ABT Tournament Angler Guide `13

13 EXTRAS

BREAM

Non-boating Know How Sponsorship Secrets Lure Sounds

Crash Diving Crankbaits Kayak Grand Final Hickson’s BREAM Box

BASS Timeline to Success Ice Jigging Magic Finesse Plastics

BARRA Tools of the Trade Sounding for Barra Barra Baits Breakdown

$9.95

GST INC. 2013 TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE

GROUP

2013 ABT EnTry Forms rEcords, EArnings And rAnkings

™

Distributed exclusively by

boatinglifestyleadventure bla.com.au

®

Sunken sailboat at 12m

Submerged bridge and creek channel

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Bream beds shown in forward-looking mode

Welcome to 360° coverage.

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But But with with aa new new twist—360° twist—360° coverage extending 46 metres in every direction direction around around your your boat. While trolling and even while while sitting sitting still, still, you’ll you’ll have a clear view of drop-offs, structure structure and and cover. cover. So you can see where fish are hiding, hiding, before before they they see you.

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UNDERSTAND UNDERSTANDTHE THEBEAM. BEAM. Visualize Visualize360 360Imaging™ Imaging™as asininaathin thinsonar sonarwall wall extending extending 46m 46m to either side your boat. boat.This Thiswall wallrotates rotatestotocreate createaa91m 91mcircle circlethat that enables enables you you to see areas virtually virtuallyimpossible impossibletotoreach reachwith withother othertypes types of of sonar. sonar. And, And, because because the thesonar sonarwall wallmoves, moves,you youdon’t don’thave haveto. to.

FIVE FIVEBEAM BEAMSPEEDS. SPEEDS. For Forgreater greateron-water on-waterflexibility, flexibility,360 360Imaging™ Imaging™ lets lets you you choose choose from fromfive fivebeam beamspeed speedsetttings. setttings.Lower Lowerbeam beam speeds speeds lead lead to to higher higherimage imagequality qualitybut butlower lowerrefresh refreshrates. rates. Conversely, Conversely, higher higherbeam beamspeeds speedsresult resultininlower lowerimage image quality qualityand andhigher higherrefresh refreshrates. rates.

DROP DROPIN INWITHOUT WITHOUT CAUSING CAUSINGAASTIR. STIR. Deploy Deploy360 360Imaging Imaging™™using using your yourHumminbird Humminbird®®unit unitororthe the control controlbuttons buttonsfound foundononthe the Transducer TransducerDeployment DeploymentSystem.

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The Thetransducer transducerdrops dropsbelow below your yourboat’s boat’shull hulland andprop propfor foranan unobstructed unobstructed360° 360°view. view.Easily Easilyset set deployment deploymentdepth depthbased basedononyour your prop propclearance clearanceand andititwill willbebestored stored ininthe theTDS TDSmemory. memory.The Thesystem system operates operatesquietly—escaping quietly—escapingthe the notice noticeofofnearby nearbyfish. fish.

editorial

Tournament Season 2013 let’s fish

T

tournament option in 2013. Just like ournament season 2013 is building

Bonuses including cash bonuses from Club

with the BREAM Grand Final if you win

as one of the best in many years.

Marine and Yamaha to the mix and anglers

the BASS Kayak Grand Final you’ll earn

Bream, bass, kayaks; you name

are in for a lucrative year.

yourself a spot in AFC. 2013 is definitely the year of the kayaker.

your species or series and you’re in for a great year on the tournament trail. Let’s

BASS

see what’s in-store.

If you thought the 2012 BASS season

was good, then you’re going to love what we

BREAM

have for you this year. Smak Lures return as

media exposure in 2013, with its websites

ABT will continue to deliver unrivalled

the BASS Pro Series naming sponsor, and

revamped for the new season, weigh-

series in the country welcomes a new

after a successful first year at the helm, are

in live streams improved, and its media

series sponsors for the new year, with

pumped to see the season kick off at the

partners in the form of Fishing Monthly

Humminbird taking the reins of the

opening round at Glenbawn in February.

Group, www.lureandfly.com.au and AFC

Humminbird BREAM Series. A welcome

Outdoors taking tournament fishing to the

return for the inaugural BREAM series

are to follow and lead into the Grand Final

masses like no one else can.

sponsor from 2000, and one that ABT is

week that’ll be back in Queensland in

excited to see. Bird is definitely the word

spring. Cania Dam will be the venue of the

packed full of information to get you out on

for 2013.

BASS Pro GF, while the Megabass BASS

the tournament trail, with bream, bass and

Megabucks will return to Queensland’s big

barra anglers all catered for in Australia’s

qualifying event series, with the popular

bass Mecca, Lake Somerset, in September.

premier tournament fishing publication.

stops of the Gold Coast, Clarence River,

Roll on spring and roll on bass fishing.

Gippsland Lakes and Hawkesbury River

featuring in 2013. The BREAM Grand

will receive a facelift for the new season

for tournament fishing, while crankbaits

Final week heads south to Victoria in early

and will adopt the less is more approach

for bream, finesse plastics for bass, and

November with Mallacoota playing host

that has been so successful on the BREAM

fishing rod options for barra anglers are

to the BREAM Classic Championship

and BASS Pro front. Eighteen venues will

all dissected. It’s tournament angling

and Gippsland Lakes the venue for the

feature and play host to one event each,

coverage like only ABT can do.

Humminbird BREAM Grand Final. It’ll be a

while a handful of rounds will feature

black bream smack down for the climax of

two-day formats and receive increased

With Thanks

the series.

ranking points. If you want to be at The

Electric Convention at Bjelke Petersen Dam

thank you to all those who have helped

sponsor for 2013 with Yamaha headlining

in October you better get you batteries

and continue to help ABT and the

the BREAM Australian Open. Anglers

charged and you better get bassin’.

development of tournament fishing in

The number one bream tournament

Five new venues feature in the eight

ABT welcomes another new naming

St Clair, Boondooma, and Somerset

The Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Series

aren’t just in for a new sponsor for The

8

It’s Showtime

This year’s Tournament Angler Guide is

Kris Hickson, Matthew Mott and Jon

Millard let us peak into their one boxes

Last, and by no means least, a big

Australia. To the ABT staff, Chris, Elliot,

Open with the event now taking place

Kayak

and James your efforts never go un-

in March and run in conjunction with the

noticed and are crucial to our success. To

Rosehill Boat Show. With the weighing

2013, with the Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak

the crew at www.lureandfly.com, thank you

taking place in front of a huge crowd at the

Series the biggest ever. Series five of the

for your selfless dedication to our sport

show it’ll be an open like we’ve never seen

popular tournament series will feature 21

and the professionalism that you bring

before.

rounds, including Qualifiers, Super Series

to it.

and World’s Qualifying events. It’s kayak

the BREAM trail with Mercury up-scaling

tournament fishing like only Daiwa and Hobie

and competitors thank you for your

their Mercury Bonus to now include cash

can do and culminates with the Grand Final

ongoing support, without you ABT wouldn’t

bonuses for the top three Mercury owners

in November.

be here, and tournament fishing wouldn’t

at each BREAM Qualifier.

have grown into what it is today.

going to have to wait till later in the year to

offering the highest placed boater at a

find out. And remember if you’re a kayak

Get out there, get fishing and we’ll see you

BREAM Qualifying event and the highest

breamer and you want to make it onto AFC,

at tournament soon.

placed angler at each round of the Daiwa-

all you need to do is win the Grand Final.

Hobie BREAM Kayak Series a $250 bonus.

In 2013 it definitely does pay to be a Ford

this year, with BASS kayak qualifying rounds

owner. Add another a dozen plus Sponsor

and a Grand Final giving kayakers another

It’ll be a Sponsor Bonus megafeast on

Ford are following suit and are now

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

For kayakers it’s a super sized season in

Where’s the final going to be? Well you’re

Bass is also on the menu for kayakers

To ABT’s sponsors (past and present)

So there you have it, the plan for 2013.

Simon Goldsmith Tournament Angler Guide and ABT Tournament Director.

13

contents Hickson’s One Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kris Hickson

38

BREAM records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ABT

BARRA Tools of the Trade Sounding for Barra Barra Baits Breakdown

2013 ABT EnTry Forms rEcords, EArnings And rAnkings

GROUP

COVER: Carl Jocumsen adds another bass to the livewell as his practices for another year on the US bass circuit.

KNOW-HOW

9

15

S ANGLE BAS RO RD K

UMMINB 2H IR 01 HUMMIN 12 BI 20

28

Timeline to Success Ice Jigging Magic Finesse Plastics

GST INC. 2013 TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE

Crash Diving Crankbaits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Josh Carpenter

BASS

$9.95

20

Crash Diving Crankbaits Kayak Grand Final Hickson’s BREAM Box

D

NK AN RANK 2 RAN 012 201 20 2012

EAM ANGLE BR R 2012

K

RAN

THE YEAR OF

BREAM GF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elliot Fooks

BREAM

Non-boating Know How Sponsorship Secrets Lure Sounds

HE YEAR FT

12

EXTRAS

BASS

N O N - B O AT

BREA

M

N O N - B O AT

ER 17/12

ER

2

17/12

16 3

46

Cream of the Crop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Josh Carpenter

52

Non-boater Knowhow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grayson Fong

58

Ice Ice Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simon Goldsmith

12

70

7

4

Finesse is Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dean Silvester 24

78

Mott’s Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Mott

84

Carl Jocumsen’s 2012 Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Morgan

94

BASS Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ABT

100

Telling it Like it Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad Sissins

108

Rattle n’ Hum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Seeto

114

Timeline to Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Byrnes

120

Seeing is Believing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Coleman

128

Millard’s Money Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simon Goldsmith

134

Tools of the Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Byrnes

140

BARRA Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ABT

154

ABT Entry Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ABT

4. Make- Lucky Craft Model- Cra-Pea DR Specs- 38mm, 2.9g, depth- 7’, floating 5. Make- Zipbaits Model- B Switcher MDR Midget Rattler Specs- 43mm, 8g, depth- 5’, floating 6. Make- Lucky Craft Model- Cra-Pea Bottom Specs- 38mm, 3.7g, depth- 10’, floating

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Let’s take a look at the top two Humminbird AOY anglers from the Daiwa BREAM Series and Smak Lures BASS Pro Series and get an insight into how they achieve their tournament success.

THE CREAM RISES

Phil Nix from New South Wales and Troy Hamilton from Victoria are models of consistency on the BREAM scene. Phil has four event wins in his 10+ years on the tour while Troy was red hot in 2012 with three top fours for the season.

Two of the most consistent anglers on the BREAM scene, they attribute much of their consistency and success to being adaptable.

“As a non-boater you don’t get to choose where you’re going to fish, that’s really up to the boater. So you need to be ready to fish

WELL TRAVELLED

Consistency for non-boaters can be hard to achieve. The dynamics of fishing with different boaters with varying, and sometimes conflicting, fishing styles can often make it hard to consistently catch fish.

Nevertheless, cream always rises to the top. Regardless of the venue or the bite pattern, there were the ever-present anglers who place event after event that show the new, and not so new, non-boaters the way to tournament success.

7. Make- River 2 Sea Model- Baby Crank D40F Specs- 40mm, 5.5g, depth- 8’, floating 8. Make- OSP Model- Dunk 48SP Specs- 48mm, 5g, depth- 3-4m, suspending 9. Make- Smith Model- Camion Magnum Dredge Specs- 36mm, 3.9g, depth- 3m, floating

24

where they want to fish and, to a certain degree, how they want to fish,” said Nix. A long-time travel partner of Atomic Bream Pro Graham Franklin, Nix has fished most tournament venues throughout the country and has learnt a host of different techniques.

“Fishing different waterways has enabled me to become proficient at a range of techniques.

One month I can be ripping jerkbaits for big black bream on the Derwent while a month later I can be fishing deep with plastics for yellows.

This variety certainly helps you become more tournament ready,” said Nix. For Humminbird BREAM AOY runner-up Troy Hamilton it’s his love of the outdoors and passion for fishing that fuels his tournament success, rather than an underlying knowledge of varying tournament arenas and bream techniques.

53

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

53

Peter Phelps showed the way at the 2012 Lake Glenbawn BASS Pro fishing finesse plastics through the flooded trees to claim his maiden ABT win.

IS BEST TEXT: DEAN SILVESTER PHOTOGRAPHY: SIMON GOLDSMITH , JEFF CLELLAND

Finesse plastics have been simmering away on the backburner of bassing techniques for many years. Now, many anglers who have largely ignored them in the past are starting to explore them, with impressive results. If you’re not a finesse convert, read on to find out why this approach could be well worth your while.

F

inesse plastics have been something I have played around with since my first tournament as a non-boater in 2005. I fished with a bream angler who was using 3” jerk minnows in the weeds at Glenbawn with good results. Since then I have trialled many different styles of plastics with varying success depending on time of year.

Put simply, finesse plastics fishing involves cutting down paddle-tails and jerk minnow plastics and fishing them on jigheads no heavier than 1/6oz. The finesse side is all about matching the hatch, having a plastic that looks and behaves exactly

A handful of plastics, jigheads and a willingness to go light and trim things a little is all you need to get started with finesse plastics.

68

69

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

like the bass’ prey. Paddle-tails can be used in full size or cut down so they’re not much bigger than the diminutive no. 2 hook jighead that they can be rigged on. Jerk minnows also respond well to being cut down, even if it’s just to get the body size correct to match the hatch.

68/69 A FINE LINE

The finesse approach in many instances ends with the lure itself, because in a lot of cases you’re casting the lure into rugged terrain and fishing locked drags, stiff rods and heavy leaders in an attempt to drag fish from cover. This brutal approach means that TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

108

108

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Distribution: Gordon and Gotch

Editor: Simon Goldsmith

Art Director: Matthew Roberts

Assistant Editor: Jacqui Thomas

Production: Matthew Roberts, Melissa Carroll, Jeff Clelland, Karen Millward

2013 Tournament Angler Guide is a Fishing Monthly Group publication.

ABN 72 010 542 195 PO Box 3172, Loganholme, QLD 4129 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801

69

Caught in the middle of nowhere this fish was located, pin pointed, its mood worked out and lure presentation tailor made using a state of the art sounder. Seeing is believing.

The Ecogear ZX blade is a gun deep and dirty water lure, with plenty of vibration so the fish can home in on it.

Sponsorship: Steve Morgan, Travis Davies

Printing and Prepress: APN Print

he close battle of the 2012 Humminbird BREAM and BASS Pro Angler of the Year titles illustrates perfectly the current state of play for nonboaters and showed that tournament talent isn’t just limited to those with a boat.

FINESSE

Managing Editor: Steve Morgan

Publishers: Fishing Monthly Group Steve Morgan, Robyn Lawrie and Matthew Drinkall

T

11

6

TOP CRANKERS 1. Make-Pontoon 21 Model- Red Rag Specs- 36mm, 6.1 grams, depth- 1.2m, floating 2. Make- Maria Model- MC-1 D38F Specs- 38mm, 4.5g, depth- 2m, floating 3. Make- Lucky Craft Model- Clutch DR Specs- 42mm, 6g, depth- 7’, floating

120

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

120

ABT P.O. Box 7196 Loganholme, QLD, 4129 Phone: ((07) 3387 0888 Fax: (07) 3387 0889

Business Office: Unit 3, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, QLD 4128

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

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

9

20

13

tournament

calendar humminbird BREAM Series The Humminbird BREAM Series is Australia’s premier bream fishing series and the only pathway to AFC. Eight qualifying rounds, featuring five new venues makes up the series in 2013, with the BREAM Grand Final heading to Victoria in November. The Humminbird BREAM Series is Australia’s only boater/non-boater bream tournament series and the only place you’ll get the opportunity to fish with champions such as Russell Babekuhl and Tristan Taylor. So whether you’re an elite angler or a developing angler the Humminbird BREAM Series is for you.

BREAM Qualifiers – Boater $220, Non Boater $110, $100 cash pro option available at briefing.

Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Series The 2013 Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Series is the biggest in the five season history of the popular kayak fishing tournament series. 21 events make up the series, and includes events run by ABT (Qualifier events, Super Series & Hobie Worlds), Hobie and selected BREAM Classic organizers. WA, SA, VIC, TAS, NSW and QLD play host to rounds, with the venue for pinnacle event of the series, the Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Grand Final still yet to be decided.

The final will once again receive the full Hobie treatment with anglers fishing from factory supplied Hobie kayaks.

Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak - $50 per day of competition, Pro – additional $50 cash. (Qualifier events, Super Series & Hobie Worlds)

BlueFin Boats BASS Electric Series BlueFin Boats headlines the BASS Electric Series again in 2013, with the grass roots bass series hitting a swag of quality bass lakes as it travels its way through QLD and NSW. Single and two day events are once again on the menu for anglers with ultimate goal to qualify for the BlueFin Boats BASS Electric Convention in October.

Check out the calendar to find out where and when you can get your BlueFin Boats BASS Electric fix.

BASS Electric Entries - $20, and optional $20 ‘Pro’ option on the day.

bREAM Series DATE

STATE

LOCATION

EVENT

SPONSOR

19-20 Jan

SA

Glenelg River

BREAM Qualifier #1

Atomic

23-24 Feb

VIC

Mallacoota

BREAM Qualifier #2

Sunline

9-10 Mar

NSW

Hawkesbury River

BREAM Qualifier #3

Gladiator

15-17 Mar

NSW

Sydney Harbour

BREAM Australian Open

Yamaha

13-14 Apr

VIC

Gippsland Lakes

BREAM Qualifier #4

Hobie

4-5 May

TAS

Derwent River

BREAM Qualifier #5

Shimano

18-19 May

WA

Blackwood River

BREAM Qualifier #6

Mercury

6-7 Jul

NSW

Clarence River

BREAM Qualifier #7

Yamaha

10-11 Aug

QLD

Gold Coast

BREAM Qualifier #8

Austackle

5-6 Nov

VIC

Mallacoota

BREAM Classic Championship

Polar Kraft / Evinrude

8-10 Nov

VIC

Gippsland Lakes

BREAM Grand Final

Humminbird

BREAM KAYAK SERIES DATE

STATE LOCATION

EVENT

19-20 Jan

SA/VIC

Glenelg

3-Feb

NSW

Brisbane Water

16-17 Feb

VIC

17-Feb

DAYS

ORGANISER

WEB

Worlds Qf # 1 2

ABT

www.bream.com.au

Qualifier

1

*GHS/HOBIE STAFF

www.fishingcomps.com.au

Bemm River

Qualifier

2

ABT/HOBIE STAFF

www.bream.com.au

WA

Upper Swan River

Qualifier

1

Craig Leatt-Hayter

www.wabreamclassics.com.au

3rd Mar

NSW

St Georges Basin

Super Series

1

*GHS/HOBIE STAFF

www.fishingcomps.com.au

9-10 Mar

NSW

Narrabeen

Qualifier

2

ABT/HOBIE STAFF

www.bream.com.au

17th Mar

NSW

Burrill Lake

Qualifier

1

HOBIE STAFF

www.hobiefishing.com.au/

6-7 Apr

VIC

Marlo

Worlds Qf # 2 2

ABT

www.bream.com.au

14th Apr

NSW

Clyde River

Qualifier

1

*GHS / HOBIE STAFF

www.fishingcomps.com.au

27-28 Apr

TAS

Ansons Inlet

Qualifier

2

ABT

www.bream.com.au

4-5 May

NSW

Forster

Super Series

2

ABT

www.bream.com.au

5th May

WA

Murray River -Mandurah Qualifier

1

Craig Leatt-Hayter

www.wabreamclassics.com.au

18-19 May WA

Blackwood River

Qualifier

2

ABT

www.bream.com.au

26-May

NSW

Georges River

Qualifier

1

*GHS / HOBIE STAFF

www.fishingcomps.com.au

29-30 Jun

QLD

Redcliffe

Worlds Qf # 3 2

ABT

www.bream.com.au

13-14 Jul

VIC

Lake Tyers

Qualifier

1

HOBIE STAFF

www.hobiefishing.com.au/

25-Aug

QLD

Gold Coast Canals

Qualifier

1

ABT

www.bream.com.au

7-8 Sep

QLD

Mooloolabah

Super Series

2

ABT

www.bream.com.au

28-29 Sep

NSW

Ballina

Qualifier

2

GTS/NCFB

www.fishingcomps.com.au

29-Sep

VIC

Patterson Lake

Qualifier

1

ABT

www.bream.com.au

12-13 Oct

NSW

Port Macquarie

Worlds Qf # 4 2

ABT/HOBIE STAFF

www.bream.com.au

2-3 Nov

TBA

TBA

Grand Final

ABT

www.bream.com.au

2

*GHS= Gamakatsu Hobie Fishing Series

BASS ELECTRIC SERIES DATE

LOCATION

EVENT

DIRECTOR

CONTACT

EVENT TIMES

2-3 Feb

Danjeera Dam

BASS Electric Series #1

Dave Mann

0417 232 652

2.30-6.30pm, 5.30am-11.30am

3rd Feb

Cania Dam

BASS Electric Series #2

Chris Horne

0410 716 701

7am-1pm

23-24 Feb

Bjelke Petersen Dam

BASS Electric Series #3

Terry Allwood

0400 860 122

2.30-6.30pm, 5.30-11.30am 6am-12pm

3rd Mar

Lake Lyell

BASS Electric Series #4

Glenn Hayter

0427 786 877

9-10 Mar

Brogo Dam

BASS Electric Series # 5

Dave Mann

0417 232 652

2.30-6.30pm, 6am-12pm

23-24 Mar

Isis Balancing Storage BASS Electric Series #6

Shane Anderson

(07) 4153 4747

2.30-6.30pm, 6am-12pm

7th Apr

Toonumbar Dam

BASS Electric Series #7

Adrian Melchior

0415 587 900

1.30am-7.30pm, 5.30-11am

14 Apr

Clarrie Hall Dam

BASS Electric Series #8

Tony Payne

0409 260 977

7am-1pm

27-28 Apr

Borumba

BASS Electric Series #9

Trevor Stead

0427 114 207

7am-1pm

5th May

Lostock Dam

BASS Electric Series #10

Mal Draper

0418 402 803

7am-1pm

19th May

Hinze Dam

BASS Electric Series #11

ABT

(07) 3387 0888

7am-1pm

2nd Jun

Maroon Dam

BASS Electric Series #12

Trevor Stead

0427 114 207

7am-1pm

23 Jun

Lenthalls

BASS Electric Series #13

Shane Anderson

14th Jul

Wivenhoe Dam

BASS Electric Series #143 Trevor Stead

27-28 Jul

Lake St Clair

BASS Electric Series #15

Luke Mullholland 0423 951 323

TBA

4th Aug

Lake McDonald

BASS Electric Series #16

Paul Fleming

0488 232 249

6.30am-12.30pm

24-25 Aug

Moogerah Dam

BASS Electric Series #17

Rory Saint

0415 445 142

12-5pm, 7am-1pm

1st Sep

Cressbrook Dam

BASS Electric Series #18

Brad Clark

0448 588 955

6am-12pm

Bjelke Petersen Dam

BASS Electric Series Convention

ABT

(07) 3387 0888

7am-1pm

28-29 Sep

For full tournament details go to…

(07) 4153 4747

7am-1pm

0427 114 207

7am-1pm

www.bream.com.au www.australianbass.com.au www.australianbarra.com.au

BASS PRO SERIES

bass kayak series

DATE

STATE

LOCATION

EVENT

SPONSOR

DATE

STATE

LOCATION

EVENT

16-17 Feb

NSW

Glenbawn Dam

BASS Qualifier #1

G.Loomis

9th Feb

NSW

Brogo Dam

Qualifier

20-21 Apr

NSW

Lake St Clair

BASS Qualifier #2

Samurai Reaction

24th Mar

NSW

Lake St Clair

Qualifier

15-16 Jun

QLD

Lake Boondooma

BASS Qualifier #3

Club Marine

17-18 Aug

QLD

Somerset Dam

BASS Qualifier #4

TT Lures

14-15 Sep

QLD

Cania Dam

BASS Pro Grand Final Smak Lures

17-18 Sep

QLD

Somerset Dam

BASS Megabucks

Megabass

11th May

QLD

Lake McDonald

Qualifier

24th Aug

QLD

Maroon Dam

Qualifier

16/17 Nov

NSW

Toonumbar

Grand Final

AffilliateD Events DATE

STATE EVENT

LOCATION

DIRECTOR

13th Jan

NSW

BETS

Lake Macquarie

BETS

CONTACT

www.betsbream.com.au

20th Jan

NSW

GTS

Ballina

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts

3rd Feb

NSW

ABT Pro-Am

St Georges Basin

ABT

(07) 3387 0888 www.bream.com.au

2-3 Feb

VIC

VBC

Docklands

Bill Hartshorne

0409 823 070

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

3rd Feb

NSW

GHFS

Brisbane Waters

Australian Fishing Tournaments

9-10 Feb

TAS

TBC

St Helens

Alistair Creed

0408 109 204

www.bream.com.au

10th Feb

NSW

BETS

Hawkesbury River

BETS

10th Feb

QLD

GTS

Gold Coast South

Australian Fishing Tournaments

10th Feb

WA

WA Classics

Perth

Craig Leatt-Hayter

3rd Mar

NSW

GTS

Nelson Bat (Hawks Nest)

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts

3rd Mar

NSW

GHFS

St Georges Basin

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au

9-10 Mar

TAS

TBC

Swan River

Alistair Creed

16-17 Mar

QLD

GTS BASS

Somerset Dam

Australian Fishing Tournaments

17th Mar

SA

SABT

Glenelg River

Darryl Kelcey

0430 308 358 0409 823 070

smak lures BASS Pro Series After a successful 2012 anglers will be chomping at the bit to hit the water for the 2013 Smak Lures BASS Pro Series. This year’s series will feature four qualifying rounds and will culminate with the Grand Final at Lake Cania in September.

Angler of the Year Titles for both boaters and non-boaters, ranking points and the title of Grand Final Champion combine to make the series the must-do for all competitive bassers BASS Pro Qualifiers – Boater $220, Pro (boater) $320, Non Boater $110, Pro (non boater) $210

WEB

www.fishingcomps.com.au

www.betsbream.com.au www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts 0412 249 647

0408 109 204

www.breammaster.com

www.bream.com.au www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts

23-24 Mar

VIC

VBC

Glenelg River

Bill Hartshorne

24th Mar

NSW

BETS

St Georges Basin

BETS

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

29th Mar

QLD

Easter BREAM Classic

Gold Coast

Steve Wilson

6-7 Apr

NSW

BETS BASS

Glenbawn Dam

BETS

13-14 Apr

WA

WA Classics

South Coast

Craig Leatt-Hayter

14th Apr

QLD

GTS

Clarence River (Iluka)

Australian Fishing Tournaments

14th Apr

NSW

GHFS

Clyde River

Australian Fishing Tournaments

27-28 Apr

NSW

PMBC

Port Macquarie

David Poulton

0401 191 554

www.portbreamclassic.com.au

4-5 May

VIC

VBC

Hopkins River

Bill Hartshorne

0409 823 070

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

19th May

NSW

BETS

Forster

BETS

25-26 May

TAS

TBC

Derwent River

Alistair Creed

0408 109 204

www.bream.com.au

26th May

NSW

GTS

Taree

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts

26th May

NSW

GHFS

Georges River

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au

1-2 Jun

NSW

BETS BASS

St Clair

BETS

www.betsbream.com.au

9th Jun

WA

WA Classics

Mandurah

Craig Leatt-Hayter

0412 249 647

9th Jun

QLD

Dash 4 Cash

Gold Coast

Christine Hunt

0433 150 985 0409 823 070

www.betsbream.com.au 0403 694 178 www.betsbream.com.au 0412 249 647

www.breammaster.com www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts www.fishingcomps.com.au

www.betsbream.com.au

www.breammaster.com

15-16 Jun

VIC

VBC

Mallacoota

Bill Hartshorne

23rd Jun

NSW

GTS

Bribie Island

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

23rd Jun

NSW

BETS

Lake Macquarie

BETS

29-30th Jun

NSW

Sussex Inlet BREAM Classic

Sussex Inlet

John Kinsey

21st Jul

NSW

GTS

Forster

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts

28th Jul

NSW

GHFS Semi Final

Port Hacking

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts

3-4 Aug

QLD

GTS BASS

Lake Boondooma

Australian Fishing Tournaments

www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts

3-4 Aug

NSW

BETS Grand Final

Sydney Harbour

BETS

11th Aug

WA

WA Classics

Mandurah

Craig Leatt-Hayter

18th Aug

NSW

GTS Semi Final South

Taree

Australian Fishing Tournaments

8th Sep

QLD

GTS Semi Final North

Gold Coast

Australian Fishing Tournaments

15th Sep

WA

WA Classics

Perth

Craig Leatt-Hayter

0412 249 647

6th Oct

NSW

Sydney Harbour

NSW BREAM Classic

Alan Loftus

0419 629 932

12-13 Oct

VIC

VBC

Gippsland Lakes

Bill Hartshorne

0409 823 070

19-20 Oct

NSW

GTS/GHFS Grand Final

Forster

Australian Fishing Tournaments

26-27 Oct

NSW

Teams Series Bass Clash

Glenbawn Dam

BETS

23-24 Nov

SA

SABT

Port River

Darryl Kelcey

0430 308 358

30 Nov-1 Dec

VIC

VBC

Glenelg River

Bill Hartshorne

0409 823 070

www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts www.betsbream.com.au 0407 412 939

http://fishingcarnival.tripod.com

www.betsbream.com.au 0412 249 647

www.breammaster.com www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts www.breammaster.com

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au www.fishingcomps.com.au/gts www.betsbream.com.au

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

daiwa-hobie BASS kayak Series Bass anglers have the opportunity to get their kayak fix this year, with four qualifying events and an end of season Grand Final delivering kayakers their very own bass series. NSW and Queensland will host two rounds each while the GF will head to Toonumbar in northern NSW in November. Just like with the BASS Pro final, if you win the kayak final you’ll get a spot on AFC. - Team Hobie Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak - $50 per day of competition, Pro – additional $50 cash.

BARRA Tour The BARRA Tour returns to the impoundments of Queensland in spring and summer, and with the lakes recovering and the barra back on the bite the 2013 Tour is building as one of the most anticipated in many years. Faust, Teemburra, Awoonga and Monduran will once again be the venues of choice for this must-do travel tournament road show. Full details will be released in 2013.

Affiliated ABT Events The ABT Affiliated events calendar is the biggest in years, with anglers throughout Australia having a host of tournaments to scratch their tournament fishing itch. If you’re a tournament angler the angling options available have never been better or more numerous.

All ABT Affiliated events run under the ABT umbrella and are a combination of one or two day events and feature cash and product prizes.

BREAM Classic events also provide anglers with their only pathway into the National BREAM Classic Championship and the ability to accrue BREAM Classic Ranking points.

Make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to become the No 1.BREAM team in Australia.

Classic Entries – refer to individual Classic Organisers

Planning

to Win Text: Elliot Fooks Photography: Greg Seeto, Heath Blaike

With the trophy in his hands Heath had achieved the ultimate goal in bream fishing, the BREAM Grand Final crown.

Twenty-one hours of fishing in rain, wind and sunshine.

No caddy. No coach. It’s just angler against fish. When you look at the numbers of hours it takes to win the ABT BREAM Grand Final you begin to wonder how anglers hold the drive and concentration to convert those critical seconds into a Grand Final win.

Heath Blaikie’s road to victory at the 2012 Daiwa Bream Grand Final was more than just 21 hours of fishing brilliance at the event, it came down to planning and setting attainable goals over a number of years. This article will explore the road to Blaikie’s Grand Final victory and how he maintained focus over a testing 12

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

event, how he looks to develop as an angler and the lessons he learnt along the way at the biggest event on the BREAM calendar.

Seek and you shall find While many current anglers may think that Blaikie has been fishing ABT events since

2011, the reality is that it all began at his first event in 2004, a BASS Electric at Queensland’s Lake Lenthalls.

“Dad and I picked up a copy of the 2004 Tournament Angler Guide and it really all started from there. We picked a number of events that we wanted to fish and pencilled them in the diary and worked towards those events,” said Blaikie.

This forward planning was important for him and would prove a vital step to his Grand Final win in 2012.

His 2004 and 2005 seasons where not filled with full bags and winner’s cheques, but Blaikie did learn a lot of lessons and gained valuable experience.

Off into the wilderness After each event he attended Blaikie became more and more hooked by tournament fishing; an affliction that would eventually see him hooked on luring for bream. With inconsistent results in the beginning, Blaike soon realised that he had many lessons to learn before he could become proficient at catching these finicky fish on a regular basis.

“I was very fortunate to draw Kaj Busch (Bushy) as a boater. Throughout the day he would explain that he was applying techniques he had mastered on his home water, and applied them throughout Australia. I knew this is what I needed to do to become a better angler,” said Blaikie.

Kaj’s words stayed with Blaikie and while he took a hiatus from fishing ABT events he spent many hours on the water honing and developing his fishing. Even though he learnt a huge amount about fishing in the short time he competed, he also understood that to further himself as an angler he would need to focus on learning his home water and exploring the style of bream fishing that suited him.

“I brought a Coleman canoe and headed out to my local system every week.

It was about applying the lessons I learnt in those early non-boating experiences and developing techniques so I had confidence in them,” said Blaikie.

In addition to his weekly fishing trips, Blaikie also began to keep a fishing log;

knew what I was doing and that I had the confidence to catch quality fish. When I started in 2004 I really didn’t have this,” said Blaikie.

Honey I’m home Despite having limited time to fish due to work commitments, Blaikie studied

“I plan all my tournaments months in advance, that way I can manage my work load to ensure I get the best out of both my fishing and my business.” documenting his trips, the conditions and what worked and didn’t work. This journal gave him a method of active reflection, allowing him to see what parts of his bream fishing needed work.

“I needed to learn more about my fishing. I already knew that I wanted to get back into tournament fishing but for me I wanted to go in there feeling like I

Blaikie honed many of his fishing skills chasing bass and fishing from a canoe on his local waters.

his fishing journal and planned times for tournament trips and social fishing.

“Time is so limited these days with all the commitments that come with life but I feel I have made a good balance. And with my diary in my hand I’m confident that I making the best of the time that I have on the water. I plan all my tournaments months in advance, that way I can manage my work load to ensure I get the best out of both my fishing and my business,” said Blaikie.

FIRST GF Win 2011 was a big year for a non-boating Blaikie. He had two top ten finishes and a Grand Final qualification.

“I had a great season even before the Grand Final. I had built this base of fishing knowledge and I was able to catch fish with the best of them, but I made sure I learnt lessons off each and every boater,” said Blaikie.

Like a sponge Blaikie soaked up knowledge everywhere he could, from acting as an observer every opportunity he could to watching anglers like Kris Hickson cast into pontoons and docks.

“I would ask questions and observe the areas that successful anglers targeted, continually asking the anglers why. I’m sure some of them found this annoying but it was the best way for me to gain this knowledge,” said Blaikie.

This thirst for knowledge is a vital part of what helped Blaikie become the 2011 Daiwa Non-boater Grand Final Champion.

