Vic/Tas Fishing Monthly August 2017

FATHERS’ DAY GIFT IDEAS • PURRUMBETE ON FIRE

Tried and tested Micro Cat 4.4m Sidewinder with 40hp Honda • Quintrex Stealth Hornet 530 with 150hp HO Evinrude • Black Magic DX Point Hooks •

Features Spotlight: Lake Purrumbete • Bait gathering in PPB and Western Port • Fathers’ Day gift ideas • The Lure Show wrap up •

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Boating & kayaking Wind up winter at Wendouree • Native Watercraft Slayer 10 Propel • Simrad NSS7 evo 3 chartplotter • Part I: DIY trailer bearings • Evinrude iDock •

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August 2017, Vol. 12 No. 10

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

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Warrnambool 18 Cobden 18 Apollo Bay

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CENTRAL Geelong 22 Port Phillip West

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Port Phillip North

26

Port Phillip North East

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Mornington Peninsula

29

Western Port North

30

Western Port South

32

Phillip Island

34

EAST COAST Gippsland Lakes

40

Marlo 40 Lakes Entrance

41

McLoughlins Beach

42

NSW SOUTH COAST Eden 44 Mallacoota 44 Bermagui 45 Narooma 46 Merimbula 47

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 54 Ballarat 55

From the Editor’s Desk...

BALLINA, NSW It’s probably the closest I’ve written this to the FM offices for months – Ballina, NSW. We’re here for another round of the ABT Costa BREAM Tour and we have four boats this time live-streaming from their competition rigs. We’ve talked about it before and fishing is becoming a real spectator sport much quicker than you think.

A lot has happened in the last month!

LURE SHOW Fishing Monthly was an integral part of the organising team of The Lure Show in Ipswich in July. Over 65 booths filled with Australia’s most talented lure makers – all selling their creations – was a vibe you have to experience to believe.

There were locals, interstate and international

visitors there to check out the local lure making talent, which seems to be growing at an exponential rate in this country.

We’ve put together a page of all the awardwinning lures from the show – and although these are all awesome, they’re just a small fraction of what was available.

CHINA I did spend half of the last month in China. Not fishing, although like most anglers, I checked out each waterway we encountered for signs of life.

Apart from plenty of baitfish-sized fish, it was hard to see anything that wasn’t a carp that was worth fishing for. In one place, the local angler used a shanghaipowered bolt that looked like a spear tip to shoot turtles. It was attached to a closed-face reel on his wrist.

Combine the lack of

apparent fishing with smog laden skies and I returned to Australia being solidly reminded of how lucky we are to be able to see the sky and to have such great opportunities to experience fishing and the outdoors in such a sparsely populated part of the world.

IDOCK There was an embargo in place so we couldn’t run it in the last magazine, but this month features the Evinrude iDock – the product launch I travelled to Florida for last issue.

It always amazes me to see these jumps in technology.

Of course, driving a boat by a joystick has been available for years, but with Evinrude’s engine architecture, it’s becoming more compact, cheaper and easier to do.

The product will be available Down Under in 2018 and expect to see it on twin rigged boats soon after.

MELBOURNE BOAT SHOW Thanks to all of the readers who signed up or renewed their subscriptions at the Melbourne Boat Show. We hope you are enjoying the free gifts - either a Daiwa spinning reel or an Okuma twin-tipped rod - that you took with you.

You would have also noticed that a lot of the manufacturers and retailers ran the Fishing Monthly video content on their stands.

We’re very active in this area nowadays and if you’re sick of seeing FM boat tests bombarding you at the show, then we have done our job properly!

Remember that you can subscribe to our ‘FishingMonthy’ YouTube channel and be notified immediately about new videos as they are released.

Until next month, tight lines and enjoy the late winter fishing.

Robinvale 56 Mildura 57 Yarrawonga 57 Wangaratta 58 Shepparton 59 Jindabyne 60 Eildon 61

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BOATING AND KAYAK

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SPECIAL FEATURES Spotlight: Lake Purrumbete

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A beautiful Chinook salmon taken from Purrembete.

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The Lure Show wrap up

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AUST

Bait gathering in PPB and Western Port

Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold Cordelia Adams

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Fishing Diary Angler: Lee Rayner Location: Eucumbene River Date: May 2016 Conditions: 3 WNW 4 km/h Black Magic Tackle: 8lb Fluoro, 4kg+ SSP Fibre Glide line and a halfback nymph.

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Lake Purrumbete is firing right up for trout COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

From the Melbourne metropolitan area to the north central part of the state, well above Ballarat and over to the South Australia border, freshwater anglers who love to chase trophy salmonoids are traveling great distances just to fish Lake Purrumbete.

Lake Purrumbete lies in southwest Victoria just

or anglers want a simple change of scenery.

Lake Purrumbete can be found just off the Princes Highway between Colac and Camperdown by simply taking a left turn down Koallah Road at Weerite. That applies to all those heading from the east, such as Melbournebased anglers. For those travelling from the north, once you arrive in the township of Camperdown (which has all the amenities that a large town

yes, this is a lot of water.

It is an extinct (we hope) volcanic crater now full of water at least 70m deep.

Fisheries have stocked this lake with trout and salmon for many years.

There is a very large population of resident redfin and in recent years they have become somewhat stunted due to their numbers.

Recently, funding was allocated for a survey on how to reduce the resident population, which should

A Damiki Z Glider ice jig worked just off the bottom in 10m enticed several redfin. minutes from the towns of Camperdown and Cobden.

Those who travel down to fish the lake for two or more days also have the option of wetting a line in nearby Lake Bullen Merri or Elingamite.

These two options are always available, just in case Purrumbete happens to be fishing a tad slow

could ever provide) head south on the Cobden Road and make a turn left onto County Boundary Road.

The lake is signposted at these turnoffs.

The lake itself is over 580ha in size, so there’s plenty of room for boaters to operate without getting in each other’s way. It holds 120,000ML when full and

ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park 540 Purrumbete Estate Road Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park has powered and unpowered sites plus ensuites and standard cabins available. A public boat ramp and trailer parking can be found here.

Ph: (03) 5594 5377 lakepurrumbeteholidaypark.com.au Lake Purrumbete Cottages 658 Purrumbete Estate Road Several fully self-contained cottages ideal for the angler are available for hire.

Ph: (03) 5593 8282 www.lakepurrumbetecottages.com.au Lake Edge Café 640 Purrumbete Estate Road Meals range from $12-$22 and the café is fully licenced. Lake Edge places an emphasis on sourcing local produce and the café has great views of the lake. Indoor or al fresco dining are available. It is advisable to pre-book, especially on weekends and public holidays.

Open 10am-4pm Ph: 0419 591 660 www.lakeedgecafe.com.au 8

AUGUST 2017

reduce pressure on the existing natural food supplies currently found in the lake. Larger salmonoids, through natural predation of smaller fish, may then be able to keep the reduced population in check.

Here’s hoping a solution can be found.

Currently the redfin can be caught on baits such as worms and soft plastics jigged in depths approaching 20m.

Anchoring up and sending down live baits along with berley can often see cricket score catches of redfin come on board. In autumn the redfin school up and come closer to shore as they commence their annual spawning cycle.

Again, many fish can be caught in a single session without having to plumb the depths. While many fish are on the small side, not all of them are. Please keep all redfin you catch, regardless of size, and do your bit in reducing this huge population.

Rainbow and brown trout can also be found, along with Chinook salmon and, just recently, the brook trout, which is actually a member of the Char family. There is a two year

The weather is still very cool in Southern Victoria and the salmonoid fishing is still going great guns with no sign of it backing off anytime soon. This 3.85kg Chinook salmon was taken by the author. These aren’t a common capture at Lake Purrumbete as most of the Chinook salmon stocking now goes to nearby Lake Bullen Merri. experiment currently being undertaken by fisheries to see how they fare surviving and thriving and their catchability.

Last year saw a remarkable increase of trophy brown trout captures. Many fish in excess of 4kg were hooked, played and lost or landed.

There weren’t thousands of fish of this calibre caught,

but you’d hear of a few leviathans coming in on a weekly basis and probably a few more that went unrecorded. They weren’t easy to catch by any means and subtle tactics often had to be employed to entice a strike or two. Most of all, patience and perseverance and sometimes several trips out on the lake were required before the big one

finally pounced on a lure, soft plastic or bait.

The top predators that reside below the surface of this lake are the trophy browns and Chinook salmon to a lesser extent.

These fish don’t get big by being stupid. These fish are certainly very cunning and, in saying that, they will often do their hunting at dawn and dusk or after dark

Boaters trolling lures in search of trout just out front of the boat ramp at the caravan park.

in many instances.

Boaters who spend most of the day working the waters in search of a fish or two then leave in the late afternoon to be home by dinnertime are often leaving right at the best time to concentrate their efforts. You should really fish right through until at least an hour or two after sunset. Keep that in mind, especially if you’re staying in the area for a night or two. Fish early and fish late.

Do your relaxing during the middle of the day.

Late last year an angler ventured down from Melbourne for a day of fishing on the lake and besides a few smallish Chinook salmon, a brown at 55cm and a rainbow at 54cm, which would be considered a good day out, this angler connected up to and (after a 45 minute fight) brought aboard a 5.3kg brown trout. I believe the fish was put on ice and

sent off to a taxidermist, and why not?

A similar thing can be said about the Chinook salmon, but nearby Lake Bullen Merri receives the most salmon stocking now as their growth rate there is better than in Purrumbete.

Purrumbete now gets the lion’s share of browns and it’s finally showing in a big way.

Sometimes an anglers get a surprise as I experienced late last year. At 11am on a

Hoses Point and Hoses Rocks just beyond are favourite spots for land-based anglers to try their luck.

An average Purrumbete redfin. To find the bigger ones you’ll need to wade through the smaller ones first.

bright, sunny and calm day, I was seriously thinking about throwing in the towel. I had yet to receive an enquiry after spending several hours trolling lures around the perimeter of the lake.

Suddenly one rod bent back at an alarming angle while the line emptied off the reel.

After carefully playing the fish to gain some line back on the reel and a 15 minute fight, I landed a PB Chinook salmon that measured 73cm

and weighed in at 3.8kg, so not all big Chinooks reside at nearby Bullen Merri.

Rainbow trout have always been released here, as they are fast growing and easier to catch than browns.

A typical large rainbow taken from the lake can easily weigh in at approximately 2.5kg. It’s a rare event to catch them much bigger than that, but over the years the occasional fish has been taken approaching 4kg

in weight.

Public accessibility to the southwestern corner is restricted somewhat. A double concrete launching ramp surrounded by floating pontoons and jetties can be accessed by entering the Lake Purrumbete Caravan Park. You don’t need to be staying at the park to use the boat ramp.

Land-based access is restricted to Hoses Rocks To page 10

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9

From page 9

on the western shore and the disused quarry on the eastern side.

METHODS There’s no great mystery when it comes to chasing the fish on Purrumbete. It’s very much the same as elsewhere, except you must take into consideration that fish exceeding 4kg reside here and decide whether or not you’ll upgrade your tackle to cope with playing these larger fish.

In saying that, the waters are

quite clear and the heavier the line and leader, the more visible to fish it becomes.

A 1.8-2.1m, 2-4kg rated rod matched to a 1500-2000 spinning reel is the go-to combo. I spool my reels up with 6-8lb braid with a similar breaking strength for the leader. I use about 1.5m of leader tied directly to the braid.

I only use fluorocarbon leader, as it’s less visible in the water than monofilament.

To this I directly tie either a jighead for fishing soft

plastics or a minnow lure for casting and flat line trolling. If trolling, have the lure working as far out from the stern of the boat as possible. I aim for at least 20-30m. The boat’s hull will spook nearby fish, but thankfully a trout’s brain is roughly the size of a pinhead, so they effectively have no memory. This means that once spooked, they won’t remember why and they’ll go back to what they were previously doing, which (hopefully) was searching for prey.

The eastern shoreline near Horans Point with Mount Pondant in the background.

Bait fishers can’t go past a clear bubble float. This can be partially filled with water to make it sit correctly on the water and supply weight to assist in casting. One or two split shots attached to the line below this and well above the hook will ensure that the line hangs down in the water column in a vertical position.

I would have at least a metre of leader under the float.

In some cases when the trout are feeding lower down in the water column up to 3m maybe required.

If you’re using mudeyes for bait, a no. 8-12 hook is recommended so the bait can be shallow pinned just under the wing casing. A larger hook would inevitably do damage and kill the mudeye. For other baits such as worms and live minnows, a no. 2-4 hook is adequate.

In the grand scheme of all things relating to the weather, we in the southwest have not fully experienced a long, hot summer, which simply equates to thermocline layers not quite forming in our incredibly deep crater lakes. Without going into too much technical detail, this means that the trout can still be found in the shallower sections of Purrumbete without having to resort to down rigging baits and lures. Fingerscrossed this continues.

Top: There are always plenty of small rainbows about to annoy the angler at times.

Middle: This average redfin succumbed to a Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts deep diver fished near the weed beds in 6m depth.

Bottom: A female rainbow in spawn taken on a Loftys Cobra in white. A great all round trout lure.

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Offshore trolling for dummies NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Trolling lures in offshore waters doesn’t have to be a matter of ‘drag it and hope.’ A few simple tricks can dramatically improve your strike rate, wherever you fish and whatever species you hunt.

Whether you’re chasing Spanish mackerel along the Great Barrier Reef, marlin off Sydney or southern bluefin tuna in Victorian and

a desert. There are vast, barren areas punctuated by little oases of life. Often, these concentration points occur along current breaks, at temperature fronts, over upwellings and near major bottom features such as reefs, pinnacles and sea mounts. Believe it or not, a 10 or 20m high lump on the seabed can actually influence the behaviour of fish swimming near the surface 100 or even 200m above!

Luckily you won’t be out there in the marine

desert hunting all on your own. As well as other anglers in their boats, you’ll have eyes in the sky in the form of seabirds such as terns, gannets, shearwaters, frigates and albatross.

These birds are all seeking the same baitfish as the pelagic predators you’re chasing and they are much better at finding them than you are! If all the birds are flying in one direction,

Try to run a mix of different lure styles, sizes and colours. It’s always a good idea to have at least one deep diver in the mix, as well as surfacerunning skirted heads, rubber squid and the like.

Deploy as many lines as you can comfortably handle without constantly getting tangled, but remember that all those lines will need to be cranked in when a

Using brightly coloured lines can be a big help in avoiding crossovers and tangles when trolling. run your lures behind the boat, too. Don’t be afraid to set at least one lure really short, right in the prop wash. Don’t forget that your boat and motor are working like a giant teaser, creating white water and noise that will actually attract many fish.

Finally, set your drags tight enough to drive hooks home without snapping lines. About a quarter of the line’s breaking strain or slightly more is a good starting point. So, if you’re using 15kg line, set the drag on the reel at about 4kg. Once a fish has been hooked and finished its first run, the boat has stopped and the other lines have

Success! The gaff goes into a keeper.

Winners are grinners! Rob Pullen, Adam Hill and Starlo with a school-sized Tasmanian bluefin tuna taken on the troll.

Tasmanian waters, there’s a lot more to successful offshore trolling than throwing a couple of lures out the back of the boat and blindly driving around the ocean until something finally climbs on!

As with any form of fishing, finding the best locations is a big part of any successful strategy. In offshore trolling, this means narrowing down the best water. That might involve seeking a certain temperature range or optimum water colour/clarity, and this will vary with the target species.

Find out as much as you can about the fish you’re chasing and seek advice from more experienced anglers on where to start looking.

Just finding the right patch of water mightn’t be enough in itself. The open ocean is very much like

follow them. And when you find wheeling masses of dipping, diving, feeding birds, feed the lures astern and start fishing.

fish is hooked. If there are only two or three anglers on board, four lines out is probably plenty.

As a rule of thumb, troll

Once the boat has slowed or stopped and the other lines have been cleared, you can ease that drag up a little and really get to work.

Wayne Turale with a plump southern bluefin tuna taken virtually in the shadow of Tasman Island, in southeastern Tasmania. Skirted pusher style lures like this one are highly effective on most pelagic species, but need to be pulled fairly quickly – usually between 5 and 9 knots.

as fast as the slowest lure in the spread will allow you to go. In other words, keep increasing speed until one lure blows out of the water and begins to tumble, then back off slightly. Quicker trolling speeds cover more water and tend to attract more strikes.

Mix the distances you

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been cleared, you can ease that drag up slightly to around a third of the breaking strain of the line.

Trolling doesn’t have to be a matter of blind luck and putting in the hours. By concentrating on the details, you can dramatically increase your chances of success.

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Fishing galore at National 4X4 Outdoors Show The National 4X4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo has announced its return to the Melbourne Showgrounds from 18-20 August, providing fishing enthusiasts with the opportunity snap up special bargains and browse the latest in all things outdoors.

Following the success of the Brisbane event, Melbournians now have access to the very best in fishing, boating, 4x4, camping and outdoor touring for the three show days during August.

The action-packed event will showcase tens of thousands of products from over 200 leading exhibitors

for three talks each day throughout the event, sharing his fishing experiences from around Australia. Together with David Kramer, Paul will be giving away over $1000 of fishing prizes to some lucky show-goers, so visitors should be sure not to miss Paul and David on stage during the show.

Presentations on the Tackle World Fishing Stage will also include a squid cleaning demonstration, tackle talk, and a wide range of entertaining fishing yarns, covering the breadth of Australia.

If you are keen to hear some fascinating fishing tales, Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling

World Fishing Stage will be special guests John ‘Roothy’ Rooth, Jase Andrews from All 4 Adventure, Shaun and Graham from 4WD Action, AFL legend Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt, and Rick and Ben Milbourne from The Offroad Adventure Show.

Regardless of what visitors are hoping to achieve at the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo, every interest and pastime is catered for. Off the stage there will be hundreds of fantastic deals and bargains, the latest products, industry firsts and more gadgets than you could possibly look at in just one day.

Whether you are looking

Off road enthusiasts will have a blast watching the action on the dedicated 4WD Proving Ground. family. Spend the day watching the entertainment on the interactive Campfire Cooking Stage, Waeco CFX Outback Stage, dedicated 4WD Proving Ground, and all of the excitement on the Action Arena.

In a first for Melbourne in 2017, the new interactive

Base Camp feature will simulate a real outback camping experience. Bring the children along to test out some of the latest wares from leading camping retailers, and swap some of your favourite fishing and camping stories next to the campfire.

trip. Visitors should take advantage of the knowledge that is available from our special guests and industry experts, whether it’s learning a new fishing spot or how to introduce your children to the hobby.

“As a show that is totally family friendly, for all ages,

There’s something for everyone. “For those who aren’t necessarily there to purchase, the show will be an invaluable source of information and inspiration for your next fishing or outback trip,” says Event Director Paul Mathers. and retailers, meaning all fishing interests will be met at the show.

Fishing enthusiasts can spend all day exploring the latest and greatest products and services the industry has to offer, with over 30,000m2 of everything you could possibly need for your next outback adventure.

Browse products from the likes of high profile exhibitors Tackle World, AFN, JV Marine, Hot Tackle and Bait & Tackle Direct, and hundreds of industry leaders from the fishing, boating, 4x4 and outdoor industries.

If it’s demonstrations you are after, this year’s Tackle World Fishing Stage features an exciting line-up of special guests and industry experts, catering for all fishers – from beginners to the seasoned angler, and those who just love to hear a great fishing yarn.

Paul Worsteling from TV’s IFISH and David Kramer from Talking Fishing will be headlining the stage, introducing all of the on-stage presenters, and spilling their fishing secrets, tips and tricks, including advice on bluewater and bay fishing, flyfishing, lures, bait and tackle.

Paul will appear on stage 14

AUGUST 2017

is not to be missed. From his early days as a co-host of Rex Hunt Fishing Adventures, to sharing his wealth of knowledge and fishing experience from all around the country, Starlo could talk for hours about his fishing expeditions.

Also joining the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo line-up away from the Tackle

for a bargain on a significant item, such as a new camper or boat, or a smaller more cost-effective product, such as some new fishing accessories, or even just seeking out some valuable advice from those in the know, the show will have you covered.

For those who would like to bring the kids along, the show caters for the entire

Browse products from hundreds of industry leaders from the fishing, boating, 4x4 and outdoor industries.

Off the stage there will be hundreds of fantastic deals and bargains, the latest products, industry firsts and more gadgets than you could possibly look at in just one day.

“We are pleased to be bringing the ever-popular National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo back to Melbourne for another year, following its great success in Brisbane during March,” Event Director Paul Mathers said.

“We continue to adapt the show to our visitors’ needs to ensure it truly exceeds all expectations. In August our attendees can expect hundreds of special show-only deals, promos and bargains, with the sheer number of exhibitors and products jam-packed under the one roof, all fighting for your attention.

“For those who aren’t necessarily there to purchase, the show will be an invaluable source of information and inspiration for your next fishing or outback

we really encourage you to bring along the kids, take in the entertainment, check out every corner of the show, and really make a day of it.”

The National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo is on at the Melbourne Showgrounds from 18-20 August, open from 9am-6pm Friday and Saturday, and 9am-5pm Sunday.

For more information, updates or to purchase tickets, visit www.4x4show.com. au/melbourne Fishing Monthly readers have special access to a discounted price on tickets.

Simply use the promo code ‘TACKLE’ at the checkout when purchasing tickets online to the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo. – The National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo

Mixed bags and plenty of fishing options WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

Wet and cold weather in August shouldn’t deter keen anglers to get out on the water in the southwest, with plenty of options from fresh and estuary through to inshore and offshore fishing.

The Glenelg has been fishing exceptionally well over the previous few months as have many of the rivers. Bream, estuary perch and mulloway have all been in the mix with the two standout rivers being the Glenelg and Hopkins rivers. In August we’d expect to see a continuation of the winter bite with bream predominantly sitting out wide off the banks in the slightly deeper water. Try 2-4m for a good average depth to work with both lures and baits at this time of year. As always, using your sounder to locate schooled up fish to target is the order of the day.

As with the bream, perch are tending to congregate and recruit in the lower sections of the rivers, sitting out in those deeper holes or adjacent

Trout will really start to fire up through August. to deep structure like rock walls and timber snags.

Soft plastic lures worked very slowly will account for plenty of fish. At times of increased flow with lesser water clarity,

the cold of winter. Live baits like mullet rigged on a float or slow trolled along the deeper edges are also dynamite on mulloway.

Freshwater fishing has also been exceptional this year and good rains have seen water levels rise in our impoundments. Redfin have been outstanding in both numbers and quality of fish. Lure and bait fishos have had no trouble putting together cricket scores of reddies with plenty of reports rolling in from all our key waterways.

Toolondo, Purrembete and Fyans have been the standouts. As we get into the really cold days I’d expect to see a drop off in those big bags of redfin and the trout should start to fire up in these same locations.

Surf fishing has also been first-class over the last few months with all our beaches from SA through to Warrnambool and beyond producing good numbers of

quality Australian salmon.

Bait fishing with pilchards and squid never fails to produce fish and casting lures at gutters along the beaches is also an exciting way to target these hard fighting fish. For those fishing heavier gear and bigger baits overnight there has also been a lot of gummy and school sharks on the chew, particularly over towards the SA border and beyond.

Offshore winter is the peak time for southern bluefin tuna and August seems to be the best month for large barrel tuna in the South West.

There have been plenty of smaller school fish about and the odd barrel taken out of Portland as well as further to the east around Apollo Bay. With some big fish coming from Port Mac recently, August may be the month we really see them fire here in the South West!

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Salmon sessions in the surf prove successful WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

The true horrors of a South West winter haven’t hit us yet. The first part of winter has remained remarkably dry, with conditions conducive for getting out amongst the winter species on offer.

I’m sure things will get wetter and colder, but there is always something on the go to keep keen anglers motivated.

There has been a good run of salmon along the coast so far this winter.

Killarney Beach has been a hotspot, but good fish are also being encountered off the Warrnambool Breakwater, the Moyne River rock walls, the Basin Beach and East Beach at Port Fairy.

A popular way to target these fish has been wandering a beach (or breakwall) throwing metal slices. It’s not only a great way to spend a session, it’s also a productive way of locating the fish and just a downright fun way of catching salmon. For the surf angler who likes an active approach to their angling, it definitely is the way to go. With some fish in the 2-3kg range, they are certainly worth targeting.

Tuna have been present, but most are some distance offshore, with the inshore bite usually experienced in late autumn and early winter, not yet eventuating.

Some anglers have been taking advantage of the calm conditions offshore and targeting a variety of bottom fish on micro jigs and producing some interesting mixed bags.

Winter is trout time in the South West, and some quality fish to over 2kg have been coming to those who put in the time. The fish have been in good condition following last year’s good winter rains, and a not too hot 20162017 summer.

A new regulation introduced now sees both the Hopkins and Merri rivers remaining open throughout the traditional closed season. This will allow anglers to spread out through both systems during what is the optimal time to target these fish in the cooler wetter months.

The estuary scene in August should see anglers targeting bream and perch populations in the deeper sections of the river. A lot of keen bream lure anglers aren’t big fans of the deep water bite in winter, and

Salmon have been biting well recently and are still a good winter species that can be targeted in August. for sure it doesn’t compare to a summer surface bite.

It can also be frustrating when the sounder is lit up with schooled fish that

refuse to bite. However, it can be a very effective way of catching fish. With many other angling options also out of action with the

weather, a leisurely session drifting up the centre of a local estuary and throwing some blades, soft plastics and vibes can be a lot of fun.

Don’t have to go far to fish hard COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

The offshore scene has been on fire with southern bluefin tuna schools moving right through the western half of Bass Strait.

Forget travelling all the way west to Portland or even Port Fairy. Locals and visitors alike have been launching from Warrnambool right through to Apollo Bay and even Ocean Grove to catch tuna with some specimens exceeding 100kg.

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Down my way those in the know have been launching at Boat Bay near Peterborough and travelling out to the 50m mark. Anglers are finding schools of feeding tuna with fish up to 30kg. Trolling skirted lures has attracted interest from feeding tuna.

Close inshore the Australian salmon season has kicked off well with plenty of schools hugging and patrolling the many beach gutters along our coastline.

More surf anglers are switching to long cast lure rods and enticing the salmon with various chrome slices and bars retrieved extremely fast in and around schools.

Bait anglers are catching plenty using a double paternoster rig weighed down with a 2-4oz sand sinker (depending on the swell) with whole baby squid or tentacles for an initial long soak, then many switch to pilchards when feeding fish are finally

located. Currently most fish are averaging around 600-900g and some thumpers around 2kg have been found in the mix.

The bream in the Curdies estuary have been solid. Bait anglers are having success working the shallow lake with netted local greyback minnows being the top bait. The weed is dying off, so it’s harder to net shrimp, which are also a gun bream bait.

Success has also occurred using frozen packet baits such as river whitebait or glassies and the humble prawn. Those in the know are keeping any juvenile salmon caught and stripping up the flesh (skin left on) and using this to land a bream or three.

Lure enthusiasts can spend a while trying to locate feeding fish in the river. When finally found, the bag limit can be reached quite quickly.

It’s good to know that many

The River Wye at Bakewell in the Peak District, England is absolutely chockers full of trout, barbel and English perch (redfin) all visible to the naked eye. new-age lure anglers now prefer to release their fish at the end of a session.

The bream are hanging deeper and crab and minnow imitation soft plastics or metal blades in darker colours worked slowly along the bottom are attracting bream strikes.

June proved to be very dry indeed and the rain that fell in

late autumn was a welcome bonus. We usually have dry autumns down here in the southwest but over 60mm fell. I spent that month in the UK and Paris where the last two weeks saw summer arrive in Europe in a big way.

It was a shock to come home to wintry weather (minus the rain).

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This Curdies bream fell to a Damiki Shad fished very slowly across the bottom near the river mouth.

Wild weather will slow things down a bit APOLLO BAY

Wayne Diffey

Lots of wild weather these last few weeks has kept things reasonably quiet as far as fishing goes, both off the beaches and out wide. Earlier in the month it was a bit different with some good schools of reasonably sized salmon showing up and being caught off Wild Dog Creek and the back beach at Marengo.

On the calmer days there were also reports of good catches of decently sized garfish off the rocks from Petticoat Creek to Leorkes Lakes. Beach hoppers, or sand fleas, have been the best bait by far.

The southern bluefin tuna were also still getting a few hearts racing. Con landed a 116.2kg fish, and Ian and Nick from Ballarat landed a 107kg fish with several others coming in between 85kg and 98kg. There have been quite a few reports of multiple hook-ups happening as well.

Most of them have still been caught around the Nine-Mile and Eleven-Mile

A whopper 116.2kg tuna caught aboard Hit N Run Charters.

reefs off Cape Otway, and predominately on 8-10” skirts. Lumo green, black, purple and fluoro pink seem to be the best colours.

I’ve had a few reports of good catches of bream in the local rivers and streams.

Two regular customers were in recently and told me they had done very well with scrubbies and small hardbodied minnow lures.

Don’t forget that from 1 July all recreationallycaught rock lobsters in Victoria must be tagged.

It’s the start of a threeyear trial to try and estimate how many rock lobsters are being caught by recreational fishers.

If you’re unsure exactly what’s involved, go to www.vic.gov.au/lobstertag for a step-by-step guided video. It’ll go through all the logistics, from ordering your tags, how and when to attach them and reporting their use back to Fisheries Victoria.

• If you’re coming to Apollo Bay for a fish, be sure to pop in to get all you bait and tackle needs, as well as an up to date report.

Call us on 03 5237 6426, or check out our website www. surf-n-fish.com.au.

Ian and Nick with a gorgeous 107kg tuna.

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Keep an eye out for some top surface action GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

A few southern bluefin tuna have shown up in Bass Strait with some whoppers caught around 90kg in only 40m of water last month.

Their movements have been relatively hard to predict so all you can do is spend time on the water while keeping an eye out for birds smashing the surface. Keep an eye on your sounder for big bait balls. Make sure your gear is up to the task too, as they have some serious horsepower.

Dean McDonald fished with Dave Reynolds in search of tuna out off Barwon Heads last month.

They trolled around for ages without any luck and decided to drift for flatties. They boated a couple up to 50cm when some birds started working only 50m away. They quickly rigged up some skirted lures and trolled around the commotion on the surface. As it turned out, the commotion was mostly dolphins and seals

chomping the baitfish.

Dean said it was unreal to see dolphins working the bait school with birds diving in to mop up the leftovers.

Some snapper around 60cm were caught by anglers fishing the reef areas off Torquay last month. If the tuna are quiet, gummy sharks have been biting out in Bass Strait as well with a few around 6-8kg being caught.

The Barwon River estuary has been relatively quiet with a few bream biting after dark on Bass yabbies up near Sheepwash Road and some small salmon, silver trevally and the odd whiting have been down near the mouth.

Australian salmon have been kicking about the Surf Coast beaches with Bancoora Beach at Breamlea, Jan Juc, Fairhaven and Moggs Creek Beach producing a few around the 1-1.5kg mark.

The best bet for fishing the Surf Coast beaches has been dawn and dusk with raw chicken, pilchards or bluebait. Lure fishing should pick up over the next few weeks. Walking the beach and flicking

Michael Evans with a ripper 62cm Wurdee brown trout. into gutters can be very effective along the stretch of beach from Fairhaven to Eastern View. A nice shiny metal lure or soft plastic around 40g will get the

job done if there are any salmon about.

Salmon have also been on the bite inside Corio Bay as Scott Simon found out last month. Scott took

cousins Hunter, Harry, Ned and Luke out to Point Henry where they caught plenty of salmon trolling a Wasaby lure in only 1.5m of water. Scott says they

were occasionally busting up baitfish schools on the surface and almost every cast resulted in a hook-up!

Calamari have continued biting throughout winter and are a good failsafe when other species aren’t playing ball. Clifton Springs to Queenscliff can produce squid on any given day with Queenscliff, St Leonards and Indented Head the most reliable spots. I’ve had a few goes off Clifton Springs and they can take some finding.

Once you’ve located a school, concentrate your efforts in the same location and you should nab a few.

They like moving tidal flow so avoid the slack water where possible. Jig colour is a matter of conditions such as water clarity and amount of natural light, or lack thereof. Trial and error is the only way to figure out what they feel like on any given day.

The first colours I throw out include white, orange, green and something with a red foil finish underneath the outer cloth. Last time I was out off Clifton Springs a calamari swam past a darker coloured jig to attack a white one! These

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jigs were literally a metre apart, so it pays to mix the colours up a bit.

Whiting can be tough to find at this time of year so you need to alter tactics and give it a go after dark.

Fishermans Beach off Torquay, the weed beds near Queenscliff and Point Nepean can yield some fantastic whiting now.

You’ll just need a few more layers for the afterdark effort.

Stoney Creek Reservoir has been producing a few brown trout to 50cm for anglers casting lures.

Anglers have noted that the fish are cruising about quite actively, so they could be a good target for flyfishers. Wurdee Buluc

reservoir near Moriac has been producing quality brown and rainbow trout up to 60cm plus a few quality redfin to 40cm and beyond.

Bad news for the Wurdee Buluc fish was that Michael Evans had a week off and he gave them a pounding.

Michael managed some quality brown and rainbow trout up to 62cm casting

Hunter, Harry, Ned and Luke had a ball catching salmon inside Corio Bay last month.

and retrieving a Nories Wasaby spoon.

The Indented Head Boat Ramp works were completed on 9 June. This involved increasing the angle of the ramp to make it deeper and repairing some of the broken sections.

The works were scheduled to be completed in late April, then May. Due to issues with the soil and fabrication of the ramp components, it was completed in June. It is still a reasonably shallow ramp, but a vast improvement on the previous ramp.

Thanks to Bellarine Bayside and those involved in the grant at Lisa Neville’s office to make this possible.

For more info and pictures, head over to the Bellarine Bayside Facebook page or their regular website www. bellarinebayside.com.au.

• Fish HARD – Die Happy!

Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@optusnet. com.au with “VFM” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish.

Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

Calamari are a viable target this August on the Bellarine.

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Urban winter fishing escape PORT PHILLIP WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

The cold winter mornings are in full swing. Despite the cold conditions, it’s a great time for fishing in Melbourne. Anglers brave enough to battle the chill winds and rain are often rewarded with bream, flathead, squid, pinkies, garfish and salmon in good numbers. Grab your beanie and thermals, ignore those numb hands, and get stuck into some quality fishing.

Melbourne is full of urban fishing locations only minutes from the CBD. A great way to escape the winter chill is to seek cover in these river systems. During this time of year, I find myself walking the riverbanks searching for large winter bream, which have moved from the shallow edges into the deeper pools. Adjust your tactics to suit the conditions

by using deeper diving hardbody lures, soft plastics with heavier jigheads and blades that allow you to cover greater distances.

I’ve had success casting hardbody lures at big river bream. Slow rolling with subtle twitches and pauses has produced solid fish up to 40cm. The productive lures have had natural colours and move between mid and deep diving, depending on the water depth. Presenting grub-style soft plastics on 1/12oz jigheads is a tried and trusted technique.

Subtle lifts and long pauses can tempt even the most cunning bream. Bream can be very fickle, so fish as light as possible. You can’t beat a 1-3kg rod coupled with a 1000-2000 sized reel.

In my experience, a quality thin fluorocarbon leader and scents used sparingly can make all the difference.

Local angler Michael Smith has been using a similar technique, chasing

bream by casting ZMan GrubZ along structure within the Yarra River. He has been pleasantly surprised with the large number of pinkies he has landed as a welcome by-catch. Last week Michael caught multiple fish up to 45cm – this is great fun on light gear.

Michael has also had a great month catching many pinkies and flathead with his brother near the shallow reefs in Altona and Williamstown. Michael has reported that soft plastics have been out-fishing the usual staple baits.

Bait fishing for bream in metropolitan areas will once again flourish during winter. Bream will stay near the river entrances as the spawning period begins.

The wet conditions and tidal flow will stir up the natural food system, leaving bream confident and aggressive.

Bait fishing with live baits such as scrub worms and yabbies will work well in

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these conditions.

I recommend fishing with lightly weighed sinkers. Berley frequently in an isolated area to attract the bream and keep them biting. Simple homemade berley mixes such as bread, tuna oil and pilchards blended together will work just fine. Areas for bait fishers to target this month include Port Melbourne, the Patterson, Werribee, Maribyrnong and Yarra rivers and Hobsons Bay. Several reports have come through in recent weeks of anglers catching the elusive mulloway up to a metre in size around the Yarra and Maribyrnong river mouths. It takes dedication and patience to chase mulloway and I commend those who have put in the hours. A few close friends have reported various techniques that have been successful including using freshly caught squid as bait, large soft plastics, and live mullet. The first and last hours of sunlight are the most productive times.

Justin Harding has been trialling a new technique by casting unweighted yabbies towards structure around the Docklands. It’s a fascinating technique which has landed Justin many bream and a few pinkies. You cast then wait in anticipation as your yabby slowly drifts down along structure before being ambushed by a hungry fish. The challenge then is to keep the fish away from the structure before it busts your line.

