need to order bait or just want to have a yarn, give me a

call on 07 3287 3868.

Alternatively you can come in and see me at Gem Bait & Tackle on the way to the ‘Pin, or e-mail gembait@tpg.com. au. I’ll catch you next month.

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Pelagics tick the boxes SOUTHERN BAY

Nabeel Issa

The snapper continue to fire on all fronts! The fishing in Moreton Bay has been fantastic over the last few months, and with things the way they are, hopefully this will continue through winter as well. We have had a great run of tuna show up, both longtail and mac, plus the odd Spanish and spotty mackerel and schools of mulloway – what an awesome fishery.

Oh and don’t forget the squid, plenty of them around too!

SNAPPER There aren’t too many secrets when it comes to Moreton Bay snapper. The trick is to just put in the time and keep your line in the water. Some days you can nail them, and the very next day come home empty handed. Anglers that have had the most success on larger snapper have fished the artificial reefs – Harry Atkinson and West Peel.

If you have never fished these before, do yourself a favour and do a quick Google search. The GPS Coordinates are available for everyone and it’s well worth keeping these marks on your sounder/GPS.

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Early mornings have been the pick of the times, and drifting around the artificial reefs with soft plastics is by far the most effective method. The fish tend to move around, and I find that drifting lets you cover a lot of potential ground.

Once you start to get fish or notice more action, it’s always worth concentrating on that specific area, especially if you can see the fish on the sounder. Live baits have also worked well, and if you can catch them, live squid have been the best bait to lure really big fish!

The shallow reefs around the Islands have also been worth a shot early in the morning. The size hasn’t been as great as the deeper water, but the numbers make up for it. Lightly weighted soft plastics are a great option here.

MULLOWAY The mulloway have been sporadic lately with some monster schools showing up, but moving on just as quickly. They don’t seem to hang around in the same spots for very long until spring where they will frequent areas like the Peel Artificial Reef. Still, it’s always worthwhile to give them a crack and if you get lucky and find the fish they can be a lot of fun!

On a recent unsuccessful trip out offshore, we headed back in but had a quick stop at the Peel Artificial Reef to see if we could spot any mulloway on the sounder.

It turned out to be a great decision with plenty of fish showing. We managed to get a few to the boat, before the sharks showed up and ended things pretty quickly.

It definitely saved the day for us, and regardless of how many boats are fishing there; I always give it a quick look. You just never know!

PELAGICS They are still around!

If you have spent any time driving around Moreton Bay lately, chances are you’ve seen them or the birds diving down around them. While it does seem

Two fish in two casts! When the fish are showing up on the sounder you just have to get the lure back down there. These fish fell to a 5” ZMan StreakZ rigged on a TT HeadlockZ jighead. like the tuna have slowed a little from the previous months, they are still around and well worth a crack. They have slowly been moving south and are now showing around Goat Island and even up to Macleay.

If you do head out, look between Peel Island, just

to drive and drive until you find them. The sharks have been a real problem lately with a lot of anglers loosing fish mid-fight to these predators. It’s extremely frustrating but unfortunately there isn’t much we can do about it.

Turn your motor off while fighting the fish, and fish

on chasing tuna.

There have also been some Spanish mackerel showing up around the tuna schools, they aren’t in large numbers so it can be hard to target them.

There is more great fishing to be had this month, so do yourself a favour and get out there! If you have

Jamal Kanj with a Moreton Bay bullet. This tuna fell to a DUO stickbait thrown into a feeding frenzy. north of Harries and down the eastern side of Peel towards Goat. Tuna can really pop up anywhere, so some days you just have

heavier line to try to get the fish in as soon as possible.

Long fights almost always end in tears so try to use the heavy gear if you plan

any success or a story you would like to share, send it through to nabs12@gmail. com and I will do my best to get in the magazine!

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Big winter bream will reward an early starter BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

If you hate the cold like I do, then June will require a lot of warm clothing and a decent incentive to get you out onto the water.

However, with species such as tailor, bream, snapper, squid, mulloway and many more on offer, anglers shouldn’t need to think twice about trying their luck. Early morning rises and sojourns at night generally reward anglers with quality captures.

Let’s look a little closer at some of your June options.

SQUID These tasty cephalopods have been around for a month or so now, however as the inshore waters begin to clear (generally aided by westerly winds), a larger proportion of squid will be found in the shallows around the mainland foreshore, canals, harbours and bay islands. Landbased anglers have plenty of opportunity to target squid in the shallows of areas such as Scarborough, Wynnum, Wellington Point, Victoria Point and numerous others.

At night, squid close to the surface are easily spotted using high-powered headlamps and torches.

These squid can be targeted with an egi (prawn shaped squid jig). They commonly respond to this approach as they lurk in these areas to hunt prawns, baitfish and other morsels. However in some of the more heavily worked over areas, squid can become rather cautious, requiring several egi changes before you get a response, if at all. During daylight hours, squid can usually be sighted in the shallows in fairly clear water conditions. Again, an egi is generally the best way to tempt them.

Out in the bay squid can

be found around the bay island shallows, the weed beds along the western side of Moreton, and in the channels between the major banks systems and most shallow areas where clean water flows over reef, rock rubble or weed. Apart from egi, anglers can employ a baited squid skewer either cast or drifted.

These metal spikes, with rows of barbs at the rear, are generally suspended beneath a float and baited with a whole pilchard or other fish.

When the squid grabs the bait the tentacles are soon impaled on the rows of chemically sharpened barbs as it tries to drag the bait away against the resistance. Once you see your float moving away or being pulled below the surface, you need to raise your rod tip into a fighting curve and wind slowly to secure your prize. Often a baited squid skewer or egi drifted behind the boat whilst fishing around the bay islands or in the Sand Hills area will reward you with a few tasty squid for a calamari feast.

MULLOWAY Already there have been some excellent mulloway secured from areas such as the Brisbane River, Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef, Peel Artificial, Logan River, around the Jumpinpin area, Bribie Bridge area, plus numerous wrecks and other estuarine systems.

Mulloway come to inshore areas such as the rivers and estuaries during the cooler months to spawn. This offers great opportunity for anglers fishing both lures and baits. While mulloway are a good table fish, it is best to release the larger specimens early in the season to ensure that they breed. Mulloway are more commonly taken in deeper channels and holes, along the edges of prominent ledges and submerged structure, as well as adjacent to artificial structures such as bridge pylons and jetties.

At night they can often

be located in areas where lights shine on the water.

These areas attract baitfish and don’t go unnoticed by mulloway and other species

in deeper holes and areas with current altering structure in periods around tide changes.

Usually you will need to let the mulloway mouth the bait

the area such as the Manly Harbour Wall, Woody Point Jetty, Scarborough Jetty, Amity Rock Wall, Sandgate Jetty, Victoria Point Jetty and

Bream numbers will increase over the next few months and anglers will have plenty of opportunities to target them from land-based locations. This Wellington Point specimen was one of several taken on small minnow lures during a recent trip. such as threadfin, tailor, trevally, tarpon and others.

Casting lures around likely mulloway haunts can be a very successful way to target them. Soft plastics, vibration baits and minnow lures can all be used successfully, although there is a huge array of offerings that can work.

Quality sounders can shorttrack your mulloway search allowing you to scour the edges of channels, riverbanks and deep holes. From here it is often just a case of putting a lure in front of them and waiting for the stretch.

For those who fish with bait, live offerings works well on mulloway, especially the larger specimens over 1m in length. Big baits produce big mulloway and hardcore anglers will commonly deploy large mullet, squid, yakkas, slimy mackerel, pike and tailor (legal size) in their quest. These are often fished

for a bit and permit it to begin swimming away before striking hard to set the hooks.

TAILOR Quite a few solid tailor to over 55cm in length have been caught in the Brisbane River in recent weeks. These have mainly been taken around lighted areas at night (including the Gateway

several other locations can also produce.

Anglers commonly fish these areas with whole fish baits such as hardiheads, pilchards, frogmouths, herring and whitebait although they are also caught with lures from land-based locations.

Tailor are quite aggressive predators and will smash

plastics and minnow lures are also readily used. Beach fishers will probably achieve the best results on pilchards, salted bonito strips, mullet fillets and gar cast out into the gutters, especially around dawn, late afternoon and into the evening. Many of the trophy class greenbacks are taken late at night around the high tides by anglers who put in the hours to soak baits in prominent gutters.

Lure fishing for tailor in the surf is increasing in popularity.

Historically anglers have used metal slices and pencil poppers for surf tailor, and although these are still productive more anglers are experimenting with stickbaits, weighted casting minnows, sliders and plastics.

In addition to tailor, species such as Spanish mackerel, trevally, kingfish and tuna are also occasionally taken in the surf on artificials.

SNAPPER Everyone’s favourite bay target, snapper will be a prime catch through June as cooling water temperatures increase their activity. The margins around the bay islands, the artificial reefs and numerous wrecks, ledges and rubble grounds around the bay will all produce quality snapper for anglers over the next few months. Plenty of quality eating-sized snapper between 40-60cm will be caught, as well as a few of the trophy fish over 90cm in length.

I like to use soft vibration

Quality bay snapper such as this thumper are on the cards over the next few months for anglers fishing the artificial reefs, wrecks and bay island margins.

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Bridge), along the sunken wall and around the shipping terminals. The average tailor has been around 45cm, which is a decent fish. Many of these have been caught on lures targeted at other species, but in most cases they have been a welcome by-catch.

Many of these areas can be fished land-based, however other locations throughout

a broad array of artificial offerings. Some of the more exciting ways to tempt them, especially when they are feeding close to the surface, is with poppers, stickbaits and other topwater offerings. The follows, repetitive surface strikes and hook-ups provide memorable sessions. Small chromed slices and blades as well as a broad array of

baits in the areas where I target snapper and currently favour the Samaki 100mm Thumpertails, however there are plenty of good ones available these days. Soft plastics offer plenty of variety for anglers who target snapper and are a good option for those making their first foray into the lure fishing arena for reds. Slow retrieves are

vital most of the time when chasing snapper on plastics and vibes, especially when working over the bay island margins and artificial reefs.

Minnow lures are becoming an increasingly popular way to score a few snapper and these allow anglers to cover lots of ground in their search.

Generally deep diving lures are required, especially those that can reach depths between 4-7m, as you commonly need to work the lowest third of the water column.

While early morning sojourns can pay dividends while chasing bay snapper, it’s not essential to be out at the crack of dawn!

I have caught some of my best snapper in the middle of the day and during other periods when boat traffic is minimised. The lure fishers will often get the best results when the current is raging.

Bait fishers generally get their bites as the current subsides and their baits sink to the bottom instead of spinning in the current.

Snapper will engulf a broad array of baits and recent popular offerings have included squid, pilchards, large banana prawns, fillet baits, hardiheads, gar and tuna strips. When fished lightly weighted, these baits can really produce the goods on snapper, sweetlip, tuskfish and many other species.

Snapper will roam a lot around the bay island margins and often it is more important to be stealthy than to have any particular lure or bait on the end of your line. Long drifts allow you to cover plenty of area while venturing within casting reach of prominent underwater structures.

Snapper, especially the better specimens, commonly wander these grounds so you don’t need to be bang on top of one particular area.

BREAM Bream numbers are on the increase during June and anglers will notice a numbers of large specimens encountered. While larger bream are sometimes caught on pretty crude tackle and rigs, finesse rigging with light fluorocarbon leaders will generally increase your chances. Bream can readily be found in the estuaries, canals, bay island shallows and beach areas. The larger snowies (big, lightly coloured

surf bream) are a prized capture for those fishing the gutters of Stradbroke, Bribie and Moreton Islands. Quality baits such as beach worms, pipis, fillet pieces, fresh squid and green prawn chunks considerably increase your chances of encountering good specimens.

Quality baits like these produce in many bream arenas. Although finesse rigging can increase your chances of catching larger and more cautious specimens,

The cooler months can still produce a few decent, full muddies, such as these two that became part of this Brisbane River mixed bag last June along with mulloway and tailor.

large bream are sometimes caught on the simplest rigs by inexperienced anglers. The rivers, estuaries and canals incur a large influx of bream during the cooler months.

With water temperatures a degree or two higher on average in the lead up to the June, the main run is likely to be a little later this year.

However, anglers who target bream during June will still see a decent number of quality bream engulf their baits and hit lures. In the artificials department, bream will respond to a broad array of offerings including blades, soft plastics, minnow lures and topwater offerings, just to name a few. Small flies such as Crazy Charlies, Ultra Shrimps, Homer Shrimpsons, Bonefish Candies and Christmas Island Specials will all work a treat in the hands of decent flycasters. The shallows of the bay islands and Scarborough Reef can often produce some quality bream action. Due to the clear water conditions, anglers regularly witness a large number of the strikes. Land-based sessions can be quite rewarding, with fish taken from the foreshore shallows, along rock walls, in the canals and adjacent to artificial structures such as bridge pylons and pontoons.

Set up a small backpack, sling back, chest pack or bum bag with all the requirements for

land-based luring and you will be mobile and prepared (see my article in the May edition of QFM for more on setting up for this form of fishing).

Many land-locked lakes will also produce some cracking bream and bit of investigation via Google Earth may yield some honey-holes for you to explore.

CONCLUSION These are just a few of the species that anglers can expect to encounter readily through June and the coming months. Threadfin salmon will continue to be abundant in the Brisbane River, although the cooler months often see better action further upriver.

Sweetlip, the occasional mackerel, tuskfish, morwong, whiting, yellowtail kingfish and numerous others will be encountered in Moreton Bay. The estuaries will produce trevally, tarpon, flathead, cod and several other species for anglers plying their trade with baits and lures. Although the cold conditions can deter anglers from venturing out during June, many species of fish just love the cooler surrounds and are in fact more prolific and active than at other times of the year.

Fill up the thermos, don a beanie plus some warm clothes and warm up your casting finger as the fishing is well worth the effort during June.

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We’re free spooling for snapper one reef species in the South East, the snapper.

With water temperatures already down around 24-25°C, there’s already been some reasonable numbers caught on the 19, 33 and 35 fathom lines of reef and out on the 90m line.

BRISBANE OFFSHORE

John Gooding

At this time of year, most anglers fishing east of the South Passage Bar have switched their focus and are now targeting our number

As I mentioned in numerous reports previously, floatlining is the way to go when targeting snapper.

Experienced offshore anglers know what floatlining is, but for those who are new, it doesn’t actually require the use of

a float. Instead, it really is about the art of free spooling with overhead reels.

Whether you’re fishing in 30 or 90m, the idea is to be able to eventually get your bait to the bottom, but nowhere near as quickly as you would with a paternoster rig, which will by-pass all the quality fish sitting higher in the water column. Fishing with a set of gaged 5/0-6/0 hooks with either a ball or bean sinker directly above is the way to go, but getting the right sinker weight in very important. Because we have a lot of current and we like to cover a fair bit of ground, most experienced snapper anglers prefer to drift fish with the use of a good quality sea anchor.

When it comes to the right sinker size, make sure you’re not plummeting your bait straight to the bottom

A quality mixed bag like this will provide many feeds for these happy anglers. fishing in around 60m, I would start with a 5-6 size sinker and adjust from there based on the conditions.

It’s important for the angler to let the reel free spool as fast as it wants to, but keep in contact with the bait as it makes its way to the bottom. I use my left hand in a pistol grip with my left thumb sitting behind the

It’s also important not to use braid for this style of fishing, as it’s too direct and doesn’t run off the reel as smoothly. I stick with good quality mono and in the 30-40lb range in a nice thin diameter.

The coming months are snapper time offshore of Brisbane, so get out and nail a few!

A great mixed catch of snapper caught floatlining and a few mahimahi for good measure.

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under the boat, as this will most likely drop your bait straight past the fish and you’ll get snagged easier.

Ideally, you want your gear running away from the boat at around 45° and eventually finding the bottom. If you’re

spool in case it starts to nest up while I let the line run through my fingers on my right hand. I often tell my clients that you don’t feel bites as such, but if you feel the line speed up as it falls to the bottom, set the hooks.

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Braining the bream NORTHERN BAY

Grayson Fong graysonfong@bigpond.com

That would have to be one of the mildest autumns we have had for years!

Don’t worry, there is no complaints from this happy angler, as the weather gods have finally cast a generous eye on us over the last few weeks, allowing anglers to spread their wings throughout the bay.

The last two months have been all about our bread and butter species of bream, flathead and whiting, with all of them firing in many reaches of the Northern Bay. Gentle winds and mild mornings have been quite conducive to good fishing, making it easier to justify those early morning starts as the weather cools.

PUMICESTONE PASSAGE The Passage goes through many changes at this time of year, and the fish really make the most of it. In the cooler months at Bribie, we tend to get excessive weed growth throughout the passage, making it very difficult to fish, especially around bigger tides. To combat this, it may pay to fish out of high current flow areas and fish in back eddies or behind rocky points and fish with lighter weight, reducing your bait’s sink rate.

For the lure and soft plastic enthusiasts, run shallower lures than you would normally use and fish lighter in your jighead selection.

Bream have been nibbling throughout the whole system with rising tides being the favourable.

Mangrove edges around Donnybrook, Elimbah Creek, Glasshouse Creek and Bullock Creek at Meldale have been fruitful for the last few weeks, which should only last the rest of the month as many of the bream make their annual spawning run up to Caloundra through the cooler months.

as the mercury starts to fall into brisker conditions.

There are many run-offs and creek mouths that enter the Pumicestone, and targeting these areas is the key for flathead fishing in the area.

Run-out tides and guttering drop-offs work quite well in the Passage, with places like White Patch and Ningi Creek

The author releases some hefty bream he caught in the northern bay.

Some good numbers of bream have been taken in shallow water.

Flathead numbers have also been on the rise with size and numbers growing

being great target areas.

Diver whiting are being caught in good numbers

at the Cockle Banks with bloodworms and squid being the preferred baits, so be sure to get out there early on a calm day, as it has been known to get busy.

REDCLIFFE PENINSULA This would have to be one of my favourite times of year to fish Redcliffe, as the transition to winter has fish acting rather aggressively in their feeding patterns. Lower lit hours have tended to be rewarding for some strange reason unknown to me, but I imagine it’s the combination of spawning cycles and moon phases that really get the fish fired up.

Juvenile snapper numbers have been stable over the last month, with anglers being rewarded for their efforts, especially keen overnighters.

North Reef has still been the pick of the areas with Queens Beach and Woody Point still producing the odd good fish.

Legal tailor have also been roaming north of the Peninsula following the bait schools.

Bream numbers have been solid over the last few

weeks, with their annual spawn giving them ample excuse to feed up before and after the full and new moon phases. Shallow to mid-running hardbodied lures have been working a treat around rocky points and bommies, with grub style soft plastics showing good cause.

Inside North Reef, Queens Beach, Osbourne Point, Shields Street and Redcliffe Point have all been good breaming spots of late.

Squid numbers have slowly been filtering through with the cooler westerlies dropping the water temperature nicely for the them to spawn. Be sure to keep an eye out over the next few weeks, as this is a great time to start chasing these delectable cephalopods.

PINE RIVER The Pine generally fishes well over the cooler months with flathead and bream being the most common catches.

Diver whiting are currently being caught in Bramble Bay with the Compass Adjustment Buoy and outside Eventide being good places to head to.

Sand crabs are also present in Bramble with many anglers setting pots from the lower reaches all the way out into the bay while out chasing some whiting.

Bream have been patchy upriver, with ebbing tides working well, especially when fishing along the abundant mangrove-lined banks. Dohles Rocks and Deep Water Bend are the pick of the areas, especially on dawn and dusk, with fresh baits keeping anglers very happy with their catches.

Flathead quantities have remained stable of late, with the lower reaches showing good form as per usual. Further along from the Pine, flathead are also being found through the Eventide foreshore and even through to the mouth of Cabbage Tree Creek.

MONTHLY TIP Many crabbers have noticed other anglers tampering with crab pots that are not their own. Please be sure to respect other anglers’ property and not to touch what isn’t yours.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Mercury bonus scheme rewards top anglers Mercury outboards are relied upon by tens of thousands of Australian fishers everyday, to get them to and from their chosen location. Mercury are represented at every ABT tournament, with a range of ProXS and Verado engines powering some of the fastest boats on our circuit.

Mercury rewarded ABT anglers in more ways than just reliable performance, with a Mercury Bonus scheme that rewards the top three anglers running a Mercury outboard in all Costa BREAM Qualifiers throughout the season.

There is then extra incentive, as Mercury anglers AOY points accumulate to award the Mercury Cup award to the highest placed Mercury owner.

This year, the Mercury Cup had another surprise install for 2015’s winners.

As Kris Hickson, Warren

Carter and 2015 Grand Final Champion Liam Carruthers were given the opportunity to attend the KSA (Korean Sportfishing Association) Mercury Cup, held on Andong Lake, South Korea.

The KSA Mercury Cup pairs anglers together, to catch their five biggest largemouth bass from the clear deep waters of Andong Lake. 2016’s tournament attracted anglers from Malaysia and Australia, to join anglers from the host nation in a 140-boat field, a spectacle for the three lucky Australians.

“It was a surreal moment for me, floating at the start among all those boats,” said Warren Carter. Liam Carruthers mentioned he’d never been so pumped at the start of a tournament day. “It’s one of those moments where you want to start fishing immediately, but you also

never want to end”.

All three Aussies were able to catch their five fish limit. Finishing ranging from 35th to 43rd. With fish in the spawn to postspawn phase, there were fish located from spawning beds to out offshore chasing schools of baitfish.

Our Aussie anglers relied on their finesse fishing background, and spinning rods and light line were the equipment of choice to put the fish in the boat.

“It was a mixture of Texas rigged worms and dropshots for me,” said Carruthers. Carter and Hickson also mixed in a Neko rigged worm with good success. Although Australian anglers don’t often turn to one of these techniques, our fascination with the largemouth and smallmouth bass fishery (thanks to Carl Jocumsen) meant the guys were more than prepared to hit

the water running come tournament morning.

“This trip wouldn’t have been possible without the guys from Mercury Australia, which is testament to why I choose to run a Mercury outboard on the back of my boat in ABT competitions,” Carter concluded. Carruthers and Hickson, had nothing but praise for Mercury and what the company had done to allow them to travel and compete in Korea. “It’s been the experience of a lifetime for me, so I can’t say thank you enough to Mercury for allowing us to do this,” Carruthers said.

Thanks also must go to Mercury Korea, and the Korean Sportfishing Association for welcoming our Australian anglers into their country, organising accommodation and transport and allowing them to compete at the event. – ABT JUNE 2016

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Fishing Fill-its

Federal government interference for NFZ It looks like Queensland’s net free zones have now become an issue in the forthcoming federal election. You might well ask what state fishing affairs have to do with federal politics, and the answer should be nothing.

Under Australia’s Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, the federal government can only directly legislate about fishing matters outside of any state’s waters.

The three net free areas in Queensland are totally within Queensland’s waters and are therefore not a matter for the federal government in which to directly interfere.

Three federal senators headed by Matt Canavan have unilaterally decided to ignore Australia’s constitution and become improperly and directly involved in Queensland Government’s net free areas decision.

Matt Canavan has twice led a senatorial Lawrence of Arabia like caravan along the Queensland coast championing federal government support for opponents of the already decided Queensland net free areas.

The Queensland LNP

has been opposed to net free areas since the beginning of the debate early in 2015. The Queensland LNP’s shadow minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Deb Frecklington has already loudly proclaimed opposition to the net free zones and failed in a bid to have the legislation blocked in the Queensland parliament.

Following the 15 October decision by the Qld Parliament it was time for everybody to move on.

However, Rockhampton’s own Senator Canavan won’t let people move on. It started off with two federal senators Canavan and Sullivan interfering in the debate in 2015 and he has continued to meddle in Queensland fisheries matters being accompanied recently by Senator Ruston from South Australia.

If Matt Canavan and his fellow interventionists want to meddle in Queensland internal matters, then they should give up their guaranteed 6-year senate jobs and seek election to the 3-year Queensland parliament like everybody else. In the case of SA senator Ruston, she should simply butt

out of our affairs.

These moves by Senator Canavan and his colleagues are nothing more than an extension of the LNP’s Deb Frecklington’s desire to carry favour with the Queensland Seafood Industry Association, commercial net fishers and supporters. After not getting its way in the Queensland parliament, the Queensland LNP has seemingly called for federal intervention in Queensland’s domestic affairs with these bullyboy federal senators being wheeled in.

The largest of these net free zones is within the electorate of Capricornia where the LNP’s Michelle Landry holds office with only a narrow margin.

The opportunity now exists for Ms Landry to tell constituents her views about the continuing meddling

by Senator Canavan and his colleagues in domestic Queensland affairs.

She might also care to share the federal government’s views on the future of net free zones now that the federal government has invited itself to interfere in a state matter. – Ron Jenkins

Fisheries operation targets family syndicate A Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) operation across Central Queensland targeting a family syndicate profiting from unlawful fishing activities resulted in successful prosecutions.

QBFP district manager Greg Bowness said three men from one family had been prosecuted resulting in fines of $28,500 and the forfeiture of a large number of seized items.

“This is the culmination of a QBFP operation across Central Queensland to target a family syndicate of recreational fishers intent on profiting from unlawful activities,” Mr Bowness said.

“Officers executed search warrants on three residential properties in Tannum Sands

and Howard in June last year, seizing 23 commercial fishing nets, 30 female mud crabs, three regulated mud crabs and 201 excess fish.

“Two fishers were previously found guilty of offences in the Gladstone

Magistrates Court.

“In the latest court appearance, a Fraser Coast man pleaded guilty to six charges of possessing commercial fishing nets and possessing excess and regulated fish and was fined $13,000.”

Mr Bowness said the prosecutions are the direct result of intelligencebased patrol work and collaboration between QBFP officers.

If anyone suspects illegal fishing, they should report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116 so that it can be investigated.

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

JUNE 2016

41

Rig up then rug up CALOUNDRA

Damian Parker dpfishingmonthly@hotmail.com

The Sunshine Coast has been a little hit and miss over the last month or two due to poor weather and seasonal change.

Transitional periods see a decline in water temperature from around 24-25°C and soon will drop to around 20°C and even lower.

At the moment we are still managing to rustle up Spanish mackerel, wahoo and mahimahi, but these particular species will fade out over the next month and we’ll welcome species of snapper, pearl perch, sweetlip and a variety of the emperor family on all our reefs.

wahoo and a mixed bag of reef fish from the Barwon Banks. The Caloundra 5,7 and 12-mile reefs have welcomed catches of quality Spanish mackerel, snapper, cobia and pearl perch. The Mooloolaba Reefs off the Gneering shoals and Murphys Reef have also seen good catches of Spanish, snapper, cobia and coral trout.

As you move further north over Coolum, Peregian, and up to Sunshine Reef, your chances of landing a beautiful coral trout improve. This species cannot resist live bait, so take your time and gather a tank full. With winter just around the corner we are blessed to have the presence of humpback whales in the vicinity. Along with the whales come various

and greatest radar/sonar technology, you may not see one of these majestic beasts until it’s too late. Always be on the look out and drop the revs down, especially if you plan to fish into the night. I get super excited when the whales arrive as cobia, one of my favourite species, also show up. These arm pulling, back breaking beasts use the whale as a host and move into our local reefs and wellknown wrecks across the Sunshine Coast. Although they can be known as the pigs of the sea and take anything from squid, strip baits or pilchards, these trucks cannot resist live bait.

My method of hook-up is a double snell on 100lb with a running ball sinker connected to an 80lb braided main line and a live bait.

Most of the time while I’m

Ross with a Spanish mackerel caught at Murphys Reef.

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anchored fishing for snapper dusk or dawn, a cobia will hook itself on a floater targeted at snapper. A lot of people confuse the cobia for a shark because of its stealthy shape and fighting characteristics. But if you’re lucky enough to get one you’re in for a treat. They taste absolutely amazing on the plate. Remember to bleed well and ice it pronto for better eating quality.

As the weather cools down, the snapper will move closer in. Take the time to anchor right on the spot,

Dallas with a mulloway caught at Caloundra 12-Mile. establish a decent berley trail and set the trap. Use just enough leak to deploy a ganged or snelled whole pilchard down your berley trail and wait. It will happen.

Always work around moon and tide phases for best results and remember to check your catch size and limits. Fish for the future!

A lot of anglers including myself, prefer to fish for snapper of an afternoon and into sunset.

Always let someone know where you’re going and when you will be home.

Log into the coastguard on VMF 73 and get out there and smash them!

We will see a lot of fish move into our rivers and estuaries in preparation for spawning such as bream, mullet, luderick and flathead. If you happen to land a large female flathead or bream, take care of the fish and release it as soon as you get your happy snap. If we don’t release the girls we won’t have an angling future.

The fishing on the flats will improve greatly through winter as the fish move in closer with the cooler surface temperatures. Cast small soft plastics, metal blades, soft vibes and most surface action lures to entice a successful hook-up.

The estuaries really fire and fish become more aggressive feeders around winter, so work your offering a little faster and harder around jetties,

pylons and flats to get the fish going off. June is also the month to target the larger estuary predators such as mulloway, especially at night. This particular species cannot resist a live mullet, so get that cast net mastered and gather up some mulloway

your money.

Our Sunny Coast beaches are a great place to target mulloway at night and if you are prepared to put the time in, you will be rewarded. Flathead, bream and dart will also be on offer across the beaches and although the water is

Jason with a cobia caught off a local reef. candy. These are best presented on a running sinker rig or free swimming unweighted approach. But hang on because these brutes pack a lot of punch and will give you a run for

a little cooler, the fishing should keep you warm.

Overall June is one of our colder months but there will be plenty of fishing opportunities on offer so rug up and have a crack!

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A fine time to head offshore!

NOOSA

Peter Wells

Now that the prevailing south-easterlies have started to ease a little, anglers are able to head offshore and be rewarded with good numbers of both mixed pelagic and reef species.

It’s that magic time where you’re blessed with the best the pelagics have to offer as well as the snapper really embracing the run.

their live bait tanks full of yakkas and slimy mackerel has done the trick when it comes to claiming quality fish. Fresh mullet fillets, bonito fillets, whole squid and pilchards have been the dead baits of choice.

Soft plastics have been a great option for fishing the reefs and a few proven performers are the ZMan 7” Jerk ShadZ in various colours. Coco ice is my favourite, weighted with elevator heads according to the tidal movement. Micro-jigs have also produced the goods

snelled set of octopus hooks.

This rig is most effective around the tide changes when there is minimal current. When the run increases switch to a paternoster rig to keep the bait on the bottom. For those who fish lures, downsize to either the Gulp or ZMan 5” Jerk ShadZ. Chardons Reef has been pelagic central with Spanish mackerel, wahoo and mixed tuna species terrorising bait balls on the surface and subsurface. Floating pilchards

Joe Whittle boated this thumper 12kg large-mouth nannygai on a Wild Thing 2 charter to Double Island Point.

Double Island Point area has produced some incredible catches of reef species with snapper, Maori cod, Venus tusk fish, coral bream, Moses perch, and pearl perch as well as the odd big red emperor in the mix.

Most anglers who fish the reefs have found that filling

with the TT Vector and Palms Slow Blatts in oval shape getting the runs on the board.

On North Reef you’ll find grassy sweetlip, Venus tusk fish, gold spot wrasse, snapper, Maori cod, scarlet sea perch and pearl perch. A good rigging method is a standard running ball sinker rig to a

or live baits on a set of gangs has seen many anglers hooked up and landing quality fish.

However, those choosing to troll big hardbody deep diving lures have also had some great action, with the X-rap 30’s and the Samaki Pacemakers in 140mm and 180 mm producing great results. Trolling allows

anglers to cover larger areas of water, which in turn presents your offering to more fish.

Sunshine reef has seen its best run of coral trout in over a decade with quality fish to 6kg in good numbers caught.

A well-presented pilchard or preferably live bait has undone these fish. Mixed catches of reefies, Spanish and spotted mackerel, yellowfin and Bluefin tuna have been in good numbers around Sunshine Reef also, with anglers working the birds and casting 30-70g metal slugs or 5-7” flick bait soft plastics paying dividends.

In the river we have seen some great fishing for bread and butter species along the Gympie Terrace stretch.

Woods Bays has had some great mixed schools of trevally (GT, big eye, tea leaf and diamond) respond well to Blue Blue micro-jigs, Ecogear ZX blades and prawn style soft plastics. There have also been good-sized bream on small pilchards and strips of mullet and bonito. Around the Frying Pan whiting have been the main target with good numbers and quality fish caught on live worms, yabbies, surface lures and even small crab profile soft plastics. Crusty Crabs perfectly imitate a small crab

Young Lewis Wruck caught this elbow slapping, 40cm whiting on a live beach worm in Weyba Creek. attempt to put on condition before making their way out to the reefs to spawn. This time of year is one of the best times to target them. Use live baits like poddy mullet and herring, as that’s what they will mainly feed on at this time of year. Fish the last two hours of the run-out tide and the first two hours of the incoming tide around structure and holes. A standard snelled rig using two 4/0 octopus hooks and a 22-30lb trace line is the rig of choice. A little further upriver the deeper holes are holding some nice sized school mulloway. Target them with

fish are an ambush predator and like to feed on the darker nights. One of the most important things to keep in mind when targeting these fish is to keep any light off the water. Fishing the incoming tide as well as good gutter selection will increase your chances. Bait is the other key factor, fresh mullet, fresh tailor, a big clump of beach worms or local squid are all on the menu for mulloway. This time of the year is usually the start of the winter bream run, pulling 35cm+ bream from the surf is not uncommon, and if last year is anything to go by

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Gary Millard from Noosa Waters with a quality coral trout from Sunshine Reef. and the whiting can’t resist.

Bream, flathead and tailor have been caught while luring for whiting. As we move closer to the cooler months you should notice a number of larger mangrove jacks taken in the river systems. Before the water cools, jacks tend to prowl the river systems more often looking for food and become aggressive as they

the Samaki Thumper Tails Paddle Vibes – apart from their realistic colours, the larger tail vibrates and puts out a strong message to the fish.

For the beach anglers May is a great time to target mulloway. The new moon is the best time, so coincide this with a late evening tide to give you the best chance of tangling with a 1m+ mulloway. These

we should see a great season.

• Now for all the latest information, log onto www. fishingnoosa.com.au for up to date bar and fishing reports, don’t forget to drop into Davo’s Tackle World in Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola to find out where the fish are biting, and remember tight lines and bent spines!

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The dropper knot 4 BRISBANE

Kim Bain

Last edition we completed the sinker loop options for a paternoster rig; this month we tie the hook loop using a knot simply called the dropper knot (or dropper loop).

Knowing this knot will be

1

very helpful, especially if you plan on doing some offshore work in deeper water. For further discussion and information on this knot and the paternoster rig, please see the previous issue of QFM, and if you don’t have it, my articles on these subjects will be on the Fishing Monthly website website at www. fishingmonthly.com.au soon.

Then take the ‘outer’ loop and push it through the centre opening; once it is a little of the way through, grip the loop lightly with your mouth and gently pull it through as far as it will easily go.

First form a loop in the line (do not tie a loop, just form a loop) and insert a finger on one side of the crossover.

5

Now pull the two standing ends of the line away from each other while holding the loop with your teeth... but don’t pull the knot snug just yet!

6

Now, with your mouth, moisten the wraps either side of the centre opening and then pull the knot slowly tight.

2

Pull one side of the loop down and start twisting/wrapping it around the standing line. Keep the centre open (with your fingers). An alternative is to twist from/around the centre, wrapping an even number of turns of each side of the centre opening. Have a go and see what works best for you and your dexterity.

3

After between four to ten turns, the number of turns will be governed by the diameter and stiffness of the line in which you are tying the dropper loop, widen the centre open (using your fingers; and use at least one finger to keep it open).

JUNE 2016

45

Moreton Bay’s back seat divers MORETON BAY

Spero Kartanos

The humble little whiting is the very first fish that most of us catch. You can spend untold amounts of money on the latest rods and reels to catch big fish, yet you can’t beat the taste of whiting. They taste as good as anything coming out of the ocean.

