Victoria & Tasmania Fishing Monthly - October 2013

6 PAGE SPOTLIGHT ON LAKE EILDON • AFTA SHOW WINNERS

Tested Stephen Booth’s custom boat • Crestliner 1600 Super Hawk • Savage 455 SC Piranha • Techni Ice’s fridge/freezer •

Features Rigging bait for Western Port • Spotlight on Lake Eildon • Bream fishing road show hits Victoria •

News Rayner’s Fishing Edge launches • Meadowbank receives salmon • Vic snapper bust •

October, 2013

Fishing Monthly G R O U P

Registered by Australian Post Publication No: 100002088

4WD Camping Tournaments News

October 2013

$5.95 (GST inc.)

$5.95

RRP (GST inc.)

October 2013, Vol. 10, No. 11

Contents WEST COAST

6

12

17

30

From the Editor’s Desk...

Liberal candidates proclaim that there will be no super trawler until more scientific study is undertaken, but what if the science comes back and says full steam ahead for the super trawler?

We, I believe, have to run a very smart campaign based on economic and social facts – that the return to the broader economy is greater from recreational fishing and boating from the pelagic bait fishery than from broad-scale commercial harvest.

This is where people like Tasmanian Nobby Clark are so important – he can put a great argument on behalf of anglers to a wide range of political interests and win an argument. But we must be prepared to stand behind him and others who will lead, even if that means some ‘civil disobedience’.

There is also the issue of streamlining approvals for development: while this

46

52

VICTORIA FISHING MONTHLY

Advertising Consultant: Peter Jung Printing: APN - Print

Publishers: Steve Morgan, Robyn Lawrie, Matthew Drinkall

Subscriptions: Kym or Marie

Published by: G

FISH

IN

G

’

FU TU

G R O U P

RE

ABN 72-010-542-195

IN

S

Fishing Monthly Group Pty Ltd

RA

A

LI

SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE FREECALL 1800 228 244

TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 72

AUST

Annual subscriptions: $65 for twelve issues (GST inc.)

Make cheques payable to Queensland Fishing Monthly, PO Box 3172, LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

A Marc Ainsworth image.

ION

Sub-Editors: Jacqui Thomas

Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd

October is a great time to chase yellowbelly.

AT

Web Site: www.fishingmonthly.com.au

17 18 20 22 24 24 26 28 30

EAST COAST Welshpool Inverloch McLoughlins Beach Gippsland Lakes Bemm River Ninety-Mile Beach Lakes Entrance Marlo

31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34

NSW SOUTH COAST Eden Mallacoota Narooma Merimbula Bermagui

35 35 46 46 47

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham Ballarat Crater Lakes Yarra Valley Melbourne Metro Eildon West/South Gippsland Central Gippsland Shepparton Mildura Moama/Echuca Robinvale Bendigo Kiewa Valley Yarrawonga Wangaratta Jindabyne

48 49 52 52 53 53 54 54 56 56 57 58 58 59 59 60 62

TASMANIA Launceston Southern Highlands Central Highlands North West Coast George Town Offshore Tasmania Hobart D’Entrecasteaux Channel St Helens

64 64 65 65 66 66 67 67 68

All material is © copyright, and cannot be reproduced in part or in full, by any means, without written permission of the Managing Editor.

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

N

Back to Basics Boating Chappy’s Hotspot Cooking with Jamo Fun Page Flyfishing Scene Inland Fisheries News Spearfishing Subscription Page Tasmanian Lake Levels Testing Booth Tournament News Trade and Services Guide Tying Bench Victorian Dam Levels Victorian Tide Times What’s New Boating What’s New Fishing

63 90 63 80 86 71 51 38 72 70 37 73 88 70 52 96 87 85

CI

Editor: Neil Grose vfmeditor@fishingmonthly.com.au

Geelong Port Phillip West Port Phillip East Port Phillip East Phillip Island Port Phillip Offshore Mornington Peninsula Western Port South Western Port North

REGULAR FEATURES

OUR COVER

O

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

Advertising Manager: Travis Davies ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

91

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

SINCE 2004

Managing Editor: Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au

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

65

CT

Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801

spring in the calendar, it really isn’t till the spring solstice of the 22nd of September that the full effects of spring emerge.

Spring brings with it the surge in snapper numbers all around the coast and bays in Victoria, the rise of trout activity in Tasmania and the rivers in Victoria and the continuation of yellowbelly sport inland.

It does also highlight how deficient the boating facilities are around Port Phillip, especially in the south eastern suburbs. I quipped to one of my mates that it would be quicker to get on the water in Port Phillip if he launched from Devonport and motored across Bass Strait..

Jokes aside, we as an industry and a group of anglers need to keep the pressure up on the powers that be as we start to run in to the Victorian election: something has to be done, we are too big to ignore.

TE

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

is seen as a major positive for the country as a whole, we should also recognise that our favourite recreation also depends upon a clean environment.

So what to do when the decisions of a majority government aren’t in the best interests of anglers?

Ordinarily we’d rely on organisations such as VR Fish, and hopefully they have sorted their organisational structure to allow them to get back to the business of representing recreational anglers.

But when it is all said and done, it will rely on grass roots fishers to stand up for our recreation and our livelihoods.

Let’s hope we don’t have any issues, but if we do then rise we must.

SPRING AT LAST What a wonderful thing spring is. While the 1st of September is the first day of

12 14 14 16 16

CENTRAL

PRO

As I write this, the federal election is shaping up as a win for the Liberal Party.

Unfortunately my deadline was three days before the poll, but I’ll go out on a limb and predict an Abbott win.

In many ways this is a step forward for recreational fishing – the Libs promised a review on existing Marine Parks and a moratorium on new ones.

It was good to see Tony Abbott visit the industry at the AFTA Trade Show in August, and actually spend some time speaking to real people. Recreational fishing is in a strong political position these days.

It is, however a doubleedged sword. We must remember that the Liberal Party enthusiastically endorsed the super trawler when that issue raised its ugly head last year. It was pleasing to hear several local

Robe Warrnambool Portland Cobden Apollo Bay

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

SPECIAL FEATURES Rigging bait for Western Port Spotlight on Eildon Bream road show hits Victoria V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

6 40 74 5

Rigging bait for Western Port WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

MUSTAD.NO

Bait presentation is a vital part of fishing regardless of where you live in the country. Whether it’s presenting a mudeye to a trout or rigging a live bait for a marlin, bait presentation is an important piece of the equation, especially when targeting finicky fish.

Snapper in Western Port can be shy to a bait if it is not presented in the correct manner or they may not ‘get hooked’ if the hooks are buried in the bait.

Early in the season, when the water temperature is low and snapper metabolism is slow, feeding patterns are quite sporadic. While a spike in the barometer might spur on a quick feeding frenzy, anglers that are on the water at such times need to have everything in place so that when they get a bite, the fished is hooked solid immediately.

Hook position and presentation of the bait is vital in this instance. As the season progresses the fish will be feeding more

actively with the increased water temperature and bait presentation is still just as important.

Incomplete hook-sets can still occur throughout the season, particularly if the right bait rigging procedures are ignored.

Being heavily affected by tidal current, baits in Western Port tend to spin.

Spinning baits are certainly going to be uninviting to any fish, which is why taking your time in threading hooks into baits is paramount.

Once a bait has been threaded onto a hook set, the bait should be placed into the water boat-side to check if it

will spin or not. If the bait does spin, remove it from the hooks and try again until you get it right.

With myriad different baits available to use on snapper, here are some rigging examples of the most popular used throughout the season.

PILCHARDS Pilchards might look simple enough to rig and by and large they are, but from time to time they just won’t do as they are told.

In areas of strong current, pilchards can be used either whole or in half. In both instances, the tail should be cut off to prevent the bait

When choosing baits to use, make sure their flesh is firm before baiting them up. Otherwise they could still fall from the hooks.

WELL AHEAD ON POINTS

Mustad’s unique Ultra Point is now available on treble hooks.

Ultra Point gives unparalleled durability and sharpness to chemically sharpened needle points. That’s reflected in tournament successes – like Kord Luckus’s 117cm barramundi (pictured above). It was hooked on a Mustad 36329NP-BN Ultra Point treble and was ‘Most Meritorious Capture’ in the 2011 Barra Classic.

from spinning.

Half baits should be rigged on either a single circle hook or a single octopus. Should a circle be used, the half pilchard should have the hook point passed through the tip of the tail section about 5mm from where the tail was removed.

If an octopus hook is used, the hook can be placed into the skin of the pilchard, rotated around so it protrudes back through the skin on the same side. The hook will lay flat long the body of the pilchard and two half hitches will secure it to the pilchard keeping it inline with the leader.

Whole pilchards are an entirely different kettle of fish to rig. It is important that the tail is removed as this will cause all the spinning. A whole pilchard is best rigged on a two hook snelled rig.

The first hook, or in this case the bottom hook, should have its point enter the middle of the pilchard right through and be pulled out the other side. The hook’s point can then be passed a few millimetres behind the gill plate and rotated around so the hooks point protrudes back through the gill plate.

Doing this will have the hook in the most sturdy location of the pilchard. The snelled hook can then be pulled tight a little to tighten the line between it and the bottom hook that is already threaded into the pilchard.

The snelled hook can then be placed into the skin of the pilchard in the back third section. The hooks point can be rotated around so its point comes back out and the hook will lay flat along the pilchard’s body.

Two half hitches around the tail and the snelled hooks shank will secure it in place.

CALAMARI Calamari are the most versatile of all baits for Western Port and can be used in numerous ways. Calamari can be divided into the head, hood, tentacles, strips and rings. While each segment has its own unique rigging procedure, the best section and the easiest to rig is the hood when cut into rings.

We like eating calamari

Snapper are quite an aggressive feeder, yet have a knack of getting off the hooks. A two hook rig is a sure way to secure a solid hook set.

TERMINAL TACKLE

The author’s selection of terminal tackle for tying rigs: Snelled two hook rig: Hooks – Black Magic C-Hook 5/0 and 6/0 Leader – Black Magic Tough Trace 80lb Swivel – Black Magic 10kg Rolling Swivel Single hook rig: Hooks – Black Magic C-Hook 5/0 Leader – Black Magic Tough Trace 80lb Swivel – Black Magic 10kg Rolling Swivel Single Circle hook rig: Hooks – Black Magic KL 6/0 Leader – Black Magic Tough Trace 80lb Swivel – Black Magic 10kg Rolling Swivel rings and snapper feel the same. If you are unsure of what I mean by a calamari ring, it is the calamari hood cut into thin rings, like you would normally purchase from a fish and chip shop.

Instead of eating it yourself, as bait the rings are perfect in everyway.

They are small in size, let off enough scent to attract fish and easy to swallow in one mouthful.

In Western Port, I prefer smaller sized baits these days as I find that fish tend to grab and run so they don’t have

Mustad’s Ultra Point treble hook range includes the 36329BLN Barra/Bluewater treble, the 36300BLN Short Round treble and the new Kevin Van Dam Triple Grip TG76BLN.

ULTRAPOINT BEST SELLING HOOK ON THE PLANET

6

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

When rigging bait, quality tackle is of upmost importance.

to fight other fish for a feed.

Rings, being as small as they are, are easy to gulp and go.

Rings tend to sit well when rigged on a snelled two hook rig although a single circle hook rig is also worthy. The snelled hook can be threaded into the top section of the ring while the bottom hook can be threaded into the bottom of the ring. Either way, once in the water, there will be no angles in which the current can catch on it sending it into a spin.

GARFISH Despite garfish being very tasty on the plate, they make sensational snapper baits in Western Port. Due to their length, they are best to have the head and tail removed using only the trunk. The trunk can be rigged on a two hook snelled rig in the same manner as with a whole pilchard.

TUNA Another very popular snapper bait is tuna. Tuna is a very oily bait but can be quite soft and difficult to rig.

If not rigged in the correct manner, it can quite easily fall off the hook during a cast

Tuna strips are best when rigged on a two hook snelled rig.

Garfish should have their heads and tails removed.

Trunks can be rigged on a two hook snelled rig.

Calamari rings are easy to thread onto the hook, especially circles.

When using a half pilchard, ensure that the hook has maximum exposure and is secure in the bait. Half hitches around the tail will keep it in place.

or be torn off the hooks from the force of the current.

When tuna is purchased, it is frozen and either comes as a fillet or as a whole fish.

Either way, the fillet needs to be cut into 1cm wide strips.

Once this has been done, the

strips then need to be cut into 10-15cm lengths. Once you have these set aside, you’ll notice that each strip is quite thick. With the skin side down and with a sharp knife, slice the strip in half so that it is not so thick, this will make

rigging it much easier.

Once you have this in place, get the snelled rig and pass the bottom hook into the skin on end of the tuna fillet rotating the hook point around so it protrudes back through the skin. The snelled

hook should then be pierced through the very tip of the opposite end of the strip to hold it straight and inline.

Providing you leave the skin on, the strip bait will not fall off the hooks.

As you will notice in

Calamari rings are easy to thread onto the hook, if a two hook snelled rig is use, ensure the top hook and the bottom hook are secure.

Half pilchards rigged on circle hooks should have as much point exposure as possible to work effectively.

all of these simple bait rigging procedures, hook position is vital in securing the bait to the hooks but most important, the hooks are ever so lightly embedded into the baits so that you are maximising the most hook

exposure that you possibly can. Burying hooks into baits is only going to have you miss the bite and hook-set, but providing you can have as much of the hook points exposed as possible you’ll have more solid hook sets.

THE HOME OF IN VICTORIA

7100 Hard Top

9874 4624 www.regalmarine.com.au

660 Ocean Series

514 Canterbury Rd

VERMONT V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

7

7+ (

%,**(67 7+,1* 72 +,7 $8675$/,$1 ),6+,1* ,6 +(5(

67$< $+($' 2) 7+( *$0( +($' ,172 <285 /2&$/ %&) 6725( 72 &+(&.

287 7+(6( 81&$11,/< /,)( /,.( /85(6 (;&/86,9( 72 %&)

SALE FROM 29.09.13 TO 26.10.13 S 2

for

99

$

Columbia Fishing Shirts • Any Combination of Bonehead, Bahama & Tamiami

W

hen you’re going for bragging rights, every advantage helps — and these shirts are loaded with them.

Lightweight, quick dry materials with enhanced ventilation promote airflow to keep you cool in the hottest conditions.

Built-in UV protection keeps the sun off so you can stay out for longer, while specially designed pockets and attachment points offer plenty of room for small gear.

Generous cut for comfort and freedom of movement.

Bahama $ 79.99ea

VRS

Columbia PFG is the gear you need to make your next fishing trip a success.

99

$

ea $ save 40

Bonehead 69.99ea

$

Defiance Overhead Combos • 4 stainless steel bearing levelwind reel matched to a solid tip rod • Ideal for trolling, livebaiting & bottom fishing

269

$

ea $ save 30

216098

VRS

Also available • Women’s Tamiami & Bonehead Shirts

Saltist 4500H Spin Reel

289

$

ea save 40 $

• 5+1 stainless steel ball bearings • Aluminium body • High speed 6.1:1 gear ratio • Waterproof drag with 10KG max power

Sustain 2500FG Spin Reel • 8+1 shielded anti-rust bearings • X-Ship, extra smooth, high power gearing • Lightweight Ci4 rotor

299610

Also available • Saltist 6500H $279

save $30

20% off

regular retail price

20% off

Lucanus Jigs VRS

20% off

Yamashita Squid Jigs

regular retail price

VRS

regular retail price

All Live Fibre Rods • Quality Australian designed & made rods

VRS

Not available in Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura or Wodonga stores

PRICE

20 off %

regular retail price

Fins Braid • Made from tough Spectra® fiber • Available in Original PRT & Windtamer

save $XX PRICE ea $

89ea $

regular price 119

20% off

7271 Tackle Box • Medium size box with top access storage • Includes three 3600 Stowaway utility boxes • Lifetime manufacturer’s warranty

regular retail price

Grip Master Tools • Quality stainless steel range of fishing tools

VRS

VRS 109299

OVER 100 STORES AUSTRALIA WIDE

www.bcf.com.au

For more information on the full range drop into your closest BCF store or jump online www.bcf.com.au

*Items on this page are store stock only. Range may vary store to store.

Illustrations, photos and packaging are only a representation of the products advertised, variations may occur from store to store. All products were available at time of printing, BCF will not be responsible for the lack of stock due to supplier problems.

BCF reserves the right to limit purchases to normal retail quantities. Club pricing is only available to Club BCF members upon presentation of Club BCF card. Rainchecks not available. All savings stated are off full retail price. Sale ends 26/10/13 or until sold out.

BCF3000_VIC FM

Accessories not included

Prime time to be fishing the Limestone coast ROBE

Alastair Vanstan bigalvanstan@yahoo.com.au

After a very windy and wet winter we are now heading into one of the prime times for fishing over this way.

We have had a lot of heavy rainfall over the last month which has really given the estuary systems a good flush out. The result will be a rejuvenation of food chains and excellent recruitment of bream and mulloway, particularly at the Glenelg river and Coorong system.

SALT CREEK After the last couple of years of good flows out through the Murray mouth estuary, the surrounding surf beaches such as the stretch at

with some very nice fish to a metre amongst them.

I seem to recall last winter a lot of nice mulloway were caught here as well but toward early spring they really fired up.

Good numbers of gummy shark, big salmon and a few elephant fish are also being caught. The best baits have been fresh salmon or mullet fillets, squid and large pilchards. A lot of salmon and a few mulloway are also taking surf poppers. The fishing can be good at any time of day or night but I find the fishing is always better on any tide change. I also prefer the full and new moons.

The best 4WD access to the beach is still at the 42 mile crossing as the ti-tree crossing is still full of salt water. It

4WD just in case one of you gets stuck.

ROBE Big seas have kept offshore boating parties on dry land but when we get some favourable weather and decent seas the fishing off of Robe tends to be very good at this time of year. Drifting in the deep water around the 30-80m lines produce good numbers of gummy shark, morwong, snapper and a whole range of excellent eating fish. In a bit closer on the reefy areas there will be good snapper, shark as well as some nice whiting and flathead in the bay.

The entrance to the harbour has seen a lot of salmon action lately and they have been easily caught by trolling metal lures.

There has been no shortage of bream action in the Glenelg River at Nelson.

The bream at Nelson have been eagerly taking baits, lures and soft plastics.

Salt Creek have been fishing the best they have for many years. Many surf anglers only chase the salmon here over the winter months and only start chasing the mulloway again toward summer but there has been plenty of mulloway about this winter

is important to let your tyres down to around 15psi before you take the track through the dunes and once on the beach track take care as it can be soft in places this time of year. I like to travel here on the low tide and it is a good idea to team up with a mate in another

The surf fishing has been very good at popular spots such as Back beach and Domashnz beach with a lot of very nice salmon to 3kg about as well as some nice gummy shark after dark. Mulloway are always a chance along here as well. Paternoster rigs

4.2 Discovery • 40Hp suzuki • Bimini • Dunbier trailer

baited with a pilchard on one dropper and a surf popper on the other have been doing very well. Once a school of salmon is found, metal lures such as Halco Twistys will also work very well.

NELSON During August some of the best mulloway fishing seen for many years took place in the estuary section from the mouth up to the caves with many big mulloway being caught on baits and lures. The best jewie I heard of was a 15kg fish from the mouth area and I lost count of the number of 10kg plus mulloway that were reported pretty much on a daily basis.

Baits such as live mullet and pilchard worked very well as did trolling lures such as jointed Rebel Fastracs and Gold Bombers, my favourite barra lure!

Many mulloway were also caught on soft plastics and vibes. These mulloway have slowed down now but a few are still being caught, you just have to put in a bit more time for them now things are back to normal. There has been large numbers of undersize mulloway about which is a great sign for seasons to come.

The bream and perch

fishing has been excellent with fish being taken from the mouth all the way up to Pritchards and beyond. Soft plastics and vibes were working very well on the bream and estuary perch but at the time of writing we have had a lot of rain which has really get the river running and dirty.

When the river gets dirty like it is now I find that bait fishing can work really well.

Good baits here at this time of year for the bream are scrub worm, whitebait, cut crab

and yabby or prawn tail. The estuary perch prefer a live bait with freshly caught minnows or shrimp often working very well but I have caught them on small freshwater yabbies too.

The surf fishing nearby at the Discovery Bay beaches has been very good for salmon to 2kg during the day and some solid catches of gummy shark and the occasional school mulloway after dark. Popular areas have been at Swan Lake and at Nobles.

Some great mulloway have been caught along the coastline around Robe.

5m Viking

16,999

$

• 60hp fourstroke • Dunbier trailer • Garmin 751 • Bimini • Rocket launcher

37,999

$

DRIVE AWAY

ALL YOUR FISHING SUPPLIES AT ALL THE RIGHT TIMES AND ALL THE RIGHT PRICES CAN BE OPTIONED WITH 40HP FOURSTROKE

26 Yale Drive, Epping 3076

Contact Cody 03·9401 2298 or 0438 367 689

www.flatwatermarine.com.au 12

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

FRESH BAIT

TACKLE

REPORTS

ACCESSORIES

OPENING OCTOBER FROM EARLY A.M. 7 DAYS PER WEEK

Email: sales@sailbait.com Web: sailbait.com.au Next to the Public Boat Ramp on Port Phillip Bay at MORNINGTON HARBOUR VICTORIA

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

13

The big reds are coming to the Lee Breakwater PORTLAND

Chris Hall

With spring upon us, the Lee Breakwater has seen a run of good-sized snapper ranging from 2-9kg which is early for this time of year but may indicate a good start to the season.

Trevor Kohlman landed a 4.16kg snapper, Jeff from Hamilton landed a 4.95kg snapper along with Terry Alberts snapper weighing in at 7.3kg as a reward for putting in the time and effort from the Lee. Along with snapper off the Lee there

anglers throwing in a line.

Land-based anglers have been into the salmon between Point Danger and Pivot Beach ranging from 1-3kg. Bridgewater Bay has also been producing some great catches of Australian salmon along with the odd gummy shark. Land-based fishing along the north shore between the Fitzroy, the Surrey and through to Snapper Point have seen good catches of gummy and school sharks, seven-gilled shark, salmon, snapper, whiting, snook, calamari squid, garfish and the odd legal-sized mulloway.

Lighthouse and Lawrence Rocks in depths of 40-85m has seen catches of gummy shark, school shark, snapper, morwong, coral perch and flying gurnard. As the season progresses mako sharks should also start appearing in this depth of water.

Fishing in the Fitzroy and Surrey rivers has been good, where anglers have been catching good size and numbers of bream with the Fitzroy also producing catches of estuary perch.

Best baits have been prawns

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

has been a run of gurnard along with barracouta, salmon, calamari squid, the odd flathead and King George whiting, gummy and school shark.

Best baits off the Lee have been bluebait, pilchards, salted mackerel and local squid, for those chasing King George whiting local pipis seem to be the best bait for these fine eating table fish.

Anglers fishing in and around the harbour from the marina, calamari squid has been the main catch along with trevally, whiting and legal sized snapper. In the canal catches of mullet, salmon, trevally and bream have been keeping many

Boating parties venturing out wide have had some good catches of Tassie trumpeter. Targeting these great eating fish is done mainly in depths between 120-140m. Along with trumpeter, good sized snapper, blue morwong, and nannygai have also been coming from this area.

Boats heading out further over the continental shelf have also been landing blue eye trevalla, ling, and blue grenadier with depths ranging from 400-600m. Fishing in closer between 60-100m off Cape Bridgewater has seen good size and big numbers of flathead.

In front of Cape Nelson

Hopefully October will be throwing up some sensational weather and flat seas so anglers can get out amongst the snapper, gummy sharks and other offshore species.

I say hopefully as the past month has seen winds of such a strength and consistency that have seen any offshore angler impossibly frustrated and restricted. Last October produced some exceptional fishing for gummy and school sharks off both Warrnambool and Port Fairy in 30-40m. Fresh bait such as squid or cut fish seemed to be a key to some of the better fish that were well over the 10kg range.

Estuary anglers are not quite as restricted as offshore anglers by the wind, but then had what joy they were experiencing wiped out by some heavy flood waters.

Before the heavy flows the Hopkins River had been still producing the odd small mulloway, some good estuary perch and a few bream.

Trolling bibbed minnow lures like the Daiwa Double Clutch around the lower reaches was a productive

Port Phillip Bay

SNAPPER

DON’T MISS OUT!

2 LARGE COMFORTABLE BOATS...

• Departing from Carrum • October to January • Quality gear supplied • Local knowledge • Large groups or individuals OK NOW!

BO

FOR BOOKIN BOOKINGS CONTACT WAYNE ON 0418 107 071 OR VISIT

www.sharkmen.com.au 14

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Jeff of Hamilton with his snapper of 4.95kg taken from the Lee Breakwater.

Offshore species are in the frame WARRNAMBOOL

Trevor Kohlman with his tremendous snapper of 4.16kg.

along with lures.

There has been some good catches redfin out at Bridgewater Lakes along with Hotspur and Dartmoor.

There have also been good reports coming from the Glenelg River of bream and mulloway at the lower end of the river and at Taylors Straight and Princess Caves of mulloway up to 9kg.

• For all the latest weather and fishing reports, give the boys at Portland Bait & Tackle a call on 03 5523 5213, we are open 7 days a week.

technique as was using heavily weighted curl tail soft plastics. I know of at least 3 EP over 45cm taken during early August.

October traditionally has always been a good month for targeting these fish in the Hopkins but the locations and techniques are going to depend on how long it takes for the rivers to clear.

With all the rain we have had, trout fishing should be good in all the local rivers and lakes this October. The lakes have been perhaps the best and only angling option of late and places like Tooliorook, Purrumbete and Elingamite have been productive options for anglers driven inland by horrendous winds and flooded rivers.

Brown trout, after fattening up in the flooded waters, will return to their runs as the water drops and should provide some excellent angling. Despite many local rivers being defined as sea run trout fisheries most trout taken are resident estuary dwelling fish.