This is easier said than done when using light leader.

It’s a challenging and fun technique that requires

Justin Harding with a Docklands pinkie. patience and precision.

Structure-heavy areas such as Docklands and Princess Pier are two good places to give this technique a go.

Look for the rows of old dock pylons; plenty are accessible from the shore.

Out in the bay the colder months will continue to produce quality fish, with an abundance of flathead, squid and schools of salmon passing by. Keep an eye on the bird activity, as a flock feeding off the surface is often a good indication of where the fish are. Colder conditions limit the amount of species to target, however, some lucky anglers may still manage to find that prized winter snapper or gummy shark.

Local young-gun angler James Papas was one who got a pleasant surprise this month. Fishing in Port Phillip Bay on light gear and using a range of curl-tail grub soft plastics, James managed to catch a cracker winter snapper that eagerly took a curl-tail in motor oil colour.

Despite the drop in temperature, kayak fishing around Altona, Werribee and Point Cook is still very popular. With keen anglers catching good numbers of flathead, squid, salmon, and leatherjackets. Adam Johnston and Ian Brady have been providing frequent updates of abundant pinkies and flathead up to 50cm along the Altona

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The author with a large local river bream.

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Mark Moseley caught this squid near Point Cook.

James Papas with a large PPB winter snapper. children attended. On behalf of FishingMad, I welcomed guests and provided a basic fishing tuition, teaching them the basics of rigging up, presenting baits and casting.

In three hours, the

HALF CABIN

group managed 11 bream over 30cm using a variety of baits such as scrub worms, maggots, and yabbies. It’s always a thrill to watch young attendees catch their first-ever fish.

We educated families on

Bream are taking natural coloured crankbaits at the moment.

the importance sustainable fishing and practiced catch and release: something I’m a big advocate for.

Fishing is a remarkable platform to bring the local community together.

I would like to add a special thanks to the team at FishingMad, TTTAF and those involved who provided their time, fishing expertise, prizes, and donations. The event would not have been a success without their support.

That’s the end of my first report and I look forward to bringing you many more. I’d also love to hear about your recent fishing experiences and catches around Melbourne’s waterways, so send your reports and pictures to alan@fishingmad.com. au. If you’re a keen angler in need of some local tips or would like to catch up for a fish, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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and Williamstown shallow reefs. Unweighted pilchards and squid continually produce good results. Adam has used this time to test many of his self-made soft plastics with great success.

Mark Moseley has been chasing squid with good rewards around Campbells Cove and the Point Cook RAAF base.

Both dawn and dusk have proven to be productive times leading to a couple of bag-out sessions. Slowly drifting in water depths of 3-4m and using darker coloured 3g squid jigs has been effective. A favourite squid jig in black and white stripes has proven to be dynamite for tasty squid.

Recently I hosted a fishing clinic to raise awareness about youth suffering from mental and physical disability with Glenn Cooper from That’s The Thing About Fishing.

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Love spending time on the bay in winter Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

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The cold and crisp winter weather has continued for the past month on the bay. For the most part we have enjoyed dry and calm conditions for fishing.

Some good old-fashioned morning frosts have been a bit of a challenge lately for anglers wanting an early start.

Low rainfall so far this winter has meant that the inshore areas of the bay have remained extremely clear

and continued to produce great fishing for both landbased and boat anglers.

Traditionally, us Victorians like to think of all kinds of excuses not to go fishing on the bay over winter.

With plenty of other fishing options further afield, and other activities on offer as well, I don’t really blame them. But if you’re like me and love spending time on the bay over winter, there are plenty of fishing options for all anglers.

The annual spawning migration of snapper is only a couple of months away, and while many of

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the snapper die-hards out there are getting everything ready for the upcoming season, there are still plenty of resident reds in PPB if you’re willing to put in the hours.

Bite windows are normally short lived, but the quality of the winter reds can more than make up the difference. Smaller pinkie snapper and schoolsized fish are a more reliable winter target and have been congregating on the inshore reef areas. Anglers have been enjoying some great bait and lure fishing, especially around dusk. Be prepared to endure some undersized fish, and also to return these juveniles back to the water unharmed.

Anglers’ interests in the deeper marks have been dominated by some reliable fishing for gummy sharks, especially in our local areas, and also further south. A few nice snapper have been taken by these anglers as well, but it’s great to see such quality fishing for gummies in PPB this winter, not just next door in Western Port.

Anglers have been reporting that fillet baits of salmon and slimy mackerel have been best, and fresh trevally is also a great gummy bait. Be prepared to put up with a fair bit of by-catch, but the rewards are worth it when it all comes together. The wider marks in 18-21m out from Mornington to Safety Beach have been very reliable, as well as a variety of marks further south as well.

The calamari fishing has been nothing short of spectacular over the last month, and with the clean current and clean water along the inshore reefs, I don’t see this trend changing

too much until we get decent rain. There have been some real jumbo models on offer around the entrance to both bays and good consistent numbers continue in our local areas.

Big squid are about in our area as well, but for the most part the local squid are smaller. Natural coloured jigs have been best in the clear water, especially reds, browns, greens and black.

Squid fishing is great fun in the clear water, and while they are less active at this time of year, the sight fishing element is addictive.

Kids love a session on the calamari, and they are a very reliable and accessible species for boat and landbased anglers over the winter months.

More bread and butter treats have been on offer as well over the past month with some ripper garfish being taken from the piers and rocks. This run of gars is fairly unusual for this time of year, but nobody is complaining with big bags of fish up to 40cm on offer.

The use of berley is crucial to keep the fish on the chew, and it doesn’t hurt to keep a larger bait or lure in the area at the same time.

Big salmon are hanging around the gars, especially near the larger piers like Frankston and Mornington.

Plenty of salmon have been taken right along the eastern shoreline over the last month with anglers trolling lures and spinning from the shore.

The back beaches have been producing nice fish as well, particularly on lures.

Whiting reports have been a little slow so far this winter, but I expect this to change in the coming

The great fishing for gummy sharks has continued over the past month, especially in the southern reaches of the bay. months as they move out of the deeper water. Those fish that have been reported have been big. Stay tuned.

The bream fishing in Patterson lakes has been excellent on soft plastics fished slowly on the bottom.

The bait fishers have been doing very nicely as well.

I (like many others) cut my teeth catching bream on bait and fishing slow plastics is not much different. It’s old school, but it’s effective and lots of fun. Keep an eye on your sounder, as the bream will tend to hold in big

groups right on the bottom in the deeper holes.

Devil Bend Reservoir has been producing lovely trout and redfin lately as well for those anglers on the bay looking for a dose of fresh water. Weed levels are lower during the cooler moths, making the lake easier to fish, but the best trout are taken by the anglers who put in the hours. Bibbed minnows and plastics are the lures of choice for most anglers.

Go deep for the EPs at this time of year.

Bream have been responding well to slowly worked soft plastics in Patterson Lakes recently.

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27

Squid, garfish and snapper having a ball PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

I don’t think anyone could deny that this has been one of the colder winters in a while with multiple days starting out close to 0°C. Saying that, the super cold mornings are brought on by calm weather and clear skies, so while it has been chilly, the conditions are more than fishable for those that have plenty of clothing and are keen to get on the water.

While there has been plenty of calm weather over the past weeks, we have also had our fair share of battering from strong southerly and northerly winds. The one thing that hasn’t arrived yet has been a pile of rain, so the bay is very clear and the squid and garfish are loving it.

MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK Grab that jacket, a small picnic chair and a rod with a small quill float, as the mullet are going very nicely in the Mordialloc Creek and now is a great time to get there and have some fun on these great fighting fish.

On the pier the squid have been good at dawn and dusk on the calm days while a bit of berley has seen some good garfish action during the daylight hours. It has been even better at night, with bigger numbers and better-sized fish on offer.

Boat numbers seem to have been down a bit in the Mordialloc to Ricketts Point area over the past weeks.

The boats that have been on the water are reporting good squid off the Horse Paddock Reef and over the Parkdale Pinnacles while the landbased anglers are getting into the squid on Beaumaris Pier, with anglers reporting that they have been getting some of the better squid in the areas adjacent to the pier on big lightly weighted jigs. Bigger jigs cast further and definitely attract the bigger calamari.

Further along the front of the reef between Rickets Point and Black Rock the cold water is keeping the pinkies firing although over recent weeks the size of the fish has varied from day to day.

Several anglers who have found better-sized fish have been fishing with soft

Now is the time of year when the calamari start to come out to play. plastics and small metal jigs such as the 20-40g Koika jigs. Using these allows you to drift along an area, covering more water and finding different schools of fish. As is often the case,

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one school of pinkies will be small fish and the next will be much bigger.

SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA July saw the return of some really good numbers of garfish in this area with several anglers reporting that they had bag limit catches of garfish on multiple trips. Quite a few of them were really big fish. The best locations for them have definitely been Yorkies Reef and off the rock groynes at Hampton, with boat and land-based anglers reporting good success on them.

Adding to the gars and squid in the area, both boat and land-based anglers have been getting into good numbers of pinkies off locations such as the end of the Sandringham Breakwall and the Hampton Rock Groynes.

One customer told us he has been getting some great pinkies by berleying

up off the end of the Sandy Breakwall then casting out unweighted pilchard tails as bait and using the front half of the pilchard as berley.

Further to the north up off Brighton Breakwall and its surrounds there have been good numbers of pinkies at dawn and dusk and plenty of garfish and squid during the calmer conditions.

With the garfish and squid going well during the daylight hours it has been a bonus for some anglers as they head out to get a few for bait then settle back on dusk ready for the pinkies.

While the good old pilchard catches loads of fish, the fresh baits have been the consistent player at getting anglers bigger pinkies.

Another great option has been to cast a plastic around while waiting for the bait rods to get a bite.

Over the past weeks we’ve heard of more and more anglers getting the action on the plastics.

ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE Now is a great time to be either casting plastics at the moored boats or

setting up a berley trail and fishing unweighted baits at the bream and trevally that are often up off the breakwall and in behind it where the boats sit on their swing moorings.

Out in the boats anglers have been reporting good numbers of pinkies if you take the time to sound around and find the schools. Once located, the best option in this area has been to cast plastics and small metal jigs through and around them.

While the inner reef and rubble areas between St Kilda and Stations Pier have held fish, the wider channel edge out near the Fawkner Beacon has been very good with big numbers of pinkies holding up in this area, so it’s well worth checking this part of the bay out, especially if you’re travelling across to Black Rock from places like Williamstown and Altona.

As August rolls by hopefully we will see some rain. Once again we are getting into longer days and fingers crossed next month will see the start of big, early season snapper.

Winter time is all about kids and squids. No war on squid would be complete without a bit of ink on your face. Mia unleashes a pile of kick-butt on the calamari.

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AUGUST 2017

Richard Davis with an awesome snapper.

Calmer fishing opportunities at the end of winter Luke McCredden www.thelongline.net

It’s hard to complain about the winter we’ve had here on the Mornington Peninsula.

We have probably had more extended calm periods than previous years and while it has been obviously cold, the fishing has been hot!

Thanks to some of the offshore fishing, like tuna, gummies and flathead, gone are the slow, wet, miserable days of quiet winter fishing.

The sport fishing scene has yet again gone nuts and if I can include into that conversation the Australian salmon, then we have well and truly had a great winter run!

AUSTRALIAN SALMON I always like to include Aussie salmon in the sportfish category, because

from a young age, this species has always had me excited to catch it. The beauty is, anglers from all walks of life, all age groups and all levels of expertise can enjoy them.

That’s exactly what’s been happening on the peninsula this month.

Gunnamatta Beach has once again been home to plus-size salmon. Fish well in the 2-3kg bracket have been a semi-regular feature.

It seems to be in waves at the moment and not every beach session is resulting in big salmon. According to Dan Lee, the numbers are certainly there! It seems to be a case of fishing the best gutters you can find on any given day.

Peppering them with metal slugs and trying to retrieve at different angles, speeds, and depths is pivotal.

The one thing that is certain about salmon is that if they are moving through the area

you are fishing, at some point intrigue will get the better of them and their hunting/ feeding instinct will take over. These fish can’t resist a lure in front of them. The numbers of fish being caught off the sand at Gunnamatta this winter are a good sign that these fish are well and truly on the chew.

For bait anglers, try blue bait as per usual. Maybe mix it up with a squid tentacle on top of a blue bait tail. I have noticed this does two things; it adds another dimension to an already really good bait and also stays on the hook a bit better, so that if your blue bait disappears, more often than not, the squid strip or tentacle will still be there.

KING GEORGE WHITING It has been a really interesting winter on the whiting this year. I can’t say it has been bad and I can’t say it has been red hot. This

FISHING NEWS

Fraudsters netted in Gippsland After a five-month investigation, two Gippsland men are to face significant charges after allegedly posing as licensed commercial fishers and selling their catches.

Fisheries Victoria Officers, with the help of Victoria Police, executed search warrants on two residences, one in Nowa Nowa and the other in Lakes Entrance.

It will be alleged the two men conspired to use mesh nets covertly, in local East Gippsland estuarine waters and then posed as licensed commercial operators to consign the fish for sale.

They were arrested, interviewed then released and are expected to be charged and summonsed to appear in court at a later date.

Acting Eastern Regional Fisheries Supervisor, Bill McCarthy said it’s likely the men will be charged with the indictable offence of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

This offence carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

year has been outstanding for whiting, but they eased off the bite a little during June and July. Having said that, really solid fish have been caught recently and that excites me!

The key at the moment is to fish the smaller bite windows for bigger fish. It’s certainly my mindset at this time of year. Queenscliff has held some really nice fat fish and continues to be a fairly consistent ground for King George whiting. The use of berley in conjunction with cocktail baits of pipi, mussel, squid and even pilchard fillets is vitally important.

The berley should only attract them – don’t feed them. Using too much berley will be the absolute demise of a potential good bite

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through August, so just ease into it. If you are fishing shallow water, you can use light berley like crumbs with a dash of tuna oil and it will stay in your zone fairly well.

Alternatively, in deeper parts you might need to bomb a pot down to the bottom with some more sustenance like pilchards and larger pellets.

The shallow areas from Mornington down to Dromana have all fished well and in fact the land-based anglers are having a very good run off the rocks. Oh and don’t forget to have a squid jig handy!

SQUID The mainstay of the peninsula for winter (and all other seasons for that matter) southern calamari have been dominating the species

department all year and this winter just keeps on giving.

As we look toward spring shortly, I can only imagine that these squid are not going to slow down on the chew, so I’ll leave you with a few destinations for August: Mornington Pier, Mount Martha Rocks, Portsea, Queenscliff, Blairgowrie.

There isn’t much to it at the moment. Find the weed and rubble and you’ll find squid. The standout jigs this month for me have been the Yakamito PX 3.0 in red/ green, Daiwa Emeraldas Nude 3.5 in gunmetal gray and the Harimitsu 3.0 AR. The standout Mornington Peninsula species at the moment are southern calamari, Australian salmon and King George whiting.

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“Other charges will relate to the unauthorised taking of fish for sale, the unlicensed possession and use of commercial fishing equipment, use of commercial fishing equipment to take more fish than the catch limit and selling fish taken illegally,” Mr McCarthy said.

“These charges carry maximum penalties of up to $31,092 and or six months’ jail.”

The officers also seized two vehicles, a small boat, a box trailer, a large quantity of mesh nets, fish bins, a quantity of finfish and documents.

“This type of offending impacts on the availability of fish for legitimate commercial and recreational fishers” Mr McCarthy said.

“There are also human health issues associated with the unregulated handling of fish that have been put into the market place illegally.

“The licensed commercial fisheries sector is strictly regulated by means of quotas, equipment and location restrictions.

Licensed operators are required to submit catch and effort returns to ensure the sustainability of the fisheries resource.

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Are the snapper late or early?

At this time of the year it’s so satisfying to sit down to write with some genuinely exciting reports to put on the page. Winter is in full swing, the reports aren’t

coming thick and fast, everything looks all doom and gloom then bang! The snapper start to bite well (for this time of year) and just like that everything doesn’t seem so bad.

Before we get to the snapper reports, I want to open with a really cool

land-based report. Clint Hockley, a very keen local fisho and all-round nice guy, took his young son Travis down to Grantville Pier to teach the young fella a thing or two about getting it done from the shore.

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Travis Hockley and his first-ever land-based gummy.

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Mick with his PB Quail Bank calamari.

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kids fishing) and young Trav was holding his firstever land-based gummy.

It’s this type of thing that gets the kids hooked for life. Well played, Clint.

Give young Trav a high five for me.

Let’s get stuck into the snapper reports!

There is just something about catching snapper in the cold that gets people going. One of the big reasons for this is that these winter reds are big!

It requires a little patience and fishing the right tides is crucial – the rewards are there.

Brendan Loizeau had a look for a winter reds around the North Arm of the port and was rewarded handsomely for his efforts. Brendan fished in 8m of water in the last two hours of the run-out tide and old man snapper took a really aggressive liking to Brendan’s fresh squid head. This particular snapper measured 81cm and tipped the scales at 7kg – this is one reason why it’s worth making the effort in cold conditions.

Well done, Brendan!

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this winter then Joes Island is hands down the best place to start. Scotty McNabb thrives on this time of the year and has spent quite a few years specifically targeting snapper in the cooler months.

This season has been no different and Scotty opened his winter account with a healthy 4.5kg snapper from Joes. Scotty was anchored and ready to roll in the last hour of the run-out tide and this lovely fish took a liking to the old calamari ring! Well played, Scotty!

Wilson Harvey heard the whispers coming out of Joes and just couldn’t resist heading that way to find a big red. Wilson launched at Warneet and headed across to Joes and got himself settled into 9m of water. He waited for a reel to start singing, and boy, did it sing! Mister Snapper sniffed out the humble pilchard and the rest is history – another fine 70cm winter snapper in the bank!

Now we get into one of the more serious big snapper reports that found its way to my desk this month. Glenn Corrie was another who could smell the sweet scent of snapper coming from Joes and he cashed in big time! Glenn sent out his spread of baits

and found himself holding 8kg of prime winter red!

If that doesn’t get you thinking about snapper then nothing will. Well done Glenn, you’ve got to be happy with that.

Moving on from the snapper, it wouldn’t be a winter fishing report without a little piece on calamari. Quail Bank has remained solid on the squid front and local angler Mick

found himself holding his PB calamari on one of the calmer winter days. I still think sticking to bigger jigs in 3.0 and 3.5 will give you the best chance at holding up your new PB too.

The Tyabb Bank has been the hotspot for squid once again and has to be the first port of call if it’s a feed of calamari you’re after. Shaun Furtiere has been getting the majority of

his calamari from here and the darker jigs have easily out-fished all others.

It was nice to start getting excited about snapper again and hopefully it’s a sign of a special snapper season on the horizon. Thanks to everyone who sent through their reports and good luck to those who managed to wet a line over the next month.

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Gummies, salmon and calamari for August WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

It’s not often I put a negative spin on things, but can I be open and say that I really hate fishing in August?

If only we had the ability to change the weather patterns, August might be nice and balmy.

On a positive note, despite the almost arctic conditions throughout August, the fishing has been relatively productive.

Sure, fishos might be limited to fishing certain days due to the weather, but all-in-all, there is usually somewhere to hide given that French Island offers protection from most wind directions. At least you can pick a location to launch and be able find a calm place

to fish. The last few weeks have been nothing but reliable for both boat fishos and those choosing to cast from the shoreline.

The surf beaches are continuing to produce nice salmon with Cape Woolamai, Anzacs and Colonnades all producing salmon to around 1.2kg. Bait has been the preferred method with blue bait, pipis and the good old

There has been no shortage of winter gummies to be caught. Photo courtesy of Shaun Furtiere.

blue/white surf poppers working well. Early morning high tides have had the majority of the bite action while late afternoons have also seen great fish caught.

Inside the port there has been no shortage of action.

That is, if you want to battle the wind and cold. The upside has been the lack of rain.

Still, it has been hard getting motivated to head out when it’s cold. Winter calamari are a lot of fun to catch and more often than not are larger in size than those caught in the warmer months. Working the shallow banks, anglers have caught quality models with size 3.0 jigs working well.

The banks in the Tankerton, Southern Middle Spit, Stony Point, Ventnor and McHaffies Reef areas have been very productive with some cracker calamari being caught. Fishing the high tides has been when the action has been hot. Bait fishing with silver whiting suspended under a float has also seen good results.

Local fishing guide Chris Cassar has been putting his clients onto some memorable calamari fishing in the Flinders area.

Amongst catching a few for himself, Chris reports that

Chris Cassar has been getting into the calamari action in the Flinders area with excellent results. Photo courtesy of Chris Cassar.

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the calamari in the Flinders/ Port Leo area have been hot and look to continue on for some time yet.

Gummy sharks have also been a hot target with most of the action coming from the Western Entrance. With the fast flowing tide gummy sharks frequently cruise the bottom of the entrance.

Although it can be a difficult location to fish, it’s always very productive.

The prime time to fish this location is two hours either side of a tide change with the run in tide preferred. While the western entrance is a very productive location to fish, it also has its challenges. Fishing the western entrance should be undertaken by experienced Western Port anglers, not just because of the tidal flow situation – the weather can also have an effect on the water’s conditions.

In a southerly wind with a run-out tide, you’ll experience wind against the tide, which can make conditions very uncomfortable. Add in ocean swell and the situation can become very dangerous.

Fishing the western entrance requires some prior knowledge. As long as you are with someone that has fished the area before, you’ll be right on the money for a big gummy.

Shaun Furtiere has been dominating the gummy sharks

Fishing the lead up to the full moons has been very productive for landbased gummy sharks right around the port. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

Shaun caught this cracking calamari from the shallow weedy banks of the port. Photo courtesy of Shaun Furtiere.

with his clients going home very happy. While traditionally winter gummies are on the smaller side compared to those caught in the warmer months, the models Shaun has been encountering are quite exceptional.

A few winter snapper have also been caught in recent weeks and while spring is just around the corner, we should start to see more red fish being caught as the weeks pass. In saying that, the winter run of whiting has been very good with most of the catches over the past few weeks coming from the Dickies Bay area. These fish

have been here since the end of last summer and should stay on until the water begins to warm up once again.

When the weather has been a little dicey, as it has been of late, fishing from the shoreline and from a boat around the port have been equally productive.

Local land-based angler Justin Blythe has been fishing the peak times of the months and getting the rewards on each trip. Fishing the Balnarring beaches Justin has managed some cracking gummies of mixed sizes while fishing the lead up to the full moons during the flood tides.

Stockyard Point has also been producing the goods when it comes to land-based gummy sharks as well as Lang Lang and Grantville.

It really doesn’t matter where you fish in Western Port at the moment; there is always something to catch.

Wether you’re soaking a bait from the Stony Point Jetty hoping to catch a flathead or out in the boat targeting a mulloway, Western Port always seems to delivery, no matter the season. After this last wintry blow we’ll be into spring and you know what that means – snapper, snapper and lots more snapper.

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33

Start chasing the big early season snapper PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

It’s snapper time! If you want to brag to your mates about being the first one to catch a snapper for the season, now is the time to start chasing them.

While some of my boating customers have landed several quality snapper over the last few months, they were resident fish and everyone is looking for the first of the new season snapper.

There are two areas that are best if you want to target the first of the new season fish, one land-based and the other in the boat. When the snapper start to come in the first reports I get are from the Newhaven Jetty. Most of the time fish are caught on the last of the run-out tide.

The reports from the jetty are usually about 10 days or so before I get reports from further up the bay around Spit Point which is the best of the boating areas to start late winter, early spring. The first of the reports from the jetty generally comes from those who are fishing during

the night on what is probably the worst of the week’s weather. The first wave of snapper will for some reason come in on days where the weather is at its worst.

The smarter anglers are out on the beaches now catching calamari and salmon, getting their fresh baits ready for the snapper season. If you are someone that likes to catch your own baits, and I would imagine most people would be, do yourself a favour and purchase a vacuum bag sealer and your baits will be as fresh after a month in the freezer as the day you caught them. There are plenty of different sealers around and you don’t need to spend a lot of money and what you do spend will be well worth it.

A trick to keeping it fresher is don’t fillet your fish and freeze them whole.

If you want to go bait collecting, head to Anzac Beach at Woolamai where they have been catching some good numbers of small salmon which are perfect size for a fillet bait. For your calamari baits, San Remo Jetty, Cleeland Bight and the beach in Ventnor have

Early season snapper are usually on the bigger side.

Occasionally you’ll return with a mixed bag of sizes. been the best.

When you freeze your squid baits separate the heads and hoods, because I find that very early in the season the snapper can be a bit timid and a whole head is wasted. A strip of hood is the best way to go and keep the heads for later in the season when they are aggressively on the bite. Another quality fresh bait is couta and they

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have been catching several in Cleeland Bight from the boats and land-based. The odd one has come from the jetties. Fresh couta fillet is the favourite snapper bait for most of my older customers.

Calamari disappeared for most of the early winter for some unknown reason, but finally they have started to show up again and just in time for the up-coming season bait collecting. The usual spots in Cleeland Bight and from the jetty at San Remo have been the best spots and a sure sign is when you get to the car park in the late afternoon and it’s full of tradies’ cars.

Baited jigs have been the best off the beach at Cleeland Bight and over at Ventnor.

Artificials are the best from the jetty. Most of the beach catches have come from the last of the run-in tide, while it has been mixed off the jetty. Only a few reports are coming from the boats, probably due to the lack of boats on the water. A few brave people have put the kayak in and managed good numbers. While drifting along they have had a baited

jig under a float while casting artificial jigs. Don’t forget, if you do hook one on a baited jig, throw your artificial one in behind it as they will often be in pairs.

When the days have allowed, the flathead offshore have been good all winter and reasonably close in as well. The best of the reports for numbers are still coming from the eastern entrance in a depth of 30-40m. The best size ones have come from between Pyramid Rock and the western entrance in 30m of water.

Typically at this time of the year you will also catch plenty of gurnard and other species that like the cold water, but you need to persevere and you will find the better fish. On some of the reefs offshore several pinkies seem to have stayed the winter as well. In closer around 25-30m the silver whiting have been a very respectable size.

Even if you are restricted to land-based fishing, there are plenty of spots around the island that you can pick up a good-size snapper, whiting or flathead as well

the usual calamari and salmon. The trick with many of the land-based spots is to fish at the right time of the tide or day.

Sunderland Bay and Smiths Beach are two areas that fish much better on the low tide from the rocks.

When you get there, you will see a few gutters that stand out at low tide and are difficult to see on the full tides.

I have had some very good reports of whiting and trevally over the last few weeks. While you will probably never bag out, the quality is always good.

The best we weighed for a customer recently was 725g and he had another three that were very close also in his bag. The same customer called me the next week to say he fished three days in a row and managed 10 altogether around the same quality.

Gummies are much the same during the winter months and it’s important to fish the right time of the day and also the right time of the month. While you will get undersize fish all the time, the bigger ones turn up on the full or new moon. The reports over the last couple of months have come from new and full moons and the two best spots have been Temby and Stockyard Point.

Land-based has been much better than the boats for bigger gummies, because of the amount of small gummies and fish like draughtboards and cod getting to baits before the bigger gummies. This doesn’t seem to be as big a problem from the land. One spot that you would look at and keep driving is the Grantville Jetty. Those in the know have been fishing it over the moon and high tide, generally at night, and I have seen three gummies recently that have all gone over 8kg caught from there.

Several stops were needed both below and above the bridge to get this quality bag of winter whiting.

34

AUGUST 2017

Still decent choices amid the doom and gloom WEST COAST

Brett Illingworth

To be perfectly honest, the bulk of this past month has found me dreaming of being elsewhere. Locations warm and tropical have featured more and more prominently in my dreamscape. Victoria in the depths of winter can be a dreary place.

All we have to do is lower our expectations. It’s time to think small. There are plenty of locations in the bay where good fish can be taken when the weather is foul. Salmon, flathead and flounder are attracted to the shallows at this time of year and are well worth the effort to locate. Large schools of salmon, milling in less than 2m of water, can go a long way to curing that

You may be surprised.

There are no edibility issues with flathead and flounder. All we need is a little

way to stay in tune for when the weather warms or for when the offshore locations are fit to dive. You may also

Free diving for scallops over winter is a great way to stay in tune for when the weather warms or for when the offshore locations are fit to dive. You may also be lucky enough to find a Moreton Bay bug or two. weed, a little sand, water deep enough to swim and aim in: and patience as well as a keen eye. Gently drifting around the periphery of shallow weed beds, you can be rewarded with some of the best table fish on offer, and you never

There are ways in which you can make winter more comfortable. Get yourself a dedicated winter wetsuit, one that is only used in the coldest of locations and the coldest of months.

This winter, in particular, is sorely testing the mettle and resolve of the local spearo population. We know there are tuna out there, but conditions have conspired to foil most of our (my) attempts to locate and capture one. Big bull crays should be out and about by now, but they are being protected on the inshore reefs by almost relentless swell activity.

Amid the doom and gloom, we still have choices.

be lucky enough to find a Moreton Bay bug or two.

In the past month I have been surprised by both dolphins and whales while diving on Port Phillip scallop beds. This is an added, surprising bonus, but one

itchy trigger finger. They are currently in abundance off the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula.

They are huge fun to shoot, and if bled, dressed and cooked fresh, are more than pleasing to the palate.

Australian salmon are very much an underrated table fish.

The key is freshness; salmon don’t freeze well. Salmon patties are a favourite in our household, as are boiled chunks in a Thai green curry.

Gently drifting around the periphery of shallow weed beds, you can be rewarded with some of the best table fish on offer, and you never need be more than a short walk from shore, a fire, a blanket or a cup of soup. thicker boots won’t fit inside their fins. Get an extra pair of cheaper fins for winter.

Keep the extremities warm. Tape up your wrist and ankle seals to reduce or minimise water entry. Use talc as a dry lube for your wetsuit. Your body begins to cool rapidly the moment it is wet. Start the dive dry and stay a little warmer, a little longer. Have hot water in the car for after the dive. Tip it over your head and pour it into your suit before you get changed. These little things make an enormous difference, as does staying

out of the wind, wearing an over jacket on a boat and sipping on hot chicken soup.

When the weather is good the need for motivation is diminished, but at the moment the weather is not good. It’s never boring. Thankfully, squid season is almost upon us.

The Fisheries cray tagging program is now underway. Get tags. Get on the Fisheries website for all the info. There are big fines for non-compliance. Then again, the fickle weather may not be calm enough for another cray dive for years. At least, that’s how it feels.

Flounder are attracted to the shallows at this time of year and are well worth the effort to locate. need be more than a short walk from shore, a fire, a blanket or a cup of soup.

Scallops are always on the agenda. A leisurely drift over a good patch can yield good results in a very short period.

The scallops love the cold water, resulting in the meats and roe being very plump and healthy. Yumminess is assured.

As most of the productive scallop beds are in a 10m or more water depth, free diving for them over winter is a great

Large schools of salmon, milling in less than 2m of water, can go a long way to curing that itchy trigger finger. They are currently in abundance off the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula.

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you’ll never experience if you hang your gear up over winter.

There are ways in which you can make winter more comfortable. Get yourself a dedicated winter wetsuit, one that is only used in the coldest of locations and the coldest of months. Preserve it for the bad times. Wear thicker boots and gloves. Some complain that thicker gloves reduce dexterity. I counter this argument with a single word – warmth. Some argue that

These fish are huge fun to shoot, and if bled, dressed and cooked fresh, are more than pleasing to the palate. Australian salmon are very much an underrated table fish.

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35

Bait gathering in PPB and Western Port WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Western Port is known for producing some of the largest gummy sharks, snapper, calamari and whiting the state has to offer. It’s also a top location to gather your own fresh bait when in search of the aforementioned species.

Fresh bait is always a key ingredient to a successful fishing trip. While frozen bait is convenient, it may not always get you the desired result at the end of a fishing trip. Don’t get

Bass yabbies fished live are undoubtedly the best whiting bait there is. The mud flats of Western Port are where you can pump them in big numbers. a paternoster rig with two droppers, each containing a #10 hook. They tend to be more in abundance in the warmer months with

January the peak time to catch them in Bass Strait in 20m of water. Try just outside the western and eastern entrance as well as in 30-40m of water out from Port Phillip Heads.

YELLOWTAIL SCAD Yellowtail scad, also known as yakkas, are a popular bait for targeting gummy sharks and snapper.

These are quite an oily bait.

They tend to be used both as fillet baits and chunk baits when fresh but if frozen can be quite mushy so fresh is best.

Yakkas can be caught with a simple rig. Try a paternoster with a size 10 long shank hook or a running sinker rig with a size 0 ball sinker running directly to the hook.

Yakkas are more common through the summer months and are

Trevally are very oily, making them another top gummy shark bait.

Silver whiting are more commonly purchased frozen rather than caught fresh, however they can be caught year-round in the Bass Strait. me wrong, frozen baits such as pilchards, sauris, pipis, mussels, sandworms, whitebait and tuna have their place when targeting specific species, but not all are easily obtainable in Western Port.

What is readily available are silver whiting, yellowtail scad, bass yabbies, Australian salmon, silver trevally, garfish and calamari, all of which are commonly used as fresh baits for a variety of species that can be caught year-round.

With its shallow banks, deep channels and fast current flow, Western Port is a very unique fishery enabling anglers to catch fresh bait before targeting their desired species. The only issue that arises is: where do we find this fresh bait?

SILVER WHITING Silver whiting are not often a sought-after bait species. Rather, they tend to be bought frozen.

While silver whiting are quite tasty on the plate themselves, they are a top bait for targeting calamari.

They are usually threaded onto a squid jig, which is suspended under a float.

Silver whiting usually 36

AUGUST 2017

grow to only 25cm and have quite a small mouth.

These can be caught on

Due to the close proximity of the weed beds to the coastline, fishing from the rocks along the Mornington Peninsula is a top location to catch garfish for fresh bait.

Calamari are a year-round option when looking for fresh bait and can be caught over any weed bed in both Port Phillip Bay and Western Port.

readily available in both Western Port and Port Phillip Bay. They are a sucker for lurking around structure, so if you’re after some, head to a jetty like Esso in Western Port or the Blairgowrie Marina wall in Port Phillip and set a berley trail of mashed up pilchards. The yakkas will soon be in the trail and you’ll catch what you need for your fishing session.

BASS YABBIES One of the best baits for whitingon offer are Bass yabbies and these days you’re quite hard-pressed to find a tackle store that sells them alive. This leads to anglers having to gather their own. While the population in Port Phillip Bay is small compared to that in Western Port, they can still be caught.

Bass yabbies can be caught year-round using a yabby pump. The yabby pump is pushed over their hole while sucking them out. In Port Phillip Bay, Bass yabbies can be caught in many locations, especially around the sand flats of Altona, Werribee

and in Corio Bay. In Western Port, however, Bass yabbies are much more prolific.

The vast mud flats are a haven to find them, especially around Warneet, Stony Point, Lang Lang, Coronet Bay and Rhyll if you’re land-based. If you have boat, you can access the Middle Spit, jump out and pump them there. The mud flats of Western Port are soft, so if you’re going to pump yabbies, only do so at these locations on a mid tide so you still have some firmness under foot.

AUSTRALIAN SALMON Australian salmon are a common catch yearround and are different

If you can refrain from eating the calamari yourself, they make great baits for snapper, whiting and gummy sharks.

sizes at different times of the year. Throughout the summer months they tend to be small and due to their regulations you can only keep salmon if they are above 21cm. Throughout the winter months they are often much bigger and make better baits for gummy sharks and snapper.

Salmon can be caught using various methods.

Trolling hardbodies is the simplest way. In Port Phillip Bay, a troll around the rip or around the Portsea area should see a few caught. Alternatively, you can go looking for busting schools of fish on the surface around Black Rock, Frankston and Mornington and cast metal lures into the school. Then you can set anchor along the edge of the channel and fish for a gummy shark.

In Western Port, trolling is an effective technique. I find setting a berley trail and catching them using a paternoster rig with bait

Throughout the year, garfish frequently inhabit the inshore weed beds. Many of Port Phillip Bay piers are a cast away from these areas making land-based fishing for garfish a popular affair.

Esso Jetty and Cowes areas are prime locations.

GARFISH A popular bait to use when targeting snapper is garfish. These are a viable species to catch for the bigger part of the year.

Widespread throughout

are many more locations to catch them from a boat.

These locations include the Esso Jetty, Quail and Tyabb Banks, Middle Spit, Coronet Bay, Observation Point, Cat Bay, Flinders and Balnarring. Fished whole or as half baits, garfish are a top bait for snapper with the odd gummy shark taking them from time to time.

CALAMARI There is no doubt that calamari are the most versatile bait that can be used to catch fish right throughout the country and they’re prolific in both Port Phillip Bay and Western Port all year.

