Queensland Fishing Monthly January 2019 by Fishing Monthly

HOLIDAY KNOW-HOW • SCORING SOME SOOTIES

NEW FIND THE

Boating & Kayaking

LOGO COMPETITION

SEE INSIDE!

A leisurely paddle through the Tweed • How to beat the holiday crowds this summer • Tips for towing your boat •

Tried & Tested Hobie Mirage Outback 2019 • Stabicraft 1550 Side Console with Suzuki 70hp • Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT Hooks •

Features Conquering those dam sooties • The magical fishing of Shute Harbour • Making a Brush Dragon fly •

January, 2019 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

Registered by Australian Post Publication No: 100003847

$6.95 (GST inc.)

issuu.com/fishingmonthly

fishingmonthly

Fishing Monthly Magazines

www wp.fishingmonthly.com.au FishingMonthly

LENS TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

580G

LIGHTWAVEÂŽ GLASS Benefits of our most high-tech lenses: + 20% thinner and 22% lighter than average polarized glass + Encapsulated mirrors + 100% polarized to kill glare and reduce eye strain + 100% UV protected for maximum protection

580P POLYCARBONATE

Benefits of 580 plastic lenses with C-WALLÂŽ: + Lightweight and durable + Impact- and scratch-resistant + Outperform every other lens in the class + Available in mirrors + 100% polarized + 100% UV protected

costadelmar.com.au

daiwafishing.com.au

NEW

ADAJO+

STORM

Progressing with the evolution of slow jigging, the Storm Gomoku Adajo+ is designed to be the ideal balance between a slow-jigging instrument and fish-fighting weapon. The newly designed graphite blank has a slow taper for optimal recoil when working slow jigs while a strengthened butt section gives the added grunt when lifting fish from the depths.

AJP631-2 AJP631-3 AJP631-4 APS631-2 APS631-3 APS631-4

6’3” 6’3” 6’3” 6’3” 6’3” 6’3”

1 1 1 1 1 1

Light Medium Med. Heavy Light Medium Med. Heavy

2.0 PE 3.0 PE 4.0 PE 2.0 PE 2.0 PE 4.0 PE

stormfishingaustralia

up to 200g up to 300g up to 500g up to 200g up to 300g up to 500g

Red Blue Black Red Blue Black

Overhead Overhead Overhead Spin Spin Spin

rapala_australia

! S Y A D 7 N E P O

QUINTREX 430 FISHABOUT

$23,050!

QUINTREX 481 TOP ENDER SC

OPEN ALL CHRISTMAS!

$36,770!

QUINTREX 490 TOP ENDER SC

$38,490!

QUINTREX 510 SEA SPIRIT

$42,490!

• EVINRUDE E40DSL • LOWRANCE SOUNDER • 2-TONE BLUE PAINT 2-STROKE DI • ENGINE GUAGES • FULL SAFETY GEAR • BIMINI & CLEARS • MORE INCLUDED!

• EVINRUDE E75DSL • 70L UNDERFLOOR FUEL VHF MARINE RADIO 2-STROKE DI • QUINTREX ALLOY • WHITE PAINTED HULL BRAKED TRAILER • MORE INCLUDED!

• EVINRUDE E75DSL • 4MM BOT/3MM SIDES • LIVE BAIT TANK 2-STROKE DI • QUINTREX ALLOY • BASS SPORT SEATS BRAKED TRAILER • MORE INCLUDED!

• EVINRUDE E90DSL • LOWRANCE ELITE 5TI • UPGRADED SEATS 2-STROKE DI • CATCH & RELEASE • BIMINI & STORMCOVER ALLOY TRAILER • MORE INCLUDED!

QUINTREX 530 FREESTYLER

QUINTREX 590 FRONTIER

BAYSPORT 640 OVERNIGHTER

YELLOWFIN 7000 HT

$59,490!

$64,540!

$72,990!

$103,669!

•EVINRUDE 115HP 2-STROKE DI •NEW APEX HULL •FUSION STEREO

•DELUXE BOW & SEATS •95L FUEL TANK •2-TONE PAINT •MORE INCLUDED!

• EVINRUDE G2 150HP • GOOD DECK WASH • MEGA BAITBOARD • G2 4.3 GUAGE • NT BIMINI & SOCK • TRANSOM DOOR • LOWRANCE ELITE 7 TI • MORE INCLUDED!

• EVINRUDE G2 150HP • G2 TOUCH/S GUAGE • ELECTRONIC CONCEALED REMOTE

• ANCHOR WINCH & SARCA ANCHOR • GARMIN COMBO • MORE INCLUDED!

• EVINRUDE G2 200HP • LOWRANCE HDS-9 GPS SOUNDER BIG BLOCK 3.4L! • G2 TOUCH/S GUAGE • FULLY PAINTED • CONCEALED REMOTE• MORE INCLUDED!

USED 440 RENEGADE TS

USED 460 RENEGADE SC

USED 23 PROLINE

USED 730 WHITTLEY HT

$16,990!

$32,490!

$54,990!

$74,990!

•BOW THRUSTER •EVINRUDE 40HP PLATE 2-STROKE TILLER •HUMMINBIRD •LIVE BAIT TANK •BIMINI & ENVELOPE•MORE INCLUDED

• GARMIN ECHO COMBO • MERCURY 200HP • YAMAHA F60HP, ONLY 20 HOURS! • BIMINI & COVER VERADO 4-STROKE • MACKAY OFF-ROAD • LOTS MORE • WALKAROUND TRAILER(HEAVY DUTY) INCLUDED! MUST SEE • ONLY 120 HOURS

REPOWER SALE

ON NOW!

CALL NOW

• KITCHENETTE • MERCRUISER 5L • LOCKABLE CABIN MPI V8 • HARD TOP EDITION • 80L FRESH WATER • SEPARATE SHOWER • MUCH MORE INC!

E40DSL

E50DSL

E60DSL

FITTED PRICE!

$7,534

$8,0 1 1

$8,8 1 5

E115DSL

$15,8 1 5 FITTED PRICE!

South side’s ONLY Quintrex Dealer!

Brisbane Quintrex is part of the largest Marine Dealership Group in Australia.

mind!! peace of the BIGGEST

deal with

• FULL CLEARS • EXTENDED BIMINI • LARGE CABIN • MORE INCLUDED

CASH FOR LATE MODEL BOATS! (HULL YEAR 2000 AND ONWARDS ONLY) BOAT VALUATIONS - CALL PAUL: 0422 391 822

31 333 468 PACIFIC HWY, LOGANHOLME 3775 Pacific Hwy

BRISBANEQUINTREX.com.au

01 E

RD LUR

D • RD • A

HOW F S A O

• BE • BE ST ST

HOW F S A

It’s fast food for fish. It’s fast food forFAST.fish. In today’s world everybody wants things to happen Fish are no different – they want it and they want it now. The Halco Max 190 gives them exactly that – a lure that caneverybody be cast orwants trolledthings at better than 15FAST. knots Fish – now FAST! – In today’s world to happen arethat’s no different

they want it and they want it now. The Halco Max 190 gives them exactly that – Combining outstanding speed capability, double thickness sidewalls for ultimate strength, a lure that can be cast or trolled at better than 15 knots – now that’s FAST! Mustad 7/0 inline singles for superior hook setting and Halco’s ultra strong fish rings, thespeed fish will find it impossible not to take a bite. for ultimate strength, Combining outstanding capability, double thickness sidewalls

Mustad 7/0 inline singles for superior hook setting and Halco’s ultra strong fish rings,

Pick the up fish a Max 190it FAST. You’ll glad you did. will find impossible not be to take a bite.

Pick up a Max 190 FAST. You’ll be glad you did.

www.halcotackle.com.au

19 21

20 17

8 18

16 15

15 12 22

22 14

10 6

8 9

4 4 10 3

3 9

2 8

1 1

$6.95

RRP (GST inc.)

January 2019, Vol. 31 No. 3

Contents

Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold Annie March Field Editors: Jason Ehrlich Wayne Kampe Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

SINCE 1987

Advertising Enquiries: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Nicole Kelly nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au Printing: APN – News Corp Australia Production: Karen Millward Keith Hawley Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

OUR COVER Elliot Fooks was stoked with this big Eungella Dam sooty he nailed on a crankbait. A Bob Thornton Image.

TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 41 FIND THE GAMAKATSU LOGO COMPETITION PAGE 95 Queensland Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the first week of each month (latest sale date 7th of the month).

Published by:

Qld Fishing Monthly Pty Ltd ABN 72-010-542-195 IN

FISH

’

All material is © copyright, and cannot be reproduced in part or in full, by any means, without written permission of the Managing Editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE FREECALL 1800 228 244

Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

Annual Subscriptions: $65 for twelve issues (GST inc.) Make cheques payable to Queensland Fishing Monthly PO Box 3172 LOGANHOLME QLD 4129

Advertising: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

ION

QUEENSLAND FISHING MONTHLY

There’s coverage of the event in this issue – make sure that you scan the QR codes embedded in the story with your smartphone to get a more detailed video! We do this in the What’s New section and in the boat tests, too. No longer do you just do print if you’re a magazine! Make sure you Subscribe to the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel to see all of this video content as it’s created. While we’re at it, do you know that you can read back issues for free on issuu. com? Or get advance copies of the latest magazines on the same platform? It’s an ever-changing world in the media nowadays, but you can rest assured that Fishing Monthly is out there bringing you the best fishing news on whatever platform you choose. At the end of the day, the fishing hasn’t changed – just the way we go about researching, reading and sharing it.

advertisers in your magazines. Without them, we’d have to sell the FMs for $20 each. And finally, get ready for another big year Nicholle, James and the ABT team. There’s plenty of excitement to come in that department in 2019. QUEENSLANDERS FISH BREAM GRAND FINAL Early December saw the biggest show in bream fishing – nationally – visit Victoria with three iconic East Gippsland venues hosting 45 of Australia’s best breamers for three days of competition to win a $60,000+ boat package. And although the trophy and rig eventually went back into NSW thanks to a stunning win by Jason Mayberry from the state’s South Coast, there were several Queenslanders who held their own in southern waters – Jamie McKeown and Michael Thompson holding their own in their respective divisions.

JANUARY 2019

10 14 65

each Christmas break for a couple of weeks, so as you read this, the team will be ready to roll again for the New Year and as usual, we expect to work harder each year to bring you the best coverage of what’s going on in fishing and boating in your state. A big shout out to the team that get out of the office a lot less than I do. Jacqui Thomas and the editorial team make sure that the magazine content is assembled each month and Matt Drinkall and the production team still have never missed a print deadline. Thanks for keeping the show rolling while I’m out collecting Frequent Flyer points and racking up the miles on the Fishing Monthly vehicles. Thanks also to Kym and Marie out the front who deal with the hundreds of advertisers and thousands of subscribers. Of course, Rupe, Pete and Nicole in the Sales team have a hard job and work to maintain

AUST

Can 2019 be busier than 2018? I know that last year my work took me to many places - from Miami, USA for the launch of the Mercury V8 outboards to Tasmania for the ABT events. We launched a magazine in Western Australia and I was lucky enough to help MC the Barra Nationals in the Northern Territory. Add to that some events in Gippsland, Victoria and everything from the Australian Open on Sydney Harbour to Glenbawn dam in the Hunter Valley and it was a ridiculously busy year. Did I add in the Lure Show and boat shows? We brought you coverage from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth events and got to meet lots of new and renewing readers there. Finish off with about 50 boat tests, some trade magazines and some duties with the ARFF and AFTA boards and even I am feeling tired now. Luckily we shut the office

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 16 Camping and 4WD 72 Cooking 74 Dam Levels 66 Freshwater 66 Fun Page 90 Junior 45 Sheik of the Creek 71 Suntag 92 Tech Tricks 18 Tournament News 75 Track my fish 86 Trades and Services 88 What’s New Boating 94 What’s New Fishing 52 SPECIAL FEATURES Those dam sooties Magic of Shute Harbour Conquering inshore marlin run

From the Editor’s Desk...

BOATING AND KAYAK

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Whitsundays 58 Ayr 59 Hinchinbrook 60 Cairns 60 Townsville 61 Cairns NFZ 61 Port Douglas 62 Lucinda 62 Cooktown 63 Cape York 64

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Hervey Bay 44 Rainbow Beach 46 Bundaberg 46 Gladstone 47 Rockhampton 48 Stanage Bay 49 Yeppoon 50 Mackay 51

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The Tweed 24 Southern Gold Coast 26 Gold Coast Canals 28 Jumpinpin 30 Gold Coast 32 Southern Bay 34 Brisbane 36 Brisbane Offshore 38 Northern Bay 39 Noosa 40

PRO

NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES Yamba 20 Ballina 22

ING TRADE

QUALITY TACKLE, QUALITY FISH!

GET READY FOR BARRA SEASON! Jeff Taylor, 80lb Tough Trace, 136cm barra off Gladstone Central, “since landing this big girl on 80lb Black Magic Tough Trace, I haven’t bought anything else”. Zac Deppeler, snelled KS 6/0 and KL 7/0 hooks with 100lb Tough Trace. Red emperor from Hervey Bay. Zac said he was surprised how hard this fish fought.