“After winning the Grand Final I began to feel more confident as an angler. I really wanted to push myself; I was catching fish in tournaments but now I wanted to see if I could make the on-water decisions that TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

13

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of a doubt that you don’t need to spend a tackle to win Australia’s most prestigious event”

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15

Blaike worked hard for his fish at the final, fishing multiple techniques and overcoming horrendous weather conditions to claim the win.

Insert left: The Bribie BREAM Qualifier in August was were Blaike felt it started to fall into place for him as a boater (21st place), back at the same venue three months later he would improve yet again, this time winning the Grand Final.

Insert right: With a win as the champion non-boater at the 2011 BREAM Grand Final Blaikie was on-track for further greatness, little did he know that he would be champion boater 12 months later.

16

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

are needed to be successful as a boater,” said Blaikie.

Stepping up Blaikie again went to his diary and planned his 2012 tournament calendar, setting the goal of finishing inside the top twenty at each event and qualify for the Grand Final as a boater. With a non-boater Grand Final qualification guarantied, Blakie felt less pressure to qualify for the final and felt that he could use the season to settle into the role of being a boater. Struggling early in the season Blakie admits that early on he didn’t deal well with all the responsibilities of being a boater.

“I didn’t concentrate on fishing the moment, I was thinking too far ahead to where I though the fish might be. It wasn’t until the Bribie Qualifier that I really felt settled and fished to a plan the whole event,” said Blaikie.

While Blaikie may have had an unsettled season and didn’t catch limits as consistently as he would have liked, a new GF qualification system based on AOY points saw him with enough to get into the final.

“It was very satisfying to make the GF in my first year as a boater. I was looking forward to being in control and having to make all the decisions,” said Blakie.

Prep time Four days on the water can take it out of an angler and when you add the pressure of a Grand Final, it takes it to the next level. Like in many sports, Blaikie also looked outside the fishing when it came to preparation.

He set himself fitness goals for the month leading into the event. His new fitness plan involved quitting smoking and running three

“Each time I dropped a fish I felt the pressure spike a little more” to five times a week.

“I knew the final would take a lot out of me and I wanted to be at my best every day, and maintain my focus through out the whole event,” said Blaikie.

Researching the arena played a big role for Blaikie, after fishing the Bribie Qualifier he had an understanding of what structure types hold fish in the system. Rather than just finding these locations on Google maps Blaikie also began targeting these structure types on his home waterway reflecting on

lessons he learnt in the 2011 season.

“In 2011 I had never targeted bream on the flats until the GF, so in the weeks leading up to it I began to fish the structure I thought I would target in the final and get my eye in and make sure I had confidence when fishing these areas,” said Blakie.

With all the prep done at home it was finally time for the biggest event of the year and getting out on the water.

It’s showtime Blaikie’s thinking was like many anglers, ‘You can’t win the final on the first day, but you can certainly lose it.’ As always, he relied on preparation and planning to give him confidence on and off the water.

“It was all about getting quality fish in the boat and setting a pattern for the weekend.

“Each day I would sit under the car port in the shade and rig up for the coming day and think about what worked and didn’t work. It really helped me refocus and once I left the car port I could switch off the fishing thoughts and enjoy the time with my kids and wife who made the trip with me.”

D-Day The morning of day three could have been one of the toughest starts in ABT BREAM Grand Final history with 30-40 knot winds howling through the tournament arena. For

The last angler to weigh-in, Blaike did it easy, blowing Steve Eldred out of the hot seat to win the 2012 Daiwa Hobie BREAM Grand Final.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

17

Blaikie the conditions may not have suited how he was fishing but it did help him focus his energy on the task at hand.

“I was pumped to go out on Sunday, I knew after such a tough day on the water whoever won on the day truly deserved it.

And having a healthy lead made me feel confident I had been making the correct decisions,” said Blaikie.

Heading straight to the flat that produced for him on days one and two, Blaikie still felt confident that he was going to catch fish. Keeping focussed on the task, Blaikie tried to go through the motions that produced on the previous mornings – working over different sections of flats always with the mindset that the next cast could start the day rolling.

“I got one fish early but with the wind holding the tide in, there was half a foot more water on top of the flat; as a result it just wasn’t producing.”

In the previous days Blaikie had fished the canal system late in the session, but with only one fish in the boat at 10.30am he knew it was time for a change. With the canals only a short drive away he had confidence that the area would produce the fish he needed.

While in the canals Blaikie continually kept himself on the ball by talking through

Finding a balance between work, family and fishing is always foremost in Blaikie’s mind.

The most precious of all those, his family, were there to witness his Grand Final win.

18

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

what he was doing in order to keep his focus on the task at hand.

“I think my observer thought I was a little bit wacky but I really tried to keep telling him what I was doing and why I was doing it. It was to give him an insight into what I was doing, plus keep my mind analysing how I was fishing,” said Blaikie.

Within an hour, his refocusing started to pay dividends with a quality 30cm fish hitting the deck. With his confidence and excitement growing, he began to feel that he was on to a winning pattern. It was not a perfect session for Blaikie with the angler dropping some quality fish.

“Each time I dropped a fish I felt the pressure spike a little more,” said Blaikie.

Rather than crumble, Blaikie would step back from the boat, reflect on what happened, and then refocus his energy on what he was doing correctly and begin fishing again. This refocusing time meant he got the most out of every cast and didn’t fall into the pitfall of a bad pattern. It was all about getting the ‘one percenters’ correct, something he had learnt through nonboating.

“I noticed that the best boaters take the time to get everything spot on, from rigging their lures straight to positioning the boat.

It really showed me that when you add

all those little things up it makes a huge difference,” said Blaikie.

Heading back to the final weigh-in, Blaikie had done everything he could to take the win. It all came down to the scales and what the other anglers had done.

Blaikie took a comfortable win and in the process became the first angler to win two BREAM Grand Finals.

“It’s a dream come true to win one, let alone two,” said Blakie.

Back to the future With a Grand Final win from the front and the back of the boat, what is next for Blaikie? After two stellar seasons what goals does he set for the next year?

“Setting goals is always important for me. As more of the ABT calendar is based around black bream I really want to set myself the goal of making the final and, hopefully, the cut on the final day.

“Fishing ABT events has really helped me learn as an angler. In the last two years I think I have learnt more than I could have in 10 years by myself, I can’t wait to hit the road and keep learning and growing as an angler.”

Blaikie’s skills as an angler gives him a possibility to join Matthew Mott as a three time winner of an ABT Grand Final.

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Crash Diving Crankbaits

Text: Josh Carpenter Photography: greg seeto, jeff clelland

20

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Light fluorocarbon line, a handful of lures and some tricks to get things a deeper are all you need to dive to new depths.

Tournament bream anglers have been using bibbed, hardbodied lures with great success for many years now.

Considered a ‘shallow’ bite pattern, these lures were quickly stowed away and replaced by plastics and blades when a deep bite started. However, through clever design and innovation techniques, crankbaits are now diving deeper than they ever have before.

T

he main challenge with fishing crankbaits deep is that of physics.

The bib is what makes the lure dive and when you’re using small bite sized lures there’s a balance between the size of the bib that can be used and how effectively and deep it will dive.

Simply getting a small lure and putting a big bib on it isn’t the answer. Sure you can try it, and while it may make the lure swim deeper, how easy will it be to use, and how well will it cast. Big bibs generally don’t make for aerodynamic lures, and if you can’t cast a bream crankbait very far then you’re not going to able to get it to swim very deep.

You can look broader than the proven bream baits that are being used and find a lure that will dive to 8m (26ft) but they’re generally larger lures designed for species other than bream. Lures ideally need to be between 35-50mm in length.

Sure you can catch fish on lures larger than this size range, but you’re not going to catch many and you’re not going to consistently catch them. Tournament

angling is about playing the percentages and being consistent. Every tournament angler would love to be ploughing a 70mm plug through the depths of St Georges Basin and be throwing 1kg fish out of the well and upgrading them, but the truth is, there is more chance of being struck by lightning than that scenario happening.

Problem Solving The last few years have seen advancements in lure design to solve these deep diving problems. Features like, weight transfer systems allow lures to be cast further, and in-turn swim deeper.

Lures designed to suspend in saltwater (rather than the old-school lures that were tuned to suspend in freshwater making them buoyant in salt) also allows for greater depths to be reached, as does advancements in creative hydrodynamic designs.

Add to this the growing popularity of using lighter line, and denser, quicker sinking lines such as fluorocarbon have opened up more and deeper areas to

fish than ever before. In many ways it’s a new frontier when it comes to crankbait for bream.

How Deep Is It Here?

So what are tournament anglers taking about when they say ‘deep’? In days gone by, 2m (7ft) would have been the range of most bream-sized lures that were labelled as a deep diver. Today, however, when we’re talking deep diving we’re looking at 4m and beyond. While not easy to achieve, with the right tackle, rigging methods and techniques it can be accomplished.

Why Are You So Deep?

Why would a tournament angler want to target the depths with crankbaits and not something more traditional, and in a lot of cases, easier to use? Because a bibbed crankbait is one of the best reaction baits for bream going around, with fish often willing to simply hit a crankbait out of instinct, often while other lures will draw a blank. The question is why?

Fish are not necessarily always looking to eat a hardbody when they hit it. A lot of the time they might just be hitting it to see what it is or to chase it out of their area. This is why many fish are hooked in the lips or on the face rather than having the lure fully in their mouth.

Think about all those frustrating days when bream are only tail biting plastics and you are just not getting the hook up. The fish are probably just pecking at it to see TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

21

what happens or to check it out. Throw a crankbait in there and there’s a good chance those short strikes will turn into hooked fish. When fish are feeding aggressively and eating the lure and getting pinned in the mouth things can seem easy, but unfortunately fish aren’t always like this, and in times like these you need something that just might work, and a crankbait down deep might just be it.

Ease Up on the Heavy Metal Metal blades have been the go-to deep lure for a few seasons now, but their one major draw back is the speed they need to be fished to get them to work.

While they’re largely fished like a soft plastic they do need to be worked a bit harder and faster than a plastic to get them to vibrate. And if they don’t vibrate then the fish generally wont eat it.

So where does a deep crankbait fit in the scheme of things? If you choose the right lure and get it down deep, you’ll be able to

fish it slower than a blade yet still with the vibration that you need to get fish to bite.

Hear This The vibration and sound a lure makes is very important. I can’t stress enough the vital role it plays in getting fish to bite. Ask a bass fisher how good a Jackall TN60 is at calling in bass and you’ll find out what the right sounding lure can do.

Lipless crankbaits are the lures with the strongest sonic signature. Crankbaits, while not as extreme as a lipless, still have a strong underwater presence and as result can achieve a similar ‘ring it and they will come’ pattern of attraction on fish.

This isn’t just confined to active fish but also to less active more inquisitorial fish that will simply check out a lure to see what all the noise is about.

Let’s Dive How deep you can get the lure comes down to the ‘straight dive’? In other words, when

Deep Details Here are some of the tips to help you go deep: • Use longer rods to get maximum casting distance (7 foot plus) • Spooling up with thin flurocarbon line (<3lb) • Cast downwind to maximize casting length • Kneel and reel to get extra depth on the retrieve • Retrieve lure into the current to get lure to dive to maximum depth

Long rods, light line and well tuned lures are must haves on your tackle list for crankbait success.

22

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

you make a standard cast and crank it back in, how deep will it get?

One of the originals when it comes to getting deep is the Smith Camion Magnum Dredge. A lure that will easily hit the 3m mark and can be cast 20m. Add a couple of modifications to its use and it’ll event hit the 4 metre mark.

More recently there’s been some new kids on the block when it comes to lures. The Smith Camion Dredge, Jackall DD Chubby, Atomic Hardz Cranks 38 Double Deep, OSP Dunk and the new Austackle Sakana-Deep are all capable of diving to 3m and with a few tricks, can get even deeper.

The first three have caught loads of fish, cashed plenty of cheques and should be considered must-have deep divers in a BREAMer’s lure box, while the last two are the newest kids on the block and are starting to muscle in on the old favourites.

Getting Tricky So what are the tricks to getting them really deep? As mentioned before, the line you use can make a big difference, and the king is 2-3lb fluorocarbon. Fluoro dominates this technique because you don’t have a braid-leader knots to deal with and the line is denser (sinks quicker) than using PE or braid. The outcome is longer casts and line that will run deeper.

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TOP CRANKERS 1. Make-Pontoon 21 Model- Red Rag Specs- 36mm, 6.1 grams, depth- 1.2m, floating 2. Make- Maria Model- MC-1 D38F Specs- 38mm, 4.5g, depth- 2m, floating 3. Make- Lucky Craft Model- Clutch DR Specs- 42mm, 6g, depth- 7’, floating

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

4.

5.

6.

Make- Lucky Craft Model- Cra-Pea DR Specs- 38mm, 2.9g, depth- 7’, floating Make- Zipbaits Model- B Switcher MDR Midget Rattler Specs- 43mm, 8g, depth- 5’, floating Make- Lucky Craft Model- Cra-Pea Bottom Specs- 38mm, 3.7g, depth- 10’, floating

7.

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Make- River 2 Sea Model- Baby Crank D40F Specs- 40mm, 5.5g, depth- 8’, floating Make- OSP Model- Dunk 48SP Specs- 48mm, 5g, depth- 3-4m, suspending Make- Smith Model- Camion Magnum Dredge Specs- 36mm, 3.9g, depth- 3m, floating

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10. Make- Megabass Model- Griffon MRX Specs- 45mm, 7.3g, depth- 3-5’, floating 11. Make- Ecogear Model- CX40HS Specs- 40mm, 4.6g, depth- 2-2.6m, floating 12. Make- Jackall Model- DD Chubby Specs- 38mm, 4.7g, depth- 3 metres, floating

13. Make- Atomic Model- Hardz Crank 38 Double Deep Specs- 36mm, 3.9g, depth- 1.8m, floating 14. Make- Austackle Model- Sakana DD40F Specs- 40mm, 5g, depth- 2m, suspending 15. Make- Predatek Model- MicroMin M40D Specs- 40mm, 3.4g, depth- 2.1m, floating

16. Make- Strike Pro Model- Cyber Crank Deep Specs- 40mm, 4.6g, depth- 6’, floating 17. Make- Cranka Model- Deep Crank Specs- 35mm, 3.4g, depth- 1.6-2.0m, suspending 18. Make- Daiwa Model- Wise Minnow 50FS Specs- 50mm, 5.2g, depth- 1m, sinking

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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then a technique that they use in the US known as longlining may be the way to go.

Essentially, it involves positioning the boat on one side of a fish holding position and casting over it, then leaving the bail arm open and motoring up to a 100m to the other side of the fish holding position before beginning the retrieve. This means the retrieve can be much longer than it is possible to cast, and the lure in turn will swim deeper than on standard cast and retrieve. As long as the lure doesn’t move while you’re moving the boat, it’s legal in ABT events.

On Your Knees Likewise, the good old ‘kneel and reel’ method, where you are on your knees with the rod tip a few feet under the water surface, gets the lure deeper than a standard cast and retrieve presentation. Just 2ft of rod tip in the water really helps because every little bit of extra depth can count.

Some of these methods for maximum depth on a standard retrieve are not always viable because of the sheer depth or factors such as strong winds. In these cases dabble with different rigging methods of your crankbaits.

Americans have a rigging method called Carolina rigging. It’s like a standard sinker, swivel and trace set-up that you use

when bait fishing, except when using it for crankbaits swap the hook and bait for a lure.

A Balancing Act As always, the trick is to use the right amount of weight, which is just enough to keep the lure on or very close to the bottom. This kind of technique feels very strange at first because the normal feel of a bite just isn’t there. It’s deadened by the weight in front of the swivel and the angle created from the rod tip down and having the leader trail back.

Bites tend to feel like a dead weight, the key is to keep slow winding until you’re sure it’s a fish.

This technique is definitely not something you want try for the first time on a prefish or tournament day, as it takes confidence to know it works. The next time the fish are on the chew in the deep give it a try and see what it feels like.

It should also be mentioned that this is not the technique for snaggy areas. Arenas like Lake Macquarie or St Georges Basin where there are large open expanses that hold fish are where you want to give it a run.

Getting sticky One of the other options to getting your lure down deep is by adding weight to the lure.

Sticky weights are the most user friendly

Morgo fished the bridges on Sydney Harbour with Atomic Hardz Crank 38s in 2010 to win the Grand Final. Three years on they continue to produce.

option and essentially are just adhesive lead strips that can be stuck on the lure. Doing this can turn a floating lure into a suspending lure or if you go really heavily handed you can end up with a sinking lure. Be careful though because the more you add the more you can deaden the action of the lure. Where you position the weight is also important. Too much towards the front of the lure and it’ll sit nose down, and likewise when you place it near the tail. Use a less is more approach and add a little bit as you go to find the right balance between lure position in water and the right amount of weight to take your lure deeper than the same lure straight off the shelf. Trial and error is the way to go.

Let it Sink Last, but not least, is the sinking bibbed hardbodies. Again there have been a lot of advancements in this type of lure in the last few years. Years ago they tended to sink like a stone and need a fair bit of speed to get them to work, which limited their use on bream. Enter the ever-trusty Japanese lure designers to fix the problem, with Japanese trout and light saltwater game market spawning a few useful lures that work well in the deep.

One of note is the Daiwa Wise Minnow, a lure that has found the perfect balance between sinking at the right speed and the right action when retrieved at slow speeds.

As mentioned before, a lure that sinks too fast tends not to work at slow speed. Fishing lures like the Wise Minnow can take some patience to learn how they work and how to fish them, but the results are certainly worth it.

Having patience and investing time into learning different lures and techniques can be hard going, especially slow sinking presentations, such as Russell Babekuhl’s ultra light deep plastic approach and Steve Morgan’s stick minnow in the deep technique.

But as their tournament results show, dedicate yourself to learning and fish new methods and lures can really pay off.

Cranking Ahead Cranking the deep is by no means a cracked code but most people will agree that bream are becoming hard to catch when on the tournament clock. So being able to show them something different just might be one of the keys to BREAM success.

The tools are now available to unlock this potential and it’s only a matter of time before anglers key into these new opportunities and start tapping into bream down deep on crankbaits.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Hard Bodied Lures

Soft Bodied Lures

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hickson’s Bream Box Text: Kris Hickson Photography: greg seeto, brad sissins, simon goldsmith, jeff clelland

The challenge of having to streamline a tournament season’s worth of lures into one box was never going to be easy.

I had to consider both yellow and black bream, different locations, habitats and seasons; the selection could easily blow out to multiple trays and take up space that I just couldn’t afford.

S

pace is at a premium on board a tournament boat so I only had room for top shelf lure choices. The list of lures that made the final cut this season was whittled down to fit neatly into one tray. Not an easy task to do might I add.

So here it is, my must-have box of lures for life on the bream tournament trail.

1. Soft Plastics • 75mm Squidgy Lobby • 80mm Squidgy Wriggler • 100mm Squidgy Wriggler • Ecogearaqua Bream Prawn • Medium Ecogear Grass Minnow • 2 1/2” Atomic Paddle Tail While I fish a lot with soft plastics I keep the selection simple.

Grenade coloured Lobbies cut right back are my crab pattern in dirty water, while a dusk coloured Lobby is used as an oyster, prawn or bait fish pattern. Even though the profile is not like a baitfish or a prawn it seems to work well in these situations.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Kris Hickson loads up on bream during AFC Series 8 at Forster, NSW.

An angler of many skills and techniques Hickson as a broad range of lures that he uses during the year and has pride of place in his one box.

I use wasabi Wrigglers for a baitfish pattern in clear water. The bloodworm Wrigglers are a true all-rounder and I use them just about everywhere in the country.

I bring into play Ecogearaquas for very specific situations, and almost solely on a worm hook. If I can’t catch the fish on anything else, then these lures tend to do the trick. However, the bream have to be in a specific mood to really be on these baits; but when they are on, they are brutal!

The paddle-tails are ideal for surface plastic fishing. The Ecogear Okiami is a given, as it just works and is easy to see the fish eat it. I also find the Atomics in the natural colours work really well as a prawn imitation.

2. JigHeads • TT Tournament Series • HWS jighead The TT Tournament Series 1/20oz I use for pitching at shallow structure, the 1/12oz and 1/8oz are better for deeper or harder running water. In both cases in size #1 and #1/0 hooks and I mainly use light wire as they tend to have better hook penetration. For situations where you have to pull a bit harder on heavier line or fishing hard structure I use a heavier wire as the tips tend to be less prone to roll over.

When using HWS jigheads I favour

1/40oz and 1/28oz models for slow sinking baits around structure. They’re awesome for skipping Lobbies quietly around formations.

I’ll also use 1/16oz and 1/12oz for similar situations if there is a bit of wind or current or if you need the stealth but also to get the bait deeper.

3. Worm Hooks I use an assortment of brands with various gape and gauge. I match the gape to how the fish are bitting and the gauge to the sink rate and strength that I’m after.

I use these fishing paddle-tails on the surface and in Ecogearaquas.

4. Deep Crankbaits • Jackall Chubby • Atomic Crank 38 Deep and Double Deep • Smith Camion Dredge These are the lures I use when I need to get down to a fair depth, generally used over rocky terrain, steep drop-offs or punching deep into snags.

The Dredge is the one I use most as it is so versatile with its square bib, preventing it from rolling on its side and hooking up on structure. It can be worked over shallow areas into deeper holes and also dives quite quickly, which is great for steep banks.

The Chubby and the Atomic don’t get

quite as deep as the Dredge but are still two of the most effective crankbaits. I tend to use the Chubby when I want to get a reaction out of the fish and need a bit of noise, where as I use the Atomic when I want to be a bit more subtle.

These three lures work best when banging into structure.

5. Mid depth Crankbaits • Smith Camion DR • Cranka Deep Crank • Daiwa Baby Crank • Zipbait Rigge 35 Deep These are possibly the most used bunch of crankbaits in my box. All dive to around 3ft and have great action at slow speeds.

I use these around shallow structure and gravel beds, bridge pylons and shallow weed margins. I nearly always fish these baits on a soft rod using 2-3lb fluoro. Natural colours work best.

The Camion was once my go-to lure. It is dynamite in the Manning River and a proven fish catcher in most systems. The trebles supplied are barbless and fine so I generally change to a similar-sized set in either light gauge to keep it buoyant, or heavier gauge to keep it a bit more neutral.

The Cranka is essentially a larger profiled Camion that I use when I need some extra TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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Bingo Mini Crank

Tackle House Elfin Fish

Tackle House Rolling Bait

Tackle House Mini Sinking Cicada

Little Jack Moebix

Runner Blade

IMA Tetra

Tackle House Elfin Shrimp Smash Bait Prawn

30mm 2.2g Floating

28mm 2.1g Sinking

40mm 3g Floating

40mm 2g Sinking

35mm 5g Sinking

45mm 3.2g Floating

Bait Breath Moebi

60mm SoFt plaStic

Elite Industries Worm II 50mm SoFt plaStic

40mm 7g Sinking

50mm SoFt plaStic

IMA Foxy Fry

80mm SoFt plaStic

Bait Breath Fish Tail

48mm 3g Sinking

60mm 5g SuSpending

Bait Breath Rush Craw 50mm Soft plastic

Bait Breath Fish Tail Shad 60mm SoFt plaStic

Smash Bait Tails 7cm SoFt plaStic

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Bait Breath Shift Tail 50mm SoFt plaStic

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IMA Rockin Vibe 60mm 14g Sinking

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distance in casting, and if I need to keep the lure in the fish’s face on the pause as they suspend. They’re a great fat-bodied black bream crankbait.

Daiwa Baby Crank runs slightly deeper than the previous two but not a lot. It has a powerful action but no rattle and relies on the vibration to attract the fish. It also works really well weighted with stick weight under the chin to improve casting and get the lure down a little deeper. Its natural buoyancy is great for rolling over structure.

The Rigge 35 Deep is used the same as the rest, but it shines when a slimmer profiled

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lure is needed. The hook-up rate can be better due to the slimmer profile.

6. Shallow CrankBait • Shallow Chubby For someone that fishes so much shallow water I rarely use really shallow running crankbaits, however when I do it’s normally a shallow Jackall Chubby.

These lures run at barely a foot and are really good at running over the tops of racks and shallow weed beds thanks to their buoyancy and action at slow speeds.

Hic kson punches out a cast during a Hawkesbury River BREAM Super Series event.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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7. Deep Jerkbaits • Daiwa Double Clutch • Zip Baits Khamsin Jr Dr These lures don’t get taken out of the lure box much, except when I’m in Tassie. I’ve found they work best with a super aggressive retrieve over rock bars and steep rock walls.

The key to success is to allow the lure plenty of suspending time.

I use the Double Clutch when there are long skinny baitfish around and the Khamsin when there are slightly fatter fodder about.

8. Shallow Jerkbait • Lucky Craft Flash Minnow • Daiwa Presso Minnow • Duel Hardcore JB-65SP Up until I did a trip to Tasmania I only had a handful of these in my box and they almost never got used. However, after all the talk of the success of this type of lure on Tassie blacks, and blacks in general, I had to learn how to use them. Now I won’t go to a black bream arena without them.

The Presso is a must-have in Tasmania in chrome colours, while the Duel performs the same roll, albeit at a slightly deeper depth.

The Flash Minnow I bought to take to Tassie and forgot to take it, not a lure I would normally throw for yellows, but this is the best lure I have found to replicate baitfish in super shallow weedy areas. Its subtle action can be worked in ultra shallow water, its small bib hangs up on less weed.

9. Subtle Shads • Ecogear SX40LC • Zipbait Khamsin Tiny Dr These are the two baits I use when all the others don’t, and sometimes even before I try the others! They are extremely versatile baits and work on black and yellowfin bream. They have a subtle action and can be rolled or jerked to good effect, and are great on timid fish.

The SX40 is the first Japanese style bait that I can remember throwing, and they pretty much brought hard lures back into a soft plastic-crazed market. They cast well (for that time) and roll well over structure. I went off this bait for a few years but the introduction of the LC version gave it a little extra casting distance that made me look at them again.

I find these lures most effective around hard structure like jetties, bridges and oyster racks, but they will work nearly anywhere.

The Khamsin Tiny is a scaled down version of the Khamsin Jnr and has a subtle action that can be jerked or rolled. A great lure for jerkbaiting pontoons, shallow snags and rolled over weed flats.

10. Khamsin JR SR Darren ‘Dizzy’ Borg got me onto this bait a few years ago at the Forster Megabucks – they were so different to anything at the time.

He educated me on how good these things are rolled over weed flats out in Wallis Lake.

A subtle action, silent, fairly large shad style lure was a far cry from the fat-bodied heavy mid diving lures I had been using. The sliding weight is key to this lure, making it cast like a bullet and suspend in the fish’s face. It is also great around pontoons.

Kris loves his Ecogear pink grubs nearly as much as this Hawkesbury River bream did.

Carmen red and the bluegill with a foil finish is my go-to on the flats and the natural clear colour in the clear waters around pontoons.

11. Stickbaits • Tiemco Stick Minnow • Crystal Alive Shrimp Tiemco Stick Minnows are a must-have in any box, they catch fish in nearly every arena in the country in just about any type of structure you come across. They imitate a small baitfish perfectly and are an easy size for a legal bream to fit in their gob. They

definitely fish best on light line, preferably 2-3lb fluorocarbon, and a soft rod that helps avoid pulling the small hooks.

They are great twitched and paused across flats or slack-lined vertically around structure. The key is to watch the line for indications of a bite, as fish tend to hook themselves!

The Crystal Alive is a more specific type of stickbait that is in the kit at any arena that has prawns in it. During summer I always have at least one tied on in the larger size for when you see bream sucking prawns off the surface.

Hickson uses a lot of plastics but keeps his selection down to a few brands and models.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

33

They are best fished when you spot a feeding fish, cast past and roll it back on the surface, so it looks like a prawn, and drop it back in the vicinity of the action. Fish will hit it off the surface but mostly strike on the drop.

Similar to a surface plastic, but has trebles for better hook-up.

12. Vibration Baits • TT Switchblade • TT Ghost Blade • Ecogear VX35, ZX35, ZX40 While not a style of lure I use a lot, I recognise that metal blades have their place.

A great lure choice for working deep reef, the bases of poles and open mud and cockle beds. I find the most consistent colours in these lures are black, browns and other natural dark colours.

The best part about these lures is they cast like rockets, even in the wind, so you can cover tonnes of ground and get out to where the fish aren’t so spooked. I nearly always fish these lures on a short soft rod and 3lb fluoro.

I like the TT Switchblade 1/6oz in the smallest profile switch blade as I find it is easier to keep contact with the fish and feel bites, especially if it is windy. I have had great success with this lure over both shallow rocky bottoms as well as in open water in lakes and open bays. Red nightmare is the standout colour.

The TT Ghost Blade is used more while fishing steep banks when I can’t get a crankbait to the bottom to the fish. I also use it in the open water on really still days as it sinks a bit slower and looks a bit more natural.

For some reason, the Ecogear VX35 just catch fish. They are small and have a great action right from the first moment you move the lure. I use them in the same places as the TT blades when the bite requires it. They are as good on black bream as they are yellowfin.

They work really well over shallow gravel beds in places like the Manning River.

Ecogear ZX35 and 40 can be used in the same areas as the other blades when the fish are not quite hooking up on the trebles. The twin single stingers, although small, pin the fish well in the lips at the slightest touch. I also use these in realy snaggy country as they tend to snag a lot less without the trebles. The spare hooks for these lures work well on the TT blades in replacement of the trebles for snaggy reef areas.

13. Surface Poppers • Zipbait Skinny Pop I tend to use popper style baits when the water is slightly rough as they cause a 34

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

bit of commotion and spray on the water. I think the noise these lure make can actually sound like other fish fighting over a bit of fodder, which draws other fish in to have a look. And to some extent they also look like a skipping prawn.

The Skinny Pop is best fished with one set of trebles replaced with Ecogear ZX spare hooks. The Skinny Pop pop, walk and skip to imitate a prawn as well as any lure I’ve used, and the slim profile tail gives it a great hook up rate for a top water lure.

14. Surface Walkers • Bassday Sugar Pen • Zip Baits Fakie Dog • Atomic K9 Walker I like to use walking style topwaters when the water is super calm. Their streamlined profile means they cast a mile and bream find them annoying as the side to side action is hard to catch so they just want to grab it, drag it under and see what it is.

These lures work well with long pauses in between short walks. These take a bit of practise to use to their full potential. I use the Fakie Dog when I need to cast a long way and the baitfish are big, like gar. These are fantastic in Wallis Lake and Moreton Bay. I like the Sugar Pen when there are prawns or smaller fish around as they hook up a little better. In fact it is possibly one of the most consistent walk-the-dog lures around. The K9 is a gem for when there are small baits around and the fish are a bit fussy; they are

bite-sized and easy for the fish to get under and eat.

15. Bugs • Smith Bisen • Tiemco Magnum Cicada • Tiemco Soft Shell Cicada Some of my earliest bream luring was with cicada imitations on the Manning River in summer. It is great fun and super effective.

The key to this lure is to use it when the cicadas are buzzing. Hot weather and still days are when the fish really eat these lure.

Cast them as close to overhanging trees as possible and leave it there for as long as you dare. Through high sun times get the lure right into the shade as this is where the bream will be waiting.

The Bisen is my favourite of these lures as I find it has the best hook-up rate; its downside is it is light and hard to cast so it’s best suited to more open areas.

The Magnum has the biggest presence on the water and gets used when I need to draw fish in from a distance. The silent and soft, Soft Shell Cicada get tied on when it’s still and the fish are spooky.

So there you have it, my whittled collection of bream baits for the 2013 tournament season. With a host of different venues on the calendar and plans to fish as many of those events as possible there’s a good chance that everything in the box will get used. And if all goes according to plan, will also catch fish!

It’s not uncommon for Kris to have most of the lures in his one boxed rigged and ready on the deck of his boat at the same time.

Having a large quiver of rods is the only way this can happen.

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SW’s Heath Blaike had a fairytale 2012, turning his victory at the 2011 Daiwa BREAM Grand Final as a non-boater into a boater Grand Final title at the 2012 Bribie Island final.

2011 Grand Final Champion Russell Babekuhl continued his winning ways in 2012, with round wins at St Georges Basin and Bribie Island seeing him finish the year as the number one ranked boater, and the inaugural winner of the national Humminbird BREAM AOY Title.

Phil Nix secured the Humminbird BREAM Nonboater AOY Title, with a consistent year on the road cementing his position as the standout non-boater for the season.

The money earners list for 2012 reads as a who’s-who of tournament talent with Steve Morgan finishing the season as the highest earning ($63,186), while 2008 Grand Final winner Darren Borg holds onto 2nd ($62,425) despite a quiet year on the tour, followed by Scott Towner (3rd), Russell Babekuhl (4th) Chris Wright (5th) and Kris Hickson (6th). With Russ having a hot year on the tour in 2012 and cashing in to the tune of $9750, he’ll be the one to watch to chase down Morgan in 2013.

2012 was a big year for kayak anglers with

NATIONAL GRAND FINAL CHAMPIONS 2001 - Michael Metcalfe, QLD 2002 - Matt Fraser, QLD 2003 - Chris Metcalfe, QLD 2004 - Tim Morgan, QLD 2005 - Chris Wright, NSW 2006 - Steve Duff, VIC 2007 – Ben Godfrey, QLD 2008 – Darren Borg, QLD 2009 – Steve Morgan, QLD 2010 – Shaun Clancy, VIC 2011- Russell Babekuhl, NSW 2012- Heath Blaikie, NSW

BREAM Anglers of the Year OVERALL 2012- Boater- Russell Babekuhl (392/400pts) 2012- Non-boater- Phil Nix (383/400pts)

QUEENSLAND 2000 - Mike Delisser (286/300pts) 2001 - Tim Morgan (200/200pts) 2002 - Chris Metcalfe (200/200pts) 2003 - Chris Metcalfe (193/200pts) 38

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

a host of events and new venues delivering kayakers their biggest season ever. Kayak debutant Shane Taylor had a dream year claiming victory in the Bemm River Grand Final Victoria, while Grand Final runner-up Richard Somerton finished the year with two titles on his mantel- piece, the 2012 BREAM Kayak AOY crown and the number one bream kayaking rank.

The Skeeter BREAM Classic Championship hit Queensland’s Gold Coast, with young guns Alex Roy and Tom Slater from Team OSP/Toray claiming the win over

Australia’s best breaming teams. Russell Babekukl’s hot form followed him into the BREAM Classic events with the Taree breamer finishing the year as the number one ranked BREAM Classic angler. The number one rank wasn’t all his though with his team mate Trent Fahey also finishing the year as the number one ranked BREAM Classic angler.

For full records and rankings visit www.bream.com.au. ABT would like to acknowledge and thank Gary Beazley for his contribution to the collation of the BREAM statistics for 2012.