And besides, it’s a fish that makes us happy to catch, our kids are happy to catch and, as we get older, our grandkids as well.

The Victorians (I am an ex) and the South Australians have those monster King George whiting, but up here we have the wonderful and tasty Moreton Bay diver whiting. They’re nowhere near as large but they taste just as good.

It’s been interesting fishing for these little critters over the last 40 years in the Bay. The way some people carry on about trying to catch one you’d think it was rocket science, but I am here to tell you it’s not. It’s simple and it’s fun, and it’s the type of fishing every family loves to do, especially those with young children.

a few sand whiting I’ve caught over the years – and I’m talking only 40-50 fish in 40 years – I have

most important factors is movement of the bait. That means a solid drift with a good run in the tide is best.

the old paternoster rig which works for everything to do with fishing. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion

The author’s grandchildren, Nick and Sam, learned to catch whiting from a young age. never seen any of the other Queensland species in the bay.

In light of that, I feel it’s safe to say that 99% of whiting caught in the bay are trumpeter/winter/diver whiting with a bag limit of 50 and no size limit.

Never use freshwater on your fish. Scale them by hand, wash them with saltwater and put the fillets on ice.

Sand whiting, also called summer whiting, are easy to identify because they don’t have a pale lateral line.

It’s rare to catch many of these in Moreton Bay. IDENTIFICATION It’s interesting to read about the different kinds of whiting and what they look like. According to Qld Fisheries, the sunshine state is home to golden line whiting, northern whiting, stout whiting, sand/summer whiting, and trumpeter/ winter/diver whiting (the last three are the same fish). However, apart from 46

JUNE 2016

So how can you tell the difference between a sand whiting and a diver whiting?

It’s not hard; divers have a very distinct, pale lateral line, which sand whiting do not have. Diver whiting also have very small, pearly scales which come off easily.

WHITING BEHAVIOUR Over my years of whiting fishing I’ve found that one of the

I don’t find that the time of the day, moon phases nor the time of year make much difference to catch rates. The whiting in Moreton Bay are there all year round.

TACKLE Back in the day, all the old timers fishing off jetties and boats had the wonderful old handlines, either the line around an old Coke bottle or an old, carved wooden spool.

And of course there was the plastic hand spool – that’s all my friends and I used, and we caught thousands of fish without a problem.

The way whiting were targeted then is the same way we target them today, the only difference is that we all now have rods and reels and special lines. I still recommend the rigs we used back then – either a running sinker with a trace and a swivel or the sinker onto the hook, and of course

that those two rigs catch everything that you are going to fish for off the bottom.

The author thinking about how nice this whiting will taste in tempura batter.

The old saying ‘keep it simple, stupid’ works very well for whiting. A simple paternoster rig will do the job, with a red whiting hook (a long shank hook in size #4 or #6) and a ball sinker to get you to the bottom. Because the hook in a paternoster sits up off the bottom, it’s less likely to get fouled with weed.

The reels I prefer for whiting in the bay are the Shimano Alivio 1000 and Daiwa Crossfire 1000, but any 1000 size spin reel will do the job. When it comes to rods, I recommend a 2-6lb light or ultra-light rod around 5’5” to 6”.

When it comes to line and leader, I use 6-8lb mono for both my main line and leader. Anything lighter can break when you’re trying to get the hook out of the fish’s mouth. I like green Tortue Super Control best for fishing in the bay; I won’t use any colour other than

green. And in my experience, expensive fluorocarbon leader isn’t necessary.

BAIT Whiting can be caught on peeled prawns and squid strips, but live or fresh blood worms and beach worms are the best baits. The usual way to rig worms is to cut them into segments of 2-3cm, insert the hook point through the middle of their body and thread them along the bend of the hook.

If you’re using squid strips, the strips should resemble the size and shape of a worm. I like to soak squid strips in red vegetable dye for extra visual attraction.

As the old saying goes, ‘fresh is best’ when it comes to bait. However, if you don’t have any worms, prawns or squid, you can use cured baits or soft plastics. They will still catch fish, just not as consistently.

You may have heard that using red tubing or red beads

Here you can see the tell-tale lateral line that’s characteristic of diver whiting.

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the sand. If you walk the foreshores at low tide you’ll see these features. Round depressions are called holes (or melon holes), and long depressions are called gutters.

The typical way to fish is to cast your bait past the gutter/ hole and take in the slack line

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Most shores which have a little sand and mud at high tide contain whiting, but most times the fishing is hit-andmiss. One option which may improve your chances is to use berley. Over the years I’ve seen many beach anglers throwing out berley pellets to

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you wan o fish he beach he bes gu e s a e c ose o sho e You can spo he da ke wa e eas y

on your rig can help you catch more whiting. I have tried both in the bay, and I didn’t notice much difference. However, it’s possible that using red tube in the surf may be useful in attracting those solitary fish prowling the gutters. In the bay the whiting are usually in schools.

When you’re bait fishing for whiting you simply drift your bait over the sandbanks in Moreton Bay, where you’ll see other boats doing the same thing.

LOCATIONS Most of the good areas for whiting haven’t changed over the years and, in spite of all the boats fishing in the bay these days, the fish are in great numbers.

The areas that have always produced whiting are: the Sandhills of Moreton Island, all the way from the entrance to the Blue Hole (and in the Blue Hole), all the way to Shark Spit and Lucinda Bay; the Rous Channel from start to finish; the Small Boat Passage or half tide gutter between the Chain Banks and Maroom Bank; Amity Banks; and of course Deanbilla Bay and the Pelican Banks.

And that’s not all – wherever there are sandbanks and a little mud close to shore, the whiting are there.

However, they won’t always be there in great numbers.

They like to move around a bit depending on where they are finding food, so there are

Two o he au ho s

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ends Ron The Wh ng Mas e and Dav d ove wh ng fish ng

days when you need to spend some time to find where they are. One thing I often look for is feeding dugongs, as you’ll nearly always find whiting nearby. When I’ve cleaned whiting caught near dugongs they’ve always had small crustaceans and tube worms in their stomachs.

From this we can assume that when dugongs are in herds, disturbing the ocean bed by eating the seagrass, it stirs up food items for the whiting.

Some of the whiting hotspots of old aren’t what they once were. For example, many years ago around the mouth of the river toward Wynnum you’d see up to 100 boats catching thousands of whiting. It was a similar story south of Mud and north of St Helena. I have not seen whiting caught there for many years. It seems to have happened as the port area has kept coming out further and further (I am concerned for Mud Island in years to come, as it could be our new ship terminal).

BEACH FISHING If you would like to fish from the beach, the most likely locations are Sandgate, Margate and Redcliffe,

draw the whiting in to where they’re fishing.

Before you start fishing, you need to ‘read’ the beach.

Reading a beach means

The pa e nos e g keeps he hook ou o he weed and s he bes g n Mo e on Bay o wh ng and of course the Wynnum foreshores (or you can hop over to Moreton Island or North Stradbroke Island).

walking or driving along the shore, looking for features that attract fish, namely weed banks and depressions in

as the waves push the bait back to shore. If you don’t get a bite, don’t start ripping your bait back too soon because sometimes the whiting can hit your bait almost at your feet.

That’s a good sign because it can mean they’re hunting in close, so you don’t have to cast out very far.

The most common rig for beach fishing for whiting is a ball sinker above a swivel, then around 60cm of leader down to a whiting hook. You can add a bit of red tube above the hook if you like. The weight of the sinker should depend on the conditions and the distance you’re casting.

Most Queenslanders like to use an Alvey reel when beach fishing, because Alveys can happily get soaked in the waves or dumped in the sand, and still work. A good outfit is an 5” or 5.5” Alvey on a 9-11ft glass light surf rod with a fairly soft action.

ON THE PLATE My favourite part of catching these fish is preparing and eating them!

I do have a pet hate: the practice of putting them in a scaling bag and dragging them behind a boat at a great rate of knots. You might as well put them in a blender and turn them into mush!

The best way to prepare diver whiting for the table is to scale them by hand and fillet them, and you don’t need to bother boning them.

With larger whiting species (and larger fish in general), you would cut out a ‘v’ shape to remove the bones. With these little diver whiting, however, the bones are so fine you don’t need to remove them. Even kids don’t notice they’re there.

My favourite way to cook whiting is to use tempura batter and deep fry them in light olive oil. You can’t beat it!

JUNE 2016

47

Pearlies pack a punch RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

Finally, the weather patterns have changed and the fish are really on the chew.

seasons I’ve seen, with bag-out after bag-out of these beautiful fish. They’ve not been picky, and have been happy taking all types of baits and all types of soft plastics. Snapper, Moses perch, tuskies and sweetlip

We’ve also picked up some nice red emperor and coral trout, mainly on the glass-out days offshore.

Spanish mackerel have been a lot of fun lately, with live yakkas providing a lethal result. We’ll

We have caught some cracking pearlies lately.

Snapper are starting to turn up in good numbers.

OFFSHORE It’s probably been some of the best pearl perch

have also been an easy target and are not being fussy with the bait they are taking either.

probably continue to catch the Spaniards all the way up until August.

ON THE BEACH There have been some good flathead caught off the beach with unweighted pilchards on a small set of ganged hooks. Double Island Point has been one of the hotspots and in the same vicinity, quite good catches of whiting have been rewarding the afternoon angler.

There are still big patches of longtail tuna coming in very close to the shore at Inskip Point, which have

provided the beach fishers with some reel-screaming, arm-stretching action.

GREAT SANDY STRAITS The highlight of the Straits fishing has been the squid. There have been some big catches from Carlo Point and all the way to Tin Can Bay. There’s plenty of fun to be had and some delicious calamari to enjoy.

The Straits have also been producing some nice flathead and bream on

hardbodies and soft plastics and some big whiting on poppers.

June is definitely one of my favourite months.

Pearl perch and coral trout are on the menu throughout the whole winter season and generally, fishing is excellent.

• To enjoy a day on the water with Keely Rose Fishing Charters phone Ed Falconer 0407 146 151 or visit www. keelyrosefishingcharters .com.au.

Grunt time in the Bay HERVEY BAY

Scott Bradley marlin81@bigpond.com

The weather had finally cooled down and seems to have entirely skipped autumn and has gone straight into winter this year. Last month the water temperature was still over 25°C, but if it’s anything like last year

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when the temperature drops it will drop fast.

ON THE LOCAL REEFS There have been good mixed bags of keepers caught around places like the Arty, Moon Ledge, and Bagimba. Fishing the big tides at night has produced juvenile snapper, blackall, coral bream, grunter and sweetlip on baits of California squid, herring and yakka fillets. Live bait still

account for plenty of cod averaging 3-6kg. I’ve been using a Bung Light for a while now, and if you want live bait at night you can’t go past them. Just switch it on and wait for baitfish or squid in the area to come around, I’ve even had garfish and flying fish jump in the boat some nights!

ON THE FLATS Flathead have taken it up another notch and big

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Brett Whalley with his personal best grunter of 65cm. numbers of fish in the 45-60cm range have been smashing hardbodies at all stages of the tide. Cod and bream have also managed to hit a lure when the flathead give them a chance.

Whiting have been all over poppers in the shallows at the bottom end of the big tides. Work surface lures back towards the bank in

the first 10m of water to make schools of whiting fight over your lure and generate some spectacular surface action.

We have caught some quality grunter along the flats on Fraser Island around creek mouths and the shallow reef south of Moon Point. Live bait, prawns and squid have worked well on

grunter up to 65cm on the incoming tide. I usually fish the start of the run-in close to the beach and as the bite tapers off I move out on the reef to continue the action. Grunter are almost the perfect fish, they bite well, fight hard and are great to eat, which makes them highly desirable in my book.

Bread and butter species serve up a feed in June FRASER COAST

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

The cooler weather of the last two months has certainly made for more comfortable outings, and many are anxiously awaiting the change in fishing seasons. The air temperature may be dropping consistently at this time of the year but due to the physical nature of water itself, sea temperatures may not fall at anywhere near the same rate. Of course in offshore and deeper waters, temperatures may vary little throughout the year, and then only due to ocean currents delivering either warmer or cooler water to inshore areas.

a mystery to me. They seem to simply show up in fairly predictable areas during May and early June. These areas include offshore from Dundowran to Gatakers Bay early in the season and south of Round Island to the southern end of Woody Island a little later. Some theories suggest that they are in residence throughout the year, and then turn into feeding mode when water temperatures start to drop.

Another theory suggests that they migrate into these areas from further offshore.

Apart from these regular areas, they can turn up in big numbers in places that they might never be seen in future years. Quite obviously they are following a food source that we might not be aware of. From my observations over a number

Alan Purvis with a pair of Chinaman fish, taken off a deep reef north of Fraser Island. These fish look good but are not for the table.

BREAD AND BUTTER SPECIES In last month’s column we looked at what we might expect the bream to do this season. Up to quite recently they have continued to be widespread through their feeding area. I have made the mistake quite regularly of expecting bream to turn up in their breeding areas too early in winter, before water temperatures have dropped sufficiently to their liking. However, it’s time to check out the points of Woody Island, Point Vernon, the Picnics and River Heads where bream will be preparing to spawn.

This is the time of year when we start to see tight gatherings of small boats in many parts of the bay.

This heralds the start of the annual run of diver (winter) whiting. These fish prefer the sandy and weedy offshore shallows in depths as shallow as 1m.

Like bream, these small whiting feed ravenously to build up reproductive tissues. The movement of these schools is somewhat of

of decades, diver whiting are becoming less prolific as each season passes.

When somebody locates a school of diver whiting, the word soon gets around and the place can be invaded by dozens of boats in no time. Winter whiting fishing requires little finesse and the simplest rig will do just as well as a complex one. As long as there is a small hook (No.4 is good) with suitable bait, you are in business. As simple as it sounds, there are situations where only one boat in a small cluster takes fish. This has probably come about because the successful ones are using a self-berleying bait like yabby, and keeping the fish excited about their offering.

Once attracted around the boat other baits like worms, squid strips and prawns will keep them happy. If you find yourself as one of the unsuccessful brigade, the best option is to move a distance away and work to attract your own fish. For me it is almost mandatory to have enough yabbies to persuade the whiting to bite,

and then hold them. Once on the bite other baits will be successful, but I like to use a yabby every so often.

Certainly beer-battered deep fried diver whiting fillets are hard to beat.

TAKING CARE OF WHITING In years well past there was no regulation of the diver whiting recreational fishery. This being the case it would be possible to catch hundreds daily of any size at all. When the value of this fishery to recreational fishing became appreciated, there was much debate as to best management. This debate continues even though the current management has been established. Some were in favour of minimum legal length, others of a bag limit, others suggesting both. The winning opinion was for a bag limit of 50 fish with no legal minimum length. To be complete we should mention that this is an in-possession bag limit, per angler. Unfortunately, there are those who delight in bucking the system and this is easy to do with the bag limit system.

Competition sport fishers in bass and bream events use the practice of upgrading to ensure that the five they weigh-in will be the largest caught for the day. I don’t have a problem with that as the smaller fish that are eventually discarded, are cared for in a purpose built aerated or irrigated tank. It is widely known that upgrading is rampant among the whiting fishing brigade where small fish are put aside until the catch reaches the bag limit of 50, then progressively discarded – but very much dead of course. If a size limit were imposed, at least these smaller fish would have a chance.

The debate will undoubtedly continue but as little as I like over regulation, both bag limit

and minimum size should be the way to go. Why not?

Both cover most of our other light gear fish.

OCEAN BEACH On Fraser Island’s ocean beach, some excellent weather has seen some great catches. It was good to hear that dart have been in form, and of excellent quality. Some of the guests from Stanthorpe were on hand with the kipper box and were rewarded with a delightful feed of smoked fillets. It is well accepted by locals and regular visitors that dart, which is a fair table fish to fry, are the very best to smoke. It is always pleasing to hear that whiting have been plentiful in the shallow gutters, after some lean times in the past. Just to smarten things up a little for whiting and dart anglers, some oyster crackers, aka permit, have joined the party.

These include a 6kg fish taken at Poyungan Rocks.

Tailor anglers will be looking forward to the annual season. While small ‘chopper’ size fish can be taken throughout the year, it is the arrival of the larger spawning fish that marks the start of the season.

There have been years when mid-June has heralded the season’s commencement but more often it is some time in July that the action really gets underway. So let’s hope we see an early start this year. There are two main influences at work here.

The supply of baitfish is fundamental, so too is the weather that encourages baitfish to enter the beach gutters. It is time to get mildly excited when the first southwesterly or westerly breezes hit the beach.

Back in the bay, the shallow reefs are slowing down thanks to lower water temperatures. Mostly undersize coral bream (grass sweetlip) are in abundance and blue parrot (black-spot tuskfish) are becoming harder to find. Many angers

give the shallows a big miss through winter, but at this time they can still produce plenty of legal juvenile snapper, blackall, bream and tailor.

Huge schools of scarlet sea perch (nannygai) have been hanging over the scattered structure, but the majority of these beautiful fish have been undersized. Other species

JUNE PROSPECTS PLACE............................................. SPECIES Fraser Island ocean beach...............................Dart Fraser Island western beach.....................Flathead Offshore pelagic............................................... Tuna Offshore reefs............................................... Trevally Shallow inner reefs...................................... Blackall Deep inner reefs......................................... Snapper River heads.................................................... Bream Island and mainland foreshore rocks.......... Bream Offshore shallows................................ Diver whiting Harbour walls..................Bream and mangrove jack OPEN WATER The open waters north and west of Moon Point continue to support plenty of baitfish as well as the hungry longtails and mac tuna that hunt them. Some anglers have returned with bag limits of spotted mackerel but they haven’t been easy to track down. On the offshore reefs west of Arch Cliffs, golden trevally have been hitting micro-jigs worked close to the bottom. Unfortunately sharks are still making meals of them before a fish can be brought close to the boat. Tea-leaf trevally and school mackerel have also been possibilities.

such as frying pan snapper, juvenile snapper, javelin, hussar and venus tuskfish have also been recorded.

Occasionally large specimens of Chinaman fish turn up on the deep reefs.

While there are many fish that are sometimes associated with ciguatera, the threat of this debilitating illness is so great in the Chinamanfish that Grant in ‘Guide to Fishes’ officially recognises it in his treatment of poisonous and venomous fishes. The outlook for these offshore grounds looks good provided those with big teeth and grey suits move on.

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49

Metre madness in the Fitzroy ROCKHAMPTON

Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

Winter is certainly upon us, and with the cooler waters we see nice calm weather, big reef fish and even bigger Spanish mackerel.

The cooler water also brings out decent schools of bream and whiting onto the flats along with blue salmon in the creeks and rivers. On top of all of this, the crabbing in the region has been great in the past month, with many people catching big hauls.

THE FITZROY The river has been going well, with a number of people catching large barra.

These fish are being pulled in the Rockhampton stretch, with many people having luck off the rocks between the two bridges on low tide, and all the pontoons along the river.

King threadfin salmon have also been on many peoples’ hit lists, with some cracking-sized fish being caught towards the mouth of the river. Many fishos are persisting with lures to target the species and sometimes it pays to ‘match the hatch’.

When the salmon are feeding on smaller food sources such as small prawns and crabs, lures of that style and size need to be used. There are many lures on the market now of all shapes and sizes to cover almost every scenario.

As the water temperature drops, some of the deeper holes will start holding the big jewfish and grunter that a lot of people target in the ‘off season’ on days that are too rough to head out to the islands.

around the islands for casting metals and small poppers is a 7ft rod rated at about 15-30lb matched with a 4000 sized reel. This set up will catch most of the species around the Keppel Group and is easy to use all day long.

Rhys landed this nice queenfish using a 30g jig on barra tackle.

Mitch with a nice barra that he took in the river.

The togas have been out in force again, and Mitch landed this nice one out of a Fitzroy feeder river.

INSHORE REGIONS The Keppel Group has been fishing well along with coastal headlands around Curtis Island, Hummocky and Ship Rock. A great variety of species have been caught, and anything from queenfish through to mackerel, coral trout and red emperor has been common.

The most common outfit

Fishing around the many rock bars around the Keppel Group has resulted in a large number of mackerel, queenfish and trevally being taken. Most of these fishing have been taken on barra sized hardbodies and barra gear! The number of baitfish getting around is unreal, but at the moment it’s mostly herring.

CREEKS AND ESTUARIES All the creeks and estuaries around the region will soon see a boom from the cold waters, and bream will start stocking up for spawning, flathead will be more present, whiting will be up on the flats more and the pelagics will push further into the estuaries.

Blue and king threadfin salmon will be abundant and can be great fun on light gear.

With the bream and whiting moving up onto the flats and headlands, the main idea would be to find the pressure points and spots away from the water flow or the calm side of a rubble patch. Bream and whiting are some of the most commonly targeted species in Australia

and everyone has their own special bait or lure that works for them, but around here it will come down to whatever food source is in the area.

CRABBING Crabbing has been pretty good the last month. It’s been much better than expected, with some very large and very full bucks being taken from the river and feeder creeks.

Mullet heads and heavy duty pots have been selling like crazy and the feedback from people and the photos coming in have been insane.

Anyone who likes a crabbing session should definitely get down, drop some pots and nail some crabs while they are going hard. If you’re new to crabbing, crab pot kits are also available.

Hit up the Burnett for a paddle BUNDABERG

Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

Finally the seemingly endless summer has relented and the cooler weather is upon us. June in the Bundaberg region comprises of cool clear mornings with the onset of chilly westerlies bringing drier cold air from the inland and forcing us Queenslanders to actually use footwear.

THE RIVERS

As the water temperature drops, the warmer species of fish that thrive in the warm water will either move offshore or become very difficult to tempt a bite from. This isn’t a total loss as winter brings on a whole new set of species to target with their own specific techniques to master. I get to see a lot of great fishing images from all my Facebook friends and many of them live and fish around Brisbane.

These friends fish a lot in the Brisbane River at this time of year to target snapper from the many deep holes, structure and drop-offs using vibes and 50

JUNE 2016

plastics. Last winter I put a bit of time into trying out this technique in the Burnett River and did manage some good fish, but no decent snapper. I believe they come in and hunt in the river mouth just like in Brisbane and this

year I will be trying to get that trophy snapper from our river. I have seen some photos of our local gun fisher with some awesome fish caught on vibes fishing around the deep holes, including some nice snapper. I am confident

A late season mangrove jack is a great way to christen the new Hobie!

that if you put the time and effort in you will get some great reward.

The bread and butter species of the rivers really come into their own now with bream, whiting and flathead a major draw card. As winter progresses, bream become a big target among the local anglers both young and old and in the Burnett they really can turn it on. Bream are pretty much an all year round target in our rivers, but as the water cools the big ones move into the rivers in numbers to spawn. This is when you have the chance to mess with some really decent specimens including plenty of fish over the 1kg mark.

Whiting have been pretty much everywhere lately with a late run of summer whiting still hanging around and the winter whiting starting to show up recently. Winter whiting will get thicker this month and the best way to target them is on fresh prawns, squid and of course live yabbies will get you a feed. Flathead love the cooler water temperatures too and trolling the shallow sand flats with small hardbodied lures should get you into a few of these flatfish that hunt winter whiting.

Bream are only going to get bigger over winter.

HAVING A YAK I love kayaking, whether with a fishing rod or simply paddling along under your own steam observing undisturbed nature. After breaking my collarbone a couple of years ago and having surgery on my shoulder paddling for a few hours became more painful than enjoyable, so it was time for an upgrade.

I recently acquired a new Hobie Revolution 11 and after its maiden voyage I am rapt. It is easy to manoeuvre and so fast under both pedal power and with the paddle,

which is why I decided on this model. The best feature is the new lumbar support seat. Even after five hours in the seat I hopped up and still had feeling in my butt and legs.

There are a lot of keen kayakers in Bundaberg and over the next few months of cooler weather I will be taking part in a few camping kayaking weekends. If you are like-minded drop me a line as there is a trip being planned to paddle the fresh water of the Burnett and anyone is welcome to come.

Smashing personal bests at Monduran LAKE MONDURAN

Rob Howell

Monduran turns it on through May and there’s no sign of it slowing down into June. May was like a summer month with temperatures warmer than usual, and most days hit a top of 28-30°C, which

barra lures will have success here at one time or another and I encourage anglers to mix it up. Through my experience I find it very hard to beat the success rate of a Jackall Squirrel and Smash Minnows. Other must have lures are the Squidgee 110 and 130 Pro Range plastics and the 6” ZMan SwimmerZ.

take long for the word to get out, as to where the barra could be caught.

With the word spreading quickly, it was essential for me to get to these areas as early as possible, to put my clients in the box seat.

In some cases throughout these sessions there were up to ten boats in one area at a time, but this didn’t deter the barra from biting. It was awesome to see the courteous manner that everyone approached the area with, and equally exciting to see the camaraderie displayed by anglers who cheered and congratulated other anglers on boating their PBs. This positive vibe extended through the campground only to see everyone gather

at the camp kitchens to share their photos and experiences of the day.

SPONSOR A BARRA

It’s been very encouraging to see a huge number of smaller barra caught over the previous months. This is testimony to the hard work done by the stocking association and extra funds raised from the Sponsor A Barra Program.

The last fingerling release was carried out through the middle of December 2015, and these baby barra were let go at around 60-100mm long and are now being re-caught at around 450mm long. These staggering growth rates are a result of releasing fingerlings into the lake weed beds and lily pads areas, which

Clinton fighting his PB 98cm barra, he did a great job by angling his rod tip down to pull the barra over when it left the water, so it wouldn’t shake the hooks. resulted in some of the best fishing we’ve seen all season. This, coupled with mild nights, has created optimum conditions for barra to feed now and extend further into the cooler months.

LURES Once you’ve found a lure that continually works well time and time again it’s very hard to use anything else. There is no doubt all

GREAT RESULTS FOR MONDY ANGLERS It’s great to see many anglers boat their personal bests, in particular over the long weekends. Conditions were perfect and the campground was full of anxious anglers desperate get among some barra action. It was particularly busy for me with charters scheduled both mornings and afternoons and it didn’t

Simon Coker with his 98cm barra PB. extend around most of Lake Monduran’s shoreline. These weed beds create a safe haven and feeding ground all in one, and are essential to maximise survival rates and growth of these barra. While these weed beds exist, we need to stock as many fingerlings as we can to protect these great results.

• The team here at Lake Monduran Holiday Park look forward to seeing you over the coming month, we are always on hand to offer you accurate on the spot information and updates, because we live here. Ph (07) 4157 3881, or Guideline Fishing Charters (Rob) 0410 599 147.

Call Jamie today to book your next trip Ph: 0407 434 446

Clinton with his second 96cm monster – one happy customer.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Broadwater Boating dealing Cruise Craft

Australia’s leading fibreglass boat manufacturer Cruise Craft has announced the appointment of Broadwater Boating as the exclusive, authorised Cruise Craft dealer to South East Queensland and Northern Rivers of NSW. Dealership principal Paul Banning is justifiably buoyant about securing the Cruise Craft agency.

Adding Cruise Craft to the Broadwater Boating brands which includes Quintrex and Yamaha confirms that this is a quality marine dealership which deals only in the premium products.

“Cruise Craft completes the quality brand circle for Broadwater Boating,” Paul Banning said. “We pride ourselves on excellence in every regard and that process begins with having the best products on our showroom floor. Cruise Craft, Quintrex and Yamaha are readily accepted as being the very best brands in

Australia, both individually and collectively.”

Broadwater Boating is a part of the Hinterland Group, one of the Gold Coasts largest and most successful organisations which comprises eight autonomous divisions including Toyota vehicles, caravans, motorhomes, paints, finance and of course marine dealerships.

“Th ro u g h our association with Hinterland Toyota we are able to bring to Broadwater Boating the highest standards of customer service and business management practised in the automotive industry,” Paul Banning said.

“Our customer service and product support benchmarks are clearly the best in the marine industry.

With Cruise Craft now alongside the Quintrex brand, Broadwater Boating has the best products with an exceptional reputation for quality and performance.”

Paul Banning is a progressive marine

dealership principal who has a lifelong background in boating. His family owned and operated a highly successful marine dealership in Wollongong. Through his involvement in the family business, Paul has enjoyed a lengthy professional relationship with Nathan Nichols of Cruise Craft.

“We are absolutely delighted to have Paul Banning and Broadwater Boating come on board as a Cruise Craft dealer,” said Nathan Nichols. “We’ve grown up together and learnt the boat business from our parents.”

“I have the highest regard for Paul and his approach to operating a marine dealership. His values are first rate and Cruise Craft is a great fit for the Broadwater Boating dealership. We could not be happier.”

“Paul’s association of with the Hinterland Group and the Toyota dealerships places him at the elite end of business management, processes and standards of

quality. It is a perfect fit for Cruise Craft and sits very comfortable with where we want to take the Cruise Craft brand.”

“We’re looking to option our Cruise Craft boats as ‘cross-over’ models to suit the style of boating which our customers enjoy on the Broadwater,” Paul Banning said.

“Our Cruise Craft packages, all 100% factory rigged with Yamaha outboards, will be set up as a weekend camper with stove, toilet and sink. But the rig can be quickly converted to a day fishing boat to run offshore with the addition of a bait board and so on.”

Cruise Craft is a wholly family owned, third generation Australian boat manufacturing business, operating from their Brisbane manufacturing facility. Cruise Craft boats are distributed exclusively through a network of Authorised Dealers throughout Australia and selected international markets. – Cruise Craft

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51

Coral trout remain the flavour of the month 1770

Des Carnell

The May day long weekend looked set to be another howler but the southeasterlies dropped out on the Sunday, which saw a full parking area at the 1770 boat ramp and plenty of fishers heading to the reef.

Congratulations to Agnes Water local Mark Cross on winning the best coral trout that weighed in at 7.5kg in the May Day weekend Boyne Tannum Hookup Fishing Competition.

Coral trout was the main catch in May, with some

rippers landed around Boult and Fitzroy reefs. Trout love live bait and large fillets of hussar or iodine bream were the best baits.

Snapper can be caught all year round on the shelf off the Bunker group, but this time of the year sees them move inside the Islands. Some nice snapper were caught in May and will be around in numbers over the cooler months.

The 9-mile gutter, South Bustard Reef and the gravel grounds around 13-mile at 30° from the 1770 headland will carry snapper, especially at night. A floating bait with a light running sinker cast out after 10-15m of line has left

John with a neat example of some hard-pulling 1770 longtail tuna.

52

JUNE 2016

the spool, will present more naturally to snapper, which can be feeding at any depth.

Deep water jigging over the Shannon and Barcoola trawler wrecks has produced a fish a lot of people will say are quite rare to our area.

Yellowtail kingfish are pound for pound one of the best fighting fish you will catch.

Jigging knife jigs above the wrecks will give you a fight to remember, and seeing that colourful fish break the surface with a couple of his mates tailing him gets the adrenaline flowing. Once they are on the surface large stick baits will catch them.

In New Zealand ‘kingies’ are revered as the country’s best fighting fish and grow a lot bigger than the local fish. Yellowtail kings bled on capture and placed on ice immediately make for great eating.

Josh Lunn gives us the lowdown on the local inshore action this month.

INSHORE Fishing the estuary systems has been quite productive over the last month. Due to a lack of rain and subsequent run-off, the prawn season has lasted longer than it usually does with great catches continuing.

Schools are holding in the

deeper holes and growing to an above average size. The abundance of prawns has in turn kept the predatory fish feeding with reports of big mangrove jack, estuary cod

of the prawn run and can be found feeding on the prawns over the flats and drains on the outgoing tide. This presents a good opportunity to try something new, get out the

the mix, most are healthy, full, and holding good weight.

Flathead captures have been on the rise with nice fish over 60cm landed. The number of flathead will

Chris Carnell with a rare catch for this area – a yellowtail kingfish from off the 1770 deep trawler wrecks. grunter and some quality barra still coming in despite the onset of cooler weather.

There have been catches of quality whiting reported as these fish also take advantage

light rods and target those fish using small poppers and stick baits in the shallows.

Mud crabs have been on the move with reports of good catches of above legal bucks in

steadily increase with the cool months ahead of us. Schools of trevally have showed up around the river mouths and rocky outcrops and have To page 53

Jacks are getting a final feed before winter GLADSTONE

Liam Jones

We’ve finally had our first little bit of cool weather, but it hasn’t been enough to shut down the jacks. It seems they’re trying to get in a final

night colours best.

Barra are still popping up throughout the harbour and the Calliope and Boyne rivers, and with this bit of cooler weather we should be seeing more and more pop up around the wharves. The hot water outlet hasn’t fired as yet, but

and more, and at the moment you can find them around pretty much any sort of deep structure.

Blue salmon are also showing up in good numbers – it’s the first run of good blues we’ve had this year. To have a shot at these fish, try any shallow gravel bars in the harbour and up through the Narrows. I mostly fish soft vibes for them, with my favourites being Yakamitos and Transams. Bait fishers are picking up good blues on live prawns, live poddy mullet and live herring.

Crabs are still hit and miss, but that’s to be expected given the lack of rain we’ve had this

year. Some days do turn up reasonable numbers though, so it’s worth throwing in a few pots en route to a fishing spot.

OFFSHORE Offshore anglers were treated to a run of good weather for the first time in ages. Those lucky enough to get out were rewarded with good catches.

I recently went out targeting red emperor and found the reds were hard to find; we ended up getting our bag limit but it involved moving up to up to 20 miles between spots and spending numerous hours sounding around. Most of the fish came from 45-65m of water, and the average fish was only around that schoolie

Les Jones with one of the bigger emperor taken on a recent trip. A lot of moving and a lot of sounding resulted in some rewarding catches. feed before the cold weather really sets in. Myself, my father and a friend recently went down to Deepwater Creek and got stuck into some nice jacks, and it was great to see them still biting hard. They seemed to like the ZMan DieZel MinnowZ in the red shad and opening

that’s to be expected seeing as our water temperature is still hovering around 26°C. Until that cooler water moves in you shouldn’t expect to see big numbers here.

Locals have been picking up a lot of black jew in the harbour. Last month these fish started showing up more

Liam Jones caught this nice little trout taken on a Zetz Slow Blatt in 25m of water.

Brandon Innocend caught this Deepwater Creek jack on a ZMan DieZel MinnowZ. size of 6kg. We’re coming into a good time of year for these fish though, so hopefully there will be some great catches in the coming months.

Sweetlip (emperor) and coral trout are still biting their heads off. We recently had a great session on the trout using micro jigs. The best ones lately have been the Storm Koikas and ZetZ Slow Blatts. There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube that show the best ways to use these little treats, or you can pop into your local tackle store and get the guys or girls to show you how its done.

On a recent trip jigging we were finding it hard to get the jigs past the red-throat

sweetlip for the trout to hit (you know things are good when you’re complaining about 55cm sweetlip coming over the side of the boat!)

At this time of year you’d expect the big numbers of large sweetlip to slow a little, but the unseasonably warm water still floating around has kept these guys chewing hard.

For more information on what’s biting, or to stock up with all the tackle and bait you need, drop into LJ’s Compleat Angler Gladstone at the Gladstone Marina on Bryan Jordan Drive. You can also check out the latest news, photos and specials at www.facebook.com/ ljscompleatanglergladstone.

Species crossover makes for great fishing GLADSTONE

Dylan Christie

That period between seasons is an awesome time to fish. It’s warm enough to still yield barra and jacks in the estuaries,

and cool enough at night and early in the morning for winter species like blue salmon. Larger numbers of blues are showing up the harbour, which is great.

The best time to target them is on bigger tides late in the afternoon and

into the night, and early in the morning. Most fish are being taken on fresh gar, live herring, yorkies and the like.

If you’re after jacks and barra you’re best off trying to sound out warmer water.

On smaller tides you’ll want

From page 52

provided some great sport when targeted on light gear.

Headlands have produced a mix of pelagic species with Spanish mackerel over 10kg harassing the herring schools out front, as well as spotted mackerel, school mackerel and longtail tuna working the bait into Bustard Bay. In the coming month, beach fishing should start to see the annual return of cold-water species such as tailor and mulloway move up the coast. Other welcome by-catch here includes yellowfin bream, tarwhine and schools of dart. Early signs are all pointing to a productive season ahead.