Leigh Holtsbaum, 20lb Tough Fluorocarbon & KS 5/0 hooks, 122cm kingfish caught off the Gold Coast.

Damian Paranihi, 80lb Supple Trace, 140cm Spanish mackerel caught off Urangan Pier. Jackson Landon, 50lb Tough Trace, GT caught and released near Hervey Bay.

Peter Flor, Snatcher® Rig ‘XXL (8/0) Original’, both mulloway over 18kg, caught off Gold Coast.

Follow @blackmagictackle on Facebook and Instagram to see the latest catches and enter in our competitions.

the best by test...

www.blackmagictackle.com JANUARY 2019

SOOTY GRUNTER

Those dam sooties BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

If you’ve ever travelled north into the tropics of Australia, or you’re lucky enough to live in this amazing part of the country, you will have at least heard of sooty grunter. Often overlooked as a sportfish, even by the travelling anglers, these hardfighting balls of pent-up aggression are a fantastic target, and deserve to be treated as such.

are dismissed is that in their natural habitat they are fairly small, rarely exceeding about 40cm. However, what they lack in size they more the make up for with their fighting ability, employing the gutter tactics akin to other dirty fighters like mangrove jack. The final characteristic that I believe does sooties a disservice is the fact that when you find good numbers of wild specimens, they can be near suicidal! Quite often anglers can have multiple quarrelsome ‘soots’

Sooties usually hang out in common areas, so double hook-ups and plenty of giggles are a feature of a dam sooty trip! THE UNDERDOGS There are many reasons that sooties, at least in my opinion, don’t receive the admiration they deserve. One of the main reasons is that they are relatively common, inhabiting the freshwater reaches of many tropical rivers, and a quick look at a map of the north coast will show you just how abundant flowing freshwater is in this area. Another reason sooties

shouldering each other for a lure or fly, and catching two fish on one presentation is not uncommon at all. This is fantastic fun, and I will always enjoy catching wild sooties, but many anglers tire of the lack of challenge involved. A DAM GOOD SOLUTION A solution to these so-called ‘problems’, which addresses the three areas I’ve highlighted, is to fish for them

in stocked impoundments! Impoundments with sooty grunter as the dominant species are few, but the fish in them can grow to be 60cm and upwards of 4kg, and the tactics involved to catch them are different to those in creeks. It’s almost like fishing for a different species! I’ve learnt just about everything I know about dam sooties from Daiwa’s Simon Goldsmith, and before my first trip up to Eungella Dam a few years ago, he eagerly drew me up a mud map of places to try and gave me plenty of advice on what lures to use. I could tell I was in for a treat! Sooties are stocked as the primary predator in only a few dams, and the most well known are Eungella Dam near Mackay, Koombooloomba Dam near Tully, and Lake Julius near Mt Isa. Many dams better known for their barra fishing also have sooties stocked, such as Peter Faust Dam near Proserpine, Tinaroo and Copperlode dams near Cairns, and Lake Moondarra near Mt Isa. These latter waterways can provide excellent sooty fishing opportunities, however anglers will need to forget the barra, downsize their gear and specifically target the soots – I’ll admit, this isn’t always easy! Sooties are also known to turn up in smaller, private landlocked waterways, such as farm dams and mining storages. They end up in these places either by stocking, or if they are endemic to the system prior to its being dammed, and will breed if granted access to flowing water. Getting into and fishing these locations is hard, particularly if you don’t know any farmers up this way and don’t work in

MOTU

Named after the perfect spot to take a break in the crystal, clear waters of the salt flats, the Costa Motu sunglasses are great for catching a couple of cold ones in between casts.

GRAY:

OPTIMAL USE: A good everyday choice for activities on the water and land. • 12% light transmission

JANUARY 2019

• All-around activities • Natural contrast

Fishing the top few feet of the timber in deep water is an extremely effective method in the cooler months. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun! the mining industry, but it always pays to ask the locals and keep your ear to the ground; you might just find your own pond full of 4kg sootballs! As a quiet aside, I believe that if the controversial Urannah Dam project west of Mackay goes ahead, this waterway will most likely become a sooty Mecca! It will be very interesting to see what happens.

angling may be the only way to fish it. Artillery The gear for dam soots is an interesting one. While a sooty is about on par with a bass of the same size in terms of power and stamina, dam sooties can regularly reach weights of 3.5kg and more! This means that if you’re a southern angler, your regular bass gear may have to be scaled up a bit.

It doesn’t take much for people to get hooked on these fish, as Russel Png from Singapore found out with his first Eungella sooty. PREPPING FOR DITCH PIGS Access Before you get after these fantastic sportfish, it’s important to get yourself set up. In major impoundments, access for vehicles and vessels isn’t usually a problem, with Eungella, Julius, Koombooloomba, Peter Faust, Tinaroo and Copperlode dams providing adequate facilities. A 4WD, while not necessary, is preferred, with Eungella and Koomboolomba both only accessible via a long stretch of intermittently graded dirt road. Of course, boats and kayaks aren’t the only way to get into these waterways, and bank access, if possible, can provide some good angling opportunities. In the smaller, private landlocked waterways, bank

This really is the realm of baitcast tackle, and unless you’re throwing anything lighter than 7g, I wouldn’t bother using spin tackle. Nothing beats the accuracy and control an angler can achieve with a sturdy baitcast rig. There is a time and a place for spin tackle in

sooty dams, but most of them time the fish are aggressive enough that it’s just not necessary. However, if you’re more comfortable with a spin rod, there’s no reason you can’t experience some good fishing; just keep 12lb leader as your minimum! While 2-5kg rods and 2000-3000 size reels will get the job done on most dam sooties, the 4-6lb braided lines we use for bass won’t stand up to the structure-orientated handto-hand combat you run into with sooties. I would recommend using 10lb braid as a minimum, if using braid. As for leader material, 12lb fluorocarbon or mono is fairly standard, however an upgrade to 15lb may be in order if you’re chasing the bigger models around heavy cover. If you’re a fly angler, an 8wt is perfectly suited to this caper. Lighter outfits will still subdue big sooties, however in this give-no-line territory, the 8wt will give you the perfect balance between comfort and pulling power. Lures Most lures between 40-100mm will work on sooties, however there are a few specific lure types that you shouldn’t venture to a sooty dam without. Without a doubt, one of the most effective weapons for soots is a spinnerbait. I like to carry a range of spinnerbaits between 1/8-1/2oz, in a

In that Environet is about 6kg of aggression.

SOOTY GRUNTER variety of colours and blade configurations. Crankbaits, being so good around timber and rocks, are another incredibly effective lure. Different diving depths, colours and sizes will maximise your options. Lipless crankbaits, just as in bass impoundments, are fantastic searching lures, as they can be cast far, worked quickly, and sunk to the desired depth. Jerkbaits become useful when the reaction bite slows down, and the sooties aren’t quite so charged up. In a similar way, lightlyweighted soft plastics are handy for slowing down and

employing a bit of finesse. Sinking stick minnows are very enticing to a more weary sooty, however being a sinking lure (and usually expensive) the user must be careful when fishing them around structure. A variety of topwater lures will come into their own when the light gets lows and the sooties venture out of the junk. A mix of topwaters that can be fished slow and fast will again maximise your options, and models that can be worked through timber, brush and weed, such as buzzbaits and hollowbody frogs will round out the collection and ensure that no sooty is safe!

When you find the right areas, they just can’t help themselves, and a lipless crankbait was too much for this Koombooloomba chunk. Something to consider is that sooties have really tough and munchy jaws, and like to roll and twist during the fight, and this can be damaging on light-gauge hooks or spinnerbait wire. Upgrading sub-standard hooks and sticking to good quality spinnerbaits will see less fish lost due to tackle failure. A sooty will eat just about anything, particularly a big sooty, but finding the right lure for the situations

The difference in colour of each sooty is interesting, with some sporting a brown or pale pink colouration, and others coming in jet black, like this one.

presented will make sure you get the most out of your fishing. YEAR ROUND SOOTIES You can target sooties in dams all year round, and travellers need not worry about waiting for the ‘right’ time of year to take on the challenge. The only constant through the year is that your casting needs to be accurate, as these are very structureorientated fish. These two reasons, and the fact that they

are really chunky fish, are why impoundment soots are such a great sporting proposition! Summer Summer usually sees the sooties feeding hard during the lowlight periods, while taking shelter in structure or deeper water during the day. Summer in the tropics can often see big rain events, and a sharp rise in the water level can often prompt sooties to feed in amongst flooded vegetation, just like trout and

bass down south. Topwater fishing is a bonus of warm summer mornings and afternoons, making this time of year a fun time to hit the dams in search of sooties. A variety of reaction lures, with some finesse presentations for when the bite slows down during the day, will be enough to see you through a summer sooty session on the dams. If sooties have access to flowing water above the dam, they will venture upstream during summer to breed. During this time, anglers can go into the headwaters on foot and experience some excellent fishing. Before the first big wet weather event, the sooties will often stage higher up in the dam, waiting for the first opportunity to push up into the flowing water. It’s for this reason that summer offers the toughest fishing (if you could call it that) of the year. When the fish are clustered like this, is pays to search around a bit, and when you find fish, work the area over thoroughly and you’ll likely score big! Autumn Autumn is a great time to be fishing for sooties anywhere. The dams are usually still benefitting from wet season run-off, which usually gets the fish active, To page 12

Are you Barra Ready? KOMODO SS

HELIOS TCS

CERROS

CEYMAR

CITRIX

BAITCAST RODS

BAITCAST REELS A selection of models that provide every angler with a quality reel, regardless of their budget, the Okuma range of baitcast reels give you the confidence to take on Australia’s greatest sports fish. Loaded with advanced features and constructed from quality components, these reels will stand up and deliver when it counts on big barra.

Combining quality blanks with premium components, Okuma’s series of baitcast rods have the grunt to handle the big hitters. Built for all-day comfort and balance, with actions and styles to suit individual angler requirements.

the Okuma baitcasting range Put the hurt on ‘em with Full product range at okuma.com.au JANUARY 2019

Catch all the fish of the rainbow this season RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

Wow, what a great past year of fishing and I can’t wait to go into the New Year.

OFFSHORE Some more exciting fishing lately with great action on quality amberjack. Live baits and 100g knife jigs have been causing a frenzy. Large estuary cod have also been

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

MIKAT CRUISES

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

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

www.mikat.com.au

BA RR A PA RK

A! BARNDRUR + E R T E M A H AN C T A C ON LAKE MO FISHING CHARTERS

GUIDELINES

E MONDURAN HING INFO VISIT LAK FOR UP TO DATE FIS TERS ON FACEBOOK AR CH G HIN FIS ES GUIEDLIN

LICENCE REQUIRED

AWESOME HOUSEBOAT LUXURY 13.6M LONG

• Hot water • Sleeps 8, licensed for 10 • Self contained • DVD player • BBQ • Fridge/freezer 07 4157 3881 or email info@lakem.com.au

JANUARY 2019

in big hungry numbers still, and any live bait working a treat. Pearl perch have been great quality lately, yet not in big numbers, but that will change. Live yakkas and soft plastics are getting the best results. Snapper have been similar to the pearlies, quality more than quantity and plastics shining again. Out wide tuskfish and hussar have been thick with a bonus red emperor or two thrown in at the same time. Mackerel have made their first appearance this month. Only small Spanish are being caught, but we can expect an eruption of spotted mackerel towards the end of the month. BEACH There have been some good whiting being caught in the shallow gutters near Inskip Point and also at the Lagoon at Double Island Point. SANDY STRAITS Mangrove jack have been providing plenty

This crew managed to get into an amberjack frenzy while offshore. of action for the estuary fishos. Live potty mullet has been a huge advantage when targeting this fighting fish. Some other fish being caught in the Straits at the moment are flathead,

whiting and bream. January is a great action month. Mackerel usually dominate the scene, but plenty of reef fish options are also available. Wishing you all a happy New Year, with plenty

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

January jacks are jumping BUNDABERG

Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

As holidays are upon us I’m sure every fisher will be making the most of the time off to get out and wet a line. If you manage to avoid the hottest part of the day, the fishing can be quite superb during January. THE BURNETT RIVER The ever-reliable Burnett River has been still producing some great fishing with grunter and flathead being the standout. Flathead have been in good numbers in the middle reaches of the river with soft plastics and trolling small lures working well on them. Grunter have been sitting in holes on the edge of rock walls, but they do move so you need to look for them. They have really been liking fresh live yabbies and, with the new moon early in the month, the big low tides will expose a few more yabby beds so you can pump them. The guys using live baits and those casting sinking vibes around the rock walls have been getting some big estuary cod and some nice mangrove jack. Just a reminder if you do happen to hook a barramundi while it’s closed season, the fish needs to stay in the water if possible while unhooking and release it quickly. The Elliott and

Theodolite have been producing some great whiting fishing with again fresh live nippers the best bait. Across the vast sand flats at the mouths of both systems have been producing some big fish at night. The lead up to the full moon will be good. There will be afternoon high tides and plenty of moon to see with. The tide is pretty big at 3.63m, so be aware if you’re planning a trip. THE BAFFLE Over the holidays the Baffle does get some boat traffic, so if you want to catch a few get on the water early. The bigger tides around the new moon on 6 January will be good for mangrove jack fishing, with late afternoon run-out tides. Be careful as the Baffle has a special ability to put rock bars where you never though they were. The late run-out tide also lends itself to a few good flathead sessions with the sand flat opposite of flat rock producing some nice fish lately. Trolling small hardbodied lures like the Scorpion 52 and the Berkley Frenzy will certainly put you in with a chance. Mangrove jack will love a good surface lure on a hot late afternoon run-out tide and if there is a storm about look out as they will fire up. My tip would be to head up Baffle on the tide and work your way out with the tide if your boat

allows. The main rock bars out the front of some of the little side creeks as they empty will hold some big red boys as well. MONDURAN DAM I haven’t had a chance myself to get up to the dam lately, but I’m reliably told the fishing is red hot. Fishing windy points and working hardbodies and soft plastics has had a few of the locals having some awesome sessions. Some of

the fish have nudged the 90cm mark, which is in my opinion the size that they pull the hardest and fight the longest. The full moon build up will be well worth a trip and if you do plan a trip don’t forget about the Golden Barra competition, it’s worth $15,000 and it’s free to enter. Just jump on www.goldenbarra.com.au to enter. Good luck and enjoy your break.