2004 - Jay Morgan (190/200pts) 2005 - Kelvin Williams (196/200pts) 2006 - Travis Davies (194/200pts) 2007 – Darren Borg (196/200pts) 2008 – Robert Kwiatkowski (196/200pts) 2009 – Steve Morgan (285/300pts) 2010 – Steve Morgan (293/300pts) 2011- Tristan Taylor (195/200pts)

2004 - Chris Wright (195/200pts) 2005 - Chris Wright (198/200pts) 2006 - Dave Welfare (193/200pts) 2007 – Cameron Whittam (199/200pts) 2008 – Shaun Clancy (198/200pts) 2009 – Brad Hodges (198/200pts) 2010 – Chris Wright (196/200pts) 2011- Cameron Whittam (197/200pts)

NEW SOUTH WALES

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

2001 - Steve Starling (198/200pts) 2002 - Tim Morgan (196/200pts) 2003 - Tim Morgan (199/200pts) 2004 - Michael Metcalfe (194/200pts) 2005 - Darren Borg (379/400pts) 2006 - Warren Carter (372/400pts) 2007 – Darren Borg (389/400pts) 2008 – Andrew Howard (360/400pts) 2009 – Kris Hickson (375/400pts) 2010 – Steve Morgan (387/400pts) 2011- Russell Babekuhl (384/400pts)

2003 - Geoff Spadaccini (198/200pts) 2004 - Ian Sewell (198/200pts) 2005 - John-Paul Cronin (196/200pts) 2006 - Dror Pietsch (199/200pts) 2007 – Szarn Tink (200/200pts) 2008 – Szarn Tink (196/200pts) 2009 – Dror Pietsch (198/200pts) 2010 – Szarn Tink (199/200pts) 2011- Alex Griesdorf (198/200pts)

VICTORIA 2003 - Kevin Gleed (190/200pts)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2005 - Mick Pressnell (200/200pts) 2006 - Scott Towner (100/100pts) 2007 – Shaun Ossitt (100/100pts)

2008 – Wayne Friebe (193/200pts) 2009 – Dean Truman (100/100pts) 2010 – Warren Carter (100/100pts) 2011- Hugh Wirth (100/100pts)

Event / Super Series OVERALL QUEENSLAND

NEW SOUTH WALES

TASMANIA

1.54kg - Steve Chenoweth, Sanctuary Cove, June 2002.

1.78kg - Jack Olmos, Clarence River, 2005.

Qualifier: 522 bream between 114 anglers for 255.12kg at Clarence, 2004.

Super Series: 800 bream between 123 anglers for 401.34kg at Clarence, May 2008.

VICTORIA

VICTORIA

2006 - Steve Morgan (100/100pts) 2007 – Scott Towner (197/200pts) 2008 – Scott Towner (196/200pts) 2009 – Steve Morgan (196/200pts) 2010 – Shaun Clancy (198/200pts) 2011- Steve Morgan (197/200pts)

399.70kg at Tweed River, July, 2007.

Super Series: 848 bream between 103 anglers 1.88kg - Nigel Webster, Gippsland Lakes, 2004. For 388.55kg at Gold Coast, August 2007.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Qualifier: 10/10, 12.89kg – Leigh McKenzie, Derwent River, March 2007.

Super Series: 15/15, 18.05kg – Spiro Spyropolous, Derwent River, March 2011.

1.88kg - Nigel Webster, Gippsland Lakes, 2004. Qualifier: 583 bream between 76 anglers for WESTERN AUSTRALIA 429.27kg at Mallacoota, March 2010.

1.71kg - Miriam Melis, Perth, June 2004.

Super Series: 108 bream between 50 anglers TASMANIA for 78.6kg at Gippsland Lakes, April 2008.

1.84kg –Steve Steer, St Helens, February 2009. TASMANIA SOUTH AUSTRALIA Qualifier: 300 bream between 57 anglers for 1.55kg - Craig Seignor, Port River, 311.53kg at Derwent River, March 2008.

September 2006.

Super Series: 375 bream between 58 anglers Biggest Limit of Five Bream for 369.25kg at Derwent River, March 2010.

QUEENSLAND

OVERALL

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Qualifier: 10/10, 7.77kg - Jay Morgan, Gold Coast, July 2005.

Super Series: 15/15, 9.52kg, Ben Godfrey, Gold Coast, August 2007.

5/5, 7.055kg – Chris Wright, Derwent River, March 2008.

150 bream between 37 anglers for 78.46kg at Port River, February 2009.

QUEENSLAND

Most Bream Weighed at a BREAM Grand Final

NEW SOUTH WALES

NEW SOUTH WALES

Qualifier: 10/10, 8.32kg - Andrew Howard, Forster, July 2001.

Super Series: 15/15, 12.21kg – Jack Olmos, Hawkesbury, May 2007

5/5, 4.88kg - Andrew Howard, Forster, July 2001.

Heaviest Winning Weight in a BREAM Qualifying Event / Super Series OVERALL

VICTORIA 10/10, 11.30kg - Chris Wright, Gippsland Lakes, March 2006.

Super Series: 11/15, 8.75kg – Mark Mangold, Gippsland Lakes, April 2008.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 10/10, 7.32kg - Dror Pietsch, Walpole, 2004.

TASMANIA 10/10, 12.89kg – Leigh McKenzie, Derwent River, March 2007.

Super Series: 15/15, 18.05kg – Spiro Spyropolous, Derwent River, March 2011.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 10/10, 6.45kg - Scott Towner, Port River, September 2006.

Heaviest Winning Weight in a BREAM Grand Final 12/15, 14.09kg - Chris Wright, Gippsland Lakes, October 2005.

Biggest Bream in an ABT BREAM Event 1.99kg - Chris Wright, Forster MegaBREAM 2004

Biggest Bream in a BREAM Qualifying

5/5, 4.47kg - Tim Morgan, Gold Coast, 2004.

916 bream between 110 anglers for 699kg at Mallacoota, November, 2010.

BREAM Classic Grand Final Champions

VICTORIA

2007 – Squidgy (Chris Cleaver & Zachias Crombie) 2008 – Pflueger/Evinrude WESTERN AUSTRALIA (Andrew Homann & Neil Foley) 5/5, 4.35kg - John-Paul Cronin, Albany, 2009 – Squidgy April 2005.

(Chris Cleaver & Bill Kayayannis) TASMANIA 2010 – Colac Tackle 5/5, 7.055kg – Chris Wright, Derwent River, (Stephen Parker & Dan Mackrell) March 2008.

2011- Manning River Marine SOUTH AUSTRALIA (Kris Hickson & Daniel Brown) 5/5, 4.75kg – Warren Carter, Nathan Alsop, Port 2012- OSP/ Toray River, September 2005.

(Tom Slater & Alex Roy) 5/5, 6.34kg - Michael Rantall, Gippsland, March 2006.

Most BREAM Event Qualifying Wins Chris Wright (7).

Most Bream Weighed at a BREAM Qualifying Event / Super Series OVERALL 926 bream between 106 anglers for 399.70kg at Tweed River, July, 2007.

Heaviest Winning Weight in a BREAM Classic Grand Final 10/10, 11.86kg – Colac Tackle (Stephen Parker & Dan Mackrell), Gippsland Lakes, Oct 2010.

Biggest Bream in a BREAM Classic Grand Final

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

1.7kg – Steve Gill (CritterOz/Honda Marine), Gippsland Lakes, Oct 2010.

476 bream between 78 anglers for 253.03kg at Walpole, 2004.

Most Bream Weighed at a BREAM Classic Grand Final

QUEENSLAND

408 bream between 71 teams for 178.59 at Clarence, Nov 2008.

Qualifier: 926 bream between 106 anglers for

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

39

TOP 75 rankings bream boater 1

Russell Babekuhl

NSW

456

26

Wayne Friebe

VIC

143

51

Shaun Chapman

NSW

90

2

Steve Morgan

QLD

392

27

Shayne Gillett

NSW

142

52

Dror Pietsch

WA

88

3

Kris Hickson

NSW

378

28

Mark Mangold

NSW

142

53

Shane Barling

VIC

87

4

Tristan Taylor

QLD

277

29

Ian Seeto

NSW

141

54

Dean Gamble

VIC

85

5

Graham Franklin

NSW

277

30

Tony Thorley

NSW

140

55

James Ison

NSW

85

6

Warren Carter

VIC

272

31

Shaun Clancy

VIC

133

56

Kevin Attard

NSW

85

7

Cameron Whittam

VIC

255

32

David McKenzie

QLD

131

57

Simon Sczepaniak

NSW

85

8

Don Johnston

WA

242

33

Aaron Sharp

QLD

128

58

Wayne Robinson

NSW

84

9

Steve Gill

NSW

236

34

Anthony Wishey

QLD

125

59

Ben Hill

TAS

83

10

Wayne Reed

NSW

231

35

Matthew Finney

NSW

124

60

Darryl Baird

VIC

82

11

Darren Borg

QLD

205

36

Charlie Saykao

WA

114

61

Robert Kwiatkowski

QLD

81

12

Steve Eldred

QLD

200

37

Drew McGrath

QLD

112

62

Mark Gercovich

VIC

81

13

Chris Wright

NSW

200

38

Daniel Brown

NSW

106

63

Michael Starkey

NSW

81

VIC

106

64

Heath Blaikie

NSW

80

14

Scott Butler

QLD

200

39

Spiro Spyropolous

15

John Balcomb

NSW

197

40

Mitch Birt

NSW

104

65

Matt Fraser

QLD

79

16

Grant Kime

NSW

176

41

Mark Healey

NSW

103

66

Grayson Fong

QLD

79

17

Jarrod Healey

VIC

172

42

Anthony Thorpe

NSW

102

67

Damien Domagala

VIC

77

18

Chris Britton

QLD

171

43

Alex Greisdorf

WA

102

68

John Timbrell

NSW

76

19

Steve Parker

VIC

165

44

Greg Seeto

NSW

100

69

Dean Pateman

NSW

75

20

Chris Seeto

NSW

164

45

Dean Hammond

NSW

99

70

Tim Morgan

QLD

74

21

Michael Maas

QLD

160

46

Kendall Soo

QLD

97

71

Mick Torley

QLD

72

22

Codie Stewart

NSW

157

47

Peter Cashman

QLD

96

72

Adam Sczepaniak

NSW

72

23

William Lee

QLD

152

48

Brad Hodges

VIC

93

73

Paul Malov

VIC

72

24

Wal Balzan

NSW

151

49

Andrew Krushka

TAS

93

74

Jack Dawson

WA

71

25

Ross Cannizzaro

NSW

148

50

Nabeel Issa

QLD

92

75

Graham Green

WA

69

TOP 60 rankings bream classic 1

Russell Babekuhl

428

21

Tim Morgan

305

41

Wayne Reed

271

1

Trent Fahey

428

22

Steve Morgan

304

42

Anthony Duff

268

3

Kristoffer Hickson

427

23

Peter Macor

302

43

Alex Greisdorf

268

4

Mark Healey

414

24

Troy Vankampen

302

44

Nathan McInnes

267

5

Adrian Neoh

411

25

Anthony Wishey

301

45

Greg Wirth

267

6

Darren Borg

399

26

Anthony Thorpe

296

46

Hugh Wirth

267

7

Tracey Mammen

389

27

Rodney Thorpe

296

47

Shaun Chapman

260

8

Scott Butler

380

28

Dean Hammond

296

48

Codie Stewart

257

9

Daniel Brown

371

29

Craig Simmons

292

49

Grayson Fong

255

10

Tristan Taylor

361

30

Michael Hodges (VIC)

286

50

Ben Collins

254

11

Warren Carter

352

31

Jeff Brundson

282

51

Will Lee

254

12

Chris Britton

345

32

Wayne Bale

282

52

Michael Corbett

253

13

Cameron Whittam

345

33

Brian Everingham

282

53

Nathan Wolhuter

246

14

David McKenzie (TNB)

340

34

Brendon Hughes

282

54

Shane Wolhuter

246

15

Rob Kwiatkowski

332

35

Scott Greentree

282

55

Aaron Horne

243

16

Steve Eldred

331

36

Alan Loftus

279

56

Scott Lear

234

17

Matt Finney

327

37

Mark Holman

279

57

Warwick Cregan

233

18

Aaron Sharp

317

38

Jake Stewart

278

58

Mark Hayes

232

19

Beau Startin

313

39

Joshua Kirkness

271

59

David Seaman

232

20

John Startin

313

40

Ross Cannizzaro

271

60

Chris Cleaver

231

40

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 12

For updated rankings after each event visit www.bream.com.au

non-boater 1

GeoffreyBorg

NSW

284

26

Greg Cooper

WA

119

51

Nathan McInnes

NSW

75

2

PhilipNix

NSW

249

27

Chris Findlay

NSW

116

52

Alan Loftus

NSW

73

3

LexCourt

NSW

219

28

Daniel Stead

QLD

110

53

Rohan Soulsby

NSW

72

4

Vaughan Lewis

NSW

209

29

Michael Burman

WA

108

54

Thuan Huynh

WA

71

5

Nathan Tuskes

QLD

200

30

Suzanne Siranovic

WA

107

55

Richard Somerton

Vic

71

6

Jonathon Thompson

NSW

200

31

Jack Dihm

NSW

106

56

Corey House

WA

71

7

Andrew Dibley

Vic

199

32

Mace Boyer

Vic

105

57

Zig Domagala

Vic

70

8

Jim Xyga

Vic

181

33

Bernard Kong

NSW

105

58

Paul Siemaszko

WA

69

9

Decla Betts

Vic

177

34

Scott Marcinkowski

NSW

101

59

Greg Wilson

QLD

69

10

Andrew Wallace

NSW

162

35

Alex Franchuck

Vic

98

60

Mark Healey

NSW

67

11

Troy Hamilton

VIC

152

36

Justin Conn

Vic

98

61

Mitchell Martens

QLD

66

12

James Smith

NSW

149

37

Colin Gunning

WA

97

62

Scott Sutherland

NSW

66

13

Tim Olsen

ACT

149

38

Gary Middleton

QLD

97

63

Anthony Tedesco

NSW

66

14

Mike Hodges

VIC

143

39

Jeffrey Esperitu

NSW

96

64

Alan Wilson

Vic

64

15

Darren Evans

NSW

141

40

Nick Georgiadis

NSW

86

65

Nathan Leicht

NSW

63

16

Heath Blaikie

NSW

136

41

Dion Bull

NSW

86

66

Dean Pateman

NSW

62

17

Andrew Williams

NSW

136

42

Chris Maas

QLD

85

67

Brad Dolman

NSW

62

18

Glen Sturrock

NSW

131

43

Daryl Hislop

Vic

85

68

Scott Angel

NSW

61

19

Peter Godfrey

NSW

129

44

Angus Collins

QLD

85

69

Thomas Gray

QLD

60

20

Tom Slater

QLD

123

45

Tyler White

QLD

84

70

Damian Coleman

QLD

59

21

Rodney Thorpe

NSW

123

46

Tracey Mammen

QLD

84

71

Matt Williams

QLD

45

22

Shane Wolhuter

QLD

123

47

Richard Linossi

Vic

82

72

Oliver Seear

WA

39

23

Peter Mazey

Vic

122

48

David Packham

NSW

82

73

Isaac Harris

TAS

34

24

Mark Hayes

Vic

121

49

Glenn Hayter

NSW

80

74

Ben Kingaby

QLD

30

25

Steven Cefai

NSW

119

50

Karl Rembacher

QLD

77

75

Ross Beinke

QLD

11

TOP 60 rankings KAYAK 1

Richard Somerton

374

21

Denis Metzdorf

224

41

Ronnie Sonter

134

2

Nicholas Meredith

370

22

Gary Beazley

222

42

Phil Pluis

134

3

Jason Meech

369

23

Stephen Maas

220

43

Ben Hough

131

4

Greg Lewis

331

24

Tony Pettie

211

44

Luke Rogan

131

5

Scott Baker

326

25

Neil Carstairs

203

45

Bob Boss

129

6

Peter Woods

318

26

Jason Reid

203

46

Warren Cossell

127

7

Chris Burbidge

316

27

Scott Brownlees

195

47

Steve Thomas

126

8

Matt Petrie

296

28

Peter Bostock

192

48

Darryl Head

125

9

Luke Kay

290

29

Carl Dubois

186

49

Nick Mace

124

10

Joel Crosbie

278

30

Scott Marcinkowski

183

50

Daniel Brown

120

11

Dave Hedge

269

31

Will Lee

180

51

Gary Cooke

118

12

Jonathan Chen

254

32

Josh Carpenter

162

52

Shane Taylor

117

13

Andrew Death

252

33

Andrew Krushka

158

53

Richard Creighton

117 114

14

Martin Fellows

251

34

Clark Wilson

158

54

Mark De Cruz

15

Scott Sandilands

245

35

Brian Rutledge

152

55

Jordan Trusty

113

16

Stewart Dunn

244

36

Scott Brown

151

56

Jim Barrie

113

17

Shane Owens

241

37

Rhett Gill

151

57

Dale Baxter

103

18

Scott Lovig

239

38

Guy Struthers

150

58

Dennis McMahon

103

19

Steve Fields

233

39

Jason Lambert

147

59

Tristan Taylor

102

20

Kevin Winchester

229

40

Justin Thompson

135

60

Jon Clisby

99

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 12

41

Bream Earnings* 2012 Steve Morgan

QLD

$63,186

Jay Morgan

NSW

$10,600

Clayton Gusmerini

NSW

$5,400

Darren Borg

QLD

$62,425

Ross Lamotte

NSW

$10,350

Stephen Wilson

QLD

$5,400

Scott Towner

NSW

$54,000

Michael Horn

QLD

$10,200

Aaron Horne

NSW

$5,350

Russell Babekuhl

NSW

$50,736

Adam Ward

NSW

$9,850

Matthew Finney

NSW

$5,350

Chris Wright

NSW

$48,533

Steve Starling

NSW

$9,300

Ben Turbott

NSW

$5,264

Kris Hickson

NSW

$43,789

Brad Hodges

VIC

$8,820

Glen Helmers

NSW

$5,150

Tim Morgan

QLD

$39,911

Michael Collins

NSW

$8,800

Ian Seeto

NSW

$5,100

Mark Mangold

NSW

$37,000

Stephen Duff

VIC

$8,475

Will Lee

QLD

$5,025

Chris Britton

QLD

$30,895

Gavin Dunne

QLD

$8,450

Damien Domagala

VIC

$5,000

Andrew Howard

NSW

$28,125

David Welfare

NSW

$8,445

Geoff Spadaccini

WA

$5,000

Warren Carter

VIC

$26,021

Wayne Friebe

VIC

$8,095

Greg Lee

NSW

$5,000

NSW

NSW

$5,000

Ben Godfrey

QLD

$25,600

Russ Williams

$8,000

Patrick Debattista

Tristan Taylor

QLD

$20,756

David Mckenzie

QLD

$7,900

Mark Gercovich

VIC

$4,950

Anthony Wishey

QLD

$19,450

Jarrod Healey

VIC

$7,900

Scott Lear

NSW

$4,800

Cameron Whittam

VIC

$19,250

Andrew Cowling

NSW

$7,500

Wade Eaton

NSW

$4,800

Shaun Clancy

VIC

$17,300

Daryl Schroder

NSW

$7,500

David Otway

NSW

$4,750

Steve Eldred

QLD

$16,849

Chris Metcalfe

QLD

$7,450

Scott Butler

QLD

$4,650

Craig Simmons

QLD

$15,300

Trent Short

QLD

$7,400

Trent Butler

QLD

$4,600

Robert Kwiatkowski

QLD

$15,270

Steve Steer

TAS

$7,250

Darren Seckold

NSW

$4,561

Ian Miller

NSW

$14,350

Patrick Sullivan

TAS

$6,925

Leigh Mckenzie

TAS

$4,500

Michael Starkey

NSW

$13,601

Chris Martin

NSW

$6,850

Gregg Flett

NSW

$4,200

Wayne Reed

NSW

$13,575

David Beer

WA

$6,516

Travis Davies

QLD

$4,200

John Balcomb

NSW

$13,500

Michael Metcalfe

QLD

$6,500

Drew Griffiths

QLD

$4,050

Andrew Homann

NSW

$13,200

David Gibson

NSW

$6,350

Jay Perham

QLD

$4,000

Martin Richardson

NSW

$13,125

Dean Silvester

QLD

$6,245

Peter Kelleher

NSW

$4,000

Graham Franklin

NSW

$13,056

Michael Maas

QLD

$6,100

Peter Macor

NSW

$4,000

Nigel Webster

NSW

$13,050

John Startin

NSW

$6,075

Steve Gill

NSW

$3,965

Jack Olmos

NSW

$12,550

Simon Vaughan

Qld

$6,000

Shane Dyason

VIC

$3,900

Dror Pietsch

WA

$12,350

Chris Russell

NSW

$5,950

Simon Sczepaniak

NSW

$3,900

Daniel Brown

NSW

$12,275

Mark Healey

NSW

$5,925

Karen Scully

NSW

$3,825

Spiro Spyropoulos

VIC

$11,823

Steve Parker

VIC

$5,875

Don Johnston

WA

$3,800

Szarn Tink

WA

$11,550

Matt Fraser

QLD

$5,700

Ian Sewell

WA

$3,790

Kaj Busch

NSW

$11,400

Dean Nash

NSW

$5,500

Beau Startin

NSW

$3,725

kayak Earningsâ&#x20AC; 2012 Greg Lewis

$10,320

Andrew Death

$1,930

Tristan Taylor

$1,100

Jason Meech

$5,615

Daniel Brown

$1,775

Gary Cooke

$1,025

Nicholas Meredith

$2,960

Jordan Trusty

$1,500

Shane Taylor

$1,000

Richard Somerton

$2,800

Peter Woods

$1,445

Stephen Maas

$1,000

Chris Burbidge

$2,325

Justin Dingwall

$1,425

Carl Dubois

$950

Will Lee

$2,260

Luke Kay

$1,400

Rhett Gill

$920

Dave Hedge

$2,230

Shane Owens

$1,325

Martin Fellows

$850

Scott Baker

$2,190

Steve Fields

$1,225

Brad Turner

$800

Matt Petrie

$2,045

Scott Lovig

$1,210

Kevin Winchester

$730

Joel Crosbie

$2,010

Jason Reid

$1,170

Jonathon Chen

$700

Stewart Dunn

$2,000

Wayne Robinson

$1,150

Nick Mace

$700

42

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 12

Total Earnings

$1,507,361

Stuart Mckinnon

VIC

$3,650

Grayson Fong

QLD

$2,625

Lance Sulkowski

NSW

$1,500

Anthony Thorpe

NSW

$3,625

Shane Barling

VIC

$2,500

Micheal Rantall

VIC

$1,500

Robert Irons

NSW

$3,600

Tom Deer

SA

$2,500

Norm Kemp

NSW

$1,500

Michael Torley

QLD

$3,525

Dean Hammond

NSW

$2,400

Peter Cashman

Qld

$1,425

Adam Sczepaniak

NSW

$3,500

Peter Morgan

QLD

$2,350

Grant Manusu

NSW

$1,375

Peter Mckinnon

NSW

$3,500

Shaun Ossitt

SA

$2,320

Codie Stewart

NSW

$1,350

Ross Cannizzaro

NSW

$3,450

Mark Dunphy

NSW

$2,300

Peter Herbst

QLD

$1,350

Kelvin Williams

QLD

$3,400

Phil Jagger

WA

$2,300

James Graham

WA

$1,320

Kevin Gleed

NSW

$3,400

Murray Jeffery

WA

$2,280

Ash Hazell

WA

$1,300

Michael Geary

QLD

$3,350

Grant Kime

NSW

$2,275

Ben Scullin

VIC

$1,300

Shuan Chapman

NSW

$3,325

Michael Passau

NSW

$2,200

Darryl Dimmick

QLD

$1,300

WA

$1,300

Aaron Sharp

Qld

$3,300

Rudy Holzfiend

VIC

$2,200

David O’reilly

Jesse Lomas

QLD

$3,300

Joe Crust

NSW

$2,175

Gary Newell

NSW

$1,300

Darren Georgeston

NSW

$3,250

Shayne Gillett

NSW

$2,100

Stephen Tracey

Qld

$1,300

Roderick Walmsley

QLD

$3,200

Chris Cleaver

NSW

$2,050

Max Frost

NSW

$1,250

Nick Cuccovia

WA

$3,150

Ben Sandman

QLD

$2,000

Peter Jarvis

NSW

$1,250

Adrian Neoh

NSW

$3,075

Matt Taylor

NSW

$2,000

Warren Drew

WA

$1,250

Adam Todd

SA

$3,070

Ricky Cooper

NSW

$2,000

Andrew Hyslop

NSW

$1,200

Alex Griesdorf

WA

$3,000

Mark Ward

QLD

$1,900

Chris Lemessurier

WA

$1,200

Drew Mcgrath

QLD

$3,000

John Schofield

QLD

$1,850

Graham Green

WA

$1,200

Matthew Kelly

NSW

$3,000

John Timbrell

NSW

$1,850

Graham Taylor

VIC

$1,200

Steve Kanowski

QLD

$3,000

Mick Pressnell

VIC

$1,850

Isaac Harris

TAS

$1,200

ACT

NSW

$1,200

Tyson Detheridge

NSW

$3,000

Miriam Melis

$1,800

Michael Colotourous

Robert Dawson

WA

$2,950

Dave Robinson

QLD

$1,750

Nathan Gilders

WA

$1,200

Adam O’connor

NSW

$2,900

Josh Batterson

NSW

$1,750

Wal Balzan

NSW

$1,150

Richard Potter

NSW

$2,900

Ron Ashman

NSW

$1,750

Rodney Thorpe

NSW

$1,125

Kevin Attard

NSW

$2,850

Jorg Van Husen

NSW

$1,700

Craig Seiginor

VIC

$1,100

Andrew Krushka

TAS

$2,820

Nabeel Issa

QLD

$1,700

Kendall Soo

Qld

$1,100

Daniel Mackrell

VIC

$2,800

Mark Holman

NSW

$1,600

Paul O’sullivan

QLD

$1,100

Jack Dawson

WA

$2,800

Nathan Sewell

QLD

$1,600

Robert Harvey

VIC

$1,100

Wade Stenhouse

WA

$2,750

Arthur Hatzipetrow

QLD

$1,575

Stuart Gordon

WA

$1,100

Charlie Saykao

WA

$2,700

Matthew Williams

QLD

$1,550

Chris Deland

NSW

$1,088

Dean Truman

SA

$2,650

David Tosland

NSW

$1,500

Ian Clift

SA

$1,050

* Money earners over $1,000 published.

Total Earnings

$81,195

Josh Carpenter

$690

Denis Metzdorf

$480

Eric Wood

$350

Nigel Webster

$650

Clark Wilson

$465

Mark Thompson

$350

Tony Pettie

$650

Guy Struthers

$450

Tim Maas

$350

Bob Boss

$630

Raymond Stork

$420

Brian Rutledge

$320

Andrew Krushka

$610

Tim Moszekiari

$420

Bryan Lazzaro

$300

Neil Cartairs

$585

Chris Lacey

$400

Darren Borg

$300

Scott Brown

$550

Robert Greetham

$400

Dale Baxter

$300

Wayne Bone

$520

Scott Sandilands

$390

David Varney

$300

Scott Marcinkowski

$500

Grayson Fong

$380

Ben Harrison

$280

Gary Beazley

$495

Derek Steele

$370

† Money earners over $200 published.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 12

43

The cream of the crop

Text: Josh Carpenter Photography: chris seeto

The qualifying rounds of the 2012 Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Series was dominated by the sheer consistency of one angler, Richard Somerton. His superb form was destined to carry him to success through the ultimate event of the year, the Bemm River Grand Final. However, nobody counted on the relative unknown Shane Taylor who toppled the number one favourite off the first-place podium.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

B

efore even reaching the GF, Richard won the AOY race with two wins and three second places for his best five finishes for the year, an outstanding result, especially considering the breadth of locations in which he dominated. From the Glenelg River in South Australia all the way up to the Tweed River on the New South Wales/Queensland border, Richard managed

It was kayak fishing royalty at the Bemm River Grand Final with 52 of Australia’s best kayak anglers doing battle in the biggest event of the season.

top ten finishes on both black and yellowfin bream. It was no wonder Somerton was the GF’s number one pick to take out the win.

In complete contrast, Shane Taylor fished only one event (his first ever kayak comp) in May this year at Mallacoota and took the third of four qualifying places offered. Taylor, who had no experience of the Bemm River and didn’t normally fish for black bream, proved

that even the most green of rookies can have what it takes to win.

Let’s Rumble Downunder Forty-nine qualifiers and three wildcards descended upon the small Victorian township of Bemm River for the biggest event of the year, this year however there was a twist even before the event started.

There was a two week prefish ban as normal, but this year no fishing was allowed on the prefish day. Anglers had the option of sounding the lake and river out, testing the new Pro Angler 14 kayak and looking around the arena, but strictly no fishing. The idea was to keep a smaller more sensitive fishery in tip-top bream producing fashion for the two tournament days.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

47

A flotilla of kayaks headed off each morning to do battle with the Bemm’s XOS bream.

The local word around town was that there were multiple patterns and areas working.

Large schools of weighty pre-spawn fish were spotted up the river itself, there were also large post-spawn fish spread throughout the lake near the only just-opened but tide-driven entrance, and some true monsters were sighted in some sneaky little backwater lakes only accessible by a kayak.

The prefish day confirmed this with a handful of anglers braving the windy conditions on the Friday to get the lay of the land. Some made the long pedal up river and some scoped out the bottom contour of the lake for that perfect ‘transit zone’ for fish moving from holding areas towards feeding areas.

Let’s Get Started Day one saw the blowy conditions from Friday ease into better conditions on the water. The total prefish ban paid dividends with 46 of the 52 anglers bringing in a full limit.

The mixed patterns and areas proved true with a diversity of fishing locations from the top four place-getters: Shane Taylor fished around the flats of the lake; Joel Crosbie fished towards the mouth; Richard Somerton fished in and around Mud Lake; and Matt Petrie worked well upriver.

Shane Taylor managed to break the magical 3kg mark with 3.185kg, with Joel Crosbie and Richard Somerton close on his heels with 2.98kg and 2.935kg respectively.

Plenty of the field however topped 2.6kg for their three fish limit and anybody was in with a chance; a 3.5kg bag is not an inconceivable feat on the Bemm.

Day two’s forecast was for the wind to return and scattered showers through the morning. For better or worse, at least they didn’t both happen at once. There was some heavy localised rain in the morning in areas 48

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

without the wind but as the skies cleared the wind began to blow. Many anglers reported the fish in a different mood altogether, especially those who made the trek upriver for the schooling fish around Dollys Garden where the fishing was much slower. The wind tends to make the shallower bite better and the lake seemed to fire.

Hot at the Top The hot seat changed many times during the day two, and final weigh-in, but in the end only two anglers were left. Richard Somerton holding the hot seat with a day two limit of 2.815kg, and a total bag of 5.750kg, and the relative unknown from NSW, Shane Taylor needing 2.565kg to take a wire-to-wire victory.

Taylor’s bag tipped the scales at a fraction off the magical 3kg mark for the second day in a row, weighing 2.980kg it easily sealed the victory, in-turn inscribing his name into the BREAM record books.

It is a testament to the idea of a ‘levelling

the playing field’ when a complete newcomer who has never been to the arena and doesn’t usually fish for blacks to have two consistent days on the water to take the win. All 52 anglers fished from identical Hobie Pro Angler 14 kayaks fitted with Lowrance Elite 5 sounders, Hobie anchor trolleys, Stakeout poles, Hobie drift chutes and a Hobie livewell system. It was truly a level playing field.

Newfound Fortune Shane had never been to Bemm River before and didn’t even look around on the prefish Friday, instead he stayed with what he knew and looked for an area that had all the hallmarks of a good bream spot in his home waters – weed beds in 1.5-2m of water that would hold baitfish.

He headed for the eastern side of the basin and set up a long wind drift using the drift chute to slow his movement across the flat and made long wind-assisted casts with a prototype Hurricane Fatty Crank before slow

Scott Lovig, Shaun Taylor and Richard Somerton were the cream that rose to the top in the 2012 GF.

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“The flats tend to get beaten up by a lot of anglers and if 10 people go up the river chances are only two will come back with fish. So fishing the features up towards the mouth was my pick,” said Lovig.

He noted the depth that fish were being found at and then kept looking for that depth. He used a Z-Man Grub slowly so he could keep it in front of the fish as long as possible, he also used the Grub weedless when necessary. Scott altered this presentation throughout the day with an Atomic Crank in muddy prawn around the colour change. Quite often Scott was on one side and Richard Somerton on the other.

Shane Taylor rose to the top to claim victory in the hard fought final, breaking 6 kilos to secure the Grand Final title.

A Big Future

rolling it back.

“The Hurricane got down and ran just above the top of the weed and stayed in the fish’s face the whole way back,” said Taylor.

This approach paid off big on the first day. Shane got his limit, as well as the Hog’s Breath Boss Hog cheque for the biggest fish on day one. Knowing this area held good fish, he made the crucial decision to leave the area rather than sting the fish that could make his day two bag. “There is no point catching 6kg worth of fish on the first day if they’re not there to catch on the second day.”

Shane went into prefish mode looking for a plan B if the productive flat he had just fished did not work the next day. He ended up tallying 12 more legal size bream; none of them upgraded those from his ‘honey hole’.

Fingers-Crossed Day two saw a reverse-order start with Shane going out last, which made for a few nerves as he hoped his spot from day one would be untouched. Arriving with no one there and getting a fish on the first cast was the best way to calm his nerves.

The fishing was tougher but a change in lure to a suspending Maria MJ1 got the fish biting. He got another fish each drift of the flat. With the wind strength increasing quickly, by 11.30am his spot was unfishable. It didn’t matter as he had amassed enough to take the title and earn himself a spot on the 2013 Australian Fishing Championships TV show.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Richie Rules Richard Somerton’s second place cements him as probably the most consistent and most adaptable kayak angler in Australia at the moment. It puts him on top of the kayak rankings list and makes him the man to watch in 2013.

He started both days in the entrance channel to Mud Lake, which has such a shallow entrance it is inaccessible to power boats and sees less fishing pressure as a result. Filling his bag by 8am on day one with a PML custom coloured Smith Jade, he was upgrading by 8.30am. He moved towards the entrance to the Bemm system and fished the colour change as the tide came in looking for even bigger fish using Jackall Chubbies.

He had a harder start to day two with only two legal fish caught from the entrance channel, mixed in with a bunch of undersize.

However, a move to the flat just in front of the Mud Lake entrance immediately rewarded him with an 800g fish. From there it was time to chase the colour change again towards the front, but finding upgrades was a slow process.

Lovig’s Local Knowledge Third place was wildcard entrant and AFC angler Scott Lovig with a full limit of six fish for 5.14kg for the two days. Scott made the decision to fish the front of the system two weeks before the event for a few different reasons.

Overall the Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Grand Final will go down as a great success with nearly the entire field bringing full limits to the scales. The new Hobie Pro Angler 14s got a proper on water test by the best kayak tournament anglers and plenty of fun was had at the Bemm River Hotel, which helped host the event.

2013 will be an even bigger year for the kayak series and here’s hoping its Grand Final will provide even bigger fish and weightier bags to the anglers lucky enough to qualify.

Richard Somerton was the hottest angler on tour all year, winning the AOY crown and finishing second at the Bemm River final.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

51

non-boating Text: grayson fong Photography: Simon Goldsmith

The 2012 BREAM and BASS Series saw some of the hottest competition for many years. Proven champions were pushed to their limits by a pack of hungry new anglers. And the battle wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just confined to boaters. Non-boaters are stepping up and showing their desire to fish and compete hard on their own stage.