However if you were going to tangle with a true sea runner October is the time to be looking.

October is often a good month to do some surf fishing. There is still the chance of some good

A quality Port Fairy school shark from last October. salmon being around whilst the summer species such as pinkie snapper and various shark species should also be an option.

A nice calm evening on Yambuk, Fitzroy, Logans or the Cutting beaches could provide some good action

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

15

Sea change brings rewards APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

It’s amazing how quickly the ocean fishing can change.

Snapper, gummy sharks, King George whiting, flathead, squid and a variety of pelagic sharks are all back on the agenda.

Cape Otway and Cape Patton will be the best options to target schools of snapper as they start to move along the coastline. Any reef system in 30-50m of water will be worth fishing but use your sounder and GPS to locate schools and keep fishing over the same area once a fish has been caught. As the tide slows around the top or bottom of its cycle move to the edges of these same reef systems and drop down some fresh fish baits. Gummy sharks shouldn’t be far away and they can sniff out a good feed from miles away.

You may have to change to a heavier outfit as some of the sharks can weigh in excess of 15kg.

If you are chasing a quick easy feed then head for 35m off Skenes Creek and drop down some squid baits while on the drift. It shouldn’t take long to fill the well with some

of Bass Strait’s tasty sand flathead. This is always a good fall-back option if the other fish species aren’t playing the game, and has saved the day for me on many occasions.

Big bream are always on the agenda in small and large estuaries alike.

The boat harbour at Apollo Bay is another spot worth a try as it holds good numbers of calamari squid. A small prawn style squid jig in 2.5 size will do the trick when cast over the sea grass beds and retrieved very slowly. Not only do they make for great eating but the heads can also be saved and used as snapper, gummy and flathead bait.

Trout season kicked off with a boom in September and should continue to impress even the most discerning of anglers through October. The rivers have good flows and are full of trout from the estuaries right up into the mountains.

When I head out for a flick I’ll be concentrating my efforts around the upper estuary areas of the local rivers. Here the trout population may not be as dense as further upstream in the freshwater but the trout are on average much bigger in size.

Small hardbodied lures cast on light leader of 2-3kg is the standard for this area but I also have a lot of success casting long slender baitfish profile soft plastics. A light weight jig

Redfin can be found in many of the area’s still waters. head of 0.9g fitted with a size 6 hook is my preferred rig as it glides seductively in the current but can also be allowed to sink below over hanging trees or undercut banks.

Bream fishers have reason to get excited too, as the bream

school up in search of the right salinity levels to spawn.

Sometimes they are hard to locate and the river seems devoid of any bream at all. But if you can stumble onto a patch of hungry fish the fishing can be absolutely red hot.

The Curdies starts the long road back to its best COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

After many, many months of being closed, above average temperatures and low water levels resulting in two fish kills, heavy winter rains finally filled

and opened the Curdies estuary in early August.

After a quick visit to the mouth for a taste of highly oxygenated salt water, the bream moved back up into the lower reaches of the river in readiness for spawning.

For many weeks the water remained dirty which largely

shut down the lure enthusiasts and gave the bait soakers the upper hand.

Small bait sized yabbies, earthworms and frozen packet prawn became the norm for some time. However a few of us did persevere with plastics and hardbodied minnows by casting right up close to the bank and twitching the lure in the top most section of the water column. Concentrating on the downstream side of any protruding bends where the current was less intensive saw quite a few fish hooked and landed by me and several other persistent anglers.

October and November are the two traditional months when bream will spawn and they do this many times. I release all black bream that I catch and plead with others to The author with a 38 cm Curdies River bream taken on a Strike Tiger nymph.

NEW

RELEASE

Hook into the latest release in the Bigfish range of UPF 50 Sun Protective Shirts!

BUY B UY U Y ONLINE...

ONLINE... oorr ssee ee w website ebsite ffor or e entire ntir tire rrange ange a and nd n nearest earestt rretailer eta ail i er ile

bigfishgraphics.com.au 16

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

limit their take at this time.

The bream can be very finicky at this time of year and many trips to the Curdies can result in poor catch rates but occasionally they seem to go nuts and can be caught hand over fist. This is great fun when it happens as long as the vast majority are carefully released to finish the spawning run.

Meanwhile in the salt there’s still plenty of Australian salmon to 2.2kg about with Newfield Bay (near Peterborough) being one popular local spot that has been producing the goods. Two hours either side of a rising tide being the optimum time to

send out squid or bluebait on a double Paternoster rig.

Not too far away Crofts Bay has been coughing up a few good King George whiting to 42cm on pilchard strips.

Port Campbell Jetty has been popular for squid enthusiasts with some decent schools of calamari squid congregating around the pylons. The best squid fishing of course occurs after dark with the aid of the jetty lights but plenty are still landed during daylight hours with the change of tide being optimum.

Offshore in depths of 20-40m boat anglers bottom bouncing around local reefs have managed school and

gummy shark to 16kg.

Snapper to 4kg and morwong to 2kg have also been picked up. Away from the reefs and drifting over a mixture of sand and weed has seen excellent yank flathead to 1.8kg as well as schools of King George whiting.

Down our way at least, the biggest snapper of the season usually turn up at the start of the season and stay around in good numbers up until Christmas.

As long as the squid are about in solid numbers like they are now, the big snapper will stick around. So now is definitely the time to get out there!

October is the biggest month on the calendar GEELONG

Neil Slater njbamslater@bigpond.com

This is arguably the biggest month on the angling calendar, as October heralds the start of the snapper season around Geelong, the Bellarine and Surf Coast.

The past few years have been nothing short of sensational with many anglers cashing in on trophy snapper of 4-8kg GEELONG FRESHWATER The Barwon River in Geelong is running high and brown due to the plentiful rain throughout the last few months. Lure fishing is definitely out, but those fishing with bait have caught plenty of eels right throughout the system. All you need is garden worms or small pieces of meat and a running sinker rig or no sinker at all will do it.

The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority has installed a fish ladder on the Barwon River at the second breakwater. The ‘second break’ is located not far above Lake Connewarre and was originally installed almost 100 years ago to hold fresh water in the lower reaches of the Barwon to provide stock with drinking water. Many estuarine fish species require freshwater to spawn and the second break almost wiped most of these species out of the Barwon River. Hopefully, the installation of this fish ladder will allow native species like estuary perch to resume breeding and see their populations increase.

The fish ladder is made of a series of concrete culverts forming a ladder in the riverbank. Running water at the opening is designed to entice fish to enter and start their upstream journey.

The project, which was two years in the planning and took two weeks to construct, was funded by the Victorian Government, including funding from recreational fishing licence fees, with support from VR Fish, Fisheries Victoria and Parks Victoria.

CORIO BAY At the time of writing, Australian salmon and yellow eyed mullet were biting well along the Geelong waterfront.

Best bet has been first and last light. The salmon are all over soft plastics in baitfish profiles and the mullet have been caught by anglers using pipis, bread and raw chicken under small floats.

October is snapper time in Corio Bay. Best land-based spots to nab one of these great sportfish in Corio Bay include; North Shore rocks, St Helens rock wall, Cunningham Pier and Limeburners boat ramp rock walls. They love fish baits such as garfish, pilchards and whitebait but also love fresh squid. For boaties, try the edge of the shipping channel near Point Henry, Western Beach and Corio Quay.

CLIFTON SPRINGS AND PORTARLINGTON Clifton Springs and Portarlington are one of the best places in Victoria to bag a trophy snapper in October due to the consistency of the big fish captures here. Only problem is that everyone knows this and it does get flat out at the boat ramps. Please be patient while launching and help out others as required.

Bait fishing is reasonably straight forward with fresh being best. Use those old yellow, mushy pilchards from last season for berley and grab some new stuff. Even though they have decent teeth, you can still use a reasonably light leader of around 7kg onto a running sinker rig.

Lisa touched up her brother Peter 3-1 while squid fishing from Queenscliff Pier.

chook pellets oaked in tuna oil and seawater.

Mick notes that Luke has also been for a walk along Lorne Pier where he saw anglers tearing into some ripping salmon around 2kg.

Mick says that the Anglesea River is full as a boot after the recent rains and is teeming with undersized bream. If there is ever a better pace to take the kids to catch a fish, let me know and I’ll compare it with the Anglesea River.

Nick Scerri from Ocean Grove Charters has had a couple of good days out in Bass Strait over the last few months. Nick says a few clients got stuck into a

ripping thresher shark plus a few pinkie snapper. Nick says the thresher took a live snapper! Nick noted that the water was still quite cold but there is so much bait offshore at the moment, he expects this season to be a good one.

• 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 997348. 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).

At last! A fish ladder could see more estuary perch in the lower reaches of the Barwon.

Soft plastic fishing has changed the face of snapper fishing in Victoria forever with plenty of anglers taking up this exciting way to target this so called ‘bait only’ species. If you’d like to give this a nudge, grab a few soft plastics and target depths from 4-6m over broken ground.

Shallow water fishes best first and last light and the deeper you go, the harder it is to control your lure. Try drifting and jigging your lure or cast well ahead of the boat and keep the lure within about 1m of the bottom, twitching it, rest it, twitch it and rest – all the way back to the boat/jetty etc.

ST LEONARDS TO QUEENSCLIFF Peter Axiak took his sister Lisa out for a flick on the squid recently after dark on the night Queenscliff pier. Peter says the squid had not been in great numbers or size but his theory was they might be in with a chance of landing a beast because the night before Peter lost a giant right at the pier.

As luck would have it, Lisa hooked and landed a beast on her fourth cast of the session right on dusk.

At first she thought she had snagged the bottom and called for Peter’s assistance.

But as Peter walked over to lend a hand the reel started to scream and so did Peter. The squid measured 43cm hood length and he estimated its weight to be over 2kg. The squid fell to the ever reliable Shimano Sephia 14T in 3.0 size.

BARWON HEADS AND SURF COAST The Surf Coast can be red hot for snapper early October. Sadly, Ocean Grove has the only boat ramp where large boats can safely be launched until you hit Apollo

Bay. Beach launching can be done from Zeally Bay in Torquay and Roadknight Bay in Anglesea Mick Allardyce has had a couple of reports of some good gar fishing along the Surf Coast with most sheltered bays offering the chance at these tasty morsels. Mick’s mate Luke Willis has done very well fishing for gars near Artillery Rocks using sand fleas for bait. Mick says the best bait has been sand fleas but they will take pipis, pilchard pieces and bread.

Sand fleas are easily caught by kids when you lift seaweed on most beaches. If you have no kids, lift the seaweed and throw yourself on the sand to trap the fast moving critters.

Garfish are relatively small and have hard mouths so you need fine, super sharp hooks to connect with them.

Find a sheltered bay and berley up with some bread or

Tony: 0421 335 500 www.boatworld.net.au

BULLET Minnow

Rain Ra inbo in bow bo w Tr Trou outt Pa ou Parr rr • • • • •

3 3cm cm Great Lure For...

3.7 3.7g g - 4.0 4.0g g Trout, Redfin, OWNER HOOKS Flathead, Bream 15 GREAT COLOURS and much more!

RATTLING OR SILENT T

RETAILERS WANTED CONTACT

JASON

BULLETLURES@HOTMAIL.COM

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

17

Snapper dominate as their numbers explode PORT PHILLIP WEST

Brenton Hodges blhodgey@hotmail.com

Just as the AFL season draws to an end, another much anticipated and keenly followed event has finally arrived.

Yes, the long awaited Port Phillip snapper season is here and set to explode. Indeed, the talk on various online forums and social media suggests local anglers have been gearing up for months collecting bait, servicing reels, preparing rigs, consulting tide charts and studying diaries and old fishing reports in preparation for what promises to be yet another bumper season.

SNAPPER IN THE WEST Gathering just outside the heads, schools of migrating pre-spawn reds usually start to arrive on Melbourne’s doorstep anytime from late September through to October. One of the key target areas in the west is the stretch from Williamstown to Altona. Here the seabed primarily consists of sand, weed and rubble, though some of the more productive marks also comprise scallop beds and heavier reef matted in cunjevoi – prime feeding ground for hungry snapper!

Given many of the major hot spots are situated within relatively close proximity of the public boat ramps at Newport and Altona, this area particularly appeals to anglers with smaller craft, including tinnies and kayaks.

Canfred Engineering

Pty Ltd

Custom Made

WILLIAMSTOWN TO ALTONA The entrance to the Yarra River through to the Williamstown Football Ground reef is a popular inshore target area at this time of year. Further around at Altona, a shallow water marker indicates the presence of another prominent reef.

Pete Mesto, and no doubt many others, experienced some amazing shallow water reds in this area last year, especially during rough conditions of an evening.

Whilst smaller pinkie snapper are mostly what’s on offer across the inner reefs, if you get the timing just right, it can be game on for a few weeks during mid to late spring.

Out wider, the yellow P2 marker buoy and surrounding area would have to be one of the most frequented haunts for snapper anglers across the entire top section of Port Phillip. The ground here is fairly nondescript, but

Schools of migrating pre-spawn reds usually start to arrive on Melbourne’s doorstep anytime from late September through to October. seemingly ideal for grazing snapper. Some early season reds to 8kg seem to turn up each year, though the usual run of school fish more

Aluminium Fuel tanks and Fabrication Water Tanks Bait boards Centre Consoles

Custom Tanks

www.canfredengineering.com.au 48 Barry Street, BAYSWATER VIC

canfred@tpg.com.au

03 9761 0595 BOOK NOW FOR

SNAPPER SEASON PORT PHILLIP | WESTERN PORT | PORTLAND Individuals, Small or Large Groups Welcome Private Plumbed Toilet | Rods, Bait & Tackle Supplied

Scan the QR code with your smartphone for more info!

Cini SKIPPERS: Matt Matt Boulton

Snapper Tuition Available

0438 302 093 wwww.reeltimefishing.com.au

Aside from snapper, some reasonable flathead can be expected to start showing up this month.

Youngster, Holly Morcombe, displays a ripper taken on a piece of squid off Williamstown.

117 Northgate Drive THOMASTOWN VIC triplemmarine@dodo.com.au

03 9465 8787

HOME OF

www.triplemmarine.com.au

3.7 NOMAD

3.75 ANGLER

4.85 TERRITORY

5.0 TUFF MATE

18

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

commonly average 2-3kg or thereabouts.

Looking back to this time last year, consistent catches of snapper to 5kg were taken just south of P2 in 17m of water on pilchard. Learning how to operate and read your sounder is the key to finding schools in deeper water. Some of the new models allow you to scan at fairly high speed, which means you can quickly cover ground and still mark snapper, baitfish and likely looking structure.

Aside from snapper, some reasonable flathead can be expected to start showing up this month. Making the most of fine conditions, Brad Morcombe ducked out from Williamstown in his tinny hoping to secure a feed.

Fishing both at anchor and on the drift with strips of squid

for bait, Brad’s eight year old daughter, Holly, managed a respectable 47cm flathead just her second fish ever!

POINT COOK TO POINT WILSON From previous experience, the inner reefs at Point Cook are probably still another month away from hitting their peak, but you never know. Casting soft plastics on the drift is a good way to prospect the shallows and cover ground relatively quickly. You’ll soon know if there are a few snapper around, or flathead for that matter, as they rarely pass up a well-rigged softie.

Reliable patterns to try include worm and baitfish imitations, including Berkley Gulp Turtle Back varieties and Crazy Legs Jerk Shads. It’s also well worth having a squid jig wafting around at the back of the boats drift, particularly along the 4-6m line.

Further west, Point Wilson and Clifton Springs generally experience a good run of snapper from early October. Anchoring and berleying along either side of the shipping channel is popular for those fishing with a spread of fresh and frozen baits. Over the past few years, some innovative crew have also found success trolling

deep diving lures on down riggers. Most soft plastic enthusiasts generally prefer to seek out shallower sections of reef and rubble. Regardless of your chosen method, the presence of baitfish, which in turn attracts larger predators including snapper, is often crucial early in the season.

METROPOLITAN RIVERS Reports from the metropolitan rivers have been somewhat scarce in recent weeks, though there are still quite a few bream up for grabs for those fishing with traditional live baits in both the Maribyrnong and Werribee rivers. At this time of year, the resident bream seem more intent on spawning rather than chasing down lures, but this will change as the water temperature rises over the coming months. In the meantime, live tube worms, Bass yabbies and fresh mussel are your best bet, particularly in the deeper middle to upper tidal reaches of our local river systems.

BEEN FISHING? • Reports, including a general description of when, where and how the fish were caught, and photographs may be submitted via email to blhodgey@hotmail.com.

Casting soft plastics on the drift is a good way to prospect the shallows and cover ground relatively quickly.

Get your RENEGADE from us Today! y FEATURES • • • • • •

La L Large rge casting castiing pl platform Live bait tank Tackle box storage Transom step Side decks 4 rod holders

• • • • • •

3mm sides Wide beam Side storage pockets Full floor Comfortable seats Roto-moulded anchor well

NEW BLADE HULL = SOFTER, DRIER RIDE

packages fitted with y your choice of or engines

5 SIZES AVAILABLE

• 420 • 440 • 460 • 490 • 520

461 Mountain Highway Bayswater VIC 3153

Tel (03) 9729 8288

streakerboats.com.au

When Boating on the Bay Ships have Right of Way PORT OF GEELONG 12 million tonnes of cargo a year supporting 5,000 jobs

PH Level 2, 235 Ryrie Street, Geelong

5225 3500

| www.regionalchannels.vic.gov.au V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

19

Red is the colour, heaps is the number PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

It’s all gone red over the past few weeks with snapper season consuming the majority of the Melbourne -based fishing community.

And why wouldn’t it with a long, cold and very winter that kept most anglers in front of the telly.

While there is plenty starting to happen if I can give you any tips for the coming weeks it would be to put a lot of effort into the morning sessions when it’s calm.

On the rough days, afternoons can be great but in many cases if you fish in deeper than 10m of water you can be past the snapper as they push into the shallows to feed.

MORDIALLOC How the past years have changed. A few years back there was just a few hardcore anglers who would brave the windy weather in search of a few land-based reds. Now ‘a days its all different with this pier producing big numbers of snapper during September and October each year. In fact on some days catching a landbased red here is almost the easy bit, getting a spot to fish, that’s a different question!

The author with a great Port Phillip snapper.

The past weeks have seen a few good snapper taken from the pier when the big south-westerly winds have blown, but the coming weeks should really see it fire up. When the wind has backed off the pier has fished well for heaps of garfish and when the water is clear there have been consistent squid to be found.

Boat anglers are finding a good mix of solid pinkies and some big snapper among them on the shallow reefs, while out in the deeper water anglers who are fishing on structure are finding some cracking early season reds.

The coming weeks will really see the action start to heat up on the snapper front for boat anglers, and like all other years its well worth working the shallower water in dawn and dusk as this is where the big fish are definitely being taken at present.

Up into Beaumaris Bay the whole area has been fishing well with big snapper being taken off the pier during September. Anglers fishing close to the mussel farms in rough weather are finding some quality snapper. As an added bonus from Ricketts Point to Parkdale the garfish

have been exceptional, and there are also plenty of squid around so getting fresh bait isn’t a problem.

From Ricketts Point to Black Rock the focus has now really changed from the pinkies to snapper, And while there are still plenty of pinkies on the shallow reef, anglers who have been casting plastics in the 5-7” size especially the 5” Zman jerk baits in the Copper Penny and Nuclear chicken colours are having some outstanding success on snapper of 2.5-4.5kg.

Out wider some good catches coming from the marks known as Two Fingers and out wider on the Gasso.

While in close off Black Rock in 8-12m there has been some good reds being taken in rough weather or before first light of a morning.

SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA For the land-based angler now is the time to get serious off the breakwall and rock groynes, and the harder it blows the better it will be for the snapper.

A good tip is to also fish all along the front of the Sandringham breakwall as while it doesn’t look like much when its calm there are plenty of sand crabs in the area and

when its rough the big reds come in here to feed on them.

Out wider the Anonyma Shoal has been holding good numbers of squid, with two separate anglers reporting some better sized ones to 1kg on the deeper reef edges.

Fishing around here is also a great option for early season snapper as it’s a substantial piece of reef that lies in the middle of nowhere, so it attracts food and predators.

Out wider again I have been hearing reports of some good numbers of snapper being taken along the edge of the shipping lane. This month however should see this area go mental, with the T1, T2 and up towards the Fawkner Beacon holding tonnes of snapper.

Further north, the Brighton breakwall has been a little slower on the big reds.

However it will come into its own this month for landbased fishing, and no doubt it will produce multiple big fish as it always does. As a by-catch there has also been good numbers of garfish for those who prefer a bit of fun with the lighter gear.

Up off North Road and towards St Kilda the shallow reefs are producing pinkies,

but this month should see an influx of huge snapper push into this area of a night to feed in shallow water. Right behind them will be a crew of anglers who head out late at night to fish in water that is only a few metres deep in search of these big reds that really do take off when you hook them.

ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE Rain is often the determining factor up in this part of Port Phillip as it will either bring the reds in numbers or keep them away if we get too much rain.

For the most part however the early reports indicate that a few of the more hardcore anglers have been getting the odd good snapper both landbased off Kerford Road and Lagoon piers, while those in the boats have been a bit more consistent as they can move about to sound up the snapper in the area.

Up off Station Pier I have heard a few reports of the odd small barracouta being caught, which is a great sign as if they hang around there is a fair chance the big snapper will be right on their tails.

It’s snapper season, the footy is finished so get out there and have a crack.

FISHING FILL-ITS

BOAT COVERS

Lee Rayner’s Fishing Edge

FULL COVERS

Black Run Productions, in association with Creative Media, is pleased to announce CANOPIES an all new fishing program, hosted by well-known CLEARS fishing personality Lee BIMINIS Rayner. Fishing Edge will be broadcast on One HD around RODRACKS Australia from October 2013.

Lee Rayner is no newcomer CUSTOM MADE to television. Initially, Lee FOR ANY SIZE BOAT co-hosted Rex Hunt’s Fishing 20 Years experience, highest quality material.

Adventures where he worked 23 Edelmaier St, Bayswater, 3153 for 5 years until the program For the last four years Lee finished in 2004. has hosted and co-produced the outdoors and fishing program Adventure Bound, which has been seen on Foxtel and other networks around Australia and New Zealand.

Fishing Edge is a true, down to earth fishing program that travels the length and $ AL5.4M13T PWC12 breadth of Australia visiting $ some of the country’s most TONNEAUS

(03) 9729 3030

AUSTRALIA’S BEST Value for Money Trailers

1,099

3,299

FOR FULL RANGE GO TO...

.com.auW trailvicUR www.sea SHO ND AT THE MELBO NE BOAT

OR VISIT OUR STA

10 CONCORDE CRES WERRIBEE VIC 3030

PH 03 · 9731 7269 20

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

remote and beautiful places.

In creating the Fishing Edge concept, Lee and series producer, Andrew Clark, have continued to build on the popular format which they developed on Adventure Bound over the past four years.

Fishing Edge places an emphasis on the DIY aspects of fishing and takes viewers on a journey to the locations

featured. This certainly isn’t the easiest way of producing a program like this, but the end result is a show that viewers can easily relate to and has proven to be very popular.

The first Fishing Edge series will showcase many fantastic locations around the country in pursuit of highly prized fishing species. Lee and the crew will chase everything from large off shore snapper out of Lakes Entrance Victoria, hard fighting long tail tuna at Port Stephens NSW, barramundi in the remote rivers of Melville Island NT through to big brown trout in the freezing conditions of the Snowy Mountains.

Plus a whole lot more. It is a journey not to be missed!

– Fishing Edge

610C

610WR

610XS

610HT

780HT

535CR

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

21

Warm water sprouts snapper action on all fronts Other bread and butter species have also been prevalent, especially in and around the bays rivers and creeks, particularly after recent rains and flooding wash into the bay. Mullet and Australian salmon have been the most consistent targets, and respond well to a wide variety of baits and lures. I have been having some great late afternoon sessions recently, chasing schools of feeding salmon along the shore close to home in Mornington and Mount Martha.

These fish can be easily reached from the beach with a decent cast, and all that’s required is to wind

PPB EAST

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

After the most solid winter that I can remember for sometime, it is pleasing to report that the cooler trends of early spring have changed and that the warmer months are definitely upon us.

Port Philip’s food chain has been given a real boost throughout the cooler months with plenty of fresh water and runoff entering the shoreline areas providing food and nutrients. This injection of life really drives the core of the ecosystem and is the best possible scenario for a bumper spring and summer season ahead.

With the amount of bait, weed and reef growth, and also juvenile fish currently holding on the inshore reefs, everything looks set to fire in a big way.

The warmer months of the year are all about snapper, and by the time the October rolls around I expect the level of angler and snapper activity to increase greatly on Port Phillip.

The most encouraging sign for the season ahead has

The squid fishing has really improved of late, and expect more larger breeding males and females to take up residence on the shallower reefs over the next month or so. This trend normally occurs a little earlier in the year, but with cooler water temperatures, I would expect some big squid to be on the radar for some time to come along the eastern shoreline reefs.

Due to all the injection of life and fresh water over the past couple of months, bream fishing has been a little patchy, although the switched on bait anglers have been doing very well in the discoloured

Recent flooding of the bays creeks and estuaries has provided some great fishing for bread and butter species in and around the mouths as they enter Port Phillip. been the consisten catches of snapper right throughout winter, mostly from the wider marks out from Mornington, Frankston and Mount Martha.

These areas would be a great place to start your early season missions, especially if water temperatures are still a little bit cooler.

Also encouraging has been the quality of snapper that have been taken by land-

based anglers as well. I have received reports of some real crackers up to 7kg being landed, particularly during and immediately after strong onshore winds have bashed the shoreline. Snapper will eagerly come into shallower water to feed during these times, and it’s worth braving the conditions for a chance at a big red from the rocks or pier.