Pay attention to the tides and moon this month, as it will tell you when the jacks are firing.

Weather fluctuations haven’t bothered the fish GLADSTONE

Liam Jones

December has thrown just about everything at us – wind, rain, fires and storms! Despite the inconsistent weather there has been some incredible fishing in the region. The inshore reefs are firing, the pelagics are on the chew only a few miles offshore, the dam is producing consistently and the summer estuary species have begun to really fire up. Seeing as it seems to be the talk of the entire East Coast of Queensland, we will start with the dam. Although catches have slowed a little since last issue, it’s still consistently producing fish for those that put the time and effort in. The fish seem to have spread out a little and are being caught in plenty of different location and habitats. This is probably more to do with the inconsistent weather than anything else. The weed beds and standing timber are holding fish at different points in the day. My last trip out, the fish were holding tight on weed edges. I threw 5” Castaics and 6” Happy Rocks rigged weedless directly along side the weed edges with as slow a retrieve as possible

keeping the fish active and feeding. The Calliope River has been a standout with fish coming from the top reaches all the way to the mouth. The rocks around Devils Elbow and further up to Sawyers Rocks have been

Brandon Gillett with a healthy jack from Turkey Beach. producing some cracking fish with a few coming in over the magic 50cm mark. The bigger jacks have been coming on hardbodied lures, such as Lucky Craft Pointer 78XD and Rapala SXR10. King threadfin salmon are still about in numbers

Brendan Huth with a double hook up in a hot session. without the plastic sinking to the bottom. The beauty of these plastics is they will still get a massive tail action and body roll at even the slowest retrieve. The hard part is finding a weedless jighead strong enough, with light enough weight, to keep them at the right depth. I used a weightless Owner Beast hook and tied a 00 ball sinker into the loop knot on the jighead. This was enough weight to keep the plastic down a metre or so on the retrieve. Playing with these lures and plastics to get them to swim how you like is half the fun and can increase catch rates dramatically. Inshore, the creeks are producing quality mangrove jack from Turkey Beach all the way through to the narrows. The lack of freshwater in all systems is

Big grunter have mostly gone offshore to spawn but there are still some quality fish turning up in Toolooa Bends, Devils Elbow in the Calliope and around the rock bars in Grahams Creek. Fresh prawns for bait and small

throughout the narrows. Some quality fish have been falling to the trusty Gulp Shrimp over the past few weeks. The creeks further towards the northern end seem to be holding the most numbers.

Gulp Shrimp when throwing plastics have been doing the damage. The inshore reefs have been firing when the weather allows us to get to them. Jenny Lind Banks, Mannings Reef and Sable Chief Rocks have all been producing quality coral trout and sweetlip. Trolling deep diving hardbodies around these reefs has some XOS trout come over the side of the boat over the past few weeks. This time of year is the best time to spend exploring these close in reefs for reef species and pelagics, like tuna, mackerel. The hard-hitting GT will also be terrorising summer bait from now until late April. They are exciting, visual and hard-hitting. January is the perfect time to get out around any structure with plenty of run and have a crack. Sable Chief Rocks, Seal Rocks, any of the shipping channel markers all hold big GTs and are easily accessible in small trailer boats. You must have good gear when chasing these brutes as they

will quickly melt the drag or mesh the gears on a cheaper reel. It’s the same case with the lures. Lures that have been doing the damage locally are Nomads Madscad stickbait, Chug Norris Poppers and Yakamitos Big Gee stickbaits and Slalom Poppers. These are handcarved timber stickbaits and poppers and not only have some incredible colours but the wire through construction and timber body stand up to the test. Grunter are still schooled over all the usual haunts and plenty of boats have been getting stuck into some big fish. Jigs and grubs have been dominating the catches. Offshore is fishing great on the rare opportunity the weather allows anglers to get out. Sweetlip are big, hungry and in large numbers. Plastics over the shallows, jigs in the deep and stickbaits over the flats are all producing big fish. Target the big trout that are grouped in the shallows feeding on summer bait and you can expect some insane

Sean Ibbs is pretty stoked with this PB GT. sessions will be on the cards. In the deeper water, the reds have been hit-andmiss, which is not unusual for this time of the year. The fish are there but a bit more spread out, however fish that have been landed have been of quality size with plenty coming in over the 10kg mark. Nannygai are still schooling up in the gutters and on the gravel patches – find the bait and you will find the nannies. Searching for a little longer rather than just going to your trusty old

Reefe Andrew landed this GT, which is nearly the same size as him, at Swains Reef.

mark will generally help improve catches. The new River2Sea 200mm Ultimate Squid has been working wonders on these guys, along with Storm Koika jigs in the 60g and 80g. Live herring, if you can keep them, will help entice the fish when they’re not in feeding mode. Crabs have just started firing up and hopefully they will continue into the New Year. Grahams Creek has been the standout in town, while Turkey Beach and Boyne River have been the pick to the south. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year and got out for a fish over the break. Until next time. Tight lines! • 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 Facebook Compleat Angler Gladstone.

Supersport

59 HUNDRED

Exclusive Hand Laid 5.9m Locky Young with a decent schoolsized red from the deeper water.

Phone: 0438 443 203

5 Allen Street, Moffat Beach, QLD. 4551 JANUARY 2019

WHAT’S NEW FISHING OKUMA PRESSURE POINT RODS

their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ blackmagictackle. www.blackmagictackle.com

Okuma brings affordability to high end heavy plastics, popping and stickbait rods, without sacrificing quality, with the release of the Pressure Point rod range. Features includeToray graphite blanks, Fuji K-Series Tangle Free Guides, Fuji reel seats and most importantly actions and builds designed in conjunction with guides from Australia’s premier sportfishing charters. The range consists of five rods, a one-piece general purpose 701M 7’ PE 2.0-4.0, 20-80g Heavy Plastics rod and four two-piece, butt joint rods, for easier transport and storage. The two Popping rods are a 792MH 7’9” PE 4.0-6.0, 50-150g and a 792H 7’9” PE 6.0-8.0, 80-200g, while the Stickbait models consist of a 762M 7’6” PE 2.0-4.0, 20-80g and a 832M 8’3” PE 4.0-6.0, 40-120g. These five models will have you covered for light jigging and heavy plastics applications, through to the bulk of anglers’ stickbait and popping requirements, without breaking the bank. Team them up with an Okuma Azores Blue spinning reel and you have a genuine big fish stopping combo for around $500, or put the money you have saved on the rod toward arguably the strongest reel in the world, the Okuma Makaira, including the soon to be released 10000 size. Price: SRP $279.90-$299.00 www.okuma.com.au

Long-sleeved collared shirts make ideal fishing wear, as they shield the neck and forearms from sun exposure. The new Sublimated Fishing Shirts from Shimano go one step further though, as the fabric has a UPF 50+ rating for maximum protection. The 100% poly microfibre material used is also moisture wicking, so it draws moisture away from the body. Consequently, the shirts keep the wearer cool, and dry fast should they get wet. Additionally, they contain an antimicrobial treatment, meaning bacteria can’t get a foothold in the fabric. The fish designs of Bream, Tuna and Kingfish represent a collaboration between Shimano Australia and noted fishing writer/ underwater photographer, Al McGlashan. There is also a Squid design in the range for those anglers who love their egi fishing. The sublimated printing process means they will retain their vibrant colours for many years to come. Shimano Sublimated Fishing Shirts are available in sizes S-XXXL. www.shimanofish.com.au

SAMAKI VIBELICIOUS 2 YAKKA

MAPSO VLASON SPINNER

Samaki Vibelicious brings a new colour to the lure market: yakka. Yakka is all about the detail, with its patterned back featuring yakka stripes, and hits of yellow on the tail and fins adding to the lifelike appearance of the lure. The colour has proven itself time and time again as it is fished in multiple locations around the country, attracting barra, jew, bream and flathead to name a few. The traditional features of the Vibelicious Fork tail and Thumper tail are only enhanced by such an attractant as the yakka colour. The Vibelicious Fork Tail and Thumper tail come in three sizes – 70mm, 100mm and 125mm. The 100mm and 125mm sizes have now been upgraded with the new YS81 Decoy Hooks and the all new Decoy EX Strong Split Rings. Hardware like this encourages longevity in your fishing experiences and better hookups, as the hook penetration is on point. As always, the Vibelicious contains premium Japanese stainless wire and is made of the toughest 10X super stretch material. www.samaki.com.au

BLACK MAGIC MEASURES UP

With the growing emphasis on measuring fish rather than weighing them, particularly in tournaments, Black Magic has introduced a ‘brag’ mat into its range of quality fishing accessories. The Black Magic brag mat is manufactured from a durable UV-resistant PVC material, so it won’t warp and deteriorate in the sun like cheap mats will. It also has a sturdy acrylic header board to butt the fish up against. This brag mat is designed to measure fish up to 1300mm, so it’s better equipped to measure big specimens than some smaller truth mats are. It has well-defined numbers and centimetre markings that show up clearly in photos. This mat is 250mm in width and rolls up tightly for easy stowage, and comes complete with a handy mesh bag. For more information on this and other Black Magic releases, visit the Black Magic Tackle website. You can also see all the latest news and catch photos on

JANUARY 2019

SHIMANO FISHING SHIRTS

2 3

The new Mapso Vlason spinners are sure to be a hit with Australian anglers chasing freshwater species. The Vlason is a bell-shaped spinner that features an internal cog which creates a vibration as it spins through the water. This vibration helps to attract fish from longer distances, as they pick up the lures vibration on their lateral line. As you can imagine, this lure is particularly effective in murky water. The Vlason, like the rest of the Mapso range, is made to the highest quality standards, and has a 100% perfect spinning action every time. The Vlason weighs 4g and is 50mm long. It is available in six proven colours and has two pieces per packet. The Vlason will also be very effective on redfin, bass, sooty grunter and jungle perch. To find out more visit the Juro website. www.jurofishing.com

DAIWA TD BLACK LT

PRODUCT GUIDE

It’s time to get back in black with the release of the new TD Black LT spin reel range. Bearing the famous Black name that has been featuring so strongly in the Daiwa line-up over the last few years, the TD Black LT features the LT’s Light Tough Concept to deliver anglers a reel that impresses in looks and wows in performance. Lighter, stronger, tougher and more advanced in design and performance than its predecessor, Generation Black, the new TD Black features Daiwa’s new Tough Digigear gears for enhanced gear smoothness, strength and power. New gears is just the tip of the iceberg, with an ultra-light Long Cast ABS aluminium spool, Zaion body, ATD drag, Air Bail, MagSeal, Perfect Line Stopper, aluminium Air Handle, and Air Rotor combining to make the TD Black LT one of the standout reels in the Daiwa range. Available in six different sizes, ranging from the 2000D through to the 6000D, the TD Black LT heralds a new age for the famous name, and makes the perfect partner for the equally restyled and relaunched TD Black rod series. www.daiwafishing.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING B&S Q6500 QUIETPOWER

The new Q6500 QuietPower Series Inverter Generator from Briggs & Stratton is designed to deliver consistent power for essential appliances and sensitive electronics. The all-steel frame, encased in a protective shell, increases the lifespan and reduces repair costs. Inverter technology produces power that is 60% quieter than standard generators. The Q6500 features an efficient integrated engine/alternator to provide up to 14 hours of run time and 6500 starting watts of reliable back-up power. With its telescopic handle, integrated wheels and a design that’s 45% more compact and 30% lighter than standard generators, moving and storing the Q6500 is easy. Another feature is the Bluetooth functionality available through the InfoHub app. The app monitors total power being used, run time (hours until empty), total unit hours and maintenance reminders. With the added option of the new Manual Transfer Switch, the Q6500 can also be easily connected to provide power at home in the event of a power outage. Price: SRP $2999 www.briggsandstratton.com