As non-boater you get the opportunity to fish a host of different boaters with varying skills, strengths and preferences. Being adaptable when it comes to your fish is one of the keys to success as a non-boater.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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he close battle of the 2012 Humminbird BREAM and BASS Pro Angler of the Year titles illustrates perfectly the current state of play for nonboaters and showed that tournament talent isn’t just limited to those with a boat.

The Cream Rises Consistency for non-boaters can be hard to achieve. The dynamics of fishing with different boaters with varying, and sometimes conflicting, fishing styles can often make it hard to consistently catch fish.

Nevertheless, cream always rises to the top. Regardless of the venue or the bite pattern, there were the ever-present anglers who place event after event that show the new, and not so new, non-boaters the way to tournament success.

Let’s take a look at the top two Humminbird AOY anglers from the Daiwa BREAM Series and Smak Lures BASS Pro Series and get an insight into how they achieve their tournament success.

Well Travelled Phil Nix from New South Wales and Troy Hamilton from Victoria are models of consistency on the BREAM scene. Phil has four event wins in his 10+ years on the tour while Troy was red hot in 2012 with three top fours for the season.

Two of the most consistent anglers on the BREAM scene, they attribute much of their consistency and success to being adaptable.

“As a non-boater you don’t get to choose where you’re going to fish, that’s really up to the boater. So you need to be ready to fish

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where they want to fish and, to a certain degree, how they want to fish,” said Nix. A long-time travel partner of Atomic Bream Pro Graham Franklin, Nix has fished most tournament venues throughout the country and has learnt a host of different techniques.

“Fishing different waterways has enabled me to become proficient at a range of techniques.

One month I can be ripping jerkbaits for big black bream on the Derwent while a month later I can be fishing deep with plastics for yellows.

This variety certainly helps you become more tournament ready,” said Nix. For Humminbird BREAM AOY runner-up Troy Hamilton it’s his love of the outdoors and passion for fishing that fuels his tournament success, rather than an underlying knowledge of varying tournament arenas and bream techniques.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

53

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Once you do it, you find yourself wanting to do it again and again.”

Practise does make perfect with Nix finishing 3rd place in 2012, 1st in 2010 and multiple top tens since his first visit in 2009.

With a similar love for hardbodies, Hamilton’s stand out arena is Mallacoota.

Home to XOS hardbody lure-loving black bream it was on a red hot final day in the 2012 Rapala Mallacoota BREAM Qualifier that saw Hamilton charge up the scoreboard from 21st to claim a podium finish and finish 3rd.

“It was a bite pattern that I absolutely love, aggressive flats bream eating hardbodies, and big ones to boot,” said Hamilton.

Weighing in a 4.38kg bag on the final day gives credence to the saying, ‘fish to your strength and fish what you enjoy most’.

Hamilton’s belief in this saying was crucial to his success at the event and, in turn, his AOY success in 2012.

Non-boating bass gun Dylan Mott slides another bass into the net.

Bass Buddies

“I haven’t fished as many locations as some of the other guys, such as Phil. What I do have instead is an insatiable appetite to fish hard and try things that I haven’t necessarily tried before,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton fished a host of new venues in 2012, so he’ll soon have experience to add to his tournament arsenal. A formidable addition to an already impressive skills set.

Relax and Do It Of course tournament success isn’t all about the mechanics of throwing out a lure and winding it back in, in many instances it’s just as much about what goes on in the angler’s mind.

“Going out and enjoying myself is what fishing is all about, and this definitely applies in tournament fishing. If I stay relaxed, keep a clear head then I’ll more than likely have fun and catch fish,” said Hamilton.

Phil Nix has a similar upbeat approach to his tournament fishing, especially when it comes to disappointment.

“It’s just about going fishing and having fun. If you come back in with double donuts it’s not the end of the world. It just makes the good results that much sweeter.”

54

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Respect This Both these champion anglers believe there is an unspoken ‘non-boater etiquette’ that should be present at all tournaments. It is built around respect for your boater’s boat and, most importantly, their space.

“You’re a guest onboard their, sometimes very expensive, craft. So treat them and the boat likewise,” said Nix. Hamilton agrees and adds, “Show your boater respect and you may just end up fishing up front with them.”

Respect is an important facet within the sport that should be shown by both boaters and non-boater. The ABT motto of ‘Who Shares Wins’ should remain in the back of our minds at all times.

Love What You Do Success more often than not comes from doing what you’re best at and doing what you love the most. For Nix, this is throwing hardbodies on an arena that he’s had much success on over the year, Tasmania’s Derwent River.

“There’s nothing I love more than throwing hardbodies along the rocky edges and rubble flats of the Derwent. The technique is fairly aggressive as are the bites and the quality of the fish you catch are the best in the country.

While there are many differences between the BREAM and BASS Pro Series the question from a non-boaters point of view is, what, if any, similarities exist when it come to achieving tournament success?

The top two from last year’s hard fought Humminbird AOY race, Ray Holmes and Dylan Mott give us their take on how they make it happen come tournament day.

Planning to Win Humminbird Angler of the Year Champion Ray Holmes had the year from heaven in 2012. With an event win and three top tens for the year the Brisbane BASSer was a model of consistency throughout the season; an achievement that Holmes puts down to well organised planning and practise.

“You generally don’t do well in tournaments by chance alone. Being prepared plays a huge part. So I make sure I prefish an arena leading up to an event, then use the experience and knowledge that I’ve gathered so I can hit the ground running come tournament day.”

Prefishing non-local events however can prove a little tougher and in these situations Holmes draws upon his past experience on the waterways and his ability to quickly adapt to the prevailing bite patterns.

“My main focus each tournament is to weigh in two bass each session. To do this you need to be able to swap techniques and pick up on the cues of where the fish are and what they’re biting on,” said Holmes.

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Holmes is able to key in on bite patterns quickly and formulate plans for what’s going on at the present time and for the next fishing session.

Push Hard and Train Hard Few non-boaters have the pedigree and training of Dylan Mott. The son of three time BASS Pro Grand Final winner Matthew Mott, Dylan has been living and breathing bass fishing since he first held a rod, and his abilities reflect that.

“I’ve been fortunate to have my Dad there showing me the way and sharing his knowledge on bass and tournament fishing,” said Mott.

While developing the skills set to catch bass Dylan has also acquired the mental attributes needed to succeed, in particular the ability to fish hard, and push hard, right to the end.

“A never-say-die attitude is important in tournament fishing. If you keep yourself up and keep fishing hard right until the end of the session you’ll have the edge over guys who’s focus wanes,” said Mott.

This simple philosophy fuels Mott’s primary goal for each tournament year – to fish as hard as he can at each tournament and leave nothing behind.

Start Taking Notes Mott doesn’t just rely on his memory when it comes to accumulating experience, he relies heavily on keeping records of what he’s done and also what other anglers have done.

“I like to keep a record on where I’ve caught fish, how I’ve caught them, and how tournaments are won. If I gather all this information then I’ve got something that can help me predict how a lake is going to fish,” said Mott.

Mott’s record keeping is a vital tool in his fishing success and something that all anglers could adopt.

Confidence is the Key Both these anglers have blazed a trail through the BASS circuit with consistent results, podium finishes and victories in both QLD and NSW. Mott and Holmes possess a level of consistency and quiet confidence that any angler would be happy to possess.

“I repeat to myself in my head over and over to be confident. Having this positive mental state is crucial to being successful,” said Holmes.

Just like Holmes, Mott’s tenacity and fight gives him the confidence to find fish even when the chips are down.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

“I believe if you have the right gear, the right technique and right frame of mind then it’s only a matter of time until you catch fish.”

Mr Nice Guy When asked about etiquette as a non-boater during tournaments, both Ray and Dylan echoed the sentiments of our top BREAM anglers. The game is about respect and manners. Dylan explains: “I believe it’s a must to offer your boater money for fuel and stay down the back of the boat unless told otherwise. I also try and keep my casts confined to the back half of the boat.

Showing good manners and respect goes along way when you’re a non-boater.”

Ray echoes these sentiments as being essential and adds, “I always help my boater net his fish. We all appreciate the hand and it means they’ll also be there to net mine when I need it.”

Lucky Draw While Holmes and Mott have many similarities in their approaches, when it comes to the issue of drawing a good boater they have a slightly different take on it.

“Getting a good draw and being paired with an angler who’s more likely to be on

Non-boaters can only take so much tackle with them, choosing carefully so you have all your options cover is the key and often a hard task.

the fish is always good for your confidence.

It’s easier to stay upbeat and think that at anytime you’re going to get onto the fish,” said Holmes.

In contrast, Mott’s confidence in his fishing ability and gear is more than enough to catch fish.

“You can’t control your draw or where you’re going to fish. Focus on things you can control, namely your fishing ability and your tackle.”

With the number one non-boater BASS Pro ranking next to his name, who can dispute Mott’s rationale? Confidence and ability to catch fish in any tournament, regardless of the draw.

Future Success Looking at these top two BREAM and BASS Pro anglers you can see the things that bring these anglers to the top of their game. Their ability to stay relaxed, have fun, plan and work hard on their tournament fishing and seek out things to help them improve are all measures that breed success.

What unites them and sets them apart from the pack are things that all anglers can adopt, not just non-boaters. Add them to you skill set and success will surely come.

Ice Ice Baby Text: Simon Goldsmith Photography: Simon Goldsmith , jeff clelland

If one lure stood out as the must-have on the 2012 BASS tour it was the ice jig.

Responsible for multiple top ten finishes, cashed cheques and tournament victories, there were many events throughout the year where if you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have one tied on you were back in the pack and struggling to stay in-touch with the front runners.

The shallow flats at Lake Somerset are prime areas to target for bass and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re few lures better for catching them than an ice jig.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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S

o why were they so hot on the tour in 2012? Who mastered the art of ice jigging during the season? And how did they do it? Let’s chat to the best in the business and find out how they go about ice jigging the bass on the tournament trail.

The King’s Speech Three times BASS Pro Grand Final winner Matthew Mott has few peers when it comes to ice jigging and has chalked up multiple event top tens using them, his 2009 Grand Final victory at Lake Somerset being the most notable.

Having fished ice jigs for nearly 20 years Mott has seen a lot of changes, particularly with regards to the design of the lures.

“In the early days we were fishing solely imported ice jigs that were designed for European and North American species. They worked to a certain degree, but the hook-up to land rate on our bass wasn’t great. While they were great when social fishing they weren’t reliable as a tournament technique,” said Mott.

Research and development in lure design

and refinement in ice jigging techniques has seen things improve for the better with ice jigging now considered one of the most reliable and consistent techniques doing the tournament rounds.

“Losing fish after fish is now a thing of the past; you can now go out find the fish and be super confident that you’ll get them to eat a jig and that you’ll land them,” said Mott.

Who Are You? An ice jig was designed to be fished through a hole in the ice for temperate species, however when it comes to bass fishing in warmer tropical water, what is the ice jig actually meant to be imitating? Matthew Mott explains: “I don’t think an ice jig is an exact imitation of any one thing in particular. To a certain degree it may look a shrimp or small bony bream darting around, but I think it’s more about how it annoys fish and triggers them to respond out of aggression rather than out of a feeding instinct.”

2012 Smak Lures BASS Pro Grand Final

Callum Munro is one of the hottest anglers on the BASS Pro circuit at moment and regularly uses an ice jig to turn on shutdown bass.

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runner-up Callum Munro follows a similar line of thinking when it comes to why ice jigs press a bass’ button.

“I think it’s less about what they imitate and more about how they trigger a bass to strike.

There are few lures out there that will turn shut down bass on as effectively as an ice jig. The darting-in-your-face action of the ice jig is hard to top,” said Munro.

We’re Flat Out Here Even though few places are better suited to ice jigging than flats and open water areas, they can also be hard places to fish with bass often inactive and sulking on the bottom.

“This is when you reach for the ice jig, when they’re scattered, hard to the bottom and not moving,” said Mott.

Mott follows this non-schooled mentality so much so that if he sees fish starting to cluster together when ice jigging, he’ll leave them alone and go find more solitary fish.

“I tend to find the schooled fish to be smaller and less inclined to eat an ice jig.

They’ll often look at it, move around it, but not eat it.”

Using the ‘less is more’ approach when it comes to congregations of fish, Mott looks to take advantage of the loner mentality when it comes to catching bigger specimens.

“When the fishing gets hard late in the season and the schools start to break up, the bigger fish will hang wider and hug the bottom. Once you pinpoint them with the sounder you can drop the lure right on their nose and more often than not get them to bite,” said Mott.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Smak Ice Jigs (1), Rapala Jigging Raps (2), and Nilsmaster Jiggers (3) are three of the best ice jigs going around for Australian bass.

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Mott’s not alone with his flat out approach.

Munro turns to ice jigs on a regular basis to catch his bass, particularly when things are getting tough.

“When you find bass hanging tight to the bottom and unwilling to eat anything is when you tie on an ice jig. You can fish it right in their face and if you annoy them long enough they’ll usually bite it.”

Best of Both Worlds While ice jigs are red-hot on the flats, the perception that many people have is that they can only be fished there, nowhere else.

Matthew Mott said this couldn’t be further from the truth.

“There is no doubt that they are dynamite on the flats but if you only fish them there you’re selling yourself short.”

Flooded trees, points and drop-offs are all places that bass gravitate towards and areas that can be fished with an ice jig. The key is picking the appropriate jig for the job and getting the retrieve just right.

Trees are the favourite ice jig location for Mott and Munro, however they both have contrasting approaches when it comes to fishing them.

“On the flats I’ll use a gliding lure with a longer tail, while on the trees I go with a darting model with a shorter tail. This option allows me to work the lure more aggressively in a smaller area and with less snagging up on the tree,” said Mott.

With inactive bass, in particular, holding tight to structure the objective of keeping

the lure in as small a strike zone as possible makes perfect sense.

While Mott opts for a different lure when fishing the trees Munro keeps things the same as when he’s fishing the flats.

“I just fish what I’m confident with. The majority of the time when I’m ice jigging I’m fishing the flats and doing it with a glider, so that’s generally what I reach for when I’m fishing the trees. It’s the lure that I’m most confident with,” said Munro.

Munro also winces at times when it comes to the lure losses.

“Being able to work a lure close to timber and in the fish’s face will get you a lot of bites; the trade off is that with three sets of hooks hanging off the lure you get hung up a lot and lose a lot of lures,” said Munro.

Munro’s approach when ice jigging involves locating the fish with his sounder then dropping his lure straight down until it hits the bottom.

“Once the lure is on the bottom I’ll engage the reel, wind up the slack then stop. While holding the rod in my left hand I’ll bang the butt of the rod with my right hand. This will cause the lure to jump and dart around. I’ll then sink it back down to the bottom, pause the retrieve, then repeat the process.”

Adjusting how hard and regular you bang the rod and make the lure move is the key to the retrieve.

Matthew Mott is the master of ice jigging and always has his eyes on the sounder so he can read the mood of the fish and in turn get the retrieve just right.

Time for Action Using the right the lure is important, but if you don’t how to work it you’re wasting your time.

Callum Munro explains: “The secret to success is all about the action and how you get the lure to dance and dart around.”

On inactive fish Munro goes super aggressive, while on more active fish he’ll pull things back a little and adopt for a more reserved approach. Despite seeming counterintuitive, Munro has a method to his madness.

“When they’re shut down you want to work that lure hard in their face to get them worked up so they’ll eat it. On active fish you don’t need to overwork it to get a fish to bite,” said Munro.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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“You need to keep experimenting until you find what the fish want. Don’t get locked into the same pattern, keep changing until they tell you what they want,” said Munro.

Paying sound attention to what’s happening on the sounder while working the lure is an important step that can’t be overstated.

“You can tell the mood of the fish by how they look on the sounder. If you know their mood than you can more easily match the retrieve to get them to bite.”

Mott uses a similar looking-down approach. With his target fish pinpointed and his eyes firmly fixed on the sounder, Mott will disengage his reel and free-spool his lure until it hits the bottom. He’ll then engage his reel, wind up the slack and position his rod tip so it sits just above the water. The next move then ranges from a bump of the rod butt to get the lure to dart to a series of sharp lifts that has the lure zipping all over the place.

“Regardless of how aggressive the retrieve is, the key is to keep the lure in contact with the bottom. After about every four lifts I’ll freespool the lure back to the bottom.

“Paying attention to your sounder so you know what your lure is swimming over is also very important. If you do this and keep your line as vertical as possible you’ll maximize the action of the lure and the likelihood of getting a bite,” said Mott.

Barry Bags Out 2012 TT Lures Somerset BASS Pro winner Barry Reynolds learnt how to ice jig at the tutelage of Matthew Mott and loves them for their ability to turn bass on and keep fish biting.

“Once you cracked the pattern of the retrieve you’ll find that you can keep catching them. So if you’re hooked up on fish get your fishing partner to get a lure down there quick smart because the chances are that he’ll also hook-up on a fish,” said Reynolds.

Having All the Pieces to the Puzzle While having the right location, lure and technique are fundamental for success being able to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together is essential to catch fish, and to catch them consistently when ice jigging.

“You need the complete package when it comes to ice jigging. Your lure, retrieve, sounder and electric need to be all connected and working together.

“Your sounder is the first piece to the puzzle, you need to know how it works, have confidence in what it’s showing you, then use your electric motor to position the boat so you can present your lure to the fish in the most effective way,” said Mott.

Munro couldn’t agree more with

Bump & Dart Keep the rod tip close to the water and bump the butt of the rod with your hand to get the ice jig to dart and jump around.

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Mott’s synopsis.

“Successful ice jigging is about taking the lure right to the fish and feeding it to them. If you’re not tuned into your sounder, then you won’t know where they are, what mood they’re in and how they want the lure presented to them and worked. If you don’t have all this going on you’re fishing blind and just guessing.”

Any Icy Future Time is at a premium in tournament fishing so the ability to minimise wasted fishing time is something that’s always sought after.

Advancements in technologies, such as sounders and electronics, play a vital role in reducing wasted time, but so do selective techniques. Ice jigging, as we witnessed in 2012, is high on the list when it comes to ticking this box.

2012 Somerset BASS Pro victor Barry Reynolds perhaps gives the most succinct final explanation for their growing effectiveness and popularity.

“The most important thing that ice jigs give me is confidence. When I fish one I’m always confident that I’m going to catch fish. And the more fish that I catch, the more confident I become.”

With confidence comes success, and ultimately that’s what all tournament anglers are fishing for.

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Finesse Is Best Text: Dean Silvester Photography: Simon Goldsmith , jeff clelland

Finesse plastics have been simmering away on the backburner of bassing techniques for many years. Now, many anglers who have largely ignored them in the past are starting to explore them, with impressive results. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not a finesse convert, read on to find out why this approach could be well worth your while.

A handful of plastics, jigheads and a willingness to go light and trim things a little is all you need to get started with finesse plastics.

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Peter Phelps showed the way at the 2012 Lake Glenbawn BASS Pro fishing finesse plastics through the flooded trees to claim his maiden ABT win.

F

inesse plastics have been something I have played around with since my first tournament as a non-boater in 2005. I fished with a bream angler who was using 3” jerk minnows in the weeds at Glenbawn with good results. Since then I have trialled many different styles of plastics with varying success depending on time of year.

Put simply, finesse plastics fishing involves cutting down paddle-tails and jerk minnow plastics and fishing them on jigheads no heavier than 1/6oz. The finesse side is all about matching the hatch, having a plastic that looks and behaves exactly

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

like the bass’ prey. Paddle-tails can be used in full size or cut down so they’re not much bigger than the diminutive no. 2 hook jighead that they can be rigged on. Jerk minnows also respond well to being cut down, even if it’s just to get the body size correct to match the hatch.

A Fine Line The finesse approach in many instances ends with the lure itself, because in a lot of cases you’re casting the lure into rugged terrain and fishing locked drags, stiff rods and heavy leaders in an attempt to drag fish from cover. This brutal approach means that TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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Glenbawn’s bass are suckers for a well presented finesse plastic.

to finesse plastics.

Dan likes Glenbawn for its varying structure types; he can fish shallow weeds one minute and steep rock walls the next.

While his choice of location may vary his willingness to go finesse, it’s something that he does use all year round, adapting it depending on the location of the fish.

“The main thing for me is what the fish are feeding on,” he says. “Knowing that allows me to pick the right lure to replicate it.”

In certain locations and with the right matching-the-hatch lure tied on, the finesse approach can see Clancy catch numerous fish while other lures can draw a blank.

“In the really clear parts of Glenbawn the sun hitting the water can drive fish to cover and makes them really shy,” he says.

“This is where the finesse approach comes into play and will catch fish when other methods won’t.”

Slow n’ Steady When fishing steep edges Dan says he prefers a slow technique, allowing his soft plastic time to follow the contour of the ledge.

“Slow rolling a plastic can be deadly but there are times when you need to add a pause or sharp rip every few winds,” he explains.

“When fishing the weed I try to pick up the pace and keep the lure touching just the top of the weed.”

Tinkering With Your Tackle Dan says he modifies his plastics a lot.

“I am very particular about having my plastic swim perfectly with the technique I’m using,” he explains. “When necessary I trim plastics, dip tails and change rigging styles to suit the area and style of fishing.” you’re often treading a fine line when fishing finesse. Fish too light and you’ll get done over by fish, go too heavy and you’ll pay the price of fewer bites and a less lifelike presentation. I find in heavy structure 8lb leader is the ideal choice. Any lighter and you’ll lose too many fish.

In heavy structure fish are often deep in the cover so your casts will need to be accurate and your retrieves spot-on. I like to cast slightly past the structure to give the lure time to get to the correct depth before it reaches the snag. Using an underhand cast is advantageous and allows you to keep the loop in the line at a minimum, allowing you to maintain contact with the plastic as soon as it hits the water. Bites when finesse 70

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

“This is where the finesse approach comes into play and will catch fish when other methods won’t.” fishing are often only felt as a tick on the line, so having good contact with your lure will greatly increase your catch rate.

CLANCY HITS THE COVER IN GLENBAWN Dan Clancy is one of the local favourites for Lake Glenbawn, and he attributes most of his success in the past few seasons

When fishing structure, Dan tries to find small, concentrated areas of either rock or timber that attract fish. If he has a small area he can concentrate and take his time getting the fish there to bite, rather than having the urge to keep moving around.

“Don’t ever lose focus!” he says. “It’s easy to miss the subtle bites when you’re not concentrating.”

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PRO TIPS Dean Silvester Dean says he fishes with a lighter than average drag when finesse fishing.

“If I’m fishing heavy structure and need more drag I feather the spool to add more drag,” he explains. “This way the small hook feels heavy pressure only when absolutely needed.”

Daniel Clancy Fishing finesse plastics is very time consuming so Dan likes to rely on his sounder.

“I read the mood and behaviour of the fish on the sounder,” he says. “If they are active I adjust my technique to what’s needed to make the best of the bite period.”

Peter Phelps When fighting fish Pete says being patient is the key to success.

“If I get snagged by a fish I get over the top of the snag and work it free,” he says.

“Doing this generally allows me to get the fish out.”

Phelps has spent over five minutes see-sawing a fish through the timber on 6lb and still got it out.

Wayne Reed Wayne says the best tip he can give about finesse fishing for bass is to choose the leader size you need to get the bites.

“Don’t chose it based on the structure you’re fishing,” he says. “Concentrate on getting the bite, then worry about landing the bass.”

PHELPS KNUCKLES DOWN Peter Phelps is no novice when it comes to finesse fishing for bass, using the finesse approach to claim victory at the 2012 Lake Glenbawn BASS Pro. Pete’s favourite plastic for finesse fishing is a 3” Slider Grub. He finds their soft tail wrist and ability to swim at super-slow speeds ideal for bass fishing. He prefers natural colours; green and brown are his two favourites in clear water, while during low-light periods he likes to dip the tail of the plastic in chartreuse glow.

Follow Me Like Clancy, Pete targets bass on finesse

plastics all year round.

“I get to spend plenty of time on the water so I usually have a handle on where the fishing are holding regardless of the season or the month,” he explains.

In the cooler months he targets bass in shallower water on the edges, and as it warms he moves deeper. Peter finds the fishing to be at its best during low-light periods, when the fish are more active and sitting wider on cover. When the light increases the opposite happens – the fish hold tighter to cover, so casts and retrieves need to be perfect to draw a strike.

While prefishing for a tournament Peter always throws a finesse plastic. If he doesn’t

draw a strike after working over an area, he knows he has to change something.

Pete has found that the finesse bite in spring slows as the bass start to target larger baits. Going to a larger plastic and leaving them full size still gets him results.

Change Is Good While prefishing Pete constantly changes his retrieves, incorporating pauses, twitches and burns into a standard slow roll.

He waits for that one bite to tell him what the fish want.

When it comes to leader size, Pete finds 6lb to be more than enough.

“If my knots are 100% I’m able to put a lot of hurt on big fish in tight cover,” he explains.

Pete’s approach when fighting fish is to go hard from the start and give the fish nothing.

“I test my reels before I start fishing, tightening the drag to a point where I can barely pull line of the reel with my hand,” he says.

Just a Trim Pete trims the tail wrist on his plastics and boils them to get them super supple and swimming just right. He generally cuts down the plastic so the hook bend comes out just before the tail wrist, giving the lure a small profile and getting the hook as close to the tail as possible.

A 1/8oz jighead is Pete’s go-to choice for shallow water and a 1/4oz when fishing deeper. He likes his jighead to look as lifelike as possible, even going so far as to paint the jighead and glue on some eyes.

Tickling the Trees

A retrieve that has the lure touching the trees as it goes is a prime method for tempting timber dwelling bass.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Peter Phelps chases the shade when finesse fishing the edges, with the low light conditions keep the fish high in water column rather than retreating to the safety of the deep.

When a fish does bite, Pete adopts a ‘less is more’ approach to getting a hook up.

“Never strike at a fish eating a plastic,” he says. “When you feel a bite, bump or rattle, just continue the retrieve until you can feel the weight of the fish. Often the smallest bumps are the biggest fish.”

Reed matches the hatch Wayne Reed is a veteran bass angler and is one of the pioneers of finesse plastic fishing in the tournament circuit. Wayne pays attention to the bait sources in the dams to determine what style of finesse plastic to use.

Two of Reed’s happy hunting grounds, Lake Glenbawn and Lake St Clair, are home to gudgeons and smelt, and it’s these that Reed tries to emulate. Wayne finds stickbaits to be the most productive, and he says the finesse approach is at its best during the cooler months.

The time of day doesn’t matter for Wayne; if he feels it is a finesse bite he will stick with soft plastics all day.

“When I can’t catch a bass on a spinnerbait or lipless crankbait I use the finesse plastic approach,” he says. “That’s my rule of thumb.”

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Stick It To Them Wayne’s go-to finesse plastic is a 3” minnow or stickbait. The brand doesn’t matter, he says, as long as it is green or brown.

Reed cuts the plastics down to match the size of the bait at that time of the year.

However, regardless of the time of year he always cuts the nose off the plastic so the jighead can butt up snugly against the lure.

Wayne’s jighead of choice to suit the cutdown plastic is the TT Tournament Series, mainly 1/8 and 1/6oz heads with a no. 2 hook. The deeper the water the heavier the jighead. Wayne prefers a heavy wire hook when casting soft plastics to the edge and when fishing around sunken trees.

“When you think you are fishing slow, go even slower,” he says. “Too fast and you will go home with nothing. I have learned this one from experience.”

Reel Em’ In When casting stickbaits to the edge of the weed, Wayne finds a 2500 size reel works best. The 2500 allows him to get the line back on the reel faster than a 1000 sized reel.

He likes to keep a tight line on the fish when fighting bass near weed, and he feels

when a hooked fish is running along the edge of the weed bed there is always the chance they will run at him.

“A 1000 size reel will result in slack line and when this happens you’ll lose fish,” he warns.

Wayne stays away from fast taper rods, believing they rip hooks from the bass’ mouth.

“When finesse fishing I use small hooks and a slow taper rod to add some cushioning to the connection,” he says.

Wayne’s leader size is often determined by the clarity of the water. In clear water he goes as low as 3lb, while in the dirty stuff he goes up to 6lb. He finds he needs to use at least one rod length of leader when fishing finesse plastics to the edge.

Future Finessing You’ll have noticed there were many similarities between the approaches of these four pros, but there were also a handful of noticeable differences. Take note of all of these, add them to your repertoire and see how the bass respond.

You’ll not only be a better angler, but you’ll also be a more educated and better equipped for your next BASS event.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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The Big Kahuna, Mottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been at the top of the bass game for many years and relies on a tackle tray of tournament favourites and proven winning lures as his tools for success.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Mott’s BASS

‘one box’ Text: Matthew Mott Photography: Simon Goldsmith, jeff clelland

Few bass anglers have a list of achievements as impressive as Matthew Mott. Three time Grand Final champion, six time BASS Pro winner, AOY victor in 2011 and over $30,000 in career earnings Mott has achieved all there is to achieve on the Australian BASS tournament scene.

Insert below: Most likely Matthew is saying “I can fit all my gun lures in one box”!

Insert bottom: Mott’s “One Box” of bass lures ready to tear it up in the field.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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inned down in the off season at the end of 2012 Mott shared with us his ‘one box’. His single bass box to end all bass boxes for life on the tournament trail.

It wasn’t an easy task for him to cull down a boat load of tackle into one tray, but with clear standouts and tournament favourites always at his finger tips, Mott refined his selection to a detailed list of musthaves. If you’re a BASS angler it’s time to start taking notes.

This is what he had to say about his selection:

1. LITTLE MAX BLADE 1/4OZ Great all round bait, I use it in shallow and deep waters. Perfect for casting to the banks and vertical jigging, the Little Max is a compact bait that works well straight out of the packet.

The only thing I’d change, and it’s a personal thing, is I’d put a treble on the rear of the lure. You get a better hook rate when you do this.

Little Maxs have a lot of vibration and are a great searching bait. I can cover a lot of water really quickly when using one of these. The 1/4oz is the perfect size with fish everywhere willing to eat the bite-sized blade.

As far as the colour goes my favourites are a natural, a light and a dark.

2. LITTLE MAX 3/8OZ

The big brother of the 1/4oz, the 3/8oz

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is the way to go when the bass are a lot more active.

I generally catch bigger fish when using the 3/8oz and my colour choices are the same as the 1/4oz – a natural, a light and a dark. I like to use them when the water is a little deeper (6ft+), fishing it with either hops or vertical jigs, and it was this lure that I used to win the Grand Final at Boondooma in 2011.

3. TT SWITCHBLADE 1/4 and 3/8oz With less vibration than the Evergreen Little Max, the Switchblade is more suited for fish that are more shut down than super active. I’ll use the same technique with these as I do with a Little Max. They’re great on Somerset late in the season and also work well in dirty water.

4. SMAK 12G ICE JIG Naturally I am going to use the Smak 12g Ice Jig – I designed it! As people know I have used ice jigs for many years, but none of the others were really designed for Australian fish. They had flaws and it showed when it came to catching fish.

The Smak in contrast was made solely with Australian bass in mind and took over 12 months to design and get just right. A lot of people think ice jigging is easy, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

I use the 12g model when I’m chasing bigger fish in deep water. I also find the extra weight helps on those windy days.

5. SMAK 7G ICE JIG This bait works well on really pressured fish and also on very calm days. I have had a lot of success with this lure down south on Glenbawn and St Clair, as the bait tend to be smaller.

6. MASK VIB 19g These are one of my favourite baits, I have caught a lot of big fish on them. It is my go-to bait for catching big bass. They have been extremely successful in dams such as Somerset and Boondooma.

I use them on spin rods, and with the right set up you can cast them a mile. I use them aggressively with really sharp hops in the mid water at the start of the season, and hopping along the bottom later in the year.

7. JACKALL TN50, tn60 and tn70 Everyone knows how great Jackall TNs are for catching bass. Their choice of colours is endless and the bass absolutely love them, especially on the dead roll.

The TN60 I use a lot in spring, while the smaller TN50 is a go-to when I need something a little smaller and less aggressive. They’re a must-have for your tackle box and are perhaps best thrown with spin gear.

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The biggest of the three, the TN70, is the big fish bait option, with brown dog colour the go. While I don’t throw them a lot they’re a must-have in the tackle box, especially when fishing Somerset Dam.

8. CRANKBAITS • Lucky Craft Flat Mini DR • Jackall Deep Chubby • Dual 3D suspending I tend to tie on a crankbait when fishing weedy lakes such as Lake St Clair, and to a lesser degree Lake Glenbawn.

They are great for tickling the tips of the weed on the retrieve, and for tempting fish holding in the grass. They are the point of difference to what everybody else is throwing.

They’re also a good option at Boondooma and can work there at different times of the year.

9. SMAK SPINNERBAIT 1/2oz and 5/8oz There is no better way of catching bass than with spinnerbaits – the fish like them, they hit them hard and they’re dynamite in spring and autumn.

Tandem configuration models are the best choice because you can fish them fast.

I’ll use a 1/2oz on sloping banks and through the tops of trees, and I’ll go for a 5/8oz when I want to keep it closer to the bottom, and in deeper structure.

I’ll throw both of these on 7ft baitcasters with 16-20lb line.

10. SMAK Mini Coops 3/8oz and 1/2oz While smaller in size they have a lot more vibration than the big 1/2oz and 5/8oz tandems. I tend to fish these slower than the tandems and a lot more methodically. I use baitcaster tackle and a reel with a gear ratio of 5.9:1 or slower so I don’t fish it too fast or overwork the lure.

I probably use these more than any other spinnerbait with their compact size making them super versatile. When fishing weed beds I will often use them on baitcaster gear and in conjunction with a Jackall TN60. In deeper water, such as around trees, and on steep banks I’ll fish them on spin gear so I can cast them further and get them deeper.

11. TOP WATER • Lucky Craft Sammy 65 • Lucky Craft Gunfish 75 • Massey Pop The Sammy is my favourite surface lure; not only is it a great searching bait, but it also catches a lot of fish. You can fish it fast if you want to cover a lot of ground or use it like a popper and fish it dead slow.

When it comes to catching big fish the Lucky Craft Gunfish is the king. I don’t catch a lot of fish on it, but when I do they tend to big ones. I will fish the Gunfish first up in the morning really fast, so the fish have a small chance to eat it, if they don’t they miss out.

The Massey Pop is the lure that I turn to when the fish aren’t really hitting the surface.

You can fish them as a surface lure but I

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Mott’s plastics are a shopping list of proven performers, Sliders, Ecogears, and Gulps all get a run in his boat.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

prefer to fish them as a wake bait. They’re really easy to use and they’ve caught me some good fish in the past, especially at Borumba and St Clair.

12. JIGHEADS • Nitro 1/4oz-5/8oz • TT 1/6oz, 1/8oz, 1/12oz A broad selection of jigheads is a definite for each venue that you fish so you can have every fishing situation covered.

I favour the Nitro jigheads for when I’m slow rolling Sliders and Ecogear Power Shads. I use these a lot in the bigger Queensland dams. My rule of thumb is the deeper the water the bigger the jighead.

I also let the weather govern the size of the jighead, the windier it gets the heavier I will go. I use the TT jigheads mainly down south when casting Gulps, and smaller plastics to the banks. I throw them with a painted-head, courtesy of Bass to Barra Marine.