OCTOBER

SPECIALS Suzuki DF70ATL 4 stroke

Suzuki DF40ATL 4 stroke

The trend for early season snapper along the eastern shoreline marks of recent years has been to congregate closer to reefs and other structures, and I would expect with the increased health and vitality of the reef areas this will continue this year. Also be prepared to offer a variety of baits in your presentation, although if you had to pick one bait it’s hard to go past the humble old pilchard.

The spring months will also bring a lot of other bread and butter species into the picture, and a lot of anglers favourite the good old garfish has arrived in the bay in a big way over the past few weeks. Get a berley trail going in some deeper water and the gars will not be far away. They may make sensational bait, are pretty handy food for humans as well, and are also great fun to catch. Kids love them, and they also respond well to lure and fly presentations if you are so inclined.

Hoards of smaller pinkie snapper are dominating the inshore reefs of late, but the numbers of big snapper will not be far away. like a crazy person and hang on. Jig head rigged plastics, metal lures and fly are all worth a go.

Keep an eye on the birds flying above the fish, as they are the best indication of which way they are travelling.

water, particularly in the Patterson River.

I have been road testing the new Cranka Crab of late, and to say that I am impressed so far would be a fair understatement. Keep an eye out for these great innovations in lure design.

Lean burn system

FITTED!

FITTED!

$10,990

$8,195

WE ARE YOUR SERVICE & RE-POWER

SPECIALISTS 03

9455 3665 108 NORTHERN RD HEIDELBERG WEST

www.tremotorsport.com.au 22

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Balcombe Creek has proven a great testing ground of late for the new Cranka Crab.

pick up an

deal

D˷RUGDEOH

SUZUKI 635,1* 2))(5

V&TFM

1

service

)5((

OCTOBER 2013

23

It is definitely snapper time PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

The word on most anglers’ lips at the moment is snapper.

Everyone is gearing up for what hopefully will be another excellent snapper season. And this year has already started great guns for me, with some good fish taken as early as July. Not in any quantity but most trips yielding one or two fish a session with most fish being in the 6-kg range coming from the northern end of Western Port.

It has also been a good season so far for calamari and it can only get better.

My tactic has been to go and do a few drifts and pick up a couple of squid and then head north and fish the deep water with fresh squid for snapper. If you put the time in with super-fresh bait, you are often rewarded with a good solid red.

SURF BEACHES There are some good quality salmon about on most beaches. On my recent trip to Williamson’s Beach I managed eight fish for a threehour session. The biggest fish went just over 3kg that really

gave me some stick. Pound for pound they really do put up a great battle and contrary to their reputation as being poor table fish, they make excellent fish cakes or fish pie if you bleed them soon as they are caught. When you fillet them, remove the skin and cut out the red meat and the fishy taste disappears.

SAN REMO AREA Below the bridge there is still the odd whiting about but they should start increasing in numbers as the weather warms up. Some good calamari are coming in from the Cleelands Bight area.

Above the bridge and some whiting and garfish are being caught in Dickies Bay. Calamari are about in reasonable numbers around Stoney Point, Tankerton and the Tyabb Bank just to name a few areas. A few snapper are being caught off Corinella and from Crawfish Rock right up to the Boulton Channel and a few gummies coming in off Temby Point.

FLINDERS AREA Big calamari are still the main fare off Flinders. Snook are around in reasonable numbers off the reefy areas and a few whiting are starting to make their appearance.

The author with a pair of good size Australian salmon.

Long awaited snapper season arrives at last PORT PHILLIP

Chris Vasilevski

Finally, the long awaited snapper season is upon us, and for those who have been hibernating during winter, surely the idea of a nice a big red on the other end of your line is enough to entice you out of your cave.

SNAPPER

By October the snapper have made their way into the bay and it’s now time to get a move on and put the time in on the water to get amongst the reds: there’s no better feeling then getting that first run. We have been getting the reds offshore for the last month, and it will only get better from here

in. A good start is to have a look at places like offshore reefs and up the bay, with fresh flesh bait as their preference. It won’t be long until you have your first red for the season.

SQUID The squid should be thickening up by now in both size and numbers.

There’s no better bait for the big red then fresh squid.

So far the darker coloured jigs have been working quite well this season, though it can all be a bit of trial and error at times, so keep trying different colours if you don’t find any success with what you are currently using.

As squid like to congregate around the weeded areas we have found that drifting over the kelp beds has been a great place to find them.

Snapper arrive in good numbers in offshore waters.

PROTECT YOUR BOAT FROM THE

HARSH AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS Shady Characters provide an attractive, affordable shade and shed solution for any situation

Strong & Durable | Weatherproof

CONTACT US AUSTRALIA WIDE

1300 557 953

The Shady Shed is the strongest shed of it’s type available in today’s market.

www.shadycharacters.com.au 24

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Big calamari are on the agenda as water warms

FLATHEAD By the end of October we should be into some good quality flathead offshore, so if you are after a good feed of flathead tails, arm yourself with fresh squid as it is their preferred bait.

AUSTRALIAN SALMON We will start to see the first school of Australian salmon come in right about now, so keep an eye out for the bird life.

If they are a bit quiet then you might be able to find a feed in areas like Point Nepean around Corsair, but be careful as it can be a dangerous place to fish if you don’t know the area. Another place you could try are along the beaches.

October is a great time of year for Port Phillip and Bass Strait, as it is the start of all things fishing.

Get yourself out there and amongst because it is just the start of the fishing season and there will be plenty more to come.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

25

Snapper spurt into gear as the red tide surges MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Dan Lee info@ peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

A challenging few weeks of fishing with unrelenting winds and a fair smattering of rain hasn’t deterred optimism about the next four weeks as we head deep into peak snapper season.

AUSTRALIAN SALMON We have seen Aussie salmon appear in excellent numbers along many of peninsula piers whose structure acts as a natural attractant to these schooling fish. Dromana pier saw plenty of action when

the wind was onshore as did Blairgowrie Marina which has probably been the pick of the bunch, with huge numbers of fish coming in around the dawn bite period.

SNAPPER Already the word on every angler’s lips is snapper, which have been caught in fits and spurts throughout. There have been a couple of early patches off Mt Martha but we also saw the charter operators catching some of the new fish schooled up down off Barwon Heads; clearly part of the population entering the bay.

This year keep an eye out for a new craze which I

Dave Higgs with a nice red taken from Western Port.

am sure is going to get a lot of attention in the next few months – jigging for snapper.

Using an array of small knife jigs between 60-100g, guys such as Nick Bailey have been finding some serious success using a slow jig style and drifting to catch reds. No doubt this will open up an array of new possibilities for the guys who have found themselves a bit tired of bait fishing for our beloved snapper!

SQUID On the other side of the peninsula, even through the periods of heavy wind, there have been some excellent captures of big southern

Ben Broomfield and Matt Luscombe with some excellent salmon taken at Gunnamatta.

calamari. Fishing the Tyabb and Quail bank has been productive as have some of the reef and weed patches around Cat Bay and Flinders when conditions have allowed anglers to get there.

GUMMY SHARKS Another great target as we roll through spring are gummy shark. These fish have been outstanding with plenty being caught land based or from those out in the boat. The stretch of land between Merricks and Somers has fished very well, with plenty being taken from the shore while the sand holes in about 10m have also proved effective.

There have been good mid-size gummies on the shallower weed beds off Rye and Blairgowrie, while those taking the time to soak big baits on the south channel have been rewarded with some nice gummies to 16kg. The swell or draughtboard sharks have started to disappear too, which is always a good sign that the water temperatures are on the incline!

LOOKING AHEAD With plenty of scattered reports of snapper already it would be hard to imagine that October will not see complete snapper madness engulf most of the fisho residents of the

Gawaine Blake with a 3kg monster squid that was taken on a green Sephia jig on the Tyabb Bank. peninsula and surrounds.

Having said that, it can also be an excellent time for big squid; so pack a few jigs each time you head out, you may be well rewarded!

• For more information feel free to drop in and see the boys at Peninsula Total Tackle, 11 Boneo Road in Rosebud or phone: 03 5981 1994.

PREMIER SERVICE & RE-POWER

Specialists

TAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE FURTHER!

• Qualified service staff xperience e f o s r a e y 0 5 • facility e ic v r e s t r a e h • State of t too small r o ig b o o t r o t • No mo STS OF

STOCKI

era

atile Cam

ost Vers

M World’s

BLACK

ITION HERO3 ED

3 Satu Way, Mornington VIC 3931 - Phone: (03) 5976 4622 Web: www.wesfrostmarine.com.au 26

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Victoria’s Number 1 DEALS 429 SEAWAY

429 RAMPAGE

30HP Honda 4 Stroke

00 8,9 1 $

30HP CV Yamaha 2 Stroke

0 ,90 8 $

489 BAYMASTER

489 BAYMASTER

60HP Honda 4 Stroke

70HP Yamaha 4 Stroke

00 1,8 3 $

00 0,9 3 $

MARINE FINANCE AVAILABLE Low Low Rates

*

*TAPC

509 BAYMASTER

539 OCEANRUNNER

75HP Honda 4 Stroke

100HP Yamaha 4 Stroke

0 ,90 2 $4

0 ,69 7 $3

*PICTURES FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY EXP: 31/10/13

motor brands

servicing

BOOK ONLINE NOW AVAILABLE PHONE:

03 9709 8444

CNR MONASH DRIVE & WESTERNPORT FREEWAY, LYNDHURST, MELBOURNE

www.newworldmarine.com.au AFTER HOURS:

0416 061 769

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

27

Snapper madness dominates the fishing scene WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

It’s October already, on my next blink it will be Christmas, hold on that’s only 12 weeks away. Just where has the time gone? I guess there is one thing good to look forward too and that is snapper season.

It is fair to say that snapper season is well and truly upon us now with plenty of anglers all getting their big red fix from right around Western Port. The past few weeks have been nothing but encouraging on the snapper front and it is good to see the usual haunts really firing up.

CORINELLA There is no doubt that Corinella is one of the most prolific locations to be catching snapper this month. Early in September the fish made their annual trek up this way and they will continue to hold here throughout the season. Try fishing on the edges of the muddy channels where they will hold up and graze along the bottom. Usually one side of the tide will fish better than the other and lately, it is the last two hours of the run-out tides that have sparked a feeding

The author with two plump whiting taken from the bottom end of the middle spit. frenzy. Most of the fish in the area have ranged 2-5kg with the odd larger fish being caught early in the morning and late evening over the shallow flats.

CORONET BAY The shallows of Coronet Bay are living up to their reputation with plenty of snapper already actively feeding. This area has been fishing best on first light and by around 9am the fish seem to have moved from the area.

Local angler Peter McDonald managed to catch 4 nice snapper to 4kg using squid baits.

This area will continue to fish well all season but it is imperative that it be fished on first or last light when boat traffic isn’t a concern.

Some nice whiting have also been caught in this area from depths ranging 2-4m hard up against the rocks near Settlement Point.

Anglers using pipi and whiting worm have had most success of late. The high tide has been more productive than the low.

LANG LANG Lang Lang is a very productive at this time of year as Ando found out recently.

He was fishing almost out from Stockyard Point in 4m of water. Ando had a great session catching and releasing 5 snapper to 7kg.

Fish of this size are usually found lurking around the shallows by themselves and from Tenby Point to Lang Lang are locations they can be commonly found at this time of year. Berley is worth

doing very well on fish up to 5kg. This area has quite a thick rubble bottom where fish will school up in smaller numbers.

Anglers choosing to catch snapper on lures can do so in this area on the approach to the slack tides. Lucanus jigs in the red colour have been working lately as Phillip found out one Saturday afternoon. Phillip used the 100g Lucanus to catch and release nine pinkie snapper to 2kg.

WESTERN ENTRANCE – MCHAFFIES REEF McHaffies Reef is a tricky location to fish and must be done so in calm weather.

Even on the calmest of days, the pressure from the tide can make it stand up. Those fishing in close over the reef have been catching some nice pinkie snapper along with some sizeable whiting including Toby Jacobs who managed six whiting while fishing for snapper. The whiting were to 44cm and were taken on squid bait rigged on a 4/0 sized hook.

The snapper bite has been quite good despite the wind and rain. These two were caught off Observation Point.

VICTORIA’S Home of

using but you will attract a few unwanted critters.

THE CORALS The Corals haven’t really fired up yet but few fish are being caught from the area. The corals usually fires up around the middle October when the water temperatures increases slightly. This area is quite flat but the fish love to graze over it.

Pilchards and squid are the most popular baits with a cube trail if cut pilchards very effective.

Most of the fish caught here of late have been on the smaller size but it will only be weeks until the larger fish show up.

Some decent flathead have been a welcomed by-catch with some models over 55cm.

BUOY 15 The buoy 15 area gets quite a lot of attention at this time of year and it is receives quite a flush out from the tides pushing in from the Western Entrance.

Anglers have been anchoring not far from the Cowes Pier and

Stony Point Pier has been leading the charge with plenty of garfish on offer.

WESTERN ENTRANCE – BUOY 14 Despite all the snapper attention, few anglers have been trying their luck on the gummies. Buoy 14 is a known and productive location to catch them and they have been quite forthcoming over the past few weeks. The lead up to the full moon was very good in September with four gummies caught by two anglers. Angler Jared managed two gummies to 12kg on eel baits while Mark Phillipson managed two gummies of 8kg on salmon fillet. These fish will continue to frequent this location with

Contact MY Marine 03·5987 0900 Cnr Nepean Hwy & Ponderosa Pl, Dromana

www.mymarine.com.au 28

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

the next full moon firing them up once again. A lot of smaller fish will become the standard catch as the water temperature increases but they are still get fun to catch.

BALNARRING On the whiting front, the Balnarring area has been pretty good these past few weeks and will only get better as the water temperature increases. Anglers fishing in 10m of water over the sand patches have managed some nice whiting to 45cm.

Squid baits have been the most productive. One angler by the name of Brad managed six whiting to 44cm from the beach at Balnarring. He was fishing early in the morning on a high tide and used pipi for bait. He did mention it was quite weedy though but still managed a good haul.

FLINDERS The Flinders Pier is continuing to produce some nice calamari on the high tide during the night. Baited jigs have been the best offering with silver whiting doing the

This is a sight worth waiting for, when the snapper come on the chew at The Corals, it will be standing room only.

job. Those flicking artificial jigs about have caught some good models with the white colours the most effective. If the nights are calm, this pier is a great place to chill out for a few hours. It does get very busy so make sure you get in early to get a good spot.

STONY POINT PIER There has been a solid run of big garfish frequenting the Stony Point pier on the run-in tides. Anglers berleying from the end of the pier have caught some monstrous gars to 50cm.

A float setup has been the most effective method with small slithers of pilchard doing the job. During the night, calamari have also been taken under the lights on artificial jigs.

SOMEWHERE TO TRY I always like to escape the crowds when it comes to snapper season and the larger fish are always caught when boat traffic is at its least. If you’re after a big red, fish during first or last light and try to fish the high tide over the shallow flats. Coronet Bay is certainly worth it but don’t discount the top of the bank near Elizabeth Island. Some big fish are caught here but it is a location that often flies under the radar.

COMBAT READY ROD

• 10 models from 1-3kg to 5-8kg • Japanese Toray Carbon Fibre • Fuji guides • Custom painted reel seats • Ultra hard EVA grips • Available in 1 & 2 piece

REEL

• Ultra slim aluminium body • Carbon fibre rotor • Carbon fibre drag • 5+1 SSBB • Custom ported aluminium spool • 2000, 3000 & 4,000 sizes available

ZING XTREME

SKITCH NANO

C-12 GEN II

ZING XTREME

• Fuji K Guides • Fuji VSS reel seat for spin models • Fuji SK reel seat for baitcast models • Custom super hard Camo EVA Grips • Premium Toray Carbon Fibre Blanks • X Power Weave Construction • AA Cork Butts with Carbon Ring Detail

C-12 GEN II

• Fuji K Sic guide • Fuji VSS Reel seat for spin models • Fuji ACS reel seat for baitcast models • AAA Cork grips for ultimate comfort • Rubber Cork Butt • 40 tonne Premium Toray Japanese Carbon Blanks • X Power weave construction • Laser etched aluminium butt cap detail

SKITCH NANO

• New Nano Resin Impregnated Carbon Fibre blanks for increased strength • Chameleon Finished Blank • Deluxe Reel Seat • Ultra Hard EVA grips • Stainless Steel Framed Ceramic Guides

All models designed specifically for Australian conditions For more information and stockists visit www.ecooda.com.au

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SAMAKI.COM.AU V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

29

Snapper city is open for spring time business WESTERN PORT NTH

Adam Ring

Snapper season is here and it’s about time. Snapper fever will grip Victoria for the next couple of months and the calamari continue to fire and a small sprinkling of early whiting are also starting to poke about.

THE TOP END In October there is no place you would rather be than the top end of Western

Port. Bouchier and Boultins channels and Joes Island come alive with snapper and the Quail and Tyabb banks continue to throw calamari in excess of 1.5kg at us. Bouchier and Boultins channels have fished, and will continue to fish, extremely well in the coming months.

Even with the snapper now in huge proportions there are still a few good-sized gummies in the area. I have heard whispers of gummies to 8kg taken on fresh squid.

Joes Island may as well be a

giant snapper beacon at this point of the year.

The easiest way to approach Joes Island is to pick the side of the island that is sheltered from the tide.

As the tide rips through and hits the island it creates an eddy on the back end and is a nice sheltered spot for the fish to sit and rest out of the tide. This makes it easier for them to pick off any food that gets swept their way.

Some charter operators are regularly finding fish ranging from 3-4kg with fresh

150hp 4S Mercury’s new 150 Fourstroke is compact, powerful, incredibly reliable and easy to operate.

bait, (generally the fresh calamari rings) seem to be be accounting for most fish.

The Quail Bank continues to produce some great sized calamari and for those that can look past the sea of red or want to find some easy fresh bait before a snapper trip, all you need is a size 3.0 to 3.5 sized squid jig and cast away.

Working from the bottom of the tide generally produces best results.

THE NORTH ARM They may as well change the North Arm to the snapper runway at this time of year! The Long Reef out of Lysaghts is a snapper hot spot and will only continue to get hotter as the season really gets going.

Before we talk snapper I just want to remind everyone that the calamari are still in great numbers and the size is still well up there as well, with some crazy sized calamari up on the Tyabb

A sample of the quality of snapper being caught in Western Port.

WANT SOMETHING NEW TO TRY? For anglers looking to try something new, micro jigging and bay jigging are two forms of fishing that is

South Rd, WARRAGUL VIC 3820 | P 5623 6250 E info@warragulmarine.com.au

www.warragulmarine.com.au

All A ll y you ou n need eed tto o w worry orr y a about bout a are re tthe he ffish ish CUSTOMISED MAINTENANCE & SERVICE

GOLD SERVICE DEALER

to meet your individual boating needs

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED…

The size of some of the calamari in Western Port is insane.

Outboard service & repairs Complete boat & motor fitouts Electrical accessory installations

SERVICE CENTRE

KRIS OAKLEY MARINE SERVICE

5 Quality Drive, Dandenong South 3175 Victoria Email: krisoakleymarine@hotmail.com Phone: (03) 9794 5524

WATER PROOF

SPOT LIGHT

• LED Power: 18W/1800 lumens • Material: High grade aluminium housing • Current draw: 1.5amps@12V,0.67A@24V • Operating Voltage: 10-30V DC • Waterproof rate: IP 68 • 6pcs x 3w high intensity CREE LED • Color Temperature: 6000K • Lens material: Polycarbonate lens • Mounting Bracket: Stainless Steel • Beam: combo 90 deg • 50000 hours above life time.

• Certificates: CE RoHs IP68 •KIT• • 2 Year warranty

!

NEW

ONLY

$99 RRP

DIY

GREAT FOR • Tents • Boats • Utes • Trucks • Camper trailers • Caravans • Vans • Tool boxes • Compartment lighting • Beach fishing

www.korrlighting.com.au

30

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Bank and it will remain pretty consistent for those gathering some fresh bait before a snapper session.

The colours of the jigs are varying day to day with the white jigs being a winner on most trips, size 3.0 to 3.5 getting it done in the size department.

As I mentioned earlier this is the snapper capital of Western Port. All of the usual haunts around Lysaghts, Long Reef and Crawfish Rock are well populated with fish and fresh bait is always best, but the humble pilchard is still taking its fair share of fish. I know it is still rather early but we are already starting to hear whispers of some rather nice whiting hanging around the Middle Spit.

Just keep this in the back of your mind as it’s another something to have a go at once you have met your quota of snapper.

massive in Western Australia and is slowly catching on here in Victoria. It is very simple and is very effective on our snapper.

Lures used are very small profile jigs and your more traditional type Lucanus jigs. Though the jigs may only be between 60-100mm long they are still very weighty, varying between 30-150g, which makes them very fishable in Western Port especially.

The tide will not affect the heavier jigs as much as soft plastics so fishing the bottom is a hell of a lot easier and you will be surprised at how light the rods are which guarantees loads of fun on the hook up.

I know I will be out there giving them a red hot crack this snapper season and it is a form of fishing that is sure to take off here in Victoria over the coming seasons.

Make sure you drop into your local tackle store and get the low down on these small jigs, you will be rather surprised!

Another ridiculous-sized Tyabb Bank calamari.

Good fishing on the horizon with warmer conditions WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

We can all look forward to some pleasantly warmer weather as spring really starts to get going.

I usually call in at the Welshpool boat storage and things have been very quiet in the lead up to spring. If that’s the case there then it’s fair to say that we are going through a quiet time in this part of the world.

There have been a few bright spots however and one was when local legends in Graham Godding and Malcolm Green decided to try their luck out from Welshpool.

They didn’t have anything in particular in mind and for a while they didn’t look like troubling the weigh master.

However their patience

paid off when a very unlucky 27kg gummy shark came along and scoffed down a pilchard presentation. A fairly good battle followed and according to Graham his good mate did his best to set the fish free with the gaff on no less then four occasions. However after all the drama the fish was landed and at the end of the day they also had some very nice flathead to take home and the long journey outside the entrance was worthwhile.

Still outside, there have been schools of Australian salmon breaking the surface. I received a report from visiting boater Doug Hampshire who was told by a mate that a trip outside would be worth the effort. With a mate they headed out on a rare flat calm day and it wasn’t long before there were schools of salmon breaking the surface. They kitted up and threw out surface

It is always worth a shot off the jetty near the Port Albert Hotel. lures which were quickly grabbed and in short time they had plenty, so many that they only kept what they wanted and released the rest back until they were tired of reeling them in.

Inside the entrance there have been a few salmon taking

baits and surface lures and silvers have been taking a variety of baits on mainly the run-in tide. On my last visit to the area there were three hopefuls trying their luck off the jetty but only had a couple of mullet and flathead to show for their efforts.

I decided to call Josh Dessent who is the new publican at the Port Albert Hotel. Josh is keen to get out on the water but has been having a bit of a hard time as spare time is something that he doesn’t have. He has plenty of news however as far as

the jetties opposite his hotel is concerned. There are a couple of regulars who can always be found trying their luck from the woodwork.

Even though the conditions have been far from pleasant two locals were trying their luck. They told me that they rarely catch a whiting from the jetty but recently all that changed and not only were whiting caught they also bagged out on them.

For some reason there have also been many good numbers of squid making an appearance. The best results have been on jigs being used on a slow retrieve on the run in tide.

Outside the entrance there have been very good numbers of flathead and gummies being caught. The best results have been on the drift in around 20m of water.

A welcome ray of sunshine after a long winter INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

Spring took a long time coming but when it did arrive there was no halfway measure.

Land-based anglers and boaters were in no doubt and the big chill seems to have left us.

I received a call from visiting angler Tony Rogers from Dandenong who loves to get out the water from Mahers Landing where he has had so much success.

Shortly before this report he said that he was with a long time fishing mate and they arrived shortly after the turn of the run-in tide. Tony said that they headed up towards the area known as the Double Islands looking for whatever might come along.

They didn’t have to wait long as the fish were hungry and took whatever was on offer. The main catch was nine very nice salmon that were all around 800g. As well salmon there were quite reasonable numbers of barracouta, flathead and silver trevally.

Tony said that he also bagged a couple of very good estuary perch around.

Land based anglers have also been doing reasonably well and I came across two anglers who were happy with their results as they had a very presentable bag of salmon and mullet taken on whitebait.

The area known as the A frame house has been very good as far as boaters are concerned. The fish have been taken mainly on the run-in tide where salmon to the 700g have been making up most bags. There have also been

quite reasonable bags of mullet and flathead and further up towards Stevies Gutter, despite the conditions a few whiting to 34cm have also been taken.

Leading into spring Anderson Inlet went through an intense spell of awful conditions, which normally would spell a stretch when fishing would grind to a halt.

For some reason there were good spells especially as far as salmon were concerned.

At the time of writing the hordes of whoppers to 4kg hadn’t showed up but most fish were around 800g. No one is complaining as fish this size are much better on the table.

The Inverloch jetty has been popular with land-based anglers who have been doing all right on the first half of the run-in tide. Mullet and salmon have been the main catch where natural baits have

been doing the job.

Further down to the bathing boxes the good schools of mullet and salmon continue make a visit to this part of the inlet worthwhile. There has

been plenty of room owing to the fact no doubt that the conditions have been not all that inviting.

There have been and should continue to be plenty

of salmon being caught to the 1.5kg along with silvers, mullet and reasonable size flathead. The low water on both sides of the tide have been most productive.

Available from your local BCF store

CONTOUR HANDS FREE HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO CAMERA

Gary Franke with a very solid 740g bream caught on a Bass yabby.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

31

Now is the time for gummies MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

It’s been tough fishing lately in south Gippsland due to the weather, but with spring finally here, we are ready to tackle those warm water species.

The water temperature and been very cold and with the all the rain we have had, there has been a lot of dirty water entering the estuaries. This has affected McLoughlins Beach the most and the entrance has been hit with a lot of slimy weed, which we get after large downpours during the colder months.