RHINO-RACK WIND FAIRING

Engineered with an innovative sawtooth pattern to disrupt and redirect airflow of oncoming wind, the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Wind Fairing reduces wind noise and resonance for a quieter drive. Not only will it effectively deflect the air surrounding your load, the Pioneer Wind Fairing doesn’t take up any of the usable space. The Wind Fairing has a stylish black design to give your vehicle and roof racks a sleeker look. Offering both adjustable angular and longitudinal movements, it will conform to most vehicles’ roof lines and allow a more desirable fit for your car. With 4mm thick ABS construction and glass-filled nylon, the new Pioneer Wind Fairing is solidly built. The UV resistance will prevent any colour fading, so that sleek black won’t be turning grey. The addition of soft Santoprene rubber feet and 3M clear plastic patches protect your vehicle’s paintwork to keep your roof scratch free. Compatible with existing Pioneer Systems for easy installation and removal, the Pioneer Wind Fairing is backed by a 5-year warranty. Price: SRP $179 www.rhinorack.com.au

UGLY STIK GOLD SERIES

The Ugly Stik Gold series incorporates new technology that further improves dependability and performance. The new Ugly Stik Howald process features Triple Built construction around an internal fiberglass core. Parallel fibers infused with pigmented polyester resin creates a strong yet sensitive rod with better balance that is virtually indestructible. The latest inter-core laminate is an innovative design process that surrounds the graphite shaft fibers in the outer walls with a rigid-wrap structure. The new process provides greater stiffness and superior strength through the blank shaft. This creates a better taper from the backbone of the blank to the tip providing extra sensitivity and casting performance. Ugly Stik Gold series are equipped with a full Fuji New Concept Guide for tangle free fishing. Fuji reel DPS graphite and Fuji TCS trigger reel seats are incorporated throughout

the Gold range. Finished with comfortable tapered grips with Ugly Stik etched into the EVA and a slick new matt finish. www.uglystik.com.au

NEW DAIWA RELEASES

SAMAKI SUNGLASSES

GILLIES SHRIMP AND VIBE

First you became a fighter, now you must become a leader. Backing up from the success of J-Braid, J-Thread FC is a brand-new 100% fluorocarbon leader material that boasts increased abrasion resistance and super-low memory. Made in Japan from the finest raw materials, J-Thread FC features a low-memory core, improving handling characteristics and improving knot performance. The outer layer is treated to increase hardness and resilience to abrasion. It’s available in 4-80lb breaking strains in 100 or 50m spools. Another new release from Daiwa is the updated Double Clutch colour range. A jerkbait with few peers, the Double Clutch continues to set the standard as the ultimate suspending twitchbait. Available in three sizes (60mm, 75mm, and 95mm), the colour range has been enhanced and standardised across the range, with the 20 available colours now available in every size. The 75mm and 95mm Double Clutches have also been upgraded with Owner ST36BC trebles, which are razor sharp and ultra strong. www.daiwafishing.com.au

Meet Slick, Dodge and Duke – the front rowers of the new Samaki Sunglass range. These three frames have been tried and tested by the team to ensure there’s a model to suit everyone, from the square-shaped Slick to the wrap-around Duke and Dodge. Each one designed to hug the face, give great coverage from the elements and provide you with the polarised lenses you need when you’re out on the water. The Samaki team say these sunnies are so comfortable you won’t want to take them off. All the lenses are a polarised grey tint with the option of a reflective external in either green or blue mirror. With matt black or gloss frames, the superior frame material is comfortable for the extended wear. Additionally, the Dodge is a floating model, so if you drop it into the drink you can just grab the net and get it back. Price: RRP $49.95 www.samaki.com.au

JM Gillies has released two new realistic lures: the Gillies Shrimp and the Gillies Vibe. The new Shrimp have a natural shape with realistic legs, antennae and also feature bright three-dimensional eyes. The body is ultra soft for a natural feel and look. The 68mm and 100mm version come rigged with premium extra sharp hooks. The new Gillies Vibe combines the realistic soft X-Flex body and the vibration of a hard vibe bait into one. It features meticulous attention to detail, and its uniquely designed forked tail allows additional vibrations upon retrieval with a seductive, tight wiggling action that mimics a live fish. Gillies Vibes are the perfect bait for barramundi, snapper and many other species, and are fitted with extra strong VMC Spark Point hooks that allow you to target your favourite species with ease. Gillies Vibes are definitely a great all-round lure for both freshwater and saltwater predators. www.jmgillies.com.au

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

WHAT’S NEW FISHING MUSTAD FLASHER RIGS

Mustad has released two new Flasher Rigs onto the market – the UltraPoint Octopus Flasher Rig and the UltraPoint Circle Flasher Rig. These 2-hook rigs rigs are user friendly, and can be used to target snapper or any other reef species. Suitable for jigging while drifting and also for bottom fishing, UltraPoint Octopus and UltraPoint Circle Flasher rigs are built using high quality Mustad UltraPoint hooks and 60lb leaders to maximise the flasher’s action while still being suitable for serious fish. These rigs are also suitable for tipping with bait to enhance their appeal to a wider variety of fish, which includes the likes of pearl perch, flathead, kingfish and more. The Octopus Flasher Rig uses the famous Mustad Octopus hook and has blue and red flashing with a generous pearlescent Fish Skin across the back of the hook. The Circle Flasher Rig uses the Mustad 39953 circle hook and is finished with chartreuse/green flashing. Fishing deep or shallow, with or without bait, the new Mustad Flasher Rigs will provide great options for anglers across the country. www.wilsonfishing.com

BLACKWOLF SKYRUNNER PACK

The BlackWolf Skyrunner Transit Rolling Travel Pack is tough, durable and versatile. It has a multitude of compartments to keep you organised, including the easily accessible main zippered compartment. Coupled with lockable No.10 zips to prevent theft and a state-of-the-art side compression system to help keep your gear in place, it anticipates travel needs at every turn. Choosing what to leave behind when travelling is time-consuming. Pack more gear and make use of the Skyrunner’s dynamic expansion gusset, which allows you to increase the capacity of your pack—for more room and fewer hassles. There’s an ergoharness that can be packed away when not in use and a two-stage handle for total command over the unit. Unlike many rolling travel packs, the Skyrunner isn’t just made for airports. With durable, all-terrain 4WD wheels, BlackWolf’s Skyrunner can successfully tackle rocky, rough and uneven surfaces alike. With a limited lifetime warranty, the Skyrunner is a testament to thoughtful travel design. Price: SRP $299.99 (60L), $319.99 (80L) www.blackwolf.com.au

PRODUCT GUIDE

happens, the Swiss Champ Wood is the essential fix-it solution that should always be with you. Price: $239 www.victorinox.com

WILSON PLATINUM 16 BACKPACK Designed specifically for fishing, the Wilson Platinum Series Backpack allows anglers to carry just about everything they need on their backs. At the heart of the new system is the side access to the internal cargo area. The lets you easily keep the backpack over one shoulder while accessing the internal cargo area, so you don’t have to remove the backpack while you’re fishing. Other features include three tackle trays inside the main cargo area that are sealed to provide waterproof boxes that will let you bring a mountain of tackle. An external sunglass holder and a retractable tool lanyard are also included. There are also four external zippered pockets for accessories such as leader, fishing gloves and more, as well as two Velcro secured tool holders and a massive front flap with even more storage for items such as plastics, spare hooks and more. The top pocket also features an elastic webbing for securing jumpers or rain jackets, and the adjustable shoulder straps are padded for comfort and feature a chest strap for a more secure and ergonomic carry of the load. Heavy cord with sturdy plastic sleeves are used on all zippers to ensure that even cold hands can easily open the zippers. www.wilsonfishing.com

RAPALA SPLIT RING PLIERS

13 14 15

The new Rapala RCD 4” Mag Spring Split Ring Pliers offer easy to use, singlehanded operation. Unlike conventional split ring pliers, the new Rapala RCD series are built with two internally opposing magnets to hold the pliers open. The patent pending Mag Spring mechanism cannot fail, even in the harshest of conditions. The split ring nose opens rings up to size 0, while the built-in cutter cuts all lines or tag ends with ease. Other features include stainless steel jaws with a gun metal finish, and ergonomic co-moulded Soft Grip handles for a comfortable hold. In a nutshell, the RCD Split Ring Pliers are one of the easiest, quickest and toughest built split rings pliers on the market. Keep an eye out for them at your local tackle store. www.rapala.com.au

STORM COASTAL SWISS CHAMP WOOD 18 15 TRICK TAIL KNIFE Anglers will love how the new Storm 360

Victorinox is now giving some of its most iconic knife models a revamp with walnut wood sourced sustainably from European forests. Each knife boasts a unique casing due to the natural wood grain. One of the new models is the Swiss Champ Wood pocket knife, which is a modern day upgrade of the original Swiss Army Knife – the legendary Officer’s Knife. With more than 29 functions and countless possibilities within it, including a ruler, pliers and a screwdriver, it is the perfect tool for almost any situation. There is a bottle opener and a corkscrew to kick off any celebration, a fish scaler and a wood saw for camping, a nail file, sewing awl, as well as some classic features such as a blade, screwdrivers and scissors. So wherever you are and whatever 54

JANUARY 2019

GT Coastal Trick Tail works the water. This soft jerkbait has a fleeing baitfish action, and its ability to change direction is extraordinary. If you stop the retrieve, and rather than slacking off, the Trick Tail will rock back and forth like a stressed baitfish. Its webbed tail continues to pump on the fall, or alternatively you can simply pinch out the webbing to switch to a more traditional wiggle effect. The Storm 360 GT Coastal Trick Tail has a slotted back and belly for easy and balanced rigging. It is 5” long and is currently available in eight fish-catching colours, and we’re sure to see many species fall victim to its enticing action. Keep an eye out for it at your favourite tackle store. www.stormfishing.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT hooks Recently we received a package from Black Magic, and in it were a handful of the premade Snapper Snacks flasher rigs, and some of their new rust resistant KLT circle hooks. We sent them out to some of our valued contributors, and this is what they came back with.

TESTED

coated KLT circle hook. This KLT circle hook is designed so that fish will hook themselves. They are most effective on fish if the angler resists the temptation to strike at the bite. The PTFE coating also makes the hook super slick, to assist penetration. I gave them a run on the Murray River cod opening weekend. We spent some

Hungry snapper just can’t resist the Black Magic Snapper Snack flasher rigs.

NEIL SLATER Black Magic have released Snapper Snacks, which incorporate a variety of tantalising, UV fish-attracting material and a glow skirt. The glow skirt works best in deeper water, where light does not penetrate as well, or after dark. If you want to use the glow skirt after dark, use a torch, phone light or camera flash and check it after an hour or so and reapply if necessary. These are designed to be used on a paternoster rig so the Snack sits as a visual attractant above the sea floor. They incorporate a rust resistant, PTFE

time in banana lounges and nobody was getting up to attempt to set any hooks. The KLT hooks did an excellent job where the rods were left alone to allow the hook to do its work, as any good circle hook should do. ALLAN BEVAN I had the very good fortune to have Black Magic send me two of the new offerings: the Black Magic Snapper Snack flasher rig and the KLT chemically sharpened hooks. The KLT chemically sharpened hooks are the bomb – they are strong yet fine gauge, and are like a cross between a wide gape and circle hook with the recurve ‘self hooking’ design, pinning fish in the corner of the mouth. With sizes through the range up to a 7/0, these hooks are for all styles of fishing from sweetwater to offshore bait

fishing. My own favourite has been the 1/0 for King George whiting, and it has done wonders for the hook up rate and they are easy to unhook, with all the fish hooked in the corner of the mouth. The Snapper Snack flasher rig is a two hook paternoster rig with the KLT hooks, lumo bead and flasher material that normally catches the fish in the

corner of their mouth. They are great to use in deep water or at night. By adding a small amount of bait you end up with the benefits of both lure and bait. The very first one that I dropped down in 50m was monstered as soon as it hit the bottom, with a double header of breaksea cod and snapper!

Neil Slater found the KLT hooks to be great for bait fishing on the Murray for cod and carp.