13. SOFT PLASTICS • 3” Sliders • 3” Ecogear Power Shads • 3” Berkley Gulp Minnow • 3” Berkley Bass Minnows It was hard to whittle it down to only a few plastics as I use such a wide range.

Sliders can be used everywhere, leave them full length and use them in Somerset and Boondooma. Or cut them down and use them in dams such as Glenbawn and St Clair. I pick two natural colours, one dark, one light.

I use Ecogear Power Shads in conjunction with Sliders; rainbow trout is the dynamite colour and works everywhere.

Gulps I mainly use in St Clair and Glenbawn.

Everyone knows how good Gulps are down there, especially in deep water. A must-have in the tackle box.

Bass Minnows are much the same as the Gulps, but work best fished on 1/8oz and 1/12oz jigheads cast along steep banks.

There you have it my ‘one box for life on the bass trail’. It wasn’t easy culling a 20ft boat full of tackle down to one tray, but I’ve done it and the end result is a tray full of proven tournament performers and bass catchers.

Have I given you everything that I use?

Well almost, you wouldn’t expect me to give away all my secrets, would you?

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So Close Yet So Far Text: Steve Morgan. Photography: Carl Jocumsen

A week of solid practice at Cayuga fitted Carl’s style nicely.

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There aren’t too many tournament anglers in general or bass tournament anglers in particular that aren’t aware of Aussie angler Carl Jocumsen’s push to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite trail.

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hen Carl Jocumsen won the ABT BASS Pro Grand Final at Lake St Clair in 2008, he won a trip that started a chain of events that ultimately led to his acquisition of a US Sportsman’s Visa and a multi-year, six-figure-expenditure assault on the sport’s highest levels.

He hasn’t quite made it yet, but this young Aussie is still full of drive, ability and is knocking on the door of the toughest bass tournament trail on the planet – the Bassmaster Elite Series.

We all know Carl’s story – how his mum used to drive him to the boat ramp when he had his boat license but was too young to drive a car – but let’s take a more in-depth look at his 2012 season and the highs and lows of the Bassmaster Opens trail. Starting in an ice Oklahoma in February…..

WHAT’S AN OPEN? Firstly, let us start by putting what Carl wants in context. He wants to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series. It’s a tournament trail where around 100 of the world’s (read: mostly American) bass anglers fish the central and eastern USA for largemouth bass. The entry fees are big (circa $5,000 per event), the prizemoney is big (50th place or higher takes away a minimum of $10,000), the rigs are big (everyone runs 21-footers with 250HP and all the bells and whistles) and the egos are there to match.

But you can’t just rock up and fish.

You have to qualify. That’s where the Bassmaster Opens come in.

‘Opens’ are the next level of competition down from the Elites. They’re a qualifying series of three events each in three geographic regions – Southern USA, Central USA and Northern USA. Typically fished by fields of 150 to 200 boats, they are populated by a mix of local gun anglers, current Elite pros looking for an extra payday and people like Carl, who are trying to get a ticket to the top level.

The competition is brutal, there are no practice bans on the lakes and only the top 12 anglers get to fish the final day of the three day event. Like ABT BREAM and BASS events, it’s a random draw, where you fish with a non-boater each day. The Co-angler limit is three fish, while the Pro fishes for five.

Each year, BASS takes the top five finishers from the three Open circuits’ AOY (Angler of the Year) races and offers them a ticket to the big show.

So, in a nutshell, Carl’s goal was to finish top five in any of the three AOY races to

get his golden ticket with the remainder of his life’s savings and a solid sense of adventure. So … back to icy Oklahoma in early 2012.

SOUTHERN OPEN #1 Harris Chain of Lakes, Florida.

Place: 171st (3lb 11oz) Arriving in Oklahoma, Carl’s travelling mate, Fred Roumbanis, had retrieved Carl’s F250 and Skeeter from storage. It sat in front of his place, covered in snow. Full of enthusiasm, Carl drove the rig to Florida to pre-fish the nine different lakes in the chain for six days.

“I actually found the winning fish in my practice – during the tournament Chris Lane (1st) and Clifford Pirch (2nd) were fishing in the same area, but I suffered through having no Power Poles,” Carl said.

Sight fishing for spawning bass in 5 to 7 feet of water requires the ultimate in stealth and each time Carl would correct his position with the trolling motor, his fish would spook.

“Because of my limited budget, I’d spent $5,000 on that event, so I had to make the decision and not fish the other two Southern Opens as there was no way that I’d be able to make the Elites with that result on the scorecard,” Carl lamented, “I had to put all my eggs in the other two baskets and concentrate on the next tournament coming up.

CENTRAL OPEN #1 Lake Lewisville, Texas.

Place: 15th (9lb 7oz).

After such a disappointment in Florida, Carl’s determination was fierce. He’d allocated 10 days of pre-fishing time to Lake Lewisville in Texas and drove straight there after the Florida event.

Although the weather was warm for the first five days, he averaged only one fish per day in practice and struggled to find any patterns at all on this traditionally tough fishery. On the sixth morning, a cold front arrived and temperatures plummeted.

Ice covered everything that morning and Carl had to go and buy some more cold weather gear.

Also, Carl didn’t catch a fish for the next five days. On the last day, he did get a couple of bites on an isolated rockpile he found on his Humminbird side scan unit and decided a spinnerbait pattern would be his best chance.

Day One “I went to work with a spinnerbait on a new piece of bank and put a 3lb fish in the boat straight away and at 9.30am I had three bass in the boat for nearly 10lb out of shallow grassbeds,” said Carl.

The fishing was so tough, that put him in 6th place. And although Carl couldn’t get a bite on Day 2, he still finished the event in 15th place and right on track for his Central Open campaign.

One of the many skills Carl had to learn was the subtleties of the multi-bait Alabama rig.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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The lilies in the background are ideal for throwing a topwater frog. Open water isn’t required.

CENTRAL OPEN #2 Table Rock Lake, Missouri.

Place: 21st (27lb 15oz).

Carl prepared well for the second Southern Open, fishing an FLW major as a co-angler and getting a real dirty-water flipping lesson with JT Kenney. His cousin – Fish-n-Bits’ Kris George – travelled over and practiced with him (and fished the event as a co-angler).

At the end of the practice period, Carl had worked out a solid pattern on a skirted jig and an Alabama rig on steep bluff walls. This translated to a solid Day One performance, with Carl again sitting in 6th place overnight with a bag just under 17lb.

Day Two, though, was when things got interesting.

“I have a bit of history of not adjusting on Day Two and at lunchtime, I had no fish

in the well. I knew I had to make changes.

I pretended I was prefishing and started hitting new banks. At my fifth ‘new’ bank, I found them again and caught them quick and upgraded. They weren’t the size to keep me in the Top 12, but I was proud that I’d made a successful adjustment,” said Carl.

This put Carl in a fantastic position in the Central Opens, with an average place in the high teens. Another finish like that and Carl could consider the Elite ticket punched.

There was, however, the entire Northern Open schedule in between the second and third Central Open. With luck, Carl could make the last Central Open result a moot point. If he performed well enough on these northern fisheries….

NORTHERN OPEN #1 James River, Virginia.

Place: 13th (22lb 11oz).

Carl had fished this event as a boater in 2011 and had learned a lot from his threedigit finish.

“The James is a big, muddy, freshwaterbut-tidal river, but around 100km away there’s a lily-filled tributary called the Chickahominy River. That river is clear and the topwater bite is insane.”

“I used 65lb braid straight through with a weedless frog and had a great spinnerbait backup pattern and I went into this tournament very confident,” Carl explained.

Carl fished a great tournament but made a mistake in the first two casts on the first day.

“I pulled up on an isolated lily patch

Carl’s first day at the Table Rock event was one where everything came together.

There’s no better feeling than boxing some quality largemouth bass in a Bassmaster event.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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committed a week of pre-fishing to the third Northern Open venue – Lake Cayuga – he decided that it was still worth fishing. After all, if you win an Open event, you get a Wildcard entry to the world’s biggest bass fishing stage – the Bassmaster Classic.

Big, bad smallmouth – and lots of them – were one of Carl’s major disappointments for the season at the Detroit River event.

NORTHERN OPEN #3 Cayuga Lake, New York.

Place: 14th (29lb 5oz).

with a 6 pounder in it. I knew it was there and it wasn’t going to move. First cast, it boofed the frog and I shot another cast in there without squeezing the water out of the bait. You have to do that (squeeze the water out) or the hooks don’t set properly.

The big girl ate it and fell off after fighting for 10 seconds,” Carl lamented, “It was a brain explosion and cost me a spot in the Top 12.”

Carl caught a limit each day quite easily on frogs but landed key upgrades on the spinnerbait pattern later in the day. This was the third tournament in a row that he’d finished well and it looked like the bombs of the past were all behind him.

Unfortunately, this sport is fishing and nobody is immune from a bad event.

busting off a string of four to six pound fish on 6lb leader, he realised that he didn’t adjust quickly enough for the abrasive effects of Zebra mussels in the current.

Again, Carl takes the losses in his stride and chalks the 98th finish down to experience. He’s supremely confident that in 2013, he’ll turn the winning patch of smallmouth into a win. And with his Australian open-water fishing credentials beyond question, we all know that it’s just a matter of time.

Unfortunately, though, this event basically axed his chances of making the Elites through the Northern AOY. As he’d

NORTHERN OPEN #2 Detroit River, Michigan.

Place: 98th (30lb 7oz).

“If there was ever a tournament I was sure of winning, this was it,” Carl explained, “ I’d found a mother lode of huge smallmouth and I could catch them easily. There was no way that I was going to come in with less than 25lb per day.”

Of course, there’s nothing like a weather change to throw a spanner in the works and a 180 degree shift in the wind changed and increased the currents in the area he was fishing.

Still, Carl adjusted and hooked the fish he needed to make the top 12 cut, but after 88

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Carl chose to target largemouth at the Cayuga event.

With five days of pre-fishing on this largemouth and smallmouth fishery, Carl and Fred worked out an excellent flipping pattern in the matted weed. Unfortunately, it was an afternoon deal.

On the first day of competition, Carl didn’t have a fish in the well at 1pm. The pattern kicked in and he landed his 5th bass with 10 minutes to go – the 13lb bag landing him in the Top 20.

“I knew that I needed to find a morning bite, so I went to some areas I’d identified on my previous trip here and landed three key fish on topwater frogs – a 3, 4 and 5 ½ pounder,” Carl explained.

“With four fish in the well for the morning, I left for the afternoon flipping bite and filled out my limit, weighing 17lb for the day.”

This jumped Carl into another strong, but just outside the cut finish and gave him some confidence going into what would be the most important tournament of his life to date – the final Central Open on Lake Fort Gibson in his ‘home’ state of Oklahoma.

CENTRAL OPEN #3 Lake Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.

Place: 31st (18lb 1oz).

This was it. Southern Opens – fail. Northern Opens – missed. It was up to Carl to finish

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super-tough. He was only getting a couple W.Va Kansas Missouri • James river of bites a day.

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“The first gibson day of that event • fort Ark. Tennesee Oklahoma North Carolina was possibly the best • table rock tournament day I’d ever South fished,” Carl beamed, “I ran Carolina Miss. my spots and basically caught Georgia Ala. fish at each of them on different Texas techniques. I had my limit by 10.30am when lots of other anglers hadn’t even La. gotten a fish.”

• lewisville Florida Weighing in a full limit was Carl’s chain is r r goal, but his 12lb bag landed a •h him in 20th spot. All he needed was a limit on Day Two and the job was done. We’d all done the maths.

You can get an idea of the miles that Carl travelled when you look at the locations of Understandably nervous, could you the Bassmaster Opens that he fished. imagine what ran through Carl’s mind at 10am, when all of his previous day’s spots well in this final event of the season to stake yielded nothing? his claim in the Elites.

Two years, $150,000 of his savings, Importantly – and as he’d done 200,000km of driving on the road and water throughout his entire Central Open and thousands of hours of practice came campaign – he ignored all of the dock talk down to the final hours of competition. and went out to find his own fish.

Finally, by 2pm he’d scratched out three, For seven days in a row he practiced small keepers. on the Lake – mostly looking at his side With 10 minutes to go, he measured a 4th imaging electronics – to try and find little fish that was ¼ inch short of the 13” limit. He sweet spots that other anglers miss. made it back to the finish with only seconds He eventually keyed into some ultraon the clock. shallow rock piles in 2’ of water on nothing Weighing only three fish, he dropped to looking clay banks, fishing with a skirted jig.

31st place and had a sinking feeling that There were no real patterns emerging – he he’d missed his Elite qualification by ¼ inch. gradually put together a milk run of small, He was right. isolated spots on a lake that was fishing

If you’re going to do tens of thousands of miles, you need to do it in comfort – like in Carl’s 2012 Ford 250/Skeeter FX/SHO rig.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

WHERE TO NOW? After three months of waiting for acceptances and declines, Carl sat two places short of his Elite qualification. That’s basically a single upgrade at any of the Central Opens. Heartbreaking.

In his usual manner, though, Carl shrugs it off and looks at the brighter side.

“If I learn anywhere near as much in 2013 as I did in 2012, I’ll be a much better angler when I finally do make the Elite series,” Carl says.

And he’s right. The good ol’ boys had better watch out when this motivated Australian bass champion starts firing on all cylinders.

Keep in Touch Here’s some places you can keep up with Carl’s USA results. He’ll be fishing the Central and Northern Opens as well as some PAA Tour and some FLW events in 2013.

Want to help him out? Contact him via his Facebook page for details and a 2013 Prospectus.

• www.carljocumsen.com for Carl’s own updates and schedules.

• Facebook: Like Carl Jocumsen’s public page.

• www.australianbass.com.au - there’s a button on the right hand side that links to all of Carl’s blogs from 2012 until today.

• www.bassmaster.com for direct livestreams of Opens results and career stats. Make sure you cater for the time differences.

• www.fishpaa.com for PAA events and results – has a live scoreboard feed.

• www.flwoutsoors.com for any FLW events that Carl fishes.

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bass earnings, rankings & records M

ark Lennox finished 2012 on a high with victory in the end of the season Smak Lures BASS Pro Grand Final at Lake St Clair. One of the closest finishes in Grand Final history, it was Lennox who reigned supreme over Callum Munro (2nd), Alan McNamara (3rd) and 2012 Humminbird BASS Pro Angler of the Year Daniel Clancy (4th).

Clancy capped off a hot year on the BASS Pro tour with the 20 year old basser racking up the highest AOY title in ABT history (295/300 points) to finish the year as the Humminbird AOY champ.

Matthew Mott (275 points) had another consistent year to claim the number one BASS Pro Boater ranking, with the three time Grand Final champion comfortably claiming the number one spot over Callum Munro (234 points) in 2nd and Daniel Clancy (215 points) in 3rd. Keeping the number one rank in the family was Dylan Mott with the Dalby basser finishing the year as the number one ranked nonboater on the BASS Pro tour.

2012 delivered four new BASS Pro round winners with Matt Johnson (Boondooma), St Clair (Daniel Clancy), Glenbawn (Peter Phelps) and Barry Reynolds all adding their names to the BASS Pro winners’ list.

Dave Trinder retained his No.1 Austackle BASS Electric ranking, whilst at the same time securing the Blue Fin Boats BASS Electric AOY Title.

The Blue Fin Boats BASS Electric Series returned to Hinze for the first time in many years with Jeremy McConnell finishing the year on a high with victory at the BASS Electric Convention.

For full records and rankings visit www.australianbass.com.au. ABT would like to acknowledge and thank Peter Jenkins and Chris Horne for the contribution to the collation of the BREAM statistics for 2012.

92

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

BASS Pro Angler of the Year (Boater)

Most Points in a BASS Pro Qualifying Event

Best Performance by a Grand Finalist in the USA

1999 Brett Thomson (592/600pts) 2000 Brett Thomson (780/800pts) 2001 John Schofield (798/800pts) 2002 John Schofield (767/800pts) 2003 Stephen Kanowski (278/300pts) 2004 Andrew Robinson (281/300pts) 2005 Stephen Kanowski (291/300pts) 2006 Carl Jocumsen (294/300pts) 2007 Stephen Kanowski (294/300pts) 2008 Carl Jocumsen (289/300pts) 2009 Wayne Beazley (283/300pts) 2010 Carl Jocumsen (294/300pts) 2011 Matthew Mott (288/300pts) 2012 Daniel Clancy (295/300pts)

LENGTH: Tim Morgan (10/10,4255mm) Round 4 2000,Boondooma Dam. WEIGHT (10 fish): Gavin Dunne (9/10,16.10kg) Round 1 2002, Somerset Dam WEIGHT (6 fish): Tim Morgan (6/6,12.24kg) Round 1 2003, Glenbawn Dam.

Carl Jocumsen, 2nd at Lake Mead, Oct 2009.

Most Points in a BASS Pro Grand Final

2001 Jason Ehrlich (6/6, 4.76kg, Maroon Dam) 2002 Peter Keidge (6/6, 7.68kg, Lenthalls) 2003 No Grand Final.

2004 Convention: Ian Galloway (3/3, 3.16kg, Hinze Dam).

2005 Convention: Garry Fitzgerald (3/3, 7.82kg, Wivenhoe Dam) 2006 Convention: Ben Pepperall (2/3, 2.64kg, Lostock Dam) 2007 Convention: Ian Galloway (3/3, 2.13kg, Wivenhoe Dam) 2008 Convention: Jesper Noiesen (2/3, 3.48kg, Bjelke Petersen Dam) 2009 Convention: David Trinder (3/3, 4.26kg, Boondooma Dam) 2010 Convention: Shaun Falkenhagen (3/3, 2.07kg, Cania Dam) 2011 Convention: Freddie Sawyer (4/4, 4.41kg, Borumba Dam) 2012 Convention: Jeremy McConnell (4/4, 3.71kg, Hinze Dam)

BASS Pro Angler of the Year (Non-Boater) 2011 Karen Fontaine (288/300pts) 2012 Ray Holmes (290/300pts)

BASS Pro Grand Final Winners 1999 Harry Watson (10/10, 3640 mm, Maroon Dam).

2000 John Schofield (10/10, 3570 mm, Cresbrook Dam).

2001 George Voysey (10/10, 10.02kg, Cania Dam).

2002 Craig Simmons (6/6, 12.00kg, Lake StClair).

2003 Jason Ehrlich (6/6, 8.44kg, Bjelke-Petersen Dam).

2004 David Green (6/6, 8.45kg, Lake Boondooma).

2005 Matthew Mott (6/6, 7.64kg, Lake Borumba) 2006 Tim Morgan (5/6, 6.99kg, Lake Glenbawn) 2007 Kerry Symes (6/6, 10.055kg, Lake Somerset) 2008 Carl Jocumsen (8/8, 8.3kg, Lake St.Clair) 2009 Matthew Mott (6/6, 8.27kg, Lake Somerset) 2010 Wayne Reed (6/6, 6.73kg, Lake Glenbawn) 2011 Matthew Mott (6/6, 9.06kg, Lake Boondooma) 2012 Mark Lennox (6/6, 5.93kg), Lake St Clair

LENGTH: Harry Watson (10/10,3640 mm) 1999 Grand Final, Maroon Dam. WEIGHT (10 Fish): George Voysey (10/10, 10.02kg) 2001 Grand Final, Cania Dam WEIGHT (8 Fish): Carl Jocumsen (8/8, 8.3kg) 2008 Grand Final, Lake St Clair.

WEIGHT (6 Fish): Craig Simmons (6/6,12.00kg) 2002 Grand Final, Lake St Clair.

Most Points in a BASS Pro Qualifying Event Session LENGTH: John Schofield (2/2,990mm) 2000 Round 2, Glenbawn Dam. WEIGHT: Ian Pfingst (2/2, 5.68kg) 2005 Round 5, Somerset.

Biggest Bass in a BASS Event LENGTH: Phil Roebuck (540mm) 2001 Round 4, Bjelke-Petersen Dam. WEIGHT: Peter Morgan (3.65kg) 2011 BASS MegaBucks, Somerset Dam.

Biggest Bass in a BASS Pro Grand Final

Most Fish Measured in a BASS Qualifying Event 519 fish by 124 anglers totaling 721.42kg, 2003 BASS Pro Round 1 Lake Glenbawn.

BASS ELECTRIC GRAND FINAL WINNERS

LENGTH: John Schofield (490mm), 2000 Grand Final, Cressbrook Dam. WEIGHT: Kerry Symes (3.17kg), 2009 Grand Final, Lake Somerset.

Biggest Bag in a BASS Electric Qualifying Event

Biggest Bag in a BASS Pro Grand Final

Biggest Bag in a BASS Electric Grand Final.

David Green (2/2, 4.43kg), 2009 Grand Final, Lake Somerset.

SIX FISH: Peter Keidge (6/6, 7.68kg) 2002 Lake Lenthalls.

THREE-FISH: Garry Fitzgerald (3/3, 7.82kg) 2005 Wivenhoe Dam.

Most BASS Qualifying Event Wins Matthew Mott (6)

Most BASS Grand Final Wins

Ken Murray (2/2, 5.70kg) Lake Wivenhoe 2006.

Matthew Mott (3)

Biggest Bass in a BASS Electric Qualifying Event

Most Fish Measured in a BASS Grand Final

Ian Galloway (3.235kg) Lake Wivenhoe, 2008.

10 Fish: 186 between 30 anglers. 2001 Grand Final, Cania Dam 6 Fish: 148 between 29 anglers. 2004 Grand Final, Lake Boondooma 6 Fish (boater & non-boater): 237 between 58 anglers. 2011 Grand Final, Lake Boondooma.

Biggest Bass in a BASS Electric Grand Final Dave Hislop (2.79kg) Convention, 2005, Lake Wivenhoe.

Most BASS Electric Qualifying Event Wins David Trinder (11)

Most BASS Electric Grand Final Wins Ian Galloway (2) TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

93

Designed by renowned Japanese bass angler Toshinari Namiki, O.S.P lures have been hailed as one of Japan’s best lure brands. Namiki is renowned for unique designs and prides himself on implementing new and exciting materials to produce truly perfect lures. O.S.P have some of the most unique and interesting lures on the market. Not only do these look different to anything else out there but the key to their success lies in their highly original swimming action and fish catching abilities.

rudra • 130mm• 20g • Suspending

Bent Minnow • 76mm/4.3g•86mm/5.9g •106mm/10g•130mm/20g•Floating

The flat sides of this versatile jerkbait create intense flash calling barra and jacks in from a long way.

TINY Blitz MR • 44mm• 6.3g • Silent• Slow floating• Medium depth At 6.3 grams this small crankbait casts like a bullet and its silent tight action is great for fishing pressured waterways for both bream and bass.

The unique action of this surface lure can pull fish from a long way off- it has already proved itself as a tournament winning lure .

DaiBuzzn’ Heavy Hitter Yamato JR • 94mm• 18g• 94mm• 18g • Topwater

• 64mm• 17g • Floating• Tungsten balls A wake bait designed for catching big fish- the fat profile, flat sides and circuit board lip all contribute to giving this lure its enticing action.

Blitz MR • 51.5mm• 9.5g • Hi floating• Rattling• Medium depth This lure features the OSP unique circuit board lip, honeycomb body construction and centre weighted body which all put it in a class of its own .

The unique keel on this topwater gives you maximum action in the shortest distance = more time in the strike zone.

Dunk • 48mm/4.7g • Suspending

Skating Frog • 59mm• 11g • Floating This is the lure to fish in the meanest cover you can find. Cod just love them.

Buzzn’ Crank • 50mm• 10g • Floating

This crankbait can crash dive to 4m, its tight action and excellent finish make this tournament winning lure a must have.

The little brother of the DaiBuzzn’ – great on Aussie bass and shallow bream.

Power Dunk • 57mm/7.5g • Suspending

HiGHCut CoBuzzN’ • 40mm• 7.2g • Floating This is a super-effective bream and bass surface wakebait.

i-Waver • 74mm • Super slow sinking• Jointed Once you’ve mastered the Bent Minnow, this is the next step.

• 60mm• 5.1g • Suspending

The big brother of the dunk this lure also crash dives to 4m and has the same fish catching abilities as its little brother.

a smaller profile silent jerkbait that excels in highly pressured waterways- it also features the OSP patented honeycomb construction.

HiGH Pitcher Blitz EX DR • 53mm• 12g • Rattling• Floating• Extra deep (4m) Diving to an incredible 4m this lure is great for cod, bass and yellow belly.

• 1/4oz/7g• 3/8oz/11g• 1/2oz/14g • Double willow The compact design of this spinnerbait makes it cast exceptionally well, add to this its unique high pitched vibration and you have a lure that Aussie native fish can’t resist.

www. fish-tecsolutions.com

Toray fishing line has long been associated as one of the best and most premium products on the Japanese market. Toray’s class leading technology allows them to produce the most advanced fishing lines using the newest and best materials available. Offering a huge variety of products there is sure to be a braid, fluorocarbon or monofilament line to suit every situation you can encounter.

BRAIDS

SPINNING FLUOROCARBON RADIUS SUPER PE • Length: 200m

Bawo SUPER HARD FINESSE • Length: 100m

Designed as a long casting salt water PE, it has extra density from Toray’s own special blend.

Backed up with good abrasion resistance and line body, it is the only choice for the salt water angler. 200 metre spools, with colour marking every 25 metre (red, yellow, blue, white).

This ultimate high performance ultra-light line is super hard, extremely sensitive and the thin diameter enables you to get those finicky fish to bite.

Available in an extensive range of sizes, it offers you the ultimate choice in stealth and strength.

A must have for the finesse fisherman, it is the number one fluorocarbon in Japan and when you try it you will find out why.

SEA BASS PE • Length: 150m Sea Bass PE is an ultra-high strength and sensitive PE line.

Utilizing ultra-high strength fibres Toray have created this soft subtle line.

Excellent castability and perfect for salt water fishing.

Light Fish FLURO • Length: 100m This line features excellent durability.

The new structural design is supple yet offers unbelievable abrasion resistance, perfect for light weight lures and finesse jig heads, it offers you unparalleled castability.

SEA BASS POWER GAME PE • Length: 150m The ultimate High Grade PE, it has unmatched sensitivity and durability over all others in its class.

20% smoother than other PE lines, it features dramatically increased casting distance, and by using the Highest grade PE Toray have delivered some of the thinnest diameter braid available.

HI-CLASS • Length: 80m

This line comes armed with the hardest Fluorocarbons available and is created with a new multi strand process to build a flexible, sensitive all-purpose line.

Finished with an ultra-smooth surface thanks to a special resin process, it delivers a perfect mix of strength and performance.

SUPER STRONG PE • Length: 100m Utilizing the latest high-tech materials available and introducing nylon into the elongation process of the PE strands- Super Strong PE is born. This line now has added strength due to the extra bonus of shock flexibility, something not found in any other PE Braids. Colour changing every 10 meters, (blue, orange, green, purple, grey).

SUPER HARD UPGRADE •Length: 150m

SEA BASS SHALLOW FINESSE • Length: 150m This high quality braid offers performance to rival any other braid on the market. A round profile and silky smooth finish ensures this braid exhibits incredible casting and handling performance, as well as ensuring maximum knot strength.

Specifically designed for finesse fishing, this braid perfectly suits many Australian salt & freshwater fisherman. Whether you’re chasing bream or bass, if you want the very best line connecting you to the fish of a lifetime, look no further! Colour: White

This line is the flag ship Fluorocarbon from Toray.

Created using the best modern day technology. Its properties include high sensitivity, exceptional wear resistance, a super smooth finish and an exceptionally hard surface tension thanks to Toray’s special resin coating process.

Ideal for fishing in and around heavy cover. This line will amaze you with its abrasion resistance.

LEADERS L-HARD •Length: 50m

L-Hard has set a new standard in ultra-tough leaders.

It uses high quality fluorocarbon with super surface hardness and excellent abrasion resistance qualities.

Ideal for fishing heavy snag structures and rocky foreshores.

SUPER LEX • Length: 50m

Super LEX leader is made with high quality fibres, excellent uniformity and structure.

This creates low water absorption, high abrasion resistance and low memory, while its resin processing creates flexibility and suppleness to aid in knot tying and improve the lure’s swimming action.

Trade Enquiries: 0432 040 256

FUNE HARISU • Length: 100m

Fune Harisu is the all-around fisherman’s leader ranging from 6lb to 54lb.

It combines a balance of strength, abrasions resistance and shock properties to handle all fishing situations, whether it be rough terrain or sweet water.

FishTec Solutions

TOP 50 rankings BASS pro boaters

non-boaters

1

Matthew Mott

275

1

Dylan Mott

244

26

Andrew Mcbride

92

2

Callum Munro

234

2

Luke Parsons

192

27

David Aseguinolaza

88

3

Daniel Clancy

215

3

Greg Mitchell

188

28

Arthur Allen

87

4

Alan Mcnamara

208

4

Ray Holmes

169

29

Bronte Bartlett

87

5

Stephen Kanowski

207

5

Peter Holmes

166

30

Shaun Falkenhagen

87

6

Mark Lennox

205

6

Mal Draper

165

31

John Noble

87

7

Steve Chang

185

7

James Reid

163

32

Dave Trinder

85

8

Wayne Beazley

183

8

Luke Novak

161

33

Joshua Schwerin

84

9

Dean Silvester

182

9

Karen Fontaine

153

34

Hilton Smith

81

10

Baden Sparrow

172

10

Stephen Noble

152

35

David Mann

74

11

Mark Mangold

161

11

Joshua Evans

151

36

Todd Cormack

72

12

David Green

158

12

Terry Alwood

146

37

Denise Graham

71 69

13

Steven Richards

156

13

Steve Babbage

143

38

John Picton

14

Gregg Flett

151

14

James Browning

143

39

Tom Reynolds

67

15

Wayne Reed

148

15

Jayson De Forrest-Haddleton

139

40

Greg Munro

66

16

Michael Henare

146

16

Greg Eslick

126

41

Dean Thompson

63

17

Simon Barkhuizen

143

17

Walter Scifleet

120

42

Dave Harrington

57

18

Steven Otto

143

18

David Mcdonald

115

43

Ross Stacey

57

19

Ian Wratten

136

19

Luke Mulholland

114

44

Ken Brider

56

20

Mark Reinbott

122

20

Deborah Kowalczyk

108

45

Dave Hedges

47

21

Ben Pepperall

121

21

Stephenn Mclean

106

46

Steve Lowcock

44

22

Dave Reynolds

121

22

Gary Mccabe

98

47

Shane Anderson

42

23

Matt Johnson

119

23

Robert Stewart

96

48

John Ciancio

42

24

Aaron Mogg

119

24

Dylan Glover

95

49

Barry Reynolds

42

25

Brad Clark

103

25

Jay Gillespie

92

50

Dan Mallory

39

26

Peter Phelps

102

27

Kylie Cornish

101

28

Trevor Stead

100

29

Bill Schloss

99

30

Matt Anderson

97

31

Mike Connolly

89

32

Steve Eldred

85

33

Tim Morgan

80

34

Wayne Blundell

78

35

Adrian Melchior

78

36

Barry Reynolds

78

37

Jason Shepherdson

76

38

Toby Wilson

74

39

Peter Jenkins

71

40

Tony Thorley

65

41

Mike Creighton

64

42

David Williamson

63

43

Paul Gillespie

57

44

Jody Vernon

51

45

Peter Fogarty

39

46

John Cooper

38

47

Allan Price

35

48

Gavin Sticklin

33

49

Greg Parkes

31

50

Peter Leggett

27

96

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 12

TOP 60 rankings BASS ELECtric 1

Dave Trinder

389

21

Wayne Baunach

212

41

David West

144

2

Andrew Low

353

22

Hans Jensen

209

42

Paul Phillips

137

3

Andrew Baunach

340

23

Chris Horne

202

43

John Noble

130

4

Stuart France

337

24

Brian Rutledge

190

44

Brenton Smith

129

5

Shaun Falkenhagen

334

25

Graham Dodds

189

45

Pete Bostock

128

6

Shane Anderson

333

26

Jeff McKee

183

46

John Ski

127

7

Tom Reynolds

326

27

Brett Kleinschmidt

181

47

Steve McLean

127

8

Jesper Noiesen

307

28

Matt Johnson

181

48

Allan Rooks

124

9

Rob Hinton

307

29

Tim Steenhuis

178

49

Ken Jackson

122

10

Barry Oxford

291

30

Darryn Love

176

50

John Picton

117

11

Christian Manolea

289

31

Paul Gray

170

51

Adrian Melchior

114

12

Glen Hayter

275

32

Joseph Urquhart

169

52

Brett Dinham

114

13

Adrian Wilson

274

33

Ricky Simmons

168

53

Freddy Sawyer

110

14

Roy Souter

269

34

Steve Noble

167

54

Robert Butler

108

15

Adrian Manolea

268

35

Denis Shaw

165

55

Wayne Beazley

108

16

Dave Mann

232

36

Stephen Turner

162

56

Steve Otto

105

17

Ian Galloway

231

37

Charles West

157

57

Sam Madelaine

103

18

Jeremy McConnell

231

38

Dylan Glover

157

58

Paul Holmberg

100

19

Jack Gold

224

39

Kenny Lebherz

151

59

Paul Gillespie

99

20

Mark Petersen

222

40

David Bullard

148

60

Scott Hutchison

99

For full rankings visit www.australianbass.com.au

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BASS Flash Baits

• Won more than 4 BASS Electric events • Won more 4 Big Bass awards at BASS Electric events.

Dave Trinder •2010, 2011, 2012 Overall #1 Ranked.

• 2012 BASS Electric AOY Champion.

Dave Mann • 2012 BASS Electric Grand Final runner up.

View it online!

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• Australian custom designed and handcrafted hybrid spinnerbaits.