Tight lines and happy fishing! – Josh Lunn (Agnes Water 1770 Bait & Tackle) • Stay at 1770 Camping Ground right on the beach at 1770, and for your local fishing advice call Tony or Josh Lunn at Agnes Water 1770 Bait & Tackle, phone (07) 4974 9304.

Josh Lunn with an incredible Spanish mackerel.

to fish the deeper water throughout the harbour and local estuaries. On building tides either side of the moon is when you find the fish more up on the flats, or over the gravel banks that break the surface at low tide.

Lots of lures work but the ones I’ve had most success on recently are the 78mm Lucky Craft Pointer, ZMan SwimmerZ and Zerek Fish Traps. And of course, these fish will always eat a live bait at the right time of the tide.

There are reports of big bream being caught around the river mouths and rock walls. The cooler months are a good time to get into bigger specimens on small hardbodies, soft vibes and soft plastics.

Good baits include mullet fillets, prawns and any fresh bait caught in the area such as yabbies.

Offshore we’ve had some great weather and the fishing has been unreal. Over the past few weeks we’ve had plenty of reports of good Spaniards being trolled up with big Halco Laser Pros, Yo-Zuri Hydro Magnums, Samaki Pacemakers and the like. Plenty of Spaniards have also been caught on trolled wolf herring, gar and doggie mackerel.

There’s the odd monster getting around; recently at the Boyne Tannum hook-up one Spaniard weighed in at 24kg cleaned, so it was potentially a 26-27kg fish.

Lately we’ve been seeing some good catches at Rundle Island.

The bottom fishing is good at the moment, with plenty of reports of big bags of coral trout, red emperor, red-throat and tuskies.

Good spots to try include Rock Cod Shoals, North West Island, Masthead and Douglas Shoals. The shallows are fishing quite well for red-throat and trout, and GTs as well.

Anglers have been getting some good GTs on both poppers and stickbaits, and trout and red-throat have been hitting a few lures as well. However, the most consistent method for trout

and red-throat is still a well presented pilchard with minimal weight.

The wrecks been fishing quite well also.

People jigging the wrecks have been catching a mixture of nannygai, tea-leaf trevally, golden trevally, doggy mackerel, grunter and black jew.

Black jew been going quite well; the average size is 10-20kg with a few larger specimens mixed in.

All in all, it’s a great time of year, so get out and enjoy this prime time between seasons. If you have any questions feel free to drop in and see us at Pat’s Tackle World Gladstone on 23 Lord St, or give us a call on (07) 4972 3692. We’re also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Pats TackleworldGladstone.

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53

Time for a reef rave YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

Mac tuna and northern blues are making their way into the local waters and should be around as long as the schools of whitebait are here. When you chase tuna it pays to use small streamline chromies, slugs, red and white feather jigs or white marabou jigs.

Plastics also work very well, particularly any that resemble the baitfish they feed on. It doesn’t matter as long as you can cast the lure a fair distance. I’ve

saying that it doesn’t hurt to mix it up a bit by using a decent-sized Flasha or something similar and do the same except let it sink quite a bit longer. If it doesn’t get taken on the drop by a tuna chances are it could get nailed by a doggie or trevally that often hang under the mac tuna or longtail schools collecting the scraps that tuna have left behind.

The noise and movement attracts a whole lot of other fish, and the sink can be quite rewarding at times.

By-catch isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it turns into a 4kg doggie or a 10kg Spaniard.

don’t like to eat northern blue or haven’t tried it then you are missing out on a great fish for the BBQ. Fillet the fish and take out the darkest meat for future reef baits, then marinade the fillets in a BBQ mix. Let it sit for a while and cook quickly on a hot plate. This will never beat trout or sweetlip as a table fish but it will change a lot of people’s minds and give you something else out of the norm.

Doggie mackerel remain in some quantity everywhere you would expect them to be. Rita Mada, Iron Pot and Farnborough near Yeppoon and all the islands off Emu

Glenn Davis caught this coral trout just outside the harbour on a plastic. seen anglers race toward the school and cause them to scatter out of sight without a fish taken.

Run up wide of the school until you are well forward and just off their line of travel. Then turn the boat off and get ready to cast as soon as they are in range. Cast out across the schools and rip back with speed as fast as you can. On

We have some great reefy rubble patches with decent bommies that are serious fish attracters. Forty Acre Paddock and Findlays are two of the better known spots that seem to always have pelagics in numbers.

Any school fish that move through the bay will pass by these spots, which makes them a great starting point for small boat anglers. If you

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

www.mikat.com.au 54

JUNE 2016

Park and Keppel Sands are firing at present. The smaller fish are hugging the coastline while the serious-sized doggies have taken the route past Barren and Outer. There are lots of spots in the area that can be fished without needing a boat including the Rosslyn Bay Harbour wall and local headlands. On calm glassy mornings, doggies and schoolies can often be nailed from a land-based position. Float pilchards and cast chrome lures to find the best fish. Spanish have been consistent in close with the larger quantities showing along the contour lines out behind the islands and heading north.

This time of year you also get some top Spaniards at The Pinnacles, Flat and Perforated. The real big fish are usually at Hummocky, Cape Manifold and Double Rocks. Trolling reasonable sized baits has worked well lately although with the quality lures that are available they are often neglected. I find that Spanish will take any sort of lure that reaches the depth they are hanging and can be trolled at around 11km/h or more. I work on the theory that you can cover a lot more ground at a lure’s

Brendan Reed with a fine local blue salmon. optimum speed than the very slow troll speeds needed to swim bonito or ribbonfish.

Watson’s leaping bonito are slowly making their way into the local area. As soon as it gets cool these great baitfish start turning up in Keppel Bay. I try and get a stock of them for the coming mackerel season. Little chromies, plastics or feather jigs can all catch bonito and they do respond to berley so any time the schools are about we drop out a steady berley stream to bring them close and entice them to feed.

Grunter have come on again at many of the local spots in the bay and just north. These guys will feed any time the tide flow slows a bit but we always seem to do much better at night than during the day.

The Pinnacles, The Rama, Findlays Cave, Quartz, Cape Capricorn and Cape Manifold are all favourite grunter spots and the best times are around the moon whether it be a few days

be. We have found that they are around a lot more and have caught fish every time the weather has been good enough for an evening run. When the fish are a bit finicky a smaller sinker on the hook, floated back down to the fish can make all the difference. Squid, pilchards and prawns are the favourite bait for the larger offshore grunter. My favourite is definitely big, shelled green prawns. I put two or three pieces on the hook so that the fish can’t get the whole bait in one chomp. Vibes are another option, and so far 40-50mm gold metal vibes have been my choice.

Black jew numbers are growing in the local hotspots and they should only get better as the temperatures drop even further. Large jew in the 10-15kg class are the standard in this region. When we catch them in the shallow waters of Keppel Bay they are as good a fighting fish as you can find. They usually have a couple of runs before

off to target something else.

Big fresh bait is the best and a squid/pilchard cocktail does the job. Flesh strips, especially from doggie mackerel are another top bait.

Most of the common reefies are on the chew over winter and reports have been excellent from the closer grounds and the wides out past the shoals. The weather is the most important factor this time of year, so any time the weather is good it’s worth a wide trip. Snapper in the small sizes have already made a show around the islands and when we get a few cold days the bigger fish will move into the rubble patches in the bay. I have a few spots that hold snapper when they are here, including Findlays, Forty Acre, Square Rocks, Ross Reef and Conical. Fish light, well back from the spot and let out a small slow berley stream for best results.

Bream, whiting, salmon, flathead and grunter are all starting to overtake the

Nathan Milner from Slippery Sailor with a decent night red emperor. either side of the full or new moon. I keep hearing that the runs of grunter aren’t as regular as they used to

coming up to the surface almost spent. For this reason we only take one or two fish for the crew before moving

summer species on the catch list. All the beaches and local estuaries are producing a good feed at present.

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Threadfin storm into town MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

Well it finally had to happen, as I write this the temperatures are dropping into winter after an unusually warm autumn. The cooler nights and still warm days are a welcome relief to the heat and humidity and also bring a change in the readily available species in our area.

DAM FISHING Activity in our dams will slow on the barra front, but fortunately for those anglers who prefer the fresh, sooty grunter maintain their aggression and readily hit lures, flies or baits during the cool weather. Barra are not a dead loss though, and can still be found in any

Eungella Dam will see plenty of anglers chasing sooties through winter and the ever-reliable spinnerbaits continue to draw fish all over the dam. Small vibes and bibless lures also seem to be to the sooties’ liking and for the traditionalists, they will still hammer small hardbodies.

But the dams are not all that is available to the angler on the freshwater scene. The Pioneer River and associated creeks like Cattle Creek are all accessible at various points and while sooties are the main target, MAFSA Inc stocks limited numbers of barra into the three weirs each year. Plenty of sooty anglers have been surprised by barra up to about 750mm in the river and around the rocks and snaggy areas they are quite a handful. Visitors to our area should drop into

here. Top spots for whiting include shallow systems like Reliance Creek and the Pioneer River in the town reaches and major estuary areas like Sarina Inlet.

All our beaches fish well for whiting around the top of the tide.

Flathead are a good target to chase during the winter and just like whiting, they can always be found around yabby beds. On the top of the tide they move right up on the flats and then as the tide falls they drop back into the deeper channels and holes.

This is my favourite time to chase the old flathead, and a feed of fresh fillets is always welcome.

Yabbies, prawns, cut baits and small livies are great options for bait, and for the lure angler, soft plastics, prawn style lures and smaller hardbodies will all catch fish.

Cooler weather and a shower did not faze Steve Bogert and his reward was a nice thready taken drifting a live bait along a mud bank. warmer water. Finding them is only half the battle though; getting a response is the hard part.

Calm sunny days are the best bet and the barra will often lay up in very shallow water barely deep enough to cover them. They are super spooky in this situation, and long casts and relatively light gear are the go. Shallow running hardbodies, frogs and unweighted paddle or curly tails should induce a strike.

This is not the time for noisy poppers, but rather a very subtle approach is needed.

Look for these ‘sunning’ barra where there are weeds or lilies and then some clear water between the weeds and the banks.

The World Sooty Championship at Eungella Dam has been run and won for another year and the quality of the fish was outstanding with an average around 410mm and over 128 fish in 3 sessions.

56

JUNE 2016

the local tackle shops and get advice on access and what is biting where. Parting with some cash for gear always results in better quality info.

ESUARIES Moving further down into the mangrove systems and estuaries opens up plenty of action. The bread and butter species like whiting, flathead and both species of bream are abundant through the winter months and the pikey bream will be super aggressive as they will be lining up to breed. Bream favour snaggy channels, but can also be found out in the open, particularly if there is a gravel or rubble bottom.

The whiting can be found on the sand flats where there are yabby beds and also along the beaches.

Yabbies are the number one bait here, although worms come a close second. Visitors should use the same gear and techniques here as they do further south, and we have some genuine elbow slappers

The soft vibe baits will also hook plenty of flathead.

As the weather cools further, species like barra and jacks become scarcer.

Golden snapper (fingermark) stay on the chew and there is always a small trevally or two poking around in the creeks and estuaries.

One species that is putting in an early appearance in the creeks is the blue salmon. Blues are a great fish to chase, catch and eat if they are looked after correctly after being caught.

That means immediate bleeding and icing down, preferably after being gilled and gutted. Blues tend to school in numbers, which unfortunately makes them vulnerable to gill netting, but we have our NFZ in place here and anglers are reporting improved catches already.

Blues are prolific during the winter months and can be found way up the creek systems, but I prefer to chase them close to the mouth of the creeks on the run-out tides. They can be found over mud, sand and gravel and can be caught on a variety of baits, with yabbies again being a favourite.

For the lure angler, blues will respond to metal lures readily, but soft plastics, soft vibes and small hardbodies can all be effective. They have small sandpaper like teeth and it pays to check your leader after each fish.

Try to avoid using wire, as it affects the action of lures and can put fish off.

Fortunately, we also have a good run of king threadfin during the winter, often in company with the blue salmon. The kings will travel way up into almost fresh water and one of the

Not all of Mackay’s freshwater barra are in our dams. MAFSA annually stocks the Pioneer River and Mitch Turton scored this 70cm beauty among the shallow rocks. most popular lures here is now the soft vibes. I chase kings along sloping mudbanks running down into deeper water and use a very quiet approach and long casts to prevent alerting them. As they are often in really shallow water, they are super cautious and spooky.

OFFSHORE Moving out the front this month sees the start of the snapper season with show day traditionally seeing the first concentrated efforts. My spies have been telling me about a few early arrivals during May. Look for them at the well-known spots like Flat and Round Top Islands, Danger and Reichlemans Reefs, and down around Hay Point. Further south out towards Elamang and Knight

Brad Colby nailed this early season longtail off the harbour casting to a bait school. Anglers can expect more tuna on the calmer days of winter.

islands there is also plenty of snapper country. Fresh squid, king prawns, and strip baits will all catch a snapper or two. The soft vibes will also account for some fish, but the deeper water and hard running currents can cause problems.

The calm clear winter days also sees the first of the small mackerel schools and their mates the tunas arrive. They chase the bait schools right in almost to the beach and the harbour walls. There have already been reports of good size northern blues busting up bait balls just off the harbour, while underneath you can usually find small mac tuna.

The weather is the deciding factor with these fish as the bait schools move in close with the light winds and the predators follow.

Winter time is also Spanish mackerel time in our waters with the bigger mackerel moving right in close at times.

For the bigger boats, spots like Prudhoe, Scawfell and Penrith islands produce, as do smaller pockets like the Overfalls and Thee Rocks. There will be plenty of gar being slow trolled along with ribbonfish, spreads of minnows and high speed bibless lures will also account for plenty of Spanish.

On top of all that, we have plenty of trevally species to play with, not to mention delicious reef fish like coral trout, red-throat, nannies and red emperor, all of which can be caught from close inshore and to the outer reef. These species are generally caught by anglers fishing from sizeable trailer boats of 5m and bigger.

Remember no matter what the weather Mackay has options aplenty, so come and join us in Paradise. See you at the ramp.

Islands and reefs on fire STANAGE BAY

Von Ireland

Finally, Mother Nature decided it was time to share the reef fish at Stanage Bay.

I have seen some great catches of red emperor, nannygai, bluebone, grassy sweetlip, red-throat, ocean grunter and Spanish mackerel. Most eskies have been boarding their limits.

Lucy Ravel Point has

The islands and reefs off Stanage have been on fire lately.

fished well for bluebone, while Duke Islands has been producing a mixed bag. Over at Jeffries, the Spanish have been running rampant; Sail and South Sail have been great places to tangle with a few trout, and Hexham Island and surrounds, known as the Hexham Group, has fished well for red emperor, red-throat, grassy sweetlip, cod, nannygai and Spanish mackerel.

Shield Island can be especially good for nannygai at this time of year, and the group of islands around The Percys at certain times fish well for big red emperor and Spanish mackerel. The Cannibal Group has also been active.

No one really knows why the reefs have been fishing so well lately, it could be the green zones, the weather (which is against us 80% of the time), or the tides, but something sure is working on the reef and islands out from Stanage.

The monster muddies have finally came to life, however not in quantity, this year it seems to be all about quality.

Sail and South Sail have been great places to go for a trout fix.

The clouds keep teasing us with the lightning and thunder in the distance… maybe it isn’t Stanage Bay’s turn for a good freshwater run-off supply.

The estuary has also been busy. There have been reports of some nice grunter, golden snapper, barra, steelback salmon, bream and cod. Berley is really needed to get the fish in near to your baits, so clean out all the old bait freezers and use the scraps for berley. Chop it up real small, put it into a

berley basket and drop it down with a drop or two of fish oil.

Most quality fish lately have been caught on quality dead bait.

The locals at Stanage Bay and regular fishers of the area particularly dislike the taking of undersize species that usually get used for either bait or cooked on board.

One may not be a worry, but approximately 50,000 anglers visit Stanage each year. If everyone followed this practise, we wouldn’t

have many fish left in the area.

Last but not least is the road. Not much has changed since last month, only it has got a bit worse.

The Livingstone Shire Council have started stock piling road fill, across from the Shoalwater gates, and no doubt roadworks will be happening again this year.

• Remember the latest fishing reports are on www. fishingmonthly.com.au and for queries on Stanage Bay fishing, call me on (07) 4937 3145.

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News

King threadfin update SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Over the coming months, there is going to be a lot of discussion around the Moreton Bay Net Free Zone.

With an election looming in the not too distant future and with the Labor Party looking to carry through their previous election commitments to a Net Free Zone, there will be a lot of discussion online and in pubs.

The challenge in looking at a Net Free Zone right now is there are a number of proposals that exist and each will have quite different impact on recreational and commercial fishers alike.

I believe it’s important to get a ‘state of play’ out into the public arena.

As the Moreton Bay NFZ is a big topic, I want to address this in two parts. This month I will address the most controversial issue, Brisbane River king threadfin. Next month, I will look at a range of species including bream, tailor, whiting and flathead and where these species stand as of the most recent data available.

I will attempt in both cases to present as much data as is available. This article has been passed to all sides of the debate for feedback and that feedback has been incorporated into the final article.

A SUMMARY OF THE STATE OF PLAY Over the past five years, the Brisbane River including the Port of Brisbane has been

one of the best fisheries in the state, particularly for recreational fishers skilled in targeting larger predators such as mulloway and king threadfin.

Commercial fishers have also enjoyed a highly productive period.

There is an important symbol in the Brisbane River king threadfin fishery.

In an area of heavy industry, population and heavy fishing, any kind of premium fishery in the region has been long been relegated to the talk of old timers who pine for the days of bags of a hundred bream.

The status of the king threadfin fishery as a premium fishery can no longer be sustained.

The greatest impact is being felt among recreational fishers who specialise in king threadfin, rather than general fishers, but it will also be felt by commercial fishers.

Over the past year, a voluntary code of practice for recreational fishers has been established among fishers limiting harvest to one fish over 1m long and should be supported.

There has not been a significant recruitment (new fish) detected since 2011 but there has been a lower level of recruitment in most years.

Catch rates for fishers that specialise in king threadfin have dropped and continue to drop at the Port of Brisbane.

A lot of these anglers have shifted their effort to other regions, particularly Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast.

General fishers are still reporting successful catches, more so in the Brisbane

River itself than at the Port of Brisbane.

The release rate of around 47% of legal fish by non-taggers indicates that social media may be having an impact on general fishers decisions.

The commercial catch will be down on 201415, though this cannot be confirmed as no data is available. We have previously stated that the commercial catch of around 60T over four years would not be able to be maintained for the following four years, and we stand by this.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ISSUE? In short, this issue is about the quality of the fishery and what each group expects from it.

Recreational fishers believe that commercial fishers are impacting the quality of the king threadfin fishery at the Port of Brisbane in particular. By quality, they mean a significant reduction

58

is moving fishing effort, including to the Net Free Zone areas.

Commercial fishers believe that they are acting within their existing fishing rights to take a share of what has been a once in a lifetime opportunity.

To be clear, despite

collecting data stems back to the removal of funding for the tagging program by the Newman Government back in 2011 with only a partial restoring of funding devastated the tagging program in Brisbane meaning we missed 20112013 in the River. Anecdotal

am aware of that commercial operators have acted outside the law in their activities.

There has been some evidence of dumping of materials in the Brisbane River, which affects beam trawlers not the commercial netters targeting threadfin, and is against the law. I

ANGLERS’ TRAVELLING HABITS Period % Trips Local (Brisbane River) % Trips Sunshine Coast/Wide Bay 1/12/14-30/4/15 76.8% 4.9% 1/12/15-30/4/16 58.2% 31%

% Trips NFZ 1.9% 2.9%

CATCH VIA FISHBRAIN AND SUNTAGGERS FOR 2015-16 Fishers Source Total Fishers Total Fish Brisbane River FishBrain 41 51 30 Suntaggers 21 267 199 in the fish stocks leading to falling catch rates.

Recreational fishing businesses believe they are being impacted. The perception that the fishery is degraded they believe

Statewide king threadfin catch rates from the last 25 years.

JUNE 2016

The commercial fishing grounds for Brisbane’s king threadfin.

social media rhetoric, there is no evidence of a threat to the stocks in terms of this fish species being wiped out.

THE HURDLES IN GETTING DATA The first issue in

Port of Brisbane % Legal % Released 21 92.3 47.1 68 90.3 98.1

and photographic evidence we have collected from key fishers indicates this was a critical time to measure recruitment. The tagging program has since gotten back on track largely thanks to recreational fishing businesses, younger fishers and Infofish Australia funding tags.

The second issue has been delays in getting access to commercial catch data and a general reluctance officially to support the community monitoring.

The third issue has been a reluctance on the part of commercial fishers to report tags.

AN ISSUE PLAYED OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Brisbane River threadfin is a sign of things to come.

Rather than an argument between peak bodies, it’s been a grassroots issue argued out by individual fishers on both sides via social media.

If you aren’t a Brisbane local and even if you are, it would be easy to get the impression that there is commercial netting happening in the Brisbane River. This isn’t the case and commercial nets are not allowed in the River itself.

In fact, there is no evidence I

cannot say strongly enough that if fishers are involved in such practices, it will not help at all.

There isn’t a lot of historical data of any sort on king threadfin, but what is clear is intensive targeting of this species is a relatively new thing for both commercial and recreational fishers.

As it happens, QFM staff have played a critical role in helping out with the understanding of the river, getting up in the middle of the night to tag fish. One of things they have helped us to understand is the fish in the town are not the same fish as at the Port of Brisbane.

While there has been a fishery for king threadfin in the Brisbane River for many years, large fish bigger than 1m long have not been present in the numbers being reported by commercial or recreational fishers in the last 25 years.

In terms of recreational fishing, king threadfin is predominantly a younger person’s target species. They take some effort to work out, they are often targeted at night and often land-based rather than by boat. As such, younger fishers are more likely to invest the time and energy to work them out.

News EXPLOSION IN THREADFIN NUMBERS One thing I have had general agreement on from recreational fishers, commercial fishers and even fisheries is that there has been an abnormal increase in the number of king threadfin in the Brisbane system. The reason for this is where I have had a huge number of theories. I am a great believer in Occums Razor – the simplest explanation is the best.

When you look statewide at king threadfin, there was an almost immediate increase across the state in the years post the mid 2000s drought. When conditions improved the fish came out of hiding, spawned and with good conditions continuing for several years the early 2010’s saw some of the best king threadfin conditions since the beginning of the decade.

King Threadfin have a boom/bust cycle, peaking at the end of the decade and crashing in the middle.

We know that there is a longer-term decade long weather cycle. The fact that threadfin, like mulloway and barramundi have adapted to this is not a surprise.

The current increase in threadfin in Brisbane cannot be explained by natural cycle alone. You don’t go from 0T to a 60T fishery over four years just on a natural cycle even if there has been a flood.

There is evidence, for example, that tiger prawns and other species in Moreton Bay have been positively impacted by climate change and Brisbane is at the edge of king threadfin territory. It’s at the edges of the territory of fish species that we have seen the most impact, and as such, it’s possible that climate change has helped kick things along.

Having also reviewed various scan data at the port, it’s quite possible that the dredging work at the port has created a positive environment for king threadfin spawning.

While we can’t say absolutely what all the factors are, the Brisbane River has become a much better environment for king threadfin.

This being the case, the boom that has happened at the beginning of this decade will in all likelihood come again.

So why is the Port of Brisbane the area of conflict and not the Brisbane River itself? There are different populations in different parts of the Brisbane River. At the Port of Brisbane there are larger most likely female fish in the 1-1.2m range. In the town reaches the fish are mostly between 50-90cm, which are younger fish and most likely male.

There is also a range of fish at the top of the Brisbane River, and some of the biggest reported fish have come from the Ipswich area with fish in excess of 1.2m and 20kg.

Commercial fishers are targeting fish of a similar size class to the port of Brisbane.

The Port of Brisbane is part of Commercial Grid W37, where the commercial catch has been recorded.

Both groups of fishers are targeting the same overall stock of fish.

There is no significant evidence of the smaller river fish heading out to bay, where as there have been recaptures showing that the larger Port of Brisbane fish do use the Bay, including the Nudgee area.

Why would these fish be all of a sudden available to commercial fishers? One theory is that the flood in 2011 flushed the fish out of the River. That is not consistent with what we have experienced in other river systems with larger fish found right throughout the system, rather than the quite distinct separation we see in the Brisbane River.

While it’s speculation, I think that Brisbane River capacity has something to do it. In good times, the River can support a population, but the population has now overtaken the capacity of the river. The bigger fish that need more food have moved out to better hunting grounds while the smaller fish still use the Brisbane River in particular because of the easy hunting I areas where there is lots of bait.

This is consistent with the behavior of mulloway, that spend their juvenile cycle in the estuary, then their adult life in the bay and even wider as they get older.

There have been very large recruitments of bay prawn since 2010. This has benefited the commercial and recreational fishers through the associated large expansion of local bait production, and also likely contributed to the growth in the numbers of large threadfin in the area where this abundance of natural food exists. With the reduction of rainfall for the last couple years, bay prawn recruitment has declined along with the production of bait.

WHAT DOES THE RECREATIONAL FISHING LOOK LIKE? When I have previously written on this species, the one gap I have had is in demonstrating that this is a species targeted by younger fishers (<35 years).

Demonstrating this is difficult due to the cost of doing boat ramp surveys and the fact that much of the fishing is land-based, so we would by definition miss a

large number of fishers. The Suntaggers have not been seen as representative.

In searching for an alternate data source I found one in an unlikely place – an app called FishBrain.

As it happens, fishers have been voluntarily recording their threadfin catches via FishBrain. While the data isn’t the best (every length is to the nearest 100mm) it demonstrates that there is a group of fishers out there that do see this species as important. More than 95% of fishers are younger than 35, which given they are using an App, isn’t a great surprise.

Overall, the data shows these fish are often released, the online publicity may well be having an effect there. I have previously stated I think this is a catch and release fishery based on anecdotal evidence. While the data we have shows 89.9% of fish are

Without data, this cannot be verified one way or another.

We do have a 25-year record that shows that there have only been small periods where threadfin have been part of the commercial catch prior to 2011.

In fairness to the commercial fishers, there is no evidence they have done anything differently to other parts of the state.

There has been no ‘antirecreational’ intent in their fishing, they have simply followed the conventions of the industry and fished while the fish are there to catch. They are supplying a market. I have highlighted previously that the biggest supplier of threadfin, that being the Rockhampton Net Free Zone, is now offline.

Infofish Australia has been monitoring the Brisbane River threadfin fishery now for two years. Longer term

specifically target Brisbane River threadfin to see if there was a change in away trips versus the past year.

Comparing year on year it looks as though there hasn’t been a substantial change but that is deceptive.

I next looked at the number of away trips comparing the past 5 months, that is since the announcement of the Net Free Zones up north to see if anything had changed.

There has been a significant effort shift but not to the NFZ areas, in fact the effort has shifted to the Sunshine Coast/Wide Bay. Having discussed reasons with the fishers involved, this decision was based on poor results at the Port of Brisbane in particular, rather than perceived better fishing elsewhere. In each case the fishers have had to invest significant time in

EXPECTATION I did an overall projection for the fishery mid last year.

This prediction was based on the rate of identified recruitment (fish coming in) and the commercial catch as a surrogate for harvest (fish going out). This was done at a trend level, rather than specific rates of change. In the next year we will be placed to make more specific predictions about rates of change.

I predicted that catch rates would be down at the Port but up in the River, and these have both been correct.

I did project a fall in the commercial catch as well.

The prediction was that the commercial catch would be down on 2014-15. This prediction was based on the rate of identified recruitment (fish coming in) and the commercial catch (fish going out) as well as using other

Commercial catch rates from the Brisbane River in the last 25 years. released, I do think that the FishBrain data supports the harvest being higher overall.

The total recreational catch is still small compared to the commercial catch. The fact that commercial fishers are having the success that they have indicates that the recreational experience is not just about the number of fish in the system. The reality is that the recreational fishers are only reporting success in a very narrow territory. In contrast, commercial fishers are able to find the fish outside of the recreational territory.

WHAT DOES THE COMMERCIAL FISHING LOOK LIKE? Fisheries Queensland have stopped publishing the commercial data since June 2015. There have been reports of threadfin catches since then, though commercial fishers state that they aren’t finding them.

data is required to fully understand what is going on in the fishery but we can report on fishing outcomes.

There has been a clear decline in the catch rate at the Port of Brisbane from 4.9 down to 2.7 fish per fishers per day.

During the same period there has been an increase in the catch rate in the Brisbane River, up to 3.4 fish per fishers per day from 2.0.

These results serve to highlight the fact that the Brisbane River dynamics are different to the Port of Brisbane.

CHANGE IN THE HABITS OF REC FISHERS? In order to address the concerns of fishing businesses I had to look for data that identifies if there has been a change in the fishing habits. In order to determine this, I looked at the regular fishers who

finding new fishing territory.

Most intend to visit the NFZ areas this year but until they have worked out the fishery to the point where they enjoy success distance is an inhibiter.

The Port of Brisbane has been a three species fishery in recent years, combining threadfin, mulloway and snapper.

The last part of the changing effort puzzle comes in the species mix of this group of fishers when compared. This group of fishers has continued to target king threadfin away from the Brisbane River, with gold-spotted rockcod and barramundi replacing mulloway and snapper. This suggests king threadfin play an important role in their fishing habits. The only species of the three still targeted in larger numbers at the Port of Brisbane is snapper.

rivers as a model.

There is no data to verify this one way or another at this stage.

PREDICTION We are still waiting on data to finalise the coming year prediction in the Brisbane River. We will be in a position to better assess in July.

The absence of commercial catch data for this year makes it very difficult to predict the coming year at the Port of Brisbane. If the catch for Commercials has been 0, then I would expect a slight increase as some younger fish move into the Port, if not then a decrease.

If we had commercial catch data, it would be possible to provide a more accurate level of the expected change at the Port. We will attempt to provide a level of expected change in the Brisbane River.

JUNE 2016

59

Making the most of mackerel mania this month WHITSUNDAYS

Luke Griffiths

Over the past month we have had another bad case of wind, and I’m

we’ve had may have helped to keep these feisty fighters on the bite.

The warm water and the odd downpour have kept the local mud crab population healthy, with

a few days. On the days we managed to run wide to the reefs we were greeted with solid numbers of coral trout and red-throat emperor waiting to engulf our baits. Early mornings

Don McDermid nailed this Spanish on a floating bait, which is a good way to target this toothy species.

A swag of Spanish mackerel caught with Renegade.

Numbers should be on the increase this month. not talking about postfeed at the new Mexican restaurant in town. We have seen persistent strong winds again with only a few short opportunities to get out into the blue, so most anglers have stayed at home or in the calmer waters of the local estuaries and rivers.

There have been good reports all round of fishing in the local estuaries, with most anglers rewarded for their efforts. Nice mangrove jack have been lurking about in the snags, taking most opportunities that are presented to them.

Fishing tight into these snags and other structures will produce a hook-up or two, with many anglers opting for artificials to entice that savage strike from a jack.

Soft plastics between 3-5” have been doing the damage, but remember to fish as light a jighead as you can, as this will better your results.

Anglers fishing the estuaries have also caught king salmon, grunter and barramundi. Traditionally the barra taper off in the cooler months, but the persistent warm water

Renegade customer Chris Anstis excited for his dinner of coral trout which have been in abundance over the past month. good numbers of them still scurrying about. Throw a pot in this month and you should find a few crabs traversing the bottom.

We did see a couple of runs of good weather, with glassed-out conditions on

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JUNE 2016

hopefully increase and eclipse the woeful season we experienced last year.

and late afternoons have been the pick of the times.

We should see this trend continue this month, so if weather permits, a trip to the reef is the go.

Over the past month we have also seen an increase in Spanish mackerel numbers, which is usual for this time of year. Some serious numbers have turned up out at the reef with some fish slowly making their way into the islands.

Some large models have been caught to 25kg+ but the average size has been around 9kg, which is perfect if you intend to keep a few for a succulent seafood meal. Keep an eye out this month, as we should see the numbers

GETTING TO KNOW THE FISHERY In other news, one thing we at Renegade have embarked on this year is contributing to a research project on our local fishery. This Fisheries research project involves gathering information from both commercial and recreational fishers on select target species.

While most states seem to have sufficient knowledge of their fishery, and the biomass of most species, in Queensland we seem to have significant gaps in our knowledge.

There is limited understanding of fish numbers versus fish taken, fish growth and so forth.

To gain a better idea of the sustainability and health of our backyard, we need to provide information to help Fisheries better manage stocks. It isn’t hard to do.

For just a few moments of our time while we’re out on the water, we can provide vital information

to Fisheries.

Why? Because we don’t want policy makers to base their policies on guesswork. For example, we don’t want them to assume the worst about a species when it’s actually doing quite well, or to allow open slather on a different species which may be in decline.

If you’re interested in helping out, contacting Queensland Fisheries is the first step. Most information can be found on their website at www.daf.qld. gov.au/fisheries, and it really is an interesting read.

You may be surprised who else in your fishing community is already participating.

That’s it from me, good luck out on the water this month and hopefully you’ll bag a few while enjoying our backyard.

• If you’re interested in a game, sport or reef fishing charters around the Whitsundays, give Luke a call on 0429 724 822 or email info@ renegadecharters.com.au.

Scott Napier with a solid mackerel taken on a recent trip to the reef.

Burdekin fishing in winter mode AYR

Steve Farmer

Fishing conditions haven’t been ideal across the Burdekin district over the past month. Strong winds have limited offshore anglers and a small fresh in the river has meant that estuary conditions haven’t been as good as they often are at this time of the year.

The good news is that we’re moving into the winter months and there are definitely good times ahead.

While the fishing has been a bit quiet, the prawns and crabs have turned on some above average catches for those inclined to throw a net or drop a few pots.

Estuaries close to town (such as Phillips Camp and Ocean and Plantation creeks) have been producing plenty of tasty feeds of these crustaceans.

In fact, I’m tipping that the fishing may have been a little slow because of the abundance of prawns in the creeks. We lured Phillips Camp a few weeks back and dropping lures close to the snags seemed to produce an eruption of small prawns.

All we could raise on the

hardbodies were some halfhearted bumps – not a single jack – and I reckon it was because they all had a belly full of prawns. A lone barra around 62cm was all our afternoon session produced.

We also tried a few of our usually-reliable flathead spots, but hardly saw a decent lizard, let alone raised a strike.

Fortunately, we weren’t the only lure tossers to dip out. Apparently another crew lured Plantation Creek over one of the three day weekends and scored one lonely jack for all their effort. It’s always good to know you’re not the only one who can’t catch fish.

On a more positive note, anglers fishing along Cape Upstart have been scoring some good fish. The channels and creeks leading into Upstart Bay have been fishing well for barra, jacks and golden snapper (fingermark) as well as the less-desirable species such as trevally and blue salmon.

The rocky foreshores further out along the cape have also yielded jacks (especially when fished at night) and coral trout.

JUNE FORECAST We’re moving well into winter mode now and most anglers will be keenly anticipating the clear skies and calm seas that we expect

The Abbott Point jetty is a popular haunt for Spaniards.

at least occasionally at this time of the year.

Over the next few months estuary anglers will shift their focus from summer species like barramundi and mangrove jack, to winter bread and butter species such as whiting, flathead and bream.

In some creeks queenfish, trevally and salmon numbers will increase, and will provide a bit of sporting action for anglers who target these speedsters.

Bait-wise it’s no secret that whiting love yabbies.

Fish them on a long-shank hook with a minimum of lead and try adding a short piece of red plastic tube or bead above the hook to further help to get their attention.

Flathead are happy to take most baits, but a small live poddy mullet fished close to the bottom has got to be my number one choice.

Whole dead mullet and slabs are also effective, especially if they are cast and slowly retrieved across the sand flats. Lures are a great way to chase lizards and small metal slugs, minnows and soft plastics worked through drop-offs and gutters will all acheive results.