JANUARY 2019

Hobie polarized Kinchant thriller The Zerek BARRA Tour seems to be going from strength to strength. With 10 more teams competing on 2018 compared with 2017 and the ability for the tour to be run on the Track My Fish-powered app, the coverage and friendly mood in which the Tour events are contested are second to none. The 2018 Tour featured events in Kinchant, Teemburra and Peter Faust dams and events run consecutively to compress the Tour into a timeframe that’s just over a week in length. It makes the travel and expense of the Tour manageable to most.

event that let fans, friends and family at home follow catches and official scores - live. With event times running from 4pm until midnight, there were plenty of people with one eye on Netflix and the other on the Hobie Polarized scoreboard! And as if designed to add drama, there were plenty of lead changes and it came down to final upgrades to decide the winner - Team Triton/Edge Rods (Rick Napier and Dustin Sippel) by less than 500g over Team Wilsons (Troy Dixon and Shane Compain). At the presentation the team, long supporters of the

STORM

Dustin Sippel shows off their first barra landed in the Kinchant round of the Zerek BARRA Tour. But the real star for the team was a Madness vibration bait in white, fished off a 705 Edge rod. Rick Napier explained the technique. “Anchoring away from the weed bank, we would cast in to the weeds and rip the bait out. Each time, the bait would fall back into the weed or fall to the bottom. We’d pop the bait after that and that’s when the bites would come,” Rick said.

feeling for bites. The gun bait was the 110mm in Fat Betty colour and a more subtle lift and drop along the weed edge would trigger the bites. When asked about how the impoundment Barra compared to the wild fish Shane targets back in the Territory, Shane said, “these fish are mad, they jump high and have these crazy direction changes. They’re awesome.” Full results on www. abt.org.au

Dustin’s partner, Rick Napier was on the board soon afterwards and perfected the Madness vibe technique that they rode to success. With the southern dams coming back on line, expect the BARRA events to expand again in 2019. The first event of the 2018 tour was held on the popular Kinchant Dam, west of Mackay. A small lake with plenty of Barra and, importantly, mobile phone coverage for all of the teams. This allowed ABT to run live scoreboards from the

BARRA Tour, cherished their first event win. And most competitors agreed that it’s the first of many. “The first fish of the event came before dark and it ate a 7” Castaic paddle tailed plastic in baby bass colour,” Said Dustin. He threw that bait on an Edge BCR 666 rod spooled with Toray P4 braided line and a Toray Jigging Leader.

Matthew Mott: “Go barra fishing in the rain they said. It’d be fun, they said.” $700 says that they still had fun.

Winners are grinners. Here’s Team Triton/Edge Rods’ first win. And popular winners they were. The guys would also bend their vibes slightly (tail downwards) to accentuate their action. For the win, the team took home $1,400 and a lead in the Team of the Year points table. Second placed Team Wilson features Brisbane gun Troy Dixon and Territory import Shane Compain. Anchoring on a weed edge, the pair worked out that by popping their Zerek Fish Traps off the bottom and

Scan the QR code to see Kinchant winners.

RESULTS

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

JANUARY 2019

Place Team

Anglers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Napier/Sippel 5/5 Dixon/Compain 5/5 Mott/Mott 5/5 Griffiths/DeRidder 5/5 Edmonds/Maddick 4/5 Newby/Lyons 5/5 Price/Thomas 3/5 Sims/Curry 5/5 Lennox/Wratten 5/5 Maclean/Brett 4/5 Big Barra: Tree Huggers, 101cm

Triton Boats/Edge Rods Wilson Garmin Edge Rods/EJ Todd Fish With Me Likely Lads Lowrance Jackall Barambah Lures/Duffrods Dobyns Rods/Lethal Lures

Fish Weight Payout 53.50kg 53.02kg 39.00kg 37.76kg 37.45kg 36.16kg 36.02kg 35.95kg 34.53kg 33.12kg

$1,400 $800 $700 $600 $500 Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

Wilsons Teemburra Round 2 very tough While missing a cheque by a single place in the first event, Team Likely Lads were about to start a run of wins that will be hard to match in the future. AT this point, we’ll pass over to Geoff Newby, who’s diligently recorded their trials and tribulation for here on in. Take it away, Geoff! “Phil and I went into the Barra tour not very confident, we had a tough ABT tour in 2017 and the pre-fish experience in 2018 had been terrible. We had spent over 90 hours of fishing for 3 fish, over 40 hours on Peter Faust for one barra, around 30 hours on Teemburra for 2 Barra and 20 hours on Kinchant for a donut a couple of weeks before the ABT tour started. During that period,

we consoled ourselves with the fact we were fishing at night on the wrong moon and it was very cold. “We were more confident at Teemburra than Kinchant as it is what we call our home ground and the Tuesday before we had boated five barra and lost a couple. On the October full moon Phill and I, along with another mate had boated 35 barra off our first-choice spot. “We decided not to fish the dam any more before the comp but we were hearing that it was very tough from the visitors during pre-fish. The water level was dropping fast around 3cm/day. The water temp was around 28 degrees but on arrival the colour had changed to a green algae colour and this was

BARRA T our 201 8

suspected to be putting the fish off eating. “There was a good easterly wind blowing that was perfect for our spot choice. We had decided on 3 spots in priority, #1 being Pinnacle Point and #2 being the spot below it on the little bushes. We had again studied our spots in pre-fish utilising the Teemburra Dam social map from the Lowrance C-Map Genesis web site. “We had drawn a decent start position off at #7 so as we went through the start gate, three boats in front of us headed in the direction of Pinnacle Point but then went to the left down Middle Creek, so in we went straight on to our #1 choice mark and dropped the 15kg lead plonker. “It was a slow start but These unlikely lads, the Likely Lads (Phill Lyons and Geoff Newby) were amazed when they won the Wilsons Teemburra event with just two fish. we did expect that as we consider it a better night spot than in daylight. Phill got a follow at the boat after

7.50pm I was onto a small 60cm barra that consumed a Berkley 160mm Fire Tiger Giant Ripple Shad that got

but the 83cm barra was the biggest landed.” Newby used an ACM custom built Revelation

Go on Mick Weick, make fun of this little guy - he helped you to an $800 payout. about an hour but it did not eat the lure, but it made us feel better that there was barra around. “We were seeing the odd fish but no numbers, then at

This barra from Team Venom may not have been huge, but it took them into 3rd place and a $700 payday.

RESULTS Place Team

Anglers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Newby/Lyons 2/5 Weick/Barnett 2/5 Detenon/Eves 1/5 Griffiths/DeRidder 2/5 Slade/McIntyre 1/5 Napier/Sippel 2/5 Maclean/Brett 1/5 Sims/Curry 2/10 Mott/Mott 1/5 Edmonds/Maddick 1/5 Big Barra: 83cm, Likely Lads.

Likely Lads Tree Huggers Venom Edge Rods/EJ Todd Slimy Decks Triton Boats/Edge Rods Dobyns Rods/Lethal Lures Jackall Garmin Fish With Me

Fish Weight Payout 9.03kg 6.37kg 6.14kg 5.57kg 5.47kg 5.10kg 5.07kg 3.85kg 3.60kg 1.89kg

$1,400 $800 $700 $600 $500 Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

us off the donut - our first objective complete. “Another one followed at 8.20pm and Phill was on with an 83cm barra that had consumed the 13cm Molix swimbait. It had it in its mouth like a dog with a bone and all three hooks were set. “Phil had one more hit that hit the Molix as it hit the water. The barra jumped out of the water but did not hook up and that was the end of the comp as far as bites were concerned. I had said to Phill with around an hour to go if we could get one more fish, I think it will get us a top ten place. “We never expected to find the result. We heard back at the boat ramp that we had not only won it

swim bait rod 15 to 30lb with a Daiwa Certate HD 4000, 30lb Sufix 832, and 70lb Schneider leader. Phill used a Millerods Toad rod with a Shimano Stella FE 4000 reel and Suffix 832 30lb braid and 28kg wire leader.

Scan the QR code to see Teemburra winners. JANUARY 2019

Westin Faust All Nighter

STORM

With the Likely Lads on a roll - winning the Westin Night Championships at Peter Faust, we thought we should let them loose with the report again. “Here we are at the premier barra dam on the east coast of Australia to fish the all-night Barra Championship - 4pm to 8am - best 5 barra. “We had had a tough pre-fish - over 40 hours between us at Peter Faust for 1 solitary fish. We pre-fished 4 or 5 days after the full moon and when the sun went it was very cold and windy so we knew it would be hard fishing, but we moved around looking for the barra and we found them on numerous spots but could not get them to bite. “Our last stop was a point in the basin as we had caught fish many times there in the past and there was enough to see on the side scan to get us interested. We boated our only barra and jumped one off. There was also plenty of fish in the basin after we saw

Their win in the Westin Peter Faust Night Championships with 5/5 for 80.83kg made it two-in-a-row for the Likely Lads. “It’s a very shallow point with a weed edge coming out from the bank about 2 to 3 metres then another 2 metre of weed towers under the surface then 4 feet deep out to 11 foot where we were anchored. We have fished the all-night comps before and for and it is very tiring so we made a plan that if or when we had caught five, one metre barra we would pack up for the night and go to bed.

The Night Championships is the only BARRA Tour opportunity to enjoy a morning bite window. a guy on the boat ramp land two fish over a metre as we were pulling the boat in. “So, we had our three spots with the spot in the Basin being our #1 and two other spots towards the river. We had a good draw off at #3 and with not far to go we thought we would get on our #1 choice and we did.

“The Lowrance C-Map Genesis social map again proved an invaluable tool during pre-fish enabling us to find the best spots in the prevailing conditions and the best anchor points. The Peter Faust Social map is over 90% complete and can be set up with customised colours for

more accurate viewing. The social map of all the dams is available to anyone with a Lowrance sounder. “We started as usual both with different lures swapping every 15 mins or so casting to the solid weed edge and burning it off before slowing the retrieve in the clear water. After 90mins at 5.30pm Phill was on to a good fish on a Squidgy Mongrel that measured 109cm and was a great start. “After that we got quite busy, boating four barra, roughly every 20mins or so, biggest being 88cm. That gave us a small 5-fish bag, but a bag all the same, with the lure doing the damage being the Berkley Giant Ripple Shad in Fire Tiger colour. “Then at 8pm we boated our biggest barra of the night - a cracking 112cm. So we were then starting to get the upgrades we needed. We had also had a lure swap and started to get the better fish on the 13cm Molix in Black and Gold colour. “The next 30mins saw two more fish - a 69cm and an 81cm that gave us a small upgrade. It went quiet for the next hour until we boated a 110cm fish at 9.30pm and then a 102cm at 10.45pm. The small barra seemed to disappear but we never had them going off any way just picking them up steadily as the bigger barra moved in. Another upgrade of 90cm followed at 11.10pm then the one we were looking for the 5th metre fish was in the boat at 11.30 at 103cm.

“It seemed a bit early to leave before midnight so we stayed boating an 98cm and a 72cm before 1am. It went very quiet from 1am with no barra showing on the sounder so at 2am we decided to call it a night. A couple of beers when we got back to Camp Kanga in bed at 3am and up at 7.30am as the other anglers started to arrive back at camp Kanga. We obviously did not know how the night had gone for the other teams but the feed back from the teams coming in was very positive we had 5.36m that converted to a weight of 80.83kg and was enough for the No1 spot 5kg in front of 2nd place. “The wind had been very strong in our face so there were issues with backlash on baitcaster reels so the main gear was spin rods. Geoff again used the ACM custom built Revelation swim bait rod 15 to 30lb with a Daiwa Certate HD 4000 30lb Suffix 832, and 70lb Schneider leader with the Mustad quick change clip. A custom built Geoff Busbridge spin rod on a Rain Shadow blank 12 to 20lb with 20lb suffix 832 braid and 55lb Schneider leader with the Mustad quick change clip with Transam vibes that picked some of the early barra. Phill used an Millerods Toad rod with a Shimano Stella FE 4000 reel with suffix 832 30lb Braid and 28kg wire leader. The guys added another $1,500 to their winnings from the event and took a narrow lead into the Team of the Year standings with an event to go.

Scan the QR code to see Faust all nighter interviews.

RESULTS

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 78

JANUARY 2019

Place Team

Anglers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Newby/Lyons 5/5 Mott/Mott 5/5 Griffiths/DeRidder 5/5 Weick/Barnett 5/5 Lennox/Wratten 5/5 Brier-Mills/Tunstead 5/5 Detenon/Eves 5/5 Laine/Hassett 5/5 Dixon/Compain 5/5 Morgan/Smith 4/5 Big Barra: Garmin, 118cm

Likely Lads Garmin Edge Rods/EJ Todd Tree Huggers Barambah Lures/Duffrods EJ Todd/Tinaroo Venom LuckyCraft/Sunline Wilson Fishing Monthly

Fish Weight Payout 80.83kg 75.36kg 69.79kg 64.95kg 64.82kg 63.67kg 55.01kg 55.29kg 55.21kg 51.93kg

$1,500 $800 $700 $600 $500 Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

BARRA T our 201 8

Lucky Craft Faust 2-Day Why not stop when you’re on a roll. The Likely Lads emphatically won the Team of the Year title after a third win in a row at the Lucky Craft Faust 2-Day Championship. Here’s the story … continued. “The start of two massive sessions for Phil and I, the 4th and final round had the nerves jangling the stomach turning summer salts. What a position to be in leading the Team of the Year table by 3 points from what has been the best barra team anglers in the last 4 years, Craig Griffiths and Karim De Ridder.