The Manns Beach entrance has been a lot nicer and had more clear water and hence more fish have been caught

here. It’s mainly salmon that have been caught, but mostly small salmon of around 30-35cm. The upside has been that there have been plenty of them. The garfish have been hit and miss: some days they are there and others there not, but it’s still worth chasing them on the run-out tide.

Blue spot flathead have just started to get on the chew as the water warmed up, so it’s now definitely worth getting out here with the soft plastics and chasing a few. The biggest I’ve seen so far has been around 45cm, however we will soon see all those big southern blue spot flathead start to bite and you will be in for a chance to catch those 60cm plus fish.

The McLoughlins entrance, despite the weed, has produced a handful of really big Australian salmon. You have to

keep those lures close to the bottom to keep the weed off the lures. Drift spinning has been a good method to do this.

The salmon that have been caught have been up to 60cm in length so there are a few good fish around. We should get another run of large salmon soon, especially considering how much bait is offshore at the moment. McLoughlins usually gets a spring run of salmon and they are usually big fish as well.

OFFSHORE There have been some massive gummy sharks caught when the weather has allowed with reports of gummies up to 25kg.

There have also been some big seven-gill sharks caught by anglers chasing gummies.

They will continue for the next two months. There has been

some great flathead fishing out past 35m of water around the seal islands and towards the prom and it’s anglers drifting for the flathead out wide who are catching the gummy sharks.

Gummy sharks will enter the estuary this month, so it’s now worth chasing them inside instead of offshore. Fresh bait and tide changes is the key to early season gummies. Another tip is to fish at night in shallow water for the gummies, as they come into close at night during the spring period.

It’s just about time to start talking snapper, as October should see them increase.

Port Albert entrance and the Snake Channel will definitely be worth having a go for the snapper.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 5174 8544.

Ian Caldwell caught this whopping big gummy shark weighing over 25kg offshore from Port Albert.

You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle. Tune into Rex Hunt and

Lee Rayner’s Off the Hook on 1242 to hear Will’s report on what’s going on in Gippsland!

The Tambo is the go right now GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

You know the fishing is out of control when the banks of the lower Tambo River are lined with anglers and boats parked everywhere.

The size of the bream is also impressive with

countless numbers of fish 1kg or better. The action there dominates this report and over the next few weeks expect to find these same bream moving up the rivers into fresher water looking for their spring spawning grounds. It will be a very busy time ahead for bream anglers and with exceptional river flows it’s going to be another bumper breeding

SHALLOW INLET CARAVAN PARK dg On the Waters Edge

FRESH BAIT | HIRE BOATS | ICE • Easy Easy ac acces access cesss for for boats boats • 10 cabins (3 with ensuites) • LPG gas refills os • Kiosk

FREE ADVICE ON WHERE THEY’RE BITING

OPEN

from dawn to dusk

7 DAYS

• Plen Plenty P lenty ty of pow powere powered eredd and unpowered camping sites • BBQs • Playground

Lester Rd Yanakie WILSONS PROM E sicp@sicp.com.au

03 5687 1385

season. I’m sure all of us will release most, if not all of these vulnerable spawning fish.

SANDWORM THE BEST The bait fishing will continue to be amazing and the best by far has been sandworm, followed by frozen prawn and live shrimp surprisingly a little slow. The new cured sandworm bait is a real hit and working just as good as the fresh or live worm and turning up in a lot of shops now. Most anglers who are prepared to fish hard and move around a little have returned home very happy.

I’m hearing plenty of stories of big bream surprising even the keenest hard core anglers and 40-42cm fish have not been rare. The last 500m of the Tambo before it empties out into the lake is where most of the action is and sometimes hard to squeeze in and find

3SER FISHING SHOW 7am-9am

DAN LEE

Every Friday Morning

LUKE McCREDDEN

LEE RAYNER

Take you through what’s biting in your area.

Plu s in fo rm at ion on t he lat e st t ackle a n d te c h n i q ue s .

SPECIAL GUESTS EACH WEEK. 3SER Broadcast LIVE on the internet at www.3SER.org.au 32

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

a fishing spot! Lure anglers have tried to move in on the Tambo action as well, but for some reason the bream there are ignoring just about anything thrown at them.

Bait has been the key to success in that area for a good two months now and although that action will slow a little, I suspect a lot of fish will still hang around until early summer. Other areas also fishing well using worm or prawn include the Nicholson at the boat ramp, the Silt Jetties and the Metung jetties.

My neighbours also jagged some cracker bream to 40cm recently, down at the mouth of the Latrobe River on frozen prawn. This is quite a find due to the high flow of fresh muddy water and truckloads of pesky carp around. It goes to show that big bream can turn up just about anywhere at times.

LURE SPORT As for lure anglers it’s been all about targeting deep water and that will carry on until late spring I reckon. Hotspots will continue to be the lower Nicholson and Mitchell rivers and the jetties around Metung and Raymond Island. The Strike Pro Micro Vibe is turning plenty of bream especially for those who paint them black and the Ecogear VX blade in almost any colour just as deadly.

Without too much effort most lure guys are putting together over 50 bream a session when the bream are biting freely and a more modest tally of 20 or so when they sulk a little.

Early morning from dawn to till about 10am has been the premium bite time and then another flurry of activity an hour before dark. Some days have seen the bream on the chew all day long and returning massive numbers of bream per angler not out of the question.

Nearly all of these bream have

Sometimes a little innovation is needed to trick fish and I found the bream keen to attack this blade and plastic hybrid lure recently. been between 26-32cm, just big enough to provide good sport.

Bigger bream to 38cm were sitting right up hard on the jetty pylons and responded better to sinking hardbodid stick baits like Shinkus. The bigger bream at the moment are fairly scarce and nothing like the countless numbers of smaller fish stacked up in about 5m of water. Sometimes on the sounder you can see the bream so thick in the water column, the schools look about 2-3m thick.

As always these big mobs need tracking down and they congregate in a few select areas.

The fish also move around quite a lot so if you re-visit a recent productive area, don’t expect to find them again. They might only move 50-100m but without careful searching it can be the difference between 10 fish or over 50 for the day.

SCHOOLING YELLOWFIN BREAM You will notice by now that my last few reports keep making reference to yellowfin bream. This time on jetties and even open water, I have found these great sport fish schooling up. I cast lures alongside a couple of fellas also blading up a big score of bream when all of a sudden the

three of us starting pulling up yellowfin with nearly every cast. I pointed out to Lewis Bolton and Russell Stringer that schooling yellas was something I’d never seen before in the Gippy Lakes and it confirms yet again that yellowfin bream are making this part of Gippsland their home.

Mick Gned from Traralgon and his mate Tubby also found a heap of yellas on the day. Between all of us we returned well over 200 bream for the day and I counted 16 of my fish to be all yellas. I’m guessing the other guys caught at least that many again.

LUDERICK Other fish making their presence felt are luderick. A few are turning up on fresh sandworm but I’m getting quite a number taking my blades meant for bream.

Some nice fish are turning up too with most of them 32-35cm and its common for me to pick up 3-4 luderick on any given day. They are mainly in the eastern areas of the Gippsland Lakes from the Mitchell flats down to Metung and even bigger numbers closer to Lakes Entrance.

Fishing fever finally takes over from footy fever BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Footy Fever is over for another year so now ‘Fishing Fever’ takes over; it’s time to concentrate on heading to Bemm River to enjoy the warm spring weather, pristine beaches, tranquil relaxing atmosphere and excellent fishing.

The fishing has been slow in the past month due to the amount of fresh water entering the lake system as a result of recent heavy winter rains.

Bream seem to be seeking the shallower areas, thus the jetties and fishing platform have been ideal locations.

The odd flatty is still about in the sandy areas, such as opposite the storm hut near the channel entrance.

The entrance has been open since the end of May and, due to an incredibly wet

winter season and king tides, has maintained its opening.

Even during the inclement weather conditions, the determined anglers have worked their way throughout the system with quality fish but not quantity.

Frozen prawn, soft plastic and vibes are still very effective.

When conditions have allowed, the surf has produced salmon and tailor.

I would also like to alert visitors to be vigilant regarding snakes as they are now starting to move about, especially along our riverbanks and surf beach areas.

We are still frantically trying to obtain navigation aids for our waterways. This has been an ongoing battle for many years. With the amount of people visiting this area, it is imperative we obtain navigation aids before we experience a tragedy, especially in the evenings

There have been some massive tailor on the chew at Bemm River – this can only get better as spring progresses.

when people like to go prawning.

It is unbelievable to think Bemm River is one of the

only places in Gippsland that does not have navigation aids.

Any information would be greatly appreciated and

can be directed to the address below.

• Book your accommodation and

boat hire early to avoid disappointment, ask Robyn or David about a ‘package deal’!

Salmon really on the chew NINETY MILE BEACH

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Ninety Mile Beach has been tough to fish due to some very wild weather, however it’s time for the gummy sharks to make an appearance.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING Due to the wind there has been a few fishable days despite the weather and the windy conditions have created some very good situations for the salmon.

Keen anglers have been mainly spinning the beaches as the persistent wind has created a lot of side wash and brought in some weed as well.

This made bait fishing last month almost impossible, but the spin anglers were able to walk with the side wash casting lures, using the side wash to their advantage by slowing the retrieve down and using the current to give the metal lures action in the water. McLoughlins surf beach has been the most popular and this has been because anglers have had the option to walk to the entrance of the estuary in case there was no action on the surf.

This was proven a wise move as spin anglers were able to find schools of salmon along the way and catch some good fish.

There haven’t been any huge

quantities of salmon each day but some anglers are finding schools of little fish with a few 60cm salmon mixed in.

Metal lures around 40g have been around the right size for the conditions, but on good days you can get away with smaller lures. Spin jigging has been a popular technique as well, as this allows the lure to sink to the bottom and bought in bouncing along the lower part of the water column, which is great if the salmon are not on the surface or are in a lethargic mood.

Offshore there have been schools of birds diving around 1km off the surf at most beaches, so there is definitely a lot of bait fish around and more than likely plenty more salmon to come.

They just need to come in a bit closer.

WHAT’S TO COME We have just hit the start of gummy shark season, so now is the time to get to the Ninety Mile Beach after work and chase the gummies.

October is the best gummy shark month of the whole year, especially on the week of the full moon and during any tide changes either early morning or evening.

Golden Beach always fishes well for gummy sharks during spring but in fact the whole eastern end of Ninety Mile from Loch Sport to Seaspray produces fantastic gummy shark fishing this time of year.

Aaron Marsh holds up an early season gummy. You have to brave the cold, but fish the full moon with fresh bait and surf poppers and you will catch them.

Seven-gill sharks will make an appearance this month and they will be by-catch for the gummy shark anglers fishing at night time.

To be guaranteed a gummy shark this month, use a surf popper on your top dropper of your paternoster rig but put a little bit of squid on it. I like the squid legs, as they don’t fly off when you cast.

On your bottom dropper, either use pilchards with Bait-mate or fuse wire to keep it on the hook, or use

bluebait or better yet, fresh salmon pieces if you can.

If you do this around the full moon and the weather is good, you will catch a gummy shark.

• 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. Turn in to Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner’s Off the Hook on 1242 to hear Will’s Report on what’s going on in Gippsland!

Platinum Dealers Allways Angling

03 5174 8544

TRARALGON

Alpine Country

03 5134 1380

SALE

Boats and More

03 5822 2108

SHEPPARTON

C.H.Smith Marine Pty Ltd

03 9417 1077

COLLINGWOOD

Cranbourne Bait and Tackle

03 5996 6500

CRANBOURNE

Gone Fishin Sales

03 9770 8142

CARRUM DOWNS

Hooked on Bait & Tackle

03 9748 3811

HOPPERS CROSSING

Hooked on Rods & Reels

03 5561 7213

WARRNAMBOOL

Ray Long’s Fishing World

03 5222 3257

MANIFOLD HEIGHTS

Southern Sportfishing

03 9589 5666

BLACK ROCK

Venus Bay Fishing, Beach & Surf

03 5663 7222

VENUS BAY

W H Parker

03 5231 2401

COLAC

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

33

Spring in full bloom as fish get on the chew MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

With the winter behind us, and the spring here showing its arrival with all the trees and shrubs in full blossom, reminding us that nature is renewing the region for another season.

By all reports the coming season will be a boomer.

Bream have been entering the system in big numbers on their annual spawning run, and when they detect the time is right they head up the rivers and small streams to the areas they spawn and cerates the next generation to ensure the

future fishing of our area.

Bream are not the only fish to enter the system on their spawning run, schools of mullet have entered along with the bream and soon schools of estuary perch will follow.

With all the fish in the system it is no wonder the fishing is great and will get even better as the warmer months arrive and warm up the water in the system.

With warmer water, prawns will start to move from their secluded spots that is their hatchery, and move down the estuary closer to the entrance for their run to sea. When the prawns mature it creates another exciting

fishing prospect.

Not only do we all like to gather a few prawns for the table, but it enables us to gather a few for live bait and others for frozen bait for another time.

The other exciting prospect of having the prawns in even greater numbers each month is they attract huge schools of fish of many species to move into the system to feast on the annual run of prawns.

With lots more fish available the fishing will be better still, and give a better chance to target their favourite species on either bait or lures.

Although the surf beaches

Big Australian salmon make their mark around the mouth of the Snowy River at Marlo from time to time – they make for great sport. fish well all year round, the warmer months see gummy shark start to run close to shore along with elephant fish and small but legal size yellowtail

kingfish and snapper. But of course the bread and butter fish are still here, as salmon, tailor, flathead and mullet can be caught all year round. As

usual the fishing off shore is good with plenty of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, pinkie snapper, morwong and gummy shark.

Prepare for sharks but don’t ignore the estuaries LAKES ENTRANCE

Lucas Smith squidgy_man1@hotmail.com

It’s time to start preparing the bigger gear for shark season.

Offshore and landbased crews are eagerly awaiting the warmer water and bait schools to show up because with the bait brings the predators.

Bronze whaler, hammerhead and seven-gill sharks are commonplace along the East Gippsland beaches both on conventional surf gear and on game outfits which have had baits paddled out and dropped 300-400m out from

the breakers. Early October is the best time to start paddling baits out in search of an early season toothy.

Best baits are normally fresh striped tuna(either whole or fillets) Aussie salmon or squid. Live baits can be effective although if your rig isn’t setup correctly they tend to twist up leaders and make a horrible mess.

Late October is probably your best time to get out and bag a few gummies off the surf beach. Lake Tyers beaches are the best by far, and fresh squid or slimy mackerel are dynamite baits if fished on the incoming tide a week either side of the full moon.

Salmon have been active

READER’S PICTURE

7

36

7A

Merv Williamson enjoying the great fishing at Arthurs Lake in Tasmania.

34

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM V&T FM

FMG SB

This is what a correctly weighted blackfish float looks like. right along the coast and spinning with metal lures not only provides great sport but allows you to cover more water and actively chase the schools as the move along the beach.

The Lake Tyers estuary has been fishing well with flathead moving towards the lower reaches of the system and taking up residence on the shallow sand flats. Bait fishing with peeled prawn, pilchard fillets and cut crab will account for plenty of flathead and some thumping bream.

Fishing soft plastics along the drop offs will see plenty of flathead, bream and the occasional salmon and tailor.

Camerons and trident arms together with Morgans Landing and the island have been fishing well and right down to the Glasshouse where some of the bigger flathead have been taken. Garfish have been caught from the Nowa Nowa boat ramp and also from the Fishermans landing ramp on sandworm fished under a float.

Toorloo Arm has been fairly quiet with the odd flathead caught at Burnt Bridge and Cherry Tree on soft plastics and live prawn.

The bream have been in the

snags but have been hard to tempt. Live shrimp or sandworm could be worth a try fished on a slack line.

Around Lakes Entrance the jetties have been fishing well for trevally and tailor.

Pilchard pieces rigged under a float is a popular technique and is used by many of the locals. Other baits worth trying are sandworm, peeled prawn and shrimp. Small metal lures work well on the tailor but be careful if fishing around the boats. Slack lining live shrimp around the pylons is a gun technique for scoring a few bream and luderick. Generally most of the jetty bream aren’t huge but be prepared if the odd thumper does jump on as they are pretty quick at finding the pylons!

Spinning with small soft plastics and sinking hardbodied lures is a fun way to hit the jetties as most of the time you can sight cast at patches of fish feeding on the poles. Light leaders of 3-4lb are crucial if the water is clear and I generally use a 1/32oz up to a 1/12th oz jighead with 2” curl tail grubs in natural colours. You will also pick up plenty of trevally, salmon, luderick, whiting and flathead on the small grubs.

Pinkie snapper have also shown up in big numbers in Cunningham Arm and will take pretty much anything thrown at them. Pilchard, prawn, squid and soft plastics are being hammered mostly whilst chasing flathead along the sand banks. Some of the pinkies are up to 1.5kg are awesome fun on light gear!

Kalimna Jetty and Bullock Island rock walls are starting to attract the attention of the local luderick brigade. Early reports are promising with some early season thumpers taken on green weed. Generally early in the season the bigger fish are more active and as summer progresses the smaller school size fish fire up, so if you’re after a trophy size luderick now is the time to start chasing one. The run-out tide is always best for them and it pays to watch what other anglers are doing.

Some good Australian salmon have been taken on the start of the run-in tide spinning from Bullock Island

with small metal lures. Some have been around 1kg with most around 35cm which are great fun and if bled and iced straight away will make a good meal if eaten that day.

Whiting haven’t shown up yet but October should see numbers of these tasty fish entering the system. Barrier Landing and Kalimna Jetty through to Nungurner are key areas to fish around the weed beds with fresh shrimp, sandworm and mussel.

The north arm has been fairly quiet but a few bream have been caught around the jetties and the bridge on deep diving hardbodied lures and live spider crab.

Offshore has been hit and miss, with a few anglers finding snapper and the occasional gummy. The weather has been keeping most anglers inshore so let’s hope it improves and the reef systems fire! Keep a good eye out for the schools of striped tuna as they wont be far away.

Jade Nimko with a nice bream caught on sandworm.

Catch rates are improving MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed

With summer on its way, the fishing is picking up, along with everyone’s spirits. We’ve definitely all had enough of the cold weather!

Salmon are still plentiful on all the local beaches with good gutters between Tip Beach and Betka Beach.

Plenty of fish are moving around the entrance area.

The numbers of fish ensure you will catch some, as they have been hitting anything that moves in front of them. If you’re not catching them it’s because they aren’t there.

Salmon schools also have been roaming the lake, with bream anglers encountering fish above Cape Horn.

Flathead are still being

caught by anglers willing to take the time to find them.

At this time of year, 1° of warmer water can mean the difference between a successful session and a fishless one.

When chasing flathead, you may need to try a range of different lures before you find one that works.

I recommend a slow retrieve. At this time of year you can see good

results by working the lure painstakingly slowly.

The main fishing effort has been directed at black bream. Plenty of them are holding upstream from Gypsy Point for spawning, but they can be hard to catch.

Yes, on some days they’re switched on and it can be easy to get them, but usually it’s a challenge.

I recommend suspending hardbodied lures around the

Snapper are now on the move EDEN

Kevin Gleed

Eden, like the rest of the towns on the Far South Coast, is a sleepy, cold town during the Winter months.

As Spring blossoms, so does Eden and when Summer comes around, it’s a hive of activity.

There is still good fishing to be had in the meantime, however.

The inshore reef fishing is good during the cooler months, with snapper on the go.

Once you start seeing cuttlefish backbones washed up on the beach, it’s a good bet that the snapper are on the move.

Plenty of anglers are fishing soft plastics for snapper whenever they spot the fish on their sounder.

These guys rarely fail to get a feed.

Boat anglers are also catching morwong, nannygai and leatherjackets, along with some gummy sharks and sand flathead.

There are plenty of good rock fishing locations along North Head and South Head which will also give

you a good chance of a big snapper.

If you fish from first light with fresh bait and get a good berley trail going, it shouldn’t take long to get some action if snapper are in the area.

As with the beaches, schools of salmon are constantly moving around the headlands.

It’s a good idea to always keep a metal lure rigged on a spare rod. That way, when fish swim by you’ll be ready to put a lure in front of them.

The local beaches all have good gutters as constant wave action and

some big seas have really got the water moving.

The salmon love these areas of the beach because there’s plenty of food washing around. Fish to around 3kg have been caught, with the average fish around 1.5kg.

The rivers are still all flowing well, with the black bream in the estuaries starting to move upstream on their annual spawning run.

These fish can be hard to catch, particularly when the water is clear. To give yourself the best chance, fish in the early morning or late afternoon.

The main fishing effort has been directed at black bream.

Keeping warm makes fishing all day fun for young people. snags but you can also catch fish on soft plastics, blades and vibes.

Of course, as with all the snags in these areas, lure losses are high.

As I mentioned in my last report, the boat ramp at Bastion Point is going ahead, so we can look forward to better access to the ocean.

The concern now is the

current fishing regulations for flathead. When fishing offshore you are allowed 20 fish per person, so four people on an extended trip can keep 80 fish one day, then 80 the next, and so on. If this heavy fishing pressure continues, it won’t be too long before you’ll have to travel a long distance from the boat ramp just to catch a feed.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

35

Your fishing licence Native fish stocking

Stocked waters included: Water

Murray cod

Golden perch

Australian bass

Avoca River

10,000

8,000

-

Avon River

-

-

3,000

Blue Rock Lake

-

-

15,000

This is a record number and the third consecutive year we have stocked more than 2 million native fish.

Boga Lake

5,000

5,000

-

Broken River

20,000

20,000

-

Most were Murray cod, golden perch and Australian bass fingerlings with smaller numbers of Macquarie perch, estuary perch and silver perch.

Buffalo Lake

10,000

5,000

-

Cairn Curran Reservoir

10,000

9,000

-

For a full list of waters visit www.depi.vic.gov.au/nativefish2013

Campaspe River

40,000

80,000

-

Charm Lake

10,000

5,000

-

In addition to fishing licence fees, the Victorian Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $16 million Recreational Fishing Initiative contributes to fish stocking.

Cowwarr Weir

-

-

2,000

Eildon Lake

383,000

200,000

-

Eppalock Lake

21,850

200,000

-

Glenmaggie Lake

-

-

10,000

Goulburn River

97,730

35,000

-

Gunbower Creek

80,000

-

-

Hume Lake

-

80,000

-

Kangaroo Lake

20,000

11,000

-

Kow Swamp

100,000

60,000

-

Laanecoorie Reservoir

20,000

5,000

-

Loddon River

70,000

100,000

-

Macalister River

-

-

2,000

Mitchell River

-

-

5,000

Nagambie Lake

60,300

124,200

-

Narracan Lake

-

-

10,000

Nicholson River

-

-

35,000

Taylors Lake

20,000

5,050

-

Wimmera River

-

22,000

-

Last summer, more than 2.27 million native fish were released into 80 lakes and rivers to improve freshwater fishing opportunities.

Golden perch fingerlings

www.depi.vic.gov.au/fishinggrants

fees at work Murray cod production Our Snobs Creek hatchery, near Eildon, grew a record number of Murray cod last season â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 520,000 of the 1 million we stocked. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how they do it:

Step 1 - Mature Murray cod lay eggs inside artificial nesting boxes, which simulate hollow logs. Several nesting boxes are placed in each broodfish pond during spawning season in spring.

Step 4 - The cod larvae are then stocked into ponds that contain more food, where they will grow to fingerling size over several weeks.

Step 2 - The nesting box is dismantled and the fertilised white eggs, which stick to the plastic liner, are taken into the hatchery.

Step 5 - The ponds are drained and the cod fingerlings collected and prepared for transport in specialised trucks that maintain ideal water temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels.

Step 3 - After they hatch from these eggs, the tiny cod are fed microscopic brine shrimp for 10 days inside the hatchery.

Step 6 - The fingerlings are released into rivers and lakes and take four to six years to reach the minimum length of 60 cm.

Big squid the highlight as prime species return SPEARFISHING

Rob Torelli

October should see some great spearfishing in Port Phillip. Good catches of squid, trevally and scallops are usually taken in the southern parts of Port Phillip.

Reasonable visibility and weather will help and conditions should only improve as we approach Christmas and the summer ahead.

The highlight of the month is some amazing squid in the 2-3kg being sought out by numerous divers seeking these delicacies.

Working the weed beds in the south western part of the bay should produce the best results with usual haunts such as Queenscliff, St Leonards and Indented Head being the most productive.

They can be caught anytime of the day but the old saying ‘early bird gets the worm’ has been true in recent weeks. It also helps if you can dive these areas on a slack tide, as working the current is tough, especially at Queenscliff. If the tide and current is working, try drift diving. This is much more

Ryan Harris and two of his Victorian Challenge snapper. enjoyable and you will often be surprised what else you see and land when drifting several kilometres.

Snapper will be in the

same area, especially with a little berley to help things along. Squid heads obviously make great berley as does any fresh fish minced and

chopped finely in the flowing current. It is also a good way of attracting the squid into range and it makes for a easier shot on the squid.

Early September saw the start of the Victorian Spearfishing Challenge competition. Known simply as the ‘VC’, this competition is free and open to all financial members of the Australian Underwater Federation. The aim is to land the biggest fish of any of the ten nominated quality fish species from September through to June.

Some great fish have already been submitted and this year’s competition looks like it will be keenly contested. Only two of each fish species can be nominated.

Species include Australian salmon, squid, trevally, sea sweep, snook, yellowtail kingfish, flathead, crayfish, whiting and snapper.

The competition attracts Victoria’s best spearfishers and a good array of prizes such as wetsuits, spearguns and so on. Not bad for a “free entry” competition.

For more information about the Victorian Spearfishing Challenge go to: www. southernfreedivers.org.au/ content/about-challenge Spearfishers tend to target

Port Phillip in October due to the ocean beaches having less than favourable conditions and also with crayfish being off limits. I love my Port Phillip diving and it does offer good shallow water spearfishing and hunting and gathering in protected weather conditions and a variety of terrain and styles of diving.

From drift diving through to reef hunting indeed the bay does have a lot to offer. It is ironically perhaps one of the most dangerous locations to dive due to the heavy boat traffic that is evident in the region. The boating traffic in October is very heavy due to snapper and squid season in Port Phillip.