• Premium fly tying materials used.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

97

BASS Earnings 2012 Carl Jocumsen

$56,808

Tim Morgan

$33,435

Matthew Mott

$32,454

John Schofield

$24,325

David Green

$24,143

Steve Kanowski

$23,437

Harry Watson

$20,500

Michael Pascoe

$19,033

Ben Pepperall

$14,343

Mike Connolly

$14,245

Peter Keidge

$13,900

Gavin Dunne

$13,455

Gregg Flett

$13,223

Steve Eldred

$12,195

Jason Ehrlich

$11,800

Stephen Almond

$11,800

Matt Anderson

$10,320

Craig Simmons

$9,787

Daniel Clancy

$9,325

Callum Munro

$7,817

Mike Creighton

$7,800

Greg Walton

$7,600

David Reynolds

$3,813

Steven Otto

$7,520

Steve Morgan

$3,750

Wayne Beazley

$7,430

Mark Lawson

$3,570

Spiro Zantiotis

$7,350

Kerry Symes

$3,550

Baden Sparrow

$7,075

Greg Parkes

$3,525

Wayne Reed

$6,930

Danny Robinson

$3,400

Mark Mangold

$6,925

Steven Richards

$3,250

David Young

$6,145

Chris Galligan

$3,250

Wayne Blundell

$6,025

Michael Collins

$3,250

Andrew Robinson

$5,900

Jody Vernon

$3,195

Mike Delisser

$2,300

Brett Thomson

$5,852

Dan Ryan

$3,150

Peter Leggett

$2,250

Matt Johnson

$5,775

Matt Fraser

$3,150

Jesper Noiesen

$2,200

Alan Mcnamara

$5,750

Mark Pertot

$3,100

Bob Town

$2,100

Brad Smith

$5,525

Wayne Parry

$3,087

Ross Murray

$2,050

Trevor Stead

$5,400

Brad Clark

$3,075

Mick Elsley

$2,030

Simon Barkhuizen

$5,225

Kylie Cornish

$3,050

Aaron Mogg

$2,025

Kerry Ehrlich

$4,900

Trevor Foote

$3,050

Darryl Dimmick

$2,000

Mark Lennox

$4,750

Steve Chang

$3,050

Zach Kronk

$2,000

Bill Schloss

$4,730

Neil Scott

$3,000

Barry Oxford

$1,900

Adrian Melchior

$4,675

Tony Payne

$2,800

Paul Cooper

$1,875

Peter Phelps

$4,250

Barry Reynolds

$2,800

Dylan Mott

$1,838

Justin Scott

$4,235

Ian Wratten

$2,625

Marty Vanveghel

$1,802

Jay Morgan

$4,200

Dave Daniel

$2,552

Mark Reinbott

$1,800

Ashley Sims

$4,170

Toby Wilson

$2,525

Nicole Jovanovic

$1,800

Dean Silvester

$4,150

Peter May

$2,500

Robert Smith

$1,800

Colin Singleton

$4,075

Glenn Helmers

$2,438

George Voysey

$1,750 $1,750 $1,750

Garry Hardman

$3,975

Dave Robinson

$2,400

Mark Cutler

Andrew Homann

$3,950

Michael Clarke

$2,400

Paul Dolan

98

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Michael Starkey

$1,705

Trent Butler

$900

Eric Grell

$400

Dan Stead

$1,675

Greg Beattie

$870

Gavin Mckay

$400

Ian Black

$1,650

Joel Norman

$870

Glen Stewart

$400

Glyn Barkhuizen

$1,625

Steve Todeschini

$850

James Poolman

$400

Jason Shepherdson

$1,550

Joe Allan

$825

Jayson Deforrest-Haddleton

$400

Christian Serne

$1,500

Peter Morgan

$750

John Cooper

$400

Craig Johnson

$1,500

Matt Hawkless

$750

Peter Fogarty

$400

Mike Weger

$1,500

Garry Sturdy

$700

Steve Bechly

$400

Grant Boyle

$1,450

Ken Murray

$700

Steve Timperley

$400

Shaun Parkinson

$1,400

Kris Hickson

$650

Warren Morgenstern

$400

Ian Galloway

$1,375

Graham Sabine

$600

Andrew Galloway

$375

Gary Percival

$1,300

Ian Miller

$550

Peter Jenkins

$375

Anthony Thorpe

$1,300

Ray Sargent

$550

Steve Davies

$350

Rodney Thorpe

$1,300

Steve Moran

$550

Joseph Urquhart

$350

Andrew Pullbrook

$1,250

James Munro

$550

David Hine

$300

Drew Griffiths

$1,250

Jade Cornish

$525

Errol Hardke

$300

Wayne Gordon

$1,250

Joshua Evans

$500

Jamie Hardman

$300

Scott Dakin

$1,100

Dale Mullins

$500

Kim Bain

$300

Shawn Ryan

$1,100

Damien Norris

$500

Lance Sulkowski

$300

Michael Henare

$1,025

Dave Hislop

$500

Michael Lanagan

$300

Bruce Anderson

$1,000

Dave Trinder

$500

Rod Studdert

$300

Chris Eldred

$1,000

David Mudd

$500

Steven Mcdonald

$300

John Fooks

$1,000

Dion Walker

$500

Tony Thorley

$300

Tony Robinson

$1,000

Greg Munro

$500

Richard Robson

$290

Will Schloss

$1,000

Ian Pfingst

$500

Eddy Studman

$252

Darryl Douglas

$900

Mark Mate

$500

Steve Starling

$252

Gary Prerost

$900

Mick Mee

$500

Bruce Morgenstern

$250

Jorg Vanhusen

$900

Miles Morgan

$500

Darren Borg

$250

Tony Evans

$900

Murray Morgan

$500

Gordon Macdonald

$250

Paul Fleming

$500

Mark Bowman

$250

Peter Robinson

$500

Mick Clarke

$250

Phil Roebuck

$500

Ward Ellwood

$250

Tracy Johnson

$500

Freddie Sawyer

$200

Ron Jones

$450

Kevin Jones

$200

Anthony Thorpe

$425

Ron Sattler

$200

Gavin Sticklen

$400

John Starkey

$200

Bruce Moss

$400

Billy Gibson

$150

Chris Gipps

$400

John Brider

$150

Craig Robertson

$400

Michael Fraser

$150

Dexter Granada

$400

Shaun Taylor

$150

Brock Duncan

$150

Josh Kinghorne

$150

Luke Parsons

$150

Steve Lowcock

$100

Dylan Glover

$50

Steve Duff

$50

Total Earnings

$732,417

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

99

Telling

it like it is Text: Brad SIssins Photography: Simon Goldsmith, steve Morgan

In 2008 Daiwa’s Marketing Manager Brad Sissins gave us an honest appraisal of sponsorship, tournament fishing and the relationship between the two. With a lot of changes taking place over the successive years, including the boom of social media, increased exposure opportunities, and the broadening of the tournament fishing scene, ABT have taken the opportunity to sit down with Brad and revisit the topic.

With the camera rolling and people watching being on your game and a good ambassador is the key to your value as a sponsored tournament angler.

be a trial and error affair. Some anglers may take a while to find their feet but are worth it in the end.

Sponsoring too many anglers just limits the amount and quality of tackle you can supply to each individual and the time you can dedicate to the individual. There are budget restraints that allow a certain allocation of gear available to an angler. If you have a small team of sponsored anglers that receive good support from the wholesaler you will get a better result compared to sponsoring a vast amount of anglers with minimum support.

2. Sponsors are increasingly being approached by tournament anglers seeking sponsorship, approximately how many approaches would you receive a month?

Depending on the time of the year, but generally during November to March I receive upwards of 30 per week. This obviously coincides with anglers gearing up for the coming tournament season. Throughout the rest of the year we receive around 5-10 a week.

There is a massive increase of anglers seeking sponsorship not just for tournaments.

Anglers wishing to break into the media side of fishing is the main area that is growing, plus anglers who just perceive themselves as an angler of notoriety.

The advent of social media like Facebook, Twitter, forums etc. has generated a new avenue for anglers to publicise themselves and we receive many requests from these ‘social media’ anglers; most will post it on our timeline or just send it in our ‘messages’.

3. How many of those would be worth consideration?

H

aving worked in the industry for over 20 years, including his current role with Daiwa Australia and internationally as consultant with Daiwa Japan, Brad has plenty of insight into the world of sponsorship and gives us his honest and constructive thoughts on the issue.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

1. Do you see sponsoring anglers as a viable marketing tool?

Sponsoring anglers can be a good marketing tool if you choose the right angler and don’t sponsor too many. The right angler can be difficult to find and on many occasions it can

Really nowadays with most of the well known or respected anglers on the tournament trail already having agreements with various companies, I would say have considered very few in the last few years. This is mainly due to the lack of professionalism from prospective anglers. Most who contact me get rejected for several reasons: • They previously knew me as a friend after working in the industry for the past 20+ plus years and expect that because I run the marketing for Daiwa that I can help them out on a mates basis, this doesn’t work for me. I’m here to promote a company and not just give gear away to “friends”.

• They contact me with no previous reputation i.e. no tournament placing, never written an article for a publication etc. The

worst case scenario is anglers who contact me saying “I’ve never fished tournaments but I’m going to this year, I‘m a great angler and I will win for you…will you sponsor me?” Or I will write for this publication. Everyone that contacts me I will do a background check on them, i.e. contact ABT about how they conduct themselves or I’ll ring the editor of the mentioned publication and ask them.

The new avenue for anglers is using social media and forums, while this is an amazing marketing tool it is not the ultimate as many believe. I will always checkout anglers Facebook profiles, most employers nowadays will do the same, so before you request sponsorship look at your profile and clean it up if necessary.

• Threatening comments the first time we have contact. The best of these always revolves around “If you won’t sponsor me I’ll go to Shimano, as I’m going to win and it’ll be your loss not mine”. This is a very common statement and as soon as I get this comment, I know that they are just gold diggers.

Playing off wholesalers is pathetic. Word gets out really quick between wholesalers on these types of anglers, despite a lot of us being opposition many of us have a friendly business association and communicate on a regular basis.

• Demand what they want to use. Literally every angler will send me their tackle requirements, some are conservative but most new applicants ask for an incredible amount of gear. This is so far out of control now that as soon as I see any letter or email containing a huge range of gear, I know that they will be trouble to deal with.

Over the years I have had many anglers who have requested well over $10,000 worth of gear plus requests for money to pay for entry fees, petrol, boat maintenance etc.

Prospective anglers should be happy with what we will give them. I want anglers to use the gear I wish to promote not what they wish to use. We wish to promote our mid range gear like Freams, Lexa, Caldia, TDX, not top end like Steez, Exist, Certate like anglers believe they need. These products don’t need more promotion as they are now the dominant top end tackle, the more we give away of the top end products really wouldn’t equal more sales. In business terms if you give away one reel, you need to sell 10 of the same to recover the costs – if I give away an Exist worth $1000, the sponsored angler needs to provide enough publicity so 10 Exists are sold before we can even recoup the initial outlay. The maths would never add up, so the majority of anglers who are influenced

Being well presented, professional and articulate are values that the best sponsored anglers possess, and should be on display whether it’s a single day event, Megabucks tournament, or an AFC shoot.

by successful tournament anglers end up purchasing mid range gear like Freams, Black label, TDX, etc.

• Demand a ridiculous amount of gear, i.e. 8-10 matching rods and reels rather than asking what we can help out with. Requests for money to pay for entry fees, petrol etc.

If you want to fish a tournament that’s your choice, we’ll help out with gear but not money. Daiwa make fishing gear, not petrol or hotels or caravan parks, if you want this sort of sponsorship talk to Shell or Great Western. The fishing tackle industry isn’t an endless money pit; we just can’t afford to hand out money.

This is very evident with Megabucks style events, I always get requests to pay for entry fees at over a $1000; we would get very little in return from this sort of promotion. I can buy a pretty good ad in a national magazine and reach maybe 20,000+ people or send over 100,000 ads on Facebook direct to ‘fishing’ related fans; a Megabucks event, well most of the time it would be just preaching to the converted, it won’t generate the sales to compensate for the outlay.

• Anglers who have a history of chopping and changing sponsorships just because they get another offer.

4. What do you expect of your sponsored anglers?

Anglers should represent the company and promote us; I don’t expect anglers to win.

Winning is not important, being well respected is the most powerful tool of sponsorship as you are able to influence other anglers into purchasing Daiwa.

They should be clean and presentable during competitions, especially during public times, and actively display the Daiwa name and promote us as efficiently as possible.

We provide promotional items to

sponsored anglers and they should distribute them efficiently at competitions plus have a good knowledge of our products. Placing a sticker on the boat just doesn’t cut in nowadays. Anglers should be available for public events like boat or fishing shows if we decide to display or attend the show.

One thing that all anglers should do is keep me informed of what they have been doing, writing, tournament results etc. Some of our really good anglers inform me weekly to monthly of what they have been doing. But the majority will only contact me when they need gear; this immediately spells trouble as they are only really in it for free tackle. Anglers who contact me for gear need to understand that it will be sent to them at our convenience. Most anglers ring me days before they need it; I travel a lot overseas and around the country and can’t often process it straight away, so they will go in the queue as to when we will deliver the goods. I will send gear when it is convenient and when we have good stock levels, I won’t send gear when we have low stock levels as shop sales must come first before give-aways.

An important aspect to being sponsored is that anglers should try and create a healthy relationship with their sponsor. As an example, Kris Hickson is one of the most respected anglers on the tournament trail, he is a great ambassador for our brand but also a good friend. Instead of just contacting me for free gear all the time he will just ring for a social call or visit for the same reason. That is very important to me.

5. What are you looking for in a potential sponsor?

Anglers who can sell themselves and don’t expect me to sell them – angling ability isn’t everything. It’s amazing the amount of anglers who want me to do the hard work for them, TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

101

Making yourself available for promotional opportunities such as corporate days gives value to an angler’s sponsor, the sport and an angler’s individual brand.

perception of fishing. At present most of the general public see anglers as boozing yobbos, and unfortunately it’s not far from the truth sometimes.

Lastly, personnel presentation and cleanliness is very important. Shaving, ironed clothes, deodorant go along way in sponsorship. Keep spare clean clothes in the boat or car and change at the weigh-ins, spray on some deodorant, etc. It’s difficult to keep clean and well groomed during fishing but not impossible.

8. How often to do review your sponsorship arrangements?

like getting them in with magazines for writing or get photos of them.

Anglers have to realise that they are selling themselves to me and I’m not their personal manager, if they want me to manage them then I want a cut in their winnings in return.

Every other professional sport works like this.

6. Is angling ability and fishing tournaments the only thing that you’re looking for in a sponsored angler?

Angling ability is an important aspect but I don’t require anglers to be constant ‘winners’. Often the best sponsored anglers are not podium placers but anglers who are respected as being approachable, friendly and willing to help out any angler who wants to learn the latest and greatest techniques or want to know about what Daiwa gear that they use and recommend.

The best promotion we ever get is most often from anglers who don’t fish tournaments, journalists like Jamie Robley, Warren Keelan, Dave Rae or David Seaman easily provide ten times the promotion than just about any tournament angler ever could.

Then you get what I would regard as some of the best self-promotion anglers in Australia.

The group of guys at lureandfly.com They have created an industry first and leading website along with a professional Facebook page thus creating a fishing/boating media hub that has made other fishing websites obsolete. On top of that they are the friendliest group of guys who are promoting fishing professionally and also just for enjoyment.

Tournament fishing isn’t the be all and end all of fishing. Many prospective tournament anglers come under the belief that tournament 102

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

angling is the major strength in the industry, I’d hate to disappoint them but bream and bass don’t control the industry, they play an important part but are not the dominant style of fishing or the strength of sales.

7. How important is personal presentation?

More than anyone would believe! The ability of anglers to present themselves in a respectable and professional manner is the most important part of sponsorship. Dressing well in clean, ironed sponsors clothing is expected. First impressions last forever. I visit many events over the years and I’ll take a quiet approach from a distance and watch how anglers act and present themselves. I’ve spent years working with people in the public and can judge a person’s character very well.

I have several ‘hates’ at tournaments that turn me away from prospective sponsored anglers or anglers I wish to drop from our agreement.

Firstly, drinking alcohol or smoking at weigh-ins or at briefings. For the brief amount of time that you are in the ‘public eye’ I’m sure you can wait until you get back to your accommodation or home. Drinking and smoking is a now unacceptable public event pastime and it is illegal in many cases.

Secondly, loud-mouthed, swearing, spitting, rudeness, yobbish behaviour are all unacceptable traits. The general public don’t accept them, so neither will we.

Remember you are representing a now so-called ‘professional sport’, you don’t see other sports people act this way. If we are to grow this sport to a more professional level and get some notoriety from the Australian public, governments and sporting community we need to raise the bar in the public

Generally, I review most on a yearly basis.

However, good sponsored anglers I rarely ever have to review their agreements.

Depending upon the angler, good anglers who continually promote and sell themselves successfully, I never really assess their agreements as I don’t need to. But I’m now watching anglers, especially tournament anglers, very closely as the competition for sponsorship is more cutthroat than ever.

I think that after a few years there is a breaking point for many anglers, some just cruise along with the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude towards sponsorship, which is noted and when it comes to reassessment I’ll bring that up with them.

Many think that once they get sponsored that they’re in for good, but it doesn’t work like that. Each year I’ll review an angler very heavily and those who don’t promote themselves and us will basically be cut from our agreements. It’s not a nice thing to do but as a company we can’t just give away gear to anyone, we need a return and if you’re not willing to provide then there is no future for anglers versus sponsors.

9. How should a tournament angler go about getting sponsorship?

Exactly the same way as you would approach a job application. Sending me in a letter with a good in-depth description of you with references to tournament placings, publications you have written for, fishing preferences, gear that you already use, and so on, are all good places to start.

Anglers should include the following: • Contact name with address, email, Facebook profile and phone number that I can call during business hours. Not a phone that is always turned off. I will contact all

The Maria Twitch suspending jerkbaits keep the lure in the zone after each twitch or jerk. The tuned body and lip allow these lures to walk the dog underwater with a twitching retrieve or track straight and true on the troll. Fitted with Daiichi trebles, weight moving system and loud knocker. Made in Japan for Australian conditions.

• 70mm Deep • 90mm Deep • 90mm Shallow • 110mm Shallow

Available in 3 diving depths the crank is an ideal search bait, it casts long and swims true even on a fast retrieve. The fat, full-cheeked body with its pro tuned action is a proven bream and bass catcher.

• 38mm SS • 38mm Shallow • 38mm Deep • 45mm SS • 45mm Deep

Designed to achieve long distance casts with an easy walk the dog action. An ideal search bait when fishing the flats the MP-1 is fitted with small glass rattles and one big rattle in the body to create an enticing fish calling melody.

• 55mm Floating

With an instant twitching action, strong flashing appeal and suspending body the Maria shad will generate strikes where others fail. It responds well to a range of retrieve speeds and its low tone rattle sound help to call in the fish. Fitted with Daiichi trebles and like all the Maria hardbodies its Made in Japan.

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anglers who send in resumes, nearly all give me numbers that just go to answering machines and they rarely ever return the call if I leave a message. It must be convenient for me to be able to contact the angler; • Personal references, especially from tournament organisers, well known anglers, etc. Nearly all anglers who send in resumes I will follow up who they are from organisations like ABT, fishing publications and look for their profile on Facebook, Twitter, forums and similar; • A list of gear you already own or use; • Tackle requirements with more emphasis on types of gear i.e. rod weights or reel sizes rather than, “I need 5 Certates with 5 Steez rods, plus ten spools of braid…”

• Photographs or pictures of yourself; • A list of what you can do for your potential sponsor.

Other things to consider are to contact

the person in charge of sponsorship directly.

Likewise, enquire to the distributor or manufacturer when they set their budgets for the following year. All companies have a budget time and if you submit your sponsorship enquiry after this time most likely it will be denied.

If you do get denied sponsorship spend the next year improving your skills and try and promote the company you wish to be sponsored by. When it comes the time to enquire again you have 12 months of a ‘resume’ to show them.

10. How not to request sponsorship!

This is an area that I see every day.

Anglers looking for sponsorship often send the most simple or ridiculous requests. Here’s a few ‘don’ts’ that will improve your chances for sponsorship.

Do not: • Send your proposal to multiple manufacturers at the same time and their email addresses are included in the email.

It’s amazing the amount of times I receive a request that includes multiple email contacts of our opposition; • Use a joke style email name, like crazywog69@ or muffdiver@, etc. These are actual email addresses I have received and they are just a reflection of your character; • Send an email, message, letter just saying, “I love Daiwa can you sponsor me?”

No other details, no contacts, etc. Requests like this just get deleted, I do not have the time to reply to an email with no information; • Send an email with an attachment file, like a PDF, Word file, but with no introduction from yourself in the email; • ‘Hit’ me up at competitions or social events, especially in front of other anglers.

This can be embarrassing for you if I reject your proposal. Simply, if you meet me at an event introduce yourself and ask for a business card and contact me privately; • If you are rejected sponsorship from a company, do not criticise them to anyone, especially on public forums. This will get around and when you do approach another company and they have seen or heard about this they will not offer you support; • Contact me via my personal Facebook, Twitter, Google accounts. That is my personal life, everyone deserves a personal life; • Requesting sponsorship through our Facebook page. This can be highly detrimental to the angler and the company and posting a request for sponsorship can do several things: If we do not respond on our timeline, people perceive it as we are ignoring them and we are arrogant; If we respond in simple terms ‘sorry we cannot sponsor you’ we are again perceived as arrogant; If we do answer then other fans may see it as ‘wow’ if he asks then I’ll ask, thus limiting your chance and making our decision even harder.

11. What should sponsored anglers realistically expect from sponsorship?

Sponsored anglers and shirts are thick on the ground at event these days, what sets anglers apart is their ability to promote the company and tournament fishing both within and outside the tournament fishing circle.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Anglers should expect support at our convenience, we’re constantly busy and I can’t just drop everything for them. I will supply a reasonable range of gear that we see appropriate. The better the anglers ability or promotion the better the gear and bigger the range provided.

Simply saying, the more you work for your sponsor the more support you will receive.

for tournament game V-hard

FC Rock Fluorocarbon

Superior knot strength, straight strength and abrasion resistance. Manufactured with a ‘hard protective resin processing’ for improved PE knot strength and abrasion resistance.

V-Hard is Sunline’s No.1 Fluorocarbon leader.

50m spool 2lb to 50lb

Super PE Dyneema

Low stretch (max5%) for ultra high sensitivity giving you instant feeback on the slightest bite and the lightest touch of the bottom. Experience fewer problems and increase your lures movement. The super high strength allows you to use a thinner diameter than you would normally. Tight braiding and a smooth surface manuturing method help increase durability, casting distance and control. Available in Light green or White.

150m spool: 6lb to 50lb 300m spool: 6lb to 80lb 600m spool: 20lb to 80lb

Rockfish PE High grade PE

Cast super light lures effortlessly, this amazing high strength High Grade PE will give you complete confidence. Its low stretch and super high sensitivity transmits every bump. Special processing for even better slickness reduces guide friction resulting in dramatically longer casts.

The thinnest PE line available!

Colour: Bright orange 120m spool 6lb(PE0.3), 8lb(PE0.4), 10lb(PE0.6)

This 100% FC leader has the ideal mix of suppleness for minimum interference on the lures movement and hardness for abrasion resistance. Excellent knot strength is boosted with the triple resin processing manufacturing technique which also improves abrasion resistance. Outstanding durability.

100m spool: 2lb to 20lb 75m spool: 25lb to 30lb 50m spool: 40lb to 50lb

Castaway PE HG DYNEEMA + PET

Highly versatile PE line for a wide range of lure casting situations. Special eight-carrier braid is made from a combination of high grade PE and high specific gravity ester monofilament. The hybrid manufacturing technology balances just the right amount of stiffness and strength, maximizes casting distance and reduces tangles. This low stretch, high sensitivity line conveys every action of your rod directly to your lure. 20% thinner than Super PE. 150m spool: 10lb(PE0.6) to 25lb(PE1.5) 200m spool: 30lb(PE2) to 50lb(PE3) 300m spool: 60lb(PE4 to 80lb(PE6)

SuPER FC SNIPER Fluorocarbon

Super Fluorocarbon line that was born in Japan and remains in the No.1 spot in the Japanese market, with too many tournament trophies to count. No memory, super sensitive and amazingly strong plus all the stealth benefits of fluorocarbon.

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Momentum PE SHOOTER FC METAN INVISIBLE fluorocarbon

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High Grade polyethylene and high specific gravity ester monofilaments in a 4 x 4 structure for an amazing slick and smooth line surface. Just the right amount of stiffness and firmness for trouble-free performance Knots easily with strong knot strength. Excellent durability with better abrasion resistance than standard PE lines. Moderate specific gravity (1.05) reduces wind & tide influences. Low stretch, high sensitivity.

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small game FC Fluorocarbon

With virtually zero memory this 100% fluorocarbon line will lay perfectly on small spin reels. It features low elongation and high specific gravity plus a triple resin process for improved abrasion resistance and knot strength.

150m spool. 2lb, 2.5lb, 3lb, 3.5lb, 4lb.

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When it came time to purchase a new vessel I was faced with this compromise. I wanted something I could chase bass, bream and jew in the rivers, yet still be able to chase Kingfish and Marlin offshore without waiting for exceptional weather - which we all know never comes on a weekend.

From the date of delivery, this Edgewater 170CC boat has been nothing short of performing beyond my expectations - from winning bream tournaments to catching blue, black and striped Marlin along the Shelf.

This vessel has truly changed my fishing - having an endless amount of options available on any given weekend depending on what I feel like chasing. If you are after a boat with immense versatility without serious compromise, than an Edgewater is what you have been waiting for.

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The Ecogear ZX blade is a gun deep and dirty water lure, with plenty of vibration so the fish can home in on it.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Rattle

n’ Hum Text: Chris Seeto Photography: Greg Seeto, jeff clelland

Love them or hate them, hardbodied lures represent a winning strategy for bream fishing. With the market being flooded with new offerings, the challenge for anglers is picking the best bait to suit their needs and the conditions.

T

he classification of hardbodies brings a vast range of lures to the table; ranging from the Megabass Dog-X Jr through to the Ecogear VX35 and everything in between.

What we’re looking for Sound is an important attribute for lures. It goes hand-in-hand with action, diving depth and size, and arguably is more important than colour (who hasn’t caught a fish on a colour they didn’t think would work?).

The sound is generally made from ball bearings bouncing around within purposebuilt chambers of the lure to create a rattling sound. Particular sized balls and changing from a metal to glass or plastic ball will create varying noises.

These little balls aren’t only used because of the rattle that they create. Within many modern lures, the ball bearing system is used to extend casting distance through transferring the weight in the direction of the cast. This is most obvious when comparing the Ecogear SX40F and its brother, the Ecogear SX40LC, but is also found in the Atomic Cranks and Pro Lure Cranks.

So how does it work?

The ball bearing shifts from the head of the lure to the tail as you cast, providing additional momentum, extending the range of your cast and then returning to its normal position after a few cranks of the reel handle. This style of system is important for casting distance but will also impact the sound the lure will make in the water.

Although these ball bearings help with

for territorial bream, they just can’t help themselves. It is not uncommon to throw a crankbait, hook a fish and see several angry friends come screaming out behind the hooked bream, trying to eat the bait right out of its mouth. They are the days that you want to be rolling loud crankbaits.

The rattle seems to attract the attention of bream. The Megabass Baby Griffon has a deafening rattle, with several ball bearings

Selecting the right sound for the application is the main challenge for the angler. There are just so many options… sound, some lures have purpose-built mechanisms for the same casting effect allowing it to be a silent lure but have the advantage of the casting weight, like the Daiwa Double Clutch.

Shake, Rattle and Roll A rattling crankbait seems like a battle cry

creating sound by bouncing around within the belly of the lure. The increased number of ball bearings increases the sound that can be heard, and the challenge of squeezing this into a small body shape makes for a loud yet compact lure.

Selecting the right sound for the application is the main challenge for the angler. There are TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

109

Rattle free surface lures are best suited to clear and still water.

to aid with sinking. This lure combines some of the characteristics of a vibration bait with the benefits of the crankbaits.

Keeping quiet!

just so many options; some lures are made of plastic or glass that change the sound, as well as the weight and swimming characteristics, while other lures are made from brass or tungsten, making louder, deeper sounds.

Surface

Clear water

An interesting lure that puts a spin on the traditional is the Bassday Kangoku Vib. This little lure has a hinged rattle that swings from one side of the lure to the other; creating a rattle sound and also adding additional weight

Silty/ turbid water

A loud rattle shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always be the desired attribute of your crankbait. Knowing when to use a loud bait to fire up the territorial or schooled fish and when to use a silent bait to attract the fickle, picky fish is a good reason to have a broad range of lures.

Silent lures are not completely silent, as hooks make sounds as they come into contact with the body of the lure and the lureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action also emits a sound and disturbance in the water. Silent lures are better described as a rattle-less lure, lacking ball bearings or clickers.

The disturbance or turbulence that rattleless lures make should closely resemble the disturbance a swimming fish would make when fleeing or when it is injured. This action or wobble is what is transferred up the line and through to the rod and angler.

Silent lures are most effective when the Dirty water

Shallow

Mid

Deep

Clear water- silent lures dominate here, with lures such as the Austackle Shinku standouts. Subtle lures without rattles are the way to go, and colours ideally kept natural and low key.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Increasingly turbid and silty water- as the water starts to colour lures start to have more sound, rattles become more common and their actions start to become stronger.

Dirty Water- fatter, stronger and wider action lures with plenty of noise are the pick in dirty water. Lures such as the Atomic Crank, Ecogear ZX and lipless crankbaits are the go.

water is clear. Bream don’t really need any help in searching out and finding the lure in such clear conditions and can often be finicky.

The silent approach can help with less foreign noise in the water to spook the fish.

Top water resonance Top water lures rely on attracting fish. As they break the water surface, they rely on similar sounds to attract fish. It seems the disturbance on the surface, combined with the noise, helps searching fish find the lure.

Scott Anderson of Nutterjuck Lures found that when making his solid timber surface lures, by adding metal bibs he was able to create the right sound. The metal bib seemed to resonate and transmit the sound further and more effectively, attracting and enticing fish into biting. This highlights the importance of the right sound travelling the right distance.

Less is more or is more just better?

So should we be using silent or rattled lures, metal or polycarbonate bibs? The answer lies in the conditions. When fish are aggressive and territorial, using a rattled lure can often attract the attention of the bigger fish, giving them reason to outmuscle and out swim their smaller peers.

Steve Morgan outlines that crankbait selection depends more on the environment than a one-lure-fits-all solution. Adjusting the type of crankbait to suit the water clarity, Steve suggests, “When the water is dirtier, my cranks get fatter and louder. An Atomic Deep Crank 38 or Ecogear CX35 usually fits. The dirtier the water, the more vibration and noise I think the bream need to find it. Also, I’ll retrieve the bait slower in dirtier water.”

Fat crankbaits versus skinny crankbaits

Vibration Metal blades emit a distinct vibration that help fish to hone in on the location of the bait.

Some lures have a more distinct wobble, while others have a tight shimmy through the water. Regardless of how much lateral movement they have, they still create a disturbance, which the fish target.

Diving Depth With the sheer volume and choice of lures available, many come in a shallow or deep version; some even have different depth ranges available. The Atomic Crank comes in four depth models, ranging from the shallow (wake bait), mid, deep and the new double deep.

Getting the lure near the fish is a good start, both casting accuracy and diving depth will help with this but some techniques require

Bream are suckers for subtle jerkbaits.

Top water lures also benefit from ball bearings as they weight the lure. Even though casting distance is an important aspect, changing the attitude of the lure can help with converting interested fish into tournament winning limits. Some top water lures benefit from the big brass ball bearings; they not only rattle, they can also convert a horizontal walking lure when retrieved into a vertical, easily eaten morsel when stationary.

displace different amounts of water with their action. Steve also identifies that the action of the crankbait can impact how easy it is for a fish to find a lure in excessively turbid water.

Using Ecogear SX40s in clear water reinforces the importance of using a lure with a tighter action and smaller beads, emitting very little noise and not spooking the fish, while the louder, wider action of the Ecogear CX35 is much more effective in dirtier water.

a lure to dive down and continuously dig into the rock, mud or sand below. This in itself creates a sound and disturbance that can attract fish and get them foraging for your lure.

Having a Joint

Breaking It Down

Putting it together

Jointed baits take full advantage of the turbulence created by this style of lure. A jointed bait is a hard bait that has sections that move independently of the lure and often have a life like presentation. The swimming action of jointed baits is often very difficult to duplicate.

Confused yet? Well, let’s break it down a bit further. Combining the action (vibration), diving depth (deep, mid, shallow) and sound (silent or rattled) aren’t based on luck but on the conditions and what the fish want to bite.

There isn’t one lure to rule them all.

As all anglers know, there are no hard and fast rules for catching fish. This information can be used as a guide or starting point but should never be the only information that is used to catch fish. Nothing can ever replace time and experience on the water.

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Sound The sound required often depends on the surroundings. As a guide, clear water to dirty water is often a starting point for choosing the right bait for the occasion.

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Mark Lennox’s road to victory at last year’s Smak Lures BASS Pro Grand Final was a journey from first time angler in 2003 to Grand Final champion in 2012.

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Timeline to Text: Chris Byrnes Photography: Simon Goldsmith

success

Every sport has its champions. But what is it that really sets them apart from the countless other participants that try to achieve the same level of success? Which decisions played a role in taking them to the top? And what drives these champs to keep working towards their ultimate goal?

2012 Smak Lures Bass Pro Grand Final Winner Mark Lennox gives us an insight into his sucess.

MARK LENNOX: TOURNAMENT TIMELINE Commits to ABT tournaments

Started reading Fishing Monthly magazines

2000

Competes in numerous ABT events.

Qualifies for first BASS Grand Final

2002

2004

First ABT tournament (Non-Boater)

When and why did you start fishing tournaments?

In 1999 I started reading Fishing Monthly magazines and discovered ABT fishing tournaments. I have always enjoyed competing in sports that challenge me, and I believed tournament fishing would be ideal. However, I wasn’t able to pursue this due to work commitments, so I didn’t get to do my first tournament until four years later in 2003. I did one BASS tournament that year at Lake Glenbawn and, from that experience, I was totally hooked.

Being a member of ABT exposed me to AFC, which made me more determined to get involved in tournament fishing as I wanted to emulate anglers like Tim ‘The Bream’ Morgan. It looked like he had a pretty good time doing what he loved.

Six years later in 2009 I finally decided that my work commitments were interfering with my desire to be able to fish in ABT tournaments, so I entered in as many BASS and BREAM comps as possible. I started as a non boater so I would get the opportunity to fish with different experienced anglers.

Did anyone mentor you?

Initially my mentors were AFC anglers, and then I was fortunate to be a nonboater with some really experienced tournament anglers. They all shared their

2006

2008

2010

Starts competing as a Boater in ABT events

fishing knowledge and expertise with me and gave me the confidence to believe that I could also catch fish.

How was your experience as a non-boater?

I fished Lake Glenbawn BASS Pro in 2003 and was lucky enough to draw 2000 BASS Grand Final winner John Schofield as my first ever boater, which was brilliant.

I really didn’t have any prior lure fishing experience in dams and rivers, other than information I had read in the Fishing Monthly magazines, so in 2009 I decided to be a non-boater in four BASS

2012

Competes in ABT BASS events only. Qualifies for Grand Final and wins

get any better than this!

They were all happy to share information and their fishing techniques with me. I asked lots of questions and observed what and why they were fishing the way they did.

I had a good year and achieved Non Boater AOY BREAM and 2nd Non Boater BASS Pro Grand Final. I won the Big Bream Prize at Bribie Island and Lake Macquarie.

When and why did you decide to become a boater?

I became a boater in 2010 because only boaters qualify to participate in AFC.

I qualified for the Grand Final and won.

This was the absolute highlight! The time and effort I had put in on the water during the year had finally paid off. comps and five BREAM comps.

Fortunately, I drew very experienced anglers, such as Greg Flett, David Green, Mike Connolly, Tim Morgan, Steve Eldred, Scott Towner, Chris Cleaver, Simon Goldsmith, Steve Almond and Robert Kwiatkowski. I thought to myself, it can’t

How was you transition to a boater?

I found it challenging, but I expected it to be – I donuted my first three BASS comps.

As a boater I not only had to catch fish for myself, but I was also responsible for making my non boaters experience a TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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Taking it to the veterans on the tour, Mark Lennox (Grand Final winner) and Daniel Clancy (Humminbird BASS Pro AOY) secured BASS fishing two biggest titles in 2012.

positive one. I needed to work things out for myself and I knew I had a lot to learn.

What have been the highs/ lows so far?