Championship. “With 1st fish donut gone and on the board. The next 2 hours were a nightmare jump offs and pulled hooks - fish after fish. Finally, we got one to the boat then disaster strikes - it winds the braid around the anchor rope but all was not lost we untangled it and boated a small 76cm barra - what a relief. “After we had processed it, we sat and talked for a few minutes and that we needed to settle down and get back in to the groove and that we did. The bite changed from the night comp. We had been concentrating

Ash Sims didn’t take long to boat this 106cm fish at the start of the 2-day event. “The talk between Phil and I was if we can get the spot we fished on the Night Championship as our start is down the field at No16. If we do, will the fish still be there can we get our bag? the spot in the past as been tough on the 2nd session but we had the benefit of a rest day Thursday night that we thought may rest and refresh the spot. We got reassured by a few of our mates before the start - just do your thing and don’t panic. “Away we went and no one took the spot we had fished on the Night Championship, so we settled in dropped the anchor and started to thrash the water to foam. “We had a great start as Phill smacked a 100cm fish at 4.30pm on the Squidgy Mongrel, just like the Night

hitting the weed edge, a short burn, drop and then a steady retrieve, this wasn’t working. We changed to a 45 degree angle cast towards the bank but falling short of the weed fringe concentrating on a longer cast keeping the lure in the deeper water. “Our favourite lure, the Squidgy Slick Rig had not worked all tournament and at this stage nothing was working. We lined up 5 different colour slick rigs and on the 3rd change to the 130mm Lorikeet colour, two quick Barra followed. A 97cm came at 8.30pm and they came at a steady pace every 20 to 30mins until our last two Barra - a 106cm at 10.50pm and a 104cm at 11.10pm fell to a Slick rig in the Green Grunter colour after a tip off from our neighbour Steve Morgan.

“This gave us 10 barra for the session, our best five being 106, 104, 100, 98, and 97cm for a total length of 5.05m and a weight of 63.7kg. We decided to head to the boat ramp at 11.30pm to try and avoid the rush from the 12pm finish. SESSION 2 “The first session was a good result, we were in third place just behind the Tree Huggers - Michael and Brendan and in second place Team Lowrance (Peter Price and Greg Thomas). Our biggest threat for the Team of the Year Team - Edge Rods/ EJ Todd, Craig and Karim had had a tough session and were down the field in 12th place, 27kg behind us. If there was a team who could pull a rabbit out of the hat and make up the deficit it was Craig and Karim. “The thought of winning Round 4 had gone. All we could think about was catching a bag that would keep us in front for the Team of The Year, we could only lose it. “We thought this session would be a bit harder for all the teams due to the pressure from the night before our goals stayed the same - get off the donut ASAP and catch a 5 fish bag regardless of size then look for upgrades. “We had a good start position off at No 3 and back to the same spot this time all set up correctly, no panic we are going to bore them to death into the boat. We concentrated on the angle cast with the main lure being the Green Grunter slick rig and at 5.30 our first barra hit the deck - a modest 70cm fish but the donut gone. We picked up another couple of small barra before our first metre fish 102cm was on the deck. “We went another 90mins before the next fish at 9pm was on board at only 67cm but it made up our 5 fish bag and time for a little celebration. Three more barra came to the net but they were of a smaller stamp than the previous two sessions. We had anticipated a very late bite of bigger fish due to what happened the night

Team Likely Lads milked a string of Barra off a small point in the main basin, with Barra like this coming over the side regularly. before and at 11.30 we were into a good fish. Before we boated this fish we thought we would be safe with the team of the Year title but it would be tight for a 4th round victory. “So here’s what happened at 11.30pm as Phill started to pack up - a massive 113cm. You beauty! “After we stopped shaking and processing the fish a high five and Phill finishes off packing up. I had a few more casts and Phill says, “Its 12 minutes to midnight you need to pack up.” “It’s OK - I will pack up while you are getting the car,” and called last cast. Two turns of the reel and bang, I’m on again and out of the water comes another big metre barra, but unfortunately the hooks pulled and it was time to go. “We boated 9 barra and put two back that we did not process as they were 2 small and we did not want to waste time during a hot bite. The best 5 were 113, 102, 98, 94 and 80 cm for 4.87m and 59.69kg. I talked to Craig at the boat ramp and yes, they had given it a good go with 72 kg of Barra but thankfully not enough to deny us the accolade of “ABT Barra Team of The Year 2018”. “We did not know what had transpired with the rest of the teams until we got back to camp Kanga and were not sure until the official result was released by Stefan Sawynok as the results had been configured all the way through on the Track My Fish app which

RESULTS Place Team

Anglers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Newby/Lyons 10/10 Price/Thomas 10/10 Griffiths/DeRidder 10/10 Detenon/Eves 10/10 Slade/McIntyre 10/10 Weick/Barnett 8/10 Brier-Mills/Tunstead 10/10 Sims/Curry 8/10 Maclean/Brett 8/10 Laine/Hassett 6/10 Big Barra: JWC, 114cm

Likely Lads Lowrance Edge Rods/EJ Todd Venom Slimy Decks Tree Huggers EJ Todd/Tinaroo Jackall Dobyns Rods/Lethal Lures LuckyCraft/Sunline

Fish Weight Payout 123.38kg 114.98kg 106.39kg 103.84kg 101.53kg 98.58kg 94.45kg 78.01kg 63.08kg 55.28kg

$1,500 $800 $700 $600 $500 Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

is a great innovation and it will change the face of tournament angling. “We had almost completed a clean sweep - 3 wins in the rounds and team of the year. $4,400 better off with two beautiful Ian Miller rods and a pile of trophies. “We never really got to thank anyone as

for some great rods - we can’t do it without you. “To Camp Kanga the days there make it extra special and to all the anglers thinking about joining the Tour get in there, it’s a great experience. “Personally a big thank you to my team mate Phill Lyons we have had our

Faust Point is definitely louder once Matthew Mott and Team Garmin turns up. The father/son team alternate between harmony and anarchy, depending on how many fish have been boated. non-sponsored anglers but they say behind a good man is a very good woman and we both have great wives and thank you to them for putting up with everything that goes with Tournament angling. “To ABT, Steve Morgan, James Reid, Nicholle and Stefan Sawynok and Tracy from Infofish for a well organised tour as usual and it has been improving each year. Who Shares Wins. “Most of all to all the other teams without them there is no tour and the numbers are growing each year it’s a a great week catching up with some great characters and meeting new people. To the sponsors: Zerek, Hobie Polarized, Wilson Fishing, Westin, Lucky Craft and Millerods

moments but we keep turning up for each other. Here’s to next year see you all then. And that’s it. The BARRA Tour will roll into 2019 with some new champs and plenty wanting to take the title in the future. Keep an eye out on www. abt.org.au for future dates.

Scan the QR code to see Faust 2-Day interviews. JANUARY 2019

Mayberry Wins BREAM Grand Final

STORM

Long time ABT angler, Jason Mayberry from the South Coast of NSW, thought he was only making up numbers when it came to the biggest event of the year in the Australian bream fishing calendar. His predictions could not have been further from reality, as he dropped a 5.33kg bag on the scales from Gippsland Lakes on day one and never looked back. For his efforts, he took home a Bass Cat Margay boat powered by a 150HP Mercury 4-stroke engine and fitted with Garmin sounders and a MotorGuide electric motor – the package valued at over $60,000. Amazingly, Mayberry had only fished one of the three venues used for the event, which visited Gippsland Lakes (out of Metung), Bemm River and Marlo over the three tournament days. He scored bags of 5.33kg, 4.44kg and 3.92kg on days 1, 2 and 3 repectively.

of fish. The only 5kg+ bag presented for the day. Day two moved to the Bemm River, with the compact location yielding plenty of great bags for anglers, despite increasingly windy conditions in the afternoon. Mayberry got to work early, securing his limit in the first hour of fishing. His 5/5, 4.44kg may not have been the biggest limit of the day (the honour went to Declan Betts’ 4.87kg bag), but it was enough to give him a kilo-plus margin over the ACT’s Alan Lister going into the final day of competition. As can happen in Victoria, the weather turned on the final day, with Marlo smashed by rain and strong winds an hour after the start. With the winds making the popular Lake Corringle turbid and difficult and Marlo’s potential of spitting out 6kg+ bags, there was every chance that Mayberry’s lead could evaporate.

Adding to the joy of the win was a $60,000+ Bass Cat Boat, powered by a 150hp Mercury outboard and fitted with Garmin and MotorGuide electronics. As always, the BREAM Grand Final was a sharedweight event, with boaters and non-boaters fishing together for a combined best-five bag of bream. In this event, it pays to work together as a team. Mayberry couldn’t have hoped for a better draw landing non-boater Angler of the Year, Canberra’s Stuart Walker, on day one. With Stuart’s prowess with a ZMan GrubZ and Jason armed with the latest Squidgy Bio Tough baits, the pair fished the Tambo River to accumulate and upgrade to a 5.33kg limit

Jason, however, had other ideas. Paired again with Stuart Walker (final day pairings are allocated on place), the couple went to work and ground out 5/5 for 3.92kg, giving Jason a 1.83kg margin of victory over a fastfinishing Brad Hodges. A popular and humble winner, Jason explained his winning tackle and technique. “Fishing 2lb straight through fluorocarbon is just what I do,” explained Jason, “it gives me better feel and is

JANUARY 2019

Scan the QR code to see Jason Mayberry’s interview.

JASON’S TOP LURE

Squidgy Bio Tough Fish on a TT 1/20oz jighead. more forgiving when I hook a big bream.” Jason used an unspecified 2lb fluorocarbon line on a Millerods Crank Freak rod paired with a Shimano TwinPower reel. His baits of choice included the Squidgy Bio Tough Fish in pumpkinseed and bloodworm colours in addition to the ubiquitous ZMan GrubZ in motor-oil colour. He fished both on 1/20oz TT jighead. Amazingly, Mayberry had only ever fished Gippsland Lakes before – he was new to both the Bemm River and Marlo. “It was after I boxed a decent limit in the first 30 minutes on day 2 that I thought that I had a chance to win the Grand Final,” Mayberry explained, “and after that it was just a matter of hanging on at Marlo in those trying conditions.” Jason had the foundations of a good day 3 limit before the change came through at Marlo – he was only one fish short of a limit – and managed to drop nearly 4kg on the scales at the conclusion of the day to emphatically take the title. There’s obviously something in the water on

the South Coast of NSW, with three of the past four Grand Final champions coming from the area. The NSW South Coast will have a chance to make it 4/5 when the BREAM Grand Final visits the Gold Coast in Queensland in late 2019.

Scan the QR code to see the day 1 highlights.

Scan the QR code to see the day 2 highlights.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place Angler

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

Jason Mayberry and Stuart Walker were paired together on the first day of the Grand Final. The pair put together a 5/5, 5.33 bag to take a lead that neither of them lost throughout the event.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Weight(kg) Payout

Jason Mayberry 15 13.69kg Bass Cat Boat package Brad Hodges 15 11.86kg Miller Rods pack Cameron Whittam 15 11.68kg Rod + Costa sunnies Daniel Mackrell 15 11.28kg Costa sunnies Kristoffer Hickson 15 11.09kg Costa sunnies Braddley Young 14 10.73kg Scott Wilson 14 10.71kg Wally Fahey 15 10.61kg Mario Vukic 13 10.13kg Andrew Moore 14 9.66kg For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Hodges lifts game too late

Coming in to the event, Victorian Brad Hodges would have been at the top of the ‘hot tips’ list of anyone in the know, however a slow start at Gippsland Lakes left the Melbourne breamer with too much to do on the last day. “I checked my spots in the North Arm and the tides were wrong and the fish absent,” Hodges said, “so I fell back to my backup

spots and only managed a below average bag.” At Bemm, he fared a little better, boxing 3.47kg of bream to hold down a mid-field position. It wasn’t until his final day of fishing that he upped his game, dropping a day-best 5.24kg onto the scales and remaining in the hot seat until Mayberry kicked him out with the last bag of the day. “I’ve come second

BREAM SERIES

twice now and it’s a disappointing feeling,” Hodges said, “but it was great to be paired with my dad on the final day of competition and to catch such a good limit from that skinny water.” All of his fish came on a Berkley hardbodied jerkbait and he did take home a pair of Millerods production bream rods and some Costa sunglasses to ease the pain.

Although he weighed the biggest bag of the final day, Victorian Brad Hodges had to settle for second place, a long way behind the winner. Some Millerods and Costas helped ease the pain.

There’s no bigger prize in Australian breaming than the BREAM Grand Final.

Walker wins it all Just three days after collecting his 2018 Non-Boater BREAM Angler of the Year title, Canberra’s Stuart Walker added the 2018 BREAM Grand Final Non-Boater Champion trophy to his mantelpiece, completing a clean sweep of titles this tournament year. The unassuming backof-the-boat gun revelled in the early-summer conditions and fished his trademark ZMan GrubZ to great effect, helping his and his boaters’ chances immensely. He fished with Jason Mayberry on day one, Steve Duff on day 2 and Mayberry again on the final day. When interviewed after the win, Stuart was typically quietly spoken, but ran through some of the keys to his success.