ALWAYS fly your large

clearly visible boat flag AND a personal dive flag.

Over the years there has been a number of serious injuries to divers and even more near misses to spearfishers.

Please do not drop your guard when spearfishing in Port Phillip (or anywhere for that matter) and always fly your flag and use some common sense.

This is particularly evident around dawn and dusk and when spearfishing in remote or non-obvious areas.

Next month the water will continue to warm and the crayfish season will open again (November 16) so get ready for what promises to be an exciting spearfishing season ahead.

Snapper, squid and whiting taken recently from Queenscliff.

Drop in to see your local Dealer!

MORNINGTON, TAS ACTIVE MARINE I 31 Mcintyre Street I PH: 03 6244 5544 w w w. a c t i v e m a r i n e . c o m . a u

CHELSEA HEIGHTS, VIC BAYMARINE SERVICE & SALES I 8 Ashley Park Drive I PH: 03 9772 1800 w w w. b a y m a r i n e . c o m . a u

COBRAM, VIC COBRAM MARINE I 53 Broadway Street

I PH: 03 5872 2212

MILDURA, VIC DEAKIN MOTORCYCLES I 24-28 Deakin Ave I PH: 03 5023 0051 ECHUCA, VIC XTREME MARINE I 24 Sturt Street I PH: 03 5482 2333 w w w. x t r e m e m a r i n e . n e t . a u

MARYBOROUGH, VIC JOHNSON’S AUTO MARINE & CARAVAN CENTRE I 84 Nelson Street I PH: 03 5461 1650 w w w. j o h n s o n c a r a v a n s . c o m . a u

LAKE BOGA, VIC LAKE BOGA MARINE I Murray Valley Hwy I

PH: 03 5037 2354

MELTON, VIC THE MARINE SHOP I 6 Holland Drive I PH: 03 9747 0588 w w w. t h e m a r i n e s h o p . c o m . a u

WARRAGUL, VIC WARRAGUL MARINE CENTRE I South Road I PH: 03 5623 6250 w w w. w a r r a g u l m a r i n e . c o m . a u

HORSHAM, VIC WEBBCON MARINE I 72 Hamilton Road I PH: 03 5381 0600 w w w. w e b b c o n m a r i n e . c o m . a u

38

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

39

Spotlight: Eildon

Spotlight: Lake Eildon Magic EILDON

Andy McCarthy

Eildon is one of Australia’s most diverse, productive and popular waterways.

It is also a massive piece of water that can be very daunting for anglers.

of construction there were over 4,000 people living in the town, a lot more than in 2013.

In 1954, eight shops including a bakery were built and run by locals.

NEARBY ACTIVITIES In the surrounding areas there are three fabulous information centres; one

in Mansfield, which takes care of the northern areas, one in Eildon right near the shopping village and one in Alexandra at Rotary Park. All of these facilities have plenty of information on things to do and places to see, from winery tours as well as some of the incredible bike tracks that

Brown trout in the lake are naturally spawned and get to impressive sizes. This one slammed a Ballista Lure trolled near Bonnie Doon.

THE HISTORY OF LAKE EILDON. In the 1860s the town of Darlingford was founded (so named after the Governor Sir Charles Darling). It was close to the junction of the Goulburn and Big rivers, and people came from around the globe after gold was discovered. Darlingford had a small school, log gaol (jail), seven pubs, five police officers, shops and a post office. With the construction of Sugarloaf Reservoir, Darlingford itself was flooded and a new town began to grow; now known as Eildon.

The water commission constructed homes for workers but for quite some time many workers were still in tents. At the peak

Bobbing for redfin with scrubworms, yabbies or ice jigs around the root balls of the trees is very effective. (Pic courtesy Marc Ainsworth)

FISHING EQUIPMENT HUNTING AND ARCHERY GEAR

LIVE BAIT

BICYCLE SALE AND HIRE

OUTDOOR CLOTHING CAMPING EQUIPMENT

Shop 1/10 High Street Yea • 03 5797 2789 or 0448 077 017 muddycreekfishingoutdoors@gmail.com • Open 7 days, late on Friday

www.muddycreekfishingoutdoors.com.au 40

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

go all around the local shires. There are some fantastic local eateries and produce from the valley for the foodies. There is simply too much to cover, so call in and see the friendly volunteer staff and see what this rich and beautiful area has to offer.

If angling isn’t the main skill or you don’t have the gear why not take the kids to a trout farm and try your luck. There are two trout farms located close by: Eildon Trout Farm and Buxton Trout Farm. Buxton has been lovingly restored after the tragic events of Black Saturday, which all but destroyed the place.

If it is boat hire you are interested in Eildon Outboard Services has a BOAB outlet with a couple of boat options available or you can use Lake Eildon Cruises. There are also plenty of houseboats on Eildon, which is a great way to experience this massive lake.

ON THE WATER It would be safe to say that the southern end of the lake (Eildon area) has the pick of the boat ramps. The

Everybody’s hoping that the ‘Murray Cod Million’ project delivers more big cod like this metre-plus fish in the decades ahead. This one was just over the magic metre mark and was taken on a Bassman Spinnerbait near the dam wall. (pic courtesy Marc Ainsworth) new floating pontoon at the Alliance boat ramp at the dam wall is the best option, although parking can be a problem during peak times and it costs $2 to launch.

The other option in this area is the Jerusalem Creek public ramp. This is also a fantastic ramp and has plenty of close by parking, but does not have a pontoon to tie off on.

Down the southern end, in the Fraser National Park, there are several good concrete ramps and parking is also quite good there.

At the northern end of the lake, by far the best option is the ramp on Maintengoon Road (directly opposite the Bonnie Doon pub). At certain times of the year this ramp can be quite shallow so be wary of this with larger craft. There is also a good launching ramp at the Bonnie Doon Caravan Park.

FUEL, ACCOMODATION, FOOD, BAIT AND TACKLE. There are many towns that offer services. Yea has a tackle store, fuel stop, a great take away, shops and good pub meals and some motel accommodation.

Bonnie Doon also has great food in the main town and at the pub overlooking the lake. It’s not a bad spot for a quiet drink or two! There is also a local service station which has a marine mechanic.

Alexandra has plenty to offer with a couple of service stations, four pubs that have some great meal options, take away food, a tackle store and plenty of accommodation places to boot.

Eildon is a place loaded with accommodation options from the caravan park right on the Pondage to motels over looking the Pondage.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

41

Spotlight: Eildon there is another caravan park with a load of options. Eildon also has a tackle shop in the village with plenty of take away food outlets, a pub, as well as a service station.

Eildon has pretty much all you need and don’t forget there is a mechanic on duty at Eildon Outboard Services.

FISHING THE NORTH WEST The north west incorporates Bonnie Doon, all of the Delatite Arm, Ford Inlet and goes down as far south as Point Shaw.

When the lake level is in the 85% and above mark, as it currently is, the area from the Bonnie Doon Bridge past the caravan park and heading back towards Merton becomes alive with activity as water covers the expansive grassy flats.

This attracts a lot of fish to gorge themselves on worms, beetles, snails and countless amounts of other insects.

This spot is easily accessible for land-based anglers. If you are in a boat it’s in the 5 knot zone so you hopefully won’t have skiers buzzing around.

Bait fishing is always super-productive with worms and mudeyes being the pick of the bunch.

Marc Ainsworth loves hitting the rocky shores for golden perch. Whether casting spinnerbaits, hardbodied lures or lipless crankbaits, Marc experiences consistent success on goldens like this. (Pic courtesy Marc Ainsworth) The resort on the front road has caravan access and motel rooms all on the same grounds as the pub.

On the Eildon Back Road

Flyfishers revel in the waters of the Goulburn River.

Clear and cool, the waters below Eildon Pondage offer exceptional trout habitat. (Pic courtesy Adam Royter)

LAKE EILDON

Bonnie Doon Mansfield Brankeet Inlet

Not to Scale Ford Inlet

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

Open for breakfast from 6.30am everyday Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread

The Pines

Fraser National Park

Delatite Inlet

10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629

Goughs Bay

Totally T Trout rout

FISHING CENTRE

Eildon Boat Harbour To Alexandra and Yea

Eildon Boat Harbour

Howqua Inlet

Eildon

At Totally Trout Fishing Centre you can expect a high level of service and good quality products from people with local knowledge and competitive prices!

Eildon Pondage Thornton Jerusalem Inlet

• Live bait • Maps • Lures • Knives • Life jackets • Rods and reels • Camping equipment • Ammunition and hunting equipment • Large range of flies and fly tying equipment • Compound bows • Licences (Vic and NSW) OPEN 7 DAYS Phone 03 5772 2662 • Fax 03 5772 2641 Shop 2/42 Downey Street Alexandra Victoria 3714 info@totallytrout.com.au • www.totallytrout.com.au 42

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Goulburn Inlet Big River

Jamieson 0

1km

Rubicon River Eildon Lower Pondage

Cemetary Upper Pondage

KEY

Boat Ramp

Disabled Fishing Pontoons

Wheelchair Access Vehicle Road/Track Dam Wall

Spotlight: Eildon LAKE EILDON FISH STOCKING

Fisheries Victoria has a long history of stocking fish into Lake Eildon. The lake does contain a selfsustaining population of trout that breed in the tributaries during winter. Most are brown trout but there are some rainbows.

The lake’s productivity boomed after the recent drought broke and all that water rose over new ground. Trout and redfin benefited hugely, along with

Eildon Pondage is stocked with trout, but the majority of trout in Lake Eildon are wild fish that have been born in its upstream tributaries over winter. native fish such as golden perch and Murray cod, both of which have been stocked in recent decades in large numbers.

Much less so than trout, these two native species depend on stocking to create recreational fisheries.

Golden perch don’t successfully breed in most lakes (but do roe up and behave like they’re trying). Several million golden perch fingerlings have been released into the lake since the 1990s. They’ve created one of the state’s best native fisheries, especially in spring.

A small self-sustaining fishery for Murray cod has always existed in the lake, but elevated stockings have taken the fishery to a new level. Everybody’s bracing themselves for exciting things to come as

One million extra Murray cod were stocked into Lake Eildon over three years in a bold project funded by Victorian fishing licence fees. the ‘Murray Cod Million’ projects delivers huge pulses of new ‘greenfish’ into the lake. It’s the largest cod stocking endeavour in the country!

All the one million extra Murray cod (stocked in addition to the 50,000 the lake was receiving annually) into Lake Eildon have been marked internally with a harmless food dye. A detailed fish population will assess the contribution these fish make to the overall cod population in the lake.

In the neighbourhood Stocking also occurs in the Eildon Pondage with large numbers of ex-broodfish, some as large as 3kg, released through the year. The Goulburn River below the Pondage is also stocked each year, but does contain a wild, self-sustaining population of trout too.

Fish production at Snobs Creek along with fish purchases from other hatcheries is all funded by recreational fishing licence fees and the State Government’s $16 million Recreational Fishing Initiative. – DEPI

Shallow running hardbodied lures such as Cranka minnows, Rapalas, and small StumpJumpers are also very effective on trout as well as golden perch.

In spring if you see a fish tailing in the shallows, don’t just assume its a carp.

Golden perch and trout both tail around in these waters. Small soft plastics like Squidgies and Berkeley T-Tails also do well in the shallows, especially when finesse-rigged with a 1/16oz to 1/24oz size 2 jighead.

Flyfishers will do very well here too.

The golden perch season is firing along nicely from Bonnie Doon all the way to where the Delatite Arm starts. This is a very productive and large area and there are heaps of points which hold good numbers of schooling goldens. My favourite two lures for this style of fishing are TN60 Jackalls and Berkley Black n Gold T-Tails on a heavier 1/8oz jighead.

In these areas you will also pick up plenty of redfin and the occasional Murray cod (remember the closed season from Sept 1 to Nov 30) and don’t be scared to throw a small spinnerbait.

The same methods apply into the Delatite Arm. Ford Inlet last year produced some big trophy redfin to almost 50cm and a lot of goldens to boot.

Further south down to Point Shaw there are a dozen or so small bays that fish very well. There is also is a very healthy cod population in this area, so remember this for December when cod season opens.

FISHING THE SOUTH WEST The south west runs south of Point Shaw including Woolshed, Italian Bay, Frasers and Taylor Bay right up to the dam wall.

This area is one of my favourites with an abundance of places and species in good numbers.

The wall at Point Shaw has been a great place for many anglers over the years but fishes better when the lake is at 30-50%. It is also a great place to troll a Tassie Devil around 100m off the wall at dusk. Some massive trout gather here.

I caught my personal best trout here, a 3.2kg rainbow.

This area fishes well in all the bays, such as Italian Bay, Woolshed and Coller Bay. Bolte Bay and Taylor Bay are all top redfin hotspots.

The redfin are usually found in 12-15m of water, but use your sounder to pin point where they are.

Simply jig soft plastics or scrubworms at the base of trees and you should do ok.

When searching for reddies place your boat on a point and follow the point out into deeper water. Use your sounder to locate structure and schooling fish. Some of

my most productive spot are 50-60m off a point where there is timber coming out of the water.

There are plenty of natives around here, so I always search hard for rocky patches near drop offs. These areas tend to hold warmer water temperatures and attract the fish.

The Pines all the way along to McDonald Island is also very productive, particularly for trout and golden perch. Trolling along this section with lures that dive between 2-4m and Tassie Devils in the dual depth model set to the deep setting is a great option. Once again any of these points and trees can hold schooling redfin so if you find a school keep them active by always making sure there is a lure in the water. This stretch is a go-to spot for cod in season with plenty of lay down timber structure.

The author with a chunky golden perch. Lake Eildon is described by many visitors as the best golden perch water in the state. (Pic courtesy Marc Ainsworth)

ANGLING FLY FISHING DAM STOCK FRESH FISH PICNIC AREAS LOCAL WINES REGIONAL PRODUCE FREE BBQ AREAS ... AND MORE!

FISH FOR DINNER  GUARANTEED! 9am-5pm every day except Christmas

03 5773 2377 eildontroutfarm.com.au

PICK UP SHEPPARTON OR LAKE EILDON

SHEPPARTON & ECHUCA

03

5822 2108 www.boatsandmore.com.au 207 Numurkah Rd Shepparton Vic 3630

EILDON Bait & Tackle 7-8 Main St Eildon VIC 3713

03·5774 2712 0 • Camping Gear • Fishing Licence • Fishing Tackle and Bait • Water Sports Equipment • Boat Safety Gear • Clothing • ICE

Come and talk to Gary Constantine about your fishing needs today!

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

43

Spotlight: Eildon

BOAT HIRE Lake Eildon

WE HIRE: • Fishing boats • Kayaks • Pedal boats LAKE EILDON CRUISES Kennedys Point Boat Ramp, Maintongoon Rd, Bonnie Doon 3720 0422 166 986 • eildoncruises@optusnet.com.au • lakeeildoncruises.com.au

WE HAVE IT ALL

CAMPING FISHING OUTDOORS

FISHING THE SOUTH EAST The south east covers the area from the dam wall, the main arm to Jerusalem Creek and all the way to the Big River Arm. This area is the most popular and most heavily fished area on the lake. The dam wall, at certain times, is an awesome place to fish but you must pick your times because it does get hammered on weekends. If you want to specifically target this area, try to organise a mid-week trip to avoid the crowds.

At times, the south east area holds massive schools of golden perch getting ready to spawn and slow fishing methods dominate catchrates. Slow fished Jackall TN60s or TN50s do very well, as do Berkley T-Tails.

Sending out a searching dry on the fly. The shallow runs and riffles, interspersed with deep, slow pools mean any flyfishing passion can be practised on the Goulburn River.

Boat - Trailer - Caravan - Parking Fishing Tackle

All Major Brands

Live Bait

Accessories

SPECIALISE IN CUSTOM MADE CANVAS GOODS Camping Equipment

Bags, Swags, etc

SNOWY MOUNTAIN OUTDOOR CENTRE/RUG CO

2/165 Mt. Buller Rd MANSFIELD

03) 5775 1105 www. snowymountainrugco. com.au

OPEN 7 DAYS COLD BEER AND BISTRO MEALS Eildon Resort offers a range of accomodation styles...

• Hotel • Motel units • Caravan park • Bunkhouse • Lodge with bunkrooms for groups

TAB S TIE FACILI

BINGOAY TUESDM 1-3P

COURTESY BUS AVAILABLE

EILDONHOLIDAYRESORT@BIGPOND.COM

www.eildonholidayresort.com.au 44

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Lake Eildon’s cod are healthy. Check out the roundness of this cod. Small redfin, plenty of yabbies and an angry reputation mean the cod never go hungry for long!

On both sides of the arm between the dam wall and Jerusalem Creek, many fish of all species over a very long period of time have succumbed to anglers, especially Murray cod. With so much good structure and habitat, it always seems to consistently hold fish.

Jerusalem Creek is a great spot and many anglers, while trolling, pick up good numbers of trout by flat lining Tassie Devils. Pink does the trick almost all year round and this area also holds quality schools of reddies. I caught a whopping 7kg golden perch here while trolling for trout, so be prepared for something different.

The stretch from Jerusalem Creek to Point Knight is a quality trout trolling run on either side of the channel, just off the tree line. This is also a great redfin spot, especially in 12-15m of water.

Big River is the most fished location of all on the lake. It prospers year after year. Some amazing trout in double figures come out of here every season and quite a few native fish are caught as well. There is plenty of water up there and plenty of places to camp; it’s just an all around gem of a spot.

FISHING THE NORTH EAST The north east of Eildon covers from Champagne Point, all of Goughs Bay, the Howqua Inlet and the Goulburn Arm. This neck of the woods is the most under-fished section of the lake. The Big River Arm can often be packed with boats yet this end of the lake will be empty.

The trout fishing in the upper Goulburn area is fantastic and very peaceful to boot. It also holds good numbers of golden perch and cod. There are plenty of redfin here as well. The Howqua is a great location with plenty of trout and

Remember Eildon is close to the snow country and bad weather can arrive at any time. This magnificent golden perch nailed an Oar-Gee for Marc Ainsworth only days before Christmas with sleety rain and temperatures below 10°C experienced for four days! (Pic courtesy Marc Ainsworth)

Spotlight: Eildon RIVERS The Goulburn, Acheron and Rubicon rivers have all had a great winter rest with plenty of rain to freshen them up. Consistency in river flows is important for good fishing so it is hoped flow from the Pondage allows the fish settle.

The best bet is to find backeddies and casting lightlyweighted plastics and very shallow running hardbodied lures where the flow meet the still. Flyfishers will do well to fish the seams with

deep nymphs or swinging big Woolly Buggers across the current.

GET HERE Eildon, the lake, the Pondage and the rivers above and below the lake provide exceptional fishing for a diverse range of fish. At any time of the year Eildon will provide a fishing option.

Whether your tastes go to trout on fly or trout on bait, whether you love chasing golden perch and cod, whether you want to fish from a boat or from

the shore, or even if you just love catching a feed of redfin, Eildon delivers.

There are few places in Australia where all of this fishing action comes together in one place. Add in an incredible service industry around the fishing, a massive number of non-fishing activities and some of the most spectacular river, lake and mountain areas you will find, and it’s easy to see that the Eildon area must be on your hit list.

Small brown trout are relatively abundant and feasting on the oversupply of small redfin. Any small lure, be that a winged lure or a hardbody, even a soft plastic, will attract their attention. This one was caught on a Rapala CD5. (Pic courtesy Marc Ainsworth) reddies. It sees a little more traffic than the Goulburn, but holds up very well all year round. Goughs Bay is one of the best redfin spots of all on the lake. The fish love schooling up in

big numbers and are quite easy to find. From Calder Cove to the entrance to the Goulburn Arm is also a good spot for natives and once again doesn’t get over fished.

EILDON BIG FISH CHALLENGE

Dates:......Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October Entry: ......Adults $25. Junior/Kids $10. Family $60 Enjoy a weekend of Fishing, food stalls, wine tasting, music, children’s amusements, trade displays and fishing demonstrations. Go to www. eildonbigfishchallenge.com.au for more information.

PONDAGE With several stockings by fisheries recently, including 100+ big brood stock, things are looking good for spring in the Pondage. The Pondage fishes best with a consistent water level, but that doesn’t often happen.

If it does we should see some consistent catches being taken. Bait fishing is best for these big brood fish; worms and Powerbait are the preferred baits to get into some big fish action in the Pondage.

Fishing the steeper banks in search of goldens, cod, redfin and trout. A fantastic way to spend some time with the family as Dirk Wendt and his two kids Danielle and Cameron found out last summer. (Pic courtesy Marc Ainsworth)

ow owner-fishing.com.au wne nerr fis rfi hi hing ng.c .com .c om m.a au

For over 30 years, Owner Hooks has produced a range of high quality, high performance fishing hooks.

The Owner range has a constant theme, Perfection in Hooks. The extensive Owner range has hooks for every fishing situation allowing anglers to fish with the very best no matter what fishing style.

If you want to fish with the very best visit the Owner Australia website to see the full range of Owner hooks, accessories and Cultiva lures. www.owner-fishing.com.au

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

45

The big flatties awaken MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

It’s a cracking time of year to fish the local estuaries with the transition period in full swing. With the water around 18° and getting warmer by the day, those Summer species are getting active again.

Big flathead will be on most estuary sport fishers’ lists as the big girls come out of hibernation.

On Merimbula and Pambula lakes we can expect crocs to 90cm and bigger this month, with the main basins the places to fish.

I’d be concentrating around the ribbon weed edges in 4m-9m, depending on which system your fishing.

Cast your offering to the shallow edge and work it back over the drop. Soft plastics and larger vibes work a treat.

If you can locate whitebait

schools, this will enhance your chances. There will be plenty of eating-size fish to 55cm, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get a feed for the family.

Anglers who like to target mulloway will be getting excited, with the Top Lake at Merimbula the place to fish.

Every year we see fish to 20kg caught, mainly by bait fishers, and this is a great time to put the effort in.

A flooding tide is best; anchor up on the eastern weed bank and fish back into 7m-10m of water. Best baits are tailor fillets, fresh squid and if you can get them, live mullet.

If the bigger fish aren’t for you then the lower sections of the channel below the main bridge in town will have bream, trevally, blackfish and flathead there for the taking.

As the month progresses more whiting will start to enter the system and be viable propositions on the flats on live squirt worms or bass yabbies.

OFFSHORE With the wind that’s been blowing, outside anglers have had sporadic fishing at best but when the breeze has abated, some exceptional fishing has been on offer.

The local reefs are still producing good bags of snapper, with switched-on anglers getting their bags on most outings. The reds are widespread so you have to put the time in to locate them but once you do, you’re in business.

Most fish are averaging 1.5kg-2kg with the odd better red nudging 5kg on squid strips, pilchards and tuna cubes.

Mixed in with the snapper are morwong, trevally and the odd kingfish. In fact the kings should really turn up this month.

Most years we start to see good schools of kings around 3kg-5kg with Long Point and Haycock Reef good places to start looking.

With the weather warming up it’s a great time to get the whole family out and smack some fish.

They should respond well to live bait, jigs and squid but they can be fussy early in the season so it’s best to have all bases covered.

Those heading out wider looking for tuna may be rewarded but a lot will depend on conditions like water temperature, current and bait activity.

In recent weeks there have

been albacore and a few stray southern bluefin caught but it will be hit and miss. Trolling smaller skirted pushers and bibbed minnows would be the go if you decided to take the long drive out.

I’d be waiting another month or so and save the fuel for when the fishing really hots up.

On the beaches and rocks the usual culprits will be there.

Bream numbers are increasing around the estuary mouths. I expect this great action to continue right through the month.

Mixed in with the bream are some solid whiting, with Merimbula Main producing some exceptional fishing. The flooding tide has been best with live beachworms and pipi the gun baits.

Smaller estuaries better NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The estuaries around the Narooma region have continued to produce with the smaller systems like Tuross, Mummaga and Corunna Lakes the better ones to try.

Most species are having

a go now that the water is slowly warming.

A lot of anglers will be targeting flathead as they come out of their Winter slumber, with bait and lure anglers succeeding.

These smaller systems have fished quite well over Winter for eating-size models, but this month the big girls will get active and I expect some crocs upwards of 90cm. Early

• More speed • Rated for up to 35hp • Lower fuel consumption • Better handling • No more back pain • Super light-weight construction • Compact, in-unit motor & pump... no external plumbing!!

ELECTRIC HYDRAULIC TILT & TRIM UNITS FOR TINNIES cmcsales.com.au

PH 46

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

0409 910 808

in the season these breeders will be hungry.

I like targeting them with lures of 100mm and bigger on 1/2oz heads fished slowly near the bottom. These fish will still be a little lethargic, hence the slower retrieve, but instinct and hunger will take over so expect the bite to be quite aggressive.

Concentrate around the lake margins in 3m-5m.

At Tuross, the river is a great place to start. Every season some big fish come from these shallows.

There’s a heap of other species willing to fill the gap.

Bream numbers will increase, especially yellowfin bream as they head back into the estuaries after their Winter spawn along the beaches and rocks.

In October the lower sections of the estuaries are usually best for bream so concentrate in the channels that feed water to the basins.

You should be able to get trevally, blackfish, a few flatties and whiting in the same areas with plastics and fresh prawns, worms and tuna cubes.

OFFSHORE Anglers after kingfish will be getting a little excited as these superb fighting species increase in numbers on the reefs and at Montague Island.

Over recent weeks a few kings have been about but as we head further into the month things will definitely get better.

This time of year jigs are popular and highly effective, with most kings averaging 3kg-5kg. You will get the odd bigger fish to 8kg but school size fish are the norm.

The boys with some solid black bream prior to release. These fish will start to spread out after recent spawning and will be ideal to target around the lake margins.

For the bigger models live bait will be more effective.

You can get all the livies you want out the front of the golf course rocks or the reef off Narooma’s Main Beach.