2010: I fished in all the BASS Pro tournaments, as well as some BREAM and BASSIN events, but only boated two fish in the last round of the last tournament. I was so pleased that I finally caught fish!

2011: I boated in all BASS Pro events, and I fished in other events as well. I was one place outside the money in three BASS Pro tournaments and got to lead out first place in one of the rounds. But in the fourth tournament I donuted again!

Nevertheless, I qualified for the Grand Final – this was the highlight of the year for me.

2012: I realised that I was stretching myself too thin doing both BASS and BREAM comps 116

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and so I decided to concentrate solely on the BASS Pro tournaments.

I amped up my prefishing to gain more confidence in my ability to catch fish with a focus on AOY. I had two tournament top tens, going into the last tournament sitting in third spot for AOY honours. But my result in the final tournament was a disappointment for me.

Nevertheless, I qualified for the Grand Final and won. This was the absolute highlight! The time and effort I had put in on the water during the year had finally paid off.

What are the most important points to successful tournament fishing?

• The best anglers never stop learning; • Put time in on the water and get to know the dams and the seasonal changes; • Ability to adjust to changing conditions; • Mental preparation – have confidence

in your ability to catch fish/keep focused and learn from every bad experience; • Personal commitment to make it happen; • Boat and tackle preparation and maintenance – when your gear works properly, you get to spend more time thinking about fishing than thinking about repairs and maintenance; • Go with prior experience but don’t be afraid to take a chance; • Enjoy it; • Awareness.

What is your dominant technique?

Deep water fishing. It is what I am most comfortable with, but I like surface and will always try that as well.

What are your strengths as a tournament angler?

• Good at finding fish; • Persevere and never give up;

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• Open-minded to trying new techniques; • Deep water fishing; • Sticking to my plan.

What are your weaknesses as a tournament angler?

• Having too many options messes with my head; • Can’t always make fish bite; • Mid water fishing – I have not mastered this technique yet.

What is your advice to an angler looking at starting tournament fishing?

Start as a non boater and do as many tournaments as you can. You will be paired with some awesome anglers.

Take full advantage of the time and experience you have with them on the water. Observe and ask lots of questions about what techniques they are using and focus on why they are doing it. These events are you best opportunity to learn so ask plenty of questions. I also fished a few BASS Electric tournaments and BASSIN tournaments as prefish practice to gain confidence for the BASS Pro comps.

I even boated and non boated in a few of the BREAM comps.

Making the jump from non-boater to boater wasn’t easy for Lennox, he donuted at his first three events before finally catching a bass.

What does your tournament future hold?

I still have so much to learn and am looking forward to competing in next year’s comps.

The knowledge and experience I have gained through associating and competing with other tournament anglers keeps me

coming back. With Lennox coming on in leaps and bounds since becoming a boater in 2009 his next challenge will be for a consistent 2013. With the Angler of the Year Title the goal of all bassers Lennox is sure to be fishing hard for a room mate for his Grand Final trophy.

Fishing bream events as well as bass events in his early days Lennox acquired valuable skills from a host of different anglers, AFC angler Scott Towner was one such angler.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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119

Caught in the middle of nowhere this fish was located, pin pointed, its mood worked out and lure presentation tailor made using a state of the art sounder. Seeing is believing.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Seeing Is Believing

Text: Matt Coleman Photography: Simon Goldsmith, craig grifiths

“You’ve got an hour, but then we have to start filming.”

I turned to my teammate, “Geez! That doesn’t give us long to find the fish!”

Everywhere can look the same on a barra lake, here Daniel Grech is fishing a line of trees adjacent to a deep water drop off. A prime barra holding spot and an area that he couldn’t have found without his Humminbird sounder.

I

t was series 7 of the Australian Fishing Championship. My team mate, Al McNamara and myself were representing Team Mercury in the 2nd Round of the BARRA fishing events at Lake Monduran. We both live over a 1000km away from the dam so our familiarity with the local barra was basically non-existent, we had some decisions to make and they had to be made fast. If you’re not on top of the fish when the film starts to roll the chances of doing well are extremely diminished. On top of that was the threat of elimination and the pressure of putting our fellow team mates behind in the chase for The side imaging fish finder revealed a another AFC Championship. cluster of 6-7 fish in one out of five bays we Finding Fish Fast scanned. We’d covered approximately 1km It had been approximately a week, if not a in 15 minutes and isolated a single point on little longer, since we’d spent time on the dam. one of five identical bays as the place where We knew the conditions were changing daily and just looking at the boat ramp we knew the water level had dropped at least a foot since we were last here!

We’ve got three spots; I doubt the fish had moved far from those spots but we need to try and find them as soon as possible!

Our high tech AFC boats were thankfully fitted with some of the latest electronics and accessories, which included the latest Humminbird side imaging or structure scan fish finders. fish were holding, quite a distance from For the uninitiated, side imaging involves where the fish were located a week ago, and a special transducer (sensor on the back exactly where we wanted to be when the film of the boat) that directs a sonar beam out started rolling! perpendicular to the left and right of the boat; in some cases this signal can be out to Things Are Getting Better 300ft each side. Compare this to a traditional sounder where you’re scanning approximately One of the biggest improvements in fishing over the past few years has been a third of the depth (eg. if it’s 12ft deep the exponential improvement in fishing the ‘cone’ of the sounder is scanning approximately 4ft); you’ll be able to cover a lot electronics. Fish finders, sonars, echo sounders and the like have evolved into of area incredibly fast with side scanning.

devices that can be as complicated or as uncomplicated as the user chooses and, more importantly, they are now affordable.

If you are a competitive tournament angler and you do not have one of the

“I know where they are,” echoes Craig, “I know the distance between the fish and the boat, how far off the bottom they are – these units show me everything!” latest generations of sounders on your boat, you are already behind the eight ball.

ABT BARRA champions Craig Griffiths, Al McNamara and Jason Wilhelm all state that they could not fish effectively without their structure scan units.

“My eyes are constantly glued to that screen, I have the utmost trust in the images I see and they have led me to some of my best ABT results – it’s a must have!” said Wilhelm.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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They’re not just fishing what they see above the water.

The trees are just the tip of the iceberg and a sounder enables them to see all that lies below, including the fish.

Al McNamara revisits a time when the technology really paid off. “Jas [Wilhelm] and I were fishing some deep water on one of the impoundments in a tournament. There was no structure anywhere, these fish were free swimming. Using the side imaging, we could see how many fish were near the boat, what side they were on, how deep they were and then we could actually target them! You just could not do that with a traditional sounder.”

“I know where they are,” echoes Craig, “I know the distance between the fish and the boat, how far off the bottom they are – these units show me everything!”

WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY? The main focus of the newer generation of sounders is the side imaging capability; being able to view a large area of the bottom of a lake or sea as if fully illuminated 122

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

through a looking glass. Other incredible technologies include the down imaging or downscan imaging, which provides a 3D view of what’s below the boat.

The continuing improvements in the traditional sonar display also allows the user to change frequencies, colours and displays to their individual liking. Anglers can look at the same scenario in three separate ways, eliminating any confusion or guessing of what is being displayed below the boat.

The integration of a GPS (Global Positioning System) means these systems are no longer just high tech fish finders, but also fully functioning navigation devices with some very unique abilities. For instance, if the side imaging unit locates some fish 60ft away from the boat, you can place a waypoint (a reference point for the GPS) where the fish are without having to motor

over the top of them and spooking them.

This allows you the ability to target them at a later time, or approach them from a different angle or with a different technique.

On some systems you can also create your own side imaging maps that can be stored in your sonar unit. This can help you locate trees, rubble and other fish attracting features that may give you that extra spot for one more fish and a full bag limit. Together with your own weather station or onboard barometric pressure readings, tide information and additional 3D rendered mapping charts, there is very little information that you won’t have at your fingertips!

Most of the units can also integrate with your outboard motor, giving you fuel consumption, rpm, water pressure, trim/ tilt… well, you name it, you can display it. It

1

A

NEW HUMMINBIRD 360 Delivering detailed 360º underwater views with the same sharp detail as Humminbird’s revolutionary Side Imaging technology. It offers unprecedented sonar capabilities, with a single sweep, it has the ability to cover a 90m diameter circle (6,566m2).

Visualise 360 Imaging as a thin sonar wall extending 45m to either side of your boat. This wall rotates to create a 90m circle, updated in real time, enabling you to see areas virtually impossible to reach with other types of sonar. And, because the sonar wall moves, you don’t have to – you can now see up to 45m in front of the boat without spooking the fish, as well as, everything to either side and behind you, including various underwater structure, bait balls and fish.

For greater on-water flexibility, 360 Imaging also lets you choose from four beam speed settings. Lower beam speeds lead to higher image quality, but lower refresh rates.

Conversely, higher beam speeds result in lower image quality but higher refresh rates. With four options, you can find the ideal setting for your boat speed, water conditions and need for detail.

Offering split-screen viewing capabilities, view 360 Imaging side-by-side with SwitchFire or GPS cartography.

SwitchFire lets you see what’s going on below your boat while GPS puts valuable waypoints, routes and other navigational information at your fingertips.

The ultra-quiet 360 Imaging Transducer Deployment System (purchased separately) drops below your boat’s hull and prop for an unobstructed, 360º view. Featuring two deployment options: 360 Imaging using your Humminbird unit or the control buttons found on the Transducer Deployment System that easily manage the depth to which the Transducer Pod deploys to avoid grounding in shallow water. The Transducer Deployment System (TDS) can be attached to the boat transom or jackplate.

To get the detail and unprecedented coverage of Humminbird 360 Imaging, you’ll need an Ethernet-ready, side imaging-equipped Humminbird fishfinder (sold separately).

Compatible models include: 1198cx SI Combo; 998cx SI Combo; 898cx SI Combo; and, 798cxi HD SI Combo.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

B

C

1 The level of underwater detail of the Humminbird 360 is amazing, you see absolutely everything.

A We’ve always wanted to know what a school of bass at Somerset looked like, well now we know.

B Does this look like a field of rocks, well that’s what it is.

C Ever tried to pin point a laydown and which way it’s laying, with the Humminbird 360 it’s dead easy.

NEW SECRET WEAPON WEAPON JIGHEAD As with all of the other products in the Aussie-designed Squidgy Range, our brand new Weapon Jig Head series evolved in direct response to a clear need and frequent requests from loyal Squidgy fans. Hand-picked and designed to catch all manner of fish in the widest possible range of fresh and saltwater scenarios, Weapon Jig Heads will not only pin the big ones, they’ll also keep you connected to them, thanks to their custom-built, bullet-proof hooks. And if you need even MORE hooking power in specialist applications, the larger Weapon Jig Heads come pre-fitted with a super-strong eyelet for attaching a stinger hook!

SECRET WEIGHTS The new Squidgy Secret Weight range is a soft plastic delivery vehicle with a difference: designed to hide the moulded weight within the body of the lure itself for the ultimate in stealthy presentations and an enhanced ability to “skip” the rigged lure under low structure such as boat jetties, pontoons and between the hulls of moored vessels.

In keeping with time-proven Squidgy tradition, we’ve employed our unique wire keeper prong that holds but doesn’t destroy tails, and chosen an ultra-sharp yet surprisingly strong VMC hook. The final touch is a fluorescent yellow/orange coating on the secret weight that glows softly through the bodies of our translucent Squidgy tails when rigged to enhance their appeal. This range is deadly!

SQUIDGIES ARE ON FACEBOOK! Chat to other Squidgy users, gain valuable insights and tips from the Squidgy Pro Staff Team (including Starlo and Bushy), ask questions, post photos and take part in weekly competitions with great prizes up for grabs… You could even earn yourself a place on the new Squidgy Field Testers Team! (www.facebook.com/squidgyAustralia) Using your smart phone, download a QR Code reader application from the Apple App store, Android Market, or Blackberry Appworld.

Once installed, simply point your phone’s camera at the QR Code to go to our Facebook page and like us!

puts all motor vehicles to shame – intuitive gauges that are mostly customisable to display the information you want and how you want it.w Did I mention that the majority of these units have clear, crisp, colour screens up to 12” allowing the display of multiple functions at the same time? Or their ability to connect several screens to each other and share information across all of them!

WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE? The main advantage is that anglers have options to set up their boat how they like it. It is not uncommon to see a second sounder screen up the front of a tournament boat next to the bow mount electric motor. This allows the angler to focus on fishing at the front and not constantly having to travel to the back of the boat to see if conditions below have changed.

Its networking ability means common data can be shared across the sounder units; data may include GPS positioning, waypoints, separate transducer information and the like.

“When I’m tournament fishing, guiding or even social fishing, time is of great importance to me and these units allow me to find and catch fish fast, that is the true value of this technology,” says Jason.

For the not so tech-savvy the new technology can understandably be quite daunting. Thankfully the new systems are intuitive and will display excellent results on the basic auto settings. There is no need for a degree in astrophysics to get the sounder working, they will work straight out of the box.

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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

“I’ve got a fair bit of experience with these units but I always spend some time reading the manual and being familiar with the latest features so if I need to I can fine tune things.

“Basically everything on auto works absolutely fine for me, they are pretty much good to go straight out of the box,” states Jason.

“I tweak the sensitivity when the water conditions dictate, and that’s it. I know my sounder really well, I know what fish look like on my sounder and if I can’t see them I move on,” quotes Al.

Tuning In to Win On the flip side, if high frequencies, Interlinks, NMEA2000 and other technical things get you excited, there is a high degree of customization available for the hands-on operators, which suits Craig Griffiths.

“I put my Side Imaging on 800khz to get the best resolution and often times scan using the front trolling motor at a slower speed, so I can really see the detail. At this speed I can see even the slightest feature, a point, gully or snag. And if I need to I can investigate it a bit further or simply stop and observe the area to see if it’s going to produce quality fish.”

ABT champion Daniel Grech talks specifically about his tournament tactics developed around this technology.

“The technology of Side Imaging is fool proof; it doesn’t lie and only displays what it sees – I trust it completely. When prefishing I’m generally looking for structures and potential spots, like submerged weed beds or steep drop-offs, and then during

Left: No guesses for what that it. The tell tail silhouette of a big barra as it swims past an anchored boat at Faust.

Did they catch it? Yep, one cast, one bite, one fish, 112cm of barra was the end result.

Top right: These are all barra sitting on 10 feet deep drop off on the right. The fished ranged in size from 60125cm. They landed four over a metre from the school, and five in the 90s.

Bottom right: Barra can be easily seen sitting on a drop off on the right hand side of the screen, while on the down scan you can identify a concrete mooring block on the bottom.

tournaments I’m looking 100% for fish.

“Even if the pre-fish has been tough, the Side Imaging gives me so much more confidence, especially if the fish are starting to appear on the sounder.”

If you are new to the technology or simply looking to upgrade, it is advisable to spend some time with an experienced person.

Whether an angler or product representative, get them to demonstrate the features of each unit so the individual person can decide what’s best for them.

The technology is continuing to improve and some of the features in production are amazing. From new transducers that rotate 360º around the boat to integrating the bow mount electronic motors to the sounders and GPS units. CHIRP sonar units that pulse multiple frequencies for crystal clear echo return and other integrating solutions, like allowing iPad and wireless (WiFi) devices, access to the units is simply astounding and opens up incredible possibilities.

One thing is for sure, you need to watch this space.

Ian Black • MEMORIAL TROPHY • Ian Black

A

nglers fish tournaments for a range of differnet reasons. The thrill of the hunt, the competitive urge and of course the accolades of our peers are driving forces for us to hit the tournament trail. However it’s the friendships that are forged and the experiences shared with our fellow anglers that are the most rewarding part for most of us.

“

Ian was a special person in the sport, and we’re dedicated to seeing that the things that he stood for are encouraged and acknowledged.

Smak Lures co-creator Matthew Mott.

”

The beloved Australian term of ‘mateship’ is what it is all about.

Ian Black is one angler in particular who embodied this belief. Lost to the sport with his passing in 2009, Ian Black’s spirit and presence have continued in the sport courtesy of the Ian Black Memorial Trophy (aka The Black Stump).

Developed by some of his closest friends and the crew at Smak Lures, The Black Stump is awarded to an angler each year who has demonstrated the qualities that Blacky was known for and that the trophy represents; namely selflessness, compassion, and concern for others.

Smak Lures and ABT are proud to announce that the Ian Black Memorial Trophy returns again in 2013 with the new BASS Pro Series naming sponsor (Smak Lures) eager to see the series flourish and Blacky’s legacy grow.

Mal Draper was awarded the Ian Black Memorial Trophy in 2012 for his generosity throughout the year and his willingness to help out his fellow competitors.

www.smak.com.au

big bream & bass 2013

has landed!

Breamers and Bassers, in 2013 you will all be vying for the Gladiator big bream and the Gladiator big bass! $500 is still your prize, but watch this space for more info to come…

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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Millardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Money Box Text: Simon Goldsmith Photography:simon goldsmith, Jeff clelland and daniel grech

Condensing your lure selection into a reduced go-to assortment can be an agonising exercise for some anglers. Favourite colours, personal bests and preferred techniques all play their part in the decision process.

Jon Millard has honed his barra catching skills over the years catching quality fish like this metrey from Peter Faust.

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W

ith this in mind ABT asked Australia’s number one ranked BARRA Tour angler Jon Millard to survey his lure collection, select his favourite lures and explain the decisions behind his choices.

1. Classic Lures 120 Barra • 10+ • 15+ These are Millard’s two go-to lures when fishing the trees at Peter Faust.

Loud and proud with plenty of rattles the Classic Barra lures crank down easy when worked and float up at rest; making them ideal to work and pause around structure.

Green is his confidence colour, with anything gold a close second.

“Classic Lures are bullet proof and

are proven fish catchers. I always make sure I have plenty of these in my boat,” said Millard.

2. Leads Lure • Hi Jacker • Shad An old-school favourite with seasoned and clued-in barra anglers, Millard ties one of these timber lures on when he’s looking for a silent approach.

The shallow running Hi Jacker is one of his favourite shallow water twitch baits, and if fished correctly can be used as a surface lure. The Shad gets a run when he wants to fish a little deeper.

Natural tones are his preferred colour choice, except when fishing dirty water, which is when he’ll opt for something a little stronger on colour.

3. Surface StickBait • Reaction Innovation Vixen • Rapala X Walk 13 • Rapala Glidin’ Rap 12 The Vixen is the loudest of the three stickbaits; it makes a heap of noise in the water and is one of the easiest lures to walk across the surface. A great lure for turning on active fish and one of Millard’s favourites when there’s a hot surface bite going on.

If it’s big fish that Millard’s after then he reaches for the Rapala X Walk. Its weighted tail sees the lure sit tail-down when at rest, and it’s one of the easiest lures to walk-the-dog. It has accounted for more 120cm fish than any other surface lure he throws.

The Glidin’ Rap is the point of difference over the other two – it is more a subsurface TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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lure than a surface lure. Fished in a similar fashion to the now discontinued Squidgy Boney Bream, the Glidin’ Rap can be ripped easily through weed and is dynamite for fishing over points. While only a relatively new lure on the Australia market, Millard has grown fond of it quite quickly.

action like this will out-fish those that don’t,” said Millard.

Gold and natural colours are the standouts during the day, and white is his clear favourite at night.

Transams have gained a strong following amongst barra anglers in recent years and

It is one of the first lures that he’ll reach for when the barra are shut down, especially targeting those that are sulking on the bottom.

4. Shallow Runner and Sinking Shad • Halco Laser Pro 120 • FLT (aka Jackall) Transam (20g) One of his gun shallow water baits, Millard favours the Laser Pro for its distinct action.

“The Laser Pro will twitch from side-toside when you work it rather than roll like a lot of other lures do. This means you can get more side ways action out of your lure and you don’t have to move the lure as far forward to get it to work. Lures that have an 130

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Millard is definitely a disciple. It is one of the first lures that he’ll reach for when the barra are shut down, especially targeting fish that are sulking on the bottom.

Chartreuse/orange belly and mullet are his favourite colours.

5. Twitch Bait • Storm Thunderstick (11cm) • Reidy’s B52 Another selection of sideways dancing jerkbaits, these two are the flashiest of all Millard’s choices. They come into their own

when the barra are looking for something flash, that will dance and rattle in front of their nose.

“The Reidys and the Thunderstick aren’t deep diving baits, which makes them ideal for fishing in shallows and twitching them in the one spot. Barra find them hard to resist,” said Millard.

With the Reidys in particular being a northern favourite with barra anglers Millard is not alone with his opinion.

6. Rapala X Rap • X Rap 10 • X Rap 12 The go-to barra hardbodied lure for the last few years. Millard, like most BARRA Tour anglers, loves his Rapala X Raps and has two favoured sizes (10 and 12).

“The X Raps have a sound that barra just love, they swim deeper than any of the shallow runners that I fish and they are bullet proof,” said Millard.

Millard uses the size 12 when chasing big fish and downsizes to the 10 when he’s going finesse. Downsizing is important if you want to catch fish when the bite is shut down.

His favourite day colours are natural, silver, and spotted minnow, and he reaches for an all white X Rap at night.

7. Squidgy Slick Rig • Squidgy Slick Rig 130 These lures are the most popular barra soft plastic by miles. Millard has well and truly bought into the hype of these fish catchers, but does things a little differently.

“I’ll rig them on an assortment of Area 51 jigheads: I use a 3/8oz in the shallows, a 3/4oz in the shallow/deep and a 1oz in the deep,” said Millard.

Using a combination of the Area 51 Slick Rig and Snakehead jigheads, Millard has the flexibility to rig his plastics with either the hook point exposed (Slick Rig) or weedless (Snakehead). The horses-forcourses approach allows him to tailor his lure to the conditions and area he’s fishing.

The tailoring and modification of the lure doesn’t just end with the jighead, Millard also trims the tail wrist of the plastic to give the lure more action and he’ll tip the tail in dye to add colour contrast. He has two favourite colours when picking his Slick Rig; pilchard during the day, and black and gold at night.

8. Other Soft Plastics • Storm Suspending Shad (3” and 5”) • Berkley Hollowbelly (3” and 6”) “The Storm Suspending Shads don’t

Whether unmodified or pimped to the nines Squidgy Slick Rigs catch fish and are a must have in Millard’s Money Box.

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Jonny and another Rapala X Raps loving barra.

get much press but the barra love them.

When you want to fish a plastic to barra that are suspended or inactive then try a Suspending Shad,” said Millard.

Millard favours two sizes, the 3” and 5”, and modifies the lure by adding a size one Owner treble to the middle eyelet.

Millard’s other favourite finesse styled

soft plastic is the Berkley Hollowbelly. More subtle and able to be worked slower than a Squidgy Slick Rig, Millard ties one on when he needs to slow things down or wants something less aggressive.

The 6” is his most popular size while the 3” is a finesse sized go-to. Purple tiger is his favourite colour.

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Tools of the

Text: Chris Byrnes pics: simon goldsmith, dnaiel grech

With many anglers turning to spinning outfits to target barramundi, we decided to explore the reasons behind the move away from traditional baitcasters. Are anglers simply following the latest trend or has the mighty baitcaster had its day in the sun?

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Trade

This is where your chosen tool really comes into play, get it wrong and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re increasing the chances of the fish getting away.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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W

e quizzed anglers and rod builders in an attempt to answer these questions. Their responses may leave you questioning everything you thought you knew…

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DESIGN Let’s start by looking at the basic differences.

A baitcast rod is designed to be used with the reel sitting on top of the rod. The guides, which run along the top of the rod, are each similar in size and spaced progressively closer as they approach the tip. The underside of the rod generally has a trigger underneath the reel seat that assists with finger placement and feel. The baitcast spool releases line directly through the guides, reducing friction during casting.

A baitcast spool can be stopped quickly with the application of friction (i.e. a thumb) directly to the moving spool. These design features maximise casting distance and accuracy.

A spinning rod is designed to be used with the reel sitting on the underside of the rod. The guides, which run on the underside of the rod, are progressively smaller in size (the largest size guide is nearest the reel). Like the baitcast rod the guides are spaced progressively closer as they approach the tip.

The (stationary) spinning reel releases line in loops through the guides. The guides, through their design, progressively choke the looping line, allowing the angler to direct their casts. These design features maximise

Baitcaster or spin, each has its advantages and disadvantage, knowing when to use one over the other will make you a better angler.

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ease of use and versatility.

Duffrods Steve Duff dissects the issue, “Baitcasters have always been strong shorter rods with plenty of power and the ability to place great amounts of pressure and control to the fish. Generally they are designed with longer handles and a more moderate blank action.

“Spinning rods for barramundi are designed with a lot of power in the butt of the rod, but with tips that are sensitive and designed to work lures and transfer the slightest touch to the angler. Their actions, depending on the model, range depending on the needs of the angler.”

Daiwa’s Brad Sissins makes the following observation, “Realistically there isn’t a great deal of difference in design, it’s more in the componentry. Generally a spin rod will require a softer tip to cast effectively and generally needs to be longer to cast efficiently.”

CAST HIM OUT! Accuracy and distance are key factors when it comes to casting. Top anglers recognise

and reiterate the importance of putting their lure in the right position to maximise their chances. Greater casting distance equates to the lure being in the water for a greater period of time, but increases the chances of losing fish when fishing around structure.

Finding the balance and understanding the best application will ultimately increase an angler’s chance of success.

Anglers were unanimous in their choice of outfit for accuracy – baitcasters. The ability to control the spool during casting allows the angler to instantaneously stop the lure when required. Matching rods provided the optimum balance of casting distance and action.

Daniel Grech shares his thoughts, “I prefer baitcast outfits for fishing hardbodied lures as they allow you to work the lure with a lot more feel. The feel comes from the normally slower action rods that are used in a typical barra outfit. Baitcasters also give you more accuracy in close to mid range casts.

“Without a doubt, baitcast outfits offer the best lure control. By gripping the reel at all

The ability to make the correct decision, especially in a tournament situation, was based on experience and a working understanding of each outfits parameters. times you have a direct feel of the movement of the lure, its action and when a fish is interested in it.”

Steve Duff breaks it down, “With the high quality rods built using the best available components these days, the gap between the spin rod and the baitcaster has narrowed significantly. However a baitcaster would still offer greater casting accuracy due to the line coming straight from the spool instead of spiralling from a threadline.”

Casting distance on the other hand was a far more difficult conundrum to resolve.

The anglers interviewed had differing views on which outfit cast further. The majority of anglers felt that they achieved greater distance with spinning gear, in particular opting for spinning tackle in open water scenarios and around weed beds. The anglers interviewed also highlighted the ability to cast a large size range of lures with very little effort.

Before you eBay all your baitcasters and

Fishing spin outfits in open water is a common practice these days, especially for anglers looking for maximum casting distance.

embrace this wave of change, let’s look at some of the facts. When a spin outfit is cast it creates friction as the line is dispensed.

This is the sound you hear as you cast. The level of friction is increased as heavier, firmer line is used. A baitcaster spool dispenses line directly through the rod guides. The friction is largely limited to the reel’s internal braking system (centrifugal or magnetic for example), which is the predominant sound you hear as you cast. The level of friction differs significantly between the two outfits, with spin producing a much higher level.

Simply put, friction reduces casting distance.

Yet many anglers are now categorically stating that spin outfits cast further – the facts just don’t seem to add up!

So is this movement simply a reaction to the dreaded backlash experienced by baitcast users? And if so, shouldn’t it be a case of a good tradesman never blaming his tools?

For those anglers who have had the unfortunate experience of a baitcast reel backlash the memory is unpleasant. When it occurs in the heat of tournament fishing, it can fray even the calmest of individuals.

Many anglers opt to use spinning gear to combat or reduce this problem, especially when casting into wind.

Daniel Grech outlines the advantages of a spin outfit, “Spin reels give me the ability to cast a huge distance with medium to heavy

lures. They also allow me to work lures more aggressively, which is perfect for surface and sub surface presentations. Spin reels are also really comfortable and easy to use which allows me to work the lure effectively for longer, therefore increasing the chance of a bite.”

Peter Price makes his case, “The benefits of using a spinning outfit are longer casting distance, the ability to cast lighter line and lures, being able to retrieve the line faster when a fish swims towards the boat, better when casting into the wind and easier on the body after several hours of casting.”

Steve Duff shares a similar view, “Greater distance is the domain of the threadline. The use of the longer rod with a bit more tip and generally faster actioned blanks allow these rods to create greater line speed that results in longer casts with less effort.”

Sissins opens up a can of worms, “Many anglers believe spin reels cast further. This is far from the truth; with the same weights they will both cast the same.”

Whether anglers wish to believe one case or the other the most important thing is that you are confident with the outfit that you are using under the conditions when you are using it. Test each outfit to find out which performs better and ask yourself why. Practice with identical weights with both setups to ascertain which outfit casts further. You will gain valuable experience

and understanding of each setup, as well as formulating your own opinion of which outfit goes the distance.

“WHEN ANGRY, COUNT FOUR; WHEN VERY ANGRY, SWEAR.” When opting for an outfit anglers need to be aware of the disadvantages as well as the advantages to each setup. Those anglers who understand the limitations of a setup increase the likelihood of hooking and landing the target species.

Let’s start with rod length, using the ever popular 7ft rod for example. A rod this length provides greater casting distance than a shorter rod, adapts to a wide range of lure and line choices and provides good overall line and lure control. Its disadvantages are when used with heavier lures, when twitching large hardbodies and when applying pressure to a hooked fish.

Lindsay Dobe compares outfits, “Spin rods are generally more comfortable when fighting heavy or fast fish in open water.

The trend at the moment is to have short butts and foregrips on rods. This is great for casting and working lures, but with the rods being so powerful for their physical weight, short butts can get pretty hard on the wrists if you have a prolonged fight. It’s definitely a consideration when choosing a combo.”

Steve Duff presents the argument that modern tackle makes the rod choice less TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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Baitcasters are generally used in the rod tip down position making them ideal for twitch lures, in particular hardbodies.

open water into a weed edge. The focus is casting distance and retrieval speed.

You want to show your lure to as many fish as possible each cast and alternate your retrieval speed with your soft plastic presentation. The wind is slight, but directly in your face.

This scenario presents a number of options. A 6’6”-7’ spin outfit matched with the correct reel and line allows you to generate the necessary casting distance. The reel provides the ideal ratio for alternating your retrieves. The open territory does not appear to be inundated with snags, thereby allowing more line in the water with less risk.

Alternatively a 6’6”-7’ slow action baitcaster outfit provides similar benefits depending on wind and lure weight. The key is not letting your individual outfit preference dictate the terms of your approach. Your approach needs to dictate the terms!

“The simple truth is that a few people used spin gear to target barramundi and promoted that you can catch barra on spin gear and everyone followed as a trend.

Anglers are like that, even though it is not an efficient form of angling,” Sissins plays a straight bait on tackle choices.

THE ART OF BALANCE

imperative, “I don’t believe anglers put themselves at a disadvantage when using spin gear in tight cover as the updated reels and components on the rods these days allow the angler to recover line quickly and pull fish from cover. Especially with the technology available in the modern day blanks being super light with additional strength and tapers that are built for single purposes.”

Let’s examine this point closer by looking at two scenarios.

First scenario, you are fishing heavy, snag laden country. You are expecting to be casting short distances and attempting to land fish under extreme duress. The lure of the moment is a hardbody. The key is having an outfit that can apply the required pressure 138

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to hook the fish and dictate the terms of the fight.

An ideal solution is a medium to heavy baitcaster outfit. It will provide the accuracy needed to cast in amongst the snags, the ability to work the lure effectively and the necessary action to extract the fish from its lair.

Dobe is a traditionalist, but understands the importance of adapting to a situation, “For me generally I use baitcasters for all barra type work unless I’m casting really light baits or jig style fishing. If I want longer casts I simply use a longer baitcast outfit. For heavy cover where accuracy is premium and you are only casting shorter distances I use a shorter setup.”

In the second scenario, you are fishing

Using a balanced outfit is important. It will only impede your objectives if your outfit is set up incorrectly. Many tackle supply companies now sell ready to use rod and reel combinations, helping to take the guesswork out of the equation. So how does one go about putting together a balanced outfit? Let’s look at this question from the angler’s perspective, by asking Peter Price his thoughts.

“I basically start with the rod, I pick the rod depending on what I want to be able to do with it, for example tweak hardbodies.

Then, based on the species/size of the target fish, I chose the line size and then match it with a reel suitable to that line type.

I basically try to keep the overall weight of the combination down to a minimum, as the heavier the combo used the less feel you receive and the greater the effort required to use it.

“With a spinning outfit I like to have my rods balanced. I don’t like tip heavy rods because I like to hold the rod tip up when slow rolling lures for better hook up rates.

So I will select the size of the reel to get the balance I like, with the rule being ‘the lighter the better’. With a baitcaster outfit I like low profile reels with smooth drag and with a high gear ratio speed of at least 6:1. I prefer

to wind my reel handle slower for a required lure speed than having to wind flat out.”

Having an unbalanced outfit is like trying to seesaw with your little sister. It will only end in tears. A balanced outfit is exactly that, balanced. See your casts and accuracy improve with the right pairing.

SHE’S SO POPULAR If the grapevine is to be believed and spin is the new black, then what rods are the manufacturers and suppliers being inundated with orders for? Surely the waiting list is as long as betting queues on Melbourne Cup day? The truth of the matter is that current tournament trends and techniques don’t necessarily impact traditional markets as quickly or heavily as perceived. For the angler who fishes only a handful of times per year the notion of updating an outfit to increase casting distance or facilitate a style of fishing are largely disregarded.

Sissins with the sales breakdown, “Baitcaster rods are 10 to 1 when it comes to sales. The main reason is 99% of anglers who fish for barra don’t fish tournaments; they fish for fun and sport and realise they do not require a spin rod.”

Duff offers an alternative view, “The spin outfit is now the most popular rod we build for targeting barra. Spin rods are viewed as being the most universal rod for casting lures of all types. From our sales perspective most anglers would prefer the ease of use a spinning rod offers.

“As with all tournament style fishing the fish are being pressured more by anglers.

The spinning rod accommodates the light line necessary to get the bites in these situations. It also allows the angler to use reels with larger spools to gain more line back on the fish and to give line to the fish when needed. The lures are now constructed of lighter material and the spinning rod allows a greater ease of casting light lures. Top water fishing is such a popular way to fish for barramundi, that spinning rods come into its own here for imparting action to the lure.”

Ultimately the benefits and versatility of using multiple outfits provides a kaleidoscope of options for the tournament angler to explore. Harnessing the tools at your disposal will give you the added edge, regardless of the situation.

asked our contributors to nominate their favourite outfits. Contributors had to name just one outfit choice for barramundi angling and the reason for their preferences.

Daniel Grech – “It would have to be the 6’6” ACM Barra caster, matched with a Daiwa Zillion and 30lb Suffix 832. It is a great all round combo that can handle all sizes of fish with ease. The rod’s length and slow action means it is more suited to larger lures, but when it comes to casting both distance and accuracy, it is a sniper rifle.”

Peter Price – “My favourite outfit is a 5’9” 8kg Live Fibre Venom teamed with a 300E Shimano Curado spooled with 20lb Sunline PE braid and 45lb Schneider leader. For bigger barra I like to aggressively work Reidy’s Big B52 and the shorter stiffer rod allows me to crack the braid and add action to the lure. The bigger reel has more line capacity, which I like because sometimes it will give you time to remove the anchor and chase the fish.”