As tasty as they are on

year-round and are caught using two main techniques, either casting artificial jigs in sizes 1.8, 2.5 or 3.0 or by using a baited squid jig suspended under a float.

Calamari are widespread throughout Victoria. The prime location to find them is right around the inner coastline of Port Phillip Bay, especially over the inshore reefs and shallow weed beds as well as the weedy banks of Western Port such as the Tyabb and Quail banks, Middle Spit, Cat Bay and Flinders.

Both Western Port and Port Phillip Bay provide many species of fish to target. With so many fresh bait opportunities scattered throughout both waterways,

both Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, garfish are easy to catch from a boat and when land-based.

A mid to top water feeder, garfish are best targeted using a float setup.

There are many different floats on the market and

Australian salmon can be caught year-round in both waterways.

A top bait for snapper and gummy sharks, they are as fun to catch as they are effective as fresh bait.

Silver Trevally make top baits for both snapper and gummy sharks and tend to be found in numbers during the autumn months. is more effective. Salmon are quite prolific in May. It’s also a great time to be fishing for gummy sharks.

Salmon can be caught around the Esso Jetty as well as in the Tankerton area, Cowes, Ventnor and Cat Bay. SILVER TREVALLY Silver trevally are quite a tough species to target, as you never know where they will be in any numbers. In saying that, when you do come across them, they tend to be in schools. Trevally are very oily too, making them another top gummy shark bait. Once again, these can be chunked up or used as fillet baits. To catch them, a simple paternoster rig with two droppers (each containing a #6 long shank hook) works well.

A trail of berley will lead them to your location. Some of the best spots to fish for them are Queenscliff Harbour, St Leonards, Mornington, Rosebud Pier and Sorrento Pier. In Western Port the Stony Point Pier, Tankerton,

As tasty as they are on the table, calamari make outstanding baits for a wide range of species including whiting, snapper, elephant sharks, gummy sharks and mulloway.

while the coloured bubble float is effective, bites are often missed. A more slender quill float will allow bites to be seen more easily.

Bait preference depends on the angler and while a small piece of dough will do the job, silver fish, maggots and small pieces of peeled prawn are preferred.

Garfish are a schooling fish and will be in huge numbers, so it’s best to set a trail of berley to attract them to your fishing location, regardless of if you’re land-based or in a boat. Berley can be breadcrumbs mixed with a little tuna oil or a sloppy dough mix with some tuna oil to give it a fishy smell.

In Port Phillip Bay, garfish can be caught from all the piers and jetties with Sorrento, Blairgowrie, Mornington, Frankston, Mordialloc, Sandringham, Altona, St Leonards and Queenscliff the pick of locations. Right along the coastline in 5m of water from Portsea to Sandringham is a prime fishing area. In Western Port, garfish can be a little more challenging to find at times. Land-based, your best piers are Stony Point, Flinders and Cowes. There

the table, calamari make outstanding baits for a wide range of species including whiting, snapper, elephant sharks, gummy sharks and mulloway.

Calamari can be found inhabiting the weed beds

you can easily have a more productive session on your intended target when using fresh bait. The possibility of catching fresh bait is everywhere; all you need to do is to set aside an hour or so to go bait catching.

Top: Yakkas may not be a bait of choice for many, but when targeting gummy sharks their oily flesh can really make all the difference. Above: You don’t have to be too particular when using calamari as fresh bait. Cover it in ink for added attractant.

AUGUST 2017

37

38

AUGUST 2017

DROP INTO YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY VICTORIAN DEALERS MELBOURNE B L MARINE

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Hot Spot

Having a ball at Lake Bolac CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

Lake Bolac is about an hour or so past Ballarat and has all the trout anglers excited again for obvious reasons.

The rainbow trout are back in force. About five years ago when Lake Bolac filled with water for the first time in a while, this lake turned into a one-of-akind rainbow trout fishery.

After 12-15 months, the

started to fire again with some plus-size rainbow trout coming out of this little gem of a lake.

PRIME TIME The best time to fish Lake Bolac is in the colder months.

The fish normally thrive in these colder conditions and at times the worse the weather, the better the fishing can be.

THE GEAR A 2-4kg graphite spin rod with 2000 and 2500 sized reels is best suited for casting and trolling for trout.

been in there for, at times there can be some serious plus-sized rainbows that pop leaders on the hit. Shallow diving lures are the number one option. Hardbodies that dive below 1m are best.

MOTHER NATURE The lake can rough up with bad winds and become quite choppy. Small and medium boats need to be careful as well, because it is easy to get caught out on the other side of the lake when it gets nasty.

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2 The Esplanade, INVERLOCH Ph: 03 5674 1502 sales@inverlochmarine.com.au • www.inverlochmarine.com.au Gez Hawthorne took advantage of the lake and connected with some quality rainbows trolling small hardbodied lures.

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fish averaged 2-2.5kg and were some of the healthiest looking fish we’d seen in a long time. The growth rate was phenomenal, and recently the lake has really

A reel spooled up with 6lb braid and fluorocarbon leader anywhere from 6-10lb is a must. Depending on when it has been stocked and how long the fish have

HOT TIP Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes and rug up. In the middle of winter the lake is super cold, especially on first and last light.

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AUGUST 2017

39

The winter of the big bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

This season will be forever known as the winter of big bream in the entire Gippy Lakes from Metung, the Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo rivers, Paynesville, the Straits and even Lake Wellington.

Big bream are everywhere. I know this report is not just about me and I try every month to

briefly make a fuss of this milestone bream and then I’ll get on with a big report.

BREAKING ALL THE RECORDS It finally happened: I caught the longest, fattest, deepest and heaviest bream I’m probably ever going to see. It’s not just a new PB for me, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who has caught one this big. My first look at her in the net took my breath away. Then it was mayhem.

I had to act quickly to get the fish released.

First I had to get out

get quality pictures of me holding it and – most important – pictures of the whole fish on a ruler. In the small confines of the yak, nothing is ever easy and all the time I’m rushing to get the fish back in the water.

As we all know, length is everything when it comes to a PB bream.

With the tail folded down I could actually get another 1cm out of the total fish, but 50cm will do me!

My fishing buddy said it’s the biggest bream he’ll ever see in the flesh. What

The author with his biggest bream ever at 50cm and 2.1kg. balance what I’ve been up to with a heap of different anglers, but this time I just have to share with you a very special fish. Let me

of the wind onto the lake edge. Then I had to set up the camera, get the fish out of the net, measure it, not drop it overboard,

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Like I’ve said before, it’s all about the fish, not me.

After nearly 20 years of chasing bream on fly and lures, I’ve done it!

For me it’s like the Holy Grail of bream fishing, like a trout over 10lb, a metre flathead or a 60cm bass or estuary perch. For the record, this bream was caught in about 1.5m of water near Marlay Point, on a Hurricane Sting 37 blade lure in cracked black colour, using 6lb Crystal Fireline braid and

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40

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

a 4lb leader. It was the fish of a lifetime – thankyou Gippy Lakes.

WHERE THE BIG BREAM SWIM There are huge bream everywhere and it would be easier to say where they aren’t! I’ve had stunning fishing reports and great feedback and pictures coming in almost daily.

The Tambo has plenty of bream in the upper reaches along with flathead and I heard whispers of pinkie snapper up there to 40cm about a month ago.Now that’s a first!

Speaking of strange captures, Neil Morrison caught six tarwhine at Metung recently and Matt Jenkins got a ling in Lake Wellington.

Bryan Lazarro sent me pictures of large mullet and good bream to 36cm in the Mitchell River caught on ZMan GrubZ. He also sent me a pic of his sounder screen and said the mullet schools are massive up there. Best of all his three year old son Isaac caught his first bream on a lure, completely unassisted. The champion angler refused to go home at the end of the day! The boys also caught flathead right up near the highway bridge.

Jason Deenan made the trip over from Leongatha four times recently and fished Seacombe, Hollands and out into Lake Wellington. His best trip included 41 bream landed and they were all caught on blade lures. On one occasion he scored another big bag of 30 fish with nine bream 40cm or better with his best going 44cm.

Cohen Jackson, Joel Petzke and Justin Dingwall had their turn in the same area recently and came away with over 60 fish released with the best bream 43cm

Jason Deenan releases another big fish, one of 41 bream for the day. and longest flathead at 55cm. They only fished for five hours and left before lunchtime. Once again, most were caught on blade lures.

Daniel Fitzgerald was on his annual fishing club trip staying at Seacombe Lodge for the weekend. The boys caught some cracker fish including bream to 44cm on live shrimp.

Wayne Morley and Mark Ramsay put in their usual efforts using much bigger blades and soft plastics in their quest for more mulloway. They scored plenty of big flathead and large bream and while they were fishing there, a bait angler in the area dropped a big mulloway at the net.

Dave and Jack Morris put in six hours at the Straits and Jack scored eight nice bream while his dad kicked his butt with 20 finding the net!

The Nicholson River has been a little hot and

cold, but a few anglers have found bream all around 42cm near the boat ramp.

The Nicholson Angling Club had a competition recently and the results are an example of how good the bream fishing is right now.

Brodie Thomas won the heaviest bream by a few grams, at 1.49kg from Gus Argoon at 1.4kg coming second. Gus won the heaviest bag of five bream at a whopping 5.68kg with Jarrad Dalzell in second at 4.48kg. The standout lure for the event was the Sting 37 in gippy bling, camo crab and cracked black colours.

Nearly every single bream weighed in was released and a real credit to the club.

The fishing over the last four months has been the best I’ve seen in the Gippsland Lakes for over a decade and I haven’t even had a chance to talk about all the estuary perch we’ve been catching. I’ll save that for next time.

Swordfish going strong MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

In the last report I mentioned there was a broadbill swordfish bite happening and it’s still happening. With all the reports coming in our coastline is the most talked about swordfish hotspot in the world at the moment, although the bite is 40km+ offshore.

Reports have come in of boats and crews fishing from Lakes Entrance, Cape Conran and Mallacoota reporting many captures of broadbill with one 360kg

monster landed. Last report I mentioned Joe Connelly capturing some kingfish – Joe has upgraded! Fishing with Paul Marsh out from Cape Conran, Joe got amongst the bite and had four hook-ups pulled the hook on two, lost one at the boat and landed a good size swordfish.

They reported at one stage they were fighting a fish each standing backto-back and using lots of muscle power. No one knows how long the bite will go for or how long the weather will permit boats to go so far offshore. It’s a pity we don’t have a better boat ramp at Cape Conran

that would permit more bigger boats to access our bit of gamefishing heaven.

Another plus is the kingfish are still on the bite. Local anglers Paul Fairless and Lou Baird caught several good-size kingfish recently using soft plastic baits. Our bread and butter fishing is still excellent with plenty of flathead, gurnard, pinkie snapper, squid, barracouta and gummy sharks on the chew.

The estuary is still fishing well although the bream seem to be a bit harder to find. Anglers are still managing to get plenty To page 41

The winter blues are now beginning to lift LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The winter blues are beginning to lift. Spring is on its way and great fish are available with a mix of summer and winter fish combined.

With unseasonable weather making the lakes slightly warmer, it has been challenging lately to regularly find areas holding fish. At this time of year, large schools of yellowfin bream make their mark. These large schools form around the town wharf areas.

The Ferrymans Café wharves and Float Dragon Wharf have been holding sizeable bream and other species.

With the winter cold

water holding in the lake, a lot of bream, trevally and other species are still schooling in the deeper margins of the lake. They’re usually located around large forms of structure such as wharves and moored boats.

Anglers have mainly targeted these schooling fish with blades or varied weighted soft plastics in grub patterns worked tight to structure. Bait fishers have found consistent results on peeled prawns and sandworms. Fish these on a simple running sinker rig and remember to fish the lightest weight possible for the conditions.

A key to success during winter is to use a tactic commonly known as ‘running and gunning.’ For those who

aren’t aware, it simply means to cover as many likely areas as possible in a short time.

I find this extremely handy at this time of year, as the fish are tightly schooled and might only be holding under one boat on a wharf. Once you have managed to catch a bream or other species, it’s well worth working the area for a few more minutes. This normally results in anglers picking up another fish.

LAKE TYRES The lake has begun to fire up as the lake temperature begins to warm. Bream and flathead are waking up after the winter weather patterns.

Areas such as the Glasshouse and the channels markers have held good numbers of schooling bream and the odd

The Ferrymans Café wharves and Float Dragon Wharf have been holding sizeable bream and other species. estuary perch. Anglers have mostly targeted these fish with heavily weighted grub style soft plastics. Grubs have been extremely productive in the deep water along with deep diving hardbodies.

Further upstream, areas such as the Trident Arm and the higher reaches of the Nowa Nowa have produced quality bream. These fish have started to move out of the

deeper margins of the lake and are working the many mud flats and timber edges that are scattered throughout the arm. Anglers have found the best results using grub style soft plastics matched to the correct weight to suit the edge you’re fishing.

Bait fishing has been reasonably productive with local anglers catching plenty of fish. Anglers have mostly

used unweighted prawns.

Small bream and other species are quick to steal baits.

HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for a fish lately and have a great pic, please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with a short description and you could be in the next edition of Victoria Fishing Monthly.

Bream and flathead are waking up after the winter weather patterns.

From page 40

for the table. Luderick and mullet are in good numbers fishing along both the Snowy and Brodribb rivers using sandworms. Salmon and tailor are still in good numbers down towards the

entrance and the best results have come from spinning or trolling lures.

The surf beach has fished well all year and big schools of salmon and tailor can be found on most beaches along our coastline

with an occasional gummy shark. The best results have come from anglers using surf gear and fishing with blue bait, pilchards, squid or fresh fillets or spinning with metal lures and using light gear.

Proud swordfish anglers Joe Connelly and Paul Marsh.

AUGUST 2017

41

The winter fishing is at its best MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Each year we learn more and more, and by now I hope most anglers don’t get disheartened when winter is here, as the fishing is just as good as it is in summer.

You just need to get out there and have a go. The fishing just keeps getting better and better around here and with more anglers venturing out further these days, we are seeing some catches that are better than what we get in summer.

Winter kingies are on!

Let’s start with inside – the water temperature inside the

Inlet has dropped to a cold 12°C. It won’t get too much colder than that. Between 10-11°C is about as far as it drops, so it’s safe to say the species to be found inside the inlet are your typical winter species such as trevally, garfish, salmon, calamari and sand flathead. For the landbased anglers, the jetties are producing quite a few trevally and smallish salmon on pipis and small pieces of blue bait.

For you boaties, the options are little nicer.

If you can’t get the weather to get offshore, the main targets have been calamari, salmon, tailor and a few trevally. At the McLoughlins Beach end, the salmon are all in the

Glass calm days offshore in winter are the best for jigging up winter kingfish.

entrance with stacks of 30cm models being present in large numbers and a few good fish of up to 1.6kg. The tailor are in plague proportion and are up to 40cm and can be taken on all the same lures as the salmon, such as metal slugs and soft plastics.

The trevally are mixed in there as well and some anglers are catching up to a dozen trevally on soft plastics when chasing the salmon. As for the calamari, there are heaps around in mixed sizes with small 15cm-20cm hood models and a few 25-30cm mixed. There is also the odd horse of around 40cm.

The Yamashita Live jigs have by far been my favourite jigs to use and that’s what I’ve been catching them on. Size 3.0 and 3.5 do the damage.

If you want a feed of flatties, you will need to berley up for them. The water is cold, so the berley really helps to get the flatties on the chew. You should be able to get a good bag of 30-40cm flathead.

Let’s talk about offshore, because that’s where it’s all happening. The water has dropped offshore to around 14-14.5°C and yes, the kingfish are still here. Are they a year-round species?

Maybe! But it doesn’t matter,

because they are definitely offshore now in decently sized schools. There are good 80cm models amongst them and plenty at 65-70cm. Not bad for winter!

Troll with skirted lures to find them, then use knife jigs or soft plastics once you find the school. On the reefs, there are stacks of pinkie snapper to 40cm out wider in up to 40m of water and they are eating squid and pilchards. There are still a few couta out there as well, so if you get one, use it for bait as well, it works well!

There are some good gummy sharks around as well in anywhere from 25m of water and out too 40m. You can drift or anchor, but if you anchor, prepare to catch a few draughtboard sharks and banjos. There are quite a few sevengill sharks out deep in 30m+ as well. You will bag out on flatties easily out wide; there seem to be stacks in 30m of water and as deep as 40m as well.

Use paternoster rigs for drifting for pinkies and flatties.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle.

Plenty of pinkies are offshore on the reefs in the cold water if you put the time in to find them.

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43

Upper reaches are clear EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With less than 2” of rain recently all the rivers and lakes in the area have been clear with little freshwater flow in the upper reaches.

Fishing out wide at this time of year in the past spelled yellowfin tuna, but this year they have been notably absent. In the good old days, which don’t seem that long ago, if you were fishing anywhere from 40 fathoms and beyond, you could expect to catch yellowfin tuna. You would just need to be patient, lay down a berley trail and they would show up, but those days are long gone.

As of yet there is little to report on southern bluefin

tuna with only reports of albacore tuna and sharks being caught.

Further inshore there has been some good fishing for snapper.

Winter sees the fish caught in numbers with better-thanaverage fish about. Early morning will see fish caught closer to shore with the fish moving to deeper water as the sun rises.

Sand flathead are being caught and thankfully the area isn’t plagued with those pesky leatherjackets that chew off all your tackle before anything gets to the bottom. Once they are about you may as well give up fishing. A few kingfish have been caught, but they are not about in big numbers.

Along the beaches salmon are being caught along with some good-size tailor. There has been plenty of surf stirring

up the beaches making some good gutters for fishing.

Fishing the beach into the night has seen a few gummy sharks caught. A fillet of salmon is a great bait fished where the salmon are and you should be in the right spot.

The flathead in the rivers are hard to catch with the cold days and cold water slowing the fishing right down. The entrance to the rivers has seen some trevally, tailor and yellowfin bream caught with fresh bait. Nippers and beach worms are catching fish.

B i g g e r- t h a n - a v e r a g e tailor are also in the rivers at this time of year, but landing them is another thing.

They bite through all but the thickest of traces. The black bream are being caught further upstream. With little fresh about, they will keep heading upstream to spawn.

Flathead are still about, but they are not easy to catch.

Winter weather will soon be winding up MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Winter has come and gone and the town is very quiet with only a handful of visitors.

We’ve had cold overnight temperatures

and cold days. With a few more months to go, it’s only going to get colder.

The past month has seen a couple of inches of rain with many cloudy days.

Out wide there are still swordfish being caught.

With more and more boats chasing these fish it’s not surprising boats are heading

Silver trevally are plentiful over the winter months. out from Mallacoota, Marlo and Lakes Entrance.

A good day sees over 20 boats spread out trying to get amongst the action.

Schools of albacore tuna are out there with little to report in the way of southern bluefin tuna.

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Banks and kingfish are being caught. Boats trolling lures and jigging are getting amongst the fish. Fishing for flathead has quietened right down and no tiger flathead have been caught.

Only a few sand flathead have been reported.

These fish have been caught from around Tullaberga Island. This time of year sees only a few boats out there as the fishing is slow, due to the cold water temperatures.

A few sharks have been caught, both school sharks and gummy sharks.

Fishing the beach has seen the salmon caught along the gutters from Bastion Point down to the Betka River. Once again, the key to get amongst the fish is to keep moving until fish can be found and flicking a lure is the best way to cover ground. The harbour at Bastion Point has seen a few yellowfin bream caught along with salmon and some good-size tailor.

The front of the lake

has been fishing well for trevally. This species loves the colder water with numbers of fish increasing over the cold winter months. Yellowfin bream are also being caught in Harrisons Channel.

Luderick (blackfish) are also more abundant over

the winter months. A few flathead have been caught, but you need to really work for a feed.

The bottom lake and top lake have seen some black bream catches recently. This species has formed a distinct pattern over the past 15 years with the bulk of the fish moving out into deeper water.

It comes as no surprise with all the whitebait schools leaving the edges.

Maybe it’s something to do with their spawning requirements. Find the whitebait and the bream won’t be far behind. These fish can be caught in the shallows, but it’s nowhere near the action that the deep water can provide.

Trevally and tailor will be found in the same area. The tailor can be a pest sometimes, stealing your lures. By the same token, they provide the scraps that liven up the other fish.

Black bream can be found in the deeper water with blades still catching fish.

NSW South Coast

Wallaga Lake closed to ocean BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

After several seasons Wallaga Lake has finally closed to the ocean again.

What will this mean for the fishing? From my experience, it will create very hard fishing for anglers. Fish now have no tidal movement to bring the food to them so they need to fossick.

Anglers should concentrate their efforts in

the shallows over the flats east of the bridge or up on the western side of the lake around the rocky areas.

The clear water will create very good sight casting with lures, especially for the large bream that call Wallaga home.

The estuaries are extremely quiet, however the Bermagui Bridge offers a good vantage point from which to polaroid schools of bream, whiting, trevally and plenty of luderick.

These fish move in with the first of the rising tide. They

The shallow flats east of Wallaga Lake Bridge hold many bream this size.

will regularly take nippers or squirt worms early on when the tide flows. The bite may only last a short time and can vary from day to day. Luderick will respond to weed fishing near the boat ramp at the bridge, rock walls or bridge pylons towards the latter end of the falling tide.

If those tuna are still around, any offal thrown in the harbour around the main boat ramp will attract fish looking for an easy meal. Fish with tuna on short mono traces to keep your bait on the bottom away from the small fish.

Bream, trevally, luderick, tailor and the occasional flathead will be the more common species, while those big black bull rays may often suck up an angler’s bait, which can result in spectacular bust-offs.

There are some good gutters along our beaches, which are attracting plenty of salmon. These fish can be taken with baits or – more interesting – on lures.

There are decent tailor mixed in, bream and mullet closer to shore that are responding well to berley.

For those who are really

keen, gummy sharks have been caught at night around the new or full moon.

For those who like the open ocean and prefer catching their table fare, tiger flathead are starting to show. While they’re not in large numbers yet, there is enough to make it worth going to sea. The usual areas like the edge of the Four and Six-Mile reefs are probably the best with the Step out from Tilba also having its share. You are also likely to encounter plenty of sand flathead closer to shore out from the beaches where conditions are likely to be much calmer.

With these calm conditions boaties can go relatively close to shore and try all different styles of angling. Anglers can troll for pelagics. Salmon are the most likely candidates, or an odd kingfish. When a school of salmon is encountered, casting will take over increasing the fun.

Bait fishing or using soft plastics in only a few metres of water around structure is a lot of fun with only light spin tackle.

The species found here are too numerous to mention although the favourites are

Shallow water will produce results. snapper, flathead, trevally, morwong and there are likely to be many odd balls as well. One practice here that is becoming popular is to fish with red crabs for groper with some fish being

exceptionally large. Out on the wider reefs, snapper and morwong are the mainstay with a few perch thrown in. Don’t expect heaps, but it will improve from here on in.

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45

Calm weather produces for offshore boaties everything is in order, expect some exceptional fishing.

Most of the bluefin captured have been school fish in the 40-60kg bracket – not huge fish, but still a lot of fun on the right tackle. There has been the odd 80-90kg model caught.

The long-liners further south off Green Cape are getting monster bluefin, so it’s only a matter of time before they swim past our doorstep. Let’s hope anyway.

Trolling has certainly been the method of choice.

You can cover more ground and find the fish. Some crews are switching to a cube trail when the tuna are located and having great success.

This can be extremely visual fishing with the tuna at times almost touchable, they are

NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The last three weeks have seen the most stable weather that I can recall in the last 30 years with almost no wind and extremely flat seas. This has been great for those offshore boaties targeting the larger pelagic species like yellowfin and bluefin tuna.

While both species have been caught, the tuna are a long way out with some crews venturing 70-80 miles to the tuna grounds. That’s a massive distance to travel considering you have to get back too. Having the right crew and boat is essential.

Safety is paramount. If

that close to the boat.

It’s here when casting bigger soft plastics or poppers on good quality spin gear becomes a stack of fun.

Multiple hook-ups are the norm and it’s not uncommon to bag 10-15 fish in a session if your arms allow it. Local gun charter boat Playstation had a cracking day recently catching bluefin, albacore and bigeye tuna. Nick and the boys had the fish at the back of the boat for a few hours, boating and letting numerous fish go with the bigeye a very welcome surprise.

You don’t often hear of this generally deeper water quarry in berley trails. It just goes to show anything is possible. The lads got three bigeye with the best around 55kg – great eating

Bream just love hardbodies when fished in the right conditions.

SPIDERCRAB

A couple of cracking black bream that Nean ‘Cookie’ Cook caught recently. Both fish were released. and awesome fun. Closer to shore Montague Island is a bit up and down, some days the bigger kingfish are on top, but other days it’s like a desert. The only thing to do is have a look and hopefully they decide to play the game.

The kings that have been caught are big. I know of several 20kg models and a few bigger ones lost over the last few weeks. Trolled larger slimy mackerel are the weapon of choice. The inside edge of the Fowl House Reef has been the pick. To be honest they can show up anywhere.

Those after a feed of bottom dwellers are licking their lips with snapper, morwong, John Dory and pigfish chewing on most reefs. The better areas are north of Narooma and Potato Point. You may have to move around to locate concentrated schools, but you’ll be rewarded for your effort.

In the estuaries it has been slow, particularly in Wagonga Inlet. The water is cold and clear – not ideal conditions in this pristine system. It will get better

as the water warms. At the moment it’s tough going.

Anglers doing well are fishing the lower sections in the channels from the bridge to the charter boat wharf. You can expect trevally, bream and the odd flathead if you’re casting plastics around. For the bait fishos, luderick and mullet are in good numbers and the flooding tide is best.

If you’re after some consistency, concentrate on the smaller estuaries like Corunna, Mummaga and Brou Lake. All these systems fish well for flathead during winter. You will catch plenty to 40cm with smaller soft plastics and blades both working well. I’d be fishing the margins in 2-4m of water.

Once you locate a patch concentrate your efforts around it.

It’s common once you find flathead to get your bag quite easily, if you need that many. You will catch the odd bream and trevally as well with small chopper tailor wreaking havoc on your tackle. Sometimes they are that thick that you just

have to move to get away from them.

Up at Tuross there have been solid lizards to 65cm caught, mainly on softies fished in the deeper water.

The fish are concentrated in the deeper holes. Once you find them expect some solid action. This month should see a few mulloway enter the system too; they can be targeted in the deeper sections of the river and lake.

Salmon and tailor have been caught off the beaches. The better beaches include Narooma Main and Brou Beach to the north of Dalmeny. Both beaches have decent gutters with the southern end of Narooma Main exceptional at present.

Off the stones the usual cold water culprits like luderick, drummer, bream and groper are keeping anglers happy. You have to work for them with the white water almost non-existent and the flat seas. Using a little more berley should turn things around. The northern ledge on the third hole at the golf course rocks has been excellent.

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Big fish busting up MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The last few weeks have seen some incredible weather around the Merimbula region with flat calm seas making the journey of 40-50 miles to the tuna grounds that are much more comfortable! Most crews heading wide have had success with southern bluefin tuna to 50-60kg.

There have been bigger fish smashing bait on the surface. I haven’t heard of a 100kg fish caught yet. It shouldn’t be long before it happens as the long-liners a little further south are having a field day. Trolling is the go-to method recently with mid-sized pushers and bigger bibbed minnows getting the desired results.

You get to cover a lot of ground trolling. If you find a patch, pull up and start cubing.

You may just hold the school at the boat. If this happens, you’re in for some serious fun. It’s not just bluefin being caught either. A few yellowfin tuna to 55kg+ and albacore to 18kg have been caught with one local boat getting all three species on a recent trip, which can be hard to do. It’s certainly not impossible if the fish are there.

Closer inshore the snapper are in full swing with Long Point, White Cliffs and Horseshoe reefs all holding fish at times. The average size is a kilo – a good eating size – and there are plenty of them.

There is the odd model to 4kg being caught too. Anglers drifting have done well with fresh squid, cuttlefish and tuna strips all working. Mixed in with the reds are morwong with the odd kingfish.

Those trolling close to the rocks are catching plenty of bonito and big salmon. This is good fun on lighter outfits and with the flat seas a few locals in small boats are having a ball – it’s well worth the effort.

There have been a few reports of bigger kingfish and, in some cases, big schools of them.

They can be hard to entice

to bite. Anglers catching a few seem to be getting them on larger poppers. This is a great way to target them as the visual aspects come into their own. It was this time last year that some very big kings made Merimbula Bay their home for quite a few weeks.

There were plenty of monster kings hooked, but few landed as a lot of anglers were under gunned. These bigger fish might be in trouble this year with those same anglers all geared up and ready to fire.

In the estuaries, August is definitely the quietest month with the water a cold 10°C. Anglers are getting good trevally and salmon in the top lake and the channels below the main wharf in town. Smaller soft plastics are fairing best and the flooding tide is good.

There should be a few luderick and bream available for those targeting them

even soft plastics on larger jigheads. If you’re after a bit more sport, try using a bream outfit with 4 or 6lb gelspun and a 20g shiner. You can cast these things a mile. You’ll lose a lot of fish with the trebles, so try changing them to a single hook for a better hook-up to landed ratio.

Mixed in with the sambos are some reasonable tailor to a kilo. Smoke these up and they are great on the plate.

The better beaches include Tura Main and North Tura, as both these beaches have great, deep gutters.

Winter off the rocks fishes very well with luderick, drummer, groper and bream all possible targets. There’s the chance of a good snapper, especially after a blow. They will come in close after a feed. Tura Head is the ideal place to fish. This platform is deep and many a good snapper

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES

390 STALKER Even with the cold water a good feed of dusky flathead is always on the cards. with fresh weed and tuna cubes. Use a little berley for both these species and you shouldn’t have too many worries getting a feed. The channels are the place to fish.

On the beaches salmon are everywhere. Any beach with a half decent gutter is producing. All methods are working: paternoster rigs with bait/popper combination, casting chromed slices and

have come from here.

If you’re after the pelagic species, salmon, tailor and bonito are all available.

Whole pilchards on ganged hooks are a great way to target them. With the bread and butter species, cunjevoi, cut crab, cabbage and fresh prawns should suffice. Short Point and the rocks on the northern side of Merimbula Bay are well worth a look.

For more information visit

www.horizonboats.com.au or call your nearest dealer Chelsea Yamaha

13 Ashley Park Drive Chelsea Heights Victoria 3196 Phone 03 9772 1277

Michael Parker Marine 4 Erica Court Albury NSW 2640 Phone 02 6043 1578

Swan Hill Power Products 40 Nyah Road Swan Hill Victoria 3585 Phone 03 5032 2116

Winter bream fishing in our southern estuaries is nothing short of exceptional.

AUGUST 2017

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49

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

A very cold Apple Isle is finally warming up TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

That’s right, we are out the other side of another winter here in Tasmania and we are always excited about that. While we won’t

be sunbaking just yet, the bitter cold of the previous two months is waning and there is light at the end of the seasonal tunnel. We’ll have more light as the days are getting longer and we head into a great new season of fishing.

August is the month where we start a brand new trout season, and for many around the state this is a weekend to look forward to. It’s a time to remember we have some of the world’s best trout fishing and spend some time catching them with great mates.

We have some of the best eating fish on the planet in Tasmania and one of these is the striped trumpeter. The season closes in September for two months, so this month we will talk about how to get some in the freezer and bridge the gap.

Gummy sharks were found in most depths off Wynyard right through past Burnie and across to Devonport. The best water depth seemed to be 15-25m and fish seemed to be in abundance.

Recently I have found good fish while prospecting about and this looks to continue into August. This was quite a surprise and just goes to show that we get a little tied up in what we think we know and should really keep a very open mind. The area is on the eastern end of the Bass Highway we know as Lillico straight (see map).

The area has some solid rock and reef sections covered in the sort of seaweed that small parrotfish and pike love. This ground stretches the full length from here all the way west to the reef finger that protrudes from the entrance to the Forth River. Most of it is fairly level and goes away slowly from 4m to 10-15 where the solid reef sections make way for sand and some shale. It is these edges that I was most interested in

for snapper.

This sort of ground is very common across the entire coast and leads me to believe we are sitting on a much better snapper fishery than we think. Coincidently, this very same ground has small clefts and edges where calamari love to drop their eggs and spawn. More on that later.

Back to the east end of Lillico, I have noticed over the years that there are some more depth transitions in this area. By this I mean there is some shape to the bottom where the depth changes swiftly by 2m or more. It was these areas where I was interested in anchoring off a little and spending some time berleying. Over a couple of sessions recently the amount of blue head wrasse were starting to wear me down, so I decided to reset the anchor a little further from the boulder sections and allow the berley to draw the fish to me.

This is all only in 10m of water and after 15 minutes we had two very nice sand flathead and a very good gummy. What followed was an epic gummy shark

session that was great fun and allowed us to take five very nice gummy sharks, which is the boat limit with three on board. The blow out on this trip was the massive school shark that was quietly gnawing on our berley t-shirt.

Yes – the berley t-shirt.

The infamous Joel Gent had left the Hookem Fishing stainless steel berley bucket at home in our mad rush to get out on the water. He had redeemed himself by making an ad hoc effort with an old ‘STOP THE SUPER TRAWLER’ t-shirt and some cable ties. While lifting it up to repack, it was grabbed and ragdolled that hard that both of us looked at each other with ‘what the heck’ expressions.

I dropped it down again and very slowly raised it up as whatever it was continued to chew on it. The school shark was 5ft long and a real barrel. With a massive swipe of its tail, it covered me in salt water and was gone, never to be seen again.

It has us pretty excited though and we will be out and searching this month to see if we can find him or his mate!

NORTH WEST I can’t remember a winter where the fishing was as good as this one and as we look forward to a new summer season I think we can get a little excited. The water quality in the Bass Strait has been on the improve for a number of years. I don’t have any scientific proof, but the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming.

When on the water it looks great; the colour and clarity is fantastic and it is full of life. The micro bait and bait species seem to be on the improve and this brings life to the whole area. Over the last two months the hardy anglers on the North West Coast have been taking advantage of some good weather conditions and faring very well.

Those that were prepared to rug up and brave the early morning cold were rewarded with some very sunny and calm days which were of benefit to the shore-based anglers as well as the boaters.

Marc Huisken found fish with Abu Garcia skid jigs on a recent trip to Hervey Bay. GUMMY SHARKS The humble gummy is a staple of fishos around Tasmania and has the pretty funky scientific name of Mustelus antarticus. The good news is they can be found in 2m of water right out to 80m and will feed on just about anything. The minimum size for gummy is 75cm and you can take only two per angler.

These fish are slow to mature and live for a long time, so any fish you don’t take home should be returned

to the water in good health for good karma. Circle hooks are the go here and more and more anglers are waking up to the benefits of these hook styles. The hot tip is to bleed them straight away once they’re caught. There’s no need to cut across the back of the head in a massive gaping wound. Run a sharp knife in through the gills and out through the bottom.

Resting fillets in the fridge overnight really improves the already great eating.

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

How is Arthurs Lake Fishery shaping up?

IFS

Tim Farrell

Since the depth of the last drought in 2008/09, the Arthurs Lake fishery compared to previous seasons has been disappointing.

Catch rates have been down and the size of fish has been small.

This may however be starting to change. Over the past five years, we have undertaken two surveys (2013 and 2016), as well as monitoring the spawning run each year, in addition to tracking anglers’ catch rates and the total harvest of brown trout.

Indications are the fishery is improving, both in terms of the size and number of brown trout. A comparison of the survey results from 2013 and 2016, in conjunction with monitoring this year’s spawning run, suggests the lake is now holding fish from a range of sizes. Back in 2013 just 10% of the fish 50

AUGUST 2017

were 400mm or greater, this compares to 34% for 2016.

Monitoring of the spawning run this year indicates just over 50% of the fish are now 400mm or greater.

PENSTOCK LAGOON – NATIVE FISH DO IT WELL We recently surveyed the native fish in Penstock Lagoon. Both the Shannon paragalaxias and the spotted galaxias are doing well, in terms of numbers and recruitment of young fish.

Penstock Lagoon contains three species of native fish: the Shannon paragalaxias, the Great Lake paragalaxias, and the spotted galaxias.

The recent survey showed the Shannon paragalaxias population was healthy. We captured good numbers of fish. The other pleasing result was the high level of young fish present.

This shows good recruitment over the last year.

Many of the Shannon paragalaxias were close to spawning. A lot of females were carrying large numbers

One of the many fish over 400mm that has been released upstream to spawn in Tumbledown Creek. of eggs. This is good news and shows the management of Penstock lagoon to be at a sustainable level.

We found just the one Great Lake paragalaxias but this is not unusual.

This species occurs in good numbers in Great Lake, but is uncommon in Penstock Lagoon.

The spotted galaxias was present in lower numbers than the Shannon paragalaxias.

This is normally not the case and not concerning. In many waters across the State, spotted galaxias are common.