Where the kings will be will depend on a number of factors but if you look around the western side of Montague (Fowlhouse Reef) or down south around the pinnacles, you should be in business.

Big bonito will be mixed in with the kings. These speedsters have been catchable all year and some are nudging 7kg. At that size they certainly have a go and are not bad on the plate if bled on capture and popped in an ice slurry.

On the reefs the snapper have been OK without being red-hot.

Some crews fishing around Potato Point have done pretty well on fish to 4kg, although they’re doing the hard yards.

These reds are an early morning proposition so latecomers will be disappointed.

Depths of 55m-60m have seen most of the action

and I’ve heard of the odd kingfish being caught by the snapper fishos.

It may be worthwhile taking a jig outfit and a few livies if you’re planning a snapper trip; you never know when the kingies will turn up.

Those after flathead are doing very well on sandies in 30m-35m straight off Kianga.

Once you locate a patch it won’t take long before you reach your bag of 20.

Tiger flathead can be found a little further out, in 60m-plus, and these excellent eating fish are in awesome numbers at present.

Some days you may have to move around a little to get away from the leatherjackets but your effort will be rewarded with tasty fillets for the pan.

ROCK, BEACH The ocean rocks are in the transition period, like most fishing at this time of year.

It’s possible to get a feed of blackfish, drummer and bream, then follow up with whole pilchards or chrome lures for some action on salmon, tailor, bonito and smaller kingfish. To

me, that’s a cracking mix.

Better ledges to try include Dalmeny Headland, the Golf Course Rocks in town and south of town, Mystery Bay’s high rock.

It’s an exciting time for beach fishos with bream and mulloway definite targets this month.

Both species will be entering the various estuaries along the coast, with the mouth of Tuross a hot spot to target. Every year solid jewies get caught on the southern end of Blackfellows Beach and if early reports of jewies around 8kg from here are anything to go by, that’s the area I’d be concentrating on.

Better baits include squid, pilchards, salmon and tailor strips and the best of them all – big bunches of live beach worms.

When using worms, don’t be afraid to cast your offering just past the shore dump; mulloway don’t need a lot of water to feed and you could be pleasantly surprised how many fish come from this skinny water.

Troll up some early game BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsestuaryfishing@bigpond.com

October can mark the beginning of the game season, with many small to mid-range tuna, sharks and maybe even an early season billfish, so I reckon you have to give it a try.

Trolling is the obvious way to go at this time of year.

Different styles and actions of lures are often needed to determine what the fish are focusing on. A mixture of small to medium skirts with a couple of bibbed or bibless lures is worth spreading out.

Once you find what the fish are taking then you can concentrate your efforts.

Albacore and striped, bluefin or yellowfin tuna are all likely to fall to this method, especially wide of the continental shelf.

If you are lucky enough to have found tuna or you want something different and bigger, try berleying with the tuna out over one of the canyons for a big mako shark. They are likely to be following these fish.

While you wait for a shark to come along and if

Striped tuna are always early season prospects. you have the appropriate reels, try some deep water angling for tasty fish from the abyss in the form of blue-eye trevalla, ling cod,

perch, hapuku or gemfish.

Kingfish may be at Montague Island and it’s definitely worth a look, just in case.

What have turned up offshore are flathead, and plenty of them. Big, juicy tiger flathead are spread up and down the coast in 40m-60m-plus depths.

There are also some nice sand flatties, a few gummy sharks and the odd small whaler. If you drift onto the reef snapper, morwong, perch, pigfish and nannygai are also likely to start featuring.

ESTUARY Back on shore, with the warming weather there is action starting up in the many estuaries around Bermagui, most of which are containing prawn stocks.

This is a good time for lure anglers, with prawn imitations taking the lion’s share.

Most of the shallower reaches of the upper systems are producing reasonable flathead, bream, tailor and the occasional jewfish.

Wallaga Lake is the pick.

For those wishing to fish nippers or prawns, the Bermagui River is loaded with big luderick over the weedy flats and other species like whiting, bream, trevally and mullet are also strong by-catch.

There’s nothing like an early season kingfish.

This is also a good river to fish at night under the lights of the main bridge. The lights reflect the silhouettes of passing baitfish or crustaceans, making easy prey for the predators lurking in the shallows.

Anglers can use lures or baits to enjoy some very interesting sessions.

Don’t forget, the annual Brogo Bass Bash, now in its 15th year, will be held on Brogo Dam on December 6-8. Anyone wishing to join this great fun weekend should call me on 0427 934 688 or visit www.fscbsa. weebly.com to download an entry form. Also check out the FSCBSA Facebook page.

Swinging in yet another juicy flathead.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

47

Warmer weather sees more anglers on the water HORSHAM

Alastair Vanstan bigalvanstan@yahoo.com.au

After a very welcome wet winter our waters are now looking the best they have in a long time and with the warmer weather of spring now just around the corner, we can expect plenty of great fishing action for many months to come.

As we head further into spring, keen yabbiers will also be out in force and trying a number of waters that look set to produce another great yabby season after all the rain we have had boosting their water levels. Popular yabby waters in the Wimmera include Green Lake, Clear Lake, Miga Lake, Lake Bellfield and numerous other swamps and waterholes across the region.

LAKE TOOLONDO The wonderful Lake Toolondo is still the pick of our waters and looks set to be for some time yet. Some magnificent brown and rainbow trout up to 2.5kg have been coming out lately, as well as some nice catches of redfin to 1kg or so. The average size trout are around the 1-1.5kg mark and are being taken in good number whether you are

48

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

into bait, lure or fly fishing.

It’s at this time of year that the mudeye fishing is at its best. Bug or ‘couta mudeye fished under a simple bubble or quill float rig is a sure fire way of catching the trout here, particularly concentrating around the timbered or weed bed areas.

Trolling continues to be very popular and is also taking plenty of fish. A wide range of lures are working but I have been doing well on pink, white or gold Tassie Devils, Rapala minnows and Pegron spoons.

Drifting and casting hardbodied lures or soft plastics amongst the snags is also doing very well.

The best flyfishing has either been from a drifting boat or from wading the west or north shores. At this time of year there is a lot of bug mudeye and baitfish about in the shallows so good flies have been Mrs Simpson, Woolly Buggers and Hammils killers.

LAKE WARTOOK The fishing has been getting better here with some nice brown trout to 2kg and the occasional rainbow trout also being caught. Anglers have had to work a bit harder for results at this water lately but those that have put the time and effort in have been rewarded with

some very nice fish, and you definitely can’t beat the great scenery on offer here.

The best fishing has come to those fishing mudeye under bubble floats and the early mornings have been producing the best fishing. Good areas have been at the wall, the island and up the north end. A few nice redfin to 1.5kg have also been caught by anglers chasing trout.

WIMMERA RIVER With the terrific rains freshening up the river the fishing has been steadily getting better here and once we get some warm weather it is really going to fire up I reckon. The Jeparit stretch of river above and below the weir continues to impress with some very nice catches of redfin over 1kg along with some very nice yellowbelly. Trolled or cast lures have been working well as has bait fishing with scrubworms and small yabbies.

Around the Horsham stretch there has been some nice yellowbelly around the 1-1.5kg mark about along with plenty of carp and the odd redfin on worms and yabbies.

Good areas have been at the show grounds and the weir. The Dimboola section has also been good for yellowbelly and stacks of carp as well. Bait fishing and

Zach Stevens with a beaut brown trout from Lake Toolondo. Photo courtesy Shane Stevens lures have been working at Dimboola.

LAKE FYANS Trout fishing has been pretty good lately with some great browns and rainbows up to 2kg being caught. Bait fishing with mudeye under bubble floats has been working very well right across the lake whether fishing from boats or from the shore. Bug and

‘couta mudeye have been both working well. Those chasing redfin have been getting some good catches simply using small yabbies or scrubworms on paternoster or running sinker rigs amongst the timber.

Trolling Tassie Devils and shallow minnows is also catching plenty of trout and redfin but floating weed can be a problem on some days.

Flyfishing the shoreline with wets such as Mrs Simpsons and Woolly Buggers should also do very well here at the moment. The lake has been steadily rising over the last month or so which has really fired the fish up here again and I would expect this good fishing to continue right through spring.

LAKE BOLAC The rainbow trout fishing has been pretty good lately with plenty of fish around 1-1.8kg caught. There have also been a few reports of much larger rainbows well over 3kg.

I have been making a few trips here lately and doing well off the west shoreline simply using Powerbait or glassies on a running sinker rig. It has been pretty easy to get onto the rainbow trout here and they have been in terrific condition and full of fight too.

Other anglers have also been taking trout trolling lures with pink Tassie Devils, even though the water has been a little dirty. Bait fishing with mudeye under bubble floats has also been picking up a few rainbows. With all the rain we have had I am hoping the lake fills up again as it did get pretty low over the last summer and the fishing will really fire if it starts rising.

Game on as spring slides to summer BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Anglers who have braved the winter weather and caught some excellent fish have plenty to look forward to in October.

LAKE TOOLIOROOK Trout are well and truly on the chew. The lake is still not full but with some expected wet weather the lake level should rise and make it easier for boat launching and land-based angling. Currently it is difficult to launch larger boats with weed around the shoreline causing a few issues. That has not stopped anglers from catching quality brown trout to 3kg.

We have had some excellent results with fish to 2kg casting flies and lures from drifting boats as well as trolling winged and hardbodied lures. Marc Ainsworth spent a few days casting lures at Tooliorook catching and releasing some magnificent brown between 1.2-1.6kg. Marc said the most effective way of catching the trout was casting minnow pattern hardbodied lures in various sizes from a drifting boat into

the windward shoreline; the choppier the water seemed to offer more cover for the trout and they were on the chew. The Daiwa Double Clutch hardbodied lure was the best performed lure.

LAKE WENDOUREE Wendouree is full of water and fish. The lake has recently been stocked with rainbow and brown trout in various sizes. The fishing hasn’t stopped over winter

and in spring it will only gets better. Anglers have been catching plenty of trout to 1-2kg stripping wet flies out of a drifting boat. Trout seem to be spread out over the lake so there is not just one hot spot. Those casting and trolling hardbodied lures on the lake have catching some lovely brown trout to 1.5kg along the edge of the main rowing channels. Mudeyes suspended under bubble

Tom Jarman shows how it is done on Lake Wendouree with a spanking brown trout.

™

floats is tricking brown to 1.6kg, especially when anchored hard up against the weed edge.

Fly fishers again wait in anticipation that the mayfly hatches will occur on Lake Wendouree over the spring months. We have seen very small hatches in the last couple of years but nothing like the pre-drought years.

HEPBURN AND NEWLYN RESERVOIRS Big things are expected from these two waters as the water levels have risen over new ground. Hepburn Lagoon should produce some double figure fish if last season is anything to gauge the fishing on.

This water is full of food and the trout just seem to gorge themselves on mudeyes, stick caddis and smelt. This water is only a shore-based fishery for anglers. Access can be gained from the western, northern and eastern shorelines through private property.

Proven results come from flyfishing, casting lures, bait fishing with Powerbait, mudeyes or worms.

MOORABOOL RESERVOIR I expect this water will finally prove itself to be

The author landed this great 2kg brown trout while flyfishing Lake Tooliorook. a very good fishery this spring. It has been heavily stocked with trout and it’s time for it to fire up.

Mayfly hatches appear on the reservoir from late September right through to November. Overcast days will produce the best results.

Flyfishing, casting lures and bait fishing will all produce trout up to 2kg.

This is only a land-based fishery and wading is not permitted on this water.

TULLAROOP RESERVOIR This water is filling up over new ground and looking absolutely magnificent. Trout will be milling around the flooded lake margins gorging themselves on worms, grubs and frogs plus whatever has been flushed out of the ground.

The water fished very well over the winter months and I believe it will only get better as we get some warmer weather and the trout really start feeding.

LEADING THE WAY IN QUALITY & DESIGN

Sportsfishing

CONTACT YOUR NEAREST BLUEFIN DEALER TODAY

4.8

Barracuda

VICTORIA Everyday

Family Lifestyle

Proud to Announce

10,000 Boats Built from 1999

Cartopper

DROMANA My Marine

03 5987 0900

HORSHAM Webbcon Marine

03 5381 0600

WANGARATTA West City Marine

03 5722 4800

EPPING Flatwater Marine

03 9401 2298

EAST GIPPSLAND All Power Marine

03 5156 0701

Stability & performance Unlimited colour choice Exceptional first class finish Custom work available Plate & pressed models Australian designed & built Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/bluefinboats

Check out our website for full range of boats available www.bluefinboats.com.au V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

49

50

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Inland Fisheries Service

DROP INTO YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY VICTORIAN DEALERS

MELBOURNE B L MARINE 612-614 Plenty Road, PRESTON Ph: 03 9478 1420 info@blmarine.com.au www.blmarine.com.au

ALBURY/WODONGA BORDER MARINE CENTRE 474 Wagga Road (Cnr Vickers Road) LAVINGTON Ph: 02 6040 9999 bordermarine@westnet.com.au

GEELONG GEELONG BOATING CENTRE 88 Barwon Heads Road, BELMONT Ph: 03 5241 6966 sales@geelongboats.com.au www.geelongboats.com.au

SOUTH GIPPSLAND INVERLOCH MARINE PTY LTD 2 The Esplanade, INVERLOCH Ph: 03 5674 1502 sales@inverlochmarine.com.au www.inverlochmarine.com.au

IFS spring activites IFS

Tim Farrell

TASMANIAN RIVERS ELECTROFISHING SURVEY 2013 Electrofishing the state’s rivers during 2013 has shown some interesting results.

Following concerns from anglers, guides and angling groups regarding the status of river populations of trout around Tasmania, the IFS conducted an electrofishing survey of 11 of the state’s rivers. In line with anglers concerns the results indicated that there was wide spread depletion amongst the state’s river brown trout populations.

Comparisons made with the results of the IFS Angler Postal Survey shows the majority of the depletion occurred during the 2012-

Electrofishing the state’s rivers during 2013 has shown some interesting results.

MELBOURNE LEON & PAUL SAVAGES STREAKER BOATS 461 Mountain Highway, BAYSWATER Ph: 03 9729 8288 sales@streakerboats.com.au www.streakerboats.com.au

MILDURA SUNRAYSIA MARINE 13 Seventh Street, MILDURA Ph: 03 5022 1155 sales@sunraysiamarine.com.au www.sunraysiamarine.com.au

NORTHERN VICTORIA MOLIN MOTORCYCLE & MARINE 3-5 Grigg Road, KOONDROOK Ph: 03 5451 1500 mmmkdk@bigpond.com.au www.molinretail.com.au

MORNINGTON PENINSULA M. Y. MARINE Cnr Nepean Hwy & Ponderosa Pic, DROMANA Ph: 03 5987 0900 sales@mymarine.com.au www.mymarine.com.au

DANDENONG NEW WORLD MARINE 1/97 Monash Drive, DANDENONG SOUTH Ph: 03 9709 8444 michael@nwhmarine.com.au www.nwhmarine.com.au

POINT COOK PORT PHILLIP BOATING CENTRE Factory 2, 10 Wallace Ave, POINT COOK Ph: 03 9369 0099 sales@portphillipboatingcentre.com.au www.portphillipboatingcentre.com.au

WESTERN DISTRICTS RADLEY’S OF HAMILTON Coleraine Road, Hamilton Ph: 03 5572 2564 radleysofhamilton@bigpond.com

TASMANIAN DEALERS

CAMBRIDGE LEWIS MARINE 273 Kennedy Drive, CAMBRIDGE Ph: 03 6248 3222 hughie@lewismarine.com.au www.lewismarine.com.au

INVERMAY CAPTAIN MARINE 24 Gleadow Street, INVERMAY Ph: 03 6334 3118 captmar@bigpond.net.au www.captainmarine.com.au

Careful inspection of the barrier nets ensures that carp will be excluded from spawning habitat.

2013 angling season with some river fisheries showing a marked decline in catch rate and harvest of brown trout.

The most likely factor causing a decline in river trout populations was cormorant predation.

Strong anecdotal evidence about high cormorant numbers in Tasmania during the 20122013 season backs up this conclusion.

Based on previous studies and observations from the 1970’s and 1980’s there will be a recovery of stocks and this will most likely occur within the next four years.

Check the service web site for more the whole report – www.ifs.tas.gov.au.

CARP TEAM PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING SPAWNING SEASON Careful inspection of the barrier nets ensures that carp will be excluded from spawning habitat at Lake Sorell.

Despite cold conditions the Carp Management Team has been busy preparing for the oncoming carp spawning season that can commence anytime from October onwards through the warmer months.

Once mature, carp are stimulated to spawn by warming water and rising lake levels. They are attracted into flooded wetlands that provide the ideal conditions for their adhesive eggs to attach to the aquatic plants and hatch in the security of this habitat.

The Carp Program has over 14mk of barrier netting installed around the marshes of Lake Sorell to prevent carp from accessing the shallow marshes.

Each year prior to the spawning season these barrier nets are checked

meticulously both on foot and by boat, as any breach in the net could potentially result in unwanted spawning activity.

In the coming weeks traps will be set in the barriers at key access points to catch carp as they attempt to breach containment lines.

MEADOWBANK LAKE RECEIVES SALMON STOCKING FOR SPRING The latest stocking of salmon provides a boost for Meadowbank Lake.

Recently (late August 2013) Meadowbank Lake received 1,050 Atlantic salmon averaging 1.5kg.

These fish were kindly donated by SALTAS from their Wayatinah hatchery.

The salmon should provide a boost to the lake which was drained for Hydro Tasmania works earlier this year.

With such great sports and table fish right on Hobart’s doorstep, Meadowbank will certainly be on many anglers’ agenda this spring.

Meadowbank Lake is only 40 minutes drive from Hobart.

Meadowbank Lake receives salmon stocking for spring.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

51

Warm and stable weather improves prospects CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

The late winter rains are finally subsiding and the warmer, more stable weather is allowing anglers to easily access all of our lakes which have been topped up with all the recent rain.

Lakes such as Elingamite that have been inaccessible to anglers for many months now are open to boat traffic and hopefully Fisheries Victoria will consider a late stocking of browns and rainbows to keep this small but viable trophy lake ticking along as usual.

There’s plenty of last years stock of both species

about and these fish are all weighing over 1kg. Some fish that were stocked two seasons ago have also been caught and these fish are well over 2.5kg. The Elingamite fish respond well to all angling methods but more than a dozen boats moving around the lake can shut down a previously active bite. It’s then that a boater should sneak into the shallows and search out the various channel and gutters amongst the thick weed beds and cast shallow diving minnow lures or plastics into these hot spots because that’s where the trout and huge redfin will be hiding.

Besides the rainbow and redfin action happening out at Lake Tooliorook, the big attraction is the feisty

browns to 2kg. I as well as others have been very impressed with the fighting abilities of these fish. So much so that expect to lose more during the fight than land. I personally have noticed that these fish prefer to roll during a fight rather than jump and this often results in tangled line and pulled hooks.

The browns are responding to shallow diving lures and lightly weighted plastics either cast and retrieved or trolled. Tooliorook still has a weed problem that certainly favours the fish over the angler. Basically there’s not a lot of top water available in which to present a lure or bait so keep all offerings in the top most section of the water column.

Jarrod Biles with a 2kg+ brown from Lake Tooliorook.

Deep Lake at Derrinallum has similar sized fish to Tooliorook but due to its extreme shallowness most fish are caught by bank anglers

presenting bait under a float or by casting flies. Boats can be launched here but avoid moving about to much as this will certainly spook fish.

Drifting and casting offerings rather than trolling is the key here.

Lake Purrumbete and Bullen Merri have both received several stockings of Chinook salmon which will bode well for the future however currently ‘chooks’ to 300g have become an annoying by-catch. It’s good to hear that most anglers are carefully releasing these fish back to stack on the pounds.

Purrumbete has some solid browns taking winged lures flat line trolled in depths up to 30m off Hoses Rocks.

All in all it’s shaping up to be a very fishy spring and as we approach summer this scenario will only improve to the benefit of all anglers.

The Yarra is in top condition YARRA VALLEY

Ian Loft ringwood@compleatangler.com.au

The Yarra hasn’t been in this good condition to fish for years at this time of year. The water remains relatively low for late winter and it has only been over the bank at Healesville a couple of times this year.

Speaking of Healesville, this is a tremendous part of the river to fish that sees very little pressure far from the Maroondah Highway Bridge. The thing about this part of the river is you get the best of all the river has to offer and is an area worth exploring both in the summer and winter!

The mix of water types is quite evident if you drive

to Woori Yallock and look off the bridge. You’ll see a freestone trout stream but just a few kilometres down the road to Healesville, you’ll see what looks like a native fish fishery.

The distance between these two points sees the river flowing through an age old silt bed built up over millions of years of flooding. The river doesn’t flood anymore due to in-stream dams but it still carries sediment from the banks. This waterway at the Healesville can carry fish type such as trout, golden perch, Murray cod, Macquarie perch, roach, carp, eel and redfin. It’s a smorgasbord!

Whether you’re a seasoned lure casting veteran or a weekend bait fishing legend, it doesn’t really matter. You must

DAM LEVELS Lake/Dam

LAKE/DAM Cairn Curran Dartmouth Eildon Eppalock Fyans Greens Hepburn Hume Lauriston Malmsbury Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 52

OCTOBER 2013

% Full

Dam

July 62 70 70 76 67 32 40 62 75 34

Aug 68 97 75 77 74 32 45 80 75 43

Sept 79 98 89 85 82 42 73 97 98 96

75

92

96

V&TFM

Newlyn Nillahcootie Rocklands Taylors Tullaroop Upper Coliban Waranga Wartook William Hovell

keep this part of the world in mind when you want a quick fish after work or somewhere different to take the kids on the weekend.

As for right now, you’re better for fishing it with bait. The water has quite a bit of colour to it and is still very cold. Berley is the key here and a feeder cage on the line (using it as a sinker) is worth its weight in gold.

Making a mix of berley for this river at this time of year is as simple as getting two boxes of bread crumbs and a tin of corn from the supermarket, rocking into the local tackle store and grabbing the right hooks, sinkers (berley cages), ledgers, some scrub worms or other worms and a berley additive such as Stimulate or Anise.

Mix it together so that it’s wet but not too wet (so you can crumble it apart) and feed it into your berley cage.

You’ll need to cast the cage into the river more often than

Brighter coloured lures such as this Berkley 3B Puppy Dog in Terrier Yellow will help shine through the dirty water. The same goes for native lures. you would a normal sinker - try every five minutes for a start. You need to create a trail. Also you’ll need to cast it into the same section of river every time as well. The berley needs to come from the same place every time if the fish are to find it!

This said, the fishing has been ok in the river with the lack of good fishing reports coming from the lack of angling pressure.

That will no doubt change as the season rolls on and the weather picks up.

% Full

46 62 31 37 60 73 38 52 100

50 78 32 39 61 87 56 63 103

74 100 43 40 63 100 88 79 103

All levels correct at time of going to press.

Damlevels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.

While you’re in the area, look up Badger Weir as a place for a nice family BBQ. Talk to the birdies…they love it!

October hits the spring heights MELB METRO

Ian Debar ian@fishingcamping.com.au

While most of Melbourne is out battling the tide of snapper in the bays, the freshwater fishing just keep kicking along.

Milder weather this month always makes getting down to the local lake or river enjoyable, with a few different options for anglers in October.

Rowville Lakes is a good spot to head to if you’ve got a spare hour or two and you’re keen to catch some redfin, trout or carp – all three species are active at this time of year.

If you’re a lure angler, fishing small ‘creature’ soft plastics around the reed stands and over the muddy bottom can see you catch all three species, in the order listed.

If sitting back with a bait soaking is more your thing, then grab yourself a punnet of maggots and some fine grit berley and grab a comfy chair. By using a fine grit berley mixture you bring the fish into your area and hold them there, and so long as the berley is fine enough they won’t feed on it.

Just make sure you don’t move around too much, as the whole idea of this style of fishing is to bring fish to you, rather than go looking for them.

The Yarra River continues to produce trout above Warburton, with some nice fish coming from the pools up around Riverside Drive. Scrubworms drift down amongst the timber can pull some big browns out of their hiding spots, just be ready for them when they hit.

The same technique can also yield a blackfish or two, especially late in the day.

Just remember to release all blackfish unharmed as their closed season runs until December 31. There are normally a few nice redfin to be caught at this time of the year in the Yarra, especially when fishing lower down around Yarra Junction and Launching Place.

When targeting the redfin, look for the long, slow pools as they don’t like fighting the current. A juicy bunch of scrub worms is a pretty tempting meal for the reddies, but a more active and effective method is to cast a 2-3” soft plastic around the fallen timber and rocks. A good style of soft plastic to use on the redfin is a ‘wriggler’ type – one that has a long, undulating tail.

This type of tail will ‘swim’

seductively down as it sinks, and also when hopped or jigged back.

Sugarloaf Reservoir has started to heat up and while the golden perch aren’t quite red hot just yet, this next month should see them kick into gear. The main triggers that bring the golden perch on the bite are the increase in water temperature and also rise in water levels.

At this time of the year the days are longer and the increased sunlight is what makes the water temperature creep up, sending the goldens into feeding mode.

For anglers heading over this way to try and find a golden or two, the most effective (and legal) approach is to pack a small box of assorted lures and work your way along the shoreline.

Because most of the golden perch in Sugarloaf

Redfin like this can offer great action in local lakes . Photo courtesy Jordan Cervenjak. aren’t huge, smaller lures work the best. Small 1/4oz spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits in the 50-60mm size would be the main choices, along with a few floating crankbaits from 40-50mm in size. Pack a few bright ‘reaction’ colours along with some natural patterns and work them slowly along the edges, right back to your feet and you should come across a perch or two this month.

If you have had some success in these areas lately send me a photo and go into the draw for your chance to win a store voucher valued at $100 • For up to date fishing information, contact the guys at Compleat Angler in Dandenong on 9794 9397 or drop in and see us at 241 – 243 Princes Hwy, Dandenong, we are open 7 days a week.