Craig Griffiths – “The baitcast outfit is a Dobyns 6’8”, 10-17lb fast action rod teamed with a Calais reel spooled with 20-30lb braid.”

Brad Sissins – “Baitcaster in 6’6” to 6’10”.

Accuracy, control and distance.”

Steve Duff – “A Duffrods X-812sp, 6’9” 4-8kg fast action spinning rod. I can use this rod in all situations. It covers topwater,

plastics and hardbaits with ease. It’s got plenty of power but still with a tip sensitive to impart all the action required to work larger style lures. It’s also my best selling spinning rod for the barra market.”

Given that the majority of anglers questioned nominated a baitcast outfit as their chosen outfit, the demise of the baitcaster appears to be extremely premature. While all the contributing anglers use spinning outfits, what was most evident was their understanding of when and where to employ each outfit. The ability to make the correct decision, especially in a tournament situation, was based on experience and a working understanding of each outfits parameters.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE The use of spinning gear for barramundi may simply be the eternal quest for the latest and greatest, the promise of a new dimension to tournament angling. It shouldn’t be spoken of in revered whispers, rather it should be seen for what it is, a welcome addition to an angler’s arsenal that complements the existing tried and tested equipment.

For anglers toying with the idea of overhauling their barramundi outfits just remember the adage that when your tools are your trade, don’t trade your tools!

Spin outfits on the other hand are a best used with the rod tip up making them more comfortable for less worked retrieves.

PLAYING FAVOURITES With the huge array of information and equipment available to today’s anglers, we TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

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barra earnings, rankings & records T

he JM Gilles BARRA Tour bounced back with a vengeance in 2012 with hot bites and eager young barra giving anglers the fishing fix they’d been sorely missing for the last couple of years.

Peter Price (Faust & Monduran), Scott McAuley (Awoonga) and Daryl Pead reigned supreme as event champions for 2012, while Peter Price topped off his hot tour by claiming the BARRA Tour AOY Title.

While Jon Millard secured the Northern BARRA Tour AOY, and his team mate Daniel Grech the Southern BARRA Tour AOY title.

The southern stops of the tour showed they’ve recovered from the floods and loss of fish, with Awoonga delivering the majority of teams fish, while the usually most-frugal round of the tour, Lake Monduran, saw a record number of fish weighed in. While the XOS fish of past tours are thinner on the ground for anglers, the throng of aggressive eager young barra keen to eat lures bodes well for next year’s tour.

Claiming the lion’s share of the prize money on the tour was Peter Price ($1400), while Daniel Grech ($1250) and Jon Millard ($950) cashed in also to finish the year on a high.

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Jon Millard finished the year as the number one ranked BARRA angler, while last year’s number ranked angler Kerrin Taylor slipped to 7th. The real mover and shaker in rankings was Peter Price who stormed through from 10th to 2nd courtesy of a hot 2012, while his team mate Scott McAuley had an equally impressive march up the rankings ladder from 15th to 4th.

For further records visit www. australianbarra.com.au

BARRA Angler of the Year 2005 Gavin Dunne (457/500 pts) 2006 Kerrin Taylor (381/400 pts) 2007 Cy Taylor (366/400 pts) 2008 Cy Taylor (396/400 pts) 2009 Cy Taylor (397/400 pts) 2010 Kerrin Taylor (298/300 pts) 2011 Jon Millard (297/300 pts) 2012 Peter Price (297/300 pts)

Barra Angler of the Year Nth Tour 2006 Kerrin Taylor (282/300 pts) 2007 Matt Coleman (277/300 pts) 2008 Jason Crofts (197/200 pts) 2009 Cy Taylor (200/200 pts) 2010 Jason Wilhelm (192/200 pts) 2011 Rob Wood (197/200 pts) 2012 Jon Millard (197/200)

Barra Angler of the Year Sth Tour 2006 Jason Medcalf (278/300 pts) 2007 Phil Strader (USA) (278/300 pts)

2008 Cy Taylor (297/300 pts) 2009 Jason Wilhelm (287/300 pts) 2010 Kerrin Taylor (298/300 pts) 2011 Peter Price (285/300 pts) 2012 Daniel Grech (198/200 pts)

Biggest Barra in an Event Peter Price (130cm), 2011 Peter Faust Evening Event

Biggest Barra at each Venue Tinaroo – Warren Adams (118cm), 2005.

Faust – Peter Price (130cm), 2011.

Teemburra – Rodney Collings (110cm), 2005.

Awoonga – Jason Crofts (126cm), 2009.

Monduran – Rick Napier (124cm), 2009.

Biggest Bag in an Event 5 Fish Limit – Daniel Grech (5/5, 583cm), Lake Awoonga, 2009.

10 Fish Limit – Jason Wilhelm (10/10, 1010cm), Lake Awoonga, 2009.

Biggest Bag at each Venue Tinaroo – Kerrin Taylor (5/5, 363cm), 2006.

Kerrin Taylor (6/10, 448cm), 2006.

Faust - Kerrin Taylor (4/5, 405cm), 2006.

Craig Griffiths (9/10, 866cm), 2011.

Teemburra - Rodney Collings (5/5, 482cm), 2005. Cy Taylor (10/10, 732cm), 2009.

Awoonga - Daniel Grech (5/5, 583cm), 2009.

Jason Wilhelm (10/10, 1010cm), 2009.

Monduran - Steve Kanowski (5/5, 411cm), 2006. John Schofield (6/10, 548cm), 2006.

Most BARRA Event Wins Cy Taylor (7)

Most Barra in an Event 231 barramundi for 15,686cm between 64 anglers at Teemburra, 2009. (fish) 229 barramundi for 21,993cm between 58 anglers at Lake Awoonga, 2009. (length)

Most Barra at each Venue Tinaroo – 20 barramundi for 1,598cm between 28 anglers, 2006.

Faust – 124 barramundi for 7,885cm between 54 anglers, 2009.

Teemburra - 231 barramundi for 15,686cm between 64 anglers, 2009.

Awoonga – 229 barramundi for 21,993cm between 58 anglers, 2009.

Monduran - 100 barramundi for 5,207cm between 20 anglers, 2012.

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TOP 60 BARRA rankings 1

Jon Millard

278

21

Colin Brett

51

41

Spencer Troxell

24

2

Peter Price

256

22

Tom Wood

51

42

Jarrod Dalton

24

3

Daniel Grech

236

23

Jamie Bein

46

43

Andrew Black

24

4

Scott McAuley

219

24

Greg Mitchell

44

44

Drew Chapman

24

5

Craig Griffiths

217

25

Bill Schloss

44

45

Zac McFarlane

24

6

Rob Wood

169

26

Brad Purdy

44

46

Mick Jones

23

7

Kerrin Taylor

155

27

Donovan Power

44

47

Jacob Jones

23

8

Michael Weick

152

28

Jason Crofts

42

48

Nathan Smythe

23

9

Glen Smith

143

29

Matt McFarlane

41

49

Quintin Maclean

22

10

Cy Taylor

126

30

Daryl Pead

40

50

Brian Rake

22

11

Brendon Barnett

117

31

Ben Durkin

40

51

Jake Schwerin

21

12

Elaine Sanderson

97

32

Steven Wright

39

52

Gary Leather

21

13

Ken Stanford

92

33

Luke Katsaros

36

53

Shane Sanderson

21

35

54

Dustin Sippel

18

14

Nathan Chapman

85

34

Patrick Morgan

15

Matt McArthur

76

35

Shane Anderson

35

55

Noel Lobban

17

16

Keith Standford

72

36

Trent Power

34

56

Rick Napier

16

17

Geoff Newby

71

37

Simon Black

32

57

Clayton Walker

16

18

Phil Lyons

71

38

Stephen Pill

32

58

Jason Wilhelm

15

19

Craig Jarvis

63

39

Katie Sanderson

28

59

Alan McNamara

15

20

Karim De Ridder

55

40

Shane Clarke

26

60

Beau Jarvis

15

Barra Earnings 2012* $12,510

Mike Connolly

$1,100

Rodney Collings

$600

Kerrin Taylor

$11,155

Rob Wood

$1,050

Steve Kanowski

$600

Jason Wilhelm

$7,100

Darren Lewis

$1,000

Daryl Pead

$550

Scott McAuley

$5,025

Harry Watson

$1,000

Nathan Champan

$550

Jon Millard

$3,930

Chris Nagiello

$900

Andy Thomson

$500

Alan McNamara

$3,400

Heath Craven

$900

Barry Collett

$500

Daniel Grech

$3,360

Lindsay Dobe

$900

Ben Platten

$500

Craig Griffiths

$2,700

Michael Starkey

$900

Craig Simmons

$500

Dean Silvester

$2,600

Mike North (USA)

$900

Issac Toivanen

$500

Simon Barkhuizen

$2,600

Kerry Symes

$800

Katie Sanderson

$500

Peter Price

$2,500

Les Reibelt

$800

Matthew Murray

$500

Jason Crofts

Cy Taylor

$2,400

Nathan Ruth

$700

Michael Schneider

$500

Jake Schwerin

$2,150

Paul McKay

$700

Phill Lyons

$500

Matt Coleman

$1,950

Spencer Troxell

$700

Steve Blaney

$500

Kris George

$1,900

Tyson Robertson

$700

Trent Power

$500

Jock McPherson

$1,750

Warren Adams

$700

Gavin Dunne

$450

Jason Ehrlich

$1,650

Willem Reichard

$700

Aaron Mogg

$400

Matthew Mott

$1,600

Donovan Power

$600

Jason Medcalf

$400

John Schofield

$1,500

Gareth Dunwoodie

$600

Keegan Hayden

$400

Phil Strader (USA)

$1,500

Jarrod Dalton

$600

Lance Richards

$400

Carl Jocumsen

$1,400

Kevin Hulse

$600

Trevor Cassidy

$400

Nigel Webster

$1,200

Rick Napier

$600

Total Earnings 142

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

*Money earners over $400 published.

$111,230

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2013 Sponsor BONUS PROGRAM Tournament anglers are in for a great year on the tournament trail, with quality venues, record prize pools, and unprecedented media coverage and opportunity delivering anglers the season to end all seasons.

F

or anglers on the BREAM, BASS, and BARRA the rewards stretch wider than top class payouts and sponsor laden prize packs, with an expansive role call of Sponsor Bonuses combining to make the ABT tournament trail the most lucrative in the country.

Mercury leads the way for BREAM anglers upsizing their Mercury Bonus $$ to offer the top three placed Mercury owners a cash bonus as each BREAM Qualifier. Add the Mercury Cup to the mix and the Mercury is definitely rising on the BREAM tour. Yamaha aren’t resting on their laurels either with a $250 bonus on offer for the top placed Yamaha owner at each BREAM Qualifier.

It’ll pay to own a Ford in 2013 with the top placed Ford owning boater at each BREAM Qualifier and the top placed Ford owning kayaker at each round of the Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Series receiving a $250 Ford Bonus. If it’s a new Ford Ranger that you own then you can double it to $500. If you’re thinking of buying a new car this year, you better make it a Ford.

Hobie have pulled out all stops for the new tournament season and are offering non-boaters in the Huminbird BREAM Series their very own sponsor bonus program. Every non-boater that fishes the series will receive a complementary Hobie fishing jersey, if they wear it at the event and they finish in the top three they’ll win cash. Add a wildcard invitation to the Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Grand Final for the non-boating BREAM AOY champion and it’s going to be a great year for nonboaters on the Humminbird BREAM Series.

The favourite boat on the tournament trailer, Skeeter, continues its popular Skeeter Bonus Bucks program and the battle for the prize is

144

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

sure to come down to the wire like it did last year. Whatever your species, bream, bass or barra you’re in the mix. How does it work?

Simply own and use a Skeeter on the ABT tournament scene during the year, tally up your best four AOY points scores from the season, and if you have the highest score, then you’re $2000 richer and the Skeeter Bonus Bucks winner. If you’re running an Evinrude E-Tec on the back of your Skeeter than you can double it to $4000.

It’s not all big ticket items when it comes to the Sponsor Bonuses though with Ecogear, Yamatoyo, Duffrods, Damiki, Pontoon 21, Rapala, TT Lures, Strike Pro, Tica and Bassday all offering anglers the Sponsor Bonus experience. Fish with their products, perform with their products, and they’ll reward you for your performance. It just goes to show that it does pay to go fishing.

Australia’s number one boater insurer, Club Marine, pays out in 2013 with the highest placed Club Marine insured boater at BREAM Qualifier, Australia Open, BASS Pro and BARRA events receiving a $500 bonus.

Tired of paying money to your insurer? Here’s your chance to get some back courtesy of Club Marine.

If it’s bream on the menu for you in 2013 it all gets underway in early January on the Glenelg River at the opening round of the Humminbird BREAM Series and Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Series. While if you’re a bass fishing fan it all starts at Lake Glenbawn in February. BARRA anglers will have to wait a little longer with the BARRA Tour hitting Queensland’s lakes at the end of the year.

It’ll be a battle on the water and a battle for the bonus bucks in 2013 so make sure you don’t miss out.

CKS BONU NUS BU BONUS BUCKS BO

SKEETER

BONUS BUCK$ Skeeter makes the best bream, bass and barra boats for Australian tournament anglers and wants to give back to the hundreds of loyal Skeeter owners nationwide.

To do this, Skeeter is offering $2,000 in cash to the best performing Skeeter owner across all of the ABT tours!

Join the points race by letting ABT officials know that you’re a Skeeter owner at the event briefing – all BREAM Qualifier, BASS Pro Qualifier and BARRA (individual) events count – as well as the Australian Open BREAM event. The AOY points that you earn in that event also

Congratulation to 2012 Bonus Bucks Win

craig Griffiths, qld

ner

s

2000!

$

count in the points race and your best four events across the year make up your final score.

This way, anglers across all three major species can compete against each other.

If you’re a bream guy who fishes a bass event or two, they count. If you’re a barra angler who dabbles in bass, then that counts too. The more events you fish, the better your chance of accumulating points.

DOUBLE-UP

WITH EVINRUDE Evinrude E-Tec is the preferred outboard of Skeeter owners, and in recognition of this fact, BRP Australia will DOUBLE the Skeeter payout if the winner of the Skeeter Bonus Buck$ is running an Evinrude outboard.

That’s $4,000 in cold, hard cash if you’re running a Skeeter/

KS US BUC BONUS BUCKS BON * For full terms and conditions see www.skeeterboats.com.au

Evinrude and end up on top of the pack!

With no scheduled dealer servicing for three years, Evinrude E-Tec keeps you on the water and fishing instead of spending your time and money dragging your boat back and forth to the dealer.

And, there’s an Evinrude E-Tec model perfectly suited to every Skeeter boat in the range

O W N E R S

T O U R N A M E N T

Non-boaters

Bonus

Program

are in for the full Hobie experience this year, with a Hobie Bonus Program and Hobie

Bonus Bucks tailor made especially for them. Each nonboater will receive a specially designed Hobie fishing jersey at their first event of the Humminbird BREAM Series. Valued at $80 this limited Hobie jersey will not only make you look good but it’ll also win you money. Sounds good?

This is how it works…

Winners are Grinners Hobie Bonus Bucks Wear your Hobie fishing jersey on the final day of a BREAM Qualifier, from event start to presentation, and the top three placed jersey wearers will pocket cash. $50 for 1st place, $35 for 2nd and $25 for3rd. Do this a few times throughout the season and you can head home with some serious cash.

The rewards don’t end there though. The winner of the BREAM Non-boater AOY Title will receive a wildcard invitation to fish the DaiwaHobie BREAM Kayak Grand Final. With a fully supplied kayak to step into for the invitee it’s a perfect opportunity for a bream non-boater to dip their toe in kayak fishing.

Come and Try It If you’re keen to get into a Hobie and discover kayak fishing then Hobie can make it happen. At three Qualifiers throughout the year the champion non-boater from that event will win the opportunity to fish from a Hobie supplied kayak at a round of the Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Series. To make the transition to kayak fishing as seamless as possible kayak fishing guns of the likes of AFC’s Scott Lovig, Scott Baker, Jason Meech and Richard Somerton will be on hand to help step you through the process. If you’ve ever wanted to get into a Hobie or kayak fishing this is the way to do it.

Get Your Teeth Into This With Hobie always striving to make things bigger and better, the Hobie Bonus Program and Bonus Bucks will give non-boaters on the Bream tour rewards and opportunity like only Hobie can. So make sure you grab your Hobie fishing jersey and hit the tournament trail.

cup 3 1 0 2 m a r g ro P Bonus

&

Y BONUSES! UR C MER D REASE C IN Qualifier, EAMers. In every BREAM

rcury owning BR 50, 3rd $100 2013 is a big year for Me bonuses. 1st $250, 2nd $1 of 00 $5 n wi to ce an ch you have the

Continuing in 2013 is the Mercury Cup. Every Mercury owner in an event that receives BREAM Rankings points (in a Qualifier or the Grand Final) is added to the Mercury Cup points race, and the best five finishes through the season are tallied to crown a winner. Better still, there’s additional cash payouts for the top three placegetters!

As always, all you need to do is declare your ownership at the check-in before the briefing of any BREAM Qualifier and the ABT staff will look after the rest.

Up to date Mercury Cup points tables will be found on the front page of www.bream.com.au throughout the year and the winner will be announced on the final day of the season – the last day of the 2013 BREAM Grand Final.

With the choice of OptiMax, OptiMax ProXS, Verado and Four Stroke, there’s a Mercury outboard to suit any breamin’ hull you like – you can check out the full range at www.mercurymarine.com.au.

Mercury Cup Payouts

1st $1000

2nd $750

3rd $500

Sponsor BONUS PROGRAM

product bonuses for

cash won at every event B B

B

K

Q

B B B

FORD Club Marine logo_NEW.pdf

3/7/06

5:10:31 PM

Win a BREAM, BASS Pro, BARRA Qualifier or Grand Final event using a Rapala lure and Rapala will reward you with a $500 RRP gift pack if you’re a boater and a $250 gift pack if you’re a nonboater. *Lure needs to be nominated in ABT written report.

B B B

Q

a/o

Club Marine The highest placed boater insured with Club Marine gets a $500 Club Marine cash bonus. Must nominate insurer at briefing.

B

Q

G/F

Ecogear Win a BREAM, BASS Pro, BARRA or Grand Final event and Ecogear will reward you with a $500 RRP gift pack if you’re a boater and a $250 gift pack if you’re a nonboater. *Lures need to be nominated in ABT written report.

B B B

Q

Rapala

The top placed boater/kayaker at each BREAM Qualifier and BREAM Kayak event gets a $250 bonus ($500 if it’s a New Ranger).

Ford ownership must be nominated at event sign in. Includes affiliated kayak events that are G/F qualifiers.

B B

G/F

B

Q

Yamatoyo

Q

MERCURY The top three placed Mercury users at a BREAM Qualifier event receive Mercury Bonus payments. 1st $250, 2nd $150, 3rd $100.

Anglers must register their ownership at the briefing.

Win a BREAM, BASS Pro, BARRA or Grand Final event as a boater using a Yamatoyo product and they will reward you with a $250 Yamatoyo gift pack. *Line needs to be nominated in ABT written report.

B

B

Q

Duffrods B

Q

a/o G/F

yamaha The top placed Yamaha owner at each BREAM Qualifier gets a $250 Yamaha Bonus. Includes Australian Open and BREAM Grand Final. Must nominate Yamaha ownership at briefing.

Win a BREAM or BASS Pro Qualifier as either a boater or a nonboater) using a Duffrod and Kustom Fishing Tools will reward you with an identical Duffrod. *Excludes Duffrod Pro Team members.

B B

G/F

Q

DAMIKI Damiki will award a $500 RRP value gift pack to any boater winning a BREAM Qualifier, BASS Pro Qualifier or Grand Final on Damiki lures. Also, a $250 RRP pack is available for a winning non-boater using Damiki in the same events.

B

HOBIE Wear your supplied Hobie tournament jersey at a tournament, finish in the top three (1st- $50, 2nd- $35, 3rd- $25) and you’ll win cash courtesy of Hobie. Win the Non-boater BREAM AOY Title and you’ll also receive a wildcard invitation into the Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Grand Final.

148

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

B

Q

BASSDAY If you win a BREAM Qualifier or catch the overall Big Bream on a Bassday lure you’ll win a $1,000 Bassday lure pack.

Non-Boater

Boater

Q Qualifier

Grand Final

Australian Open

A/O G/F

Kayak

Bream

Bass

Barra

B B B K

performing with sponsor’s product B

B

B

G/F

B B

B

Q

Strike Pro

Strike Pro

Win the ABT National BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Grand Final using Strike Pro lures Hard Bodies or Reaction Baits), and receive $500 CASH, plus a Strike Pro lure pack to the value of $250 RRP. The particular lures must be nominated to the ABT reporter as the event report is written.

Win as a Boater or non-Boater in any ABT BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Qualifier event using Strike Pro lures (Hard Body or Reaction Baits) and receive a bonus Strike Pro lure pack to the value of $300 RRP. The particular lures must be nominated to the ABT reporter as the event report is written.

B

B

B Q

B B

B

Q

Strike Pro

TiCA

Win (as a Boater or non- Boater) in any ABT BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Qualifier event using Strike Pro Armour Braid and receive a Strike Pro Braid and Lure Pack to the value of $300 RRP. The particular braid used must be nominated to the ABT reporter as the event report is written.

Win (as a Boater or non- Boater) in any ABT BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Qualifier event using a TiCA Reel and/or TiCA Rod and receive a TiCA Rod and Reel combination of your choice, to the value of $400 RRP. The particular TiCA reel and/or rod used must be nominated to the ABT reporter as the event report is written.

B

B

B

G/F

Strike Pro Win the ABT National BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Grand Final using Strike Pro Armour Braid and receive $300 CASH plus Strike Pro Braid and Lure pack to the value of $200 RRP. The particular braid used must be nominated to the ABT reporter as the event report is written.

B B

B

Q

Strike Pro Win overall Biggest Bream, Bass or Barra at any ABT BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Qualifier event caught on a Strike Pro lure (Hard Body or Reaction Baits) and receive a Strike Pro lure pack to the value of $300 RRP, plus $100 Cash. The particular lures must be nominated at the time of presentation of the Big Bream, Bass or Barra prize.

B B

B

Q

TT Lures Tackle Tactics will award a $500 RRP value gift pack to any boater and a $250 RRP value gift pack to any nonboater that wins a BASS Pro, BREAM or BARRA Pro Qualifier event on a TT product.

Q

TiCA Win overall Biggest Bream, Bass or Barra at any ABT BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Qualifier event caught using a TiCA Reel, and receive your choice of any current TiCA Reel or Rod to the value of $400 RRP. The particular TiCA Reel must be nominated at the time of presentation of the Big Bream, Bass or Barra prize.

B

B

B

G/F

TiCA Win the ABT National BREAM, BASS Pro or BARRA Grand Final using a TiCA Reel, and receive $300 cash plus a TiCA Reel of your choice to the value of $200 RRP. The particular TiCA Reel used must be nominated to the ABT reporter as the event report is written.

B B B B

B

G/F

Q

Pontoon 21 Pontoon 21 will award a $250 RRP value gift pack to any boater winning a BREAM Qualifier, BASS Pro Qualifier or Grand Final on Pontoon 21 lures. Also, a $125 RRP pack is available for a winning non-boater using Pontoon 21 in the same events.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

149

Retail Sponsor Store Locator

T

Who Shares

wins

1

he ABT Member Retailer Program offers anglers the chance to visit Australia’s premier tackle stores and reap benefits that only ABT members can get. The program is now 10 stores strong with outlets scattered throughout the country including Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Australia.

To reap the benefits and support the stores that support ABT and tournament fishing simply find your local store in the listing below, grab your ABT membership card and get down there to check out their store and tackle range.

Remember, support the stores that support you and your sport. * Condition- must present current ABT membership to receive discounts & offers.

5 Store: The Tackle Warehouse Location: 436 Old Cleveland Rd, Camp Hill, QLD, 4152 Phone: 07 3398 6500 Email: info@tacklewarehouse.com.au Website: www.tacklewarehouse.com.au Discount: 10% (excludes rods and reels

- by negotiation) Mail Order: Yes

2

Store: Fishing Tackle Australia/Motackle Location: 144 Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450 02 6652 4611 Phone: Email: sales@motackle.com.au Website: www.motackle.com.au Discount: n/a Mail Order: Yes

6 Store: Battery Traders Superstore Location: 82 Moss St,

Slacks Creek, QLD, 4127 Phone: 07 3209 3144 Email: steven@batterytraders.com.au Website: www.batterytraders.com.au Discount: 10% Mail Order: Yes (on selected products)

Store: Manning River Marine Location: 13 Victoria St, Taree, NSW, 2430 Phone: 02 6552 2333 Email: jim@manningrivermarine.com.au Website: www.manningrivermarine.com.au Discount: 15% (excludes some items) Mail Order: Yes

9 3

7 Store: Factory Tackle Outlet (FTO) Location: 1/11 Knobel Crt,

Shailer Park, QLD, 4128 Phone: 0416 017 094 Email: orders@factorytackleoutlet.com Website: www.factorytackleoutlet.com Discount: 15% Mail Order: Yes

4

9 Store: Lake Glenbawn Kiosk Location: Lake Glenbawn State Park, NSW Phone: 02 6543 8355 Email: bakerods@hotkey.net.au Website: www.lakeglenbawnkiosk.com.au Discount: $25 Jackalls &

$1 off all marked prices Mail Order: Yes

8 Store: Big River Bait and Tackle Location: 16 River St, Maclean, NSW, 2463 Phone: 02 6645 1834 Email: bigriver@bigpond.net.au Website: http://www.shakeandbake.com.au Discount: 10% (excludes some items) Mail Order: Yes

150

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

Store: Albany Rods & Tackle Location: 40 Stirling Tce, Albany, WA, 6330 Phone: 08 9841 1231 Email: albanyrt@bigpond.net.au Discount: 5% (excludes specials) Mail Order: Yes

10 Store: Tamar Marine Location: 6-8 West Tamar Rd, Launceston, TAS, 7250 Phone: 03 6331 6188 Email: sales@tamarmarine.com.au Website: www.tamarmarine.com.au Discount: 10% Mail Order: Yes

Store: Fish n’ Bits Bait & Tackle Location: 340 Alderley Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350 Phone: 07 4636 6850 Email: fish.bits@hotmail.com Website: www.fishnbits.com.au Discount: 10% Mail Order: Yes

member 13 Bring this card to all abt events

1

2

3

10 4 7

5 6

8

Online Retailers Store: www.fishin.com.au Location: Online Store Phone: n/a Email: info@fishin.com.au Website: www.fishin.com.au Discount: 10% for ABT members Mail Order: Yes

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13

151

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2013 ABT membership form (01/02/2013 - 01/02/2014)

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Tick membership option

New Member Please join me up!

My $50 joining fee gets me:

• Sponsor pack

• 2 x sew-on patches

• Eligibility for ABT tournaments

• An ABT membership card

• 2013 Tournament Angler Guide

• AFC Series DVD

Po box 7196 loganholme qld 4129 ph 07 3387 0888 fax 07 3387 0889

Renewal Please renew my ABT membership!

My $50 renew fee ensures that: I continue to receive the benefits of ABT membership for the forthcoming year

• Eligibility for ABT tournaments

• Sponsor pack

• An ABT membership card

• AFC Series DVD

Name Street address Suburb

State

Postcode

Email address Phone Numbers Day _____________________________________________ Night ___________________________________________ Mobile __________________________________________

Payment (tick one)

cheque

postal order

credit card

cheques or postal oder made out to ABT current member

Post forms to: ABT PO Box 7196 Loganholme QLD 4129

insurance provided

Credit card details (Visa or Mastercard Only) Expiry Date ______/______ Card No_______________/______________/______________/_______________ Amount (+3% processing fee) $__________________________________________ Sign _______________________________________________________________

ABT: who shares wins

or fax to...

(07) 3387 0889 Membership enquiries to: ABT on (07) 3387 0888 (b/h)

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series 2013

Po box 7196 loganholme qld 4129 ph 07 3387 0888 fax 07 3387 0889

Tournament Entry Form • One form per event • Guaranteed entries: Boater and Non-boater use the SAME FORM

3

DATE

LOCATION

EVENT

SPONSOR

16-17 Feb

STATE NSW

Glenbawn Dam

BASS Qualifier #1

G.Loomis

20-21 Apr

NSW

Lake St Clair

BASS Qualifier #2

Samurai Reaction

15-16 Jun

QLD

Lake Boondooma

BASS Qualifier #3

Club Marine

17-18 Aug

QLD

Somerset Dam

BASS Qualifier #4

TT Lures

NOTE: A $100 (cash only) Option Up (Boater & Non-Boater) is available and must be paid at the event briefing.

A full set of 2013 rules are available online at www. bream.com.au or by calling ABT on (07) 3387 0888 during business hours.

Entries close on the last mail on Friday the week before the tournament - late entries accepted at ABT’s discretion with a 20% surcharge. Entries are not accepted without payment and payment is not accepted without an entry form.

ABT has the right to exercise discretion in accordance to

the rules. Due to credit card charges an additional amount of 3% will be incurred for credit card payments.

If you are a not an ABT member please include a completed membership form and payment with this entry form.

Please ensure all relevant boat insurance and registration is up to date before the event.

TICK ONE THEN FILL OUT THE SECTION BELOW. A BOATER AND NON BOATER ENTERING ON THE SAME FORM WITH PAYMENT INCLUDED WILL BE GUARANTEED A START.

BOATER entry ($220)

NON-BOATER entry ($110)

Name ___________________________________________________

Name __________________________________________________

State____________________________________________________

State___________________________________________________

Day Phone _______________________________________________

Day Phone ______________________________________________

Mobile __________________________________________________

Mobile _________________________________________________

Payment (tick one)

cheque

postal order

credit card

cheques or postal oder made out to ABT current member

insurance provided

Payment (tick one)

cheque

postal order

credit card

cheques or postal oder made out to ABT current member

Credit card details (Visa or Mastercard Only)

Credit card details (Visa or Mastercard Only)

Expiry Date ______/______

Expiry Date ______/______

Card No___________/___________/___________/_______

Card No_________/__________/___________/_________

Amount (+3% processing fee) $________________________

Amount (+3% processing fee) $_______________________

Sign _____________________________________________

Sign ____________________________________________

Entry lists published and updated on www.australianbass.com.au

australian bream tournaments www.bream.com.au

kayak series 2013

Tournament Entry Form DATE

ARENA

EVENT

19-20 Jan

Glenelg

WORLDS QF # 1

16-17 Feb

Bemm River

Qualifier

9-10 Mar

Narrabeen

Qualifier

17-Mar

Burrill Lake

Qualifier

6-7 Apr

Marlo

WORLDS QF # 2

27-28 Apr

Ansons Inlet

Qualifier

4-5 May

Forster

Super Series

18-19 May

Blackwood River

Qualifier

29-30 Jun

Redcliffe

WORLDS QF # 3

13-14 Jul

Lake Tyers

Qualifier

25-Aug

Gold Coast Canals

Qualifier

7-8 Sep

Mooloolabah

Super Series

29-Sep

Patterson Lake

Qualifier

12-13 Oct

Port Macquarie

WORLDS QF # 4

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â&#x20AC;˘ One form per event

3

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Note: Anglers who enter these events on-the-day will pay an extra $20 and also start last.

TICK ONE

KAYAKER ($100 on the day) Name ___________________________________________________ State____________________________________________________ Day Phone _______________________________________________ Mobile __________________________________________________ Payment (tick one)

cheque

postal order

credit card

cheques or postal oder made out to ABT current member

Credit card details (Visa or Mastercard Only) Expiry Date ______/______ Card No___________/___________/___________/_______ Amount (+3% processing fee) $________________________ Sign _____________________________________________

Note: A $50 (cash only) Option Up is available and must be paid at the event briefing. A full set of 2013 rules are available online at www. bream.com.au or by calling ABT on (07) 3387 0888 during business hours.

Entries close on the last mail on Friday the week before the tournament - late entries accepted at ABTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discretion. Entries are not accepted without payment and payment is not accepted without an entry form.

ABT has the right to exercise discretion in accordance to the rules. Due to credit card charges an additional amount of 3% will be incurred for credit card payments.

If you are a not an ABT member please include a completed membership form and payment with this entry form.

Entry lists published and updated on www.bream.com.au

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series 2013

australian barra tournaments www.australianbarra.com.au

Tournament Entry Form

Po box 7196 loganholme qld 4129 ph 07 3387 0888 fax 07 3387 0889

• One form per event • Guaranteed entries: Boater and Non-boater use the SAME FORM

3

DATE

STATE

LOCATION

EVENT

SPONSOR

19-20 Jan

SA

Glenelg River

BREAM Qualifier #1

Atomic

23-24 Feb

VIC

Mallacoota

BREAM Qualifier #2

Sunline

9-10 Mar

NSW

Hawkesbury River

BREAM Qualifier #3

Gladiator

13-14 Apr

VIC

Gippsland Lakes

BREAM Qualifier #4

Hobie

4-5 May

TAS

Derwent River

BREAM Qualifier #5

Shimano

18-19 May

WA

Blackwood River

BREAM Qualifier #6

Mercury

6-7 Jul

NSW

Clarence River

BREAM Qualifier #7

Yamaha

10-11 Aug

QLD

Gold Coast

BREAM Qualifier #8

Austackle

NOTE: A $100 (cash only) Option Up (Boater & Non-Boater) is available and must be paid at the event briefing.

A full set of 2013 rules are available online at www. bream.com.au or by calling ABT on (07) 3387 0888 during business hours.

Entries close on the last mail on Friday the week before the tournament - late entries accepted at ABT’s discretion with a 20% surcharge. Entries are not accepted without payment and payment is not accepted without an entry form.

ABT has the right to exercise discretion in accordance to

the rules. Due to credit card charges an additional amount of 3% will be incurred for credit card payments.

If you are a not an ABT member please include a completed membership form and payment with this entry form.

Please ensure all relevant boat insurance and registration is up to date before the event.

TICK ONE THEN FILL OUT THE SECTION BELOW. A BOATER AND NON BOATER ENTERING ON THE SAME FORM WITH PAYMENT INCLUDED WILL BE GUARANTEED A START - EVEN THOUGH THEY DON’T FISH TOGETHER.

BOATER entry ($220)

NON-BOATER entry ($110)

Name ___________________________________________________

Name __________________________________________________

State____________________________________________________

State___________________________________________________

Day Phone _______________________________________________

Day Phone ______________________________________________

Mobile __________________________________________________

Mobile _________________________________________________

Payment (tick one)

cheque

postal order

credit card

cheques or postal oder made out to ABT current member

insurance provided

Payment (tick one)

cheque

postal order

credit card

cheques or postal oder made out to ABT current member

Credit card details (Visa or Mastercard Only)

Credit card details (Visa or Mastercard Only)

Expiry Date ______/______

Expiry Date ______/______

Card No___________/___________/___________/_______

Card No_________/__________/___________/_________

Amount (+3% processing fee) $________________________

Amount (+3% processing fee) $_______________________

Sign _____________________________________________

Sign ____________________________________________

Entry lists published and updated on www.bream.com.au

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