Powering over 70% of the Grand Final field, Mercury is the outboard of choice for bream tournament anglers.

In addition to the Grand Final trophy, Stuart Walker won an ‘Ultimate Costa Pack’ with five pairs of glasses and a pile of accessories. “I like to keep it simple. I don’t know why the bream eat it – it doesn’t look like a fish – but they do. I also like to experiment with colours. I sometimes mix colours in the packets and they bleed into each other,” Stuart said.

Walker fishes his grubs on top end Daiwa gear – a Silverwolf rod and reel spooled with 8-carrier braid and 4lb leader. “Better quality braid definitely lets me untangle wind knots better,” says

TOP 10 NON BOATERS Place Angler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Weight(kg) Payout

Stuart Walker 15 13.29kg Costa Mega Pack Wayne Hamilton 15 11.79kg Costa Mega Pack Mick Hodges 14 11.69kg Rod/Reel combo + Prize Pack Ben Shuey 15 11.36kg Rod/Reel combo + Prize Pack Neil Kelly 15 11.01kg Rod + Prize Pack Brendan Pieschel 15 10.95kg Rod + Prize Pack Michael Thompson 15 10.75kg Prize Pack Colin Wilson 15 10.61kg Prize Pack Dallas Blatchford 14 10.06kg Prize Pack Daniel McNeice 14 9.4kg Prize Pack For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Stewie, “and I’ve found that better quality gear lasts better and helps me catch more fish.” But it’s more than gear that Walker uses to achieve his success. It’s the experience of travelling all around the country to fish. “I’ve fished with great anglers all over the place and you never stop learning. My advice to anyone wanting to try this sport is to stop thinking about it and start doing it. You’ll have a great time and will never look back. I haven’t,” he concluded. Rewards for his efforts included an Ultimate Costa Pack with five pairs of the quality eyewear and a mountain of accessories.

Scan the QR code to see Stuart Walker’s interview.

Mercury Cup Taree’s Kris Hickson’s top-10 performance vaulted him ahead of Queenslander, Steve Morgan to clinch the 2018 Mercury Cup, with the perennial Cup and $1000 cash going to his base at

Manning River Marine for the next year. The Mercury Cup is awarded to Mercury owners with the highest rankings points total for the year. This includes the Grand Final.

Taree’s Kris Hickson took home the Mercury Cup and the $1000 payday that comes with it. It’s awarded to the highest ranked Mercury Owner at the end of the tournament year. JANUARY 2019

Trades, Services, Charter BOAT MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS

BAIT & TACKLE

CUSTOM ALLOY FABRICATION

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND BCF www.bcf.com.au

• Boat repairs & fitouts • Bait tanks • Transom rebuilds • Fuel tanks • Consoles

Davo’s Tackleworld Noosaville (07) 5449 8099 Davo’s Tackleworld Marcoola (07) 5448 8244

OVER 20 YEARS FABRICATING AND WELDING ALUMINIUM

Lazer Lures – www.lazerlures.com.au Tackle Warehouse Brisbane (07) 3398 6500

BOAT HIRE // HOUSE

MINN REPAIRS & SERVICING

GOLD COAST

Great family and fishing boats! + 50km of sheltered waterways on the Gold Coast’s Broadwater + No Licence required + Boats from $274 per night + 2-12 berth

CALL FOR A DEAL

CUSTOM TRANSOMS 20-75hp $750 75-150hp $890 150-225hp $980 Freight can be arranged Australia wide

PROFISH BOATS – Phone Peter 0417 782 114 Email: peter@profishboats.com www.profishboats.com

+ 07 5502 6200 + www.coomerahouseboats.com.au

NEW

Salt-Away www.salt-away.com.au

TINNIE HIRE AVAILABLE

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

MARINE MECHANICS // MOBILE

FRASER COAST

WYNUMM MANLY-BAYSIDE

Lake Monduran House Boat www.lakemonduranhouseboathire.com.au

Wondall Rd Marine (07) 3396 5633

Rainbow Beach Houseboats (07) 5486 3146

BOAT HIRE // TRAILER GOLD COAST

Boat Wrap Specialist www.xfactorsigns.com

Boab Boat Hire - 1300 002 622

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 50 words within a 8x2 ad size.

$590 + GST for 6 Months

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND ASM Mobile Welding Brisbane 0409 624 402 Bluewater Windscreens Brisbane (07) 3382 7883 Boat Collar (07) 5441 3636 CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808 Iconic Boats Brisbane 0475 311 447 Marine Windows and Doors Brisbane (07) 3284 5088 Small Craft Electrics (mobile) 0408 063 064

MARINE MECHANICS

nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au BOAT PAINTING BRISBANE

FIBREGLASS Brisbane South and Gold Coas t

• Modifications • Detailing • Repairs JOE BONNICI

0410 480 203

MARINE TRAILERS Oceanic Boat Trailers (07) 5597 0577 Sea-Link Special Trailers (07) 3881 3568 Spitfire Trailers (07) 0400 866 323 Tinnie Tosser (07) 5498 7339

MARINE ELECTRONICS

MARINE ELECTRONICS SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLATIONS

ONSITE AND MOBILE INSTALLATIONS

• Sounders • GPS • Electric Motors • Marine Radios and accessories • Stereos • Televisions • Radar Units • Autopilots

$449 USD (includes shipping)

www.hydrowaveaustralia.com GOLD COAST

Brisbane Boat Painting 0433 356 620

Repairs

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

T&S Marine (07) 5546 2599 Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944 Capalaba Boat Centre 04011 728 379 Coorparoo Marine (07) 3397 4141 Cunningham Marine Centre (07) 3284 8805 Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928 Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029 Stones Corner Marine (07) 3397 9766

NORTH QUEENSLAND Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521

www.trymax.com.au PHONE: 07 3245 3633

Unit 4/1440 New Cleveland Road Capalaba

MARINE OUTBOARD WRECKERS TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748

FISH TAXIDERMY Fish Taxidermist www.fishtaxidermy.net.au or 0428 544 841

FISHING GUIDES CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Hooked On Hinchinbrook www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

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. 88

JANUARY 2019

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory MARINE TRIMMERS SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Affordable Boat Covers Gold Coast 0419 424 587 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Rays Canvas & Marine Caboolture (07) 5499 4911 Rowland Street Boat Trimmers Springwood (07) 3208 9511

Dave Gaden’s Yamba • Deep Sea

REEL TIME FISHING CHARTERS

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The Islander Retreat, South Stradbroke Island 0420 967 557

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION FRASER ISLAND Apurla Island Retreat 0437 739 121 Cathedrals on Fraser (07) 4127 9177 Eurong Beach Resort 1800 111 808 Fraser Island Beach Houses 1800 626 230 Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364 Yidney Rocks (07) 4127 9167

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Baffle Creek Holiday House 0419 624 833

COOKTOWN River of Gold Motel 4069 5222

MACKAY BEL AIR MOTEL, MACKAY - PLENTY OF ROOM FOR BOATS AND TRAILERS.............PH: 07 4957 3658 FRESHWATER Lake Boondooma Caravan Park (07) 4168 9694 Lake Cressbrook Regional Council 131 872 Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746 Yallakool Park and Kiosk on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746

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

Phone Dave today: www.fishingyamba.com.au 0428 231 962 OPEN 7 DAYS

EASY PARKING

MARINA BOAT & TACKLE, YAMBA MARINA

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

HERVEY BAY

Striker Plus 7sv SideVüTM Fishfinder With GPS & GT52HW-TM Transducer

Fully Guided Lure & Fly Fishing •

Double Wire Stainless 25mm Rail Mount Rod Holder

BORN AND BRED LOCAL GUIDE

• Custom Sportsfishing Vessels • Quality Fishing Gear Supplied

CHARTER BOATS GOLD COAST BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0414 293 034 Coastal Sports Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0412 691 929 Discovery Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0427 026 519 Fish The Deep Charters 0416 224 412 Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0411 605 090 Gone Fishing Charters Gold Coast (07) 5529 7833 Hooker 1 Charters Gold Coast (07) 5528 6469 My Charter Boat Tweed Heads 0407 347 446 Paradise Fishing Charters 0403 531 428 RU4 Reel Tweed Heads 0449 903 366 Sea Probe Fishing Charters 0400 312 330 True Blue Fishing Gold Coast (07) 5510 9622

BRISBANE Big Cat Charters and Tom Cat Charters 0433 430 248 Brisbane Fishing Charters 0427 026 510 Bucket List Fishing Charters 0428 368 316 Frenzy Charters Brisbane (07) 3209 4576 John Gooding Outlaw Charters 0418 738 750 Moreton Island Fishing Charters 0413 128 056

SUNSHINE COAST Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814 Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956 Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958 Incredible Charters 1300 655 818 Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151 Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170 Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109 Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402 Rainbow Beach Fishing Charters 0439 775 070 Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868 Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671 Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012

Rail Not Included

www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au

Andrew Chorley

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Ultimate Sportfishing Charters 0450 753 726 MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters 0427 125 727

1899

•22mm Rail Mount $22.99 •32mm Rail Mount $22.99

0407 627 852

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND (Cont.)

Fishermans Fold Down Seat

Bundaberg Fishing Charters 0429 017 217 Sport Fish 1770 (07) 4974 9686 Coral Coast Game Fishing 0447 347 437 Norval Reef Charters 1800 771 234 Iluka Fishing Charters Gladstone 0414 940 911 Kanimbla Charters Gladstone1800 677 202

•Grey/Charcoal •Grey/White •Blue/White

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Action Charters Mackay 0417 452 346 Cairns Charter Boat 0427 533 081 Cairns Fishing Charters 0427 400 027 Cairns Reef Charter Services 1800 119 044 Eclipse FNQ Weipa Charters 0488 058 668 Fairdinkum Fishing Charters Townsville (07) 4751 5324 Fish’s Fly & Sportsfishing Weipa (07) 4069 9957 Fishing Charters Townsville 0403 386 722 JC’s Fishing Charters 0438 753 382

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

NOW YOU CAN TIE THE PERFECT FG KNOT EVERY TIME

SUPERIOR COMFORT & FIT!

Deluxe 150N Manual Inflatable PFD

•Auto Inflatable $89

STORES

CELEBRATING

WIDE

YEARS

AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN NSW Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962 Wooli Fishing Charter (02) 6649 7100

649

NO MORE bulky braid/leader joins

SEE IT! .. BUY IT! .. www.fgwizz.com.au

www.bargainboatbits.com.au

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0834 or email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2019

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS PLACES TO FISH AROUND THE WORLD

UMBA RIVER EGUUR RIVER AMAZON BASIN CONGO RIVER BRAINERD HALONG BAY PIAS BAY ABACO ISLAND BELIZE CAPE COD

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

BOULDER CREEK RIO GRANDE LOUGH CURRANE CHALK STREAMS CAPLES LAKE FLORIDA KEYS RIO COLORADO CHOLLAS LAKE ARAMIA RIVER

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

QLD JANUARY 2019

Phone (day):

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

The ‘Real Fish Oita’ is an incredible, award winning squid jig manufactured in Europe by leading Croatian company - DTD. Taking out the coveted ‘best new product’ in its class at the EFTTEX 2015 Expo in Warsaw, this wonderful range is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution. The product imitates real fish species. This coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensures great balance and results in superior catching ability. With the unique ‘fish parasite’ feature, aimed at luring predators in for an ‘easy kill’, these truly unique jigs are set to explode into the Australian market. FEATURES - Double weight system with inner weight designed to produce sound while squid jig is in action. COLOURS - 7 different designs representing popular fish species. ADDITIONAL - Luminous body, fish parasite, great balance, sound effect, quality stainless steel hooks SIZES - 5 Sizes available www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to M Couchman from Roma, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a sponsor prize. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for November is J Logue of Clifton Beach, who won a Korr Lighting Pack valued at $398. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

of Kirwan, S Williams of Aspley, C Rowe of Loganholme, J Boneham of Eight Mile Plains, B Johnson of Woodgate, K Edwards of East Innisfail, B Mumbray of Yorkeys Knob, A Scott of Proserpine, V Ilka of Lockrose, J McQuaigue of Currumbin Waters, S Tidmarsh of Sandstone Point, G Anderson of Emu Park, J Goody of Mt Berryman, B Nicholson of Bundamba, G Sprott of Glenlee , E Boettcher of

Tivoli, M Goodwin of Cardwell, V Bunn of Frenchville, J Handley of Pacific Haven, A Bragg of Mount Isa, G Green of Currumbin Waters, D McClurg of Boondall, W Sommerfield of Toowoomba, P Fielder of Everton Hills, J Lestor of Beachmere, S Goddard of Raceview, G Walker of Warner. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE GAMAKATSU LOGO

The answers to Find the Gamakatsu Logo for November were: 10, 20, 27, 32, 38, 40, 46, 52, 58, 60, 68, 71, 78, 84, 102, 103. – QFM

JANUARY 2019

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Trumpeter

The Find the Gamakatsu Logo prize winners for November were: B Barratt of Bucca, R Gilbert of River Heads, D Hall of Glenwood, R Taskis of Ashmore, R Schefe of Point Vernon, B Wingert of Acacia Ridge, B Mackey of Parkwood, F Heiniger of Woombye, L Dyke of St Leonards, K Bennett of Doonan, R Kunde of Beerwah, D Skewes of Bli Bli, G Tonkin of Woodgate, J Inwood

GUESS THE FISH?