The water quality was also excellent. Even with the low temperatures, there were plenty of aquatic

insects and crustaceans.

MONSTER ATLANTIC SALMON STOCKED INTO LAKE BARRINGTON Last month we stocked 150 monster salmon into the water with an average weight of 6kg. The largest fish in the release were heavier than 9kg!

With most fishing in the state quiet through the winter months, it is fantastic to provide anglers with the opportunity to catch a once in a lifetime fish.

After the recent excitement around the Brushy Lagoon and Craigbourne Dam stockings, we expect that large numbers of anglers will try their luck at Lake Barrington.

The salmon seem to like the brighter coloured lures including oranges, pinks and reds. Soft plastics work well, as does PowerBait suspended in the water about one foot under a float.

We would like to remind anglers that Lake Barrington has a five fish total bag limit, with only two fish over 500mm allowed to be taken per day.

The minimum size in this water is 300mm with all angling methods permitted, and Lake Barrington is open to fishing all year round.

We thank the Huon Aquaculture Company for kindly donating the fish.

Go Behind the Scenery NORTH EAST August is the last opportunity to harvest a few stripy trumpeter for a couple of months. There is a closed season that runs from 1 September to 31 October. This allows the fish of spawning size to get their jiggy jig on and propagate the future fishery.

These fish are well sought after and it is again for their fabulous eating quality. They are a fish that can also provide a good amount of flesh from their ample frames. It pays to learn or have someone to show you how to fillet them for the best results. They are often found well offshore, so a maximum return for fuel burn is well advised.

The northeast of Tasmania is the go zone for stripy at this time of year.

Get out from St Helens and head north and wide. There are a heap of marks floating about for ‘the only spot worth worrying about,’ but this is rubbish. Take your time and keep an eye on your sounder and you will find plenty of pockets of opportunity. The water depth you can start to really scour is 70-100m.

You are looking for a little bit of fuzz on the sounder and some reasonable action in and around that. This time of year up off Musselroe Bay you can come across them all grouped up and you will think your sounder has had a fritz out. This is what we call a biomass and they are thick.

Dropping down your three hook rigs can and will often lead to three hooked fish and bagging out in short time. The standout bait for me is squid or belly flaps of tuna. I like the squid, because it stays on and can mean less down time when the bite is on thick and fast.

The lazy buggers in us all have defaulted to electrics for this caper, but you can still nail plenty of fish on rod and line. Reels

with good line return rate are favoured and the big eggbeaters or spinning reels are also popular. The rod can be your best friend here. It needs to have a bit of power in the mid and butt section.

A bit of supple tip helps keep fish on hooks.

If your rod is too stiff when the fish are on your hooks, you can drop them off while pumping and winding. In essence, when you are lifting the rod up and winding down you are going from good tension on

that trumpeter are such great eating is the high oil content. This is very tasty once cooked and these fish are sensational on the BBQ. The scientific name for the species is Latris lineata and the minimum size is 55cm.

The personal bag limit is four with the boat limit being 20 fish. They are pretty easy to handle, but the hot tip is to watch the dorsal spines; they are sharp.

I mentioned Musselroe Bay area and at this time of the year it is a great starting point for a number of species.

The northeast has the mildest weather of anywhere in the state and the treasures to be found in the area for fishers and divers are plentiful. The shore-based angling can be sensational, if a little tricky to access. If you are wellprepared and don’t mind a rock scramble or two, you’ll love the place. Always have your wits about you and then some when fishing from the rocks on shores with good swell.

Offshore there are some fabulous reefs and rocks that attract a lot of sea life and in turn the fishing is fabulous.

Swan Island is only a short distance away and fishes well for all the big names.

Flathead are normally of good size and so too are the Australian salmon that frequent the area. This is also a great spot to come across the much sought-after yellowtail kingfish.

These fish go hard, are great sport and aren’t bad on the tooth. The kingy loves a bit of current to bully baitfish in and this is something that is plentiful in the area. The currents and water movement need to be taken into account.

If wind and tide clash heads, unsavoury sea conditions can spring up. The Great Musselroe River can provide some good entertainment if the coastal weather and sea conditions are inclement. The target here is big bream – not pretend bream, but reallife stonkers!

This area offers a bit of everything for those that are prepared to pack light and explore. There are some fabulous shore-based spots that can be a bit of a walk, but on their day will create massive smiles to go with your blisters. The beaches are spectacular and covered in white sand linked with rocky outcrops. These outcrops often drop into some nice deep water. The time spent there with mates when we first got our licenses, I will take to the grave – good times. Get there!

to be a little more patient and play the fish out. Keep the bend in the rod and don’t let that fish get a rest on you. It will be a race for who tires first and a battle to the end. You can either harvest the fish or release and catch another. Long runs

and drags screaming are the hallmark of this fishing and can make a change from using overheads and stiff overhead rods. Keep that gear handy though, as when the bigger fish and jumbos arrive, the light gear goes away.

There are some sunny days in Tasmania at this time of year and the flathead are still biting. the line to nothing while you drop rod tip and wind. This is creating an opportunity to drop the fish halfway up. A nice soft rod with a bit of mid-section power will load up very nicely.

You should be using circle hooks and don’t need any erratic rod lifts to set hooks. The fish would have hit and hooked. Wind up 2m and wait with a nice bend in the rod. This will allow another to jump on and hook himself. Once you have a couple on, the rod will have a good bend in it keeping a

EAST It’s no secret that the jumbo-sized bluefin, while they have been about, have not come through hard as yet. We all hope that August is the month. That said, the saving grace has been the amount of school-sized fish about. The entire east coast seems to have good-sized schools and plenty of them inside the shelf and right on the continental shelf. The fish have been caught off Bicheno, Schooten Passage and all the way down and around Storm Bay. This is wild. For those who aren’t aware, Storm Bay is basically just off the mouth of the Derwent River.

The amount of the tuna about and the ease of catching them has led

nice even tension on the line as you lift and wind the fish to the surface.

I mentioned squid as the go-to bait, but if you are going to be on the water out wide, it pays to have a number of options aboard.

The same can be said for sinkers. The most popular sinkers are the snapper style in and around 4-6oz, but it can pay to have some a little heavier. If the weather gets up and the drift is a bit quick, some heavier lead and backing up on the lines will increase your catch rate.

STRIPED TRUMPETER One of the reasons

to a lot of people trying to catch them on different gear using other techniques. The tried and tested method of dragging plastic skirts works very, very well, but there is a group of keen anglers casting to the schools once found.

Big soft plastics and jigheads have proven very deadly.

The big jigheads allow you to cast effectively and get into and over the back of the school. This is important, as you won’t spook the fish and send them down. The right rod and reel for this is very important. A 4000-5000 sized reel is all you need for these fish to 40kg. The rod must be a blank suitable for casting and be over 7ft to get some length of cast.

On light gear you just have

Tasmania

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Fish love these skid jigs, much like this Hervey Bay cobia.

A U S T R A L I A

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com AUGUST 2017

51

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania DEEP SOUTH Down in the cold, cold south the fishing has been going well and will heat up with the weather in August.

The flathead have been continuing to go well and local angler Callum Lord managed to get a nice feed of flatties out the front of Blackmans Bay last week.

If you are keen to do the same in August, try using a two-hook rig with squid as bait. Callum caught enough for a feed in just under an hour. Anglers have also had some good success fishing around Betsey Island with both bait and soft plastics.

The bream have been going quite well. With some very big tides in the last two weeks, this has had the mouth of Browns River open up and allowed some massive schools of bream to enter the system. Soaking a bait like prawns is always a productive way to catch

we have some mid-month rains in August, keep an eye out for any tree limbs or branches that move down near the bridge. The bream love to sit and lose themselves in the cover. A cast close by will have them come out to investigate.

Whiting have kept anglers in the south busy.

Local anglers have been consistently bagging out on sand whiting out the front of Kingston Beach and Blackmans Bay. They have not needed to anchor or berley, which is unusual.

If you are looking to get a feed of these tasty fish, just use a simple two-hook rig (small long shank hooks) with a small bit of squid on each hook.

These fish like a bit of movement to attract their attention, so the squid can be in thin strips that look wormlike. Make sure you keep

Andrew Large with a sun-safe buff smashed some silver snapper in Hervey Bay on the Berkley Gulp Jerkshad. over August for more to be released. The fish are ex-brood stock from Tassal.

These fish are usually easy

flip-flop in the shallows to bust you off.

The south has not been left out with the amount of bluefin about and Eaglehawk Neck continues to fish extremely well. Some boats have been landing up to 20 bluefin in a day and of course releasing all but their limit. The usual 5-6” skirts and Halco Laser Pros are

doing the damage. There are even some big albacore still hanging around, which is pretty surprising for this time of year.

The fishing for August suggests that the fish will be around for a while and with the chance to hook a jumbo it is very inviting. Don’t forget to check weather reports for storm fronts and wind

changes. While the Neck offers plenty of places to hide out of the wind, you don’t want to get caught in an area with a rising sea and wind.

There were some great sessions on striped trumpeter towards the end of July.

Tasman Island and the area to the south has been one of the hotspots as well as Pedra and all the great ground between the main rock of Pedra and Eddystone Rock. As usual, squid have been the go-to bait, but, as I mentioned before, have some variety.

Look for some solid gummies out off the front of Betsey Reef in August.

Southern anglers tend to berley in and around the tide change. One local last week ran some berley out on the start of the run out and fished lightly weighted pilchards close to the bottom. He did very well and mentioned 40lb leader or stronger is recommended as gummies can break you off on the reef. He uses Owner 5/0 circle hooks, as they are great on gummies and are easy to remove from the shark once it’s landed.

Winter options include salmon from the rocks. bream. Fishing light is crucial and that means light main line and light leader. Use small hooks and if you have the rod to do it, go unweighted.

If you must use a sinker, it should be as small as you can get away with and rigged as a running sinker. If you prefer to throw lures around, now is the perfect time. Head down to the mouth of Browns River on a high tide and try soft plastics.

It can also be worth checking out the pylons on the bridge, as this is where the bream will often sit. If

your rig on the bottom and a sensitive rod tip will help heaps. Whiting bites tend to be fairly obvious and are usually nothing more than a quick vibration through the rod tip. After you get a bite, wait for a second or two and then strike!

The anglers that like to chase and catch the Atlantic salmon have been spoilt over the last couple of months.

Craigbourne Dam has been stocked multiple times with Atlantic salmon up to 9kg. Keep an eye on the Inland Fisheries website

to catch, which makes for a great chance to take the young ones out for a bit of fun over the weekend.

Hardbody minnows have been working well. Soft plastics are always great performers and you can use some of the wilder colours to get the bite. The jigheads to use are the 1/16 or 1/8oz jigheads. With these fish getting up to 9kg I would recommend a heavier leader around 8-12lb to avoid being snapped off at your feet. You don’t want to do all the hard work only for a last-ditched

based trip and very serious business. The plan of attack was to meet the team of Pure Fishing Australia and other store managers from around Australia to put some new product through its paces.

This was a first for me and Andrew, so we were both very happy to have been invited. The initial feel was like heading somewhere quite remote even though it was only Hervey Bay.

The reason being we had to take three flights and, with each plane change, the plane got smaller.

If we had to take another flight, we may well have had to flap ourselves.

Once we arrived, we were greeted by the rest of the crew and settled into some presentations around the products and their intended use and specifications. Once that wound up with talk of a 5am start and some excited expectations we

TASMANIANS ABROAD If ever there is a time to jump on a big keroburning canary and fly out of Tasmania for Hervey Bay, it is smack-bang in the Tasmanian winter. This is exactly what Andrew Large, the manager of The Fishing Connection in Hobart, and I did recently.

Before you start with the ‘Oh, it’s nice for some’ remarks, this was a work52

AUGUST 2017

Jerkshads were on the menu in Hervey Bay for a few longtail tuna. didn’t trouble the bar staff too much before we were off to bed.

Hervey Bay, go you good thing. We had a ball fishing over the next two days. The group was broken up into three boats: a local sports and flyfishing charter operator, Pure Fishing’s company trailer boat and a large 50ft catamaran. Each group had a day on the little boats and a day on the big boat. Over the two days Andrew and I had a great

time testing new rods and reels that will go to market for the upcoming season.

We were also lucky enough to also test some new braided line and soft plastics as well.

The standout notion I came back with from the trip to Hervey was to fish light to get the bite. If this stands true in an area where every second fish species encountered has a wild set of teeth, it’s doubly so for us down here in Tasmania. The

feeling from the 30-year veteran of the charter world up there was, “I would rather hook fish and lose them and sneak up the leader breakages than to fish heavy leaders and not get any bites at all.”

I really believe we should take this into account when rigging a lot of our skirts and divers for southern bluefin, when the sea is a bit calmer than we would like and there is a lot of sun about.

Go Behind the Scenery TROUT SEASON BEGINS It’s August and we are about to break the ice on a brand new trout season, literally. What I have witnessed over the last two years is that trout fishing is cool again and everyone is loving it. It doesn’t matter if you are a young lad keen to throw plastics or hardbodies or a wily old fox who loves to drown a worm. Fishers have gotten back on board in droves and are really loving it.

We are so lucky in Tasmania to have all the bases covered in and around our great island.

We have waterways filled with wild brown trout, lakes with plenty of rainbow trout and, of course, trophy waters like Lake Crescent and the Gordon River. We really take all this for granted at times and I think we should take some time to celebrate what we have.

Trout season or the start thereof means memories for me – memories of a youth spent on the banks of the Forth River trying to outwit a fish that I knew very little of. The saving grace was the ease of access and the amount of willing fish for me to try and catch, but more often spook. Worms were drowned in little backwaters on the river or, if we were very lucky, Warren Fisher would take us on an adventure.

That adventure would be something as simple as a whitebait session in and around the logs that littered the backs of the lower reaches of the Forth. I don’t mean catching whitebait, but targeting those trout that were chasing them as they came into the river system gorging themselves on the tiny bait. That was a little later in the season and early adventures would be in the lower lying lakes using spinners or when the sun went down, slow rolling a grub across the water surface.

Opening day is here and the choice is yours to make on what water you wish to

brave and ply your skills. I say “to brave,” as August here in Tasmania is still frosty. The low lying lakes and coastal rivers are the choice of many with the highland lakes being the domain of the fingerless gloves brigade. Opening weekend up the Lakes is a rite of passage for some and a long-time tradition for many.

It doesn’t matter where you decide to head off and wet a line, you must have a few things in check. A license is a good start and you can, if you like, get that sorted online. But why bother? Get into a tackle store and get your license from there. Enjoy the banter and pick up some information that may help you find some success. It is also very good fengshui to have something new in your tackle box, just in case the tried and true methods fail you.

The next thing you will need to do is run the eye over your trout gear. Make sure that reels are in good working order and that your braid is in good nick. Tie on some fresh leaders and check any of the eyes on your rod for damage.

Also, checking waders for any leaks is a great idea and waterproof your walking boots as well. If you’re going to drag out the dinghy, which you haven’t used since late last year, it pays to give that a once over as well.

Trailer bearings are a must to check, as you don’t want to be ‘that guy’ on the side of the road looking like your trailer is set up as a race car with 8° of negative camber.

Good fresh fuel is a must. If you have some old fuel in your boat tank, tip it into another container and use it through your mower or whipper snipper. Recharge the boat tank with some good, fresh fuel. Nobody wants to be out on the lake with an outboard

trying to run on water from condensation over months of sitting around.

Make sure you have all that you need and you know where it is. If you have to get back into a tackle store and get a few last minute items, make sure that you do. Remember to get some weird or whacky looking lure that you can tie onto your rod when coming back in. It’s great fun to come back to camp with a good few fish and point at your rod tip when asked what you caught them on to say, ‘This ole thing…’

LOW LEVEL OPTIONS If you are looking to get your trout fix on, you might dress just a shade under what would be expected from a Siberian dog sledder. Look to lakes like Tooms Lake, Huntsmen Lake and Four Springs. The lake at Four Springs is very popular on opening weekend, but don’t let that deter you. If you gear up and get there early, and by early I mean head torch early, then you can walk to where you want to go and not have the more crowded spots hinder your fishing.

If you want to put yourself in an area without a crowd, you just have to increase you effort and enthusiasm. This technique works well wherever you might head. Get keen, get out early and get the walking boots on. The Huntsman Lake out at Meander is another great option early in the season and from all reports it has been fishing well.

There are a number of areas that suit all kinds of techniques, so there’s something for everyone. I like hitting the lake early then rolling back into Deloraine for a counter meal and then rolling back out later in the arvo. The second session is often less crowded and opens up some more of the lake to try your skills.

RIVER, WHICH RIVER? Here we are so spoiled for choice, it doesn’t matter where

you live, it’s not much of a drive to find your trout fix. The North West Coast has the Inglis River and the Leven River as you come east. This then leads to the Forth River and the Mersey. In such a short stretch of highway travel you can turn up or downriver for some awesome trout fishing options.

The north has plenty of options as well in the South Esk, the Macquarie River and the Meander. Way down south the options continue between the massive Derwent waterway and the Huon systems.

These are but a few of the major ones and there are many more. Most fish pretty similar and there are some things to consider that will have you find fish. You can hone your techniques to a particular system from there. Rain will have a bearing on how you fish any river system. A bit of rain will bring alive any river. Too much and it can become a little bit more tricky.

Should we have a bit of a dump and the water levels come up, the fish will be happy to be feeding on the food that has been flushed out. Look for these fish in the backwaters that are generated by the high water level and flow. These might be natural eddies that are always there or they could be impromptu features created purely by the water levels themselves.

These fish will be a good target for an unweighted worm or very lightly weighted soft plastic. The flyfishers are not to be left out here, as the browns will be up in these areas tailing away quite merrily. As always, the early light and late light are prime times to stalk these zones.

Should the water levels be at a normal level the natural rapid sections and areas with a bit of a ripple are well worth a look. Just remember that the fish are facing their noses upstream so any soft plastic or

Tasmania

Young angler Zac Smith loves his trout fishing and looks forward to the season opening. presentation needs to be cast upstream and worked down past them as they sit in cover.

LAKES APLENTY The highland areas are where trout opening really has that boy’s weekend away feel to it. It’s also under the domain of the family adventure. There is often inclement weather and snow about, but the fishing can be productive as well. Shack life is alive and well with popular spots being Arthurs Lake and, of course, the Great Lake and its many bays and shores. Woods Lake and Lake Echo are always popular destinations and the fishing techniques are as varied as the many destinations to try them.

Shore-based angling fun can be had with bait, flies or lures and the same can be said for anyone in a boat. The boat angler has the added bonus of drift spinning and trolling to cover more fishy looking areas. The trout opening can mean many things for many people, but the single common

theme is the quality of our trout fishing. We should celebrate it and get out there and have a go. Just make sure you have all the right gear and dress warm in layers and have a set of footwear that will keep your feet warm. A lightweight raincoat is a great investment and will not take up much room in your car, boat or kit bag.

I have left one very important point to last to sink in… Make sure you have your life jacket checked and in good working order. We have all gravitated to the fancy blow up in the water or self-activated style PFDs. This is awesome, as long as they work when you go in the water.

No one is looking to end up in the water at any time and the comfort attributed by the yoke and modern jackets are fabulous, but I reiterate – they must work when needed. Get them checked, have them serviced and have a safe and comfortable trout season opener.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 13th July 2017 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta....................................3.47...................................................................

Arthurs Lake.....................................1.40...................................................................

Great Lake........................................13.61.................................................................

Trevallyn Pond..................................1.48...................................................................

Shannon Lagoon...............................0.25...................................................................

Penstock Lagoon..............................0.29...................................................................

Lake Echo.........................................8.36...................................................................

Dee Lagoon.......................................0.28...................................................................

Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah..............2.82...................................................................

Bronte Lagoon..................................1.72...................................................................

Pine Tier Lagoon...............................1.78...................................................................

Little Pine Lagoon.............................1.05...................................................................

Laughing Jack Lagoon.....................6.64...................................................................

Lake St Clair.....................................1.52...................................................................

Lake King William.............................8.97...................................................................

Lake Liapootah.................................1.07...................................................................

Wayatinah Lagoon............................0.52...................................................................

Lake Catagunya................................0.73...................................................................

Lake Repulse....................................0.41...................................................................

Cluny Lagoon..................................................................................................Spilling Meadowbank Lake...........................0.26...................................................................

Lake Pedder......................................1.28...................................................................

Lake Gordon.....................................28.11.................................................................

Lake Burbury....................................8.04...................................................................

Lake Plimsoll....................................3.21...................................................................

Lake Murchison................................14.31.................................................................

Lake Mackintosh..............................6.98...................................................................

Lake Rosebery..................................0.62...................................................................

Lake Pieman.....................................2.98...................................................................

Lake Mackenzie................................8.40...................................................................

Lake Rowallan..................................14.69.................................................................

Lake Parangana................................1.14...................................................................

Lake Cethana....................................3.84...................................................................

Lake Barrington................................1.04...................................................................

Lake Gairdner...................................7.35...................................................................

Lake Paloona....................................1.34...................................................................

Woods Lake......................................1.33...................................................................

Whitespur Pond................................6.63...................................................................

Lake Newton.....................................4.20...................................................................

Lake Margaret..................................6.49...................................................................

These levels are provided for an indication of lake level only and can vary from day to day. For more up-to-date lake level information please visit www.hydro.com.au/home/Tourism+and+Recreation/Lake+Levels.htm AUGUST 2017

53

Lake trout firing during closure HORSHAM

James Perry

August is a great time to fish the Wimmera and surrounds, with a wide selection of species to target.

Lake trout are on the chew with the cooler water temperatures, and the cod are still in season. Redfin are angry and ready to attack any lure that comes by as they are in spawn mode, and yellowbelly are starting to awaken from their winter slumber.

FYANS Lake Fyans has been proving extremely rewarding of late, with many redfin being caught close to the magic 50cm mark along with brown trout exceeding 60cm not uncommon. As always with Fyans, success is governed by your ability to fish the weed beds. Slow rolling large plastics in natural colours tight in the weed is a sensational method sure to find the big reds. Early morning sessions casting with hardbody minnows in the shallow has proven to trick a big trout or two

recently, with larger designs like the Atomic Hardz Jerk Minnow 65 being a smart choice. Ghost wakasagi and ghost gill brown have been go-to colours.

ROCKLANDS Rocklands has been fishing well for redfin at the mountain end of the lake.

Soft vibes hopped through heavy timber have been working well along with ice style jigs. Alternatively, trolling suspending hardbody lures with some erratic slashes and pauses thrown in will put you on the fish.

Recent trips have seen some large targets sounded

gentle breeze.

TOOLONDO Lake Toolondo has been fishing well for trout, however it can switch on and off in an instant.

Trolling shallow diving hardbodies is an easy way to search out the lake.

Aim for a lure that will

Matthew Grinham with yet another monster redfin from Lake Fyans.

Luke Preston showing again why everyone should have a pink Stumpy in their box of tricks.

The author fooled this 5.5lb Lake Fyans brown trout while casting in the shallows under the cover of the morning fog.

up in the old riverbed, and it would be well worth the effort to drag some deep divers through this area.

Think big, as the water is very deep here. Be sure to beef up your leader and take a lure retriever tool, as there is ample structure to turn into under water Christmas trees with your favourite lures.

WARTOOK Lake Wartook has seen some good fish in recent weeks with the reed beds on the eastern shore fishing well. Slow-rolled plastics are the best method, with ZMan Slim SwimZ in motor oil colour being a standout choice.

If trolling is more your style, along the wall is a great choice. StumpJumpers and Berkley Flicker Shads are economical choices that will put you in the strike zone… or snag zone if you’re unlucky.

For the bait fishers, drifting a few well-presented scrub worms a few metres under a float can be a solid option when there is a

keep you above the weed beds. Casting towards the shallows is a smart method to launch your attack, and if you’re lucky you will get a nice wind drift to allow you to concentrate on fishing, not guiding your boat.

Slow jigged plastics will get you onto a few redfin. As always, search for changes in weed depth

and sandy patches. Aim for natural colours with lure and plastic selection. Motor oil, wakasagi and ghost/ shadows in hues of brown are tough to beat.

TAYLORS While Taylors Lake has been a bit quiet recently, it will kick into gear as soon as we see sunny days and increased water temperatures.

Those big golden perch are sure to fire up.

Slow hopped vibes or

A stunning rainbow trout caught by Jake Marshall.

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AUGUST 2017

blades are a good option when fished in tight to the sunken trees, as are spinnerbaits. It’s always worth a try slow rolling a vibe along the wall too. Look to darker colours that will create a better silhouette and gold coloured spinners instead of silver.

Scrub worms are always a good option, but if you can find some yabbies, you will increase your odds at landing a big yella or cod.

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Blessed Ballarat fishing BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Over the past month anglers from around Ballarat and the surrounding districts have been blessed with excellent fishing at what is normally a quiet time of the year. This is not just by accident.

After our exceptionally wet winter and spring last year, Fisheries ‘rolled the dice’ you could say and decided to stock some of our waters that have been stocked with trout for a number of years since our last drought. Anglers are starting to reap the rewards of the Target One Million campaign with quality trout being caught in many waters around the district. As we roll out of winter and into spring we’re all set for a bumper trout fishing season, if our current fishing is anything to go on.

Lake Bolac is one fishery a lot of us anglers remember from 2012 when Fisheries did exactly what they did last winter and stocked the lake with rainbow trout. Lake Bolac was Victoria’s number one trophy trout water that

caught and lost that day. Other anglers have been down there and done the same thing since then.

I made another trip with Geoff Cramer expecting the same action, but this was not to be. The weather turning windy and the water turned a very muddy colour and the fish shut down a bit. We still managed to catch another four

Brian Rivett landed this lovely rainbow trout on a recent trip to Lake Bolac while trolling Tassie Devil lures.

Ben Cochrane took this Lake Wendouree brown trout while casting Ecogear Power Shad soft plastics. Photo courtesy of Ben Cochrane.

This rainbow trout from the Moorabool Reservoir was caught while casting a Nories Wasaby Spoon

by Nathan Angee. Photo courtesy of Nathan Angee. year with many trophy-sized rainbow trout being caught and lots of fish over the magical 10lb mark. Anglers from all over the state ventured down to Bolac to try to snag one of these big rainbows.

It has happened again. I don’t think the fish will get to that size like a few years ago. It depends on the amount of food in the lake and if we get good rains like last year to keep the lake full.

Back to the fishing, magnificent hard fighting rainbow trout are currently being caught down at Lake Bolac. Land-based anglers fishing PowerBait or salted white/blue bait on the bottom or casting lures from the shore have been snagging quite a few up to 3lb. Anglers trolling winged lures or hardbodies seem to be catching the most.

On a recent trip with Brian Rivett, we absolutely scooped the pool catching these hard fighting rainbows. We actually lost count of how many we

and bait. Anglers are catching quality rainbow and brown trout.

Nathan Angee, a devout lure fisher, has been catching lovely rainbow trout on the Wasabi Spoon lure. Nathan does a fair bit of prospecting when fishing out at Moorabool and he attributes his success to the Wasabis, as their weight can cover a lot of water.

fish. I expect Lake Bolac to only get better as the months go on. Just a word of warning to boat anglers: be careful as the lake gets very rough if the wind gets up.

Moorabool Reservoir continues to fish well for anglers using flies, lures

For the flyfishers, smelt feeders (as I have mentioned over the past few months) have been the ones to target and are only too eager to take a fly presented in front of them when they’re feeding on these small baitfish. For those anglers who like to get up early and do the dawn patrol, the fish at Moorabool love to eat midges. They’re hard to catch, but if you like a challenge and have a good midge imitation, then I would suggest you give it a crack.

Lake Wendouree quietened down over the past month and it has just started to fire up again, with good reports coming in from anglers who have braved Ballarat’s chilly days to hit the water. Cam Griffin has been hitting Wendouree with the fly catching some lovely brown trout on bright coloured flies. A fly called the Carrot fly has been the undoing of many trout.

Ben Cochrane is another very keen young angler who likes to cast lures from the shore or boat. Ben has been catching some magnificent brown trout on soft plastics cast from the shore with the Ecogear Power Shads doing the job.

Ben Young, who doesn’t seem to stop catching quality trout from Wendouree, has been at it again. Ben has been fishing Wendy on his way home from night shift with soft plastics catching some cracking big browns from the shore. On two of Ben’s recent trips he nailed a lovely hen (female) brown trout that had a very large male swimming around with her.

Ben released her to fight another day. He cast and cast to try and catch the big male that was following her with no success. The next day he fished the same spot with a different result. Ben fished with a Nories 4” Spoon Tail Shad, which is my favourite plastic.

On his second cast of the morning he hooked into a very large fish, which after a short fight he landed. It was

a magnificent buck (male) brown trout of 3.595kg, which is a true trophy trout for Wendouree. Over the coming months Lake Wendouree will once again really fire up, when we get some insect activity.

We must not forget we are still in the middle of winter.

The district waters that I haven’t mentioned this month have all been fishing well with reports coming in from Newlyn, Tullaroop and also

Cam Griffin nailed this solid brown trout while flyfishing on Lake Wendouree. The Carrot fly brought this one undone. Photo courtesy of Cam Griffin.

DAM LEVELS brought to you by w w w. b a r g a i n b o a t b i t s. c o m . a u

Dam............................... % Full

Dam............................... % Full

LAKE/DAM

Mulwala

Cairn Curran

May June July 79

76 75

(Yarrawonga) 91 92 95

Dartmouth 77 77 78

Newlyn

Eildon

65 65 61

Nillahcootie 78 77 77

Eppalock

91 90 89

Rocklands 36 36 36

Fyans

73 73 74

Taylors

57 57 57

Greens

64 65 65

Tullaroop

72 71 70

Hepburn

65 66

Upper Coliban 91

Hume

60 66 71

Waranga

30 33 34

Lauriston

91 90 87

Wartook

67 68 71

Malmsbury 12 10 12 Ben Young landed this magnificent 3.595kg male brown trout while casting soft plastics from the shore. Photo courtesy of Ben Young.

Bostock Reservoir. I expect a few reports of rainbow trout being caught at Lake Burrumbeet which is only 10 minutes from Ballarat.

Burrumbeet was stocked with trout last winter like Lake Bolac and I can see the same result happening there. I don’t know if they will be the same size as Lake Bolac, but it’s certainly worth giving a try. as I will be doing over the next month.

64 63 66

William Hovell 75

92 94

83 98

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.)

AUGUST 2017

55

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Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

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There is no doubt the mighty Murray cod can be an elusive catch and often hard to find. Their astute lack of cooperation when it comes to biting the line is only compounded when you roll out the television cameras in order to catch them on film.

And so it was, with three days to spare, the host of the popular IFISH television show Paul Worsteling was looking to catch a Murray cod. I had already done a couple of shows with Paul and while we caught decently sized fish on both occasions, the giant cod we so desperately sought had managed to elude our best efforts. On our last outing a monster fish engulfed Worsteling’s surface lure in a lip-clad explosion of water, only to fall from the line a few minutes later.

So close and yet so far, another chance was lost to

The author and Paul Worsteling holding 123cm of camerashy Murray cod caught off the surface on film. remain tight-lipped and the pressure is on.

On day two, the early morning fog rolled across the river as we made our

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AUGUST 2017

Redfin have been a popular catch in the lakes near Swan Hill with blades working well. the camera. As luck would have it, I revisited this same snag later in the season and tempted the cod on a lure.

This time the hooks held and it was led to the net measuring in at an impressive 115cm.

While I was happy with the catch, there were no cameras to record the action.

The crew arrived on the banks of the Murray River eager to wet a line. With microphones fitted and cameras on board it wasn’t long before we were out on the water casting large surface lures. Cast after cast combed the timberrich water, each returning unscathed.

I can remember thinking on how much I hate these stubborn fish as the minutes rolled into hours and the sun slowly slipped towards the horizon. In the previous weeks hardly a session would pass without an explosive take from a giant cod. Catch it or not, the opportunity was still presented. Roll out the cameras and the fish

way downstream. Morning is a great time to fish the surface, but once again a hundred casts came and went without a single touch.

As the sun climbed into the sky we switched to deeper diving lures and cast our way upstream for several hours without a bite.

The pressure was really starting to mount as the evening session rolled around all too fast and it was back to the surface with not a touch all day. We were quickly running out of light and our chosen stretch had but one big snag left to cast to before the day was done.

The large surface lure was sent to the back of the tree landing in a pocket of branches before the slow retrieve kicked the paddling bib into gear. No sooner had it moved than an explosion of water ripped it from the surface as a giant cod inhaled the lure and beat a path towards the snags. It was a nail biting fight that ended with a 123cm cod held aloft for the cameras. This would be a first for television, as a giant Murray cod off the surface had never been filmed.

It seems the curse of the camera has been lifted and with it the pressures associated with catching these giant fish on film.

Locally the fishing has been a bit hit and miss, but you can expect that as the weather dips down to freezing.

The best catches lately have

come from the Swan Hill area.

Lake Boga has good numbers of small to decently sized cod mixed in with of some large golden perch and redfin. The artificial structure placed in the lake has been fishing well on both bait and lures. In the Murray River some good cod up to a metre have been landed upstream of the Swan Hill road bridge on trolled lures.

Robinvale on the Murray is still producing perch on lures but the cod still remain a no-show. The Murray at Wemen has perch and a few small cod on bait and lures. It’s a similar story right through to Mildura.

The great news is a few cod are starting to get caught in the lower locks, from Loch Seven and upstream. While there are no monsters yet, there have been a couple in the 90s landed on lures.

Perch have been a regular catch on lures down that way. As we roll through the dead of winter towards the promising spring there is still the chance of landing a few good cod, if you don’t mind braving the morning chill.

Gareth Lynch with a solid Murray cod caught on a StumpJumper. The good news is a few cod of this size have started to show around and above Loch Seven.

Even more monster cod captures at Mulwala YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

First of all I have to apologise for not having any reports for the last couple of months, apart from this: barra and mulloway were plentiful in the NT! Vanessa and I along with good friends ‘Thommo’ and ‘Hoges’ spent six enjoyable weeks in the Territory fishing almost every day with great success.

The four week trip home fishing throughout QLD and NSW was another story! All we can say is that we made it home with a couple of major hiccups on the way. Thank

goodness for hire cars and transport carriers!

The one thing we didn’t miss while away were the constant reports via phone and social media of the amazing cod fishing that Lake Mulwala was producing. Never before have the quantity and quality of big cod continued this far into the season. Driven by social media and switched-on anglers with a massive range of new trendy lures, Mulwala was the place to be.

Top water fishing was the most productive, but anglers fishing swimbaits were also getting great results. The standout lures were the Koolabung Cod Crackers and Wakesnakes, Gidgee Wakebaits, Jackall

Gigantarel, Gantarel and Chibitarels and the large range of Westin swimbaits.

I can’t see any reason this action won’t continue for the rest of the season in both the lake and downstream in the river.

Without wanting to offend anybody who has supplied us with their monster tales, I will only give two absolute standouts a mention. First up, Warren G and his crew from the Shep area spent countless all-nighters here.

‘Reward for effort’ is an understatement, as close to a dozen 1m+ beasts fell victim to their persistence.

With cod measuring close to and over the 120cm mark,

it’s a credit to them for their passion.

As this report was being put together I got word of an amazing capture. Digging deeper I made contact with Craig Leehane from Ballarat to verify the story. Sure enough, it was Craig who had boated a cod of a lifetime that measured 129cm and was estimated to weigh around the legendary 100lb mark. This was taken off the surface in the morning on a Koolabung Cod Cracker.

In my 24 years fishing Lake Mulwala I have only heard of two fish bigger (132cm and 135cm) and they both came from the river up around Bundalong. It’s certainly a meritorious capture and a fish of a lifetime.

Cray season has been steady with most getting their bag limits. Unfortunately, reports from Fisheries suggest they issued over 100 infringement notices over the Queen’s Birthday weekend for non-compliance. Not good enough, fishos. Learn your bag and size limits.

Ignorance is no excuse.

Organisation for the 2017-18 fishing competition season is ramping up. If you are keen to get your name added to mailing lists for the Golden Dollars (21 October), Cod Classic (1-3 December), Dash 4 Cash (17-18 February), His and Hers Partners Classic (3 March) or Cod Nationals (15-18 March), shoot me an email at

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Cold tricks still work MILDURA

Darcy Sherger

With the frosty mornings and cold days, getting your body out of the warmth and comfort of the house is still hard.

On the other hand, your heart wants to race from that hit of a green steam train known as the mighty Murray cod this winter.

That rush you get when they nearly pull the rod out of your hands, though you manage to just hold on to it and fight the beast, is the rush that gets you up and onto the water.

That rush at the moment has been quite hard to find, though. It has been done on several occasions when the hard work was put in.

The cod have generally been much quieter this winter, making it hard for anglers. Persistence and trying different things are the keys. Deep structure usually produces at this time of year. Trying something different would be worth a try, too.

Instead of working your lures hard on structure, crank them up and hold on.