Plentiful supplies of baitfish and prawns and falling temperatures have limited mangrove jack catches over the past month.

Talk among bluewater fishers over the next three or four months is bound to be about Spanish mackerel.

Schools of Spaniards should be in local waters this month.

Burdekin anglers who want to hook into a few of these tasty torpedoes will need some decent weather and a bag of fresh pillies.

Fish the pilchards on a rig of ganged hooks and a wire trace suspended a couple of metres under a float. Mackerel may feed at different depths so it can be worthwhile to vary the depth at which the pillies are fished, or just let the bait drift in the current

without a float.

The scattered shoals off Alva Beach are the most popular and productive spots for Spaniards in Burdekin waters. However, Cape Upstart, Camp Island and Abbott Point jetty can all fire at this time of the year.

Squid are a different target for Burdekin anglers.

Squid numbers increase in the winter months and the sheltered bays on the inside of Cape Upstart are probably the easiest spots to fish for them. A couple of prawn-style squid lures and a light spinning outfit is all you’ll need to catch a supply of fresh bait or tasty calamari.

JUNE 2016

61

Jacks are playing nice TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

The inshore fishing has been good lately, and the jacks have played nicely for many anglers. I had one of the best sessions I’ve had in years on the jacks, and with over 20 of these cranky fish landed, plus a half dozen bust-offs, it was non stop from the first cast.

The original plan was to get a short session on the flats before the tide got too low, but because I was a little

up five or six times which had me laughing my guts out.

Losing lures to snags gets up my nose, but to get smoked by a big fish is worth every cent of a lures cost.

One in particular could have been an XOS golden snapper for the river. I had it probably 18-20m out from the snag as it ran confused out into the open water before getting its bearings.

It ran the whole way under extreme thumb and got me back to the snag I originally hooked it on, and shredded the leader. Any fish that

and again fell into a rhythm of hooking up regularly.

There have been a lot of winter species kicking into gear, with flathead and whiting really starting to put in a show now. The sizes have been considerable. The flatties never backed off through the year, and we’ve caught at least one or two on most trips, but the size is increasing.

Some excellent grunter fishing has been had around the top of the tide off some of the beaches at sun up, and there are plenty of barra mixed in with them. I wouldn’t be

Along with the Atomic Prong, these Halco Madeyes are one of my favourite lures for jacks and many other species. The colour range is quite expansive when you start to make the skirt tail combinations.

Grassy sweetlip are one of my favourite eating fish from the inshore reefs. They go like the clappers too and are a great sportfish. late I missed the barra with only one small specimen landed and one jumped off.

I started using the same lures I was casting on the flats (mainly because I was too lazy to tie on an old favourite) until I found out was happening. It didn’t take long. Trying to work out a pattern of consistency, I went from a paddle-tailed plastic to a Laser Pro 120 Gold with red head, which resulted in instant success. The first fish landed was the day’s biggest at 53cm. The average was 43-44cm, and I got smashed

has enough power to make you shake your head is a memorable one.

I still can’t figure out what the hell brought the big jacks in, or what made them bite like mad. The river was just as full of bait as it had been for weeks, and there was no significant lunar or tidal variation that stood out, so I guess it was just one of those red letter days that you dream of. As the tide dropped and slowed, I went to an Atomic Prong rigged weedless as the fish had dropped a little deeper in the water column,

surprised if the smaller grunter are on the barra menu, but the bigger grunter are up around the 55-60cm. Some anglers prefer the cocktail approach for the big grunter, and our local grunter expert Joe Miller is a whiz on these things using exactly that bait, catching them regularly from boat or bank.

Peeled prawns have been the go for the bigger whiting, and if you know where some of the yabby grounds are, you’ll have the number one bait. A trick down south for the whiting is to use the common old garden worm when baits

The jack fishing has been first class of late, and while this one is a nice specimen at 47cm, there have been plenty of little lure thieves around as well.

62

JUNE 2016

are hard to find, but the good old beach worm reigns supreme on just about any day, if you can get them. If you can’t, we have the pre-packed ones at the shop. Garden worms don’t last too long in salt water, but hopefully they won’t have to! Small sinkers allow the bait to cover more ground as it washes out or in is a good tactic also.

The water should clear considerably as it cools, and this can offer some good sight casting in the shallows for all sorts of species if there’s no wind around. Crabs have been plentiful in the northern rivers also, and some big, full bucks have been taken in recent weeks.

MACKEREL There have been patches of macks around as well, and it’s looking good for a bumper season, with some notable catches already had by lure trollers. An effective way to make the most of active fish is to have two lures out the back that dive at different depths.

One of the favoured ways of doing this is to have either a 190mm or 160mm Laser Pro Crazy Deep out the furthest, and then just in front of it have a shallow version. Often a fish will miss its first strike on the deeper version, but while the adrenalin is going it can carry on upwards and snatch the next one above its head.

Using wolfies is a specialist technique for the bigger fish, perfect for those anglers who are after a big, powerhouse trophy fish. Some 30kg+ models were taken last year, and I wouldn’t even consider eating one at this size, but the photos would be very cool. I know it’s a controversial thing to say, but if possible release these big fellas. Just be very, very careful when you’re handling them as those teeth, and the thrashing lure or hooks, are perfect weapons to send you to hospital for stitches, or to have something removed from your body that wasn’t supposed to be there.

They really are dangerous to handle. A length of wet sponge helps hold them down while someone else pulls the hooks out, but even then, watch those fangs.

REEF FISHING Reef fishers would be aware by now that the boxes of squid that anglers heavily rely on to chase many reef species are just about non-existent at the moment. The shortage

plastics won that comparison hands down. To say the anglers were surprised would be an understatement, but they are on their way to predominantly bait free fishing by the sounds of it.

That’s not to say I think lures, plastics and jigs are going to out-fish bait every time, but it happens often enough to make it worthwhile to become competent in using

This is a great colour for jacks in the dirty water, and it also works well on barra in the flats on the bigger tides. will probably continue for a few months at least. There are other options though, including cuttlefish and large squid heads, which we stock at Akwa Pro Tackle.

And don’t forget that there are options that don’t require the use of bait at all.

Soft plastics are gaining a real following nowadays. A great example was at the Boyne Tannum Hookup recently, where one of the standout teams that really put some fish in the boat used both bait and plastics – and the

them. Some of the specifically designed lures for this purpose, like the Outcast and Twisty Jigs, are a great way to probe the depths for trout and other reefies, and they can last many fish before they are even slightly damaged. If you’re your still determined to have some bait down there, try one of the little bottle squid put on the hook as a sweetener. Generally speaking, if you can find fish, you can catch fish. It might just take a little time to find out what they’re after.

Time to think about the fast fish LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

It still amazes me how the water changes so quickly here in the tropics. It only took a week and the water temperature plummeted and you could watch your lure swimming to the bottom in 3m of water.

During winter, the fishing changes dramatically and gets difficult. Most of the fish at Lucinda love warm water that offer a degree of cover for them to hide and hunt their meals. It’s possible to have great sessions on barra and jacks on lures or baits, it’s just that these sessions will be rare, no matter the spots you know or your skill level.

During the cool months,

queenfish and GT hanging about, so lobbing a big popper through the school can provide jaw-dropping moments.

Fishing the sand flat edges on the start of the incoming tide will also be rewarding with epic fun on small pocket size GT. There will be the odd bigger model about, but in general they will be between 1-3kg and ready to rip line of small spinning reels.

Birds diving can be a give away and on dead flat days you will be watch them carve through the bait schools. It is visual fishing and very hard to beat, as it’s possible for everybody in the boat to be hooked-up at the same time.

Good quality spin gear with light braid is optimal for this style of fishing, as the ability to make long casts with small lures is key to getting strikes.

Wahoo will be available out on the reefs with the Spaniards. my thoughts go straight to chasing pelagic fish and I can almost smell the braid ripping off my spool.

HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL I still can’t get used to chasing little mackerel when up the channel. Spots that I would fish for barra during the wet season now have massive schools of bait and are being harassed by small mackerel.

The best time for this action is at first light, and it’s as easy as motoring slowly up the channel looking closely for the water rippling with bait or birds diving.

Slowly creeping up on these schools and throwing small metal slices or poppers should see you hooked up and having a ball. There will also be some monster

The humble flathead is not a glamour tropical species and its name rarely gets a mention, but during winter they are about in good numbers and are aggressive.

Finding good drop-offs and holes in creeks is a good place to start.

Remember that flathead only need a few centimetres of water to cover themselves.

They will lie covered in sand on the bottom waiting to ambush unsuspecting small fish or prawns.

The key to catching flathead is to make sure your lure or plastic keeps regular contact with the bottom.

Flathead use their lateral lines to sense prey in the area, and having your plastic banging the bottom will get their attention.

I haven’t talked much about barra and jacks, but they are still about. They just get

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Queenfish offer hours of arm-stretching fun during winter. very slow and moody when it’s cold and clear. Small offerings worked very slowly and finding areas where the water is a little warmer will help. Fishing shallow mud flats is my normal go-to as the water stays warmer.

Small unweighted plastics fished erratically over the shallow mud should produce at least a swipe, you just have to hope it finds the hook.

JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF Lucinda jetty is famous for big queenfish and during winter it’s not uncommon to see dozens of boats out and most of them will be hooked up and having a ball.

Queenfish are underrated as a sportfish and the fact that they eat nearly anything should make them popular.

The best bite times are the mornings or afternoons and the incoming tide pushing

schools and if you have sidescan fish finders with an electric motor with spot lock, it’s almost unfair.

The best thing about queenfish is their willingness to chase down poppers.

If you’re lucky enough to have the jetty to yourself or very few boats about, then having a popper session in the late afternoon is so much fun. Instead of a stop start blooping motion, use a fast retrieve that has the popper splattering across the surface.

You will see them racing out in packs trying to smack it, and if they don’t seem to be interested, wind faster!

Queenies get more excited the faster something goes and trust me, they will catch it!

The reef is all about chasing Spanish mackerel during winter. It’s a fun way to get a great feed for yourself and friends as Spaniards offer

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Flathead are a forgotten species in NQ, but they are great fun and taste delicious.

loads of top quality fillets.

They can be caught in so many ways, but the simplest and probably most successful is slow trolling garfish. There are many pre-made rigs to rig them.

Trolling lures is also very effective and a couple of deep divers that can maintain their swimming action around 6-8km/h will get eaten.

Once you have found baitfish or mackerel, use plastic or slugs rigged on small wire traces – this is loads of fun and will test out your drag system.

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63

Hinchy barra still on the bite HINCHINBROOK

A U S T R A L I A

Margay 2016

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Ryan Moody info@ryanmoodyfishing.com

During recent weeks the water has been cooling a little faster than usual, but with all the strong southeasters and showers it’s no wonder.

The barra have become a bit harder to get a bite out of which is a nuisance, but hey – you occasionally have to put up with the fishing not in your favour. If our conditions settle for a while we might see one more good bite period from the barra before they enter the uncertain winter months ahead.

Sporadic catches of golden snapper (fingermark) and golden grunter have been keeping a lot of anglers entertained. At the moment the golden snapper are only small, which is common for this time of year in the channel, but the golden grunter have been quality fish from 2-3kg. It’s been good to see the bigger oceanic grunter again as they have been absent in numbers for some time now.

During June and beyond we should see the arrival of big golden trevally as well as diamond trevally. They

it becomes a great time to flick a few flies at them. I haven’t done it for a while but I can tell you it’s a lot of fun

catching a big golden on fly in the shallows.

Another species which is popular with flyfishers is the milkfish. They too are found around the inner islands, particularly off sand spits and any beaches which

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Tim from Singapore with one of three big fish caught while casting shallow divers.

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can be found in the holes off the headlands around the inner islands on the smaller tides, and are quite often seen feeding on the reef flats as the tides then make up to the moons. This is when

Lynton Heffer

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64

JUNE 2016

have structure off them. The shallows around Garden and Gould islands are a flyfisher’s paradise for a variety of species. Lots of school-sized GT and queenfish as well as flathead inhabit the shallow,

time with some great results coming from the Townsville region back in the day. I simply don’t have the time these days to have a social flyfish like I used to, and I should definitely do something about that!

Pretty soon the northern bluefin tuna will have made their way into the main channel. They’re easy to see breaking the surface in among the small white terns diving on the baby herring schools that the tuna like to feast on.

They sometimes surprise you while you’re barra fishing. If a school ever pops up in front of you they will take barra lures and vibes if you can cast one quickly enough into the feeding school. That’s the one trick with tuna – you must get the lure into the feeding school while they are smashing the surface. Always be ready for their strike as sometimes it’s sudden and hard!

With the winter approaching I’m looking forward to getting offshore in our new 40ft Black Watch to chase a few sailfish and little marlin. We’re just hoping

marlin on fly will be on our to-do list this year.

If you are visiting the northern part of Hinchinbrook and want some local advice on what’s been happening, get in touch with Tackle World in Tully or Rama at Master Bait & Tackle in Cardwell.

They can also help you with advice on all the freshwater fishing options the region has, especially for those who love to target jungle perch.

Our exciting new fishing training website fishsmarter. com.au should now be up and running with a free forum and community to connect with me, plus three free online fishing training programs, plus our premium online fishing courses: Threadfin Tactics, Barra Basics and Wonky Holes. Hope to see you there at www.fishsmarter.com.au.

• If you would like to book a charter or join our fishing community for some great fishing competitions etc, head on over to www. ryanmoodyfishing.com. And you could also win a free charter drawn twice a year.

Offshore fishing off the charts PORT DOUGLAS

A U S T R A L I A

we’ll get plenty of bait schools coming through this year, and of course the predators that follow. Catching a sail or

Frank with his biggest ever barra at 102cm.

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clear waters. The flathead would have to be my favourite target on fly. Stalking them is an art and I used to do it all the

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com

There has been a different set of circumstances this year in the tropics with the wet season producing well below par and exceptionally warm weather continuing into the start of the dry season. Day and night temperatures remained consistently high well into May and I’m thinking if this keeps up we’ll be back into summer before we know it without too much change!

So what has this meant on the fishing front? It has been good news in the river and creeks for species like barra, golden snapper and mangrove jack – fish that love the warmer water temperatures. Their life expectancy for this season has been extended considerably due to the warmer than normal conditions. Also in the mix in most of our systems is a healthy supply of mid-sized trevally along with smaller queenfish, so there has been a good mix of fish to target.

Bream and grunter are up and about for the bait fishers, and there are plenty of mud crabs around for those prepared to put in the extra work. Extending along to our beaches we have trevally, queenfish, sand whiting, flathead and a few monster barra still presenting themselves on the fringes of the break through creeks on the foreshore and out along the rocky ridges and sand bars at the front of the river entrances. Moving out a little further, inshore rubble patches and inshore reefs have recorded steady

numbers of mid-sized largemouth nannygai off the bottom with some handy mackerel and cobia working further up the water column.

Offshore, the outer reef pockets of water were still recording 28°C by late May and the southern currents with cooler water are still yet to take full effect. Despite this abnormal situation, the fishing to say the least has been very good and days with a bit of run in the tide produce handsomely across the board. The nannygai To page 65

Reef fish and mackerel are the main game CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

Trinity Inlet has continued to be the surprise package this year, fishing better than it has in a very long time. Barra and golden snapper have been the main attraction, but they will most likely slow down this month with the continuing drop in water temperature.

However, most anglers will be looking offshore this month in search of mackerel and reef species, whenever the weather permits.

The coral trout, red emperor and especially large-mouth nannygai have been playing the game when anglers have managed to find a shark-free patch of country. Sharks continue to be the main spoiler at the reef, often winning the battle by a big margin. It’s as if they know when you are into a quality fish, because they love to obliterate any big red emperor or large-mouth nannygai. Less desirable fish like spangled emperor and trevally seem to make it to the surface unscathed a lot more often! When the sharks become too much

to bear, it’s time to move a significant distance or move up shallower.

The one plus in the next couple of months is that the reds tend to be more frequent in shallower water, often taken on bommies normally considered trout-only drops.

Going up a line class will improve your chances in the race to the top, though it can also reduce your bites at the same time. The minimum is 50lb braid, with 80lb needed at times to have a fighting chance of getting a fish to the surface in one piece.

Sharks aside, June can see more anglers than normal make their bag limit on trout and reds when conditions are favourable, so you should make the most of any weather window. The key to fishing the reef this month is to go whenever the winds allow.

Forget about trying to align the best moon and tides with favourable winds, otherwise you will spend the winter months a very frustrated fisho.

Don’t forget to always have a floating or drifting pilchard, gar or mullet out the back in any depth. The Spaniards have been around and will continue to increase in numbers with the cooling water. Even when fishing in

15-20m, have a floater out.

Drifting mackerel baits in this depth usually ends up in a loss of tackle, as a bottom fish rises and is already back into cover before the angler has a chance to react. Suspend your bait about 3m below a float for optimum results.

Any closer to the surface and Spaniards will pass it up more frequently, and any deeper and it will attract too much attention from bottom dwellers.

The serious Spaniard chasers will be in overdrive as the numbers increase on the reef. Trolling gar and lures is a popular option, with the more fanatical anglers catching live baits of fusiliers, hussar and any other likely bait on the way out or at their desired destination. Slow trolling or drifting live baits will certainly improve your odds of tangling with more and larger Spaniards, but sometimes the additional time and effort required to source live baits can be better spent tangling with your target using lures or swimming dead baits. The ideal scenario is to have a live bait location close to where you want to fish, and if you don’t have a Spaniard on board after half an hour of trolling, shoot over

Large queenfish will have the attention of estuary sportfishers, provided the streams are running clear.

From page 64

in certain deeper locations have started to school up in places where you would expect them. The good news is that the extra sized super models are now among the action with fish coming in between 7-10kg.

The nannygai fishing will only get better and better from this point on.

There’s been better numbers of red emperor on the bite and the coral trout never disappoint.

Catches have been steady and healthy in size mainly between the 3-4kg range.

There’s been a mixed bag of other species to share the joy including some big gold spot trevally, cobia,

reef mangrove jack, sweetlip and Moses perch.

At the beginning of May we saw a surge in Spanish mackerel catches on the reef.

They have been sourced in numbers more out in the open waters on top of big pinnacles holding big patches of bait.

Quite often they have been in the same locations as the nannygai, so the action has been thick and fast. As the cooler waters arrive anticipate the Spanish to turn up in serious numbers considering they are already here under not ideal circumstances.

Looking ahead we should start to see the southeasterly trade winds play a major part in the coming months.

When the weather is calm

to moderate this can be a bonus with wind and current running in the same direction to make anchoring on marks a lot easier. Pick an area on the reef you believe will hold fish and work it over. It may be a few marks within a few hundred metres of each other, but persist as it is likely one of them will fire up, particularly in the deeper water for nannygai. Motoring all over the reef in search of a bite will yield fewer fish at this time of year.

I expect the inshore systems to roll on nicely for a bit longer this time around before slowly tapering off with offshore fishing doing the opposite and taking a spike in the right direction.

to your bait grounds and load up with livies.

Small boat owners should focus their efforts on mackerel. The main player will be school mackerel, but the prize will be Spaniards.

possible. I’ve found that 27lb stainless, single-strand wire is more than ample, as long as you replace it any time it gets too twisted or shows any sign of a kink. Having half a dozen pre-rigged traces wound onto

tossers. Trolling is most productive using deep diving lures that are continually banging the bottom.

Large queenfish and giant trevally will have the attention of estuary sportfishers,

Spanish mackerel, like this beauty caught by Dakota Creed, will be the main prize this month.

Trinity Inlet leads, the Franklin Islands, Fitzroy Island, Double Island and inshore wrecks will be the most popular destinations, usually dependant on where the angler lives. It is well worth starting an hour or two before dawn to source some live sardines, gar or mullet before heading to the mackerel grounds, with the aim to anchor at first light.

When the going is tough, having a quality live bait in the water can often mean the difference between success and failure. At other times, anything close to the money will do the job, with pilchards, mullet or sardines fished drifting or under a float often bringing home the bacon. The big swinger when using dead baits is to fish with chain hooks and no wire trace. The occasional bite-off is more than compensated by increased hook-ups.

When fishing live baits it’s a near necessity to use wire trace but keep it as fine as

cardboard or in tubes, ready to use, will save a lot of time and heartache from losing a good fish, especially when you know in the back of your mind that you should have replaced that suspect trace.

ESTUARIES The estuaries will continue to produce the odd barra, mangrove jack and golden snapper (fingermark), but most of the action will switch to winter species.

For those who still want to chase barra, jacks and golden snapper, the good news is that they bite year round. It’s just a matter of adjusting your techniques to improve your chances. Fish even tighter to cover and use live baits or lures that can get right into the structure. Live prawns on a dropper rig is the go-to approach, with sardines and mullet the next best option for the live bait brigade.

Fishing soft vibes, prawn imitations and weedless soft plastics deep into cover is the best approach for lure

provided the streams are running clear. Floating out live sardines and working the drop-offs and sand bars with poppers will be the main approaches. There will also be the odd golden trevally getting in on the act and, after a tremendous battle, they’ll provide a good feed.

Bream will be plentiful along the rock walls and over any rubble country.

Although they are often overlooked by northern anglers they are a great target species when taking the kids fishing. There is plenty of action and they won’t spook the kids by emptying their spool in seconds, which can happen when a monster queenfish, giant or golden trevally latches onto light gear.

Mud crabs will be on the move, so it’s always worth dropping in a few pots on the way out fishing and collecting them on the way home. A couple of muddies certainly improves the dinner menu.

Local ‘Sharky’ Shane Down proved there are still good barra around along the beaches despite the time of year. Warmer water temperatures have played a major part in this.

JUNE 2016

65

The tide is high but the fish are holding on CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

The beginning of winter marks the onset of nasty cold weather around much of the country. But this is not the case in Queensland’s tropical far north. Despite the southerlies that sometimes plague this month, anglers can still expect cool mornings and warmth throughout the day.

Unlike the cooler areas further south, Cape York will maintain consistent barramundi fishing throughout June. This can taper off steeply heading into July and August, but many great sessions have come to fruition mid-morning in June with a steadily receding tide.

Those last few hours of a run-out tide can be particularly rewarding on the west coast of the Cape.

Strange tidal streams create a very long run-in and run-out tide in the Gulf of Carpentaria. This may mean a tide which runs in or out for over 12 hours in the one direction.

The effects these tides have on the fishing are great and certain bite times can be predicted with a fair degree of accuracy. Experience has led me to believe that a hot estuary bite can usually be expected somewhere in the

last third of the run-out tide.

Fish such as barramundi and mangrove jack are ambush predators that rely on a decrease in the amount of water available to target their prey. Drains, snag piles and other forms of structure that hold prey items suddenly get flushed out into open water as the tide drops.

Predators hang on the verges, waiting for an easy feed.

When a hot bite is on, it sometimes feels like

any presentation will get smashed. As anglers we need to capitalise on this scenario, because it might only last a matter of minutes.

Dropping fish, making noise or being too transfixed on a single presentation are a couple of ways to shut down a hot bite.

For whatever reason, the fishing often slows at the bottom of the tide.

Everything seems to go into a temporary hibernation.

A longtail tuna taken in 8m of water.

Fishers can be forgiven for wondering where everything suddenly went. This period can last a few hours until the tide begins to push in and things liven up again for a short burst.

As the tide begins to pick up steam on the run-in, all sorts of grazing, filtering and predatory fish become active. Once again the bite can be a little short lived, however many different species will get onboard over the duration of the run-in.

Queenfish, trevally, tarpon and blue salmon are examples of predatory fish that will fire up during the incoming tide, following schools of tiny baitfish as they make their way upstream into an estuary.

June is a fantastic month for variety, with a proliferation of tiny critters up the many creeks and rivers of the Cape making it a joy of a month to fish.

From the large schools of tuna and small mackerel that infest the shallow bays of the Cape, to the large queenfish and golden trevally heading far upstream for the first time following the wet season, almost all fish species will be on offer during the right conditions.

However, fishing on the reef and far-flung offshore locations can be limited due to strong winds hammering

up the east coast. Finding a break in the trade winds can be potluck, but being prepared for early morning departures will count for a lot.

to locate the predatory fish we all search for during the first month of winter.

• For information on remote charter operations for tailored fishing

A queenfish caught on a piece of queenfish skin.

Find the clouds of bait on the surface and underneath with a sounder

adventures, please email Tim on wildrivercompany @gmail.com

Lakefield National Park open to fish and camp COOKTOWN

Ben Stack

Cape York will be flooded with tourists during June and July as these months are much cooler for visiting and camping. Lots of festivities are held in and around Cooktown during these times. If you are planning on visiting Cooktown, then

make sure you jump on Cook Shire’s website to check the dates for fun celebrations and time your visit to coincide.

Cooktown’s fishing adventures are mostly restricted to the rivers at this time of year due to the strong southeast trade winds. The estuaries will be clear (unless we have late seasonal rain which can happen) and cool.

This means plenty of croc

sightings will happen as they try to warm themselves in the midday sun.

Clear water usually has big trevally and queenfish

or at night. Grunter can spook easily so stealth fishing is the key. Estuary cod will also be biting, try around the snags for

COOKTOWN’S

River of Gold Motel

Endeavour River and Mossman Sports Fishing Clubs had a social fish at Bloomfield.

• Bar • Restaurant • Off-street parking • Plenty of room for boats and trailers

• Fisherman friendly • Freezing facilities

PHONE:

(07) 4069

5222

EMAIL: info@riverofgoldmotel.com.au WEB: www.riverofgoldmotel.com.au 66

JUNE 2016

The author with an LNP barramundi caught and released while walking the riverbanks.

chasing the bait right up into the brackish waters.

Lots of surface action usually occurs here and it can be a bucket load of fun to throw small poppers into the marauding fish and watch them chase down poppers. Grunter is another common species to try for at this time of year. Try the deeper holes on the clear days and up on the sand flats during a making tide on either overcast days

a few and you may even catch a barra using this technique. The barra will be in the estuaries and can still be caught during times of cooler water. Try flicking up on the flats where the water may have warmed a little from the sun or shallower areas with structure.

Currently, the estuaries have been a bit slow. Both Endeavour To page 67

Get down for a jungle boogie FRESHWATER

Angus James Instagram: @jimmygusjames

Is it really June already?

Wow that came up fast!

I hope everyone has had a great first half of the

started to cool down, but I assure you the fishing has continued to be red-hot.

There have been plenty of big red dogs still willing to take a well-presented artificial presentation. Try rolling a plastic around the 4” size past some structure

Sooty grunter are always great fun to target.

A tough native that puts your land-based angling skills to the test, you’ll find sooties in the tropical jungle waters and further inland in the many systems to choose from in the north.

spinner really gets their attention; they will follow this offering out from any snag!

Its fine to use bigger lures to target sooties, as often anglers who target big barra will get a massive sooty as by-catch. If it can fit inside their mouth – it will get smashed!

There have been some massive jungle perch caught lately up around the Tully River going over that magic 50cm mark. This sort of condition is not uncommon in this stunning part of the country.

Take a backpack with water, food, and safety gear (and of course, lures) to

The author with another stunning red. How good is that?

Some beautiful mangrove jack are still just as keen to hit your lure heading into the cooler months. year and ready to spend the rest of the year having a blast of a time with plenty of bent rods and screaming drags! The weather up here in the tropical north has really From page 66

River Sports Fishing Club and Mossman’s Sports Fishing Club met up in the Bloomfield for a social fishing trip. A lot of lines were soaked in the Bloomfield River that weekend using a massive array of fishing techniques, but the results were minimal. However, the Bloomfield camping grounds were well set up to host the event with an excellent camp kitchen, hot showers, flushing toilets and you could even take your dog. The Bloomfield River fishing is reasonably protected from the trade winds also.

Elim Beach will be a popular place for camping because it will be out of the trade winds. The June/ July school holidays will have campers flooding into this area with quads and boats. It’s an easy drive into Eddie’s Campground at Elim, which also provides showers and toilets. If you choose to camp at this location with a boat, then try to plan your trip around the times of a midday high tide. This will result in easy access to and from your camp base by boat throughout the day. If you have a

and see what happens! The strike from these guys is so aggressive – like nothing else. It’s easy to see why so many anglers become addicted to targeting these magical fish.

If you use spinner baits while sooty hunting, remember to attach a soft plastic to the stinger. This will give you the ultimate presentation. The plastic, combined with the shiny

quad, go for a blatt down the beach and check out the beautiful coloured

sands or head east over the dune tracks to another beach, which can fish well

Jungle perch are well worth a day spent walking the creeks for and always perform superbly on the surface. in the gutters if it’s not too windy (4x4 can access these places too). Please be respectful of the other campers in the area while riding your bike.

Lakefield National Park (LNP) is open (Central and South end of the park only). There has been a long waiting period for all those who are keen for a little more adventurous fishing.

to use small tinnies that allows you to cover more of the waterholes with ease.

Whichever method you use, remember to be croc wise because some big crocs call the LNP home. While the trade winds blow, a lot of Cooktowner’s hit the park.

From Cooktown, you can fish some Lakefield destinations and still make it home for dinner. However,

explore this magnificent part of Australia.

Jungle perch will take a number of presentations, but the most exciting way to target them is on surface!

Watching that sterling silver missile launch out from crystal clear water to hit your lure is something truly special. I have even had one jump out and hit my lure before it even hit the water – exciting stuff!

Remember to take as many pictures as possible when out exploring the sweet water country!

Catching fish really is just a bonus. Enjoy yourselves out there folks! destroy what you came to enjoy. Complaints are made more and more often about the state people are leaving their camps in – this will only result in more locked gates and limited access.

• If you’d like any current information while you’re visiting Cooktown’s region or more information about

Scott with a fabulous Cooktown Spaniard.

Javier caught and released a small barra from Elim Beach.

The barramundi will be in all the waterholes throughout the park. Flicking lures for barra while walking the banks is the most common technique. Another is

the real experience is when you’re out camping in the bush under the brightest stars with cold beers and catching fish throughout the day. Remember, don’t

a particular place in the neighbourhood to fish, then simply like my Facebook page, Stacky’s Fishing Adventures or send me a message.

JUNE 2016

67

Bass hold on for winter Despite the start of winter, some of the lakes are still fishing well. There has been a run of bass at several spots, as well as a noticeable increase in barra captures from Monduran. If only the impoundment Murray cod would fire up, we would be all set.

A lot of anglers hang their rods up over winter but there really is no need.

Freshwater fish need to eat to survive so they can still be caught, even when things get really chilly. The warmer weather leading into winter has kept the lake’s core temperatures warmer and so it will

take a while to see any dramatic changes. The first fish to respond to the cooling water will be those found closer to the surface layers that are exposed to the elements more. Fish caught out in this water can suffer from a cold snap and the sudden change can be enough to kill them if they are caught out with nowhere to go.

Deeper areas will hold a more constant temperature and will tend to fish well over the cooler days. Keep this in mind if you are chasing bass, golden perch and even sooty grunter further north.

Cod tend to tolerate the

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Quality bass are still on the chew at Cressbrook. There have been a few fish about earlier in the day around the lake’s edges. These bass are

either side of the point and the shallow edges quickly drop into deeper water as a feeder creek runs through each bay.

Spinnerbait action tapers off early in the morning but the cooler and shorter days may see the bite time extended.

cooler temperatures well and can actually fire up during the colder months.

Last year, Coolmunda Dam fished exceptionally well through winter and into the start of spring for the big green fish. Barramundi can be caught in deeper water over winter but are best targeted after a run of warm weather up in the shallows where they will feed more happily.

There are no secrets to chasing freshwater winter fish, you just need to put in the time to locate them and then find what they want to eat. Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel! fish over the past month with a few up around the 50cm size.

Small bass are also holding in the bay between the boat ramps and the buoy line near the pumping tower. These fish are keen on the same tail-spinner approach. Enjoy the reaction bite action as it may steady up as things cool down even more, making soft

Adam Krautz landed some quality bass fishing Somerset Dam’s Pelican Point.

The standout lure was the Jets 18g tail-spinner in the swamp monster colour. quite fond of 1/2 and 5/8oz small profile spinnerbaits. To start the day, flick around the edges of the lake up near the toilet point in Bull (Beams) Creek. There is a nice bay

Schooling fish can also be found in this area. When the fish are packed tight, it is hard to beat a tail spinner hopped through the school. The 18g Jets have scored some great

plastics a better option.

Trolling hardbodied lures has been one of the most effective methods to produce quality bass consistently. Deep diving lures like the Blitz Baga

Gympie

12

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JUNE 2016

JAN FEB MAR 8 6 6 87 95 91 45 46 44 59 59 57 98 96 96 42 89 93 74 91 89 88 94 94 24 23 22 100 100 100 69 69 67 43 41 37 19 17 16 86 85 83 21 12 9 81 88 100 32 45 43 30 29 28

APR MAY 6 6 90 90 43 42 54 52 94 91 100 95 87 85 92 90 20 19 n/a n/a 65 63 33 32 16 15 82 80 7 7 100 99 41 39 27 26

            

14 17

28

34

18

Toowoomba

BRISBANE

IMPOUNDMENT DAM

and Golden Child work well but my favourite has been the Little Rippa. These are a locally made timber lure stocked at Highfields Bait and Tackle and Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba.

Trolling lures in the two arms up Bull Creek has scored some of the bigger fish.

You can cover plenty of water on the troll and you’ll find fish in many pockets throughout the dam. Some of the bass have been of exceptional quality with plenty in the high 45-50cm size bracket.

For all your fishing supplies and the latest reports on Cressbrook and the surrounding dams, call in to see the specialist tackle stores in Toowoomba. Tackleworld Toowoomba in Ruthven Street on the north side and Fish’n Bits in Alderly Street closer to the south side have a great range of lures and fishing gear.

Support these tackle stores because they will be able to

Kinchant Koombooloomba Leslie Macdonald Maroon Monduran/Fred Haigh Moogerah North Pine/Samsonvale Peter Faust/Proserpine Pindari Somerset Teemburra Tinaroo Toonumbar Wivenhoe Wuruma

Gold Coast

22

24 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

27

21

23

Hinze

 Julius

16

31

Weipa

25

Cairns 1

26

19

33

20

Townsville 2

3

Proserpine 6

4

Mackay

5

32

Rockhampton

Emerald 29 7

Highlighted dams are covered in this issue

94 93 97 95 89 91 44 53 15 13 100 99 96 94 97 95 86 87 68 65 64 63 36 36 78 78 89 88 59 56 100 100 86 84 95 94

8

Bundaberg 9

11

Maryborough

Roma

direct you to where the fish are biting.

Just remember there is a speed limit of 8 knots and a restricted area at Cressbrook Dam. Check out the signage to ensure you stay out of trouble and abide by the rules. The gate hours for the boat ramps and day use area change this month and will be 7am-6pm.

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY Somerset has fished well for bass over the past two months. They are stubborn fish at times but there has been the odd day where they turn on the action a little better. These fish take cast lures if you put in the effort, but some of the better catches have been on trolled deep diving hardbodies. The hardbodies seem to be able to produce the bites when casting lures fails. This is most likely due to the bass clueing in and refusing to bite when a boat sits on top of them.

94 94 94 100 100 106 41 51 72 29 21 23 19 17 16 92 99 98 97 97 97 88 98 98 89 92 87 75 73 71 66 65 65 40 41 37 99 80 79 72 76 87 64 62 61 104 100 100 90 90 89 90 98 97

Gladstone

30

10

QUEENSLAND DAM LEVELS DAMS Atkinson Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen Boondooma Borumba Burdekin Falls Callide Cania Clarendon Clarrie Hall Cooby Coolmunda Copeton Cressbrook Dyer/Bill Gunn Eungella Fairbairn Glenlyon

13

15

BRISBANE

Trolling Blitz Bagas, Little Rippas, Poltergeist 50 Crazy Deeps and other divers capable of reaching 10m deep will see you in with a good chance.