Answer:

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat 92 Yakking Tweed Inside story...

In a backstreet workshop in Invercargill, New Zealand, 1987, Paul Adams and Bruce Dickens built the first rigid hulled aluminium chambered boat – a Stabicraft 3.5m dinghy called the ‘Ally Duck’. Later that year the operation moved to leased premises at 245 Bluff Highway, invercargill, and has remained there ever since.

Made for... Stabicraft’s chambered design allows occupants to move freely about the deck, even all on one side. Few other boats on the market can match Stabicraft’s positive buoyancy and design safety.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan checks out the 1550 Side Console, powered by a 70hp Suzuki. Check it out on page 102!

Troy Brown treks into cockroach country to check out the kayaking opportunities.

96 Beating the holiday crowds

Justin Willmer provides some tips to getting away from the masses during this busy time!

98 Tow, tow, tow your boat

Wayne Kampe looks at the ins and outs of towing – a very important skill for a new boat owner!

100 Hobie Mirage Outback 2019

Paddle and pedal junkie Corey Gallagher climbs into this new fishing machine from Hobie.

JANUARY 2019

Hobie Mirage Outback 2019 designed for fishers

MELBOURNE

Corey Gallagher

Hobie have a long tradition of quality and innovation. Their products have dominated kayak angling markets worldwide since the introduction of the first purpose designed, pedal propelled fishing kayak, the Mirage Outback in 2001. In the 18 years since its introduction, the Outback has undergone several key upgrades, transforming it into one of the best kayak angling platforms available. The 2019 model sees the biggest upgrade in the model’s history with a complete redesign of the hull, ensuring the Outback continues to sit atop of an ever-growing list of purpose built fishing kayaks. Like its bigger brother, the Mirage Pro Angler, the Mirage Outback was designed purely as a fishing kayak. Its new hull design and deck layout have been carefully considered and the result is an exceptional kayak that appeals to both tournament and social anglers alike. As a regular participant in the Hobie Kayak Bream Series, I have witnessed the growing popularity of the Mirage Outback amongst kayak tournament anglers in recent years. The Outback offers many advantages over rival kayaks and its lightweight hull design is a major contributor to its success. The Mirage Outback can be easily

Main: The 2019 Hobie Mirage Outback kayak is a favourite in the kayak angling community. Above: The 2019 Hobie Outback has undergone the biggest redesign in the model’s 18 year history. transported to and from your favourite fishing spot on roof racks – its manageable size and weight makes launching that much easier when fishing solo and very little room is required when storing the kayak at home. A major upgrade to the 2019 Mirage Outback is its redesigned hull, featuring a sharper bow that cuts effortlessly through the water,

SPECIFICATIONS Length Overall..........................................3.86m Beam.........................................................0.86m Crew..............................................1 (single seat) Capacity.............................................. 192.78kg Fitted Hull Weight................................. 38.56kg Fully Rigged Weight.............................. 46.72kg Hull Construction.....Rotomolded Polyethylene RRP..................................................From $4190 100

JANUARY 2019

wind, wake and chop while also greatly reducing any hull slap. The kayak is very fast off the line and gets up to speed within just a few kicks of the mirage drive 180, thanks largely to this redesigned bow. The 2019 Outback also features a completely redesigned rear deck and stern. The old twist and stow style rudder has been replaced with Hobie’s kick up rudder, the rudder is spring loaded and will bump up out of the way when it hits rocks or snags underwater. The new Outback features dual steering controls, meaning that left and right handed anglers will find manoeuvring the kayak a breeze, capable of turning in a tight circle with full rudder lock. The rear end

also features a large H-Rail carry handle that not only assists while transporting, but also allows kayak anglers a convenient place to mount Hobie H-Rail accessories, such as a Go-Pro mount. Another new addition to the stern of the 2019 Outback is it comes power pole ready with pre-drilled inserts. The large rear deck is massive in comparison to the old model and allows plenty of room for a livewell, icebox, rod holders or storage crates. The rear deck also features two recessed areas. It has a H-Track deluxe with bungee tackle retainer that allow anglers to store two 3700 size tackle trays and secure it in place using built in bungee straps. The cockpit area also features two similar recessed areas, only these come equipped with a H-Rail, giving the angler even more storage and accessory mounting options. The four H-Track Deluxe recessed storage areas not only greatly increases the tackle storage capacity of the 2019 Outback, but also includes handy storage for your fishing pliers, braid scissors, lip grips and other fishing related tools, with bungee tie downs to keep everything secure and safe from an accidental swim overboard. Together, these features combine to make the 2019 Outback an incredibly organised kayak, everything has its place and for a tournament angler who needs quick access to their equipment, the Outback ticks all the boxes. Hobie have introduced a rectangular centre hatch into the new model as standard, an upgrade many owners of the old Outbacks retro fitted. The larger centre hatch comes standard with a tackle bucket, the perfect place to store smaller tackle trays,

leader and other frequently used items. The hatch also has a built in bottle opener for those who are keen to partake in a cold beverage while on the water. The mesh pocket on the inside of the hatch is a great place to store keys or a mobile phone. Another key upgrade to the 2019 model is the seat has been widened by 1.5”. The Vantage CTW Seat features 4-way, adjustment making it comfortable for any angler no matter your size or shape. Hobie have also introduced the Guardian retractable transducer shield to the 2019 Outback. The system protects the transducer on impact and retracts into the hull for transport. The 2019 Outback is powered by the V2 Mirage Drive 180, Hobie’s reverse capable pedal drive system featuring ARC shafts, which allow kayakers to adjust the cranks at the push of a button. The 2019 Outback is available in a large range of colours: slate blue, papaya orange, red hibiscus, ivory dune, seagrass green and camo package, which also features camo deck pads and pedal pads. I recently competed in a Hobie Kayak Series

Event out of a 2019 Outback in Mallacoota, where we experienced strong breezes for the duration of the tournament. To say I was impressed with the performance of the new hull under these testing conditions would be a huge understatement. True to Hobie’s claims, the hull slices effortlessly through the water, wind and chop and does it without losing forward momentum. Hull slap has been greatly reduced, even in the choppy conditions. Please note that the kayak featured in this article featured several aftermarket accessories including the Hobie V2 Livewell, Hobie Vantage Seat Bag and Lowrance Elite 9 Ti Sounder. The Hobie Mirage Outback is an extremely versatile kayak that appeals to a broad range of anglers. It is feature packed in a lightweight package, adding further to its appeal. The Outback has long been a favourite among the kayak angling community and the 2019 model, with its upgraded storage options and improved hull design, will ensure that this kayak continues as one of the best options for kayak anglers looking to purchase a new yak.

The lightweight hull makes the 2019 Outback perfect for those looking for a feature packed kayak that is still easily transported on a roof rack.

Pre-drilled inserts allow a Power Pole Micro to be mounted directly onto the hull. The rear cargo area has been significantly increased and features two H-Track Deluxe with bungee tackle retainer systems. New for 2019, the Vantage Seat CTW features an extra 1.5” width.

Hobie’s innovative H-Track Deluxe with H-Rail integrated track is a multipurpose addition to the 2019 Outback, excellent for mounting all manner of accessories and storing tackle trays up to 3700 size.

The new Outback is powered by the reverse capable V2 Hobie Mirage Drive 180. A vertically mounted rectangular hatch now comes as standard.

A ‘reclined’ seating position in the new Outback.

The Hobie Guardian retractable transducer shield has been introduced into the new model.

The twist and stow rudder has been replaced by a kick up rudder mounted under the stern of the kayak.

The cockpit of the 2019 Outback has been carefully designed and now features plenty of storage and accessory mounting options.

The new design features a sharper bow that effortlessly cuts through water, wind, wake and chop and allows the kayak to get up to speed quickly. JANUARY 2019

101

Stabicraft 1550 Side Console with 70hp Suzuki - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

Main: Ross Tizard’s Stabicraft 1550 is set up ideally for his Mandurah lifestyle, which includes bream fishing, crabbing and sneaking offshore for snapper. Above: The Stabicraft’s excellent stability comes from welded external tubes that add flotation to each gunwale. 102

JANUARY 2019

buoyancy of the rig, with the compromise being reduced internal beam. There are a few things that Ross has done to counter the reduction of room, including the addition of a fold-away helm seat for the driver and high internal gunwales in the cockpit. The console is broad and provides protection from a little wind spray. It easily holds all of the gauges and switches Ross needs for his daily boat operation. Also unique to the Stabicraft as a long sub-gunwale shelf that can easily accommodate a couple of fishing rods and all of Ross’ accessories that he needs ready-to-hand. “The wide gunwales also provide an excellent place to sit,” Ross added. On the port side of the transom, a large, windowed live bait tank allows you to keep an eye on your catch or livies and ensure that they’re in prime condition. The raised front deck gives you a place to cast lures from while under Minn Kota power, however Ross’ Stabicraft also comes with raised rails so you can get up there when it’s a little rough. Ross admits that he’s not the world’s smallest man, and appreciates the extra support up front. Important to Ross is that the rig is easily launchable and manoeuvrable singlehanded, as he often ventures out on his own to hunt and gather. The single-axled Dunbier trailer facilitates this, and he has a system

DE FOR EX

It’s not that often that we get to head out with a dealer’s customer to do a boat test, but Scott De Mouncey of Mandurah Motor Marine was 100% confident that his repeat customer, Ross Tizard, was the perfect advocate for his New Zealand built Stabicraft boat range. Ross is now on his second Stabicraft, with the 1550 being an upgrade from a smaller Stabi that he

Let’s have a look at how he’s done it. The 1550 hull is fitted with a 70HP Suzuki 4-stroke outboard which gives Ross wonderful economy – up to 4.25km/L at 3700rpm and 35km/h – giving a theoretical range of over 300km in ideal conditions. In Ross’ case, this means that it’s often a long time between service station visits to fuel up. Stabicraft hulls are unique in the way that they incorporate welded aluminium airtight tubes into the hull design. These increase the stability and

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

owned previously. He was happy to take us out on the Mandurah estuary on a windy afternoon to show us just what it could do. Ross is retired, and he’s pretty particular about what he needs his boat to do. Whether it is crabbing, chasing black bream up the Murray River or sneaking offshore to chase a few snapper, Ross’ boat needs to be able to handle all of these activities and be able to do it by himself. That includes single-handed launch and retrieve and boat positioning on the water.

Steve Morgan

CON

AN THE

FMG

SPECIFICATIONS Length.......................................................4.72m Capacity............................................. 5 persons Max HP...........................................................75 Fuel...............................................................85L External beam..........................................2.02m Internal beam...........................................1.46m Transom deadrise.........................................15° Tube thickness........................................2.5mm Hull thickness............................................4mm Hull weight............................................... 415kg worked out with a couple of ropes that makes it all look too easy. “I really love the build quality of the Stabicraft boats, and maybe it also has a little to do with the fact that I’m an expatriate New Zealander,” says Ross, “but you really do feel safe in this hull. It’s a great little

hull that I can use for all my types of fishing.” Both of Ross’ Stabicraft boats have been supplied and delivered by Mandurah Motor Marine in Mandurah, WA. You can find out more at Stabicraft website www. stabicraft.com and at www. suzuki.com.au.

Ross has perfected the single handed launch and retrieve method. Since he often fishes by himself, this is an important feature of the boat.

Fifteen degrees of transom deadrise helps the hull negotiate the often choppy waters of Peel Inlet and the Indian Ocean.

A broad console holds Ross’ fishfinder, engine gauges, radio, music and accessory switches.

It’s rare to see a transom build like this in an Aussie boat; there are cranking and trolling motor batteries in the hatch and a bait station on the top. The windowed live bait tank on the port side is particularly useful.

Supplied on a single axle Dunbier trailer, the whole rig is easily manoeuvrable in a garage and capable of being launched one-handed.

The cockpit has plenty of depth to remain fishable in rougher conditions and suits Ross’ style of fishing perfectly.

There’s a lot of Mandurah’s waterways that are speed limited. The 1550 is quiet and stable at non-planing speeds.

Boat builders often try to keep the batteries and the centre of gravity of their boats as low as possible. Sometimes this makes the batteries harder to access. The Stabicraft’s stability isn’t compromised by this setup and batteries are very easily checked.

Another day in the office for Ross. Retirement at Mandurah is awesome. Happy fishing, Mr Tizard!

Top and above: We loved the fold-down seat. It’s held up by two removable pins, and it stows away to give the extra room in the cockpit that Ross needs. JANUARY 2019

103