Murray cod will be on the move chasing a feed at the moment with little food on the menu, due to the coldwater temperatures. Bony bream will be the main food source right now. Try a natural coloured lure, such as a white or silver that represents a bony

bream. This will put you in the game.

During winter, standard diving lures are the go. Work the water column instead of right on the structure. The Mildura region has been very productive for golden perch. They have been keeping anglers on their toes providing much enjoyment for local angers and lure fishers around the region.

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AUGUST 2017

57

Unexpected conditions make fishing tough WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

As I type the temperature is hovering just above a balmy 0°C here in Wangaratta.

It’s the middle of what has been a remarkably dry start to winter, with consistently frosty mornings paving the way for cool clear sunny days.

These dry conditions have led to some fantastic cray fishing this winter, with many anglers catching their bag of two legal-sized Murray crayfish. I have been crayfishing myself, using the age old ‘meat and string’ technique, and it has been working very well for me.

All up, apart from the cray fishing, the fishing has been very quiet for most anglers in the Wangaratta area, with only a few cod caught around Wangaratta that I am aware of, including a large trout cod that I caught on a surface lure.

Downstream at Lake Mulwala, and the Murray River downstream, it has been a different story, with many anglers targeting the monster Murray cod and experiencing one of the most memorable Murray cod winters on record with quite frequent catches of large Murray cod being recorded.

As we head into August it is hard to predict exactly what the fishing will be like in the

August is known as a great month to catch the very large Murray cod that swim upstream in the closed season (spring) to spawn.

August can be a good time to snag one of those last minute big fish just before the season closes at midnight on 31 August.

As stated earlier, this is all dependent on the weather.

If we get copious amounts of rainfall like we did last winter, the Ovens River may well become totally unfishable.

The cray fishing should

Wangaratta, there should still be trout in Merriwa Park Lake behind the tennis courts in Merriwa Park.

Other waterways across the region worth fishing for stocked yearling rainbow trout include Fosters Dam in Glenrowan, Lake Sambell in Beechworth, Stanley Dam in Stanley, Lake Anderson in Rutherglen, Harrietville dredge hole, Upper Sandy Creek Dam, and a number of small ponds in Wodonga.

In these family friendly waterways, try using PowerBait, which can be

As pretty as a picture. Lake William Hovell on the King River is one of the most picturesque places you are ever likely to fish.

Early mornings are a fantastic time of the day to fish Lake William Hovell for trout. still be really good during August in the icy cold water. If the river rises and the current gets stronger, you may need to use heavy nets to combat the current and prevent your nets from

purchased at most decent tackle stores. Worms can also catch a few trout. My personal favourite is the small 1” Strike Tiger Nymph soft plastic. I usually pull the claws off the nymph making

A legal-sized Murray crayfish caught in Wangaratta in June. The crayfish should still be active during August. so pretty, picturesque and peaceful, and just a genuinely beautiful place to visit.

Most of the trout caught in Lake William Hovell are not big, with 40cm being a decent fish, however each season I hear of the odd

60cm monster being caught.

The best times of the day to fish at Lake William Hovell for trout are the low light, twilight times of the day. I seem to have more luck at sunrise than I do at sunset for some strange reason.

Try trolling mediumsized winged lures like Tasmanian Devils, or casting 7gm blades such as TT Switchblades. Both of these techniques have brought me great success over the years at Lake William Hovell.

Small natural coloured minnows like the Wildbait Minnows can also work well around the mouths of the rivers where the larger trout that have finished spawning and returned to the lake may be searching for young fish to feed on.

Just a word of warning though, Lake William Hovell can be a bitterly cold place with an occasional snowfall once every five years or so.

It is nestled in steep valleys at an altitude of around 500m above sea level and is prone to the usual unpredictable high country weather. Make sure you take plenty of warm clothes, and always go prepared for all types of weather.

Lastly, for those keen anglers like me eagerly waiting for the trout season to open, the Victorian trout season always opens on the first Saturday in September each year, not 1 September. This year it is Saturday 2 September and I cannot wait!

A winter’s morning on the Ovens River in Wangaratta. Winter has been very dry this year and the river is really low.

Wangaratta area. If we don’t get too much winter rainfall, it will be worth fishing the Ovens River catchment for cod during August. Despite the water being really cold, I have actually caught some quite nice Murray cod during August, as the longer daylight hours seem to trigger the Murray cod to start feeding.

58

AUGUST 2017

becoming tangled in snags.

As with the Murray cod season, the cray fishing season also closes at midnight on 31 August.

The many family friendly trout fisheries across the region will all still be worth fishing during August, with remnant trout lingering from the winter school holiday stockings in late June. In

it look smaller, and more like a chook pellet that the trout are most likely used to at the trout hatcheries. Well, that’s my theory anyway and I’m sticking with it.

If you are after wild trout, then the number one fishery in the area during the winter months is Lake William Hovell. This beautiful little lake is an amazing place;

A very large trout cod caught by the author late in June. This magnificent fish was returned to the water and the footage of this capture can be viewed on the author’s Youtube channel ‘robbiefishing.’

Dry times but still a chance to wet lines SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

We have experienced a very dry winter, and last month there was no real rain forecasted for August.

BROKEN RIVER There is only one real positive to the dry conditions and that’s that the access to the river is perfect. Some of the local dirt ramps are almost always unusable in the winter months but due to low rainfall we have been able to access these dirt ramps at Rafterys, Moira Park, Medlands and also Jordons Bend. This has seen mixed reports from all over the Goulburn River area, and no exact location has been a highlight.

The best lure fishing reports I have been getting have been from those using larger hardbody lures trolling around the deeper bends.

CodDogs and WhiteCrow Lures have been the best recently, with both larger and smaller cod taking a liking to these lures.

The better fishing results are linked to the environmental flows that have been let down recently,

which has really turned the fish on mostly upstream from Murchison to Nagambie.

Both yellowbelly and cod have been caught on bait with bardi grubs and cooked yabby tails working well.

Those using lures on the cast have also been having success on the deeper bends.

The Bassman Codman Series spinnerbaits in the purple and black have been working well. As well as spinnerbaits, more and more local anglers have been using swimbaits to lure in cod.

The cray fishing season has been a very successful one to date, with many locals now staying within 20-30 minutes of Shepparton, rather than heading up the Murray. Just like most past seasons, the Toolamba and Murchison area has produced some good-sized males amongst a lot of smaller crays. There have been reports of keepersized crays caught around the Broken River junction and downstream near the Shepparton cemetery.

The Broken River has been slow the past couple of months, with the odd fish being caught around the Broken River Drive area.

These fish have mostly been

caught on bait. The crays have also been attracted to bait, so make sure you keep moving your bait around, otherwise you will find yourself losing a lot of bait to crays.

Those surface fishing the Broken River have found it tough, and with the cod closure looming the times are very limited to land cod off the top.

LOCAL CHANNELS The channel system should be back to normal height at some stage in August. This will be the true test on how many fish migrate through the channel system.

Earlier in the year when the channels were dropped The Fisheries relocated many fish downstream of Lemnos, so if we continue to catch good fish in that area it will prove the fish are actively moving around the system, either that or they are just good at hiding in the deep holes where the electro nets could not shock them.

Prior to the channels being dropped, there were many reports of cod being caught around bridges and drop bars.

I was consistently catching 2-3 smaller cod in an afternoon session using

lipless crankbaits with a beetle spin arm attached.

Other successful techniques were casting smaller hardbodies around the rock edges.

With new water and possibly new fish, you may have to change your tactics to suit the fish. Once you nut out what works, you can normally catch good numbers of fish in a session on lures.

The bait anglers will enjoy a month or two before the yabbies are out and about, and this will let your bait stay on the hook in the strike zone.

If you find your bait is getting taken by yabbies on the bottom, make the switch to a float. Don’t stress if your bait ends up floating into the reeds, as I have caught many fish deep in the reeds and trust me, it will make for some fun fighting when you hook up.

WARANGA BASIN There have been some very cold and icy mornings at the basin, and sometimes deep fog has made it very tricky to find your favourite spots.

Most reports recently have said that as soon as the sun has come out so have

the fish, and bladed spinners have been doing the damage.

I am sure almost everyone has an old school spinner or two in the tackle box, but we continually overlook it for a fancy high priced lure and I am guilty of doing it myself.

The fish have not been huge lately, but the numbers of fish are, with reports of over 100 small redfin coming in weekly.

If you don’t have any luck with a basic spinner grub style plastics have worked well on the drift.

Those trolling have been using smaller Codgers and StumpJumpers in around the 12-15ft area.

SHEPPARTON LAKE The Shepparton Lake has got another boost in the past months with The Fisheries releasing some rainbow trout as well as plenty of relocated cod from the channels.

The cod will grow rapidly in the lake with the amount of food there, you only have to walk around the lake at night to see how many water rats and ducks are on the lake’s edge. Cod will absolutely smash these, and I think this will lead to many locals heading to the lake with surface lures to target these fish.

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The weed is still annoying most anglers, and it has made it hard to fish with kids in the lake, but if you’re targeting the trout just purchase some floats. I tend to drop my unweighted bait down around 35-40cm from the float and try to land the baits right on the edge of a weed bed. There have been a couple of people fly fishing off the fishing platforms and smaller trout have been taking a liking to the fly.

I am no fly fishing expert, but there are a couple of real knowledgeable fly anglers at Trelly’s Tackleword and I suggest getting in there for any fly fishing tips.

KIALLA LAKES The fishing has been very quiet recently at Kialla, but every time I drive past I just can’t wait for spring to come. The water in the lakes looks the best it has in recent times and with minimal fishing traffic in the winter, the fish will not be as lure shy once the days warm up.

August can be a tad early for it, but if we get some nice days towards the end of the month I would suggest that the yellowbelly will start to come on the bite.

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Warming up for end of winter trout season JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson steve@swtroutfishing.com.au

It’s the last month of winter already. With spring not far away we are looking forward to lengthening daylight and warmer conditions, which will be great for fishing.

At the moment we are still restricted to fishing the lakes, as the river fishing season is still closed until the long weekend in October.

Over recent weeks the shore-based trout fishing on Lake Jindabyne has still been fantastic. There have been some excellent brown trout caught over recent weeks and even some of those huge ex brood stock Atlantic salmon over 10lb have been caught.

August and September

are possibly your last two months to also catch a brook trout. Brookies will go into hiding once the water starts to warm up in October. Try the sheltered bays at creek mouths for the brookies.

Over the past couple of months, the bait fishing has been very good. August is a fantastic month to have a fish from the shore and you will see quite a few people fish before and after a day in the snow, some catching fresh trout for dinner.

On the cold, windy and even snowy days, times when it might not be very comfortable for snow play in the mountains, you often see people sitting by the campfire or even sitting in their cars waiting for a trout to bite. The bite can happen at any time of the day, so a little patience may be necessary, but the rewards

“Over 250 patterns to choose from”

will be there.

Worms and artificial baits have always been a favourite way of winter fishing and always bring results. When worm fishing use plenty of tiger worms or a single scrub worm and fish them off the bottom using a running sinker.

As the spawning trout return for the rivers and streams this month, the trout will move about the lake, cruising the shoreline looking for a bite to eat.

While the trout are in the rivers spawning over winter months, there is very little food for them so they are pretty hungry when they return to the lake, which is good for anglers.

As the trout cruise the lake edges over winter, there is no particular hotspot. A hint is to try shallow water early and late and slightly deeper water in the bright sunny parts of the days, but not too deep! Wollondibby Inlet and Rushes Bay are both worth a try.

Lure spinning from the shore at any time of the day can be productive for all species of fish in Lake

Jindabyne. I like to use mainly minnow lures in natural patterns. It is always best to cast into the wind rather than have the wind at your back. You catch more trout on the windward shore and the best colours are aggression colours like pink or yellow to represent goldfish and brown number or holographic as these colours look like yabbies to brown trout.

A variety of soft plastics are worth trying, possibly due to the smell that is worked into these products.

It’s best if they are also natural or cold colours for the inlets and orange or pink for open water.

Winter boat trolling can be a little slower at this time of year, but winter is when we catch all the big trout, even if we have to put in the hours to get them. Remember there are still plenty of big Atlantic salmon to be caught in Lake Jindabyne and while they are not that fussy about what lure they take, bigger minnows will catch the bigger fish!

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Jye Murphy at Jindabyne with an awesome brook trout.

60

AUGUST 2017

a trout over the last couple of months, August is the start to the polaroiding season where cruising trout can been seen in the shallows as they work around the edges of the lake looking for something to eat.

You sometimes have to look for shadows as the trout can be often hard to spot and, of course, you have to be a reasonably accurate caster. The fly has to land on the water without spooking the trout, so all of that adds up to a good challenge and that is what is so exciting, especially when you see the trout move towards the fly.

If the trout takes the fly then that is the ultimate adrenalin rush and playing out the fish is just so exciting, even if it does end up busting you off.

Some days the trout will take big flies like my Goldfish fly, Hamills Killers, and Woolley Buggers. Other days the tiniest black nymph

will work best. You just have to experiment a bit.

With the higher lake levels the fish are hanging about the bays and some areas to try are Creel Bay, Hayshed and Hatchery Bay, Mill Creek Inlet, the Claypits, and the Snowy Arm. Best of luck with your winter fishing.

• If you’re coming down to Jindabyne over the next few months, why not call in and get the latest fishing information at Steve Williamson’s Trout Fishing, shop 1 at the Snowline Centre, 6532 Kosciuszko Road (next to the Shell Servo). My shop is also open seven days a week during winter with extended hours over August. If you want the very latest reports almost on a daily basis, please check out my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LJTFA.

AUGUST ROUND UP – THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method Best lake lure Best lake area Best fly method

Bait fishing with worms and artificial bait and lure spinning Tasmanian Devil in pink 55 or holographic, spotted dog StumpJumper The Claypits and Creel Bay Williamson’s Gold Fish, Wooley Buggers and maybe a black nymph *The rivers are closed to fishing until October.

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Natives on the prowl at Eildon EILDON

Daniel Piazza

This month on lake Eildon has seen some great fish being caught by avid anglers who have braved the foggy and very cold conditions, with lots of different reports from all over the lake .

The water is slowly rising, and this means the fish will be moving away from their homes in search of food.

Cod and yellowbelly are starting to move closer into the shores chasing smelt and small redfin schools that move shallow at this time of year.

There’s good numbers of yellowbelly around the Frazer arm and all the way up to Delatite arm.

Some more switched-on fishers have had some great yields, finding yellowbelly holding tight to big old trees with some sessions pulling in up to double figures and some fish into the 50cm mark. If taking on this caper, remember to move from tree to tree, and don’t spend too much time in one area. The most success has been in

around 15m of depth.

Small soft lipless crankbaits around 50mm are perfect, and most anglers are dropping their lures to the bottom and are using a very slow retrieve tight to the tree.

Yabbies and worms on a light jighead are definitely be worth a try. Gazza at Eildon Bait and Tackle has the small yabbies that will be best, as you don’t want yabbies any bigger than 40mm in size for this time of year, because the natives are still pretty sleepy, but still need to eat for their spawning season around October to December .

Flat lining for trout with Tassie Devils has been the main method of late, with good numbers of trout coming in from around Frazer, Jews Creek Marina, and all the way to the Big River arm. I made a solo trip up to the lake and I headed up the Big River arm as far as I could go with the boat, and found there is some fantastic water, with less fish numbers but bigger and more aggressive brown trout with the biggest going 7lb. I found a stretch of

water with a big deep corner bend that was 20ft deep and there was fish all stacked up, and here I managed to land five brown trout from 2-7lb. These fish came on Rapala CD-5 and F11 in plain silver and mustard muddler.

For the land-based fishers, the dam wall is most productive, with a few good cod being caught on the trusty old worm and a running sinker rig, with two fish in the 90s being taken recently.

Don’t think for a second Simon Di Natale with a healthy yellowbelly caught in the Frazer Arm near the boat ramp that ate a spinnerbait.

Michael Anderson with a well-fed 5 1/2lb brown trout caught flat lining a pink Tassie Devil in the Jamieson Arm.

Finally locals are defrosting BONNIE DOON

Andy McCarthy

We’ve had a crazy time with weather over the last month or so. Temperature-wise, some of the ridiculous mornings got down to -5°C and locals weren’t able to shower because our pipes were frozen solid until lunchtime. The daytime temperatures hovered around 6-7°C – it has been mad.

Last month I touched on the fact that the water level would be rising, but unfortunately this wasn’t to be. With almost 4% being released for environmental flow, at its peak it was releasing 90,000ML/day, which means roughly a 9-10cm

Nathan McDonald with a cracker off the surface. drop in the lake overnight, so we were back to about 62% recently. On the bright side, the fishing has been outstanding with all species in the lake making an appearance and in some outrageous numbers.

The most surprising has

The master Steve Vidler with a solid fish.

been quite a few reports of yellowbelly getting taken.

For the depths of winter this is quite random. There were reports of between 6-25 fish in a day – that’s as good a day as you could expect in the peak of spring. The most surprising thing is the colour of the water was very, very pale in comparison to the deep gold colour we generally associate with Eildon’s golden perch.

The cod are still going strong with solid reports coming through on a regular basis of fish between 45cm right up to 95cm. It’s just incredible to see that four or five years ago the catch rates were probably less than 20% what they are now for natives.

The question is being asked, ‘Is Eildon better than Mulwala as a

native fishery?’ On the yellowbelly Eildon is far superior to Mulwala and I think you could toss a coin on the cod, but I understand completely the history and sheer love so many people have for Mulwala.

Keep on coming up and enjoying what Fisheries have created folks.

The trout are still going off as well with plenty of punters getting multiple fish in short sessions, and what great nick they are in, with 4lb+ browns and loads in the 1 1/2-2lb range. The reddies are also on the chew, so I highly recommend a trip up here. It’s the place to be. Rug up or you won’t be a happy fisho.

that just because of winter the natives won’t have a go at an easy meal or snack.

Winter can produce some big cod and yellowbelly for those who present the right lure, and night time is the time to do it. At night, the cod move into shallow water smashing anything they can digest. Surface lures are the craze at the moment, with more and more fish being caught with this very tiring technique. The key is stay in the shallow water and pick an area to fish and stay in that area. Familiarise yourself with it and find big fallen trees in the day time and go back after dark.

If you do get a surface strike and don’t manage to set the hook, give the fish anywhere from 15-30 minutes to re-adjust and get comfortable in its ambush position, and try again.

There are some monsters in Lake Eildon that don’t come out very often, and I’ve been lucky enough to see four fish that were well over a metre and looked like bull sharks from above. I’ve only ever hooked one of them and messed it all up because of that thing called adrenalin.

Keep casting, and remember, that one trip could be a trip of a lifetime.

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

Open for breakfast from 6.30am everyday Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread 10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629

0409 416 342 Call for mail order Enquiries

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Fish hard for big results on native fish captures BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The temperatures are above average and this had a positive effect on the productivity in the fishing.

Water temperatures have been dropping, but they have been still quite high for this time of the season.

In the last couple of weeks the cold weather has hit the region. Water temperatures have now been dropping rapidly with most areas locally now holding surface temperatures of around 10°C. We have been receiving a lot of slow moving high-pressure systems lately. This had led to the area only receiving a small amount of rainfall.

These high-pressure systems are producing cold frosty and foggy mornings, but often the days are quite good with minimal wind and a nice sunny afternoon.

Fishing at this time of the year is not for everyone.

It’s often hard work, and cold fingers and toes and a running nose is all part of the pleasures and tortures of fishing during the coldest months of the year.

The most experienced anglers know that the hard work will

often pay off at this time of the year. Catch rates are often lower, however, there are often some quality fish that can be caught if you are prepared to put the hard work in.

LAKE EPPALOCK The fishing in Lake Eppalock continues to be good, even though we are in winter. Redfin are making up the majority of anglers catch rates. The best concentrations of redfin can be found in the depth range between 6-8m of water.

Casting soft plastics has been the most productive method recently. The most productive colours have been more natural colours such as green and white. Soft plastics retrieval speeds need to be slower at this time of the year and anglers should try and keep the soft plastics in the bottom two feet of the water column.

Anglers must be prepared to hunt around in order to find a good concentration of redfin. The productivity in the golden perch fishing has been very slow, with only the occasional golden perch being caught. We won’t see any significant improvement in catch rates in the golden perch for the next couple of months.

This 107cm Murray cod was caught by casting this Jackall Doozer.

CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River has only been average. The better fishing has been above Elmore and downsteam of Lake Eppalock. This section is where the water clarity has been the clearest and the water clarity deteriorates the further downstream you go.

There have been small numbers of Murray cod, with some good quality fish up to 90cm being caught.

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grassy banks.

LODDON RIVER Water clarity has been patchy down the Loddon River system over the last month. The river system has not been receiving much fishing pressure over the last couple of months. This is a nice change for the system, as it often gets a lot of fishing pressure.

There has still been the occasional quality Murray cod and golden perch being caught. Casting large lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits with dark blades has been the most productive option for the Murray cod. The occasional Murray cod has also been caught by anglers using surface lures. Good lure options for the golden perch have been silent lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbody lures. I have not had reports of any redfin being caught in the Loddon River recently, but if you do put the time in to target them, then the occasional quality redfin will be caught.

Lakes providing action MELBOURNE METRO

Dylan Brennan

Although it may seem more cosy in front of a well-stacked fire or on the couch with the TV going, braving the cold and blustery conditions down at your local lake at this time of year could land you a nice trout or two.

While fish like Murray cod and yellowbelly are generally less active in the depths of winter, both rainbow and brown trout can be actively caught in virtually every suburban lake around metro Melbourne. Some lakes can be more productive than others, but there are enough stocked with ‘yearling’ fish that there will most likely be one close by, with this short list as follows; Casey Fields in Cranbourne, Devilbend Reservoir in Moorooduc, Karkarook Park in Moorabbin, Lilydale Lake in Lilydale, Rowville Lakes in Rowville, Lakeside Estate in Pakenham, Emerald Lake in Emerald, Caulfield Lake in Caulfield, Berwick Springs in Berwick and Albert Park Lake in Albert Park.

Regardless of which lake you are fishing, these stocked rainbow trout generally follow a similar pattern, whether you are in Pakenham or Caulfield.

These fish are reared on food in the form of pellets in the hatcheries, so it is this style of bait and berley that is hands down the most effective choice to use in these stocked waterways.

Not all pellets are the same, but most good tackle shops nowadays will carry the 62

Small numbers of golden perch are being caught, with the majority of these being caught on suspending hardbody lures.

Some redfin are also being caught on soft plastics and bladed spinners. The majority of the redfin are being caught off cumbungilined banks and around the edges of weed beds. While this time of the year does not normally produce large numbers of redfin, the quality of the redfin being caught is usually very good.

CAIRN CURRAN Water clarity is still average at this location. Despite the poor water clarity, there have been reasonable numbers of redfin being caught. Casting soft plastics and blades and jigging with ice jigs has been working well. The occasional trout has been caught by anglers trolling winged style lures and small minnow profile hardbody lures. Small numbers of trout have also been caught by anglers bait fishing of the shallower

An excellent condition local lake trout caught by Jinsu Park.

Photo courtesy of Jinsu Park.

correct pellets to be used in your berley and bait mix. Mix up a batch of these small dark brown pellets at a rate of 1:1 with some hot water, with a good stir and mush to break them down. Once they have broken down and you have a wet mix, a filler is added in to thicken everything up, with breadcrumbs being a popular option. Think of a cake mix, the more flour you add the thicker the mix becomes, and breadcrumbs are our ‘flour’.

After this concoction has been mixed through thoroughly and left to cool, the end product should somewhat resemble clay in its density, which is perfect to berley up a storm in the lakes, but not actually ‘feed’ the fish.

In terms of using this berley, it can either be hand-fed into the area you are fishing, or packed into a small running berley cage on your main line.

I will do both, as it really does seem to fire the trout up. You can fish any way you like for the trout in these lakes, and it’s all personal preference to rods,

reels and lines, but generally a long, light rod that you might use for fish like garfish is ideal, with monofilament main line of between 4-8lb.

Your berley cage should run along your main line on an anti tangle boom down to a small black swivel, and from your swivel to your small size 8-14 hook should be around 1m long. If you choose to use some of your pellets as bait, make sure you also purchase the ‘pellet bands’ from your local tackle shop also, as these are the absolute best way of rigging the pellet up as bait.

Alternatively, Powerbait or any of the other dough baits also work very well when used with this berley mix.

• For any of the latest metro reports and information, pop into Compleat Angler Dandenong at 241-243 Princes Highway, Dandenong, give us a call on 03 9794 9397 or jump on to the ‘Melbourne Metro Freshwater Fishing’ page on Facebook.

Cool weather fishing is worth it CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

We are well and truly in the depths of winter and so far the weather has been cold, clear and sunny. This bodes well for anglers in the short term, but we need some serious rainfall.

We won’t like it at all when it finally arrives, that’s a

June was only 20cm. This is okay for kayakers and maybe small duck punts. It’s of little benefit for any other boat owners. The browns and rainbows are sitting around the 2lb mark at the very least and some solid redfin in excess of 1kg are on offer. The reddy bite has slowed down due to cooling water temperatures.

At Lake Tooliorook near

There are reasonable redfin around and most lure anglers are working midwater rather than close to the bottom.

This is probably a hangover from the last two years when thick weed growth rising up off the bottom posed a real nuisance for anglers.

Lake Bullen Merri is firing for Chinook salmon and rainbow trout with both boaters and bank anglers getting in on the action.

Lovely browns weighing in well over 1kg have also been caught with some

falling to cast and trolled lures worked in close to the bank. Most catches have been rainbows and salmon from under a kilo to 2kg.

Local angler and rod builder Ken Carmen has been getting stuck into the salmon and rainbows using Fish Arrow Flash J Shad soft plastics all worked from the bank. The north shore is a popular spot for Ken and many others who fish from the bank. Several roads lead down towards the shore, so on most days one can spot

Redfin just love those soft plastic minnows! given, but currently the ground is hard, the rivers are sluggish at best and our lakes could do with a top up. There was good rainfall in May and June was dry.

Lake Elingamite’s water level at the boat ramp in

Lismore the cold water has killed off a lot of the weed growth, which is great for those who play around with lures, plastics and sinking flies. Some good rainbow trout approaching 1kg have been caught on all the above methods as well as bait.

Eight redfin all sitting well over 30cm jigged up from the bottom in one session.

Fishing in the cold has definitely been worth the effort. anglers fishing around this area. Bait has also worked well with locally netted minnows and gudgeons presented under a float doing the damage.

Lake Purrumbete has really started to fire in the last month with some excellent trophy fish coming on board. The Chinook salmon have weighed in around 4kg and brown trout are topping 5kg. From dusk onwards has been popular with those chasing browns and, again, some fish have been taken during daylight hours. The salmon have mostly fallen during the day. Casting and trolling lures and plastics close to the weed beds that hug the lake’s perimeter is where much of the action has occurred. Rules are

meant to be broken, so boaters trolling much deeper sections of the lake have picked up quality fish using medium diving lures.

Redfin are still there, although the activity has died down a tad due to cooling water temperatures.

Fewer boaters are bringing in cricket score catches of reddies. The quality and size have improved with the average size sitting around 34cm. Finding schools on a sounder has become a tad harder, but when fish are found on the bottom (usually around 15m depth) it’s just a matter of waiting it out until the fish eventually switch on.

Jigging soft plastics just off the bottom has proved very successful.

Beat winter blues at Blue Rock WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

It has been a dry start to winter, but the water levels on Blue Rock are rising and the streams are still flowing reasonably well.

Despite the cold weather, Blue Rock Lake is seeing plenty of anglers braving the elements trolling for

trout or targeting bass and redfin with bait and jigs.

The rivers are still closed to stream trout but those shrugging off the cold have been able to have a bit of fun on river blackfish in the evenings.

This time of the year gets a bit too cold for kayaking, unless you’ve got the gear and set up to stay warm and dry. Boats of all sizes have been getting into the

trout action flat line trolling winged lures, spinner blades, hardbodies and plastics at slow speeds.

Use lead line or trolling weights to get lures down a bit deeper and troll the banks and out in the middle too. At this time of the year the fish aren’t necessarily feeding along the banks, so don’t be surprised if you hook up in deep water out in the open. Many anglers opt for a

The stream trout season reopens midnight on Friday 1 September.

fish in the sticks after a few hours trolling where there are some nice bass and redfin still on offer.

Bass in Blue Rock are typically around the 30cm mark now, but don’t be surprised to find schools of little bass around 15cm.

Winter bass have all succumbed to baits or lures fished deep. This time of the year when the water cools down, bass tend to school up and head down deep to feed on shrimp and small fish. Live baits like the trusty garden worm, yabbies or crickets work wonders on bass.

If a bait feels heavy enough, fish it without weight and simply drop it down amongst the snags.

Otherwise a small ball sinker above the hook is fine too.

Lure fishing for bass is best achieved by jigging lures amongst snags and often the best approach is to have one bait line set up while you jig a lure; then you have all bases covered! Ice jig lures or soft plastic grubs, minnows or shads are the choice lures amongst anglers this time of the year. Some big redfin are about too and have been a surprise by-catch to those targeting bass.

The author caught and released this thumping stream brown trout before the stream trout season closed. Fish this size are so important for future breeding stock.

If it’s your first time fishing at Blue Rock, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide where to fish. There is no shortage of dead trees up the Tanjil Arm or in the coves dotted around the lake.

Tie up to trees in waters between 4-12m and keep hopping around until you find the schools.

Please remember the stream trout season reopens midnight on Friday 1 September. The closure of the season brings some relief to the stream trout population, which relies solely on natural spawning

high up in the tributaries of this catchment. There are no stream trout stocking programs in West and South Gippsland so we rely strongly on anglers catching and releasing trout. If you are heading out to target river blackfish or eel, or just happen to be passing through and spot illegal activities on our streams, please report it to 13 FISH. Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories over the winter season. Happy fishing!

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING DAM MONSTER BIG FISH ROD

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German company DAM has released the Monster Big Fish rod, which was developed, tested and approved by fishing celebrity and DAM team member Jakub Vagner.

Built to catch extreme fish and withstand extreme conditions, this rod comes with two different tips. This effectively giving you two rods in one – either a 3m rod or a 2.4m version. The casting weight for each is 100-200g, and can be used from the boat, rocks, jetties or from the beach using heavy lures or live baits.

No compromises have been made in the construction of the Monster Big Fish rod.

It’s virtually unbreakable while also being extremely lightweight, thanks to Japanese Toray TC30/TC36 carbon and a reinforced nano carbon blank. The rod is fitted with original Fuji PSC-H reel seat and heavyduty Fuji rings, and has a contoured, antislip original EVA handle.

And rest assured: no fish will break this rod! www.adoretackle.com

CFS PE8 FISH FLOSS

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CFS (Custom Fishing Solutions) Fish Floss Braid is made from 100% pure PE fibre material from the USA to produce one of the world’s finest and thinnest lines.

This high performance, 8-carrier braid features a rounded body construction that helps reduce wind knots, backlashes and rod tip wrapping. Fish Floss braid also features an advanced Teflon coating that produces a super slick finish that reduces rod guide friction, increases casting distance out of sight, offers superior abrasion resistance and helps to resist saltwater penetrating the fibres and helps retain colour. It also features an extremely low stretch core for superior hooking power, sensitivity and control.

CFS Fish Floss braid is available in 150m and 300m length spools starting at 10lb (PE 0.6) which is just 0.12mm in diameter, and runs up to 50lb (PE 4.0) that’s only 0.32mm in diameter. Fish Floss is available in both hi-vis yellow and mist green. www.jurofishing.com

HELPING FISH WITH 3 THE FISHER FOLK

The Fisher Folk is a relatively new Australian fishing apparel company with a very important point of difference: they give back to the sport that we all love.

The guys behind the brand have a lifelong affinity with fishing and the places it can take us all, which is why they decided to funnel a portion of the proceeds from each sale directly back to fish stocking and habitat restoration and regeneration projects.

Their initial release of quality, affordable apparel consists of a T-shirt and hoodie, with more items in the pipeline. To order your T-shirt or hoodie, make contact through their social channels – either www. facebook.com/Thefisherfolk or Instagram: @thefisherfolk.

Price: SRP $69.95 (hoodie) www.facebook.com/Thefisherfolk 64

AUGUST 2017

NEW STORM SPINNERBAITS

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Storm Fishing has launched three new spinnerbaits developed for Aussie species.

First off the rank is the new TI-1 spinnerbait featuring an indestructible titanium wire construction. This delivers a stronger and tougher spinnerbait, while still having the flexibility and vibration of its less durable competitors. You can twist, bend and flex the TI-1 any way you want and it will spring back.

The ST-1 spinnerbait utilises stainless steel wire but achieves more vibration than a standard stainless wired spinnerbait.

Both the TI-1 and ST-1 come fitted with Storm’s quick change skirting system in six colours, and come equipped with the finest quality blades and ball bearing swivels.

The final new spinnerbait is from Storm’s sub-brand, Gomoku. The diminutive Gomoku spinnerbait has a single Colorado blade on a unique pivoting wire system. Because the wire can pivot to obtain the perfect running angle, you can fish this spinnerbait super slow or burn it incredibly fast. When a fish bites, the wire pivots straight, resulting in a straight line pull through the tow point and hook, resulting in better hook-sets. www.stormfishing.com.au

PRODUCT GUIDE 1 2

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NEW PLANO WORM 5 STOWAWAYS

Plano has released two new Worm StowAway utility boxes, both of which feature a dual-sided design and transparent lids for quick and easy identification of contents without opening.

The 361610 model comfortably holds eight bags of soft plastic baits, and has one angled compartment per side (each comfortably holds four bags). There are four shallow, fixeddivider compartments for terminal tackle, and one deep compartment for scents, pliers or bulk items. It’s as deep as 1.5 standard 3600 StowAways, fits neatly in most 3600-size bags, and measures 28cm x 19cm x 6.4cm.

The 371610 model comfortably holds 16 bags of soft plastic baits, with two angled compartments per side (each comfortably holds four bags). There are two sets of clips per compartment to secure bags of soft plastics in place. It’s as deep as 1.5 standard 3700 StowAways, fits neatly in most 3700-size bags, and measures 35.5cm x 22.9cm x 7.2cm. www.jmgillies.com.au

BALZER METALLICA ACE

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For over 67 years Balzer Germany has gone from strength to strength, and this year they have released a high-end spinning reel range at an affordable price point. The name of the range is Metallica ACE, and these reels are all about quality, being made entirely of duraluminum, and are saltwater resistant.

Metallica ACE reels are ideal for targeting bream, flathead, salmon and tailor using small minnows, shads and other lures, and they won’t let you down, even when going after mangrove jacks or even barra.

Some of the features include nine stainless steel ball bearings plus one needle bearing, stainless steel axle, QSS (Quick Stop System), body and rotor made of Duraluminum, S-stroke system, and more.

The reels come in two sizes: 2500 (Metallica ACE 1025) and 3000 (Metallica ACE 1030).

Both have a gear ratio of 5.1:1, and are supplied with two aluminium spools. www.adoretackle.com

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING DAIWA TD SOL RODS

ECOODA HORNET 180S

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Combining cutting-edge blank design with unmatched value, the new Daiwa TD Sol series is built to perform. This spinning and baitcaster series is light, powerful and designed for ultimate strength and performance.

Daiwa’s HVF Nanoplus graphite combines precise resin control with unidirectional graphite fibre to produce a blank with maximum graphite density.

Light, responsive, and crisp in action, the blank performance is further enhanced courtesy of X45 blank technologies. X45 works seamlessly to eliminate blank twist and distortion to increase rod strength, function, and sensitivity.

Lightweight Fuji KL, KR and KT Alconite ring guides provide superior casting, unlimited line flow and line protection. By combining Fuji’s guide technology with Daiwa’s RR (reduced resistance) guide design system, the guide placement and sizing allows for the superior casting qualities available from these blanks. www.daiwafishing.com.au

The Ecooda Hornet 180S stickbait has been built from the ground up with one goal in mind: to create two unique swimming actions within the one bait.

The Hornet 180S has a sensational walkthe-dog action which is constant in both smooth and rough conditions. It also has a second action which Ecooda calls “snake ‘n’ roll”, which is achieved by pulling the rod tip slow and long along the water’s surface, giving it a very unique action that fish can’t resist. It’s idea for everything from chasing GTs and coral trout, or spinning off the rocks for mackerel or tuna.

The Hornet is 180mm long, weighs 80g, and has a one-piece stainless welded wire for strength. It also sports a reflective prism tape insert for maximum attraction, along with four life-like colour concepts and the exclusive Ecooda eye. And because every angler has different hook preferences, Ecooda has left this choice up to the individual.

Price: from SRP $29.95 www.ecooda.com.au

ZEST SPEARHEAD AND CUTTLEFISH

SHOVEL MOUNTING 11 BRACKET

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The impressive new Spearhead and Cuttlefish Jigs from Zest mimic squid and cuttlefish perfectly for deep water jigging.