To get your lures down to this depth, fish with lighter braided line of 4-8lb. I usually run 6lb Spiderwire braid or Fireline for my deep water bass fishing and have found that its fine diameter slices the water and punches lures way deeper than they could probe on thicker lines. In a deepwater bass dam like Somerset, this is critical if you want to consistently catch fish trolling and casting. The edges of the Pelican Point flats have held good numbers of bass. Try to follow the drop-off to the old creek bed and you should be in with a pretty good chance.

Lure casters have found the bass in the same area with the occasional report of fish on the flats at Bay 13 and Kirkleigh. Tail-spinners have been the standout lure and are

For fortnightly updates 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 19/05/16

capable of enticing bites when the fish are tough. The 18g Jets has accounted for quite a few of these fish. Soft plastics and Jackall Mask Vibe 60s are also doing the damage.

Between these three offerings you should get some action.

Continue rotating lures and moving the boat to get bites when the fish won’t cooperate.

The longer you sit on a school, the tougher they can get. I like to work a fresh school at about a 45° angle from the bottom to the boat. Fishing lures through this section of water seems to

pick up the more active fish.

The ones directly below the boat are the hardest to fool but those on the perimeter of the school are a little more willing to bite.

Lure casters should get into the action now, as these deep schooling fish can get tough over the winter months.

Some winters, they are near impossible to get a response out of but we won’t really know what is to come for another month or two.

For the latest reports, check out Somerset Fishing Tackle

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSET TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA There was a flurry of golden perch caught only a couple of weeks ago. It’s as if the fish know winter is here and want to get a gut full of food before it really gets cold. Live shrimp and saltwater yabbies have done most of the damage but there have also been quite a few fish caught on hopped lures.

Bites have come from deeper water, so try your luck out in around 10m. Be prepared to move around and try different water depths to see where the fish are. Jigging ZX40 blades has been a deadly approach but other sinking lures can work too. Lipless crankbaits, ice jigs and soft vibes will all produce the occasional bite.

Local angler Ray Bass, scored a cracker of a golden up near the buoy line at the wall end of the lake on a tailspinner last month. A few small Murray cod have also been on the prowl, so make sure you release any that are undersized with care.

Cooby Dam’s proximity to Highfields and Toowoomba makes it a very popular fishery. If you are looking for somewhere close to home to drop the boat or kayak in then Cooby is definitely worth a visit. The dam hours are now 7am-6pm. Remember; outboard motors are banned from use on the dam. 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. Tackle, lures 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.

LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK The fishing has fired up at Leslie Dam over the last month. The lake level is still very low and water releases seem to have slowed, which has kept it at a more stable level. The main basin is the place to hit with the lower levels and boaties and shorebased fishers have been getting into the fish.

Jigging small blades like the ZX40 will be the way to go over the cooler months.

Locate structure or even the drop-offs to the old creek on the sounder is the trick to finding productive water.

Drop the blade to the bottom and vertically jig with small sharp hops and the bites will come. Last month, some of the experienced jiggers nailed dozens of goldens in a session.

Baitfishers have had fun in the deep and shallow areas of the main basin.

Boats seem to head for

online and on Facebook. The store is in Kilcoy but they mail order fishing gear all over the place. For some of the most competitive prices around visit the website www. somersetfishing.com.au.

MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, ARATULA Bass have been the main attraction at Moogerah and fish have been found around the weed edges and out in the deeper open areas. The big point between the boat ramp and the dam wall will be

worth inspecting this month.

The bass here are suckers for slow rolled soft plastics.

Rig plastics, paddle-tail grubs and shads on 1/2oz jigheads to get them down deep and keep them in the zone. Sound around to locate fish before you start casting and you will be in with a good chance.

Schooling fish can also be found on the flats just outside the timber out from The Palms.

Inside the trees, bass schools can be located but these fish seem to be more mobile and move around to different

areas from day to day. Search shallower water around 7-8m deep inside the timber. These deeper fish will fall for the usual presentations of vibes, spinnerbaits, soft plastics and tail-spinners. If they are particularly stubborn, try hopping small blades (1/6 and 1/4oz) around the boat. Fish the blades no more than 20m from the boat and use small, sharp hops to get the bites.

Good numbers of fish have been found closer to the weed edges. These bass bite spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits

deeper water and produce good numbers of goldens on live shrimp and saltwater yabbies. Land-based fishers have nailed a mix of golden perch, silver perch and catfish on baits fished opposite the Washpool Camping Reserve.

Take care when boat launching. Due to the low levels, the edges are boggy.

There is a sandy spit that runs out on the dam wall side of the high and dry concrete ramp that serves as one of the better launching sites.

Other peoples’ wheel ruts will give you an indication

drive from the dam and you can pick up any supplies you might need.

COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD The fishing has been a bit slower at Coolmunda than some of the other lakes.

The golden perch have been tough to tempt with live shrimp one of the best ways to score a few. The old creek beds will be the best spot to head to with the lower dam levels. When the water level is shallower further up the lake, try the drop-offs (if the water is around 3m deep) on

Highway but far enough away from the noise of trucks to get a good night sleep. It offers camping sites, cabins, caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. The park now has extra wheelchair friendly cabins to add to

and soft plastics. The cooler weather should see this shallower bite pick up even better with fish catchable for most of the day in this area.

Try fishing shallower early in the day and follow the fish out to the edges of the weed as the day brightens up. Through the middle of the day the bulk of the fish are likely to be outside of the weed edges where they can be caught with blades, plastics and tail-spinners.

Some stragglers may stay up shallow and these are often bigger fish. their older ones. Camping is also available near the boat ramp with toilets and hot 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.

GREAT FOR A DAY EVEN BETTER W HEN YO U STAY

• Great fishing, bass, yellowbelly, cod, saratoga, garfish…

• Windsurfing, boating, beach volleyball, playground, BBQ’s.

• Level tent sites, showers, toilets, hot and cold water.

Only 50 kms from Toowoomba For more information on camping or fees: Call Toowoomba Regional Council on 131 872 during office hours or visit www.toowoombaRC.qld.gov.au

2 Dams Not all Murray cod are monsters. Ian Ryan was more than happy with this river fish caught near Goondoowindi. of the bottom hardness.

Along with getting a fishing report, stock up on all your gear while at Warwick Outdoor and Sports at 115 Palmerin Street, Warwick. For a small store, it carries a great range at a very competitive price.

Warwick is only a 10-minute

In case you are wondering where to fish in the cooler weather, what about a Murray cod session on the border rivers?

the outside of the creek or inside the actual creek bed.

Murray cod fired up last winter, so hopefully we will see a repeat of this big fish action. The lower water level compared to last year means the cod will be in new areas. With less water to fish they should be more concentrated; it will just take some time to work out where they are holding.

Look around the deeper water of the creeks. The cod may venture from there up onto the flats, especially if there is nearby structure. A side imaging sounder is a great way to locate sunken trees and stumps and the cod shouldn’t be too far away. Troll big hardbodies on a short line to cover plenty of water and locate cod. Casters will need to concentrate on the fishiest areas with spinnerbaits and big swimbaits.

The Coolmunda Caravan Park is only around 1km from the lake. The park is just off the Cunningham

1de stination H

South Burnett

H

· Boondooma Dam · Bjelke-Petersen Dam ·

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BJELKE-PETERSEN

BOONDOOMA DAM

Cindy Schloss with a lovely golden perch.

Caitlyn Bryant caught this great bass at the Country Fishing Classic Tournament.

www.lakeboondooma.com.au www.yallakoolpark.com.au JUNE 2016

69

WIDE BAY AND BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY Boondooma has really turned on some great fishing for casters, trollers and baitfishers. Earlier in the mornings, the timber has been productive for tossing spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits into the edges. Sink the lures to the bottom and slow wind them out from 2-5m of water. The bass and golden perch can be a handful, especially when they take lures close to the trees so up your mainline to at least 10lb and fish a 14lb or heavier leader.

The edge bite in the timber usually dies off mid-morning, so it may be time to work deeper into the trees or head to other areas. The weedy edges of the lake’s main basin will also be worth investigating earlier in the day. Tossing spinnerbaits or suspending divers around the weed beds will score a mix of bass and golden perch.

For better numbers of fish, the schools should produce the goods.

Schooling bass will be found in 5-9m of water out from the edges of the lake.

Look from the start of the

lake’s second basin all the way up to Pelican Point.

These schooling bass are suckers for soft plastics rigged on 1/2 or 3/8oz jigheads. Other lures will also get results, so rotate through the tackle box and test out tail-spinners, blades and soft vibes until you find what they prefer.

Lure trollers are still whacking a few bass and golden perch. This month, try contour trolling the edges of the lake in the second basin. Stick to around 7m of water and pick a lure that almost bounces off the bottom. The steep banks closer to the dam wall are also worth a troll, especially around the rocky points.

This area is home to heaps of golden perch, but don’t be surprised if you nail a bass as well.

Baitfishing with live shrimp in the timber will pick up a mixed bag.

Golden perch are likely to be most common but bass and eel-tailed catfish will also want a taste of juicy shrimp. Tie up to trees and keep moving every 10-minutes if the action doesn’t eventuate.

Boondooma is a great place to camp right near the water and sit by the fire

while enjoying the view.

Pack some warmer clothes, as the nights will start to get rather chilly. You could also stay in more style and comfort by booking into one of the cabins overlooking the dam. The kiosk at the main office does hot food and other basic items including fishing tackle.

For campsites, cabins and bunkhouse rooms call Corey and Niki on (07) 4168 9694.

BJELKE-PETERSEN CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI The cooler conditions should see a few fish holding around the edges of the lake early in the day.

Cast spinnerbaits and blades to weed beds and drowned saplings to produce both bass and golden perch. If there is a severe cold snap, this action may die off as the fish get a shock from the colder water. On the flats, cast soft plastics, vibes, tail-spinners and blades for reasonable numbers of bass and the occasional golden perch. Treasure Island, Bass Point and Lightning Ridge have all held scattered fish over the past month. Find the fish on the sounder and then experiment with lures to see what they want to eat.

Up in the deeper water in the timber, golden perch should still be willing to take a spinnerbait fished

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MONDURAN CLOSEST TOWNS: GIN GIN, BUNDABERG Some of the barra lakes have slowed down already due to cooler conditions.

This is the time of year to

The author was happy with the performance of prototype swimbait at Monduran Dam. The Kamikaze 96S is now available. of gear suited to chasing freshwater fish and the staff have all the knowledge to guide you on how to use it. You’ll find the stores in Kingaroy and Dalby.

Matthew Mott also runs fishing charters on the dams and you can reach him through the Kingaroy store.

The Yallakool Kiosk is all set up with a great range of tackle if you don’t happen to have the right lure or lose one. Be sure to call in and check it out. Give them a

plan your trips around good warm weather and a constant wind direction. The barra at Monduran fired up a bit last month with quite a few visitors landing or at least hooking the target species. There is a lot of water between fish so sounding them up is almost critical. A side image sounder will reveal the hiding barra in bays, around points and near islands. Most of the action is coming from windblown shorelines in the upper part of the dam above the junction of

WHITSUNDAY REGION

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70

around the drowned trees.

If spinnerbaits slow down due to the cold, switch to live shrimp and you can just about guarantee results.

For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into your local Bass 2 Barra store. Bass 2 Barra stores stock an awesome range

PROSERPINE The barra were tough to catch last month. Quite a few fish were still holding in the main basin and hadn’t yet made the move back across to the western side of the lake. The last two full moons have fished well at night so if you were planning a trip this would be a good time to do it.

With the fish moving back to the timbered areas and creeks, Proserpine Point, which juts out hundreds of metres into the main basin just before the tree line, will be worth a look. Barra should use this area in their transition, as it is such a prominent feature.

Flicking soft plastics up to the weed edge and slowly rolling them back is one of the easiest ways to fish this point. Lindsay Dobe, the dam’s guide, has played with the new Kamikaze swimbaits so hit him up to see how they perform. These lures can be hopped and jigged, but are also perfect for slow rolling retrieves just like a plastic.

Lindsay owns the tackle shop in Proserpine right beside

the highway.

The shop has always been known as Proserpine Bait and Tackle but has just undergone a name change and will now be known as Barra World. As you can imagine, they carry plenty of the best

‘B-Arm’ and the Kolan River.

When the southeasterly wind funnels into Jacks Bay, the barra can sometimes be found along the western shoreline.

Casting hardbodies is still one of the preferred methods. Bigger fish may destroy these lures, but there are quite a few smaller models mixed in with the 80cm+ fish at the moment.

The new Hot Bite Kamikaze 96S swimbait is sure to be a hit with lure casters on this lake. In testing, the prototype scored heaps of hits and hook-ups. This lure can be slowly wound like a soft plastic or hopped like a vibe, which makes it very versatile. You can check them out at Foxies.

Foxies tackle store in Gin Gin 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.

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 houseboats and boat hire.

You can also make bookings for Guide Lines fishing charters through the kiosk, on (07) 4157 3881.

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 his mobile, 0407 434 446 or through his website www.lakemonduran barracharters.com. barra lures and gear available.

The store also caters for the close-by saltwater fishing in the estuaries and offshore.

Call in to see Lindsay or Dane and check out what they have done with the place after the renaming. You can call them for all your barra needs or book a charter on (07) 4945 4641.

Barra are still an option over the cooler months. Pick the warmer days and try fishing later in the day and into the night.

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Hyundai Santa Fe ticks all the right boxes BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Hyundai’s Santa Fe has been gracing our roads for a few years now, and you wouldn’t think Hyundai could make such a good vehicle even

better. However, with the extra refinements they’ve incorporated into this year’s new model, they’ve done just that.

The main exterior changes to the 2016 model are confined to modifications such as redesigned wheels, a slightly changed front

end (involving bumpers and grille) and redesigned squared exhaust outlets.

The more significant changes have been made to the engines, both petrol and diesel, to further enhance performance, and the ride quality has been enhanced thanks to improved suspension.

Sculptured leather seats with both heating and cooling facilities pamper driver and front seat passengers in the Santa Fe Highlander.

While best kept on forest trails or some form of road or track the Santa Fe is one SUV that can take passengers well into the country in true comfort and style.

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There are three models: Active, Elite and the top-ofthe-range Highlander. The Active and Elite don’t have too much less in the way of features, and provide considerable cost savings.

The model I reviewed was the Highlander, which has a diesel engine as standard. The only petrol engine in the Santa Fe line-up is offered with the base Active. The petrol engine is a 2.4L 4-cylinder unit outputting 138kW of power and 241Nm of torque, and it comes in a choice of both 6-speed manual and auto transmissions.

HIGHLANDER Hyundai likes to add bling, and the Highlander reviewed comes with 19” wheels, which are larger than those on some of the dedicated 4WDs on the road at the moment!

This top-end model also has a panoramic sun roof, privacy blinds for windows, Xenon Headlights, lots of leather and a carbon-look finish to add contrast to the

faux alloy sections of the vehicle’s dash. All combine to provide a luxury feel for this 7-seater.

High levels of comfort all round are what we’ve come to expect from a Santa Fe, along with a very good, solid, drive experience.

The Highlander builds on this even further.

Behind the wheel the driver is pampered. Every control and switch is on hand, with 8” touch sat/nav screen linked to a system that’s quite user friendly.

The seats have electric adjustment to spare and can be either heated or cooled in seconds. With variable lumbar support those seats were very comfortable on long highway runs.

There’s also a high driving position, and externally there’s a very high lift power tailgate.

Passengers are also pampered. There’s leather seating, face level vents for rear seat passengers, and ample interior room all round. The sun roof is there for the right kind of day,

and the premium sound system can really thump it out. As you’d expect, USB, AUX, digital iPod and Bluetooth are standard.

As a 7-seater the Santa Fe is a roomy family wagon. However, as is the case with others that offer rear seating, the last two seats are best left for agile youngsters to negotiate their way in and out of via the left where the nearest second row seat slides and tilts to allow easier access.

ACTIVE CRUISE CONTROL As an SUV, the Santa Fe’s ride and handling were more than satisfactory.

Front wheel drive is the norm (AWD is there on demand) and the car takes corners in its stride. The steering feedback and weight were spot on in most circumstances. Road holding ability without the need for driver correction on the winding bits is very pleasing.

Fuel consumption during a mix of city and a 4-hour highway run was 8.5-9L per

1615L of cargo area in the back of the Santa Fe is available when both rear seats are lowered.

100km. Few owners would be unhappy about that, given the size of the big SUV. Safety features within the auto-only Highlander include active cruise control, i.e. the vehicle slows as it approaches a car ahead. This feature can be applied at all

move off freely once the sensors detect the car ahead is moving away.

There’s also blind spot detection, forward collision warning, lane changing assistance, hill start assistance, hill descent control and a powered parking brake.

several driving modes. In normal drive (Eco) the turbo diesel 147kW, 440Nm diesel engine would run down to less than 1800rpm when gaining on traffic. Sport mode was entirely different.

The Santa Fe’s 6-speed auto transmission is a

The 2016 model has redesigned wheels, a slightly changed front end and redesigned squared exhaust outlets.

There’s a surprising amount of backseat leg-room in this well made SUV. speeds, so at traffic lights you’ll come to a halt. When the light turns green you can

THE DRIVE Hyundai have optioned their Highlander with

state-of-the-art unit. Driver intervention is never necessary to keep the

The Santa Fe’s 2.2L diesel engine is a very refined unit, combining power and economy in a smooth package.

vehicle running sweetly as long as revs are kept up in Eco mode, but Sport mode is a much different story.

With the gear selector pushed across to the left and the loud pedal pressed onto the floor the auto unit will not change up a gear until the tachometer reaches red line which sees just a little noise coming from under the bonnet (where diesel engine noise is usually negligible) and an enticing ‘launch’ feel for the driver.

Rounding off the package is the roomy luggage compartment.

Levers flip the second row seating forward in a jiffy, and with both second and third rows of seats lowered there’s 1615L of cargo space on hand.

A full-sized spare tyre is under the boot floor so if a tyre needs changing you have to empty cargo first, the same as with many similar vehicles.

IDEAL ALL-ROUNDER Although the Santa Fe has reasonable ground clear clearance, diff locks and 4WD on demand, a lot of people won’t take it off road. That’s OK though

because this vehicle is also good for city dwellers looking to commute and park. Highlights include an auto park system, reversing camera, blind spot detection system and very large external mirrors to further assist parking.

All in all, I believe that Hyundai has indeed made a good thing better in their top-of-the-range Highlander. It’s an ideal family wagon in every

respect given its levels of performance, features, space and comfort.

Towing specs are 750kg for an unbraked trailer and 2000kg for a braked unit, which is going to cover a lot of boats or camper trailers. And although the Highlander has the lot, it’s well worth taking a look at either the Active or Elite models as they’re more affordable and also come very well equipped.

“Tinnie Tosser” Want to take your tinny on holidays and catch the big one but can’t because you are towing a caravan?

Well here is the answer!!

Features include: Single person operation, electric and manual models, custom made to suit vehicle and boat, built for off-road conditions, aluminium and stainless steel construction.

For further information contact Bowline on

Ph: (07) 5498 7339 Fx: (07) 5498 7351 Mobile: 0419 674 343

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A truly portable, travel anywhere pressurised camping shower system. The flow of the Cape Yorker is 11 l/min and the pressure is a massive 50PSI.

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Sand filter is also sold separately.

5m Cig Lead

The Cape Yorker can also be paired with a Glind heat exchanger or drawn from a fire drum for hot water.

$119 RRP 1.2m O/W LED Strip

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fishing friendly

ACCOMMODATION

The Islander wows on South Stradbroke Island BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

South Stradbroke Island: have you been there yet? I hope so, it’s such a great place!

This long, narrow island forms the north wall of the Gold Coast Seaway, and from there it extends north right up to the Jumpinpin bar. Boaters can see South Stradbroke’s tall trees and clean beaches with fringes of mangroves or she-oak trees almost on the water’s edge, yet that passing view is not the whole story. The island is well timbered with tall tea trees and eucalypts, and a golden surf beach runs the length of the eastern shore while more sheltered waters caress the western shores.

In many respects ‘South Straddie’ is a quiet and peaceful place. You can hear the wind softly sighing through the trees, or the soothing sound of surf on golden beaches. The whole experience washes away the memories of incessant traffic and other annoying suburban sounds back on the mainland.

With no car ferry services to this island (unlike North Stradbroke Island further up the coast) access from the mainland just across the channel is strictly via pleasure craft or one of the ferries that service the island.

People who have their own boat and want to stay at The Islander holiday home have access to at least eight public ramps within easy water travel distance of this section of South Stradbroke Island. The island’s main population areas are confined to the nearby Couran Cove area or within the island’s canal estates. Do remember that road systems on the island are quite limited; most people simply walk to the nearby surf beach or Couran Cove. More adventurous visitors make journeys of exploration via bicycle, making the most of the well formed tracks.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION The Islander is located within the canal area of South Stradbroke’s Couran Point

Island Village, taking pride of place at the very end of the second canal on the right as you enter the main waterway into the developed area.

Travelling in the canal where The Islander was located with Islander owners

An eight seat table awaits diners on the outer deck.

Relaxing in the lounge with a cold drink while taking in Foxtel has to be one of the big attractions at The Islander holiday home.

Michelle and Glen Parker, I was impressed with the clarity of the water, fish life scurrying away from the boat and the curious wallabies standing on a nature strip.

As we approached The Islander’s jetty I was impressed with the magnificent backdrop of forest to the rear. It looked very inviting, with a vista of white sand out front and a setting of magnificent paperbark trees behind. Yet as good as it looked from the outside, it became even better after I walked in!

With the boat tied to the jetty (Glen said he is almost tired of eating the mud crabs he catches there, poor chap!) I took in the sight of a massive,

This is just one of the fabulous bedrooms at The Islander. There are five in all.

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covered outdoor dining area with a swimming pool on one side, and a big table and chairs close by. A very large BBQ-equipped kitchen area with bar was also set up on the external deck opposite, with its own table and chairs. A wide

An impressive sight: The Islander holiday home as seen from the jetty attached to the property. could afford to miss the sport at this time of year, eh?

Walking in through the resort’s wide double doors I surveyed the totally selfcontained kitchen on the right. There was a massive refrigerator, two microwave ovens and a big gas range complete with oven, as well as a marvellous array of wide cupboards with all cutlery and crockery needed to feed hungry holiday makers. There was even a top shelf coffee machine. How good is this!

The kitchen was massive – more than enough to cater

meal preparation. Up to 13 people can stay in this holiday home and, as Michelle said, all they need to bring is clothing and food; the rest is provided for their total enjoyment and relaxation.

for a crack at the fish on the surf beach or to take part in some boating action. There are sheltered waterways nearby all along the inside of the island, with the Jumpinpin bar only a short distance away, and

What could be nicer? A dip in the heated pool after a big session in the boat.

Kitchen facilities are extensive enough to cater for a couple of families at one time thanks to a big stove and paired microwaves. Everything is provided, all one needs is tucker. screen TV near the BBQ, one of many within The Islander, was linked to Foxtel. Who

for a couple of families enjoying time together – and was completely set up for easy

A BBQ, bar and other facilities are on hand for folk wanting to enjoy some outside dining.

After taking in the well set up lounge area I looked at the three bedrooms downstairs.

Each was equipped with king sized beds, en suites and linen.

I then moved upstairs to find a big play area set aside for youngsters, complete with electronic entertainment, plus a suite of bunk beds.

Walking through the rear doors of the Islander I took in the shade and gentle ambience of nearby trees, and the kayaks and bicycles set aside for holiday makers to enjoy. A road leading west at the rear of the resort provided access to a very attractive beach area where you can watch the sun set over the mountains on the mainland while keeping an eye on a couple of rods set up for whiting, bream or flathead.

PERFECT FOR ANGLERS The Islander holiday home, with its five bedrooms, three bathrooms and superb appointments was perfectly set up for total enjoyment.

Anglers in particular would love it. There is plenty of room for a group to get together

the mouths of the Coomera and Pimpama rivers virtually opposite to the west. The jetty will moor several boats with no problems.

For those among us who want a more general look at the island, a resident 4x4-equipped guide is on hand to both explore the island or to facilitate fishing the surf beach. For more information, check out stradbrokeislandadventures. com. This 4x4 service is a good starting point for easy island exploration or for a drop-off to a beach gutter.

Yet as good as the fishing and boating opportunities are, I believe the quiet ambience of the island with its leafy charm and gentle wildlife are just as appealing. For further information contact info@ theislanderretreat.com.au or speak to Michelle on 0420 967 557 to make a booking for a totally relaxed yet thoroughly indulgent holiday. The Broadwater Taxi Service is on 0403 587 804 for an easy run across to take in The Islander’s charms first hand.

R

100 years of experience Goes inTo every hook

What’s New FISHING

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GEECRACK SWING CHATTER

The ‘Swing Chatter,’ manufactured by Japanese company Geecrack, is available in 22 colour combinations, and comes in three sizes (1/4oz, 3/8oz, and 1/2oz) with a size 2/0 hook. A compact lure that’s ideal for pitching, the Swing Chatter has been designed to easily probe different layers of water, from the bottom to the surface.

The Swing Chatter sports a thin adjustable metal blade, realistic head with 3D eyes, and silicon skirt, which all combine to create a swimming action that freshwater predators can’t resist. Combine this with one of Geecrack’s proven soft plastics, such as the Gyro Star, Leaf Shrimp or Moon Curly, the Swing Chatter is a force to be reckoned with.

Ideally suited to Australian bass, the Swing Chatter has also succeeded in landing other Australian freshwater predatory species such as bream, estuary perch, yellowbelly and Murray cod. The Australian distributor is Dogtooth Distribution, and you can find more info on their website. Trade enquiries welcome.

Price: SRP $13.95 www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

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SUNLINE FINE FLOAT II

Sunline Fine Float II is a floating monofilament line with Sunline’s latest Plasma Ion technology.

P-Ion processing improves slickness, water repellency, abrasion resistance and longevity of your line by chemically altering the line’s surface to allow resin processing to bond at a molecular level. This processing increases line performance and allows the line to float longer and stronger. This new line is ideal for float fishing for bream, blackfish and drummer. The bright yellow colour allows for easy tracking of your line.

Sunline Fine Float II comes in 150m spools in 6-20lb breaking strains, and is available in all good tackle stores.

Sunline is a Japanese manufacturer that produces every type of fishing line for every target and method. Materials include nylon, fluorocarbon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polyester (polyethylene terephthalate), and metal. Sunline is the top selling line in Japan, and exports to over 40 countries worldwide.

Price: from SRP $21 www.ejtodd.com.au

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VANFOOK ASSIST HOOKS

Vanfook’s Deco Twin Assist Hooks are short drop, heavy wire assist hooks ideal for upgrading or replacing the assist hooks on light jigs (up to 80g). They are fitted with Vanfook’s blue Jigging Assist Line and fish skin on each hook for added appeal and movement. They also have a solid ring with one long drop and one short drop hook for the best hooking potential. These Japanese-made hooks come in packs of two, and are available in sizes #1, #2 and #3.

For those anglers who prefer to make their own assist hooks, Vanfook has created Jigging Assist Line. This top quality line is a tightly woven PE line which can be spliced back into itself to create professional assist hooks. Vanfook Assist Line is available in blue and comes in 80lb, 120lb, 150lb, 200lb and 300lb breaking strains.

Price: SRP $12 (Assist Hooks), $17 (Assist Line) www.ejtodd.com.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

NEW STRIKE PRO HUMMERS

The Strike Pro Hummer 65 and 75 are bigger versions of the popular Hummer 45, which is a favourite with estuarine anglers.

The Hummer is a plastic vibe that is perfectly weight balanced to allow the lure to sit on the bottom perfectly on its lip. It has a superb action on the drop and lift. The Hummer also has two top tow points so you can change the lure’s action. The front tow point is better for casting and retrieving, and produces a tighter, faster shimmy, while the rear tow point is better for vertical jigging and produces a slower wobble.

The Hummer 65 is 6.5cm long and weighs 13.6g, and is effective on a range of species such as bass, yellowbelly, mulloway, jacks and flathead. The Hummer 75 is 7.5cm long, weighs 21.8g, and is dynamite on Murray cod, yellowbelly, barra and snapper.

Both lures come with quality Owner trebles and are available in eight colours.

Price: SRP $16.99 www.jurofishing.com

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3” POWERBAIT PRO GRUB

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GENERATION BLACK V2 RODS

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The PowerBait Pro Grub features a wider profile body that generates volume while working the bait in the depths. The ribs on its body adds more surface area, allowing more scent release. The tail design adds fluid-like motion to tail on light twitches.

On the drop or on the hop, the Pro Grub tail swims at the slowest of speeds, delivering continuous lifelike action.

Each PowerBait Pro Grub is loaded with Berkley’s exclusive PowerBait scent and flavour formula. This potent combination causes fish to hold on for longer, so you can feel more bites and set more hooks.

The 3” PowerBait Pro Grub now comes in nine fish-catching colours: black ice, firetiger, blue ice, chartreuse purple ice, opening night, pearl white, perch ice, pink ice and purple ice. Keep an eye out for them at your favourite tackle store, or for more information check out the Berkley Australia website. berkley-fishing.com.au Price: RRP $7.95

Daiwa’s Generation Black series have gained a popular following in recent years. Now Daiwa has released the next generation: Generation Black V2 Rods.

They have the same looks and trusted actions, but now have Fuji K guides, improved reel seats and grips.

Boasting some of the finest rod actions available at an affordable price, Generation Black V2 features Daiwa’s HVF graphite, Fuji’s lightweight K guides, high grip seats on the light models and custom made Fujis on the heavier models. The reel seats are complemented with tough minimalist EVA grips that provide excellent grip and help reduce the weight.

There are 28 technique-specific spin actions and 10 baitcast options, with ultra-light through to heavy offerings. Travelling anglers are also catered for with several 3-piece travel rods.

Generation Black offers tournament quality tackle without tournament quality pricing. If you have ever wanted one series of rods to cover all light tackle luring applications, check out Generation Black V2 rods. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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

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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

What’s New FISHING

POWERED BY

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SURECATCH PREMADE RIGS

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ZEREK BULLDOG CRANK

An entirely new range of SureCatch rigs has been released to make the complicated task of rigging up for different situations a breeze.

Within the range there are rigs for all the popular species including bream, whiting, snapper and flathead as well as rigs to help you fish the deep reefs, surf, rivers, lakes and estuaries.

All rigs in the range – there are 41 different rigs – are hand tied to give the best result time after time, and the range of hook sizes means that you can tailor your rig to the fish you are chasing.

SureCatch ensure these chemically sharpened, circle, stainless and bronze hooks are used to create the perfect rig for each situation.

Best of all, these rigs will not break the bank, giving you a cost effective way to make the most of your time on the water. www.wilsonfishing.com

The latest addition to the Finesse Craft Series, the Zerek Bulldog Crank is a 38mm floating crankbait that weighs in at only 4g.

Ideal for targeting fish in shallow areas, this lure has a tight wobbling action as it dives to around 2m during retrieval.

The Bulldog Crank’s forward profile makes it less prone to snags as the bib knocks into structure before the hooks and the floating nature allows the careful angler to rise the lure above the snag triggering bites and avoiding fouling.

Available in 10 different colours, including ultra-violet highlighted colours to suit varying water conditions, the Zerek Bulldog Crank will make an immediate impact on estuary and freshwater fisheries country-wide. For more information on this and other models in the Zerek range, visit the Wilson Fishing website or like ‘Zerek Australia’ on Facebook. www.wilsonfishing.com

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SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

DAIWA 16 CERTATE

In 2004 Daiwa introduced the Real Four Concept in the original Certate – Real engine, Real control, Real endurance, Real custom, setting the new standard in spinning reel design and innovation.

Since then, Certate has continually evolved and developed through its incarnations to become the world’s most advanced spinning reel.

Now a great reel has been made even better with the introduction of the 2016 Certate.

This innovative reel combines a one-piece Monocoque body design in the HD models, Magseal, Magseal Bearings, Air Rotor, ATD and Zaion, making it Daiwa’s most sensitive, powerful and technically advanced reel ever.

You will feel more connected to lures, detect more bites and fight fish with ease.

Other features include: Mag Sealed Line Roller, Airbail (one piece construction), ABS II, Rotor Brake, Silent Oscillation, Real Stopper and aluminium machine cut handle.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter www.daiwafishing.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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FISH ARROW FIN’S GILL

The Fin’s Gill from Fish Arrow comes in two sizes: a 120mm model that weighs 40g, and a 150mm version that weighs 78g. This realistic soft plastic swimbait is durable and is slow sinking, emitting medium vibration when retrieved very slowly. The Fin’s Gill has a magnet underneath its belly that holds the hook in position, and allows the lure to be dragged over structure. A swimbait weight can also be added to increase the sink rate.

This lure was originally designed to replicate bluegill for largemouth bass, but it’s also the ideal shape and size to replicate a juvenile golden/silver perch, medium redfin or large bony bream. This makes it perfect for big Murray cod, barra and other large predators. Its realistic shape and action entices bites in the toughest of conditions.

To see more info on the Fin’s Gill, or other lures in the Fish Arrow range, check out the Searing Tackle website. www.searingtackle.com.au

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SAMAKI TORPEDO V2 SPINNERS

The all-new Samaki V2 Spinner has some serious attitude. With a range that starts from 10g all the way up to 85g, these spinners hit the bullseye with each cast.

You can throw Samaki Spinner V2s into a school of baitfish and you’ll be attacked by every predator swimming around in anticipation. Alternatively you can re-rig them with an assist hook and drop them down into the depths to attract the more aggressive species.

The elongated bullet design allows you to cast further, and additional features include lifelike colour combinations, a 6X strong treble hook, natural eye, an extra hard external coating plus the added feature of UV colours and glow properties. For more information and stockist locations head on over to the Samaki website, or like them on Instagram and Facebook.

Price: from SRP $4.95 www.samaki.com.au

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GULP NEMESIS NOW IN 3”

Combine the fish catching profile of a Jerkshad and the enticing tail action of a grub and you get the Berkley Gulp Nemesis.

Designed in Australia, the Nemesis shape is now available in a bite sized 3” size. During testing by the Berkley Pro Team these lures have proven to be deadly on bream with an enticing tail action at any speed, easy to swallow profile and potent Gulp scent.

The tail action of this shape has to be seen to be believed. On the drop or on the wind, the Nemesis tail swims at the slowest of speeds delivering continuous lifelike action.

Each Gulp Nemesis is also loaded with Berkley’s exclusive Gulp scent and flavour formula, a powerful water based scent dispersion system that makes Gulp 100% biodegradable.

Price: SRP $11.95 berkley-fishing.com.au

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

What’s New FISHING TESTED: Ecooda I recently had a quick visit from Fishing Monthly’s Ryan Limpus who was travelling back from a boat show down Sydney way. On this visit Ryan had in his possession some of the Ecooda Mini Pops, and it was a bad decision on his part to show them to me. I informed him that he was going to have his work cut out leaving with them all from my premises!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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Mini Pops

The first thing that caught my eye was the colour schemes. I’ve used similar colours in the past with great success, so it’s clear the designers at Ecooda thought long and hard about getting eight colour schemes that will have whiting, bream and bass anglers salivating. The whitebait pattern stood out to me, and I felt sure this would be a winner. On initial trials this has definitely proved to be true.

Being a fishing guide and basing your livelihood on teaching people lure fishing you come into possession of some great looking lures. However, when your business relies on getting results you have to be sure of the product – and this is where it is essential to go out and test the performance and effectiveness of each lure. Then, if it ticks all the boxes, it will get the nod for use by our clients. The Ecooda Mini popper now fills quite a few positions in our surface fishing arsenal.

The first thing it has going for it is its size. At 50mm in length it is perfect for bream and whiting on most occasions.

Weighing in at 4.1g means when fishing a flats situation you should have no problems getting the distance that is absolutely necessary at times when chasing whiting.

Another reason this weight is so important is because when throwing into structure for bass or bream you don’t want to be struggling to load your rod for accuracy, as can happen with some of the lighter lures (especially if you’re just starting out).

When looking at the Mini Pop you will notice the tow point is close to the centre of the lure, which makes for a sensational

popping motion. A fast retrieve will create a pronounced splashy effect, which is something that whiting and trevally

find irresistible. On the other side of the retrieval coin, when throwing into bass lairs you can cast it in tight to snags, and while it sits in position you can easily get a noisy fish-attracting bloop with the slightest of rod movements.