The Spearhead is a 200g, 180mm long jig that comes factory rigged ‘centre balanced’, which makes the jig flutter through the water. You can reverse this by swapping the hook to the other end; then the jig becomes rigged weight on tail, which helps the jig get down quicker to greater depths and when the current is running stronger. The Spearhead also features an oversized eye for added attraction.

The Cuttlefish Jig is 150g and 178mm long.

It comes factory rigged weight on tail to help it get down quickly, but like the Spearhead you can reverse this. The Cuttlefish features a holographic finish on one side and a mirror finish on the opposite side.

Both jigs are available in four proven colours, have quality terminal fittings and have Mustad Assist Hooks with 200lb Kevlar that is heat shrunk. www.jurofishing.com

VERITAS 3.0 FROM ABU GARCIA

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Veritas rods are Abu Garcia’s most renowned rod series, and they now feature increased comfort and improved weight and balance.

Veritas rods combine a 30 ton construction with SubLayer Armor for uncompromising strength and sensitivity.

The SubLayer Armor Process reinforces carbon fibre for exceptional durability and hoop strength while maintaining a lightweight and balanced feel.

Fuji KR guides with Alconite inserts combine with lightweight graphite Fuji reel seats for the ultimate in balance and quality.

Fuji KL guides with Alconite inserts feature on light jigging models. The Veritas 3.0 balanced design is completed with a hyper tactile Ultralon EVA grip system for improved ergonomics and overall sensitivity.

There are five baitcast models (from 6’2” 3-6kg finesse through to a 7’9” 10-25kg swimbait rod), and 17 spin models (from ultra light 1-3kg rods through to 10-15kg inshore sport fishing rods). Rounding out the Veritas 3.0 range are six light jigging models, two overhead and four spin, from PE1-3 to PE3-5.

Price: from SRP $149 www.abugarcia-fishing.com.au

The Rhino-Rack Shovel Mounting Bracket is the perfect accessory to keep your shovel at the ready for when you get bogged.

The Pioneer Shovel Mounting Bracket mounts directly onto the Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars or Rhino-Rack Pioneer systems.

Rhino-Rack’s Pioneer systems were designed to maximise your load capability while freeing up space inside your vehicle for ultimate comfort on the road.

With easy installation and removal, you will be able to mount a shovel onto your vehicle with multiple configuration options.

The brackets can be inverted to position the shovel above or below the tray and the hinged design allows mounting of a wide variety of handles as well. The safe and secure roof system holds your tools to prevent any cabin damage from occurring.

Constructed from steel with a high quality powder coated finish, this mount bracket is built to last, and is backed by a 3-year warranty.

Price: SRP $79 www.rhinorack.com.au

DAIWA TD SOL SV TW

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The famous Sol name re-enters the baitcaster realm with the release of the new version – TD Sol SV TW. While the Sol’s looks will grab your eye, it’s the technology that makes it stand out. With a combination of TWS, Air Rotation, Digigear, Magforce Z, SV Spool, CRBB and UTD, the new Sol is one of Daiwa’s highest performing reels ever.

The superior casting performance and ultimate casting ease of the Sol all stem from Daiwa’s revolutionary TWS and SV spool. A great leap forward over traditional line guide systems, TWS delivers unparalleled casting performance and line control, a reduction in line noise and friction, and improved reel stability and balance. Featuring a T-shaped line guide that pivots forward and back between the cast and retrieve position, TWS delivers simplicity and ease and now allows for efficient, easy casting every time, and with unrivaled distance and ease.

To check out a complete list of the extensive features of the TD Sol SV TW, head to the Daiwa website. www.daiwafishing.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au AUGUST 2017

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING ABU GARCIA REVO ALX

VENOM 13 BARRA SPIN

Based on high quality components and a lightweight design, the Abu Revo ALX incorporates new technology including the Salt Shield Concept bearing and AMGearing systems within the compact Revo design.

SSC (Salt Shield Concept) is applied to key HPCR (high performance corrosion resistant) bearings to maximise durability, smoothness, and corrosion resistance.

The AMGearing System combines a precision machined aluminium gear with Abu’s COG (Computer Optimized Gear) gear design, creating incredible smoothness and durability.

The C6 carbon body and rotor provides significant weight reduction without sacrificing strength and durability.

Revo ALX is equipped with the Rocket Line Management System, which lets you cast further and manage line more effectively.

These rods are dedicated to light to medium lure fishing from bream on hardbodies through to snapper on plastics. There are six sizes ranging from 2000 to 5000, and all feature 7+1 bearings with super smooth carbon drag systems with drag force from 3kg to 10kg.

Price: SRP $299 www.abugarcia-fishing.com.au

FISH INC. RIGHT WING

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The Fish Inc. Lures Right Wing is based on the popular 120mm, 50g Wing sinking stickbait, configured with heavy-duty Owner singles rather than the trebles found on the original Wing. Inline singles are preferred by some anglers who believe they are stronger, more difficult for the fish to dislodge and a better option for catch and release.

The Right Wing resembles a pilchard in both size and profile, making it dynamite on everything from tailor and salmon to kingfish, tuna, mahimahi, mackerel and aggressive reefdwellers. The colour range and finishes are first class, from natural baitfish colours to more reaction colours.

Ready to fish straight out of the packet, it comes to life with a sweep or punch of the rod tip and will be a go-to in the arsenal of beach, rock and boat anglers, with its generous casting weight and the versatility of being able to fish it fast and high in the water column or sunk to the desired depth.

Price: SRP $25.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

MUSTAD 10” AND 12” FILLETING KNIVES 15 Mustad has released two new quality knives for anglers who have a need for a larger filleting knife.

The two knives (MT41 and MT42) are teflon coated to ensure durability and reliability and the edge is super sharp to allow performance straight out of the packet..

Coming with a belt scabbard, both knives will be ideal for fish such as kingies, tuna, barra, mackerel, wahoo and they’ll even be handy around the home carving up roasts and steaks!

Super sharp, easy to maintain an edge and quality that is Mustad, these Mustad knives will become a staple for many years to come. www.wilsonfishing.com.au 66

AUGUST 2017

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The Venom Barra Spin from Wilson Fishing is a brilliant 6kg spin stick designed for those fishing tight structure with spin gear.

With a light tip to allow for easy casting, the Barra Spin is a 5’9” spin stick with plenty of backbone to deal back the punishment that fish like barramundi, king threadfin salmon, mangrove jack and golden snapper (fingermark) like to dish out.

Rated for 6kg line, the Venom Barra Spin features a full Fuji fit-out from winch to guides, and is built with A-Grade cork grips for extra sensitivity.

Ideal for use when throwing lures into tight corners where big fish are found, the Venom Barra Spin complements the range of existing Venom baitcast rods perfectly. For more information on the Barra Spin, or on other rods in the Venom range, visit the Wilson Fishing website. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

NEW RAPALA PLIERS

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Rapala is extending its successful line of RCD Custom Design Series tools and accessories with the addition of new 4” and 8” variants of its Patented Mag Spring pliers, and brand new RCD Precision Line Scissors at this year’s AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast. The size extension to the unique RCD Mag Spring pliers means there is now a size suitable for every angler from trout to tuna. The unique opposing magnets do away with the need for springs to keep the jaws open and ready for use.

The new RCD Precision Line Scissors are by far the best line scissors the company has ever developed. Tested up to 10,000 perfect cuts by the team at Rapala, the Precision Line Scissors are crafted specifically to offer superior control and finesse for the most demanding anglers. New micro serrations on both jaws capture line and trap it so the edges can cut cleanly and effectively without burring.

The unique shape and size fits perfectly in the hand to offer unrivalled control and accuracy over any task. www.rapala.com.au

PLACES TO CATCH TROUT

PRODUCT GUIDE

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In the new book Fly Fishing – Places to Catch Trout in Australia and New Zealand, author David Anderson takes equal delight in hooking trout and taking photographs.

Both of his passions are evident in Fly Fishing, and his dramatic shots deliver readers right to the action. Visits to favourite backwaters and country streams in both Australia and New Zealand appear in stories and pictures taken on trips with fellow fly fishers.

With characteristic wit and charm, Anderson makes it all seem easy and he’s happy to share the benefit of his skill and expertise handling the ‘twig’, the rod he employs for smallstream fishing.

Along with plenty of tackle tips and rod reviews, he presents a witty, informative and well-illustrated volume, certain to appeal to armchair enthusiasts and ardent anglers on both sides of the Tasman.

Price: SRP $35 au.newhollandpublishers.com

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Black Magic DX Point Hooks – big changes for baitos Late last year I received an email from Fishing Monthly asking me if I would like to try out a new range of bait hooks – Black Magic DX Point hooks.

Bait fishing is something that I really enjoy, yet I never seem to make a lot of time these days to actually do it. Every year during the cold months I say that I will do a lot more bait fishing when the weather warms up, and then I usually only do it a couple of times.

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similar. With the PTFE coating on the hooks, this old bait just slides straight off, leaving the hook looking like new, and ready to bait up again.

The other thing that jumped out at me was the sharpness of the hook. This is usually immediately evident when the hook penetrates the skin of a fingertip, which is exactly what happened.

The Black Magic DX Point hooks have a razor sharp tip on them. This is achieved

The author and Jed Nagel with a Murray cod caught in the Ovens River using a DX Point hook.

Unfortunately, the DX line-up of hooks do not come in really small sizes suitable for trout, however they do still cover quite a wide size range from 1/0 to 6/0, making them more than suitable for most freshwater species, including carp, golden perch, redfin, and Murray cod. I used them extensively while bait fishing for Murray cod last summer with great results. My friends and I managed to catch quite a few Murray

fishing in the Ovens River in Wangaratta where we managed to catch 11 cod in one afternoon over the period of around three hours, all using the Black Magic DX Point Hooks. While most of the fish were very small, the fact that the hooks were able to penetrate their small mouths on a regular basis and lead to a high hook-up rate speaks a lot about the performance of these hooks.

A nice Murray cod caught using mozzarella cheese as bait on a 2/0 Black Magic DX Point hook.

So I accepted the offer to try these new hooks, more as a motivator to force me to do more bait fishing than anything else!

The first thing that jumped out at me was the feel of the hook; they feel different from other hooks. They also sound different when they rattled around in the packet.

The high pitched sound that you usually hear when hooks rattle was somewhat of a deeper sound than usual, and they felt super smooth.

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Black Magic DX Point hooks are manufactured in Japan, a country known for its high quality standards, and they are made using high carbon steel to ensure they are super strong.

In lure fishing we constantly see changes in lure designs as the world of lure fishing evolves more and more into a high profile sport. With hooks, however, we see few changes, most likely due to the fact that they are much smaller and changes are less visible and obvious.

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A small trout cod caught on bait. We caught fish right down to 7cm long with these larger hooks. Despite being small and light, the ultra-sharp hooks were able to penetrate the fish’s mouths with ease.

Little did I realise at the time that the DX range of hooks are actually coated in a super non-stick coating called PTFE, which is commonly used in non-stick frying pans. This coating serves a dual purpose. It is designed to help increase hook penetration into the fish’s mouth, and also provides excellent rust resistance, extending the life of the hook. And I discovered a third benefit the second time I went back out bait fishing.

Most bait anglers know what it is like when you finish untangling your rods and lines, unhook the hook from one of the guides on the rod, and then have to break off the remnants of the last bait you were using. Usually it is some crusty dried out piece of worm, bardi grub or something

by creating four very sharp edges which taper in until they all meet, creating a very sharp point. This enhances the hook-up rate when you lift your rod tip and set the hook into the fish’s mouth.

cod, and also trout cod, on the DX Point hooks using either cheese (mozzarella works best), bardi grubs or worms for bait.

In one sitting, my friend Andrew Wolstenholme, his son Liam and I went bait The CEO of the product testing team, Liam Wolstenholme, has given the hooks a big thumbs up.

The Ovens River in Wangaratta was where we put the Black Magic DX Point hooks through their paces.

Don’t be fooled though – changes do happen in the world of fishing, as is evident by the Black Magic DX Point hooks. A lot of research and development has gone into the DX Point hooks to ensure that it is a true game changer in the world of bait fishing.

I would like to thank Fishing Monthly magazine and Black Magic tackle for coming together, sending me a couple of packets of hooks and reigniting my passion for bait fishing.

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2017

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

5-6 Aug

Round 3 Central Vic Pro Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

Eildon

13 Aug

Round 10 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9

Mooloolaba

19-20 Aug

Gold Coast BREAM Qualifier #7

Gold Coast

26-27 Aug

Round 11 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9

Swan River

2-3 Sep

Clarence River BASS Pro Qualifier #6

Clarence River

16 Sep

Rnd 5 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

Eildon

roundy@cvlcss.com

16-17 Sep

Round 12 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9

hobiefishing.com.au

Forster

30 Sep-1 Oct

St Georges Basin BREAM Qualifier #8

St Georges Basin

7-8 Oct

Round 4 Central Vic Pro Series

Lake Hume

14-15 Oct

BASS Pro Grand Final

Richmond River

30 Oct

BARRA Tour Round #1 (Evening Event)

Teemburra

31 Oct

BARRA Tour Round #2 (Evening Event)

Kinchant Dam

3-4 Nov

BARRA Tour Round #3 (Evening Event)

Peter Faust

6-7 Nov

BARRA Tour Round #4 (Night Championship)

Peter Faust

16-19 Nov

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Championship

Western Australia

25 Nov

Rnd 6 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

Lake Eppalock

roundy@cvlcss.com

25 Nov

Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series Final

David Nelson 0418 378 944

TBA

roundy@cvlcss.com

1-3 Dec

Lake Macquarie BREAM Grand Final

www.abt.org.au

Lake Macquarie

hobiefishing.com.au

www.abt.org.au

hobiefishing.com.au

www.abt.org.au

www.abt.org.au

David Nelson 0418 378 944

www.abt.org.au

www.abt.org.au

www.abt.org.au

www.abt.org.au

www.abt.org.au

hobiefishing.com.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

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AUGUST 2017

Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic on again The Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic at Lake Hume has gone totally catch, photo and release for 2017.

This year’s Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic at Lake Hume is on the 14-15 October. This year’s major prize is again a Quintrex boat with a Mercury outboard all on a trailer, along with over $50,000 in prizes and the competition is still growing.

All competitors who enter the Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic at Lake Hume will go into the draw for the boat.

With 439 contestants entered last year and 74 golden perch, 11 redfin and 23 trout presented for weigh-in, in what could only be describe as trying conditions, the event is growing rapidly and is fast becoming a premier event for golden perch. Fish over 60cm are regularly being landed in the lake.

Held on the picturesque Lake Hume, the event is open to all ages. Both lures and baits are allowed to be used in this event. The centre for all non-fishing activities is the

photo and release rules, please visit the event website or the event Facebook page. Details are at the bottom of this article.

There are four categories for fish, which include golden perch, catch and release only, trout, redfin and carp.

There are four categories for anglers, which are adults and juniors, both male and female.

Champion team will go to the greatest combined length of golden perch only, caught by up to four members of a team over the two days. The Austackle champion angler is open to all anglers and based on the combined length of golden perch only, caught over the two days by an individual angler.

Anglers may only present five golden perch per day for this year’s event.

Pre-Entry for the 2017 classic is $65 for adults and $25 for juniors. Entry on the day is $70 for seniors and $30 for juniors. To be a junior you must be under 15 on 14 October 2017. Entry includes a meal on Saturday night and a sausage sizzle on the Sunday at presentation.

is no size limit on carp. The sponsor draws will be held on Saturday evening commencing at approximately 8pm with plenty of great prizes to be won.

Competitors simply need to present their registration card in order to collect their prize. The main presentation will be held on the Sunday after all results are compiled, usually around 1pm. For more information, visit the website at www.lakehumeclassic.com.au and the Facebook page, Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic Lake Hume. – Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic

This year there will be over $50,000 in prizes up for grabs, including a Quintrex BMT package.

The Classic is fast becoming a premier event for golden perch.

Lake Hume Tourist Park. The boundaries for the event are the confines of Lake Hume from the Wymah Ferry on the Murray Arm and Tallangatta on the Mitta Arm. The 2017 Leigh Martin Marine, Mercury Classic is totally a catch, photo and release event; there will be no weigh marshals stationed around or on the lake. All photos are to be presented to the marshals at the tourist park during the designated hours only.

All golden perch must be photographed and released where they are caught as soon as possible. The other three species are to be photographed and then they may be kept or released at the competitor’s discretion.

Carp and redfin should be dealt with in accordance with current Victorian guidelines.

All fish must be photographed on the supplied measure mat and must show the competitor’s registration card and time/date of capture.

For more details of the catch,

All junior and female entrants will receive a lure as part of their entry. All competitors also receive a Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic stubby holder and an information pack. Early bird entries close on 6 October 2017. The prize for this year’s early bird entry is $500 of fishing and camping goods.

Registration at the event is from 4pm until 8.30pm on Friday 13 October and from 5-10am on Saturday 14 October sharp.

This will take place at the Lake Hume Tourist Park under the marquee. A lure wall will be running again this year.

Simply place a lure on the wall for a chance to win the entire wall. Lures can be new or used, but only entire packs of soft plastics please. Various raffles will be available over the weekend.

Competitors are reminded that golden perch must be 30cm or over, the legal length in Victoria. Redfin and trout must be 30cm or over to be eligible for measuring. There AUGUST 2017

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Chris Anderson from Thug Lures dominated the awards and scored plenty of sales with their limited edition baits.

The Best Ornamental Lure was won by their ‘Harro Bug’, a tribute to the legendary Rod Harrison. The monster topwater

paddler featured an image of a young Rod Harrison on the body and a sunset fishing scene on the bib.

“I grew up with Harro in the magazines, on TV programs and I thought it was a good idea to combine the younger Harro

with a cod scene on one side and barra scales on the back,” said Thug’s Chris Anderson.

It’s a wonderful show of respect to one of the legends of Australian sportsfishing.

As well as the Best Presented Stand Award, Thug took out the Best Bladed Bait award for their ‘Swagga’.

“It was an idea that Kimmo had, and basically an hour later we knocked up the moulds. It’s like a tailspinner, but not a tailspinner,” Chris continued.

Sam Cunsolo from Solo Lures made the winning bait in the Best Bibbed Lure section. The Solo ‘Swagger’ is not to be confused with Thug’s ‘Swagga’ and retails for around the $60 mark.

“It was designed to work the

shallows in Mulwala. It’s buoyant so you can work it around the shallow snags and it’s designed to not have

much drag on the lure so that you can fish it all day and not be fatigued,” Sam said in the winner’s interview.

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HALL OF FAME AWARD

Paul Kneller and Rex Hunt were inducted into the Lure Show Hall of Fame.

FLY TYING CHAMPION Allfly Outfitters’ Shaun Ash knocked up the winning fly on-site at the Show – as are the rules of that section. His ‘Pack Rat’ is an innovative use of multiple materials, including a reversed and offset foam head to create a lot of wake as the rat struggles through the water.

We’re sure that there are plenty of cod that will be suckered into this imitation.

Thug Lures ‘Swagga’.

BEST BLADED METAL LURE

Thug Lures ‘Harro Bug’.

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BEST ORNAMENTAL PIECE

BEST PRESENTED STAND

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Each year, the talent on display at the Australian Lure and Fly Expo – affectionately called The Lure Show – seems to multiply. Lure makers and fly tyers submit their creations, which are voted on by their peers and awards are given at a presentation dinner on the Saturday night.

Fishing Monthly caught up with the winners to show you the prize-winning lures.

You can also scan the QR code hereby to see the interviews with the winners.

THUG LURES Kimmo Baldwin and

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Shaun Ash ‘Pack Rat’.

BEST TOP WATER / SURFACE / WAKE BAIT Barambah’s Matt Fraser has been kicking goals with his lizard-themed jointed cod wake baits, with his premium blue tongue pieces of art fetching over $300. You’ll need to double-check your knots while fishing that one.

His Baby Barambah

Dragon, however (at around $130) was the entry into the Best Topwater/Surface/Wake Bait and it won the most votes. At 38g and around 19cm long, it’s the baby of the series, but will attract the attention of cod far and wide.

BEST BIBBED DIVING LURE Barambah Lures ‘Baby Dragon’.

Solo Lures ‘Swagger’.

BEST BLUE WATER LURE

Lively Lures ‘Slick Stick’.

Recognising the need for a well priced, castable saltwater stickbait, Al Dolan entered the ‘Slick Stick’ into the Best Bluewater Lure category.

“This is my first foray into a stickbait making and it’s designed for GT, mackerel and trout around 70

AUGUST 2017

the reef edges,” said Al. There’s a lot that goes into getting a product like this through to the public and it was great to see Al win the award.

You can get one online for around $30 from the Lively Lures online store.

Blair Chilton is another maker who blurs the lines between lure maker and artist. His wooden swimsuits not only look that part, but suspend and swim like they were made by a meticulous craftsman – which they are.

BEST SWIM BAIT His ‘Norman’ multijointed swimsuit won the Best Swimbait category and will cost you around $150 to add to the collection.

They all sold out at the show.

Chilton Tackle Co ‘Neville’.

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71

Experience for the best and the rest SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Almost every article I write for Fishing Monthly I am trying to work something out. While I know the writing adage is “write what you know,” I find it a lot more challenging to write about things I don’t know. I hope in the process, somebody finds something useful. Fortunately for me, fishers provide an endless list of topics to look at.

Over the past three years I have looked at the achievements, fishing records and habits of over 20,000 fishers. I have spent way too many hours watching videos, spreadsheeted until I can’t do math and had countless conversations that highlight that there is so much more to fishing than can ever be captured in numbers. Some days I ask myself, ‘who even does that?’ On those days I avoid mirrors.

Out of all that research, I have started to redefine fishers with a more useful set of categories: • Recreational Fishers – make up about 80% of fishers and are characterised by lower catch rates (<1 fish/ trip) and fish for leisure, social or family reasons.

• Expert Fishers – make up about 19% of the fishing population, have higher catch rates (1-10 fish/trip) and focus on fishing skills.

• Master Fishers – make up about 1% either very high catch rates on average (>10 fish/trip) and/or dedication to tackling fishing challenges (>5 techniques, regions or species).

My challenge for this month is to use the ABT data to try and provide context for the fishing experiences of these three groups for bream.

It’s not easy but I am going to give it my best shot. But first, I want to go back to the other part of my article series of recent months.

HOW TO BE A BETTER FISHER – PART 3 To make it easier I will include the ‘how to be a better fisher’ and the 72

AUGUST 2017

historical figures at the beginning of my articles. By the time we’re done, you will have a toolkit compiled from observations of the best fishers, explained through the work of some of the planet’s geniuses.

To recap though from the last two articles, the toolkit currently includes: • Manage your effort – work more areas for better probability of success.

• Keep a fishing diary of fishing habits, conditions and successes.

• Stay on the water longer and fish as regularly as you can manage.

This month I am looking at a non-mathematician – Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who was to philosophy what guys like Steve Wozniak are to fishing.

He was an insanely prolific, profound guy you probably haven’t heard of. Kant is kind of the father of reason and our understanding of how we process sensory information.

Boy, did he know how to write about it…

Here’s why being a better fisher is about connecting with our ancient past. As a quick intro to this series, (three articles in) it’s easy to forget in this era of plenty that once upon a time hunting was the difference between life and death. In fact, while scavenging got our brain growth kicked into gear, hunting turbo charged it.

We would not be the people we are today were it not down to the efficiency gain in obtaining animal protein through hunting.

Our earliest tools fit into two main classes: food gathering/hunting and food preparation. That should tell you something about our priorities.

Every fisher knows that amazing feeling that comes with catching their first fish.

That feeling is very ancient, programmed into us, because feeling good about catching something equated to ‘we are not dying tonight.’

Modern life diverts us away from the parts of our brain that fishing needs.

Don’t get me wrong, I love modern technology, but the more you use modern technology, the more you switch off the fishing part of the brain. That is something that is confronting to me, because the answer young anglers have come up with is to develop technology to make up the gap. That seems to be working, but philosophically I have to ask at what point does that stop being fishing and just become a nature-enhanced video game?

I am getting old apparently.

Many of my role models for fishing are old school fishers. Say what you want, but the best of them were tapped into all the best skills our hunting brains developed millions of years ago.

Consider this my homage to the ancient fishing traditions and the men who have taken me fishing, but also a plea to fishers to consider switching off the sounder and connecting with that ancient hunter every once in a while.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF KANT All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.

Why don’t historians focus on important details like the fishing habits of philosophers? Immanuel Kant was born on 22 April, 1724 in Königsberg, Prussia.

Kant was educated in religious studies and in his younger days was a prolific author of philosophy and by his mid 40s was very influential. Time to cash in, right? Not Kant. At the peak of his powers (age 46) he stopped publishing and isolated himself for 11 years.

He came out of his selfimposed exile with the 800 odd page Critique of Pure Reason. Cue adulation and rockstar status. Well, not exactly. I am working my

way through it and let’s just say it’s pretty dense. Several of his students used his teachings to justify their own idealism and, while he was well regarded, it wasn’t until after his death that scholars came to appreciate how Kant provided the foundation for much of our modern understanding of how our minds work.

HOW KANT HELPS BEGINNER FISHERS Immanuel Kant helped us understand how the brain models the world, that is functionally not objectively.

Kant was the guy who pretty much screwed all the early AI developments that focused on object recognition.

Here is why.

If you go into your cupboard, you’ll see a lot of cups right? But if all the cups are broken, you can use a bowl to drink out of and if that’s broken, you can use your hand. What if the cup is shaped like a fish? How do you know it’s a cup? Hint, computers have a really hard time with that one.

In other words, we don’t see a cup at all, what we see is a functional tool and we are adaptable enough to be able to discern and reapply context. Which is why we didn’t die of thirst, one imagines.

That makes sense; the world is far too complex for our brains to take in all the details. We have to filter and contextualise to prevent ourselves from going mad.

Don’t believe me? Try taking in everything that is happening in the room you are sitting in all at once. I bet if you ask your mate to do the same, you’ll both be looking at a very different room.

That is to say, map the world by its usefulness to us functionally. Let’s start to break down a river/estuary a bit more functionally. A rock bar is a fish aggregator.

A sand bar is an aggregator for bottom-based ambush predators and smaller fish. Deeper holes are an aggregator for larger fish.

There are more maps and it’s a bit more complex than that but you get the idea. Now there are many ways to break down a river functionally. Bird watchers for example will see a similar map but see places for things like cormorants and pelicans to hang out. Social people will see beaches and shady trees and places for people to park and hang out. Sailors will break down the river in terms of currents and wind patterns.

We break down the world functionally based on our core focus and interest.

Good fishers break down the river in the way fish use the river, and go one better by fishing in different

conditions to understand how fish use that particular location. When you see things in that way you reduce the number of things you need to know the next time you see a similar spot.

In other words, having a good map of how fish uses the river makes you more successful next time you see that type of space.

That is why good fishers tend to not share details as much. It takes time to build that function map.

Can you take shortcuts and use the experience of others?

Yes, most leaning starts that way but good learning requires useful questions. If you meet an expert fisher, ask them about fish habits rather than tackle or where to fish. For example, if you are interested in flathead ask a good fisher what part of the tide and where fish tend to sit on sand banks.

Save your tackle questions for the tackle store but find a bait or soft plastic that works and get some advice on how to use it best. Then go out and test it. When you start to succeed your brain will naturally lock that in, and each sand bank you visit will reinforce that modelling. The next step is to experiment with different tackle and see what else you can work out about that environment.

Before long you will be a pro and ready to step it up to the next level.

HOW KANT HELPS EXPERT FISHERS The challenge with building the map of the river and how it works is how quickly the brain swaps from exploratory mode to expert mode. That is, fishing the map and not the environment.

Knowing how this works really helps depending on what you want to achieve.

If you find yourself fishing the places you know work using the methods you know work, then you are in ‘expert’ mode. That’s fine if it’s giving you good results and you are happy with that.

However, your fishing will be limited by the map.

If you want to break out of that to get into exploring mode, it’s very simple – solve the biggest mapping problem you don’t know how to solve.

Pick a fishing challenge you have no idea how to solve; that can be a different

environment or species (you can try new tackle, but only if it uses a different part of the water column). That act of going into problem solving mode will immediately kick in the Kant part of your brain, because you are building new functional maps along the road to solving the problem.

KANT FOR MASTER FISHERS Here is a novel part of mastery: you can turn your brain into a fishing supercomputer. Once you gather experience in a wide range of environments and conditions, your brain becomes a modelling tool, so rather than seeing a map, the brain sees a conceptual fishery.

I have had conversations with fishers that can visualise what is happening under the water.

Others have reported going to the other side of the planet and catching fish with ease in environments they haven’t seen, because they magically ‘know’ where the fish are.

Those anglers have kicked their Kant into overdrive.

If you plan to travel the world, fishing as many environments as possible in advance is the best preparation you can have.

HOW KANT HELPS COMPETITION FISHERS Under stress our brain goes into safe mode. We fall back on the behaviour that we ‘believe’ is going to give us the best results, which is usually what we are good at.

The problem with that is that it will only work if the thing you need to do to get better results is the thing you are good at. If what you are good at is not the right tool, it can backfire spectacularly.

If you are a competition fisher, it helps to have built up different maps based on conditions – sunny days, rainy days, different tides etc. During the day, assess the conditions and if the technique you are using doesn’t suit the conditions, go through the list of techniques you have and find one that better suits.

I don’t recommend testing that out in competition.

Instead, focus your practice on different conditions where playing with different approaches doesn’t come with a penalty. Confidence is a key part of good

decision making.

Most of the time, what you do well will work. The difference between the best and the rest is adaptability.

Having a flexible mind on the day that is not driven by stress, but rather uses stress as a signal to make better decisions, will make you a much more potent weapon on the water.

Fishbrain, Anglr, apps, Insight Genesis and modern echosounders – there are a lot of technologies I will cover later. From a skills perspective they reduce fishing skills by shifting activities fishers normally use their senses for, and interaction with the world, to data analysis. There is no doubt that these technologies can enhance good fishers, though there is no evidence they make any difference for ordinary fishers, or at least not yet.

By evidence, I mean hard data. I have looked at the hard data on the performance of fishers and if technology is making a difference for ordinary fishers, it’s so small that it hasn’t made a material difference to outcomes yet.

My advice if you want to be a better fisher is to focus on fishing skills first.

I will discuss how to get the most from technology, but that discussion will only be valuable to those who can catch fish already.

THE ABT BREAM EXPERIENCE In the last article I discussed the Pareto Distribution which follows the principle that 20% of fishers catch 80% of the fish, but with much better maths.

This month I want to come at the same question from the other angle – what are the result and experience differences between these groups of fishers.

In this analysis I have generated the distribution of fishers based on their ability to catch fish. We end up with the following distribution.

• T80 Fishers – bottom 80% of performers (1450 fishers) • T20 Fishers – top 20% excluding the top 1% (340 fishers) • T1 Fishers – top 1% of fishers (27 fishers) ABT has pretty much got the balance right between excellence and inclusion.

There is no such thing as a fair competition – we want our best and brightest to win – however every good sport adds an element

of random chance that an underdog could win and it’s in this element that the ABT BREAM series excels over every other competition series I have looked at.

• The ABT bag system has prevented the T1 fishers from dominating the results, despite the fact that on average they perform better.

• ABT has been highly effective in sharing skills, technologies and techniques among its fishers.

• ABT has managed to lift up its worst fishers the most in terms of skill development.

• All three groups of fishers in the ABT have achieved better results over time in terms of bag weights.

• ABT is very efficient at spreading the rewards,with T20 fishers gaining the most placings in the past decade (63%), while T80 fishers have shared in 16% of the top 10 placings and T1 fishers 21%.

• T80 fishers have won 16 times in the past decade.

This demonstrates that there is a chance that on the day the underdog or ring-in might just win.

• ABT is bookie’s dream.

Somebody get on that.

I personally would rate the ABT BREAM Series a gold star event in achieving its core objectives. If you want to be a better bream fisher, the price of entry is worth every penny.

COMPARING THE NUMBER OF MAX BAGS As you would expect, the T1 fishers outperform the other groups when it comes to how often they achieve the mark of five fish. If it looks like the T1 and T20 fishers came back to the field in 2014, there was larger churn in the T1 and T20 fishers than ordinary fishers. There is a clear separation between T1, T20 and T80 fishers when it comes to catching a maximum bag.

The important thing is that the five-bag affects the top fishers the most, because

they achieve five more often.

If the five-fish limit didn’t exist, the gap between T1 fishers and the rest would be much larger and T1 fishers would win pretty much all the time.

COMPARING THE NUMBER OF ZERO BAGS As you would expect, T80 fishers zero bag more often than other groups.

However, the figures made my jaw drop, because they were the exact opposite to what I expected. While the rate of zero bags was high in the late 2000s, it has dropped a crazy amount among all three groups of fishers with T80 fishers being the biggest beneficiaries. In fact, today’s T80 fishers are more than three times less likely to zero bag than the same T80 fishers a decade ago. This is due almost exclusively to improvement in soft plastic lures and the sharing of knowledge via the Boater/Non-Boater system.

Bottom line is, unlike most competitions, the bottom fishers have not been left behind, even if they aren’t achieving the heights of T20/ T1 fishers.

AVERAGE BAG SIZE PER EVENT T1 fishers are the ones most likely to get an upgrade (replacing a smaller fish with a larger fish caught post five fish). This means you would expect they would have the biggest average bag weight, and they do. All the same, it’s the T80 fishers that have been the biggest winners in terms of improving results with today’s T80 fishers gaining bags nearly three times better than a decade ago. Nonetheless, T20 and T1 fishers have also improved their results, which further demonstrates bream techniques have been constantly improving.

COMPARING MAX BAGS AND ZERO BAGS

The most clear demonstration of the improvement in performance comes in examining the differences between max bags and zero bags. In fact, the T80 fishers managed to get into the positive (more max bags than zero bags per person) for the first time ever in 2016. Whatever they are putting in the water at the ABT events, I would be demanding some. The T20 fishers have also improved overall, but I believe

they are implementing better techniques rather than becoming better fishers overall.

What this demonstrates though is a T20 fisher in the ABT BREAM Series using pre-2008 techniques would be smashed even by the current T80 fishers. Nothing more needs to be said about how effective ABT events have been at sharing the knowledge around.

TOP 10 PLACINGS Has all this improvement impacted the placings? Not quite. In this I don’t fault the ABT tournaments so much as one of the consequences of the Pareto Distribution.

While the T80 fishers have improved the most, as you can see from the average bag weights and the difference between zero bags, the T20 and T1 fishers don’t have to improve as much to maintain a lead. Having said that, T80 fishers had their best year in many years last year. Chances are there are some current T80 fishers that are going to jump into the T20 group.

When it comes down to it, you need to be in the top 20 performers to make the top 10 consistently and that’s how it should be. The fact that they don’t get their own way all the time is what makes the ABT events true sportfishing.

COMPARING WITH THE ROCKY BARRA BOUNTY I think it’s important to have a point of comparison to contextualise why I have made the judgements I have about the ABT BREAM Series. I know, for example, that hardcore fishers don’t always value sharing the knowledge or the glory.

Barramundi fishers are definitely in this class, with most barramundi competitions having point scoring systems that reward catching the biggest fish.

The Rocky Barra Bounty, a tag and release event in Rockhampton, is a good example of a barramundi competition that has been running for a similar period to the ABT BREAM Series.

Unfortunately, the rules were amended a number of times in the 2000s in a way that makes comparing that decade’s data pretty much impossible (the technical term – it’s a mess). Post-2010 however, the rules settle down and as such we have a much better comparison.

Some observations: • The RBB points system favours T1 fishers such that since the current point system was put into place T1 fishers have always won and dominated the top 10.

• T80 fishers have not improved at all. The good news is they probably haven’t gotten any worse.

• T80 fishers have managed only a single top 10 placing in five years. No dark horses

are expected in the current year either.

• The result is mathematically very predictable based on the availability of legal fish in the river. Since 2012 100% of mathematical predictions of the winner have come true. I have already run the prediction for this year and would be shocked if that changed in 2017.

• If you want to make it to the top, the only way there is to find a way of beating the best.

• The bookies should probably stay home for this one.

COMPARING THE NUMBER OF MAX BAGS The max bags for the ABT events tend to reflect the development of technology much more than changes in conditions, because events are held at different locations. The Barra Bounty since 2010 is the complete opposite, with technology improving only slightly while the fishing conditions have declined over that time. Expect the results to be much better in 2017. In contrast to the ABT BREAM Series, no T80 fishers have achieved a max bag (five fish) in the past six events. The gap between the T1 fishers and T20 fishers was largest in 2013, which was the best year for legal fish. With the Net Free Zone active in Rockhampton for over a year, expect the T1 fishers to dominate in 2017.

One thing to note is the Barra Bounty does not cap the event at five fish, but

of declining catch rates, though the 2016 event is an aberration due to weather conditions. Expect the T20s to return below one zero bag per day in 2017 and T1 fishers to return back to around 0.25.

THE POINT SYSTEM HELPS T1 FISHERS The point system favours big fish such that a 500mm fish is worth 600 points but a 1m fish is worth 2200. Clearly that point system favours those that can catch big fish. This chart (Fig. 1) measures the average advantage that each of the fishing classes enjoys compared with the original 1 point/1mm system. As you can see, the top competitors enjoy a boost of between 1000-6000 points per event.

If you plot the ability of each of those groups to catch legal fish, you get exactly the same chart. Therefore, catch the most big fish to win.

COMPARING MAX BAGS AND ZERO BAGS Unlike the ABT events, the difference between max bags and zero bags does not show improvement, but expect that to turn around between now and 2020 as catch rates improve in the Fitzroy River. Barramundi fishers are naturally very, very secretive, so knowledge transfer has been at a minimum.

T80 and T20 fishers are at the mercy of the river and really have one option – get better at catching fish and, more importantly, get much better at catching legal fish

catching five is really hard to achieve. This is part of the reason the event is dominated

by T1 fishers, as they are not restricted in the number of fish they can report.

COMPARING THE NUMBER OF ZERO BAGS Once again, the number of zero bags for the Barra Bounty is reflective of the conditions on the river. That said, during 2011 when the river was at its peak fishingwise after 30 years, T80 fishers managed to avoid zero bags more often than not. The event is run over three days, so T80 fishers manage zero bags two days out of three. Given those are long days in the heat, I have to say the T80 fishers are the most dedicated.

The results for T20 and T1 fishers are reflective

to join the ranks of the T1 fishers. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the time off work.

TOP 10 PLACINGS As you would expect with the advantage that T1 fishers enjoy based on the points system, they dominate the top 10 placings having achieved 100% of first place wins and 65% of all top 10 placings. Last year was the first time this decade where T1 fishers did not dominate, but that is probably a random result with fishing conditions so poor that for once there was a much greater randomisation of the outcomes. Last year was definitely a case where being in the right place at the right time could take you to the top. If conditions settle down this year, as anticipated, then expect normal service to return.

AUGUST 2017

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EAST COAST

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This section in V&TFM Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

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AUGUST 2017

NSW SOUTH COAST

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TASMANIA & FLINDERS ISLAND

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING Line listing from $90 + gst 6 months* 2cm x 2 from $195 + gst 6 months* 5cm x 2 from $320 + gst 6 months* 8cm x 2 from $590 + gst 6 months* Rates exclusive to Trades and Services Directory *Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0835 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

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CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES

Flinders Island Adventures, Flinders Island (03) 6359 4507

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au AUGUST 2017

75

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS THINGS FISH DO WHEN CAUGHT

FLAIL BITE FLOP SQUIRM PIERCE POO REGURGITATE PUNCTURE SHAKE SLASH

SMACK SPIT SPLASH STAB CUT STING STRUGGLE THRASH FLAP GRUNT

LASH THUMP TWIST VIBRATE WIGGLE SLICE WRITHE

Loaded For Bass Sudden In-Pact Baits are jig/ spinnerbait trailers that soak up a huge amount of catch scent and continually release it. These supple trailers are very durable, won’t tear off, dry out or become distorted, and their absorbency prevents your catch scent from washing away after a few casts. There are nine models, ranging in size from 2.25” to 5.25”, and colours include red, green, yellow, blue and white.

To place an order visit www.loadedforbass.com.

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: VIC Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

VIC AUG 2017

Phone (day):

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

SPOT THE

9 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to A Grant from Geelong West, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a sponsor prize. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – V&TFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for June is D Don of Barwon Heads, who won a Wilson prize pack worth $300RRP. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

Alfredton, D Baulch of Colac, J McNamara of Goornong, A Pollard of Darley, L Gruar of Portland, C Beaumont of Roasebud, J Laszczyk of Newborough, C Smith of Traralgon, P Dickinson of Langwarrin, P Geale of Georgetown, R Eames of Essendon, G Ball of Clifton Springs, F Oleszko of Braybrook, I Lovel of Bealiba, D Robinson of Carisbrook, M Dolan of Alfredton, B Meaney of Tungamah, J Ellis

of Reservoir, I Christensen of Rosebud, T Darker of Daylesford, N Bryant of North Albury, P Cobb of Berrigan, J Smith of Carranballac, H Kirk of Hadspen, H Stapelfeldt of Nunawading, K Tripp of Glenroy, G Lester of Bundoora, D Hill of Cranbourne North , L Murray of Sale, A Grant of Geelong West.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE COASTAL BLACK LOGO

The answers to Find the Coastal Black Logo for June were: 8, 12, 21, 22, 28, 32, 40, 91, 92, 100, 103, 105, 108, 123, 125. – V&TFM

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AUGUST 2017

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Yellowfin Bream

The Find the Coastal Black prize winners for June were: M Moulding of Red Hill, K Carter of Shepparton, W Johnson of Morwell, E Forrester of Merricks, P Reed of Wangaratta, W Chapman of Pomonal, C Kelly of Cranbourne, M Meyer of Dartmouth, B Manzie of Werribee, T Mathieson of Patterson Lakes, T Dron of

GUESS THE FISH?

Answer:

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat 76 Slayer 10 Propel Inside story...

After years of research, Quintrex has released the Apex Hull design set to revolutionise the boating industry. From humble beginnings in 1945 Quintrex has remained the leader in aluminium boat research and development for over 70 years.

Made for...

Quintrex’s aluminium boats feature technology-driven hulls that leave competitors in the wake. Their unique ability to stretch form aluminium allows them to create shapes only previously made in fibreglass, delivering the softest, driest riding aluminium boats on the market.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan takes the coolest new aluminium bass boat, the 530 Stealth Hornet, for a spin. This thing is a beast!

VFM’s Peter Jung climbs into Native Watercraft’s newest innovation on the Murray River.

78 Wendouree wonders Corey Ghallager jumps across to the fresh to fish one of Victoria’s best trout and redfin fisheries.

84 Can’t bear it?

About time you had a look at your trailer bearings? Let Wayne Kampe take you through the process.

88 Micro Cat 4.4m Sidewinder

Gary Brown jumps aboard the 4.4 Sidewinder from Micro Cat to test out its capabilities.

AUGUST 2017

77

Native Watercraft’s Slayer 10 Propel kayak FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

It is always an interesting concept when you contact a marine dealership to organise some boat tests and the reply is “We have a boat for you to test, but we do more than just boats.” All sorts of thoughts could go through your head, but in this case the marine dealer was Boats and More and the ‘More’ refers to the large range of fishing tackle and watersports related accessories that they stock.

In fact, their two locations in Shepparton and Echuca are also Compleat Angler stores. A component of their range includes the seriously angling orientated Native Watercraft range of kayaks. Being in the middle of the Murray cod heartland of Victoria, the team at Boats and More have set many of these kayaks up to be perfectly suited to target these and many of our other iconic Australian native species. It was the Native Watercraft Slayer 10 propel they wanted me to test.

SET UP FOR SOME SERIOUS FISHING Our location to test the Slayer 10 propel was Bundalong at the top end of Lake Mulwala, only a short drive from the Shepparton store. Damien Bennett was on hand to show over the Slayer and to explain how they had set up the kayak SPECIFICATIONS Length.....10ft – 3.05m Width..................86cm Fitted weight......28kg Depth at beam..33cm Capacity...........227kg from customer feedback and from their experiences using the kayaks themselves. Considering most of my kayak fishing to date has never been from anything remotely close to the Slayer 10, I was fascinated by the extent of the fit out, but also by how practical it was, considering at 10ft this is not a large kayak to offer so many options and features.

STANDARD FEATURES Propel Pedal Drive system This propeller-based system drops through

Left: If you are planning to be on the water for a long time, a comfy seat is a must and the Slayer is spot on. Right: The cockpit of the Slayer is spacious and offers you plenty of flexibility in where you place your rod holders, sounder and seat position using the Groove track system. the hull of the kayak and locks in place. This is very simple to do and you then just pedal like you would on a bike. You can go

go left and right to go right, it doesn’t get any easier than that. If you don’t want to use the pedal drive, either lock it in place above the

water or the entire system can be removed.

Groove track This is a rail system that skirts the length of the

The Native Watercraft Slayer 10 Propel is definitely targeted towards anglers and their needs.

Top: How’s this for easy access to your battery? The Berley Pro battery system is a great touch. Above: Steering is as simple as it gets – left to go left, right to go right – and just what the author needed.

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AUGUST 2017

forwards or backwards and it is very comfortable to use. I wouldn’t say that it is ultra quick (limited due to the size of the propeller), however you can really get into a rhythm pedalling and cruise along nicely.

To me the advantage of this system is the ability to position yourself to fish and also to get yourself out of trouble if you hook up to a fish near structure.

Steering while pedalling is done through an extended rudder system which you adjust using a small hand control near the seat. Left to

Dry storage is not an issue with this large hatch at the front of the kayak.

seating area. This provides complete flexibility to place rod holders, camera systems and more in the place that suits you. Two smaller tracks are also just above the pedal system which are ideally placed to put a sounder and/or a camera.

Comfort seat There is no doubt that sitting in this kayak for an extended period of time will be a pleasure not a pain. The seat has plenty of support, sits relatively high above the kayak and uses the same groove track system so you can adjust where you sit so that pedalling is comfortable and ergonomically sound. I was super impressed at how comfortable the seat was in the short period that I used the kayak.

Storage There is a large dry storage hatch at the front of the kayak that has plenty of room for any clothing or items you want to keep dry and the rear storage well is large enough for a decently sized esky or tackle storage system. There are also two flush mounted rod holders to place rods in while not in use.

There are also a couple of other nice touches; the deck has a non-slip padding for when you stand up while fishing. The super seal scupper plugs also impressed me. They are a multi-ribbed system that I hadn’t seen before. They have easy pull handles so from an angling point of view there is nothing for

spinnerbait as I was testing it out. I can only blame that on the angler involved.

For what is a relatively small kayak, there is a distinct feeling of space when you are using the Slayer 10 Propel. It doesn’t feel crowded and the upside of its smaller length is that everything is easily in reach. Most importantly everything has a place and can be stored out of the way when not required.

As far as getting the Slayer to and from the water, I would suggest that it is a two-person job or that you purchase kayak trolley to assist getting it to the water edge. At 28kg it is a manageable weight to load and unload from a

vehicle and the heavy-duty carry handles certainly assist with that.

Overall the Native Watercraft Slayer 10 Propel is the real deal and has a base price of $3,900 and you can add your own requirements. To get the setup we tested is $5,000.

I commend the staff at Boats and More for the fit out they did on it and for giving me the opportunity to get out on the water and test it for them.

If you would like to do the same, you can contact the Shepparton Boats and More store on (03) 5822 2108 or the Echuca store on (03) 5482 1992, or check out their website www. boatsandmore.com.au.

Top: The Native Watercraft Slayer 10 Propel set up and ready to explore all that very fishy looking country in the background. Above: The Slayer 10’s Propel system is easy to engage. You place it through the hull, lock it in place and pedal away. your line to catch on and they certainly didn’t let any water through, keeping the areas dry that you want

Mark Frost from Boats and More shows how easy it is to stand and fish from the Slayer 10.

to keep dry.

Boats and More special touches If you are going to go for this style of kayak, then you may as well go all the way. A point of interest was the sounder setup; the transducer was placed neatly in the foot of the pedal system of the Slayer. All cabling was within the hull and the battery to run it had extremely easy access.

Small touches like the Berley Pro Sun Visor placed on the Garmin unit that gives you better visibility of the sounder screen (reduces glare) and the Berley Pro waterproof battery storage port (great access to your battery) tells me that they have used the kayak and fitted it out so the end user can enjoy every aspect of their purchase. There is nothing better than buying from people who know and use the products they are selling.

On the water The hard part about doing this kayak test was keeping my mind on the task at hand. After a couple of minutes in the kayak all I wanted to do was go and fish all the little nooks and crannies that Lake Mulwala and Bundalong has to offer. You immediately felt comfortable seated on the kayak and the stability of the craft was excellent considering its

10-foot length.

The true test for this aging author was going to be how easily it would be for me to stand up and have a cast, but I needn’t have worried, as even with my elderly knees, standing up and sitting back down wasn’t an issue. I didn’t feel I was going to go in the drink at any time.

The steering and pedalling proved to be easy as expected and the ability to reverse and position the kayak to cast to structure is a definite plus. The only thing that could have been better is if a cod had hit my

The transducer for the Garmin sounder that was on the craft was neatly placed on the foot of the pedal system.

Pedalling the Slayer 10 was easy and comfortable. You’re not going to break any speed records, but you should be able to pedal all day.

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Wind up winter fishing at Lake Wendouree MELBOURNE

Corey Gallagher

Winter can be a tricky time of year to catch a fish here in Victoria. Cold water temperatures can see fish almost completely shut down in the estuaries.

Combined with freezing conditions on the water,

ramps are located at Durham Point, the Ballarat Yacht Club and St Patricks Point.

TARGET SPECIES Trout – both rainbow and brown – are without a doubt the main drawcard enticing anglers to Lake Wendouree. The lake has been heavily stocked since it recovered from several years of severe drought, which

snagging up on the thick weed.

The rowing course is also lined by extensive reed edges that create lots of small nooks and crannies, offering even more bait and fish holding structure. Finding areas of the lake relatively free of weed is not just limited to the rowing course.

Areas recently cleared by the weed cutter are excellent

Lake Wendouree located in Ballarat is the perfect location for kayak anglers chasing trout and redfin this winter.

Working areas where the weed has recently been cut can be very productive.

Nick Mace works his shallow diver in search of a hungry trout or redfin. finding the motivation to drag yourself out of bed can be difficult. For those in the know, the spoils are there for the taking.

Inland freshwater lakes come into their own at this time of year, particularly those stocked with brown and rainbow trout. Trout love the cool water and will become more active and move up into the shallows when the water is at its coolest.

Lake Wendouree has long been a favourite freshwater destination of mine. Growing up in the city of Ballarat I was always aware of the lake’s potential to produce trophysize browns and rainbows. It wasn’t until I moved away from Ballarat in my adult years that I began to regularly fish there as a winter option.

ACCESS Lake Wendouree is located in the centre of Ballarat in central Victoria. Potentially kayak anglers can launch almost anywhere around the lake’s 6km of shoreline, but I prefer to make use of one of boat ramps scattered around the lake. This is a more suitable option for those with larger kayaks like the Hobie Mirage Pro Angler. The main

left Wendouree bone-dry for several years. Each year it receives around 6000 trout from the local hatchery plus Fisheries Victoria contributions. Redfin have also flourished in Wendouree and solid fish in the high 40s are regularly landed.

METHODS AND TECHNIQUES Lake Wendouree is shallow and full of weed, to the point where weed cutters are constantly required to keep it at bay. Thick weed certainly creates its challenges for anglers, particularly those wanting to cast and retrieve lures. If tackled with appropriate techniques, the rewards are there for the taking. When considering techniques to effectively target Lake Wendouree trout and redfin the angler must consider the weed first and foremost.

A major feature of Lake Wendouree is the 2000m Olympic rowing course that dissects the centre of the lake. Several years ago the rowing course was dredged creating the deepest water in Wendouree and although still relatively shallow at 2m it is here that anglers can freely cast and retrieve lures without

Kayak angler Nick Mace works a lure across the surface on a chilly Ballarat winter morning.

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When casting I like to use a slow roll retrieve mixed up with a few twitches here and there. Trout rarely hit a stationary lure, so keep it moving. Often the trout will follow your lure all the way back to the kayak before smashing the lure at your feet amd making for some very exciting fishing.

A typical Lake Wendouree redfin. The lake is full of perch this size with larger units regularly caught. for two reasons; first, the weed is cut allowing for lures to be worked over the top and secondly the bait will be stirred up by the cutting process, drawing in the larger predatory trout and redfin.

Lure selection is critical at Wendouree. Shallow diving minnows such as Nories Laydown Minnows and Daiwa Presso Minnows are a standout at the lake. They can be worked over the top of weed beds avoiding the hookclogging weed. Colours, as always, are another important consideration when choosing a lure. Golds in a variety of shades have always been a winner at Wendouree, as well as natural baitfish, perch and trout patterns.

Trolling shallow diving hardbodied lures along the rowing course, focusing on the reed edges and weedy sections is a great way to locate the fish.

Once located, I’ll switch to casting lures. This allows me to really work an area making sure I give myself every chance to hook and fish in the area.

rod tip which will allow the lure to dive down 10-15cm below the surface. Pausing the lure will then see it slowly rise back to the surface.

Bents can also be worked more subtly with a high rod tip, which will keep the lure on the surface. Both methods are an excellent way to stay clear of the weed and open up large areas of the lake that are unfishable with any other method.

Areas of the lake recently cleared of weed are also well worth a look.

Look for areas where the weed cutter is working. As it moves through the lake it stirs up the baitfish and insect larvae that the trout and redfin love to feed on.

Predatory fish will move into these areas in search of an easy feed. Casting both shallow divers and surface lures in these areas can be very productive.

SAFETY Lake Wendouree is a popular and well-used waterway with both fishers and recreational users such as

cables to avoid a collision or damaging to your propulsion drive unit.

Ballarat can get very cold during the winter months; sub-zero temperatures during early morning are not uncommon. Wearing good quality dry pants and a waterproof jacket can go a long way to keeping you warm. Thermals are also recommended on those chilly Ballarat mornings.

CONCLUSION Variety is the spice of life and if, like me, you spend most of your time in the saltwater estuaries chasing bream, perch and mulloway, winter is the perfect time of year to turn your attention to the fresh. Lake Wendouree is a perfect candidate for kayak anglers looking to chase trout and redfin.

Its relatively small size means the entire lake can be accessed from the one launch site and your kayak’s ability to enter shallow water makes it the perfect craft to navigate Wendouree’s extensive weed beds. Ballarat’s central

A major feature of Lake Wendouree is its extensive weed beds making for some challenging fishing. For those in the know the spoils are there for the taking. Photo courtesy of Nick Mace.

Bent Minnows are another very productive way to fish Lake Wendouree, particularly during periods of low light such as dawn or dusk. Bent Minnows are a surface and sub-surface lure that can be worked erratically with a low

rowers. It is well advised to wear highly visible clothing, particularly during times of low light, to ensure you can easily be seen by water traffic. If you’re fishing in the rowing lanes, keep an eye out for rowers and lane marker

location and close proximity to Melbourne and Geelong also make it an easy short day trip for most. If you’re looking for a few trout to throw in this smoker look no further than Lake Wendouree, a great little lake with plenty to offer.

WHAT’S NEW BOATING CRUISECRAFT OUTSIDER 595

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CruiseCraft has launched a HardTop version of the Outsider 595, styled along similar lines of the existing HardTop models in the CruiseCraft Explorer line-up.

The design is flowing, in proportion and expertly tooled. Both the roof and interior lining are smooth and buffed to a mirror finish.

This is a purpose designed and manufactured fibreglass moulding, specifically tailored to this model.

Supporting the aft end of the structure is a pair of robust yet stylish stainless steel supports.

These also double as secure hand holds.

The HardTop is formed with a full height toughened glass windscreen at the front, with sliding glass side panels on both port and starboard. An electric wiper on the starboard screen is a standard inclusion.

In the HardTop version of the Outsider 595, a re-shaped modular dash panel has been designed to accommodate larger electronic displays (up to 15”), and there is an optional sliding and lockable cabin door. www.cruisecraft.com.au

CLARION CMS4 AND 2 M606 The new Clarion CMS4 and M606 provide the benchmark for multiple zone support.

The M606 marine radio delivers four independent audio zones, each with its own volume, equalizer, balance and HPF controls.

The M606 features a single source audio selection that can be distributed in up to four zones allowing for discreet audio controls and configuration.

For a vessel that requires independent sources in addition to the standard audio controls, you can step up to the CMS4 Marine Black-box which features an industryfirst four independent audio zones with four simultaneously configurable sources.

The M606 features a single remote input that can be split multiple times, allowing for all four zones to be controlled from different sections of the boat. The CMS4 has four remote inputs, granting zone control for each of the four available zones. www.bla.com.au

NAVICO ACQUIRES NAVIOP

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Navico – parent company to Lowrance, Simrad and B&G – has announced its acquisition of Naviop, a global leader in marine monitoring and control systems.

On boats outfitted with Simrad, Lowrance and B&G marine electronics, Naviop provides the integration framework to capture data from all boating systems. The multifunction display serves as the hub for complete system control and information – all designed to enhance boater awareness and enjoyment.

“For years, auto manufacturers have provided consumers with a complete integration solution at their fingertips, while the marine industry has fallen behind the curve to provide the same level of convenience and control,” said Leif Ottosson, Navico CEO. “With Naviop, we have taken a step forward to provide a comprehensive system-integration package for the boatbuilding market.”

Navico will, through this acquisition, take a further step in shifting the idea of a central multifunction display to an integrated cloudconnected information system. Naviop’s success comes from its origin in industrial automation and its continuous development of new high-tech products and systems. Naviop systems can work as an integration hub as well as a digital switching solution, and can manage everything from air conditioning and engines to diesel generators and stabilization systems. www.navico.com

DUNBIER JET SKI TRAILERS

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The stylish new Alloy Jet Ski Trailer is the newest addition to the Dunbier’s Alloy Series of trailers. Its solid alloy welded frame features exclusive Excalibur extrusion and has low riding cross members, including the 4” solid drawbar.

Or if you really want to stand out from the crowd you can opt for the new Dunbier Custom powder coated jet ski trailer. With its unique design, the series is made so that you can travel in style with lower riding and many special features. These include wide stepped checker plate side steps; all black wobble rollers to complement the slick black frame; full marine coat over the galvanized frame, guards, roller beds and walk boards.

Both of these locally-made trailers have new black alloy mag wheels, chrome caps and light truck radial tyres, and a new, fully-sealed LED light system. www.dunbier.com

NEW HONDA RELEASES

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The 2017 Melbourne International Boat Show marked the global debut for the BF75, BF80, BF90 and BF100 and the Australian debut of the new BF40 and BF50 Honda outboards with a fresh new look and some updated features.

With an upgraded ECU, the new outboards have the latest in EFI technology, so the exact amount of fuel is delivered at the perfect time, guaranteeing smoother performance and greater fuel savings. The new outboards also incorporate lean burn control technology (ECOmo), which allows combustion to operate on a leaner air/fuel ratio during cruising to achieve greater fuel economy.

Honda’s revolutionary Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST) technology boosts engine torque at low RPM under rapid acceleration, to get the hull up on the plane quickly.

Developed for Honda’s high-performance sportscars and available on the updated BF90 and BF100, VTEC varies the lift and duration of the intake valves to provide optimum performance both at low and high rpm.

NMEA2000 connectivity also comes standard. For more info visit the Honda Marine website. www.marine.honda.com.au

WHITTLEY SEA LEGEND PACKAGES

PRODUCT GUIDE

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The latest models in the Sea Legend (SL) range are the SL 20 and SL 25 HT. The 6.37m SL 20 has all the big-boat attributes of its larger SL cousins, including a deep-vee hull that’s 23° at the transom. It has a new-look cabin entry sitting in front of the most comfortable seats in the 6m class, and the moulded fibreglass floor has a nonslip diamond tread. The cabin has a full-length double V-berth (identical dimensions to the SL 22) as well as a full headlining as standard.

Features include moulded side pockets, two solid esky/kill tanks and four stainless rod holders. The standard package also includes front and side clears, alloy rocket launchers, a vinyl cabin divider, Garmin 4.5” GPS/FF and Bennett SLT trim tabs, Mackay dual axle electric braked trailer and Volvo Penta V6 200 G SX. The SL 25 HT model also features a 23° deadrise. Features include a new lockable cabin door, stylish hardtop, moulded rear fishing platform, removable 150L kill tank, and a 30L plumbed live bait tank moulded into the transom.

Price: from $77,490 BMT (SL20) www.whittley.com.au

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

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AUGUST 2017

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Industry Product

Evinrude releases iDock for twin-outboard rigs

AUGUST 2017

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and a weather radar that looked like a plate of parma from the local pub.

The Evinrude guys were looking a little nervous – plenty of the journalists were flying out that afternoon and timings were tight. The rain needed to stop by late morning, and it did.

RE ONLINE MO AN THE

power steering units included on each G2, there’s no need for bulky and expensive hydraulic pumps to be installed. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Let’s step back a little…

WHAT’S IDOCK ALL ABOUT? Let’s do Joystick Control 101, or iDock as Evinrude

boat sideways for the first time was the fact that you needed to think and steer a few seconds ahead. It takes this time for the engines to move to the correct position and the gears and revs to get to where they need to be to get you where you want to go.

It’s like driving an electric trolling motor. Spin the head round and hit the thrust and it still takes a few seconds to bring the boat to a standstill. It’s the same with iDock. If you want to change directions, it’ll take a few seconds to get the motors in order and to bleed off the speed you already have.

Also, you’ll have to stop trying to grab the helm.

Trust me, you’ll do it plenty when you’re transitioning to iDock. iDock will lock the steering while it takes control. When you want to take control again, just press the button and you’ll have your steering and throttles back.

See, I told you a kid could do it!

BEHIND THE MAGIC “Our goal with the Evinrude E-TEC G2 engines was to design a platform with unlimited potential for continued technological enhancement and innovation,” said Olivier Pierini, Evinrude Director of Global Marketing and Strategic Planning.

“The intuitive nature of the technology will give even a novice boater immediate confidence in their ability to dock any boat equipped with Evinrude E-TEC engines easily. And by using technology that is already built into the engine, it is significantly more affordable than any other joystick system on the market.”

And that’s the key to iDock. It adds very little to what already exists within the E-TEC G2 architecture and because of this, it can do it cheaper than any other system on the market.

What’s the expected cost of the system in Australia? At the time of printing, it wasn’t yet available, however, the stateside pricing is very aggressive. We’ll be sure to let you know when we do.

There are slight differences between the off-the-shelf G2 E-TECs and those used for iDock.

Evinrude E-TEC G2 iDock model engines are sold in pairs and will be available in 2018.

- SC

iDock controls are so simple, kids can use them.

Push the joystick in the direction you want the boat to go. Twist the joystick in the direction you want it to spin, or use combinations of the two.

There’s extra thrust available by pushing past the detent if you need an extra burst of thrust.

ask how iDock works, I’d probably just tell them ‘magic’, but since Fishing Monthly audiences are usually a little more skeptical than my gullible youngsters, let’s go through the basics.

Traditionally, twin-engine rigs are tied together with bars and rods that ensure that the outboards are always pointing in the same direction. The driver can differentially trim these outboards and apply the throttles independently to level the attitude while underway or to skid-steer the boat when manoeuvring the boat in close.

Then came digital throttles and shift and power steering.

‘Fly by wire’ allowed the manufacturers to digitally control and maintain throttle, trim attitudes and steering.

It’s how features such as iTrim work, substituting a computer and predetermined parameters to trim a boat more precisely and more accurately than a human being can, especially when they have more to think about than just trimming the boat, like fishing.

The next extension, of course, was to use the ability to totally and independently control these outboards to allow some complex mathematical algorithms to move the boat in whatever direction you want –

you get a feel for it.

Additionally, there’s an extra boost available if you need an extra spurt of thrust to counter a gust of wind or a burst of current. You just push past the detent at the natural edge of control and you get extra rpm to get you out if trouble.

Traditional outboard joystick systems tend to have the engines fight against one another with wind and tide, however iDock has an Integrated Aircraft Gyro Sensor, which locks in the heading off the boat. Whether there is wind or current, the boat will maintain its set heading adjusting the position of the engines to keep you on course.

We got to test the iDock in a fairly confined space, with added current and wind – real world conditions under the supervision of the Evinrude staff that looked remarkably relieved that the rain had stopped.

My initial impressions?

Apart from the awe you always feel when you drive a

TENT -

THE BIG REVEAL It wasn’t an ideal day to launch this new piece of kit.

With media from all over the world assembled, the rain came down. And I don’t mean a few showers, I mean it bucketed down, complete with thunder and lightning

• Evinrude launches iDock for Evinrude E-TEC. • It works with twin E-TEC rigged boats only (not with single outboards).

• Fingertip control in all directions with a joystick.

• An extra boost is available with a harder push.

• It’s the cheapest system on the market.

CON

Milwaukee last year that affordable joystick control was the next thing that they were going to release to the market.

Of course, the G2 E-TECs are eminently suitable for the inclusion of this kind of system. Boasting

You won’t see E-TECs doing this normally, but independent power steering lets iDock control outboards individually to allow 360° control of your twin-engined craft.

HIGHLIGHTS

RA

This situation used to scare boaties – iDock makes the process of docking simple.

including sideways and spinning on its axis.

And the best way to direct the computer controlling this?

A joystick, of course. From a captain’s point of view, it’s ridiculously simple. You push a button to transfer control from the helm to the joystick.

The button you push is the only one on the joystick. You then move the joystick in the direction you want the boat to go.

It’s that easy.

Forwards and backwards?

Easy. Sideways? Yep – it’s awesome. Spin around?

No problems. And you can combine the directions when

T

Was it one of the worst kept secrets in the marine industry? Maybe. When I received an invite to Florida, USA, from Telwater (TW), Australia’s Evinrude distributor, the discussion went as follows. It may be paraphrased for simplicity and to not get in the way of a good story.

SM: Cool – new, smaller G2 E-TECs, huh?

TW: Nope.

New technology for existing G2s.

SM: Oh, so it’s Evinrude’s version of Joystick control?

TW: ummmm… maybe.

How did you know?

SM: They said at

Like kids to a new toy, the media piled in the test boats and proceeded to use the iDock, without reading the instructions. Nowadays, that’t nearly the way I judge the user-friendliness of a new product: can media guys (who think we know everything about everything) jump in and make it work straight away?

The answer is a definite yes.

Within minutes the assembly of North and South Americans and even the lost Aussie and a Kiwi were docking the test boats like a pro – both the luxurious and seemingly overpowered pontoon boat and the eminently fishable Scout with twin 200s.

HOW DOES IT WORK? If my kids were to

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s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

call it, fitting into Evinrude’s current ecosystem of products like iSteer, iControl, iCommand and iTrim.

We all know how to use a joystick, right? Even those of us who are in the second half of our lives enjoyed a game of PacMan or Galaga in our earlier years at the local milk bar. Kids, of course, are experts and use one intuitively.

On a related matter, you know when most bigger boat owners are nervous? It’s not driving their pride and joy around the bay. It’s when they’re docking – be it on their own dock, a public berth or in a marina. What iDock does is remove the decades of experience you needed to dock a big boat with precision and make it so easy that a kid could do it, with a joystick.

CO

Steve Morgan

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FMG

Perhaps the most impressive feature of iDock is the ability to drive a boat sideways.

Industry Product

Stunning Simrad NSS7 evo3 Chartplotter FMG

Simon Goldsmith simon@fishingmonthly.com.au

The advances in sounder design, performance, and function have never been greater and a recent upgrade from a 10 year old 7” unit to a new 7” Simrad NSS7 evo3 illustrated to me with blinding clarity just how advanced today’s modern sounders are. The data and information they provide for an angler, and how handicapped you can be as an angler if you’re not running one in your boat are now truly evident.

SMALL AND MIGHTY The new Simrad NSS

at times identify what species is below. Telling the difference between catfish and bass at Wivenhoe is must.

BRIGHT AS THE SUN Being able to see the sounder screen in bright sunshine, particularly with sunglasses on, has often been a challenge with sounders and the evo3 attacks that challenge head on with its new display.

The new SolarMAX HD display provides a bright, easy-to-read screen that is clear and crisp to read in any light, at any time. Sharp and vivid in its colours and details, the evo3 has few, or perhaps no peers when it comes to display clarity.

DIALLED IN While we live in an age

Simrad NSS7 evo3 Chartplotter.

I found myself using both, and to switch between the two was a fluid process and took little time to become familiar with. Once I got dialled in with how the unit worked I don’t think I ever found myself asking, ‘Now which button do I press again?’

Often I wouldn’t look, I’d just reach when pressing a button. For example, if I was on the front deck of my boat fishing and I wanted to mark a waypoint, I’d just lean down and hit the waypoint

options. Built-in GoFree wifi allows you to download charts direct to the unit via the GoFree online shop, or alternatively you can download the maps to your computer, save them onto a micro SD, then install them in your sounder. I used both methods to test how all the options were to use and found it all easy and logical to do.

The Social Maps available from the GoFree online shop are a fantastic resource to have at your fingertips. The ability to upgrade and expand the

or tablet. In large boats this is a great way to keep an eye on the charts, radar and engine data you have displayed on your Simrad.

THE TOTAL PACKAGE I ran a TotalScan transducer with the evo3, and it’s a transducer that could be described as the total package providing Broadband, CHIRP, StructureScan and DownScan imaging. The Broadband sonar supports 83/200kHz frequency, medium and high CHIRP frequencies, while the StructureScan supports 455/800kHz frequencies.

As I mentioned earlier my preference in most cases was to run high CHIRP on screen, and when I needed further clarity and refinement in what I had on screen, I ran DownScan in conjunction with it.

MORE PLEASE The Simrad NSS7 evo3 is a multi-faceted, multi-function unit that offers chart, echo, structure, radar, navigation, instruments, video, autopilot, timer plot, and forward scan all on the homepage. While I only scratched the surface when it came to use these functions, chart, echo, and structure were my three go-tos. The evo3 is a sounder that is equally at home on a small inshore boat, like my 17’ bass boat, as it is on a

The chart options and display, especially with Social Maps, are stunning to say the least. evo3 is the latest evolution in the NSS series, the previous incarnation of course being the NSS evo2 series. While the model I had may have been the smallest in the range, it certainly doesn’t lack in performance, power, and ability.

The evo3 delivers many advances over its predecessor the evo2, with new Dual Channel CHIRP providing the ability to display both low and high CHIRP on your screen at the same time. This can be a huge asset when fishing offshore where the need and benefit in having both can be huge, with low CHIRP giving you the depth penetration you’re looking for and high CHIRP the shallow and surface detail you want.

I ran my unit on high CHIRP when fishing the dams in South East Queensland and the detail and speed in the information it provided was razor sharp. Most times I ran high CHIRP on a split screen next to my DownScan display.

I had the high CHIRP there to provide me with maximum information of what was below, while the DownScan provided me with a breakdown and a separation in the detail of what was below. The DownScan gives me the clarity to see individual fish and also

of touch screens, and they’re preferable in most cases to use over non-touch screens, there are times when they aren’t the best to use. The evo3 provides that alternative with both

touch screen and keypad and dial functionality providing the best of both worlds. Offshore anglers and those fishing in rough conditions will reap the benefits of this dual design.

The author ran the high CHIRP on a split screen next to his DownScan display.

The high CHIRP provided maximum information of what was below, while the DownScan provided a breakdown and a separation in the detail of what was below.

The menu button and dial layout is very logical and clean in its setup, making it very easy to use and learn.

button without ever actually looking at the screen. It was easy and it was simple. I used the same blind approach in many cases when powering the unit on and off.

The menu button and dial layout is very logical and clean in its setup, making it very easy to use and learn.

The customization of the WheelKey on the keypad is another great setup option and you can tailor it for both a short press and long press.

Customise it how you want, and in one button you have two different functions tailored to your needs.

LOGGING ON Modern sounders are anything but standalone pieces of technology and the evo3 offers multiple connectivity

data in your unit and do so via a social, user contributionbased platform, impressed me the most when I made the leap from a 10 year old unit to the new evo3. I was definitely behind the times.

To access the evo3’s online GoFree options, all you need to do is connect your unit to a wifi connection. I connected to both my wifi at home and also did a hotspot with my iPhone, and just like downloading the Social Maps, I found the process simple and logical.

If you want to view your evo3 display on the water via your iPad or iPhone, that function is available too, with the GoFree Link app allowing you to view and control your Simrad via your smartphone

larger offshore.

The chart options and display, especially with Social Maps, are stunning to say the least. The Social Maps and the underwater topography they make available for anglers, and for a lake angler like me, are priceless in my opinion.

The echo and structure options show us what’s beneath the surface with outstanding detail and clarity.

The addition of the Simrad NSS7 evo3 to my bass boat has been an evolution for my fishing that’s been long overdue and enlightened me to what is possible and what is available. The only problem I see now is that I want another one and I want a bigger one. I think NSS12 just might be on the cards.

AUGUST 2017

83

Keep a close eye on those trailer bearings BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Boat and camper trailer owners soon understand that few things will willingly repay neglect nor will the wheel bearings, those unseen little heroes

that carry the full load of whatever’s above the axle. And at whatever speed is involved! This understanding is easily reinforced by the all-toofamiliar sight of a boat trailer on the side of the road – sometimes with a big scrape on the road leading to an absent wheel – as the

result of a bearing failure.