On our first trials we have caught whiting, bream and trevally using the ghost bait, whitebait and pearl shrimp and we are looking forward to giving the brown prawn and olive shrimp a run on bass as those colour schemes are very bassy! Why don’t you check them out?

With a recommended price of around $14 they represent great value for money.

- Mark Saxon

TESTED: Murray Moth – perfect for mega cod When I dropped the news at work that I was taking time off to trek into cod country, it only seemed fair that I should take something to test out. NSWFM’s Ryan Limpus handed me Leavey Lures’ new Murray Moth, and looking back, I’m glad I didn’t leave without it!

OUT OF THE BAG On first inspection, I was impressed with the finish on this gargantuan 120mm long paddler, and the strong Owner ST56 size 2 trebles looked like they could handle some seriously big jaws. The mad keen anglers who fish Copeton during the cooler months would love this thing! Mick Leavey is known for making big lures for big fish, and the Murray Moth is no exception. Mick’s other lures have proven their worth time and time again on big

This chunky cod was happy to scoff the Murray Moth in pitch darkness in surprisingly shallow water.

mulloway in the salt, and I’m predicting this newest member of the line-up will make a big impact on the cod scene.

IN THE FIELD Once we got over the range and into our chosen pocket of God’s country, our spirits were slightly damped by some steady rain.

The rain went into the night, but finally stopped at about 11pm. At this stage, my energy to pursue our original plan to kayak to a bank somewhere downriver and fish topwater had almost gone.

I decided to tie on the Moth, and just mosey on down to the pool in front of camp and throw a few lazy casts, just to check out the action. Once I got down to the water, I couldn’t see a thing! I could only hear the rhythmic ‘plip-plop’ of the Moth and the clacking of the joints as I swam it back and forth at my feet. “That’ll get ‘em!” I thought to myself.

I lobbed a cast out into the pool, which was about 3ft deep at the most. I commenced the steady retrieve with the rod tip up, to get the most audible paddling sound possible. About halfway back to my feet, the sound of several litres of water disappearing into a big mouth interrupted my sleepy stupor! I didn’t feel any weight.

The silly bugger missed it! I wound the Moth back to my feet and called my friend Lachlan Hickey to come down to the water’s edge.

“What is it?” he asked me.

“Listen to this,” I said confidently.

I cast back to the same spot, and started the same retrieve I’d done before.

The almighty sound once again broke the deafening silence of the night. ‘Boof!’ This

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

The heavy hardware stood up to a dozen or so cod over two days of fishing. time, I felt weight. A lot of weight!

I played the chunky Murray cod to the bank, measured her carefully and took a few happy snaps before release. At 76cm, this topwater terror was a good catch for these waters.

Now I needed something to calm down!

I walked up to camp to grab a beer, and as I started walking back down to the water to recalibrate myself, my friend was already peppering the water with a big fizzer.

In a few minutes I was ready again, and I threw the same cast for a third time.

‘Boof!’

I couldn’t believe it! Surely it couldn’t be the same fish having another look? When I got this one to the bank, a careful measurement showed that this was indeed a different fish, measuring 70cm.

At the end of the hour-long session, we had landed five cod between us. The Moth won the night against the fizzer, four

The Murray Moth and a real moth. There’ a fair size discrepancy, but to a hungry cod that just means a bigger meal!

fish to one. Lachlan was very keen to know where he could get one of these cod catching machines!

BACK HOME The Moth is still with me, with many cod to its name, and sporting only a few small scratches on the thick plastic bill. This lure mixes elements of a classic Murray cod paddler with the craftsmanship and durability of hardbodies designed for big mulloway off the rocks.

If you’ve ever wanted to throw topwater for big (or even small) Murray cod, you should definitely make a lot of room in your tacklebox, and slide this sucker in! At $26.95 it’s great value for money, and one of these should last you many big cod. I honestly can’t wait until I get the time to travel over the range again and lob one of these around in the dark… only this time I might remember to pack a good light!

- Bob Thornton

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

‘Too hard’ box BRISBANE

The Sheik of the Creek

Something happens to me the minute the boat slows down and the anchor goes out and it comes time to throw a line in. Those plans I’d spent days, weeks or months organising in my tiny mind drift away like feral kites.

Why? I don’t know.

It’s not as if they’re not properly thought out. I spend hour after hour after hour going through how I’m going to approach a certain trip. Stuffer and I will sit down around a campfire on Eagle Creek and go through where we had some good hits at Turkey, and what we could do to get back into that same situation. What stage of the tide, what time of the day and what bait we were using as well as the strength of line, the weight of sinker, the type of hook, the brand of rod and reel, whose boat, the strength of the wind, the temperature, the humidity, the type of knot, the presence or absence of other boats, the salinity of the water,

whether the rod was in the rod holder or being held, how the bait was hooked, what star sign is dominant and where the Cows are coming on the points table are all up for discussion.

If this was a spreadsheet, it would run across twenty or thirty pages and even Isaac Newton would have a little lie down before trying to count the columns.

But from this broad range of discussion, a working plan is put together.

A new way forward, which usually involves getting down to the tackle shop and investing in some fancy kit. But as I mentioned, once that kit sees the inside of the tacklebox, it’s as likely to come out as Cliff Richards.

These bits stay entrapped, never to see the light of day again. And that’s all because some sort of stupid virus hits me when the anchor goes out; my IQ plummets from already horrendously low base, my heart rate shoots up from an already mountainous summit, and my commonsense becomes as scarce as a giant scarce thing.

So that little jig, or fluttering thing, or sea

anchor, or metal lure gets put into the too hard tackle box and on goes the old pillie, squiddly diddly, or mullet strip to be dropped over the side and dangle hopefully some feet above the top of Australia.

I am aware of this

problem I have, but it’s one thing to know about it, and another thing to change it.

I’d love to be like those anglers who spend a whole day driving around in their boats looking for bommies. What planning!

What patience! What

absolute boredom!

I suppose the positive part of not taking any notice of my cunning plots is that I jump in the boat, put the throttle somewhere up near the nav lights, and smash across the wave tops. Even though the idea

that took two months of careful mental preparation never makes it through my frontal cortex, at least when I throw out the pick, chuck on the bait and drop her down, it’s all systems go.

It might not be successful, but at least it’s not boring.

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79

THE RECREATIONAL ANGLER’S LINK MOR ETON BAY N ET FR E E AR E A DIS CUS SIONS CONTI N U E • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • May remained pleasantly warm on average with fairly low to moderate winds that made Moreton Bay a hive of fishing and boating activity last month. Given the public holidays and school holidays during that time, the boat ramps were kept busy. Catches were wide and varied – still a few whiting around on the beaches but bream become predominant.

Banana prawns enjoyed an extended stay with the warmer days hanging on.

Good catches of snapper were reported through the bay and offshore to the north.

Burns and Pumicestone Passage in the 1990s.

As you can expect, there have been many and varied iterations. The submission we presented during the last electoral event was definitely the most polished to date, taking into consideration community expectations for fresh seafood, a high value prawn trawl industry in Moreton Bay and the significant environmental impacts that Moreton Bay has endured over the last 20 years.

Many who read this article are too young to have been following fishing media during the

and administration of fisheries management under Queensland’s new Fisheries Act.” He went on to state, “…starting this week a $6 rise in pleasure boat registration fees will go towards management and maintenance of the State’s valuable fisheries resources. At the same time, recreational fishing representatives will have direct input into decisionmaking as members of the Fisheries Policy Council, set up under the new legislation, which was passed by Parliament last month. They would also be present on the Management Advisory Committees for

It is important to support the Moreton Bay Net Free Area, not just for the sake of the environment, but to have a say as recreational fishers.

The opportunity to catch fish more easily for those with lesser skills or those who are now impacted by age or infirmity has seen recreational fishing forums and media sites receiving high traffic as to the status of the Moreton Bay Net Free Area as per the Queensland Government’s last election policy. Sunfish Queensland has a policy identifying nine areas along the Queensland coast that have been identified by local communities as urgently requiring net free areas to provide social, economic and environmental benefits to these areas.

So, contrary to what I expect the opposition and some commercial fishing spokespersons may say, these discussions have been had along the length and breadth of Queensland in significant depth since at least 2008. This is without even considering that these issues have been on the political agenda sine Tom

Burns Inquiry days or even for that matter the Inshore Finfish Review Stage 1 so I will give a brief history as to what instigated the most recent request for Moreton Bay to be gillnet

Queensland Fisheries, and the Zonal Advisory Committees to be formed for different regions.”

That fee, which is now called the Personal Pleasure Vessel Levy

Nothing beats a double hook-up in the surf. free. In 1992 Minister Ed Casey said, “Recreational fishers will be contributing directly to the cost,

and has become $20 per registration was intended among other things to create recreational only fishing areas – there was

www.sunfishqld.com.au

only one ever declared.

So, we still pay the fee but have no input into the decision-making process and recreational fishing enhancement programs.

In 2008 Fisheries Queensland underwent Stage 1 of the Inshore Finfish Review. Stage 1 was determined to be a review that focussed primarily on the recreational sector and brought in significant changes to bag and size limits. Stage 2 of the review was to undertake a similar process with a primary focus on the commercial sector – this never eventuated.

Also in 2008 Moreton Bay Marine Park underwent a dramatic review and saw significant loss of access to fishers. The commercial sector received more than $15 million in the structural adjustment package and the recreational sector $2 million in an artificial reef package.

In effect, this means that there has been considerable impact on recreational fishers fishing from the shore and they have received no enhancement program or consideration of these impacts. Moreton Bay Net Free Area will attempt to redress some of those impacts in addition to the environmental impacts of gillnetting and the significant destructive impacts on local fish stocks caused by extensive localized depletions as a consequence of commercial fishing.

Since this proposal has a specific outcome and set of goals there has been a significant list of concessions made on behalf of the commercial fishing sector compared to the outcomes from the three northern net free areas.

This included no impact on the Moreton Bay Prawn Trawl Fishery, the Moreton Bay Crab Fishery or the commercial line fishery. As well as no significant impact on the ocean beach mullet fishery or the tunnel net fishery.

The only fishery targeted is the environmentally devastating and socially and economically unacceptable gillnet fishery.

The previous map we submitted to government was designed to have the above effects or lack thereof.

However, in addition what it inadvertently did was propose a significant and expensive compliance management problem. To

rectify that we took a step back and tried to simplify the outcome. Gillnetting occurs in foreshore waters, so there would be no additional impact by

commercial fishers has been far and wide the highest paid in Queensland before. The majority of any local fish appearing in local markets comes from tunnel

The modified map shows commercial logbook reporting grids to display the area we recommend to be closed to netting under the current considerations. closing off deep middle of the bay waters because there is no gillnet activity there. So this latest map that shows commercial logbook reporting grids that display the area we recommend to be closed to netting under the current considerations.

There is still the same net effect as our previous map, but with less compliance issues, clarity of where the ‘lines on the map’ are and no confusion for commercial fishers as they use these reporting grids every day they are on the water.

In s u m m a r y, consultation has commenced, as the current payment suite to

netting and not gillnetting.

At every opportunity you get, irrespective of the level of government, please support the Moreton Bay Net Free Area.

Next month I will break down what local fish is currently appearing in outlets and what fish are being caught by various means throughout Moreton Bay.

Email: judylynne@sunfishqld.com.au

FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION THE MANY EMOTIONS OF A MULLET

AFRAID

FRETFUL

SCARED

ALARMED

FRIGHTENED

SHOCKED

ANXIOUS

JITTERY

STARTLED

APPREHENSIVE

JUMPY

TENSE

CONCERNED

NERVOUS

TERRIFIED

DISTRESSED

PANICKED

UNEASY

EDGY

PETRIFIED

WORRIED

FEARFUL

RESTLESS

Win a pack of Pocket Balls – instant reusable pocketsized heat packs that are safe, waterproof and available in a variety of sport themes, including footy, cricket, golf, tennis, soccer and more! Activated by simple click of the disk inside the ball. To find out more visit www.take5energize.com.au/Pocket-Balls.

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: QLD Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

QLD JUNE 2016

Phone (day):

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to M Chadwick from Gladstone, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Surf Lifesaving prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winner for April was S Sutton of Alexandra Hills, who won a Daiwa RZ Ballistic-X combo. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

FIND THE ZEREK LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The answers to Find the Zerek Logo for April were: 19, 21, 22, 26, 31, 38, 40, 54, 58, 68, 72, 77, 85, 92, 107.

The Find the Zerek logo prize winners for April were: G English of Bowen, G Edwards of Home Hill, N Euston of Tully, W Hunn of Urangan, A Dougan of Bucasia, J Boneham of Eight Mile Plains, D Male of Bongaree, K Frankel of Pottsville, B Brown of Maryborough, R Hodges of Ballina, J Higgins of Caboolture, B Stephan of Helidon Spa, J Willmann of Windaroo, B Chappell of Miriam Vale, D Allen of Moggill, M Goodwin of Cardwell, R Smith of Chinchilla, G Phillips of Cotswold Hills, T Lloyd of Lake MacDonald, S Dawson of Bald Hills, R Dowden of Bundaberg, O Noffke of Kulangoor , K Martin of Dalby, C Couper of Chinchilla, J Bowyer of Blackall, E Grice of Hope Island, R Wright of Urangan, P Fels of Cushnie, A Hewlett of Mothar Mountain, K Wessling of Basin Pocket, B Hollingsworth of Rockville, R Taskis of Ashmore, G Yarrow of Miriam Vale, J Koch of Tara, R Bignell of Roma, D Davidson of Guyra, D Deppeler of Burpengary East, D Couchi of Bundaberg, A Graeff of The Gap, S Whitfield of Broadbeach.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM JUNE 2016

81

Cooking

How to make tempura battered oysters and fish BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

The partnership of crunchy tempura batter and seafood is delightful; especially when you add the wonderful brininess of oysters into the mix. I add an egg to the tempura batter ingredients, which is not traditionally done, however I have found that this batter sticks better to the seafood (especially slippery little suckers like oysters). Another tip is

to ensure that your soda water is icy cold when adding it to make the batter. When deep-frying tempura batter the batter does not have to turn a deep golden colour as in beer batter – a pale coloured batter is perfect.

Ingredients • 1 cup plain flour • 1 cup cornflour • 1 egg • 1L icy cold soda water • Fish fillets • Oysters • Sauces

3 1

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JUNE 2016

6

With a wire scoop (to drain off excess oil), remove the tempura oysters from the hot oil in the wok.

Add the plain flour and cornflour together in a bowl and combine well.

Then add the egg to the flour mixture.

4

2

Keep adding the icy cold soda water until the batter is of a light consistency.

Pour sufficient icy cold soda water into the flour/egg mixture to form a light batter (note the bubbles frothing). Stir well but gently to combine. You want to keep as many bubbles as possible in the batter so that you end up with a light but crunchy batter to coat your seafood.

5

Dip each oyster individually into the tempura batter. Remove the oyster from tempura batter and allow a little of the excess batter to drain off.

Deep fry the tempura battered oysters in the hot vegetable oil in the wok.

This will only take a few seconds.

7

8

Repeat the process with fish fillets.

The finished product – serve your fish after draining them on crumpled paper towel. Serve alongside the oysters with lemon wedges, chilli jam (for a spicy kick) and a traditional seafood sauce.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Jun 3-5

Wilson Moreton Bay Fishing Challenge Redlands

Peter Balkin 0402794748 peter.balkin@hotmail.com

Jun 5

Rnd 8 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Gold Coast

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jun 11-12

BREAM Qualifier #6 Forster

ABT (07) 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Jun 16-17

BASS Pro Qualifier #4 Boondooma

www.abt.org.au

Jun 26

Rnd 9 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Port Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 2-3

Rnd 10 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Mandurah

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 10

BASS Electric #4 Hinze Dam

Justin Thompson 0421 476 392

Jul 23-24

Rnd 11 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Lake Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 23-24

MBTBC Fishing Classic Moreton Bay

(07) 3396 8161

Jul 29-31

Isisford Fishing Competition Oma Waterhole

Sally (07) 4658 8914

Aug 20-21

BREAM Qualifier #7 Clarence River

ABT (07) 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Aug 24-25

BREAM Qualifier #8 Gold Coast

ABT (07) 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Aug 27-28

Rnd 12 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Wallis Lake

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Aug 27-28

BASS Electric #5 Borumba Dam

Steve Noble 0409 239 065

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Nelson

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 17-18

Bowen Family Fishing Classic Bowen

Russ McCabbin (07) 4786 3899 www.bowenfamilyfishingclassic.com

Sept 23-24

WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic Fitzroy River

Shara 0429 923 243

Sept 25

BASS Electric #6 Lake St Clair

Daniel Clancy 0419 690 418

Oct 8-9

Rnd 14 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Bribie Island

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Oct 22-23

BASS Electric Convention Maroon Dam

www.abt.org.au

Oct 28-30

Hobie Kayak BREAM Aus Championship Queensland

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Nov 11-13

BREAM Grand Final St Georges Basin

ABT (07) 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

JUNE 2016

83

2016 Boyne Tannum Hook Up competition We were all watching the charts as the local annual Boyne Tannum Fishing competition long weekend drew closer. It looked like it was going to be blown out by strong southeasters, which has been the case in some previous years, and the Friday fishing was rough to say the least.

Saturday improved slightly and then the good weather gods stepped in and Sunday was a cracker.

Some excellent Central Queensland reef fish and live inshore species were weighed in over 3 nights. Local Agnes Water businessman

Mark Cross won best coral trout at 7.5kg.

Boyne Tannum Hookup prides itself in sustainable fishing practices. Where possible, it is part of the rules to live weigh the inshore species – you can’t weigh in an inshore class fish dead. A horse of a live barramundi won the comp with a length of 1.172m caught by Scott Campbell of Tannum Sands.

If you have ever been to a Hook Up competition you will know that everyone gets fidgety and excited at the end of the final night. People start packing up their chairs and belongings to do the mad

BOYNE TANNUM HOOKUP WINNERS 2016 Junior Winners for overall Live flathead Live whiting Live fingermark Live mangrove jack Live bream Live grunter Live barramundi Salmon Red emperor Snapper Spanish mackerel Cobia Coral trout Parrot tusk Jew Sweetlip

Tim Breen Taylah Jarram Dylan Price Lewis Adams Cooper Price Jake Popp Sarah Mcauley Eli Lee Glenn Streeter Kodi Turner Trevor Nay Braedan Bianchi Bailey Burt Graci Dean Joshua Blucher Ash Brook

BOYNE TANNUM HOOKUP WINNERS 2016 Senior Winners for overall Live flathead Live whiting Live fingermark Live mangrove jack Live bream Live grunter Live barramundi Salmon Red emperor Snapper Spanish mackerel Cobia Coral trout Parrot tusk Jew Sweetlip

Matt Hall Adam Guerassimoff Nicole Price Matthew Lewis Katherine Baines Jason Watson Scott Campbell Russell Charles Joshua O’donohue Nathan Dodds John Flesser Jordan Findlay Mark Cross Zane Read Blake Fennell Gavin Pascoe

Bundaberg Gladstone South Gladstone Frenchville Gracemere Miriam Vale Tannum Sands Tannum Sands Tannum Sands Gladstone Roma Bundaberg Agnes Water Gladstone Calliope Turkey Beach

2.825kg 0.315kg 5.270kg 2.780kg 0.950kg 3.830kg 1.172m 6.625kg 10.925kg 5.200kg 20.750kg 13.170kg 7.485kg 5.445kg 17.750kg 2.980kg

Tannum Sands Gladstone South Gladstone Boyne Island South Gladstone Tannum Sands Gladstone Calliope Biloela Zilzie Iveragh Springsure Bundaberg Gladstone Gracemere Tannum Sands dash to the car park to try and escape the bumper-tobumper crawl that is always part of the Hook Up exodus.

They are waiting for the last minute major prize draw of the boat, motor, trailer package, and you have to be there to win it.

This year Gladstone resident Sandy Dimitrov was packed up and moving as the draw was being called.

Her husband called her back yelling “That’s you! That’s you”! Sandy never runs but she absolutely bolted to the stage to claim her $90,000 Haines 575F package. She

at the Oma Waterhole, 16km S/W of Isisford FRIDAY 29th, SATURDAY 30th, and SUNDAY 31st JULY 2016 Friday night Meet & Greet (Televised NRL Footy) Saturday night - Bar & Entertainment Great Cash Prizes and Prizes to be won, Random draws for each section.

Entertainment Cathy Drummond & “Karaoke Comp”, Bar, Food and Good Company (No boats or any type of watercraft)

AT TIME OF PRINTING 84

JUNE 2016

2.460kg 0.410kg 2.275kg 1.665kg 0.965kg 2.865kg 1,073mm 2.180kg 6.110kg 1.025kg 21.965kg 7.780kg 6.535kg 2.155kg 8.665kg 2.070kg said she only had a tinny and would be keeping the boat and putting it to good use.

Well done, Sandy.

For more details go to boynetannum hookup.com.au.

Wet your line at the Isisford Fishing Competition The Isisford Barcoo Recreational Fishing Club invites you to their annual fishing competition held 29-31 July. Each year this fantastic event is heldon the banks of the Barcoo River at the good old ‘Oma Waterhole.’ It’s the place to be, so plan your weekend ahead of time. Bring your family, friends or whoever wants to come along, join in the fun, try to catch the longest yellowbelly or simply lay back and enjoy the scenery.

Run in a two day competition format, the event kicks off at 10am Saturday and finishes 11am Sunday, and you may fish all day and night, as long as you

bring the fish to be measured up alive. The Fishing Club encourages catch and release practices so that fish numbers can replenish after the competition. If you arrive early before the competition, nominations are taken on Friday afternoon at the Control Point from 1-6pm and then again on Saturday morning around 7.30am.

Friday night is a meet and greet event where the bar will be opened and NRL Football televised on the big screen at the control point at the Yellowbelly Bar. The categories to compete are adult and junior and the nomination fee is $20 for adults and $5 for juniors.

Yellowbelly, black bream and

catfish are the target species for the weekend. You don’t have to catch a fish to win, as your name automatically goes into the draw for both major prizes and smaller draws. To be eligible to measure your fish for the competition you have to be nominated the same goes for inclusion in the draws. Competition is based on measurement (legal fish size) and fish have to be alive when they are measured.

There are cash prizes for the adult section and major draws, as well as prizes for the junior section. The Ernie Dagan Memorial Shield will be awarded, as will the junior shield – the Lawrence Reynolds Memorial Shield.

Each 1st place winner of the

adult competition will take home a trophy donated by the Bignell Family – the Nug Bignell Memorial.

The Barcoo River Rats have included a team competition for fun. The team of five competitors has to be registered and each team member registers one fish only. Once measured, they cannot enter any other fish. The fish is measured by the measuring team at the control point.

The winning team is the team with the greatest total length of the five fish measured. Teams have joined in the fun boasting their own team shirt, with names like Barcoo Bruisers, Ain’t Caught Nuffin’ and

the team that started it all – the Baroo River Rats.

Saturday will see nominations, displays, fishing tackle ‘Fish ‘N Bits,’ raffles, merchandise and a nice spit roast meal on Saturday night. The bar will be open all weekend and some novelty events will held on Saturday afternoon from 2pm, including the Carole Reynolds Memorial Damper Competition, hay bale rolling, Dale’s dog jump competition and much more. Saturday night’s entertainment will be Cathy Drummond with a little karaoke on the side. Come and be part of the fun, there are prizes for the best female, male and duet categories.

Firewood is in limited

supply this year due to availability so please bring that little extra.

Prizes and presentation will take place on Sunday at 12pm. Competitors are asked to be present for the major draws, and if they aren’t present the draws will be redrawn. There are great prizes to be won, both cash and random draws. Thank you to all our sponsors for supporting the club. More information will be provided on the weekend or simply visit our website www. isisfordfishingcomp.com. au. Take home a few stories and spread the word what a great little competition it is. – Isisford Barcoo Recreational Fishing Club

2016 World Sooty Championship MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

The 11th Maverick Equipment Hire World Sooty Championship held at Eungella was a resounding success and despite some challenging weather, the 92 competitors agreed this year lived up to past events, and contributed significantly to MAFSA’s fundraising.

All funds generated by the event will be used to purchase barra fingerlings for release mainly in the Pioneer River.

Saturday (30 April) saw session one commence after registration was completed.

The staggered start had the larger boats powering off up the dam from the control point. Most anglers found the going pretty tough with gusty winds and shut down fish.

But by the midday finish of session one, 43 sooties were presented for scoring with the average size recorded around 40cm length overall, which is a great average. Nine anglers recorded the maximum two fish limit.

Paul Butler scored the largest fish at 47.4cm and matched it with a 41.1cm specimen. Mick Hassett closely followed his effort with a 47cm sooty. Other notable fish included Mick Detemon (46.5cm), Peter Christian at (43.9cm), Craig Burkett (45.2cm), Craig Breadsell (44.7cm), and Dean Coghill (43.6cm).

During the lunch break, a further 2000 sooty fingerlings bred in MAFSA’s hatchery were released near the control area, much to the delight of the little and not so little kids.

That took the number bred

by MAFSA and released into Eungella dam this summer to just on 70,000 sooties.

Session two from 1:305pm was expected to be a bigger producer of fish, however the wind increased and made it difficult to hold position even close in on the sheltered side of the dam.

Many anglers made the long run up into Broken River and while fish were obvious on sounders, they were not too inclined to co-operate. Most boats stayed out until just before the cut off at 5pm.

With most anglers arriving back at the control point, MAFSA members were kept busy! Checking fish, measuring and recording the catches was hectic work. A total of 33 sooties averaged at 40.1cm showed consistent size but numbers were down on the first session. Only four anglers caught the maximum two fish limit with Shane Snell scoring best fish for the session and tournament – a solid 50.7cm, just 4mm short of claiming a new record for the event.

Ever consistent Dean Coghill lobbed in with a 45cm and a 44.6cm fish to take the session by 10 points from Shane Snell.

Sunday morning dawned with clear skies, heavy dew and no wind, with all anglers keen to get out onto the water.

The calmer weather suited the anglers just fine and a

TOP FIVE ANGLERS Place Angler Points 1 Shane Snell 2108 2 Ash Sims 2104 3 Paul Butler 2046 4 Dan Curry 2031 5 Greg Thomas 1857 Full results can be found on MAFSA’s Facebook site

total of 52 fish at an average of 40cm were captured.

Seventeen anglers presented the maximum two fish limit with honours for the biggest shared by Ivan Baulch and Dan Curry who both caught 45.6cm sooties. The next best capture went to Chris Williams at 45.5cm.

Meanwhile, the Bradshaw brothers were blitzing the junior field with 9-year old Todd scoring two fish for a total of 906 points in the last session. Younger brother Campbell was right on his tail with 867 points in the final session. The boys fished with their parents and all four of the Bradshaw clan registered

in trying conditions, and all fish were held in the display pool. To the delight of the kids, they were allowed to help with the release of the fish after each session.

Shane Snell scored all his fish on bone coloured Jackalls and claimed many of his fish came out of water around 20m deep. The 50.7mm fish was caught among heavy timber on a GL2 Loomis and Shimano Stellar combo using 15lb Power Pro braid and 20lb Black Magic leader and gave Shane a real tussle in the timber, before being safely netted.

The top two juniors were the Bradshaw boys

Winners are grinners – Shane Snell with his near record 50.7cm sooty that helped him to first place. for families and that’s what it’s all about. I am proud that Maverick Equipment Hire is associated with such an event.”

In closing Tim wished all a safe journey home with Stuart Cole having the longest drive back to Dubbo in NSW. MAFSA Inc is fortunate

to enjoy the support of many sponsors and they ensured the 2016 Maverick Equipment Hire event maintained the reputation of a well-run, hard fought tournament with plenty of social interaction among the anglers and the volunteers.

Tournament winner Shane Snell alongside MAFSA Chairman, Ray Jorgenson and Mule Parmenter representing the event’s major sponsor, Maverick Equipment Hire. the maximum of two fish each. All their fish came from upriver where the going had been really tough on the Saturday sessions. Huge grins all round for the Bradshaws – especially the two lads.

While competitors started to pack up or enjoy the lunch put on by the Valley Apex club, MAFSA scorers were checking and double-checking results. Overall 128 fish were captured with a total length of 51,407mm or an average just over 41.6cm. Great fishing

at 906 and 867 points, with Todd collecting the junior’s hardware.

Ray Jorgenson MAFSA Chairman and Mule Parmenter from Maverick Equipment Hire, made the presentations to the winners and other anglers, and Tim Galletly (Tournament Director) thanked all competitors, sponsors and helpers, then presided over the mystery lucky draws and raffle draw.

Mule Parmenter said, “It’s a great event, really good JUNE 2016

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Captain Risky crushes ‘em CE 1ST PLA Taree’s Kris Hickson weighed the only full limit of Richmond River bass to claim victory in the Spotters Sunglasses presented BASS Pro event – the first ABT BASS event to run in a river system. Hickson is currently the number one ranked BREAM angler in the country, and he could well be on the way to becoming the first angler in ABT history to be ranked number one in both species at the same time.

Tim Morgan has been number one in both species, but has never held the titles simultaneously. Hickson piled on 12/12 fish over the weekend to take the win by over 2kg from local favourite, Ballina’s Adrian Melchior. After struggling to work out a solid pattern on the official pre-fish day, Hickson turned to his BREAMing roots, diving into his bag of tricks from years of experience catching bass on the tidal waters of the nearby Clarence River.

“The only rivers I’ve ever fished run one way, and that’s out,” said Hickson, referencing his time spent on the local Manning River usually via his Hobie Kayak.

“When I couldn’t find anything on the morning of the pre-fish, I ran downriver from Coraki and basically started doing the stuff I do on the Clarence, where we catch bass as by-catch chasing bream.”

The approach worked almost immediately, with Hickson boating a number of bass in the afternoon. Morning of Day 1 saw Hickson start

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off in 3rd position. Being up the top he chose to make a start on the town bridge of Coraki, and it paid off with a nice bass just as the last boat went past.

From there, Hickson worked his way downriver fishing grassy natural banks, which amassed a 4/4 limit with non-boater Tony Neal to have him sitting in first place after Day 1. Hickson

turned to what he considers an underused product for bass from one of his sponsors, TT lures.

“I used the TT Rev Head rigged with a soft plastic.

The difference was how I rigged it. The vegetation was so dense and the fish were really in the thick of it, so I had to rig the plastic weedless,” explained Hickson. The rig slightly

Hickson is starting to gather a rather large collection of 1st place finishes in ABT tournaments.

resembles what you’d see on the end of Carl Jocumsen’s line when he’s punching mats for largemouth, except the weight and hook are one item, unlike the sliding bullet weight and straight shank hook.

The Rev Head features a small spinning blade slung underneath the main jighead and Kris was adamant that was the big difference in drawing strikes.

“They definitely seemed to want the bladed baits, I missed fish on an Imakatsu Shakey Chatter on pre-fish, and a normal jighead rigged plastic didn’t seem to get the same attention. So the only thing I could put it down to was the extra flash put off by the blade.”

Day 2 saw Hickson return to his milk run of spots and he and non-boater David Simmons filled their bag fairly quickly. “We worked really well as a team,” said Simmons. “I’d work the more active fish on the edge of the bank with an OSP

Kris Hickson and David Simmons with the Day 2 bag that put Kris over the line.

High Pitcher spinnerbait, while Kris punched his plastic/rev head combo into the thick of it.”

This style of heavy cover ‘punching’ hasn’t featured in a BASS Pro win yet, and it’s because of the move into rivers that has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for anglers and manufacturers alike.

Hickson mainly used two combinations through the whole tournament, a Daiwa Black Label 701MLXS paired with a Caldia SHA 2500, and a Silverwolf Zantetsu 681MLXS paired with the matching 2500 reel.

He spooled the reels with Daiwa Evo 8 braid with 10lb leaders.

With the win, Hickson pocketed $2200 and has moved to second position in the Bassman BASS Pro AOY race.

Adrian Melchior settles for second CE 2ND PLA Local gun Adrian Melchior came into the event as the hot favourite. Having won the ABT Richmond River trial event in October 2015, Melchior was always expected to do well However, his first session failed to live up to the hype. “I started downriver around Woodburn and really struggled,” explained Melchior. “I had a backup spot up the Wilson River, but I’d run too far and committed myself downriver.” Melchior started slowly, finishing the first session with only one fish and lagging in 19th place.

Choosing to weigh the one fish in early to maximize the afternoon session, Melchior ran the opposite

Event runner-up Adrian Melchior was the hot favourite coming into the event, and he lived up to expectations with a strong rally on Saturday afternoon and Sunday to finish 2nd.

direction up the Wilson River almost all the way to Lismore before pulling up and starting to fish.

“There was a lot of boat traffic in the Wilson, and that had muddied up some of the banks, so I just kept driving until there was no more boats,” explained Melchior.

Melchior put on a power fishing 101 course, diving into his collection of Bassman Spinnerbaits and choosing a 1/2oz Bassman TW in colour #25. He customized the bait with downsized blades so that the lure would run deeper in the water column.

“I actually flattened my electric motor batteries on Saturday, I’ve never done that before” said Melchior.

Choosing to fish fast and target the more active fish, rather than picking apart each piece of structure on the river. It was textbook power fishing, with Melchior and his non-boater catching fish

quickly and easily, even having a double hook-up at one stage.

Day 2 started and Melchior returned to his honey hole up the Wilson River, quickly starting where he’d left off on Saturday.

Although the bigger fish from Saturday afternoon eluded him on Sunday, he still weighed enough to overtake young gun Joseph Urquhart and claim second place and the $1200 cheque that went with it.

Melchior relied on baitcasting tackle to deliver

-BOATER 1ST NON Tony Neal is making a habit of winning ABT BASS Pro events, as the NSW BASSer took his second victory in as many starts at the Spotters Richmond River BASS Pro. Tony fished with event champion Kris Hickson and Tom Slater over the weekend, and piled on enough weight on Day 1 to hold onto top position, despite weighing only one fish on Sunday.

Day 1 saw Tony paired with Hickson, and the pair targeted various spots downriver from the event start at Coraki. All types of banks produced fish, from timber laden snag hotspots, to open grassy stretches, however it was the grassy stretches that proved most fruitful. Tony, like Hickson

the tide had risen, Tony managed a 780g fish on a weedless rigged plastic and beetle spin combo.

Tony armed himself with his trusty Elite Industries 6-9lb rod by Gladiator Tackle, paired

Champion non-boater Tony Neal fished with Hickson on Day 1. to stay connected to the bites they encountered. Towards the end of the session once

with a Gladiator Psyborg 2000 reel. He spooled up with 10lb Super PE and

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Black Label 701MLXS, Silverwolf Zantetsu 681MLXS Reel: Caldia SHA 2500 Line: Daiwa Evo 8lb braid Leader: 10lb fluorocarbon

Winning Edge

Hickson turned to his BREAMing roots to identify a winning pattern. After failing to make the techniques he’d hoped to use work in the official pre-fish, Hickson went back to basics and ran downriver to find less pressured fish hiding among heavy cover on the riverbank. Rigging his plastics weedless on a TT Rev Head was the key tackle modification.“The Rev Heads are a standard shaped hook, so to rig a plastic weedless on them you need to nose hook it and then come back through the body so the plastic sits on a slight angle,” he concluded.

tied on 8, 12 and 20lb Sunline FC Rock leader through different stages of the weekend.

Tony’s not going to be left in need of any product anytime soon, taking home a second swag bag full of staple bass tackle thanks to major sponsor Bassman Spinnerbaits. With two first place finishes from as many events to start his 2016 campaign, Tony is in the hot seat to dethrone current Bassman AOY leader Aimee Thompson if he makes the road trip north to Boondooma Dam in July to attend the final round of the season.

“You bet I’m going to come to the final round, I’ve already spoken to my wife about the trip, with two wins from two starts there’s no better opportunity to win than this year, so I’ll be there with bells on!”