To complete the scene the axle will usually have a jack under it with some member of the party standing guard while the rest of the team have driven off to see if they can round up some assistance or maybe spare parts if there’s knowledge of what’s required to fix

New grease and nitrile gloves are important items for servicing wheel bearings.

Step 1: Nice and shiny after a clean up: the front bearing, washer and nut.

The bearing is now ready for some more grease to be applied to it.

84

the problem.

Camper trailers (and of course caravans) don’t suffer so much as boat trailers do, because they are not subject to immersion in water to any great extent. Boat trailers backed into salt water on a regular basis are well and truly in the firing line. This means that the smart boat owner will see the need to check on things from time to time. The more it’s used in salt water, the more often you need to assess the bearings

and possibly re-grease them as preventative maintenance.

I look at my boat trailer bearings every three months when the boat is having regular use and in over two decades I have only experienced one issue when bearings on one wheel were growling, although still functioning. Growling? Yes, a bearing that’s suffering corrosion or pitting will usually emit some noise when the wheel is elevated from ground contact and

spun, so this is the first step in a bearing health check up. With the wheel spinning there should be no grumbles, growls or other noise other than a slight whir.

The next step is to take hold of the wheel on each outer side and check it for bearing free play by pulling and pushing it from side to side – gently, that is; don’t dislodge the trailer from the car jack! If there’s play noted the bearings might need to be tightened, but more on

Step 2: With the Bearing Buddy removed and some excess grease cleared away, the split pin and castellated nut are accessible.

Step 3: Out comes the split pin.

Step 4: The castellated nut and washer have been removed and the outer bearing’s being slid out along the spindle by gently drawing the wheel outwards.

Step 5: The residual grease within the hub of the author’s camper wheel shows no signs of contamination, just a little discolouration from use.

AUGUST 2017

this later.

For the record there is no great mechanical expertise involved in checking trailer wheel bearings. Even doing a periodic regrease is pretty much a DIY project that is fairly easily mastered. If you don’t feel you are up to the task or don’t want to muck around with grease, it’s wise to ensure bearings are checked – or even replaced – professionally from time to time.

I would stress that the steps I am outlining in this article are not necessarily going to ensure total bearing efficiency or longevity, but are certainly worth considering if you like keeping in touch with the boat/camper’s running gear on a preventative maintenance basis.

Our trailers have two sets of bearings; an inner set near the rear seal on the axle plus another (smaller) up front which is set just behind the Bearing Buddy or dust cap, depending upon which of these is fitted. Both bearing races with their tapered rollers within them sit within a very close fitting hardened cup or slipper which is pushfitted into the wheel hub and it’s within these cups that the bearings rotate.

Note that common bearing components are usually of Ford or Holden origin on

smaller trailers.

As the bearing sets are actually several centimetres apart – and the wheel is rotating around the axle courtesy of the bearings – there’s ample room for grease to be applied around the axle to firstly assist in reducing friction within the bearings and to keep out as much water as possible.

Providing the rear seal’s in good condition and the front cap or Bearing Buddy is properly fitted, both these items will also deter water entry. It can still sneak in if there’s unforseen prolonged immersion, hence my view that plenty of grease around bearings makes sense.

Tools for a bearing check up are a car jack, large shifting spanner, screw driver for prying things, and a pair of multi grips for extracting a split pin. Nitrile gloves, a tub of grease, some old paper, plenty of rags and away we go!

CAMPER TRAILER CHECKED Note that the series of images here are taken from one of the wheels of my Trek camper trailer as it’s due for some five-hour Macintyre River visits this month and has not been checked for six months according to my records.

The first step was to jack up a handy wheel and give it

a spin. The result was very pleasing: just a slight whir, as expected. A bit of a push/ pull on each side revealed no slack, so things were looking good. I love to be sure rather than sorry, so I kept on with the inspection after placing a few sheets of newspaper down beside the wheel to collect components as they came to hand.

The components consisted of Bearing Buddies, a split pin holding a large castellated nut in position to lock the outer bearing in place, plus a big washer that sits between the castellated nut and the bearing race.

Naturally, there is going to be a fair bit of grease about the place, but more on this later.

First move (with the wheel elevated of course) was to gently knock the Bearing Buddy from side to side to loosen the Buddy and removed it. If you have a rubber hammer there’s a job for it here.

There was a fair amount of grease that had been pumped in through the Buddy’s nipple on the outer section of the castellated nut and once this grease was removed it was easy to straighten ends of the split pin holding the all-important castellated nut in place and remove said pin from it’s dedicated hole in the axle with multi grips.

WORKING ON THE OUTER BEARING The outer bearing was now quite accessible and a gentle tug on the wheel saw the bearing slide out along the axle spindle for a clean up and to be assessed. At this point the grease was also assessed. I saw it as merely a bit discoloured from use and with no traces of water (creamy residue) about it. Mere darkening of the grease is no biggy, but if there seems to be water in it, a very hard look at the bearings should take place.

It’s best to assess your bearings after a solvent has removed all grease.

Petrol is as good a solvent as anything, but the clean up needs to be carried out within a metal container or other non-plastic container, which said petrol might dissolve. When the bearings have had a good dunking and cleaned up with an old tooth brush all surfaces can then be assessed for any pitting, or distortion of the cage they sit in. After thoroughly allowing them to dry it’s easy to give them a spin to see all the old

grease has been dissolved and the petrol’s evaporated. And so long as the bearings are totally shiny, not pitted, and the cup within the hub is also as clean and unmarked, there’s no reason not to regrease and replace them.

In next month’s issue I will tackle greasing and reassembly of the outer bearings and discuss what’s involved in taking a look at rear bearings as well. It’s wise to ensure you can access more parts if required by working on bearings when supply outlets (Repco, Super Cheap, etc.) are open.

Note the machined step at the rear of the axle spindle. It’s this step that the rear bearing seal butts against.

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Tracker’s Pro Guide series is designed with a deep-vee hull for exceptional performance, even in rough waters. Their Diamond Coat finish is a Tracker exclusive that resists oxidation, providing protection and a shine lasting 70% longer. Standard features include a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance colour sounder, plus tournament-ready live well systems and rod lockers.

Contact dealer to arrange a test drive today Hopefully it will be rough, as you’ll be stunned by the performance of these boats when the weather gets challenging!

VICTORIA’S AUTHORISED DEALER

3 SATU WAY, MORNINGTON VIC PH: 03 5976 4622

www.wesfrostmarine.com.au AUGUST 2017

85

Quintrex Stealth Hornet 530 is a smooth ride

- SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

DE FOR EX

T

Main: The 530 Stealth Hornet is a pretty radical upgrade. With the Evinrude G2 E-Tec 150, it’s a rocket out of the hole and demonstrated great economy at cruising speeds.

Above: With a 630kg hull-only weight, Quintrex has realised that sometimes, heavier hulls give a better rough-water ride. and filmed boat-to-boat at 25 knots. Usually, this results in a pile of rough, unusable footage, but as we ran down the waterway, I had no problems standing up and the running shots were great!

Combine the weight of this hull with the low and mid-range of torque from the G2 Evinrude and you basically get the best performing Hornet, ever.

Evinrude, of course, is one of the few manufacturers developing cutting edge outboard two-stroke technology and it’s hard not to be impressed each time I’m in charge of one.

The other aspect that

RPM....... Speed (km/h)........ Economy (km/L) 500............................. 5............................... 7.6 1000........................... 6.............................. 2.6 2000..........................10.............................. 1.2 3000......................... 35.............................. 2.4 4000......................... 53.............................. 2.2 5000......................... 71.............................. 1.8 6000......................... 84.............................. 1.7 * Viper 21” three-blade propeller AUGUST 2017

Braeside, or 15 Fitzgerald Rd, Laverton. You can also give them a call on (03) 9798 8883 or (03) 9368 7100 respectively.

To watch the on water test video, scan the QR code on this page or visit the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel.

• Quoted performance

SPECIFICATIONS

PERFORMANCE

86

CO

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Let’s face it, there has been a time in all of our fishing journeys when we wanted a Quintrex. If you were an offshore boater, it might have been a centre console, but if you were an inshore angler, it’d probably be a Hornet.

For many years Hornets have been swarming in waterways across Australia.

Around a decade or so ago – when exchange rates favoured imported boats – Hornets had a lot of competition from imported bass boats, mainly from the USA. But with this latest iteration of the Aussie hull and layout, the gap between performance and looks has been narrowed dramatically.

Spending the day with Quintrex brand manager Nathan Shaw and crash test dummy, Cliff Antees, I had a great opportunity to put the Stealth through its paces.

For me, there was a demonstrable point where I thought, ‘this is the best riding Hornet that I’ve ever been in!’

It was when we were running down a choppy Gold Coast Broadwater, filming the second boat on the test day (which was the Frontier 590 – read about it in a future boat test).

I stood up in the Stealth

R

expensive tackle that won’t get wet in the first downpour.

Make sure you take a Stealth for a test drive if you’re in the market for this kind of boat, especially if you’re a current or previous Quintrex owner. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Steve Morgan

Q

RA

CON

AN THE

FMG

makes this boat a pleasure to drive is the integrated power steering in the E-Tec. It actually takes a little getting used to.

I’m used to feedback from hydraulic steering – if I’m trimmed wrong, steering gets harder and vice versa.

The Evinrude’s steering is light throughout the trim range.

In that respect, maybe it’s a good thing that their automated ‘iTrim’ is able to be activated.

Experienced boaties usually turn their nose up at the prospect of a computer trimming the boat for them.

In reality – don’t knock it until you try it. It’s like driving an automatic car after learning in a manual. You’ll get to like it!

From an angler’s point of view, there’s a thumbs-up for the massive amount of underfloor storage space, the dry glove box storage, the ability to flush-mount a 12” screen and the new keelhugging rod locker design that takes rods up to nearly 9ft.

There’s a bit of effort to flip the back deck over between driving and fishing positions,

so if you like moving spots 50 times a day, this may be an issue.

I’d also love to see some sort of solution to make some of the underfloor storage drier.

If we are in an age when a computer can trim an outboard better than a human, then I think it’s fair to demand a place to put my boxes full of

Length......................................................5.29m Beam.........................................................2.06m Depth........................................................0.95m Bottom........................................................4mm Top..............................................................3mm Hull weight............................................... 630kg Rec hp............................................................75 Max hp.......................................................... 150 Max engine kg..............................................255 Capacity.........................................four persons Also from the Stealth range are the 470, 510 and 530, which can come home for $32,299, $35,250 and $42,250 respectively. To find out more about this range, head to www.jvmarine.com. au. Alternatively, you can call in at either 878 Springvale Rd,

figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

Sportsfishers will love the amount of deck space available in the Stealth.

It doesn’t hurt that Quintrex’s parent company, Telwater, is the Australian distributor of Evinrude outboards. The 150hp HO model was a great match for this hull, which has a horsepower range from 75-150hp.

Quintrex has been rotomolding their own dash assemblies in-house for decades. The current console iteration easily holds a 12” screen, flush mounted.

Quintrex also design, print and install their own in-house boat wraps. The Stealth will turn heads both on and off the water. It has been a few years since the F-Series hulls were launched and there’s no doubt that the style is well accepted.

Left: The hidden anchor locker combines with a fold down cleat to make a neat solution to a clear workspace at the bow.

Right: The electric motor batteries are mounted underneath the front casting deck. This distributes the weight evenly and lets the hull work to its potential.

There’s an absolute mountain of space underneath the casting decks – both front and rear. Unfortunately it’s ‘splash proof’ and not ‘waterproof’ in a downpour. Still, your stuff needs to be under there. It’ll fly off the deck at full speed otherwise.

When a boat does 80km/h, the passenger console is pretty important. The step between them is the lid for the rod locker.

At rest, the rear deck doubles in size with a flip-over section that covers the seats. The rear underfloor storage is divided by a decent livewell.

For added bling, the test boat had a MinnKota Ulterra up front. Self-deploying, they’re currently the top of the line on servo-driven trolling motors.

There’s a neat, watertight glovebox fitted under both of the consoles.

Half a dozen rods to 8’6” can fit in the rod locker – or a landing net!

AUGUST 2017

87

Micro Cat 4.4m Sidewinder with Honda 40hp

SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

The unique 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat is an extremely versatile boat that will have you going over a bar and getting into very shallow water with ease – and this boat has been designed with the not just the angler in mind. It could be used by motor and quad bike users, hunters, campers, divers and for BBQs. Or you could stand and cast lures along the edge of mangroves, wash boards of oyster leases, FEATURES • 2 x Highback Skipper spring, cushioned, fold-down swivel seats • 1 x battery for motor and electrics • 60L fuel cell • Honda 40hp 4-stroke outboard • Hummingbird 197 DI sounder • Trim and tilt gauge • RPM gauge • Fuel gauge • 4 toggle switches • 4 fixed rod holders • 4 swivel rod holders • Navigation lights • Fold down bimini Price as tested: $32,900

A large range of accessories are made for the Micro Cat so you can customise it to your own needs.

88

AUGUST 2017

wharves, mud and sand flats and weed beds. The list is endless.

Craig Jones from Blue Water Fabrications has a background in marine engineering and has spent 10 years coming up with the design of the Micro Cat, and has built it and the trailer from the ground up. When I first laid eyes on the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat I thought of a BBQ boat. How wrong was I! This boat is much more than that.

The Honda 40hp 4-stroke outboard had the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat powering at around 50 knots on calm water with two people on board. This would be less if you had a full capacity of five adults on board or any other major equipment like a couple of motor or quad bikes. Once onboard you will realize how much floor space there is for passengers or vehicles.

Even though the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat sits high in the water it doesn’t have much draft. This enables you to put on a short shaft outboard, which in turn allows you to travel over very shallow water. Craig took me for a spin over extremely shallow water to show me how shallow you could get – I would say we were in around 30cm of water.

By contrast, we also crossed out through the bar (not rough, but a few waves) and the boat came up to and

down off the swells with ease. The spray rail chines that run about one third the length of the boat did their job by keeping any spray away. I don’t know how it would go if there was a wind coming from the side, but looking over the side I would SPECIFICATIONS Length................ 4.28m Boat length.......... 4.4m Boat width........... 2.1m Length on trailer. (motor down)....... 6.5m.

Width on trailer... 2.4m Height on trailer.. 2.4m Weight.................740kg Capacity......... 5 adults Maximum hp........... 50 Hull thickness..... 4mm Side thickness..... 3mm Floor thickness... 4mm say that it would keep the spray going downwards.

As we were scooting along I took the chance to sit up front on one of the bench seats, and was amazed that was very little (a couple of drops) water came in over the front. This would be due to the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat sitting slightly higher in the water at the front.

The launching and retrieving of the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat was a breeze. It was just a matter of taking off the trailer lights, backing the trailer down (keeping the bearing out of the water), undoing the safety chain and slowly

unwinding the strap with the winch handle.

Once it’s about to clear the rear skids, you engage the ratchet and climb through the centre of the trailer. Once on the boat, you start the motor and put it into gear, and you can then unhitch the hook and reverse off and tie up at the wharf. What I would get installed on the base of the trailer is a grated walkway, which would make traversing the trailer to get to the boat much easier.

The internal design of the webbing and struts of the boat make the sponsons extremely strong and less prone to vibration and flexing when travelling.

The sponsons have been nitro filled to stop any water coming in, and this also stops any corrosion.

If you enjoy camping, this craft would be ideal for family and friends to take their camping gear and pull in right at the water’s edge and set up camp for the night. You could also set up a couple of swags onboard and sleep under the stars for the night.

All in all, after testing the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat, I found that the options for its use is endless. The hull is designed for both rough and smooth water applications, and can go into 30cm of water at high or slow speed. The boats represent the cutting edge of technology and fishing ability. Nothing looks

like a Micro Cat, and nothing goes like a Micro Cat. For the full Sidewinder Series range, from the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat tested here to the Sidewinder 495 and the smaller configurations of the 360 and 320 tiller versions, head to www. aussiebaotsales.com.au.

They are based in Canberra, Batemans Bay, North Sydney and Caringbah and you can contact Jason

Graham from Aussie Boat Sales on 0433 531 226 or email aussieboatsales@ gmail.com.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

As you will see the front of the boat is completely open. You would need to rug up during the cooler months of the year if you were sitting up front.

There is so much floor space to play with.

Both driver and passenger have their own cushioned, fold down swivel seats set up behind a console. Both consoles have a grab rail, covered storage, windscreen and small dash area.

You may find it a bit of a hassle at times taking off and putting the trailer lights.

Just remember to tie them on each time and loop the wire through the rails.

The unique 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat is an extremely versatile boat that will have you going over a bar and getting into very shallow water. Craig Jones from Blue Water Fabrications came up with this design from the ground floor.

The preparation table has four of the eight rod holders onboard.

Notice how the pod has directed the bulk of the water to either side of the motor.

Then on either side of this it is clear flat water making the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat skim across the top of the water.

To the rear of the boat you will find a buoyant deflection pod that enables the outboard motor to be mid mounted. This pod deflected the water either side of the motor allowing the outboard to have a short shaft leg for that shallow travelling.

The rear panels have been left open so the air can pass through them to stop extra resistance. At the rear, there is a built-in preparation table with four rod holders. Great place to cut up those baits and deploy the berley.

The boat slides off and onto the trailer so easily you will need to use the strap when launching.

Craig also has a secondary rope for when you have unclipped the strap. You can climb along the trailer to get onto the boat, but I would have a walking platform installed on the bottom rails to make it easier to walk along.

Craig Jones also designed the trailer to take the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat demo boat. The spray rail chimes only run about a third of the length of the boat, but this easily deflects any spray coming in from the sides of the boat.

The drivers console has storage for the battery and cables. Maybe you could put in an extra shelf and a small hatch.

The 60L fuel cell is situated behind the passengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chair. If you required a larger one you could ask Craig how much one would cost.

AUGUST 2017

89

Victorian Tide Times

2017 2017 Local Time

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA POINT – 144° VICTORIA LAT LONSDALE 38° 18’ LONG 37’

JANUARY Time m MAY Time

Time 0305 0300 0850 0855 SU 1452 1558 MO2050 2127 0343 0345 0928 0944 MO 1534 1645 TU2125 2213 0419 0432 1004 1032 TU 1615 1734 WE2200 2300 0455 0523 1042 1119 WE 1657 1826 TH2237 2349 0530 0621 1118 1208 TH 1740 1920 FR2317

11 22 33

44 55

m 1.61 1.60 0.63 0.17 1.37 1.81 0.27 0.57 1.64 1.58 0.57 0.20 1.39 1.76 0.27 0.57 1.65 1.55 0.52 0.27 1.40 1.69 0.29 0.59 1.63 1.49 0.47 0.36 1.41 1.61 0.32 0.61 1.61 1.42 0.43 0.47 1.40 1.53 0.38

Time 0344 0301 0920 0903 MO 1537 1548 TU2130 2133 0427 0338 1009 0936 TU 1627 1623 WE2215 2208 0506 0415 1054 1007 WE 1715 1700 TH2257 2243 0543 0455 1135 1039 TH 1801 1738 FR2335 2317 0616 0538 1214 1114 FR 1849 SA 1819 2355 0014 0629 0649 1156 1251 SA 1906 SU1938

16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19

20 20

1.57 0045 0.64 660607 1157 0.39 21 0733 1.36 21 FR 1827 1.39

SA 1300 2016 0000 0147 0645 0848 1238 SA 1400 SU1921 2114

77

0.58 1.47 0.45 0052 0.65 0040 1.52 0724 1.34 0730 0.35 1329 0.68 SU 1248 MO 1.37 2030 1.42 1959

22 22

18’ of High LONG 144° TimesLAT and38° Heights and Low37’ Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JULY Time m Time m Time mJUNE Time m

m 1.70 1.48 0.47 0.38 1.49 1.69 0.20 0.68 1.69 1.46 0.41 0.41 1.48 1.67 0.26 0.68 1.66 1.43 0.37 0.44 1.46 1.63 0.33 0.69 1.61 1.40 0.35 0.48 1.42 1.59 0.41 0.70 1.54 1.37 0.35 0.53 1.37 1.54 0.69 0.50 1.34 1.48 0.59 0.36 1.49 1.32

0.58 0.67 1.41 1.34 0.38 0.67 1.29 1.46 0.67 0.64 1.34 1.37 0.41 0.75 1.26 1.44

Time 0359 0419 0945 1015 WE 1603 1719 TH 2147 2250 0435 0515 1023 1103 TH 1646 1807 FR 2229 2341 0511 0617 1102 1150 FR 1730 1855 SA 2310

11

22 33

m 1.62 1.56 0.44 0.35 1.46 1.74 0.30 0.59 1.62 1.50 0.37 0.45 1.48 1.66 0.33 0.59 1.61 1.45 0.31 0.56 1.49 1.59 0.38

Time 0437 0355 1031 0940 TH 1658 1637 FR 2236 2221 0510 0436 1108 1014 FR 1738 1715 SA 2312 2257 0540 0520 1143 1053 SA 1816 1753 SU 2347 2335 0611 0611 1216 1137 SU 1854 MO 1834

m 1.60 1.45 0.32 0.47 1.50 1.67 0.37 0.68 1.56 1.43 0.30 0.51 1.47 1.64 0.43 0.66 1.52 1.41 0.30 0.57 1.44 1.60 0.49 0.62 1.47 1.40 0.31 0.63 1.39 1.56

0023 0018 20 0644 20 0712 MO 1251

0.56 0.58 1.41 1.41 0.33 0.72 1.35 1.52 0.63 0.54 1.35 1.44 0.37 0.80 1.31 1.48

16 16 17 17 18 18

1.58 0033 0.26 0.60 19 44 0546 1143 0728 1.48 1.40 19 SA 1817

1238 SU 2353 1944 0625 0129 1224 0834 SU 1909 MO 1330 2033 0038 0228 0706 0938 1308 MO 1430 TU 2009 2124

55

66

0.67 0.44 1.52 1.53 0.61 0.23 1.39 1.45 0.77 1.46 0.52 0.60 1.48 1.40 0.23 0.85 1.41 1.41

1229 TU 1936 1922 0101 0108 0719 0821 1328 TU 1327 WE 2024 2015

21 21

0328 0.61 0.59 22 0142 0206 77 0126 0754 1038 1.42 1.44 22 0800 0934 1358 0.25 1408 TU WE 1540 0.90 WE 2116 2215 1.39 1.39

1435 TH 2119 2116

m 1.54 1.52 0.45 0.49 1.49 1.68 0.35 0.53 1.58 1.47 0.35 0.59 1.56 1.61 0.35

0410 0012 3 3 1000 1637 FR 0706

1.60 0.53 0.26 1.43 1.60 0.69 0.37 1.54 1.60 0.54 0.20 1.40 1.61 0.79 0.41 1.47 1.57 0.56 0.17 1.40 1.58 0.87 0.46 1.41 1.53 0.56 0.17 1.41 1.53 0.93 1.37 0.53 0.55 1.48 1.45 0.21 0.96 1.47 1.35

11

WE SA

22 TH

SU

MO 1211 2215 1902 0447 0058 1042 1722 SA 0806 TU 1256 2259 1945 0525 0146 1125 0903 1808 SU 1346 WE 2342 2031 0605 0240 1207 1000 1858 MO 1447 TH 2121 0026 0339 0647 1056 1252 TU 1558 FR 1954 2215

44 55 66

77

Time 0330 0420 0923 1600 TH 0959 2138 SU 1650 2239 0403 0505 1000 1637 FR 1040 MO 1727 2214 2317 0434 0556 1035 1711 SA 1125 TU 1806 2247

16 16

17 17

18 18

m m 1.54 1.47 0.34 0.51 1.56 1.65 0.43 0.55 1.54 1.47 0.30 0.56 1.57 1.61 0.46 0.50 1.52 1.46 0.29 0.64 1.56 1.57 0.49

Time 0343 0631 0932 1625 SA1140 2200 TU 1815

11

0323 2 0019 0918 2 0723 1611 SU

WE 1221 2144 1854 0404 0100 1004 1658 MO0816 TH 1306 2228 1936 0447 0147 1049 1746 TU0911 FR 1359 2313 2027 0533 0244 1135 1007 1840 WE1503 SA 2124 0000 0348 0627 1103 1224 TH 1617 SU 1940 2226

33

0504 1.49 0000 19 1108 0.46 0.29 44 19 1744 1.46 1.53 SU 0654 WE 1214 2322 1851 0536 0047 1142 0800 1817 MO 1307 TH 2357 1943 0610 0143 1215 0912 1855 TU 1410 FR 2044 0032 0247 0646 1023 1248 WE 1524 SA 1938 2154

20 20 21 21

22 22

0.72 0.53 1.53 1.46 0.43 0.31 1.46 1.49 0.80 0.57 1.49 1.41 0.40 0.34 1.49 1.45 0.87 1.46 0.62 0.38 1.36 1.53 0.38 0.89 1.39 1.45

55 66

0052 0732 7FR70452 1156 1318

MO 1726 2044 2327

m Time m m 0259 1.49 1.59 0542 1.44 0900 1.51 0.32 0.19 0.67 1543 0.61 1.64 1.73 SU1113 1.51 2123 1.54 0.58 0.47 WE 1741 2342 0.34 0331 1.48 1.59 0.47 0637 0935 1.48 0.33 0.15 1.40 1615 0.68 1.62 1.72 MO1159 0.75 2158 1.49 0.60 0.48 TH 1826 1.44 1.57 0405 1.46 0.49 0028 0.15 1008 0.34 0.35 1.37 1.68 1647 1.45 1.59 TU0741 0.83 0.51 FR 1249 2231 0.76 0.63 1.38 1918 1.44 1.53 0441 1.42 0.52 0122 0.19 1040 0.36 0.38 1.36 1.61 WE0851 1724 1.44 1.55 0.89 0.56 SA 1349 2306 0.82 0.66 1.33 2023 1.40 1.48 0518 1.38 0.53 0229 0.26 1112 0.38 0.43 1.37 1002 1.53 1804 1.45 1.50 TH 0.93 SU 1503 0.84 2342 0.69 1.30 2140 1.38 0.61 0600 1.33 0.53 0347 0.38 1.41 1145 0.47 1.40 1110 1.50 0.35 1850 0.80 1.44 FR1626 0.93 MO 1.46 1.29 2258 1.41 0.66 0020 0.36 0.72 0.50 0503 1.34 0649 1.56 1.28 1.45 1211 0.46 1226 0.71 0.53 SA 0.89 1739 TU 1942 1.40 1.40 1.32 0.69 0107 1.46 0.73 0006 0.47 1.30 0750 0.34 1.26 0608 1.51 0.55 WE 1317 1.62 0.60 SU1306 0.81 1.38 2041 0.60 1.37 1842

16 16 17 17

18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21

22 22

0112 8 0436 0737 1147 WE 1340

0.60 0.52 1.41 1.50 0.27 1705 0.94 SA 2058 1.35 1.41 2308

0157 0110 0.35 0.68 80546 23 0401 0850 0727 1.60 1.30 8 1130 1242 SA 1426 TH 1324 0.42

0203 9 0529 0836 1233 TH 1436

0316 1.36 0.68 0205 1.53 0.72 0151 0.31 0.74 90022 24 0514 240107 1008 0.44 1.31 24 0904 0.33 1.27 0815 1.67 1.25 9 1231 0702 0631 SU 1545 0.60 MO 1422 0.66 FR 1405 0.48

0316 0445 0441 0505 0.72 0.54 0344 0.82 0.49 0602 0.76 0.46 0529 10 0939 1119 0915 100240 25 10 1203 1.37 1.49 25 1110 1.23 1.55 10 1307 1.31 1.62 25 1105 1251 1558 0.44 1728 0.31 1708 1517 0.28

0307 10 0000 0951 0615 1547

0434 1.41 0.62 0313 1.57 0.66 0242 1.51 0.78 100112 250202 25 0015 1118 0.42 1.36 25 1024 0.35 1.35 0916 0.28 1.21 10 0616 0712 0751 1701 0.62 1538 0.70 1459 0.53

0029 0554 0.77 0.48 0450 0.86 0.38 0036 1.46 1.42 0032 11 11 0045 110350 260426 1023 1041 0607 1254 1.35 1.57 26 1214 1.20 1.67 11 0645 0.71 0.43 26 0600 0629 1630 0.26 1705 0.43 1217 1233 1.34

0430 11 0047 1112 0657

0346 1.56 0.78 0538 1.46 0.54 0423 1.59 0.56 110158 260253 26 0116 1030 0.28 1.21 11 1221 0.41 1.44 26 1135 0.38 1.46 0836 0714 0749

0117 1.52 1.44 0130 0036 1.48 1.43 0002 1.34 1.51 0122 12 0144 120001 270021 12 0723 0.61 0.41 27 0705 0726 0637 0.78 0.43 27 0552 0.84 0.29 12 0545 0717 0510 1418 1.69 1438 1336 1.63 1311 1.78

0019 12 0132 0735 0553

0500 1.58 0.73 0527 1.59 0.43 0034 1.50 1.44 27 0212 120242 270340 0805 0827 0916 1150 0.30 1.26 12 1236 0.43 1.60 0629 0.42 0.46 27

0157 1.58 1.46 0224 0115 1.56 1.45 0058 1.40 1.56 0209 13 0236 130105 280113 13 0800 0.51 0.41 28 0754 0819 0715 0.72 0.39 28 0648 0.78 0.22 13 0816 0626 0651 1452 1.71 1527 1412 1.67 1404 1.84

0118 13 0215 0811 0701 1504

0325 0424 0039 1.55 1.51 0038 1.59 1.38 0116 1.53 1.47 28 0305 28 13 0854 0906 0955 0623 0.49 0.32 0614 0.35 0.63 13 0712 0.44 0.40 28 1548 1.75 1550 1.65 1626 1.58

0236 1.61 1.47 0315 0150 1.63 1.47 0150 1.47 1.60 14 0321 140202 290159 0835 0.43 0.42 29 0910 0753 0.64 0.37 29 0743 0.70 0.20 14 14 0906 0730 0743 WE 1527 1.71 TH 1614 SU 1445 1.70 MO 1455 1.87

0209 14 0257 0845 0757 FR 1540

0407 0505 0129 1.51 1.56 0130 1.57 1.45 0153 1.54 1.48 29 0357 0939 0946 1032 29 14 0715 0.55 0.23 0712 0.42 0.50 14 0750 0.48 0.35 29 SA 1628 1.70 MO 1626 1.62 TU 1659 1.52

0315 1.62 1.47 0409 0226 1.68 1.48 0240 1.54 1.61 15 0401 150256 300241 0908 0.36 0.44 30 0959 0829 0.55 0.37 30 0835 0.62 0.22 15 15 0951 0828 0826 TH 1601 1.70 FR 1658 MO 1516 1.70 TU 1544 1.85

0253 15 0338 0920 0843 1615 SA

0452 0546 0215 1.46 1.59 0217 1.53 1.51 0227 1.53 1.49 30 0447 1021 1030 1109 15 30 0805 0.62 0.17 0800 0.50 0.37 15 0826 0.54 0.33 30 1705 1.65 1701 1.59 1732 1.46 SU TU WE

0133 0259 0.53 0.64 0133 880048 0729 0801 23 0843 0959 1.47 1.36 23 SU 1324 0.32 MO 1411 MO 1512 0.75 2025 2210 1.37 1.40

TU 1351 2125 2057

0229 0313 0425 0.69 0.55 88 0219 0850 1045 1135 1.36 1.50 23 0851 WE 1455 0.28 TH 1455

0.70 0.48 1.29 1.50 0.41 0.87 1.27 1.47 0.77 0.42 1.23 1.58 0.45 0.89 1.26 1.48

Time 0252 0504 0837 1045 1505 1740 2050 2326 0331 0604 0918 1128 1552 1821 2133

Local Time APRIL Time Time AUGUST m

TH 1649 0.91 2229 2305 1.38 1.38

FR 1550 2222 2222

0328 0220 0406 0.63 0.60 0236 0.75 0.57 0516 0.75 0.51 0422 99 0325 990140 1000 0845 0817 24 1104 1.42 1.42 24 0959 1.28 1.44 1225 1.32 1.56 24 0953 1151 TH 1607 0.31 FR 1555 TU 1459 0.43 MO 1416 0.30 TU 1627 0.79 2138 2304 1.38 1.40

WE 1504 0.81 2223 2159 1.26 1.44

TU WE 1733 0.78 WE TH 1622 0.82 2323 2251 2353 1.42 1.41 2301 1.29 1.47

WE TH 1826 0.76 TH FR 1735 0.80

FR1137 1.35 SA1146 1.21 FR TH 1909 0.22 0.73 1836 0.40 0.75 1810 1745

SA1246 1.38 SU1248 1.24 FR SA 1946 0.19 0.71 1930 0.36 0.70 1851 1903

SA 1348 1.43 SU 1343 1.30 2023 0.17 0.69 2020 0.32 0.66 1950 1949

SU 1445 1.47 MO 1432 1.36 2059 0.17 0.68 2110 0.30 0.62 2043 2030 0329 1.59 1.60 0320 0926 0.53 0.27 0906 1631 1.42 1.80 WE 1519 TU 2200 0.60 2108 0.29

31 31

FR 1748 0.88 2339 2352 1.41 1.40

FR SA 1836 0.85

SA SU 1344 1.66 1839 1918 0.29 0.81

MO 1338 1.39 SU 1957 0.27 0.77 1939

TU 1435 1.45 MO 2034 0.27 0.74 2031

TU 1528 1.49 2111 0.29 0.72 2117

WE 1615 1.51 2146 0.33 0.70 2159

0.82 0.35 1.19 1.67 0.87 SA 1705 0.48 2328 2330 1.28 1.51

0.83 0.29 1.18 1.75 0.81 SA SU 1811 0.48

1.33 1.55 0.78 0.24 1.81 SU 1346 1.22 MO 1822 1909 0.45 0.74

1.59 1.40 0.24 0.68 1.84 TU 1321 1.30 MO 2003 0.41 0.67 1919 1.60 1.48 0.27 0.57 1.83 WE TU 1415 1.40 2057 0.37 0.61 2007 1.60 0.32 1.80 2148 0.57 1.57 0.40 1.75 2238 0.54

0.67 0.48 1.34 1.55 0.34 1802 0.90 SU 2207 1.37 0.72 1.38 1.29 0.45 0.41 FR 1315 1.60 MO 2315 0.84 1.37 1850 0.72 1.41 1.28 0.43 1710 1.65 0.44 SA 1352 TU 1931 0.79

1.44 1.40 0.42 0.66 1225 1.68 1.32 WE SU 1429 2011 1824 0.73 0.44 1.46 1.45 0.42 0.57 1.40 TH 1330 1.69 MO 2049 1926 0.68 0.42 1.47 1.50 0.44 0.47 1.47 TU 1428 1.69 2126 2016 0.64 0.41

1.48 1.53 0.46 0.39 1.68 WE 1516 1.53 2201 2100 0.59 0.42

SU 1641 0.87 2028 1.47 1.34 2308

MO 1752 0.79 2127 1.30

SA 1328 1.72 TU 2232 0.70 1.30 1854

1606 1.76 0.56 SU 1418 WE 2338 0.61 1.32 1950

1724 1.77 0.57 TH 1505 MO 2043 0.54

FR TU 1259 1.36 2132 1840 0.48 0.54

WE 1358 1.49 2217 1939 0.45 0.50

TH 1450 2300 2029 0539 0300 1100 0847 1741 MO 1538 FR 2340 2115

31

1.61 0.44 0.48

TU 1821 2146

23 23

WE 1323 1.57 2248 0.73 1.38 1906

MO1401 1.62 TH 2345 0.65 1.41 1946

1804 1.65 0.60 TU1439 FR 2024 0.57

TH 1355 1.66 2145 0.50 1.37 1935

TU1439 1.67 FR 2248 0.42 1.40 2024

1659 1.66 0.69 WE1517 SA 2346 0.38 1.45 2108

1807 1.63 0.66 1315 1.66 1.52 SU SA TH1553 WE1515 2101 2148 0.36 1855 0.50 0.59

SU FR 1331 1.72 TH 1400 1.59 MO 2139 2226 1903 0.36 0.63 1937 0.44 0.58

FR 1438 1.63 2218 2014 0.39 0.57

SA 1512 1.64 2259 2048 0.36 0.57

1.48 1.56 0.58 0.27 1.58 1.69 0.45 0.46

CopyrightCommonwealth Commonwealth of of Australia Australia 2015, 2015, Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology Copyright Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Timesare areininlocal localstandard standardtime time (UTC (UTC +10:00) +10:00) or or daylight daylight savings savings time Times time (UTC (UTC +11:00) +11:00) when whenin ineffect effect New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon

SA 1422 1.80 2302 1953 0.37 0.60

SU 1511 1.83 2338 2040 0.40 0.58 0630 1.40 1147 0.68 TH 1808 1.40

31

Last LastQuarter Quarter

Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

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