Tony thanked his long time sponsors Gladiator Tackle, Barz Optics and Haswing Marine for their support throughout the year.

TOP 10 BOATERS

Austackle Big Bass

The Austackle Big Bass was caught by Steve Kanowski on Day 2. Kanowski caught the 1.32kg kicker off a single small stick on the bank of the Richmond River. The lure of choice was a Smak 1/2oz spinnerbait in a blue/purple/pink colour. His gear of choice was a long 7ft baitcast rod, paired with an Abu Revo Premier reel spooled with 15lb Spiderwire Stealth braid and topped with a 15lb Stren fluorocarbon leader.

OSP Rookie Reward

Paul Vandenboom won the OSP Rookie Award courtesy of his 4th place finish in the nonboater section. Vandenboom weighed in 8/12 for 4.87kg to edge out Dom Jordon by 50g.

Vandenboom will take home a great selection of some of the hottest baits on the ABT tour courtesy of OSP and FishTec Solutions.

Aimee Thompson has taken the leader in the Edge Rods Rookie of the Year race, with the winner at the end of Round 4 taking home an Edge First Strike rod valued over $500.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12/12 9/12 11/12 6/12 6/12 7/12 7/12 6/12 6/12 4/12

8.70 6.79 6.60 4.95 4.85 4.54 4.42 4.13 4.06 3.53

Kristoffer HICKSON Adrian MELCHIOR Joseph URQUHART Daniel BROWN Paul GILLESPIE Daniel CLANCY Mark LENNOX Brian EVERINGHAM Mitchell CONE Stephen KANOWSKI

the bait accurately along the snaggy banks of the Wilson, reaching for a new Samurai Infinite B16-F66 rod paired with a Daiwa Steez 103 reel. He filled the spool with Unitika 18lb braid and chose to run 12lb Unitika fluorocarbon leader for the entire weekend.

Melchior thanked long time sponsors Frogley’s Offshore, Bassman Spinnerbaits and Ballina Marine Land for their continued support.

WINNING NOTES

Tony Neal wins two in a row relied on a bladed jighead with a weedless rigged soft plastic to catch fish throughout Day 1.

On Day 2, Tony couldn’t replicate his winning technique and himself, along with Slater struggled

BASS

Presente SERIES d by Spo tters

Payout

$2200 + Duffrods Big Bag $1200 $975 $725 $550

$500 Austackle Big Bass

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9/12 6/12 8/12 8/12 8/12 5/12 5/12 5/12 5/12 6/12

5.91 5.17 4.89 4.87 4.82 4.32 4.13 4.12 3.59 3.46

Tony NEAL David SIMMONS Matt CUSCHIERI Paul VANDENBOOM Dom JORDAN Paul PIPER Orton MARCHANT David WELFARE Brett HYDE Brendan PIESCHEL

Payout

Bassman Prize Pack 13 Fishing Rod & Prize Pack Spotters Prize Pack Spotters Pack + OSP Rookie Berkley Prize Pack Austackle Rod & Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au JUNE 2016

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Gilly a bridesmaid no more CE 1ST PLA Steve Gill (Gilly) has had seven, third place finishes in ABT BREAM Qualifiers.

He was almost the Gerald Swindle of BREAM competition in Australia, labelled the best to never win a BREAM Qualifier or Grand Final. Well, that monkey is well and truly off his back now with the Victorian blitzing the field at his favourite tournament arena. Gilly achieved an impressive 10/10 limit for an 11.65kg bag, which beat his nearest competitor by over 2kg.

“I couldn’t think of a better place to notch up my first ABT victory,” said Gilly when interviewed after the tournament. “Things happen for a reason and this place is red-hot, it can be tough at times to locate the fish, but when you find them you remember why you travelled so far to get there.”

Anglers were left cold and wet after a serious storm front rolled through on the Sunday morning, but that didn’t faze Gilly, who held the overnight lead.

“At one stage I nearly got blown off the front deck of my boat, it was that windy.”

The adverse conditions didn’t

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Scan this QR code to listen to Steve Gill and Rebecca Fazio outline their winning ways.

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faze him though, as he brought the biggest bag of his ABT career and the biggest bag of the tournament to the scales on Sunday afternoon. Faced with challenging low tides early in both sessions, the key to success at the Costa Derwent River BREAM Qualifier was to find an area with sufficient depth to catch fish before the tide started to rise.

“High tide on the Derwent makes it a much easier place

catching the biggest bream in Australia.

Arming himself with two different colours (reflect ayu and half mirror smelt) of the popular Nories Laydown Minnow (Shallow), Gilly fired long casts out over the flat, and began to methodically work the area with a textbook twitch and pause retrieve.

“You’ve got to fish slowly when fishing for black bream,” said Gilly. After watching his

Bridge proved perfect, with an almost 40cm bream caught on his first cast. Shortly after, the 41cm kicker came aboard and it was then that he knew he would be hard to chase down.

Gilly’s equipment for the weekend consisted of a quiver of Howler Custom Rods that he paired with the new Shimano Twinpower reel, which he had bought new, especially for the trip across the Bass Strait. He spooled

Steve Gill with the champion fish that took out the Derwent round! to figure out, I knew I had to work something out for the low tide so I could at least catch a few fish early before looking for upgrades as the water came in,” explained Gilly.

Starting each day on shallow muddy flats upstream of the Bowen Bridge, Gilly managed a number of fish early each session. As the tide rose over the rocky edges, he turned his attention to active fish that had moved up with the tide looking to feed.

Reflective coloured slim profile jerkbaits have always been the popular lure when the ABT tour rolls into Tassie, and Gilly didn’t try to re-write the books when it came to

non-boater Rebecca Fazio get off to a flying start on the first morning, Gilly hit his stride, putting together his then current personal best ABT bag of 5.73kg. Not content with that, Gilly went on and broke his mark again on the second day, weighing an impressive 5.92kg limit, which included the tournament big bream.

It wasn’t all high fives and smiles on Day 2 however, with four fish in the box early, Gilly struggled through until almost 1pm, when he knew the tide would be up. A move upstream of the Bridgewater

the reel with Yamatoyo Resin Sheller PE in 9lb and topped it off with Yamatoyo Rockfish fluorocarbon leader in 4lb.

Gilly was well rewarded for his efforts, taking home almost $2500 in prize money and instantly qualifying for the St Georges Basin BREAM Grand Final. He also now finds himself in a three-way tie for the PowerPole Angler of the Year title with two other ABT veterans – Warren Carter and Steve Morgan. The race is well and truly on as the BREAM tour heads to Forster for Round 6.

The Norries Laydown Minnow was a massive asset in Steve Gill’s tacklebox.

Lister lets loose for a 2nd place finish CE 2ND PLA Canberra’s Alan Lister remained consistent through the two tournament sessions to notch a runner-up finish, thanks to a 10/10, 9.3kg limit. Lister finished a disappointing 17th at the first event at St Helens, but turned his tour around at the Costa Derwent River BREAM Qualifier by focusing on the area he found on the Friday pre-fish.

“I actually came down to Tasmania with a friend of mine before the pre-fish ban started. We fished the Derwent for four days and caught a few fish. It’s such a big arena that come the official pre-fish day, I actually chose not to visit any areas I had explored on my

pre-practice trip.” said Lister.

He’s not wrong – the Derwent system is expansive and encompasses plenty of small bays and coves, as well as a huge area near the mouth known as Ralphs Bay. During his pre-practice Lister located a small bay off the main river in which he’d experienced a double hook-up of 1.2kg Derwent River brutes.

“I started the first day in that small bay. I had waypoints all over the place from where I’d caught fish a few weeks earlier, but it didn’t pay out during the tournament,” explained Lister.

Turning to Plan B, Lister moved to a bank he’d found in the main river and the first fish he managed to boat went over 1.2kg. Lister had visited the local tackle store before fishing the event, and picked up a Daiwa Presso Minnow.

He went on to use the lure for the entirety of the two tournament sessions.

“I had a box full of slim profile jerkbaits, but I don’t think I could have caught any more, or better fish by using something else.

So I just committed to the Presso Minnow and it paid off,” he said.

Lister went on to upgrade a number of smaller

fish through Day 1, and returned to the scales and was pleasantly surprised to find he’s weighed the magic 5kg bag. Sitting in 2nd place overnight, Lister was determined to continue fishing with the open mind that had led him to success the previous day.

Alan Lister came in 2nd with some monster fish.

BREAM Presente SERIES d by Costa

“I was a ball of nerves on the start line on the second day, I had to tell myself to just fish for fun and enjoy the day because I knew if I let it get to me I’d fish too fast and miss some opportunities,” he said.

Fishing slow was the key, after receiving some advice from other competitors that emphasised the need to slow down when fishing for the big black bream that call the Derwent home.

“I’d retrieve my lure with a twitch and pause retrieve, sometimes letting the lure sit for over 10 seconds” Lister said. On more than one occasion, Lister would turn his back to do something, and his braid would snap straight with the force of a Derwent kegger on the other end.

“Every single bite I had over the two tournament days came when the lure was stationary,” he said. This emphasises the need for a patient mind while tournament

fishing in Tasmania. At one stage, Lister witnessed a 1kg+ bream inhale his lure in front of his eyes, yet he failed to feel or see the bite.

Lister relied on a Shimano 3-Zero 1-3kg rod, paired with a Daiwa Aird 2000 reel. He strung up with 6lb braided mainline and his connection to his newly found Presso Minnow was 2 rod lengths of 4lb Sunline FC-Rock fluorocarbon leader.

With qualification now locked away for the Costa St Georges Basin BREAM Grand Final, Lister can fish carefree through the rest of the tournament season.

“Living in Canberra, if I had to name my local bream waters, it would probably have to be St Georges Basin. So I’m looking forward to hitting the water when I can over the rest of the year to prepare for the Grand Final.”

Fazio unfazed by the competition at Derwent -BOATER 1ST NON Rebecca Fazio has claimed her second ABT non-boater event win, four years after her first at St Georges Basin. The long-time non-boater was thrilled to

weigh her personal best 5/5 (5.07kg) bag during the first day of competition with event champion Steve Gill. With the pair catching an impressive 10.8kg combined limit for the day.

Returning to the scales on Sunday with a 5/5 3.7kg bag, Fazio was sceptical if it would be enough to retain her overnight lead.

“I didn’t think I had quite that much weight as I was

walking up to the bump tubs,” explained Fazio. In the end, it was more than enough to relegate St Helens non-boater champion Michael Alexander to second place. Paired with Steve Gill and Kris Hickson over the course of the weekend, Fazio was always going to be around the fish, it was up to her to convert them into weight on the scales.

“The first day with Gilly started perfectly, flying off

the mark with a number of good fish early on a Jackall Colt Minnow. I couldn’t believe how well the day went with Gilly, I landed twelve legal bream with the biggest just over 38cm to the fork,” explained Fazio.

Waking Sunday morning to the overcast and reckoning skies, Fazio was dealt a dose of the ‘who shares wins’ ABT motto. Hickson’s electric motor batteries had died within an hour of the start, and he selflessly paddled the boat around in blustery conditions so that Rebecca had the best chances of catching her five fish.

“It looked really funny to watch someone paddling

a 20ft bass boat around, and I must say I really appreciate what Kris did for me during that second day,” said Fazio.

Between the successful Colt Minnow from the previous day, Fazio also rotated in a Smith Panish and Cranka Crab to catch her Sunday limit and propel

her to victory.

“I can’t wait to get back to St Georges Basin for this year’s Costa BREAM Grand Final, I missed last year’s Grand Final because I ran out of annual leave, so I’m making sure I’ve got enough for when the Grand Final rolls around.”

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: Howler Custom Line: Shimano Twinpower reel Line: 9lb Yamatoyo Resin Sheller PE Leader: 4lb Yamatoyo Rockfish fluorocarbon

Winning Edge

The trick to Gilly’s win was having the confidence to rely on his spot to produce very late in the day. He relied on the action of the tide, that once it got over the structure he could upgrade the smaller fish he’d caught during the day for bigger models.

Big Bream

Rebecca Fazio was stoked to take out the 1st place in the non-boater competition.

The biggest bream of the tournament was caught by Steve Gill and weighed a whopping 1.65kg.

Scan this to watch the Facebook Live broadcast from the final weigh-in.

TOP 10 BOATERS

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Steve Gill Alan Lister Mark Crompton Cameron Whittam Gary Alexander Warren Carter Andrew Krushka Adam Crick Steve Morgan Jason Harrlock

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

11.65 9.30 9.26 8.84 8.63 8.57 8.34 7.93 7.86 7.69

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Payout $1900 $1300 $900 $700 $550

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 7/10 8/10 6/10 7/10 7/10 6/10

8.77 8.42 6.66 6.21 6.04 5.46 5.29 5.06 4.91 4.74

Rebecca Fazio Michael Alexander Bernard Kong Grayson Fong Mark Hayes Neil Chegwidden Josh Carpenter Paul Siemaszko Blake O’Grady Alex Franchuck

Payout

Costa Sunglasses Pack Samurai Reaction Rod Berkley Prize Pack Spotters Sunglasses Austackle Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au JUNE 2016

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Stoddard takes win at the ISIS Round Two of the ABT BASS Electric Series was held on 17 April and attracted 21 anglers to Lake Gregory, also known as the Isis Balancing Storage.

The BASS Electric Series allows anglers to compete in challenging and rewarding compeition on some of the smaller electric only lakes and dams that litter both Queensland and New South Wales.

In what was a uncharacteristicly tough bite for the usually great fishing impoundment.

Local angler Jordan Stoddard came away with the victory on a count back, after weighing a full 2/2 tournament limit for 1.22kg. Stoddard weighed the heaviest fish out of himself and second placed angler Tim Steenhuis earning him the count back victory. With the traditionally bigger fish of Isis not playing the game, Stoddard targetted fish in slightly deeper water, on the edge of the abundant weed to secure his tournament limit.

Throughout the session, Stoddard relied on two

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Local basser Tim Steenhuis secured 2nd place and booked a spot in the Bluefin/ePropulsion BASS Electric Convention. in total weight, the countback rule was applied and Jordon’s biggest fish just

Third place was awarded to Jeremy McConnell who worked

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Jordan Stoddart with his brace of Isis winning bass.

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different soft plastics to capture the winning fish.

His first fish was lured by a camo coloured Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub, and his second on a pearl white Slider Grub. He rigged both on TT lures jigheads and retrieved them slowly off the bottom where the weed edge dropped into deeper water. Jordan’s two fish weighed 1.22kg.

After a successful session, Tim Steenhuis was relagated to second place by a mere 10g.

Equalling Stoddart’s bag

nudged Tim out of the top spot.

Targetting the same type of structure as event winner Stoddard, Steenhuis worked the weed edge using an Evergreen Littlemax Blade. Chasing a late session upgrade, Steenhuis targetted the deep edge along the dam wall and chose to throw a Bassman TW Spinnerbait in colour 27. His retrieve was a methodical slow roll once he’d allowed the lure to sink to the desired depth.

schooling fish in the middle arm of the lake. Targetting the fish with a small paddle-tail soft plastic, he opted for the popular Keitech Easy Shiner 3”.

His approach was one of the most successful out of all the competing anglers, catching over a dozen fish for the tournament session.

Size was lacking though, as McConnell only managed three legal sized bass.

The event’s Big Bass was awarded to Jesper Noieson for his fish that weighed 730g.

Although faced with a tough Lake Gregory, anglers managed to adapt to changing conditions and target the more active smaller fish that were located off the edge of the weed. The big bass that are often found in Lake Gregory were hard to come by, but anglers did say that they expect the big ones to begin feeding as the colder weather approaches. For more information, go to www.abt.org.au.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place

Angler

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10

Jordan Stoddart Tim Steenhuis Jeremy McConnell Robert Butler David Hine Adrian Wilson Jonathan Bale Les Smith Andy Gunn Rebecca Smith Jesper Noisen

Weight (kg) 1.22 1.22 1.14 1.11 1.10 1.03 0.97 0.95 0.95 0.89 0.73

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Hobie reveals World Championship location The details of the sixth annual Hobie Fishing World Championship (HFW6), presented by Rhino-Rack and hosted

by Hobie Cat Company have been released.

Anglers from 25 countries are expected to compete for the chance to be crowned this year’s Hobie Fishing World Champion. Steve Morgan caught up with Matt Petrie, the Australian Hobie Team Captain of 2015 and

Somerton, and the spirit of the competition, with many anglers sharing trade secrets and techniques to keep each other fishing successfully.

“The team we’ve taken over to China have worked together and shared information so we can get the best knowledge of the fisheries we are working.”

With the development of the World Championships, the rivalry has increased between anglers, and

Louisiana ‘bayou’ way of life. This series promises a memorable experience for both U.S. and international competitors. According to Hobie’s Keeton Eoff, it is the kayak fishing capital of the world.

The target species for the Championship include redfish, flounder and speckled trout. Keeton describes the conditions as semi-salt water shallow flats surrounded by deep marsh with plenty of fresh water inflows from the Mississippi. “The brackish area is prime for good food sources such as crab, shrimp and oysters, and the fish are in there feeding like crazy!” he says.

Matt Petrie is confident in the ability of Aussie anglers to handle these Louisiana surroundings; “It’s right up our alley, just like bream fishing on the flats – we just have to upsize our tackle and lures,” he says.

Keeton says, “I would definitely say that the main target species in Louisiana and, most of the Gulf, would be the redfish.

These fish have a keeper slot of 20-28” and anything over that limit would be considered a ‘bull’ and is

The shallow flats are the perfect zone for fishing, as the salt water mixed with fresh inflows from the Mississippi call all sorts of aquatic life to breed and feed. the day will be flounder.

Keeton describes flounder as resembling a “dinner plate” on the bottom of the water with a similarity to Aussie flathead, as an ambush predator reliant on currents for a feed. He says any angler “versatile” enough to crack the code of all three species will be in with a great chance.

“I think the local anglers have an advantage but when it comes to versatility and

travelling experience, the Aussies have done more, they’ve been there and have experienced catching different species in different countries. We are going to put them through a couple of days of enrichment and education on this waterway and I have no doubt they’ll be competing in contention,” he says.

“We can’t believe we’ve come this far and we’re really excited to have

our Aussie mates over,” concludes Keeton.

All competitors will fish from identically rigged Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14’s, provided by Hobie Cat Company and outfitted with Lowrance Electronics and Power-Pole MICRO Anchors, which Matt believes is a great way of levelling the playing field between anglers.

Don’t forget to get your entry in for the Wallis Lake for your chance to qualify for this fishing experience of a lifetime!

For more information visit www.hobiefishing worlds.com. – FMG VIDEO

Another prime target species in Louisiana, the speckled trout will be on the list during the Championship.

Hobie’s Keeton Eoff to find out more about the qualification process and the competition specifics.

For Australian anglers looking to qualify, there is only one round left.

The rules have changed this year and selection is now points-based and depends on an angler’s top three performances in the qualifying rounds. If you’ve already competed in two qualifying rounds you’ll have to fish the final event at Wallis Lake on 27-28 August.

this has been noted by the massive increase of competitors in the recent Scamander qualifying round. It’s definitely turning out to be a red-hot competition, with a golden ticket promised to six lucky qualifiers.

Hobie has made a grand announcement in the location of the Hobie World Championship to be held in La Fourche Parrish, Louisiana, on 4-10 December this year.

Located 45-minutes south west of New Orleans,

Matt reports the camaraderie between the Aussies including Scott Baker and Richard

La Fourche Parrish is the gateway to Cajun Country and the Gulf of Mexico, and offers a distinctly

A Hobie angler gingerly pulls a massive redfish aboard.

Enter the last round, and this could be you! a fish we would prefer to be returned to the water so as not to interrupt the breeding schedule.”

Redfish are a phenomenal tidal fish, which resemble an Aussie mulloway, and go great guns on the topwater action. Keeton tells that the experience of hooking up to a 1m+ redfish from a kayak is called a “Cajun sleighride.” We’re sure many anglers are dead-set keen on trying that out! Speckled trout belong to the same family as the redfish (the Croaker family) but look very different, school up more and respond to slightly different tactics. The real make or break catch of

Scan the QR code to hear Steve Morgan and Hobie’s Keeton Eoff discuss the location and species for the 6th iteration of the Hobie World Titles.

A prime example of a ‘bull’ redfish. Anglers who qualify for the Hobie World Championship in December can look forward to hunting a few of these amazing fish.

JUNE 2016

91

Trades, Services, Charter BOAT MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS

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Tackle Land Sandgate (07) 3269 5060 Tackle Land Carseldine (07) 3862 9015

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CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808

Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402

Iconic Boats Brisbane 0475 311 447

T&S Marine (07) 5546 2599

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.

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

MARINE ELECTRONICS

Stones Corner Marine (07) 3397 9766 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029 Tweed Powerhouse (07) 5523 0072 Coorparoo Marine (07) 3397 4141 Capalaba Boat Centre 04011 728 379 Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928 Cunningham Marine Centre (07) 3284 8805

MARINE ELECTRONICS

SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLATIONS

ONSITE AND MOBILE INSTALLATIONS

• Sounders • GPS • Electric Motors • Marine Radios and accessories • Stereos • Televisions • Radar Units • Autopilots Unit 4/1440 New Cleveland Road Capalaba www.trymax.com.au PHONE: 07 3245 3633

Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944 Bribie Boat Sales (07) 3408 0055

NORTH QUEENSLAND Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521

MARINE MECHANICS // MOBILE WYNUMM MANLY-BAYSIDE

MARINE OUTBOARD WRECKERS TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS She Left Camera Sunglasses www.hdvcs.com.au Specialty Fishing www.specialtyfishing.com.au U-Make-Em Sort Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

MARINE TRANSPORT

T FEE” “NO CALL OU

HORIZON SHORES MARINA

www.tsboatsales.com.au admin@tsboatsales.com.au Phone: (07)

3396 5633 OR (07) 5546 2599

Wondall Rd Marine (07) 3396 5633

ROD & REEL REPAIRS NORTH QUEENSLAND

D&H REEL REPAIRS 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 www.reelrepairs.com.au 110 Sherbrooke Rd, Willawong Qld 4110

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND FRASER ISLAND

Fraser Island Fishing Units INDIAN HEAD

BOAT TRANSPORT AUSTRALIA WIDE FROM A TINNY TO 50 FEET WEEKLY SERVICE TO ALL MAJOR CAPITALS

• Servicing all makes and models • Specialising in Mercury/ Mercruiser • Repower specialists • Antifoul, detailing and electrical work • Over 19 years experience in Mercury/ Mercruiser technician work • All servicing, repair, maintenance - fully guaranteed • Parts • Insurance • Finance

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

The Islander Retreat, South Stradbroke Island 0420 967 557

J-Roc Tackle www.jroctackle.com.au

Mechanic Mobile Marine

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

DJ Freight Marine Transport 0418 793 357 0427 341 076 contact@djfreight.com.au MARINE TRIMMERS GOLD COAST

A FISHO’S DREAM

bearfish@bigpond.com www.fraserislandfishingunits.com.au

Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364 Cathedrals on Fraser (07) 4127 9177

Why Camp? Book APURLA Holiday House • Eurong Fraser Island •

Advance Marine Upholstery GOLD COAST BOAT COVERS & CANOPIES • Biminis • Canopies • Storm Covers • Camper Covers

For bookings or enquiries contact: Cliff Andreassen 0428 712 283 or 07 5449 9346

• Boat Carpet • Pontoon Carpet • Jetty Fenders • Clears

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Seatrail Trailers www.seatrailqld.com.au Tinnie Tosser (07) 5498 7339 Sea-Link Special Trailers (07) 3881 3568

Apurla Island Retreat 0437 739 121 Fraser Island Beach Houses 1800 626 230 Yidney Rocks (07) 4127 9167 Eurong Beach Resort 1800 111 808

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Trades, Services, Charter Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory Ultimate fishing holiday Accommodation

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HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION COOKTOWN River of Gold Motel Plenty of room for boats and trailers PH: 4069 5222 HINCHINBROOK Cardwell Beachfront Motel - www.cardwellbeachmotel.net (07) 4066 8776 or info.cbmotel@bigpond.com

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446

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FISHING ON TV

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Bite Me Fishing Charters Yeppoon 0419 029 397 Ultimate Sportfishing Charters 0450 753 726 MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters 0427 125 727 Bundaberg Fishing Charters 0429 017 217 Sport Fish 1770 (07) 4974 9686

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CHARTER BOATS NORTHERN NSW Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962

Iluka Fishing Charters Gladstone 0414 940 911 Kanimbla Charters Gladstone1800 677 202

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BRISBANE Frenzy Charters Brisbane (07) 3209 4576 Tom Cat Charters (07) 3820 8794 Moreton Island Fishing Charters 0413 128 056 Brisbane Fishing Charters 0427 026 510 Bucket List Fishing Charters 0428 368 316 John Gooding Outlaw Charters 0418 738 750

SUNSHINE COAST Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151 Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109 Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868 Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012 Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814 Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402 Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671 Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956 Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170 Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958 Incredible Charters 1300 655 818

Brook Frecklington, otherwise known as ‘Hooked on Brooke’ spent some time testing out some of the new Pelagic Gear with some great results!

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat 98 Adventure Time!

Inside story...

Horizon Aluminium Boats are an Australian family-owned and operated boat-building empire. Founded in 1992 by Bob and Christine James, who’ve built their business from a small shed in Burleigh making two models, to a factory on the Gold Coast producing 84 models of boats that continue to charge at the forefront of boat design in Australia.

Made for...

Horizon have endeavoured to design and manufacture boats that not only fulfill fishing fantasies, but cater to a family oriented boating experience. Their motto is ‘Building family dreams today,’ and they have consistently fulfilled this promise.

This month...

We’re checking out the fishing and familyfriendly Horizon 525 Scorpion.

Justin Wilmer prepares you for the ultimate camping and kayaking bush bash.

100 Bang for your buck

Wayne Kampe gives his tips to buy an estuary rig. Read this before you crack open the wallet!

111 Get your tinny offshore

Kaspar Lenigas tells us how to set up a small offshore fishing vessel for safety, efficiency and ultimately for fun.

106 Horizon 525 Scorpion Our in-depth review of the zooming Horizon Scorpion with a Yamaha 70HP 4-stroke.

108 Iconic 5.5 Cuddy Cab

Glamour looks deliver the goods in this offshore beauty.

JUNE 2016

95

Gundy’s got the goods!

DALBY

Olivia McKenna

Goondiwindi is situated along the MacIntyre River, 350km southwest of Brisbane. Gundy, as it is affectionately known by the locals, is arguably home to some of the best wild Murray cod and yellowbelly fishing in Queensland.

The MacIntyre is a mighty river, and feeds the massive crop and cattle properties around the region. The river marks the boundary between NSW and Queensland in this area; consequently the river is under NSW regulation, and you will need a current NSW fishing license.

WELCOME TO GUNDY Goondiwindi is a township immersed in outdoor culture; sports fields and parks are dotted around the town.

There are two tackle stores in Gundy that both have helpful and experienced staff who are more than willing to point you in the right direction when seeking local fish. You

can also purchase a NSW fishing licenses at these stores or online.

There are many motels and other accommodation to make your stay in Gundy comfortable, all within walking distance of the main street. As far as fishing goes, you don’t need to venture far from the CBD to snag yourself a fish and the boat ramp in the

centre of town will provide easy access to the MacIntyre.

FISHING There are toilets, ample parking space and shaded grass areas provided at the boat ramp. The stretch of river between the two weirs is approximately 16km long.

You will find the banks of the river lined with snags and rock walls, begging to be

Brandon nailed this nice yella on a lipless crankbait fished around the snags.

During low light, cod will venture into shallow water and smash surface offerings.

Beaches are littered all along the river, offering great access to some fantastic native water.

The author loves fishing this stretch of water, and with quality natives like this, who can blame her?

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JUNE 2016

fished. It won’t matter which direction you head first, there are large numbers of natives awaiting your lure. Casting tight against the banks and standing timber as well as slowly trolling will be successful.

Spinnerbaits, especially types with large gold Colorado blades work the best. Cast under low branches and rock walls for yellowbelly. Many of the large trees that overhang the banks have lost branches into the river below, which make great hidey holes for big Murray cod. If you don’t have a sounder, keep an eye out for trees missing branches and fish the depths below.

Deep diving lures with a wide swaying action will easily get down and into prime snags, and if divers aren’t working, try loud and obnoxious spinnerbaits. Cast them tight against the bank and let them sink, slowly retrieve the spinnerbait, and this should tempt a big green monster out of their lair.

CAMPING If camping along the riverbank is more your style, there are many public reserves marked along the river. The stretch of river between Goondiwindi and Yelarbon holds many good reserves, in particular Lee’s Reserve.

Lee’s Reserve holds some of the larger bodies of water and is a great spot for a weekend away. Free unpowered bush camping on the water’s edge is what you will find, as well as an abundance of native fish.

Mooring your kayak on the bank in front of your tent is all too easy as there are many beaches along the water, large enough to fit the whole family and camper.

Camping so close to the water and with a kayak is definitely an advantage.

There is quite a lot of standing timber that holds fish. Be sure to keep a distance from the snags you cast at, because you never know when a 1m+ Murray cod might grab your lure.

These big fish are a lot of fun to catch, but can tow a kayak into the trees quite quickly and damage or break gear.

LURE CHOICE Green and chartreuse lures work well in the area

at the moment, so lipless crankbaits and deep divers in this colour are a must.

Spinnerbaits of all colours

these big surface lures past snags and working them back at a slow and steady pace will produce good fish.

Big surface walkers will provoke an aggressive response from cod like this. are working well, though models with bigger blades tempt more cod.

If you are feeling adventurous, large surface walkers and poppers will provide you with some heart-stopping, reel screaming action in the early mornings, late afternoons and moonlit nights. Casting

Don’t be scared to fish very shallow water. Under the cover of darkness, Murray cod will venture into the shallows and take surface presentations willingly.

Goondiwindi is sure to please; with so much water easily accessible by kayak, you’re guaranteed to have a great time.

This yella took Jess’s hardbody worked tight in cover.

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TOWNSVILLE

91-93 Neil St, Toowoomba 07 4637 9511 www.waterskierswarehouse.com.au • rod@waterskierswarehouse.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH

SUNSHINE COAST

Springwood Marine

BUNDABERG

White Water Marine

TULLY

Steve Fleetwood Marine

10 Morgan St, Gladstone 07 4972 9463 sfmarine@tpg.com.au

Adrians Marine Centre

28 Ritchie St, Bundaberg 07 4153 1819 www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au • adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com.au

10 Hinde St, Ashmore 07 5532 4402 www.whitewatermarine.com.au • sales@whitewatermarine.com.au

GLADSTONE

Caloundra Marine

8 Baldwin St, Caloundra 07 5491 1944 www.caloundramarine.com.au • sales@caloundramarine.com.au

3475 Pacific Hwy, Springwood 07 3297 8200 www.springwoodmarine.com.au • gyulav@springwoodmarine.com.au

GOLD COAST

Angus Smith Marine

6 Plume St, South Townsville 07 4771 4046 www.angussmithmarine.com.au • boats@angussmithmarine.com.au

Hunts Outboards

13 Watkins St, Tully 07 4068 2222 www.huntsoutboards.com.au • hos3@westnet.com.au

Kayak camping – planning and preparation BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Recently we caught up with friends who were planning to hike The Overland Track in Tasmania. After digging through the lightweight camping gear and gadgets that I carry on my adventures camping, they selected a few items that may make their adventure more comfortable, safer and more enjoyable. One thing led to another and by the end of the night we also had a basic plan together for an upcoming overnight kayak camping and fishing adventure.

Planning and preparation are key components of any successful kayak camping adventure, so I thought I would take this opportunity to break down these components while planning our upcoming adventure.

Camping lightweight from a kayak allows you to make the most of available time, spend more time on the water at peak bite times (dawn and dusk), and base yourself further from your launch site, often in less pressured and more productive waters. It’s also a great way to explore this magic country, escape the hustle and bustle of the everyday and catch up

with mates, sharing a few fishing tales around a fire or lantern. Whether it’s being dropped off at a local river and picked up downstream a day or two later, paddling to a picturesque island

GETTING STARTED Always remember safety first – assess the level of risk before making any decisions.

It is important to consider your skill and fitness level, along with the payload of your kayak

GEARING UP When it comes to selecting gear it’s often a balance between the available space and payload of your kayak, and the weight and pack size of the gear that you

Some more lightweight gems from Sea to Summit – pocket towel, ultralight backpack, pocket soap, folding bucket and even the kitchen sink! campground to make the most of a weekend, or embarking on a multi-day kayak touring adventure, a quick Google for camping areas in your region of interest or a search for commercial kayak camping tours anywhere in the world could see you on the water.

and whether it is designed to carry this payload over long distances. Then it’s time to select a destination, taking into account your launch point, distance to be travelled, weather, available facilities, booking and permits, insects and wildlife, and the timeframe that you have available.

Kayak camping can put you right where the fish are.

wish to carry. You need to tick all of the basic needs, such as shelter, bedding, cooking, lighting and food and water.

If you are travelling with others, sharing gear such as an icebox, cooker, area lantern and bug spray, can allow you each to carry a few more luxuries. The evolution of hiking gear has created a multitude of equipment options that are perfect for kayak campers. Let’s take a brief look at each category of gear that you may want to consider.

FOOD AND WATER If you’re doing an overnighter you may be able to carry standard meals in an icebox. Alternatively you may opt for packet or tinned options. We often carry freeze dried meals designed for hikers and these are pretty tasty, nutritious, come in a wide variety of meal options, are lightweight and simply require the addition of boiling water. These can be eaten straight from the packet to minimise dishes, or we often carry bread wraps and spoon these meals into the wraps for additional fuel.

Left: Just one of the many lightweight-cooking options, the Mini Trangia, packs inside itself to minimise packing space. Right: The Mini Trangia set up and ready to cook – just add methylated spirits.

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Top: Even your cutlery can be lightweight – hard anodised aircraft grade aluminium on the right and polycarbonate on the left. Middle: A lightweight bedding solution – air mattress, sleeping bag, inflatable pillow and fitted sheet. The total weight of this set-up is under 2kg and fits in a medium dry bag. Bottom: The Light My Fire Meal Kit 2.0 is ideal for kayak camping. Bowl, plate, spork, two waterproof containers, Pack-up-Cup, cutting board/ strainer and harness all packs up inside itself.

Always carry more water than you think you will need for your trip. It’s a good idea to store water in multiple smaller containers rather than one large container, just in case this container leaks or is contaminated. Carrying a means of making safe drinking water, such as water purification tablets, a Steripen or Lifestraw is also a good idea.

SHELTER Hiking tents are the most popular shelter option for kayak campers and important things to consider include the erected size and configuration, pack size and weight, and depending on your destination, mesh screens and ventilation.

BEDDING Sleeping bags are the most commonly used bedding option and it’s important to consider fit size, pack size and weight, temperature rating, left or right hand zip, tapering, hood and I would suggest,

a quality synthetic bag over down (feathers) as they retain their loft and therefore ability to capture air and keep you warm – even when wet.

Sleep mats are the most common bed option for kayak campers, including lightweight foam mats, inflatable mats and selfinflating mats. In cooler weather, insulated mats are needed to reduce the cold rising from the ground, while in tropical regions you can go extremely light with simple uninsulated inflatable mats.

To minimise weight and bulk further you can opt for a tapered mat or 3/4-size mat that run from the head to the hips. Sea to Summit has an excellent range of mats, pillows and pumps for kayak campers.

COOKING There are a range of cooking options available, with fuel options that include butane, methylated spirits,

wood chips, fuel tablets such as hexamine and more.

A couple of my favourite options include the Jet Boil butane cooker, which is simple, fast and ideal for short trips and the Trangia which is ideal for larger groups, longer adventures and you can cook a lot of meals on a single Trangia bottle filled with methylated spirits, making it extremely inexpensive to run.

When it comes to lighting these appliances, or lighting a campfire for cooking, check out the Fire Steel from Light My Fire, designed to produce high temperature sparks when struck with the included striker, even when wet.

KITCHEN When it comes to kitchen items it’s hats off to Sea to Summit again, a company that develops innovative, functional solutions for lightweight adventurers. I have a lightweight kitchen kit loaded with their products, including ultralight cutlery,

It’s all about location, location, location. folding plates, bowls, cups and pots, folding bucket and sink, spice holder, environmentally friendly wash and more.

LIGHTING There are two forms of lighting we carry, a headlamp each and an area lantern for the group. We

Water drums and iceboxes are just a couple of storage options.

Top: Hiking tents are a popular option, and this one only weighs in at about 1kg.

Bottom: The author’s MacGyver Kit. Safety first.

prefer headlamps that are waterproof, LED and battery operated, allowing us to carry a spare set of batteries.

Area lanterns are available that are lightweight, compact and LED, offering longer run times. We use a lantern that pops open to spread and diffuse the light over a larger area for use when cooking.

TOILET AND SHOWER For overnight adventures you may be able to rough it, have a swim or use body wipes such as Wilderness Wipes. When travelling with your partner though, it may be worth including a Sea to Summit Pocket Shower in the kit to keep them smiling.

Simply warm up some water, pour it into the lightweight shower bag, hoist it in a tree, turn the nozzle and away you go. Pocket Soap and Trek & Travel Liquid Soaps are ideal options for showering lightweight and a lightweight Tek Towel will see you dry, without the weight and bulk of traditional towels.

No one really likes to talk about the toilet, however this has been made more user-

friendly with products such as the Pocket Trowel, Outhouse Toilet Roll Holder and hand sanitisers.

SAFETY AND FIRST AID When selecting a first aid kit it’s important to consider how many people are in your group, how long you will be away for and how far you will be from assistance. Most of the major first aid kits have tables on their website to assist you with your selection, along with supplementary kits that may be relevant to your adventure, such as snakebite kits.

We also carry a ‘MacGyver Kit’ that includes items such as a signal mirror, whistle, emergency blanket, multi-tool, zip ties, electrical tape, chemical lights, sunscreen, bug spray, fire starter, length of venetian blind cord and a few other items that could get us out of a sticky situation. I also have an EPIRB that joins us on our adventures, while many adventurers prefer a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon).

NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION Navigation is made simple with modern GPS units, however it’s a good idea to have a backup such as a chart

of the area in a waterproof map case, a compass such as those that can be mounted on your kayak and an idea of where the sun will track in relation to your travels and launch point.

In terms, of communication a mobile phone is a good starting point and it’s a good idea to carry one of the portable charging options that are available.

There are now attachments available that can convert your mobile phone into a satellite phone, for those on more extreme adventures. We also carry a pair of waterproof 5W handheld UHF radios, with VHF radios – an excellent option for those in remote and offshore areas. An EPIRB or PLB provides great peace of mind and is another option to alert the authorities should something go wrong. Most importantly, let someone know where you’re going, when you expect to return, how many in your group and your contact numbers. Safety first.

CLOTHING The environment in which you are adventuring will often dictate your clothing, so consider heat

breathable outer layers, thermal base layers, a combination of layers rather than one heavy layer allows you to add or remove layers to better adapt to changes in temperature. Sun protection options include headwear, buffs, sun shirts, gloves, footwear and sun pants such as the quick dry Stealth Wear from Sun2Sea UV Protection.

When it comes to storing your kit, iceboxes, water drums, waterproof boxes, crates and dry bags are all good options, along with octopus straps and tie down straps for securing them. We use different coloured dry bags to easily sort, manage and locate particular items.

Whether it’s the fishing, adventure, wildlife, escape, mateship, exploration or whatever else drives you and recharges your batteries, kayak camping can be as simple as an overnighter locally or a more involved multi-day adventure further afield. On our adventures we have landed some cracker fish, watched some amazing sunrises and sunsets, interacted with wildlife such

Looks like we’ve found our campsite. and cold, humidity, wind and sun exposure. Technical developments in hiking clothing can be used by kayak campers, including lightweight waterproof and

as dolphins and dugongs, and made some awesome memories. Stay tuned for a wrap up of our upcoming overnight adventures in coming issues.

Kayak camping can allow you to explore some amazing locations.

JUNE 2016

99

Buying an estuary rig – what you need to know BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Estuary rigs cover a whole range of boats, from the standard dinghy right through to the pointed punt style of rig.

The most popular sizes are from 3.2m right up to 5m, which means there’s a great variety of boats to choose from depending on the kind of fishing you want to do.

Most of the time estuary rigs will be used in waters that, while sometimes a bit choppy, are going to be user-friendly in average conditions. That said, some of the larger estuary/bay craft will find themselves offshore on the right day – such is the diversity of size in today’s estuary rigs.

Stacer’s Outlaw is a conventional dinghy that fulfils most estuary fishing requirements. Note the side console driving position.

If you want to save some money, a used rig can be just as good if you know what points to look for in a pre-owned craft – or if you know someone who can lend you their expertise. You definitely shouldn’t overlook the monetary benefits of getting a used boat.

standard open dinghy (the ones we all knew so well for years before pointy punts took over) usually has seating arrangements for up to three or four, a sharp bow and open layout.

Some hulls feature a near flat configuration aft, while other larger ones are more sophisticated and sport

craft right up to side console modules for the larger jobs. This sort of rig can handle a variety of water conditions and will suit a lot of people. Additionally, if it’s high sided enough it will manage within a bay or estuary quite well.

Alloy is the most common construction material due to weight advantages and maintenance-free durability.

Storage space is virtually everywhere in a ‘standard’ dinghy. It’s an open boat so you bring along your own storage box or boxes and snug things into areas where they will be out of the way.

Modern craft offer much improved rides these days and are relatively cheap, especially in the 3.65-4.5m range. Many get by nicely with low powered engines, which means that a lot of crabs, fish or prawns can come home for little outlay. At the end of fishing you just give the boat a hose down inside and out, pull the bung aft and let it drain and dry.

Dinghies also come in larger sizes, right up to 5m, and power can range well up towards the 90hp mark.

The Quintrex Renegade 460 is one estuary craft that could easily fulfil everything from sheltered to more exposed water fishing.

THINK BEFORE BUYING Like every other facet of boat ownership, it’s always best to look at your budget first. Then you should consider where you’ll use the boat most of

the time, how many people will usually be aboard, and finally where the boat will fit in your yard or garage.

When it comes to the initial outlay, a basic package for a new estuary style craft that will take

3-4 anglers is relatively affordable. Prices range anywhere from $20,000 - $30,000 in the smaller sizes. However, that price will increase significantly when you start looking at a larger rig.

Modern vee-nose punts come with under floor storage, and electric motor brackets are either fitted standard or are high on the options list.

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The best attributes of a punt are seen here: a large work area, side pocket, under floor storage space and a centrally-located live well.

DINGHY STYLE RIGS Choosing the precise style of boat comes down to a couple of things. The

some vee along with small reversed outer chines.

Driving positions vary from tiller steer in smaller

This extends the boat’s use from estuary to offshore in calm conditions. There’s definitely a lot of choice on

Stacer’s Proline has many of the desired features that characterise modern punts.

the market – it just boils down to what you want to use your boat for and what you can afford.

PUNTS MUCH IN DEMAND Vee-nosed punts offer just as much work room due to entirely open areas all round, plus the advantage of a casting deck up front which conceals a lot of useful storage space. As with some dinghies, many punts come with an electric

motor pad standard, or at least optional, which then opens the door to a world of thoroughly enjoyable stealth fishing.

Seating is usually something along the lines of buckets on pedestals.

You get a choice of placement, courtesy of additional in-floor spigots.

So we have virtually all of the boat as a fishing workspace, thanks to the great storage under the

deck and variable seating.

Could it get better?

Well… yes! Punts also have tremendous stability, and that’s a huge selling point. I’m not suggesting that standard dinghies aren’t stable, I’m just saying that the vee-nosed punt has a design that makes it more stable due to the extra in-water contact the punt has.

In a well designed punt the ride won’t be

compromised as there’s usually enough rake (the angle of the bow) and clean entry up front to iron out chop. Moreover,

it along and there’s some extra cost to consider. That said, a lot of folk enjoy their punts these days and virtually every serious

you need covered storage and want a stand-and-fish casting deck up front, which is handy for a lot of finesse and sports style fishing.

Horizon’s 438 Stryker is an estuary craft with potential to cater for a lot of fishing scenarios.

Open dinghies allow full work room. Some upmarket versions provide side pocket storage, but in most dinghies you just put your gear wherever there’s space.

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most punts have some additional weight about them due to the casting deck and other framework up front, and that bit of extra weight assists in ride quality as well.

Naturally, the punt style rig is going to require a bit more horsepower to kick

alloy maker has one or more models on the books.

THE CHOICE So there we have it: two basic styles of boat for the same job. The choice comes down to how much money you want to spend, the sort of fishing you’re planning to do, and whether

Either way, provided the rig is a proven brand and comes with plenty of kudos from reviewers and owners past and present, it won’t be far off the buyer’s mark. Remember, all boats involves some compromises. The trick is to minimise them.

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JUNE 2016

101

Small offshore boat set up tips BRISBANE OFFSHORE

Kaspar Lenigas

Offshore fishing can be some of the most exciting and incredible fishing that an angler can experience, once you get past seasickness… You can catch small baitfish to sea monsters – it’s all out there for you, as long as you can get to where they are.

offshore and have more storage for gear. However, they are harder to tow, use a lot of fuel and usually require a small crew to operate and take out.

Small boats on the other hand are easy for one or two people to operate, easy to tow, cheap on fuel and relatively comfortable to fish out of. In a small boat, you will get wet and they don’t ride as well as bigger boats in slightly rougher conditions, but if

gear, fuel and enough storage so everything is stowed away nicely and the deck is clear and safe to move around on.

When I set up my boat the biggest thing I had to focus on was making sure I had enough storage for all my safety gear, fuel tanks, fishing gear and have it so the deck was clear and easy to fish out of, and that all the added weight was balanced around the boat. You want the weight balanced and positioned in

flares, life jackets, tools, fire extinguisher, and rope. in an easily accessible area. At the stern of the boat, I designed a rear storage module to store other bits of gear, but it also has a live bait tank incorporated into it with rod holders.

The ocean is a dangerous place at the best of times and it can become very rough very quickly. That’s why an EPIRB is paramount to your safety and others while fishing offshore. It’s a good idea to have the EPIRB in a spot where you can access it at short notice. I’ve placed my EPIRB in a side pocket near the console, so it’s easy to get to when I need it.

A marine radio is another safety feature to have on

One of the most important considerations is making sure you can store everything out of the way so you can do battle with some big ocean monsters.

Dry storage is very important, and the author keeps the majority of his safety gear in dry storage up the bow.

Most anglers think you need a big boat to fish offshore comfortably, but that’s simply not the case. Smaller vessels from 4-5m can comfortably fish offshore and get you where you want, as long as the

you take your time and wear the appropriate clothing it’s not so bad. When conditions are perfect smaller boats are great to fish out of. You may also surprise yourself with what you can catch out of a small boat.

the right areas so the boat can ride nicely and safe into and with the swell offshore.

You don’t want the boat to be too heavily weighted to one side or to the bow or stern as it can be very dangerous and cause the boat to broach,

Small boats in the 4-5m range can comfortably go offshore if they are set up right, but also need to be looked after. The author takes great care of his craft, and has grown very attached to it… maybe a little too attached. conditions are suitable.

Big boats have some positives, but also a few negatives. You stay dry in a bigger boat, it’s more comfortable, they ride better 102

JUNE 2016

SETTING UP Safety gear The biggest part before taking a small boat offshore is setting it up properly so you have the appropriate safety

nose-dive, struggle to get on the plane and even flip.

For my boat I set up a dry storage unit at the bow of the boat that houses most of my safety gear like

Under the rear deck is a great place to store portable fuel tanks, as this will help to balance out the weight. board. You can get mounted ones that take up a lot of space and require an antenna, which can get in the way and once you lose power they are useless. Most small craft users prefer portable water proof VHF marine radios that float, so if the worst is to happen, they still have contact with the VMR and other vessels offshore with marine radios.

Another safety feature that I have on my boat is high rails, as my boat doesn’t have very high sides. This is great because it gives me a little more added security so I don’t fall out. High rails are fantastic when people are standing on the deck throwing lures and there is a bit of swell around.

The number of people you take out is very important. You don’t want to take any more than what is recommended for your boat.

I personally don’t take any more than one other person, as its becomes uncomfortable taking more than two people as I run out of room and it’s a lot of added weight to take in

the boat.

You can go solo, like I sometimes do, but taking one other person is a lot safer.

If you do go solo you need to keep your wits about you, don’t try anything too dangerous and definitely wear a life jacket. It’s also a good idea to invest in a personal EPIRB that you can carry on your person.

A good bilge pump is another important bit of gear to install into your boat, so if you do cop a bit of water in the boat you can get it out quickly. A dodgy bilge pump will back up and cause you problems.

A good sounder with a GPS is also an absolute must for all types of offshore work.

Fuel Underneath the stern I made sure I had enough storage for my portable fuel tanks, of which I carry 3-4.

I also have an inboard fuel tank, which is great and keeps fuel stowed away under the deck but I only use it for long distance trips. Fuel is a big consideration when going offshore in any boat.

I predominately use my portable fuel tanks, so I can keep an eye on my fuel usage and also take the fuel out of the boat when I’m not using it.

When going offshore, you usually travel relatively long distances, so you must take enough fuel with you.

Every boat has a different fuel usage, so it’s a good idea to gauge how much fuel your boat uses before you go offshore.

I usually take 75L with me, which fills three portable fuel tanks, but most trips I’ll use about 25-50L depending on how I fish and where I go. You never want to run out of fuel offshore, so get a feel for your boat and figure out how much fuel it will use, plan the trip and take extra fuel for your first outing.

It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your fuel levels while offshore, and this is why I use portable fuel tanks, so it’s easy to gauge how much you have used and how much you have left.

It’s a good idea to make sure

you have the space to take extra fuel and have enough room to store all your fuel away safely.

Tackle I store most of my fishing tackle in a dry bag, but you can use anything like tackle boxes or large bins to store your gear, because you want to keep your tackle dry and away from salt spray. In a small boat, everything will cop spray. I like to keep my tackle bag out of the way and stored in a relatively dry area in the boat so I can’t trip over it.

In a small boat you’re not

going to have enough storage to take every bit of gear out with you, so take what you need and if you have a plan of what you want to fish for, stick to it so you can limit your load. You are more likely to be successful if you stick to your plan and only take what you need for your target species.

Extras When you finally get outside and catch a feed of fish, you want to ensure it’s kept cool for the best eating quality. An esky is the best way to keep your catch cold, but they can take up a lot

of space in a small boat. To combat this, I use an esky but it also acts as a seat for the driver and is fixed to the deck with straps so it can’t slide around.

If you don’t have enough space for an esky in your boat, another great alternative is a fish kill bag, as you can store them anywhere, they don’t take up much room, you can move them around easily and they can keep your catch very cool.

I have other areas to store important items such as gaffs, fish dongers and knives in the side pockets. I also have dry

storage on the console, but this is just how my boat is set up. This is where I put my car keys, phone, wallet, and any

how to organise your boat and have everything stowed so that your boat is effective and efficient to use offshore

definitely don’t need a big boat and all the gear to catch big fish.

It can be fairly cheap,

Just because you can’t afford a big boat doesn’t mean you can’t tangle with big fish offshore.

A sounder and GPS is something you really shouldn’t go offshore without, particularly in a small boat.

other small items that need to stay dry.

INTO THE BLUE All boats are different and are set up differently, so there’s no one-way to set up your boat. Hopefully this can give you a good idea of

and is safe to operate out of.

One of the most important things to remember is to keep it simple and don’t overthink or complicate the way you set up a small offshore boat.

Offshore fishing doesn’t have to be for the rich, you

as long as you set up your boat properly with the right gear. It should get you out there, but also gets you back home safe. There’s nothing stopping you, set up a small craft and head out into the blue!

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103

What’s New BOATING

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YAMAHA VMAX SHO

Yamaha Motor Australia has announced the introduction of the full range of 4-stroke VMAX SHO engines to the Australian outboard line-up.

The VMAX SHO engine platform was previously only available in Australia in the 4.2L V6 models, which included horsepower variants from 200-250. The range will now include inline 4-cylinder models, VF115, VF150 and VF175. The line-up also includes 25”, extra-long transom models in the VF150 and VF250.

In addition to the VMAX SHO’s proven tournament credentials, these outboards are also extremely versatile and offer a reliable, high performance alternative for a wide range of boats.

When the VMAX SHO range was first launched in the USA, the engines range were billed as “game changers” and promoted as faster, smarter, stronger and lighter. Time has shown this to be true, with all engines in the range delivering on their game-changing design philosophy. www.yamaha-motor.com.au

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HOOKED FISHING APP

GoFree, part of the Navico family of brands including Lowrance and Simrad, has released a new fishing app: GoFree HOOKED. This free app is a mobile tracking solution for anglers, with the capability to record and share every fishing trip – whether from a boat or the shore. HOOKED automatically saves the time, location and navigation track of each outing. The ‘Catch’ functionality quickly logs catch details like photos, size, weight and species. After you log a catch, you can share the details via text or social media.

The app also merges GPS data with catch details to provide a clear picture of catch patterns. All data is stored on secure GoFree cloud servers for easy access anywhere. This lets you overlay personal catch details as waypoints on your own private layer of the Insight Genesis Social Map, where personal catch details are kept confidential.

This app also has a “Compete” feature, so you can create and customise your own tournaments with friends. www.gofreemarine.com

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NEW PORTABLE SUZI 4-STROKES

The Haines Group, distributors of Suzuki Marine outboards, has again released the world’s lightest 4-stroke outboard motors in their class with the introduction of the DF4A/5A/6A. Lighter, faster and with greater manoeuvrability, these motors are packed with features and have a sleek new look.

Re-engineered from the popular DF4/5/6 range, they showcase the latest in compact and lightweight design while featuring 3-way storage (port, starboard or front), a new tilt system and improved portability.

At just 23.5kg (S-shaft models), the DF4A/5A/6A is lighter than any other 4-stroke in its class. The carry handle at the front of the engine is integrated into the lower cover, and the rear handle given a rounder shape, making it easier to carry the compact motors with both hands.

Other features include easy afterstorage start, reliable lubrication system, quiet operation, new tilt system, offset crankshaft, first-in-its-class oil filter, excellent handle operation, lower emissions and efficient operation. suzukimarine.com.au

4

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

NEW GARMIN PANOPTIX MODELS

Garmin has released two new Panoptix transducers.

Compact and lightweight, the Panoptix PS21-TR is optimised for mounting on an electric motor to deliver LiveVü Forward sonar technology, allowing anglers to see real-time moving sonar images ahead of and around the boat. LiveVü Forward shows images of fish swimming and moving toward or away from the boat – even while stationary – in real time and up to 30m away. Anglers can see their lure and watch the fish react to it.

The Garmin Panoptix PS21-TM is a new transom-mount transducer that adds FrontVü for collision avoidance. It shows upcoming obstacles within a 100m forward range. It can be displayed on split-screen with LiveVü Forward or RealVü 3D Forward (offered on the PS31).

Like the PPS21-TR, the PS21-TM provides a digital depth number, so there’s no need to purchase a separate traditional transducer.

No black box is needed either.

A free software update will also be available for other Panoptix Forward transducers to add FrontVü.

Price: SRP $1499 www.garmin.com/panoptix

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YAMAHA CUTS PRICES

Yamaha Motor Australia has announced a pricing adjustment on selected 4-stroke models from F4 to F130. Changes to Yamaha’s production process have increased the production, efficiency and streamlined stock supply, allowing Yamaha to lower its prices.

“You could say this pricing adjustment goes against the grain of current economic conditions,” said Nicolas Kitchen, Yamaha’s National Sales Manager. “With the changes to our cost structure, the time was right to review the recommended retail pricing of our engines. The price decreases are great news for our customers and dealerships. The market response from the implementation has been very pleasing.”

Yamaha has one of the most extensive ranges of outboard engines in the market, covering both high tech and innovative four stroke technology as well as trusted, traditional two-stroke engines. There are also competitive finance terms from Yamaha Motor Finance. www.yamaha-motor.com.au

6

4

MERCURY ACTIVE TRIM

Mercury’s ActiveTrim system automatically and effortlessly trim an engine or engines.

It doesn’t just make boating easier, it also improves engine performance and cuts fuel costs – while delivering a better overall driving experience.

“The integrated GPS-based control system takes into account both your boat speed and rpm when deciding on the ideal trim position,” said Paul McLean, Mercury’s Accessories Director. “It also solves issues with the engine trimming up too early or too late while the boat is getting up on the plane.”

Active Trim has five selectable trim profiles that accommodate nearly any boat application, so there’s no need to manually enter trim settings vs rpm – you just select the best profile for any application. You can then personalise Active Trim to your driving style and/or compensate for changes in boat load, operator preference and weather conditions.

Active Trim is compatible with any new Mercury Outboard or MerCruiser engine with SmartCraft capability, and can also be retrofitted to earlier model engines. www.mercurymarine.com

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

5

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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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Horizon 525 Scorpion cuddy BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

The Horizon 525 Scorpion has a family-oriented layout, so with this in mind we tested it with three aboard.

Scott James of Horizon Boats showed how easily the craft could be launched, while Fishing Monthly’s Steve Morgan and myself enjoyed the ride.

BAD DAY: GOOD BOAT The weather was bad during our review. Admittedly it wasn’t raining, but it was blowing hard enough, and with enough wind against tide chop on hand, to make me doubt the wisdom of heading out in a 5.25m craft.

However, once we were out and on the Southport Broadwater, my concerns vanished due to the top quality ride the Scorpion was treating us to, along with the shelter from the stiff southerly the cuddy cab and bimini provided.

For a 5.30m long cuddy craft, the Scorpion does offer quite a lot of comfort and features. And, thanks to the punchy F70A Yamaha 4-stroke on the transom, respectable performance as well. None of this was really surprising given the many years of boat building experience and practical know-how that’s behind each Horizon 525 Scorpion. Also of interest was the Scorpion’s 106

JUNE 2016

hull rating of 70-90hp with the 70 Yamaha being ideal power in every way – but more on this later.

Once aboard, I saw the rig as being ideally suited to family cruising, bay and estuary fishing, exploring estuaries, impoundments and the like as well as overnight camping with the ice box and lunch box stove aboard. Plus – wait for it – a run offshore in suitable sea conditions. Mum, Dad and up to three youngsters would suit the craft admirably, while a more dedicated fishing team would be ideal at three persons.

FEATURES FOR ALL The Scorpion’s features included a decent bow rail, a cabin hatch amply large enough for a person to easily enter or exit from the craft as well as provide full access to the self draining anchor well, VIDEO

Scan this QR code to see Wayne Kampe talking about this boat on the water. comfortable cabin bunks for both seating and shelter from the weather along with deep

storage areas beneath them, sufficiently high cockpit sides with aft rails to make parents comfortable when youngsters were aboard, a fully carpeted floor and full height transom with locking door, ladder, and swim platform to starboard.

Seating was yet another highlight. Up front very comfortable and sturdy highbacked swivel-style pedestals allowed both skipper and mate to either stand or be seated underway, with bolster sections to provide support when travelling. A folding seat aft offered seating for two persons – or a brace point courtesy of the backrest when folded down – with sufficient padding for plenty of comfort underway.

A FISHING BOAT AS WELL As well as being a great family boat, the Scorpion would make a very handy fishing rig as well. Rod holders in gunwales complemented those on the cutting board, and side pockets were set up off the floor to provide a decent toe-hold under them. Metrehigh interior sides also offered brace points, and with a large area of boarding platform aft of the transom gate it would be easy to haul a decent fish in via that entry point.

The 525 Scorpion’s dash layout saw paired gauges for the Yamaha F70A directly ahead of the skipper, and switches handy nearby. The

craft’s Lowrance sounder was set up atop the dash which is exactly where a larger unit could also find itself as there was plenty of room aft of the one piece windscreen. Small pockets up front, each side of skipper and mate, allowed for storage of personal items, such as keys, phone and the like.

70 YAMAHA THE WAY TO GO As mentioned earlier, engines rate as high as 90hp but I was more than satisfied with the performance of the Yamaha 70 4-stroke. An acclaimed engine from its release thanks to its light weight, punchy performance and economy, the 70 was whisper quiet at idle, hardly noisy when working hard, and made easy work of powering the 450kg Horizon hull with its 3mm bottom and side sheeting. Even with three aboard the rig was out of the hole and planing in around two or three boat lengths when pushed hard.

Test runs saw the craft planing freely at 16.3km/h, cruising very sweetly at 4000rpm at 31.5km/h, and with a top speed of 53km/h.

Of course, nobody wants to run around on 6300rpm WOT for long, and with a fuel consumption of a recorded 10.45L per hour at a sensible 4000rpm (31.5km/h) the 110L under-floor tank would provide a very handy cruising capability when travelling at around 30km/h.

Sleek lines and a well balanced mix of cuddy area and fishing work room are characteristics of this well turned out craft.

SUMMING UP All in all, the Horizon 525 Scorpion is as highly desirable family or fishing rig. It packed in a lot of features for its modest 5.30m length and 2.20m beam, and offered high levels of comfort. The fit and finish of components and overall general finish was of a quite high level. Looking at the complete package, I saw it as an absolutely ideal rig for a family, beginners to boating, or for really keen and dedicated anglers to enjoy as

well. The price as reviewed, including a braked Dunbier trailer, was a modest $31,990.

Horizon Boats can be contacted on (07) 5598 1033 or on the net at sales@ horizonboats.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.

SPECIFICATIONS Length overall.................................................5.35m Beam................................................................2.20m Depth...............................................................1.16m Weight hull.......................................................400kg Fuel.................................................................. 110kg Horsepower............................... 70 Yamaha 4-stroke Max transom weight....................................... 155kg Persons...................................................................5

A couple of things are evident here: firstly the height of the back rests on the comfortable seats, secondly the great forward visibility.

The Horizon 525 Scorpionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rear seat, so handy for passengers underway, also offered drop-down capability with the back rest as a handy brace point when fishing.

The Horizon has a roomy interior with wide bunks, high cockpit sides and aft features.

A wide cabin hatch within easy reach of the anchor well make it easy to enter and exit the Scorpion.

The 525 Scorpionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cockpit pockets provided both storage plus a handy brace point for the feet when fishing in chop or swell.

Decent sized strakes and a reversed outer chine combine to provide a soft riding and predictable hull.

While the test rig featured a modest dash layout, there was still plenty of room behind the windscreen for a quite large sounder/GPS unit if required.

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See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

BRISBANE SOUTH See your authorised Mercury Dealer today.

MANLYMarine HARBOUR MARINE

NORTHERN NSW / GOLD COAST TWEED COAST MARINE 32 Machinery Drive, Tweed Heads South Phone: (07) 5524 8877 | Fax: (07) 5524 3324 Email: dan@tweedcoastmarine.com.au Website: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au

570 Royal Esplanade Manly Phone: (07) 3893 2199 | Fax: (07) 3893 2188 Email: info@manlyharbourmarine.com.au Website: www.manlyharbourmarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH CUNNINGHAMS MARINE 23-25 Snook St Clontarf Phone: (07) 3284 8805 | Fax: (07) 3284 8813 Email: sales@cunninghammarinecentre.com.au Website: www.cunninghammarinecentre.com.au

MERIDIAN MARINA HORIZON SHORES ONSHORE MARINE Cabbage Tree Point Rd,Woongoolba Phone: (07) 5546 2480 | Fax: (07) 5546 1362 Email: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au Website: www.onshoremarine.com.au

BRISBANE BAYSIDE MIKES MARINE 9 Smith Street Capalaba Phone: (07) 3390 3418 | Fax: (07) 3823 5856 Email: sales@mikesmarine.com.au Website: www.mikesmarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH BRISBANE MARINE 306 Duffield Road Clontarf Phone: (07) 3889 3033 | Fax: (07) 3889 5390 Email: info@brismarine.com.au Website: www.brismarine.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH SPRINGWOOD MARINE 3475 Pacific Hwy Springwood Phone: (07) 3297 8200 | Fax: (07) 3297 8290 Email: mercury@motosport.net.au Website: www.springwoodmarine.com.au

BRISBANE WEST KAREE MARINE 1776 Ipswich Rd Rocklea Phone: (07) 3875 1600 | Fax: (07) 3875 1622 Email: sales@kareemarine.com.au Website: www.kareemarine.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

BRISBANE SOUTH COORPAROO MARINE 57 Cavendish Rd Coorparoo Phone: (07) 3397 4141 | Fax: (07) 3397 6339 Email: info@coorparoomarine.com.au Website: www.coorparoomarine.com.au

BRISBANE HOLT MARINE 25 Queens Rd Everton Park Phone: (07) 3353 1928 | Fax: (07) 3353 4548 Email: info@holtmarine.com.au Website: www.holtmarine.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

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See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

WIDE BAY THE BOAT PLACE 1872 Tin Can Bay Rd Goomboorian Phone: (07) 5486 5865 Email: yaltacraft@live.com.au Website: www.theboatplace.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 Norville Phone: (07) 4153 1819 | Fax: (07) 4154 4808 Email: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com Website: www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS 6 Dooley St, North Rockhampton Phone: (07) 4927 9150 | Fax: (07) 4921 3502 Email: rifen.boats@bigpond.com Website: www.rifenboats.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 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 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

KARUMBA JONES MARINE 38 Yappar Street, Karumba Phone: (07) 4745 9159 Email: jonglo@bigpond.com Web: www.jonesmarine.com.au CAIRNS AUSSIE MARINE 5 Hannam St, Bungalow Phone: (07) 4033 8800 Email: sales@aussiemarine.com.au Web: www. aussiemarine.com.au MARYBOROUGH FRASER COAST BOATING 120 Richmond Street Phone: (07) 4122 1770 Email: sales@frasercoastboating.com.au Web: www.frasercoastboating.com.au

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Iconic 5.5 cuddy cab BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Some boats are outstanding right from the first glance, and the 5.5m Iconic cuddy cab with its 140 Suzuki easily falls into that category.

Looking at the craft’s gleaming white hull in the rampside car park at Shorncliffe, I could see it had an outstanding paint job, and an overall

newcomers to the Southeast Queensland boating scene, but potential owners can rest assured that builder Chris Gallagher has a lot of experience. This alloy craftsman has two decades of boat manufacturing know-how backing his products, and this heritage is reflected in every facet of his craft.

OFFSHORE FISHING Chris showed myself and owner Paul Lawlor just how easily the craft could be launched by one person,

that took my fancy.

Purposefully designed for offshore fishing, the carpeted self-draining cockpit featured paired rod holders each side on the wide, fully welded decks.

With a two person aft seat able to be dropped down when not required, there was plenty of work room for anglers. Also of note were full length off floor side pockets – perfect for sneaking a foot under when you’re bracing against a hard pulling fish – and

An impressive sight: the Iconic running at full speed.

Note the clean wash and hull displacement.

The craft’s well balanced proportions catch the eye as it easily moves up onto the plane. design incorporating many of the best features of today’s plate alloy craft – yet with differences that set it apart from its contemporaries.

The craft’s tandem wheel trailer was also made by Iconic Boats of Sandgate, on Brisbane’s northside. This trailer is as well turned out as the boat, and in all it’s a very well presented package which is certainly a head turner.

Iconic Boats are relative

SPECIFICATIONS Length overall......................................................5.90m Beam.....................................................................2.25m Hull..................4mm with 5mm plate bottom and sides Hull weight............................................................750kg Hull depth.............................................................1.28m Max hp...................................................................... 140 Persons.........................................................................4 Towing..................................................... family 6 sedan and we boarded via the aft gate with its adjoining non-skid swim platform.

The metre of cockpit depth was the first feature

a deck wash to clean up after fishing.

The fuel filter and batteries were positioned on a transom shelf well up off

Additional rod holders on the bait station are designed to make fishing just that bit better.

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JUNE 2016

Thoughtful touches count: additional grab handles behind seats are handy in an offshore craft. the floor, where they could be easily reached but well protected.

An under floor floodable kill tank, which could be bunged for dry storage

duties, was set into the floor adjacent to the transom, and the craft’s live bait

Clean, crisp, lines are a pleasing feature of the Iconic.

was accessible within the transom. The bait station also sported rod holders, so you could potentially have four trolling rods set up via those holders in the gunwales plus a couple in the bait station, with enough room between lures so they could work correctly without tangling up. Multiple rod holders aft may look fancy, but when it comes to trolling correctly you have to have correct space between lures or frustrating snarls will result.

In all, I reckon the Iconic’s set up is very close to as good as it gets.

LOTS TO LIKE Cruising out from Shorncliffe with Chris and Paul, and enjoying the gentle ride of the big plate rig with its 5mm sides and bottom, I had time to take in just what the craft offered, and it certainly was plenty. For a 5.5m long craft with a beam of 2.25m there was a surprising amount of room all round.

Nothing is cluttered, and the cabin in particular is very airy and has an inviting feel. When sitting within the lined cuddy cabin with its 2m long bunks, I found excellent head room and easy access between the skipper’s and mate’s seats. A wide cabin hatch provided entry and exit up front, plus anchor

The c r a f t ’s instrumentation was a multi-tiered arrangement,

large storage areas under the cabin bunks. A grab handle was provided for

Test runs – three aboard, 180L of unleaded under the floor – saw the deep vee 20°

IN A NUTSHELL If the 5.5 Cuddy is any indication of this brand’s potential, Ionic Boats are right up with the best of the plate. The performance and ride were matched by the overall finish and attention to detail, but perhaps the

for a well built plate hull with a lot of room, you should definitely check these out! Iconic Boats can be contacted on 0475 311 447.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good

Shelving keeps important electrical and fuel components away from water, with the craft’s deck wash and drop down seat an important feature of the fishing components. with paired Suzuki gauges, switches and Fusion sound system all easy to reach and monitor. However, my eye kept wandering back to the great Garmin

the passenger up front, and foot rests were handy for the skipper and mate. There was also a wide shelf aft of the windscreen to keep essential items within easy

deadrise hull on the plane at 20.4km/h at 3000rpm while 4000rpm saw 36.8km/h on the Garmin unit, the Suzuki hardly audible astern.

5000rpm saw a beautifully flat clean wash astern and 48.7km/h recorded with a 6000rpm burst pushing the craft to 64.3km/h. Around 4000rpm was the best cruising speed in my view, with the Suzuki hardly working and the noise levels very acceptable.

As expected from such a well designed and solid hull, the stability was exceptional. It adds to the credibility of the Ionic as an offshore rig to double as a weekend cruiser with an ice box and lunch box stove aboard.

Full length side pockets were mounted to provide a brace point when fishing in sloppy conditions. best thing of all was the price. The package was priced at a very modest $69,500, including the trailer. In today’s market that is very competitive for a well built craft of this size. If you’re looking

faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

The 140 Suzuki/Iconic hull were a complete match of power and performance. well access. However, as is standard in larger craft these days, a power winch was fitted to make anchoring up a breeze.

From the skipper’s high-backed seat I noted full visibility all round, while enjoying great weather protection from the strong windscreen. The bimini was set up on a very rigid but totally collapsible heavy-duty framework, and also featured additional rod holders.

99SV unit set up highest on the instrument panel.

Paul certainly made a good choice there with his sounder/GPS set up.

Looking closely at the seating and helm area I noted several things that always make a boat just that bit better. Grab handles were set into the rear of the skipper’s and mate’s slide adjustable seats, which were mounted atop good sized storage boxes to complement the

reach. In all, it was a very sensible and serviceable set up, ideal for expert boaters and beginners alike.

SUZUKI 150 The big Iconic is rated to engines from 100-150hp, and Paul opted for a 140.

Paul wants to take the boat to a variety of destinations, including runs out from Bribie Island, and with a hull weight of 750kg and a fuel capacity of 190L the 140 Suzuki was the option that made the most sense.

Even on the trailer the Iconic 5.5 looked good. A stern view shows us the craft’s deep vee hull with its reverse chines.

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