Golden perch set the agenda with good trout too RIVERS The rivers are going to be a week to week prospect depending on release flow and rain the best thing I can offer you here is to ring

EILDON

Andy McCarthy

Spring has arrived and it is like the weather gods have flicked a switch.

Even if we don’t get further rain in October the lake is already at 90%.

A little more wouldn’t hurt to take the pressure off for the irrigators to slow down releases prior to Christmas.

During the first couple of weeks of spring there were early reports of yellowbelly feeding in the warmer pockets of water up around the Bonnie Doon area. Most interesting was the fact that they also started to chew down the south end near Taylor Bay and Jerusalem Creek where the water temperature was still very cold.

We might be in for an early spring, especially as the wattles and other flowering trees have started to bloom early; this is usually a sign that the yellowbelly are going to be on the radar soon.

So dust off your bibless crank baits and replace your trebles as you don’t want to lose the fish of a lifetime by using a bad hooks.

Check all your gear as it’s going be a hectic spring.

October could really fire hard after the slower than average winter that we had. It is always this time of year that I love on the lake for the simple reason you just don’t know what you are going catch on any given cast.

Here’s on tip if you

Goulburn Murray Water for a recorded message on the lead up to your trip.

The best fishing coincides with consistent releases for 2-3 days or the

longer. The greater the consistency the better the fishing will be so ring 03 5774 3928 and you can make an informed decision on your own.

SATURDAYS

7-8AM

WITH

REX HUNT

nothing like a good feed of reddies.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the trout fire up either for the simple reason that most of trout caught lately have been well in need of a feed, unlike myself.

Just remember that cod season is closed and Eildon is one place where by-catch happens a fair bit so look after these great fish and release them carefully for the upcoming season.

Fish to your strengths for at this time of year; confidence is very important and using the lures you know work is super important.

THROUGHOUT VICTORIA, SOUTHERN NSW, QUEENSLAND AND TASMANIA

AND

The author with an enormous yellowbelly – this spring will see plenty more big ones caught. don’t spend a lot of time on Eildon.

Recently some good trout, redfin, yellowbelly and out of season cod have been caught on small Stumpjumpers in black and purple, black and gold and pink. It is such a great all-around lure for all the species so I highly recommend you give them a run to maximise your chances right across the board.

Redfin should start to chew bait harder as the water temperature rises. They should come up in the water column so bait up and get back into them as there is

SEN 1116

LEE RAYNER SUBSCRIPTION TO BE

WON

EVERY WEEK

Join us on Facebook

www.facebook.com/offthehookradio

Follow us on twitter @offthehookteam V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

53

Prospects look good for a great lead up to summer WST/STH GIPPS

Steve Haughton steve.haughton@hotmail.com

Winter finished with a cold and wet blast; well and truly topping up the catchments over West and South Gippsland.

Rivers and their tributaries are now flowing hard and will most likely continue to do so over the coming month or so depending on whether the bureau’s predictions are correct on a wet spring.

Whilst not a great start to the stream trout season opening in respect to shortterm fishability, long-term prospects are looking good as it rejuvenates life in streams, increases feed for both native fish and trout and creates fresh angling opportunities with new challenges.

If you are anything like me this means I’ll be reinvigorated to get back out there and shake off those winter fishing blues.

As the weather warms we’ll start to see a lot more hatches of flies, caddis flies, beetles, termites and other insects that are all fair game to any stream trout. Often

these insects hatch in the paddocks and bushland surrounding streams and like moths attracted to the light, emerging insects are often drawn to the water where they are preyed upon by hungry browns and rainbows.

As the stream flow slows down over summer, this is the time to match the hatch with a dry fly and/ or beaded nymph pattern.

For now drifting worms and casting lures helps in the faster flowing water.

Sight fishing is particularly important when trout are feeding as it allows you to sneak up within casting distance or with in enough distance to drop a fly in a trout’s feeding path.

Sight fishing is exciting especially as you feel the adrenalin build when you land that perfect cast and see the fish engulf your fly, bait or lure.

The Latrobe, Loch and Toorongo rivers in the Noojee district and the Tarago River in the Drouin West district are all great spots to start this early in the season. The rivers in the Noojee district are fast flowing but there are still plenty of spots where the

Blue Rock regular Toby Eastburn with a late-winter bass at 28cm. water opens up into large pools or runs which present well for casting or drifting.

The Tarago River flow is managed from the reservoir

therefore it has a regulated steady flow. Wading will be hard but manageable for some stretches if sticking close to the bank, otherwise

don a tough pair of gumboots to keep your feet dry and to cover plenty of ground.

The Tanjil River will be flowing too hard up until late spring-early summer due to a wet and wild August and snow melt from Mt Baw Baw. The Bunyip River has a large catchment and will be tough to fish until summer with strong flows making it difficult to catch a fish given access is already hard at the best of times.

BLUE ROCK LAKE Blue Rock has been fishing incredibly well over the last few months. Many bass anglers have reported that things went quiet for about 4-6 weeks back in August but with the water starting to warm up again slowly, bass action will heat up and so will the reports.

To be fair, bass have been generally targeted from kayaks and boats and the weather hasn’t been too favourable for either in late winter.

As for trout, there have been some absolute thumpers caught recently, both on lure and bait. Trolling has been the more fruitful method but the type of lure hasn’t been important. The biggest brown trout I’ve seen come

out of Blue Rock caught only recently was a 5kg cracker witnessed by Kristy Mitchell of the Willow Grove General Store. It was a healthy looking fish and the angler was fishing alone on a fairly miserable day and needed someone to take a photo of him with the trophy catch which Kristy kindly obliged.

Regular correspondent Toby Eastburn of the local Gippsland Facebook network Wifish Locally reports that he’s been regularly catching and releasing 200-300g browns in Blue Rock using soft plastics or small hardbodied lures. Bass have been hard to find but Toby is confident they’ll be smashing lures again soon.

Just a reminder that the blackfish season is now closed as of the September 1 and re-opens on January 1 2014 so make sure if you accidently catch one of these important native fish that you release it immediately to ensure its survival in our streams.

• Feel free to send me a report or photo particularly if you have any success stories from the opening of the trout season or bass on Blue Rock. Happy fishing!

Monster trout and solid bass CTL GIPPSLAND

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

The weather may have been horrid but keen anglers trying their luck in Blue Rock Lake

No Toilet? No Worries Ladies!

Allows women to wee standing

Stand up and take control

Perfect when on a boat, travelling or camping Great idea for unclean toilets

AVAILABLE FROM TACKLE AND OUTDOOR STORES www.shewee.com.au info@shewee.com.au

SECRET CREEK LUR LURES BASS love the Kerrboom!

50mm Surface Paddler

LURE! vorite BASS L fa w ne ’s ia lia al ra sttr us Au

Kerrboom Jnr

Surface Lure / 50mm / Perfect for smaller or fussy fish Ask at your local tackle store or visit our newly redesigned Secret Creek website...

ph 0412 54

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

537 918

have had great success.

I was amazed to see bass turning up in winter so it looks like we have ourselves a new fishery here. Lure anglers haven’t been as successful at catching bass as the bait anglers, but this could be due to bass becoming a bit more lethargic in the colder water.

Anglers using worms have been catching the most bass and many just fishing from the banks around Willow Grove and a few are also turning up near the dam wall as well.

Clive Rendell and his son have been catching plenty of bass and Clive tells me the mornings and late afternoons are the sure fire times to catch yourself a bass.

There have been plenty of mixed sizes, but it’s interesting to see that there are heaps of bass around the 27cm mark. This is great news and could prove that the bass are growing faster than expected. We are just to get another stocking a Blue Rock bass this month, so the fishery should keep getting better and better.

With October just about here, bass should really start to fire and become more aggressive. This will give the lure anglers a far better

chance of catching a bass.

The bass have reaches sizes now that larger lures such as spinner baits will really be worth trying. These lures can be thrown hard into the timber without getting snagged.

Anglers trolling should be using bibbed diving minnows between 40-70mm for the bass as well and it pays to use a shallow running or surface lure and a diver as well.

The warmer evenings are the times to cast your stick baits and other floating style hardbodied lures into the bank edges.

This worked especially well during last summer and I think as the bass get bigger, it will be an even more successful technique.

Plenty of anglers are trolling the lake now and this has led to some impressive catches. Andrew Kettelar caught a monster brown trout recently in Blue Rock measuring 69cm in length whilst trolling the top end of the lake using a hardbodied lure.

This fish gives us an insight into how big some of the trout are here, so it’s definitely worth getting out here and having a go. I’ve heard rumours that there are talks of lifting the motor restrictions on the lake, so

Andrew Kettelar holds up this massive brown trout he caught in Blue Rock Lake. It measured 69cm.

I hope this true and we can get a speed limit instead of motor size restrictions, as these motor restrictions the stupidest things I have ever heard of.

On other news it looks like fisheries about to stock other Gippsland waterways with bass again so hopefully we start to hear more frequent reports of bass in some of our local streams as well.

Next month I should

have an update on the health status of Traralgon Creek for those of you who are interested. Stay tuned.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 03 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle., Turn in to Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner’s Off the Hook on 1242 to hear Will’s Report on what’s going on in Gippsland!

SM O ST QU OTH RO IET ER NG ER ER

T

T

T

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a load of over-the-top claims being made by some boat builders and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for your help to bust these myths wide open.

Nothing rides like a Signature when it comes to quiet smooth ride, inshore and offshore capability, and strength. Signature is the original boating legend created by Hainesy when he cut the DNA cord at Haines Hunter to create his Signature boats company.

So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking at buying a new boat, then hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your chance to put our NEW GENERATION FISHING boats to the test against any boat, at ďŹ shing tournaments and dealers around the country.

Book your test drive with the Signature crew on 07 3271 4400.

5+)0#674'$1#65T%1/T#7

IG

SGreSgory AFC BLaA ke

M EA AFCGlaBdsRtone Harbour SEASON Queensland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where Australia shines is proud to present the 10th season of the Australian Fishing Championships. With competition on three arenas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two of them brand new to AFC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be exposed to BREAM, BASS and BARRA fishing like never before.

And Queensland is the only state where you can catch all three. â&#x20AC;˘ Lake Gregory â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BASS â&#x20AC;˘ Gladstone Harbour â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BREAM â&#x20AC;˘ Kinchant Dam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BARRA With a mix of old AFC stalwarts and new talent, follow your favourite anglers as they represent their teams â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BCF, Hobie and Mercury.

CHECK LOCAL GUIDES

Ep 1

BREAM

Sun 13 Oct

11am

Ep 2

BREAM

Sun 20 Oct

11am

Ep 3

BREAM

Sun 27 Oct

11am

Ep 4

BASS

Sun 3 Nov

11am

Ep 5

BASS

Sun 17 Nov

11am

Ep 6

BASS

Sun 1 Dec

11am

Ep 7

BARRA

Sun 8 Dec

Midday

Ep 8

BARRA

Sun12 Jan

11am

Ep 9

BARRA

Sun 19 Jan

11am

V

*Confirm times with your local TV guide

BASS Anglers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dean Silvester (BCF), Callum Munro (BCF), Matthew Mott (Mercury), Dan Clancy (Mercury), Al McNamara (Hobie), Mark Lennox (Hobie).

BREAM Anglers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Steve Gill (BCF), Heath Blaikie (BCF), Warren Carter (Mercury), Russell Babekuhl (Mercury), Kris Hickson (Hobie), Shane Taylor (Hobie).

BARRA Anglers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dan Grech (BCF), USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gary Clouse (BCF), Jon Millard (Mercury), Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Takayoshi Orimoto (Mercury), Peter Price (Hobie), 2011 World Kayak Fishing Champion Scott Baker (Hobie).

V V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

55

High river levels prevail MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

River levels are still very high around Mildura making lure fishing very difficult. Unfortunately the river will remain high for a while, which will dampen the spirits around a popular time of year.

Yellowbelly activity has been slow due the cold water temperatures. But as the sun shines some nice fish have been caught on lures around lock 11 and below Mildura weir. It is unusual to see yellowbelly activity at a high this time of year, but the constant changing levels and water temperatures are affecting this. Some nice yellas were been caught at the tail end of the past cod season on

large lures intended for Murray cod.

Fishing with bait around the weir structure in Mildura has been a good method to pick up a yella or two lately. Baits working best are a cocktail of shrimp and worm even though live shrimp are still difficult to find.

Johnsons Bend has been producing some good yellas particularly in the slower moving back waters and in eddy currents. A well-cast lipless crankbait or small hardbodied lure has seen 5-6 yellas caught in no time at all lately. Tying up to a snag to throw lures into the bank and slowly retrieve has been the best method.

The pick of the spots to target yellowbelly on bait is around the Mildura weir and Merbein area; close to the banks tight up on most

structure. Lipless crankbaits have been working a treat in the shallows around Johnson’s Bend, just below Apex Park.

Luring for yellowbelly from the bank is also best around the new rock structure at Lock 11, particularly at the point where the lock gates open on the down side.

Springtime will see yellowbelly activity pick up a bit more around Mildura’s hotspots. October is a great time for targeting yellowbelly as they make their way upstream and start to school up below the weir structures.

Redfin should also come on the bite and are fun to catch on light gear using soft plastics and blades.

Most anglers around Mildura will be waiting for the cod season to officially

Brett Evans holding a great river yellowbelly caught at the tail end of the rcent cod season on a 120mm Koolabung Codzilla open again in December.

By then, waters should be back in their banks and we should see a Murray cod

season like no other.

In the meantime Mildura anglers are gearing up for a spring time

yellowbelly frenzy in the beautiful sunshine Mildura has to offer at this time of year.

Yellowbelly the focus in spring SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

With cod season closed for over a month we all now should have shifted our focus to chasing the mighty yellowbelly.

With the rivers in late august and early September flowing very fast the local yellowbelly have been very active, with the Broken River being the best location.

Anglers enjoyed the feeding frenzies just downstream of the Archer Street Bridge; there is some great land-based access to

that area. But I would just make sure you are careful as with the rivers rising and falling daily, the banks can be very slippery.

I have had some success recently casting either TN70 Jackalls or the new double headed Spinnerbait call the Crossbones from Pirate Spinnerbaits. Both are a larger profile lure with a bit of extra weight to get the lure deeper much quicker.

There is nothing worse than putting a good cast in then seeing the fast flowing current take your lure out of the strike zone. The downside to heavier lures in the Broken is you seem to spend a lot

more time trying to get your lures off snags.

The Crossbones seem to ride over the snags much better than a standard spinnerbait; this is an important lure to have when fishing the Broken as it’s very snaggy.

Now with the footy finals finished and the weather warming up its prime time to put the shrimp nets in and grab some live bait for a session on the yellas. I think in the coming months the Goulburn will start to produce more fish than the Broken catchment.

There is some quality yellowbelly fishing to be had just at our doorstep, if fishing

off the bank anywhere behind the Shepparton Lake is great to access. If you’re in a boat, the same location is where I would be fishing or even head a short distance up stream to the junction.

If you’re looking for something different put your boat in the Shepparton Lake. There has been a lot of yellowbelly released in the lake and they are now up around 45cm. Be mindful of others when fishing the lake, as it’s a very public location and us anglers need to respect others in that area.

KIALLA LAKES The lake system has been a great unknown to many

Denise Heenan and Kydan Atkinson show off their yellowbelly double hook-up. locals: to fish it or to not fish it? I would give it a go again, I have spent time on the lake with one of the new wiz bang sounders and I can assure

you all there are still fish in there. I would think with the weather warming up the lake should produce some big yella’s.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Size does matter when it comes to snapper A 62 year old man from Clayton will be charged on summons for several alleged fishing offences after an inspection of his boat by Fisheries Officers discovered 41 snapper, 23 of which were undersize.

The two plain clothed Fisheries Officers observed the boat returning to the Mordialloc boat ramp after dark one night with one male aboard.

On being approached, the man allegedly dropped a blue mesh bag into Mordialloc Creek, which was later retrieved

by Officers and found to contain 31 snapper, the smallest of which measured 24.3cm.

A search of the man’s 56

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

boat revealed a further 10 snapper, which were openly on display.

Fisheries Officers seized the entire catch and the man’s fishing rods.

The minimum legal length for snapper is 28cm and the daily bag limit for snapper is 10, of which no more than 3 can equal or exceed 40cm in length.

In total, the man’s catch of 41 snapper is more than four times the bag limit and if convicted he could face fines of up to $5,760.

In addition hindering fisheries officers in the execution of their duties, by preventing them from inspecting fish catches, is a serious offence punishable by up to $17,323 or 12 months imprisonment

The haul of 42 snapper, 23 of which were undersize.

Fisheries Victoria Director of Education and Enforcement, Ian Parks, said recreational size and bag limits were important fisheries management tools that helped deliver healthy fisheries into the future.

“Anglers taking undersize snapper, or too many snapper, should be aware Fisheries Officers regularly patrol boat ramps and piers in plain clothes during the day and night,” Mr Parks said.

Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to contact the 24-hour fisheries offences reporting line on 13FISH (133 474).

- DEPI Fisheries

Golden perch the prime target ECHUCA

Ian Page

With October upon us we can see Mother Nature starting to do her work with some beautiful spring days constantly warming up the water and getting those fish more active.

It’s time to start chasing yellowbelly in earnest.

Traditionally they will appear in strong numbers around the channels at Kow Swamp, Gunbower Creek and Torrumbarry, so everybody’s got the opportunity to walk the banks casting lures such

as Jackalls, Hammerheads or Predators.

I like to use a baitcaster loaded with 20kg braid and fluorocarbon leader but if you prefer a spinning reel set up you will get similar results.

Don’t forget to check your leader regularly as it will get damaged on rocks and snags and better to keep replacing it than to lose the fish you have been waiting for.

If trolling, just downsize your lures slightly from your large cod lures and try a variety of colours depending on weather and water conditions, changing every 20 minutes if you have no results.

For those wishing to bait fish I would be trying scrubworms or yabbies and shrimp as they should start to appear around this time. Try a running sinker rig with the smallest sinker you can hold bottom with about a 2/0 hook or if using shrimp downsize slightly and put on a few as I find better result presented in a clump.

Soft plastics are always a good option, but invest time adjusting your techniques and observing what the plastic is imitating and using the rod action to accommodate it.

Other spots I would target in our area would be the

Goulburn especially now we have had that flush from recent rains. This system can produce both yellows and redfin at this time of year, and the Campaspe always produces fish with its great holes small straights and some very interesting snags where the fish hang out so be prepared to walk the banks and you will access parts that people wont get to in cars.

I managed to get a couple of hours on the water with Shaun Clancy of Humminbird fame the other day and while Shaun’s boat has a huge sounder and all the latest technology he showed us the massive advantage in

The author caught this great 47cm yellowbelly at Torrumbarry and released after the photo. side imaging and the view it gives of structures and a great insight to where the best spots to troll or angle.

You don’t need to go to top of range to get this type

of technology so it is now affordable to all anglers and this is a great time of year to update that type of gear.

So enjoy the spring and get out and get amongst them.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Victoria sets another native fish stocking record The Victorian Coalition Government has stocked a record 2.3 million native fish into the state’s lakes and rivers to improve freshwater fishing opportunities for recreational anglers.

Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said most of the native fish released last season were

Murray cod and golden perch with smaller numbers of Australian bass, silver perch, Macquarie perch and estuary perch.

“This record season was also the third consecutive year that the Coalition Government has stocked more than 2 million native fish,” Mr Walsh said.

“Thirty waterways shared in more than

1 million Murray cod fingerlings last season, of which 520,000 were grown at the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) Snobs Creek hatchery.

“This is a production record for Murray cod at Snobs Creek and is the result of improved fish husbandry practices, more brood fish and upgrades to

the hatchery’s facilities.”

Mr Walsh said during summer several Victorian waters had shown the benefits of the continued native fish stocking, which is funded by fishing licence fees and the Coalition Government’s $16 million Recreational Fishing Initiative.

“Lake Eildon’s reputation as a trophy golden perch fishery was

complemented with great catches of Murray cod in December last year,” Mr Walsh said.

“That is set to continue as the 1 million extra cod fingerlings released into the lake in recent years approach legal size.

Other waterways that received native fish last season include Lake Nagambie, Gunbower

SHEPPARTON

Creek, Lake Nillahcootie, Cairn Curran Reservoir, Lake Hume, Kangaroo Lake, Taylors Lake and the Goulburn, Campaspe, Loddon, Wimmera, Broken, Mitta Mitta, Avoca and Kiewa rivers.

For a full list of waters stocked with native fish last season visit www.depi. vic.gov.au/nativefish2013.

- DEPI Fisheries

ECHUCA

FOR ALL YOUR

TACKLE NEEDS! BMT S E G A K C PA E TO

AVAILABL TODAY! E TAKE HOM

s.ryan@boatsandmore.com.au

5822 2108

b.altham@boatsandmore.com.au 207 Numurkah Rd SHEPPARTON VIC 3630

76 Northern Hwy ECHUCA VIC 3564

5482 1992

www.boatsandmore.com.au V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

57

Plenty biting in the backwaters ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

It’s time to put down the heavy artillery and pick up the lighter tackle to focus on the finesse side of our fishery.

There is much to do and catch during the cod closure and with high river levels predicted, bait angling will take precedence in much of our water.

Golden perch will feed in the warm Spring flows. Hidden in the pockets of backwaters, they ply their trade where

It’s refreshing to see most anglers returning large cod back into the river. James Humphries releases this 120cm cod, his second ever caught on a lure, to close off last season. current meets calm, delivering a string of edible opportunities.

If the river spills its banks,

John Menhennett with a pot of yabbies. With good flows expected along the Murray we are a real chance to catch a feed or two of these tasty crustaceans.

and it looks like it will, shallow snags in the still just off the backwater become prime ‘reel estate’ for large perch.

With a bucketful of worms and a couple of spin sticks, a great day can be had fishing the backwater snags from boat or bank.

As you bask in the warmth of Spring the river rolls by, pushing deep into the bush over low banks leading to backwater lagoons and creeks.

It’s time for another bite to begin.

Slowly at first, it gathers momentum as an endless army of yabbies appears from seemingly nowhere. Hidden deep in their earthen chambers, the rising waters are a cue for yabbies to emerge and feed on the bounty delivered in the high flow.

It’s a time of plenty and all going well, the cod so fat from last season’s glut will breed unhindered, creating a new population of future river giants.

Mosquitoes, too, will be on the chew so make sure you cover up. They carry a few nasty bugs, Ross River fever the most common.

KERANG LAKES Well worth a look, the warming Kerang Lakes water

will also stimulate good numbers of golden perch tofeed.

If the water clarity is good, anglers can expect to catch both solid perch and redfin on a variety of lures including blades, plastics, hardbodies and spinnerbaits.

The regulators at both ends of Kow Swamp are popular Spring locations, often with standing room only.

Here golden perch stack up and while it’s a little like shooting fish in a barrel, it’s totally legal to do so as long as you stick to bag and size limits.

Legal, yes. Ethical? That’s up to the individual.

Until the rules are changed regarding fish stacks at regulators and weirs, fishing at these locations is totally up to the angler.

A similar event can be stimulated by increased flows at both Kangaroo Lake and Lake Boga.

Fisheries vigilantly patrol all three locations when the fish are running and ignorance is no excuse. You will need a Victorian fishing licence to fish at all three lakes and it’s important to note that bag and

Ray Clifford and Jock Mackenzie with a couple of quality golden perch. These fish are good sport on light tackle during the cod closed season. size limits are also different from NSW. REFLECTIONS Reflecting on the cod season that was, there is no doubt that there are still some very good strongholds along the Murray. It was a very productive season from the Euston Weir downstream through Mildura and beyond, with good numbers of large cod caught on lures.

Anglers keen to angle these bigger fish are returning to these sections of river, many travelling for six

Gareth Lynch with a solid late season cod. Let’s hope the fish have a great breeding season in the high Spring flows.

or seven hours to do so.

It’s also very encouraging to see that the majority of fishos released their catch, a selfless act that insures we can do it all again next season and beyond.

Unfortunately, not all fishers derive from the same gen pool and those at the very shallow end still feel the need to lay a few setlines. It’s been many years since setlines were banned but I can honestly say there was not a single section of river I fished this year that did not have clear evidence that they are still in use.

It’s disturbing fact that the cod fishery above Robinvale is still silent, a testament to the blackwater event several seasons ago.

Let’s hope the Euston fish ladder will be operational this Spring, allowing cod migratory passage upstream to rekindle the fishing in the Robinvale pool water and above.

All up, it was a very eventful cod season and we look forward to the good Spring flows and the rich angling opportunities they are likely to bring.

The whole region looks great Anglers should start to see the fishing increase dramatically soon as the amount of rainfall that we

BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

have received in the last few months has been perfect.

In some areas this has meant short-term loss for

FIND US ON FACEBOOK! Bassman Spinnerbaits Official

(02) 6628 4374 www.bassmanspinnerbaits.com.au 58

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

long-term gain. In many of the local river systems the water clarity is poor, but with this influx of freshwater associated with rising water temperatures it is only a mater of time before the quality of the fishing increases. The local impoundments continue to rise and if the recent trend of rainfall continues there is a very good chance the majority of these will reach 100%.

LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels in the lake are starting to increase and water levels are very good in the impoundments above Lake Eppalock with the Upper Coliban at 100%. Lauriston was over 80% of capacity and rising quickly. Malmsbury was also increasing. If these impoundments reach full capacity this is when we get good inflows down the Coliban River into Lake Eppalock.

When this does occur Lake

The golden perch fishing should improve significantly during October.

Eppalock can fill very quickly.

Currently small numbers of redfin are being caught with the majority of these caught in deep water on soft plastics or trolling deep diving hardbodied lures. If the inflows continue we should start to see the numbers of redfin being caught increase.

Redfin should also start to move into shallower water as the rising water levels cover fresh ground.

The numbers of golden perch being caught has been low but this should change

shortly and we will hopefully see a significant increase in catches. Casting lipless crankbaits and medium sized hardbodied lures are very good methods for targeting golden perch.

CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River has been slow over recent weeks and water clarity is currently poor, which should continue in the short term. I believe there is a very good chance that we will hopefully see the Continued page 59

Trout fishing comes to life with spring flush KEIWA VALLEY

Robbie Alexander

This wonderful north east corner of Victoria really comes to life in October.

The predominant species of fish to target is trout, however there are a few redfin and yellowbelly to be caught if you know where to look.

There is usually still a bit of snow on the mountain tops, particularly early in the month which helps keeps the streams icy cold and flowing well. If you are looking for lush green grass, mild days and crystal clear water, then this far north east corner is the place to head in October.

One of my favourite

places to fish in October is the Snowy Creek that runs into the Mitta Mitta River at Mitta Mitta township. The Omeo highway follows the Snowy Creek for quite a long time, before leaving the creek to climb the hills just after the Lightning Creek picnic area. Unfortunately the lower section of the Snowy Creek has quite a lot of European carp, despite the water being so icy cold.

There are still plenty of trout in this section of creek keeping the carp company though. There is a healthy population of both brown and rainbow trout in Snowy Creek, including the odd big trout of around 50cm. Be very careful while wading though,

A lovely coloured rainbow trout from the Kiewa River at Mt Beauty taken on a Strike Tiger nymph soft plastic in an area of high fishing traffic.

From page 58

spillway at Lake Eppalock going over again this season. If this does occur the fishing will be very productive in the Campaspe River directly below Lake Eppalock.

We should see the fishing productivity increase later in spring when the water clarity settles down.

CAIRN CURRAN The fishing in Cairn Curran has continued to be patchy. There has been the occasional angler who has managed to locate a good school of redfin in 8-10m. Trolling deep diving hardbodied lures and casting soft plastics and blades have all been productive methods. Unfortunately these schools have proven difficult for most anglers to locate.

There continues to be small numbers of trout being caught at this location however the majority are small. Water levels are rising nicely at the present time and there is a very good chance water levels will increase. There is currently a reasonable amount of vegetation on the banks. This is good for food sources and will help the productivity in the fishing.

As water temperatures increase and the food sources increase around the shallow margins of the lake we should start to see increased numbers of fish moving into the shallower

water. Bait fishing with worms or small yabbies can be very productive at this time of the year.

LODDON RIVER Water clarity is currently poor at most locations along the Loddon River however the catchments along the Loddon River are filling nicely at the present time. If they reach maximum capacity then we will see a period of higher flows and water clarity will stay poor. I believe if the current trend continues there is a very good chance this will occur. This will have a negative effect on the productivity of the fishing in the short term.

When water flows reduce and the water clarity improves then the productivity in the fishing should be good. Water temperatures are currently cold but they should start to increase shortly.

If you are chasing golden perch I find the consistency of catch rates to improve once surface temperatures are over 18°C. Please remember we are currently in the closed season for Murray cod. It is an offence to target Murray cod during closed season. If a Murray cod is accidentally caught by an angler it must be returned immediately to the water with minimal harm.

The closed season is there for a reason and to protect this species during its breeding period and increases its chance of breeding and producing some natural recruitment for the future.

Small blackfish are a native fish and are widely distributed throughout Victoria’s mountain streams.

They have different rules and regulations for different regions of Victoria, and in North East Victoria they are a very common by-catch for anglers targeting trout using worms as bait, especially during the low light periods of the day. especially if there is still a lot of water flowing down, which there most likely will be during October as the clear water can make the depth deceiving and the fast current can be very strong.

The Mitta Mitta River should also fish very well for trout from Dartmouth Pondage downstream to Eskdale.

Downstream of Eskdale the trout numbers start to thin out a bit though. It is hard to speculate what the water will be like in the Mitta Mitta River in October as Lake Dartmouth is currently at over 97%. If I was a betting man I would say the water will be quite high.

Across to the Kiewa River and conditions should be quite good for drifting worms. Unless this wet winter comes to a sudden stop and our 9°C maximums turn to 30°C maximums, the Kiewa

should be running quite hard during October, especially early in the month. Although it may be clear, if the river is flowing high try drifting lightly-weighted worms into the backwaters, and close to the banks out of the current.

If the water is clear which it usually is in October, try casting shiny bladed spinners like the Super Vibrax with a gold or copper blade.

The trusty old Celta is also a worthwhile lure with its shiny blade reflecting shimmers of light through the water column.

Alans Flat Water Hole will be well worth fishing during October as the water begins to warm up. There should still be plenty of yearling rainbow trout in the lake remanent of the September school holiday stocking, and with the warming water the resident

redfin and yellowbelly should be starting to move, especially towards the end of the month as the weather and water start to really warm up and the days become longer.

Lake Hume will be another spot worth heading to during October. This massive body of water has been fishing quite well for trout all winter, with some massive brown trout to 4.5kg being picked up on the odd occasion. The trout fishing should continue to be good during October, especially early in the month.

During the second half of the month the yellowbelly should start to fire. Lake Hume is known for its massive yellowbelly, some of which have been known to reach over 9kg and 70cm in length. Try fishing close to rocky outcrops as the rocks tend to hold heat from the sun, warming the

water around them slightly.

Although the difference in water temperature is not noticeable to us, the fish can certainly notice it and that might be just enough to trigger then to school up and feed in those areas.

The most popular yellowbelly lure is the Jackall TN60 and TN70, although some of the Fishooka lures available in nearby Albury have been accounting for a lot of yellowbelly in recent years. Then there is always my favourite yellowbelly technique, which is to rig your line with a running sinker, allowing the sinker to run all the way to the hook. Then fish with a small yabby just bobbing it up and down along the bottom. Or, a similarly sized crustacean shaped soft plastic will work just as well. The yellowbelly just can not resist a moving bait!

Wading up the centre of the Kiewa River.

This river has strong current, and wading has its risks, especially during spring time, so during October wade with caution.

Goldens on until cod season YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Footy finals and the Deni Ute Muster are at the forefront of most bush dwelling anglers minds this time of year as Murray cod and cray season have come to a halt.

As of September 1 through to November 30 inclusive, the targeting of Murray cod is not permitted while the Muray crays are off limits until next June.

The best north east bound anglers could hope for over the next month is a good dose of sunshine to bring on a run of spring yellas.

Fishing the top end of Lake Mulwala around the Bundalong area where you find a little more current is traditionally more productive than the open waters of the lake itself.

For anyone that does encounter a cod over the next couple of months, it should release unharmed as quickly

Chris Hudynski with 50cm golden perch taken just as the cod season closed. as possible.

To minimise cod encounters while targeting yellas, lures no more than 80mm should be used. If fishing the waters of north east Victoria in search of a

yellowbelly or two, keep in mind the Murray River below Yarrawonga downstream to Tocumwal it totally closed to all forms of fishing for this period also.

The last month of the cod

season proved to be tough with high water flows coming into Lake Mulwala via the Oven River resembling chocolate milk!

Brad Pepper landed two standout cod measuring a magnificent 101cm and 105cm respectively. These two fell victim to his finely tuned trolling techniques.

A few quick photo’s and both were released to fight another day.

Chris Hudynski visited Mulwala and put in a solid few days fishing below the weir for pleasing returns.

Four cod to 57cm, seven Yellas to 50cm, two trout cod and seven legal size crays were a great effort for fishing during tough times.

Coming up on the October 26 is the popular Golden Do$$ars fishing competition, an event designed to specifically target yellas/golden perch.

Entry forms are now available for this and the Cod Classic. Again the Cod Classic promises to be huge and shouldn’t be missed.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

59

Changeable weather brings out the best fishing WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander With October comes the start of the really warm weather. One day can be 30ºC with a late afternoon thunderstorm then change to 12ºC the following day with low level snowfall.

This change in weather can kick-start the fishing for the upcoming warm season, and this is why we start to see increased captures of just about all species in October, especially towards the end of the month.

TROUT

By October the Victorian trout season has already been open for four weeks. Trout feed well all year round and September is a great month to fish for them, but so too is October and with the onset of warmer weather comes a larger variation to the trouts diet as more insects begin to hatch, more flies begin to appear and mudeyes start to climb out of the water and grow wings and turn to dragonflies.

This activity can really stimulate trout feeding habits and for this reason the trout always seem to bite well in October. Not only do they bite

With the warmer weather comes increased activity from redfin across the district. The author hopes he can hook onto another monster, or two, again this year!

well, but they also put on a lot of condition and can be quite fat.

If September is wet then the water levels should still be quite high heading into October, and the trout will be feeding heavily on worms. As the weather warms and the dragonflies appear, the trout will know to head to the areas with aquatic weed in search of mudeyes as they venture out from under logs, rocks and weeds to make their way to the water’s surface.

Worms are still a great bait in October, particularly early in the month when the water is highest. Shiny bladed spinners with copper or metallic blades also work very well in October, and so will small minnow type lures, particularly in trout patterns.

REDFIN The local redfin usually start to show a bit of movement during October, especially towards the end of the month as the weather starts to warm up a lot more. Lake Sambell in Beechworth is one of the better spots in the area to target redfin, however the size of the fish in there are not huge.

Lake William Hovell also has a lot of redfin, as well as some bigger fish that appear from time to time, however due to its location, being set so far back into the mountains it can

Talented Wangaratta fisher-kids Ben and Josh Sgarioto with a magnificent redfin they trolled on a Tassie Devil lure at Lake William Hovell. A few redfin should start to turn up in William Hovell during October, especially towards the end of the month. be a little slower to start fishing well due to the cold water. The large amounts of water entering the lake from the upper King River are still usually ice cold in October keeping the lake temperatures down. The upside to this is that Lake William Hovell still fishes well for trout throughout October!

Lake Buffalo can be a bit hit and miss at the best of times and October is no exception.

In saying that, it is certainly well worth fishing, especially towards the end of the day towards sunset as there have been yellowbelly stocked into the lake. If the redfin are not biting you may snag a

yellowbelly as a by-catch if you’re really lucky.

YELLOWBELLY The yellowbelly usually begin to turn up around October as the water starts to warm a little. The yellowbelly have been stocked into Lake Buffalo, but not in huge numbers so don’t go there expecting to catch 30 yellowbelly in a day because it just won’t happen.

The upside to the fact that there are not a lot of yellowbelly in there is that there are some very big yellowbelly in lake Buffalo.

As with most waterways, there are usually lots of small fish or a few big ones, and when it comes to Lake Buffalo

yellowbelly, it is more the case of few big ones! I have heard several reports of yellowbelly around 4kg being caught up there now, but rarely ever hear reports of more than 1-2 yellowbelly per trip.

Lake Sambell in Beechworth also has some pretty good yellowbelly fishing thanks to regular stocking of the species and the lower Ovens River around Bundalong usually see’s a few yellowbelly turn up each year in late October, provided the river is not too high and flooded.

If targeting yellowbelly, try bobbing small yabbies off the bottom by rigging a running sinker rig, allowing the sinker to run all the way to the hook.

Hook on a small yabby and gently bob the bait up and down a few inches off the bottom.

The same technique will work using small crustacean like soft plastics like the 3” Zman Shrimp.

If lure fishing, try lipless crankbaits such as Jackalls and other similar lures or small to medium sized hardbodied lures like number 2 Stumpjumpers.

Don’t overlook small spinner baits of around 3/8oz and even bladed spinners like the number 2 or 3 Super Vibrax as yellowbelly are a sucker for anything with metallic blades!

Victoria Dealers:

MELBOURNE

TRE Motorsport

108 Northern Road, West Heidelberg, Ph: 03 9455 3665 E: info@tremotorsport.com.au

CARRUM

The Outboard Workshop

37 Yazaki Way, Carrum Downs, Ph: 03 9783 0840 E: sales@theoutboardworkshop.com.au

EAST GIPPSLAND

Snowy River Marine

3-11 Browning Street, Orbost, Ph: 03 5154 8431 E: mcpm@net-tech.com.au

BENDIGO

Golden Square Mower & Marine

221 Woodward Road, Golden Square, Ph: 03 5443 2818 E: enquiries@mowersbendigo.com.au

TOHATSU OUTBOARDS PROVEN RELIABILITY When traveling in harsh environment we need an Outboard Motor with a proven pedigree. Tohatsu has strived to meet these demands for over 50 years.

Tohatsu offer conventional light weight 2 Stroke models and proven portable 4 Stroke technology just right for todays travellers.

Tasmania Dealers:

TASMANIA

XTreme Marine Services,

Ph: 0419 596 480 E: matthew@xtrememarineservices.com.au

Australia National Distributor Lakeside Marine Pty Ltd PH 02 4392 6110 Web Site www.tohatsu.com.au 60

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Email sales@lakesidemarineptyltd.com.au

Combos

Shimano Clothing

TELESCOPIC RODS

Catana 662 +SN1000FD $99.00 Catana 702SP +SN2500FD $119.99 Catana 732SNAP +SN4000FD $139.99

$8999

Sublimated Shirt

NEW

1000 FD 2500 FD 4000 FD

1000 FA 2500 FA 3000 FA 4000 FA

Shimano vented shirts

200-G

Combo

TR200-G + SYSTEM “S” 601 BOAT ROD

$139

NEW

SIZES:

SIZES:

$4999

$1999 FROM

$4999 FROM

$27999 FROM

NEW

OR TR200-G JUST $99

SEE IN STORE FOR PRICES

NEW

COMBO

RMF 682 Spin / Sedona 2500FD

ASSORTED MODELS & COLOURS

$999 FROM

SEE IN STORE FOR PRICES

$189

NEW

Evair Shoes 150 YARDS FROM

$3499

300 YARDS FROM

GRA24818

See in store for details

$5599

Sale on 1st September till the end of October 2013, while stocks last!

$9900 FROM

At Participating Stores. For your nearest stockist check www.shimanofish.com.au www.shimanoshack.com.au

Stream fishos ready for battle JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Everyone is looking forward to the opening of the rivers and the streams after the Winter spawning closure.

Snowy Mountains Trout Festival early next month.

We are experiencing normal Spring fishing conditions on the lake, with the early morning trolling quite good with some excellent surface activity.

As the lake continues to rise this month, the trolling

trout and rainbow patterns are also good but many other good brands will do the job if you know what speed to troll to get the best action out of them.

It is not a good idea to try to mix and match different brands as no two work best the same at the same speed.

Michael Pearson with a rainbow caught on a Willy’s Special Tassie Devil.

At a second past midnight on Saturday, October 5, anglers will begin to line the banks of the Thredbo and Eucumbene rivers hoping that they will be full of late spawning rainbow trout so they can catch heaps of fish and have lots of fighting fun.

That’s mostly fighting with the fish and a little with each other!

But the big question is, will there be late-spawning trout still there in the rivers?

Winter was very late coming to the mountains this year and it was not until late August that the snow really fell.

What we did have was rain and excellent spawning conditions, which may have meant that most fish spawned a little earlier than last year.

After the September water release down the Snowy River and a drop in the level of Lake Jindabyne, the snowmelt has topped things up quickly and the lake will be in excellent condition in time for the

will be best near the edges early and late in the day but you may have problems spooking the fish over shallow water. So make sure your line is out further than normal with at least 80m out.

The usual techniques of fishing on the surface in shallow water at first light and then moving out into deeper water using 20m-30m of lead core will extend the better fishing well into the late morning.

You will do best using minnow lures before sunrise and then switching to Tasmanian Devil lures. Use darker lures early, with the Y48 yellow wing red-nosed brown bomber or even Y94 great.

Try the yellow wing Tasmanian Devils as the sun is about to rise over the mountains. Willies Special, named after some trout guide in the area, has been very good over recent weeks and is always a Summer winner.

Minnows like Rapalas or StumpJumpers in brown

just need a line in the water.

Local scrub worms are best for brown trout while artificial baits of various colours are hot for rainbow trout and salmon.

To catch a big brown use a scrub worm are fished on a greased line to stop it from sinking into the weed and getting caught up.

There are no spots much better than others at the moment. The trout are cruising the margins and can be in one place one day and another the next.

FLY We are going to be in for an interesting fly season. The lake levels are great at the moment and it will fish well.

When the days warm up and as we get a few more insects hatching, we may get some good early morning rises on the lake.

The best flies have been green or olive flies like Hamill’s Killers, small shrimp patterns and olive nymphs.

When the flow slows on the streams the dry-fly fishing will improve but for now, brown and green nymphs are best.

With the extra water flow now the best flies have still been weighted nymphs and even a few fish will be caught on Glo Bugs.

Ari Small with a rainbow caught on one of the new Bullet lures.

LURES Those who like throwing lures will need to make certain their offering is getting close to the bottom in the running water because the fish are still a

OCTOBER ROUNDUP

Best method Best depth Best lake lure Best lake area Best lake fly Best fly river Best spinning river

- lake trolling.

- surface early and late in the day.

- Tasmanian Devils with yellow wings or Holographic.

- East Jindabyne Islands, Creel Bay. - Hamill’s Killer.

- Thredbo River, olive or black nymphs or a Glo Bug. - Thredbo River, small deep-diving minnows in brown trout pattern.

After the sun hits that water, change to a No 36, Y82 yellow wing Tassie or my red nosed yellow wing and as the sun gets higher then it’s time to get the lure lower with lead core or a downrigger.

The best lures for those trophy browns will be small minnows trolled over the weed beds using longer drop-backs and lighter line or braid to keep them as deep as possible. You need to do this well before the sun comes up to get the bigger fish.

BAIT Lake bait fishing has been excellent for months. At some time of the day the fish are coming on the bite and you

Come tickle a trout or two in the most breathtaking scenery in the

Snowy Mountains…

Lake Eucumbene’s

‘TOP TOURIST’

PARK 62

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

We can offer you luxury lakeside cabins and bungalows through to grassy tent sites, BBQ’s, kiosk, bait and tackle.

2 bedroom units with TV, DVD & Austar.

FISHERMANS LODGE NOW RE-OPENED - Sleeps 8 comfortably Old Adaminaby NSW 2629 Ph 02·6454 2317 Fax 02·6454 2677 www.rainbowpines.com.au

Nina Kettle keeps warm as she boats another rainbow.

bit lazy and will not rise too far to take a lure.

On the lake the spinning has been fantastic and most anglers will agree that we have had the best Winter fishing in many years. That should continue, given the lakes is rising.

Spotting fish first with the aid of your polaroids is the best way to work out a strategy on how to catch the fish as they cruise along the shore. I find small green nymphs best in the shallow water.

Lure anglers can also spot the fish before casting and will do best with smaller lures like Celtas, Vibrax spinners, Worden’s Rooster Tails or Gillies spinners. Minnows like floating Rapalas are good but keep them small; bigger lures can make a big splash and spook the trout in the shallow, clear water.

If the day is brighter you can switch to some Tasmanian Devils for casting a little farther.

Green and gold is a good colour.

Let’s hope the season is a good one with regular rain to freshen up the streams and cool the water.

It’s not too late to sign up for my beginner fly-fishing school on October 26-27. Our schools are the first in Australia to offer a National Certificate of Recognition, which can be used to help gain employment in the recreational fishing industry. For more info call 02 6456 1551, email me at swtrout@airlan.com.au or visit www.swtroutfishing. com.au.

Get a fish eye view PART 1 NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.me

This month, I’ll continue my examination of the fundamental basics of successful angling with a detailed look at the senses of the fish we chase, beginning with sight.

Understanding the biology and behaviour of the fish we hunt is an important part of the process of becoming a better angler.

The more we know about our targets, the easier it is to fool them into biting or striking our natural baits or artificial offerings. A big part of this understanding involves having some idea of how a fish’s senses work.

Just like humans and most other vertebrate (backboned) animals, the majority of fish species we pursue have a well-tuned set of senses that allow them to monitor their surroundings, find food, locate spawning partners and react to external stimuli.

Like us, most fish can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

However, in addition to those five basic senses, many fish species also have at least one and possibly two extra senses related to the detection of vibration and, in some cases, weak electrical fields.

But let’s begin by looking at arguably the most important fish sense of all: sight.

The visual system in humans and many animals allows individuals to obtain information from their surroundings. The sense of sight begins when the lens of the eye focuses an image onto a light-sensitive membrane called the retina.

Photoreceptive cells within this retina produce signals, which are processed by the brain, creating a mental picture of the world.

For sight to work, light is needed to illuminate our surroundings and generate the photons that stimulate those cells in the retina. This light bounces off objects and it’s these reflections of visible light that define the shape, size and texture of various objects.

Discriminating

between colours is also crucial for many animals, whether they’re identifying food and predators, finding their way or seeking out potential mates.

Animals with backbones, including fish, differentiate between colours by using cells in their eye called ‘cones’. Other sets of cells called ‘rods’ are responsible for the detection of black and

eyes of fish have evolved to better accomplish various tasks. For example, fish that feed predominately near the surface or in shallower, clearer water, especially during daylight hours, often have more cone cells than rods, as colour vision gives these fish a distinct advantage under such well-lit conditions.

By contrast, fish that feed primarily at night, in

The distinctive glow of a barramundi’s eye, especially in flash-assisted photos, is caused by light bouncing off a specialised membrane behind the retina called a tapetum.

The eyes of fish, such as this tailor, are extremely well adapted and highly evolved. They can differentiate between a wide array of colours and also possibly detect wavelengths of reflected light (such as ultraviolet) that remain invisible to us. white images (especially in low light). The majority of humans have three different types of colour-sensitive cones in their eyes. As a result, our visual experience is referred to as ‘trichomic colour vision’.

Interestingly, many types of fish, birds and even insects are well ahead of us in terms of colour vision. Some of these creatures have four different types of cones instead of three, and a few also have a lot more cones than us.

For example, you might be surprised to learn that chickens have twice the number of colour-detecting cones as humans! As the number of these cones increases, so does the creature’s ability to make finer and finer discriminations between colours. So, it’s highly likely that a humble chicken can far more easily differentiate between the yellow of a corn kernel and the yellow of a dandelion flower than we can! Perhaps this visual adaptation aids chickens in their constant search for food.

Just as in chickens, the

Mulloway are very good at finding prey under cover of darkness or in muddy floodwaters.

dirty water, or at great depth will typically have more rods than cones, as rods are more sensitive to low light levels. This adaptation allows these fish to make better use of the limited available light available.

Some species have taken these low-light adaptations a step further by developing a special reflective layer at

the back of the eye called a ‘tapetum’. This mirror-like membrane reflects light that has already passed through the eye back into the retina, giving the photons a second chance of being detected and greatly enhancing the fish’s ability to see in very low light or murky water. It’s this reflective tapetum in the back the eyes of both barramundi

and mulloway that cause the distinctive red or pink glow so often seen in flash photos of these popular species.

Both species are extremely well adapted to finding prey in low light conditions.

Next month we’ll continue our examination of sight in fish and look at how it affects our results as anglers.

HOT SPOT

Ansett Wreck at Frankston CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

Located along the 17m line out from Frankston lies one of the most popular areas that anglers fish in search of snapper.

Ansetts as it is known to most anglers is an old plane that crashed into Port Phillip many years ago and now is the home to all things with a shade of red, and a big knobby head. Holding plenty of fish all year around it is a very popular area to start when chasing snapper in the bay.

PRIME TIME Prime time for snapper in Port Phillip is when the footy season is over. September through to December are when the snapper are at their thickest, schooling up in the thousands. Fishing tide changes and at dawn and dusk is more crucial outside of these months but during the months anytime can be a session where rods will buckle all day.

THE GEAR A 4-8kg rod matched with a 4000 sized reel with 6-8kg mono is the ideal outfit for snapper fishing in Port Phillip. The time has gone when the need to fish heavy with bait runner reels and 10kg rods, and have been replaced with light sport fishing tackle. If targeting snapper on artificials, then a graphite rod with a 3000 sized

HotSpot Adam Ring with a lovely snapper caught early in the season that was sitting on structure. reel with 10lb braid is more than ample in tangling with a few knobby headed reds.

THE RIG A lightly weighted running sinker rig is the most used and popular method targeting snapper. Use 40lb leader about 1m long with two 5/0 octopus hooks on one end and a rolling swivel tied to the other end. Now it comes down to preference on where you want to put the sinker, above the swivel or below it running down to the hooks.

I personally prefer below the swivel running down to the hook as its easier to cast and you will get maximum distance with your cast as it doesn’t want to slide all the way back up your line while in the air.

BAIT AND LURES In season, silver whiting and pilchards are the two most

popular baits by far. Other baits such as scad, garfish and squid all work well but the other two baits if the question is asked, majority of anglers will name these ones.

Squidgy Flickbaits in the 110mm Pillie is a standout as well as 7”Gulp Jerk Shads.

With the plastics it all comes down to what anglers feel confident using. But the two mentioned are very good starting points if you haven’t used them before.

BEST METHOD Snapper fishing, whether it be early in the season or during it, the best method is to sound around until you find a couple of solid marks on your sounder before dropping the anchor. This may take 5 minutes or it could take 50 minutes, but you don’t want to be fishing where the fish aren’t.

Once you are happy with the soundings anchor ahead of them and get some berley in the water before the rods go in. This will get the fish feeding, and hopefully once the first rod goes down it’ll be singing with the sound of the drag before the next couple of baits go down.

MOTHER NATURE I’m sure I’ve said this before, but always check the weather report the night before and just before you venture out onto Port Phillip. As well as checking the weather, let someone know where you are going, and a rough time you will return home, because if you don’t come back and something goes wrong, at least the person waiting at home will know something is wrong and send help.

HOT TIP As mentioned above the use of a sounder is a MUST HAVE item when targeting snapper. Look for feeding fish which may be scattered along the bottom rather than a group of fish holding tight together. Why you would look for this is because the scattered fish are cruising or grazing, in a feeding mode, these fish are normally easier to tempt than a group of fish tight together which maybe sitting there not feeding and shutdown.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

63

Water, water everywhere – now the fishing starts LAUNCESTON

Brendan Turriff

Just a few weeks and everything can be flipped around 180°, altering almost every element conducive to productive and enjoyable fishing.

Like the flash flooding around Launceston in mid-August, where major rivers like the North and South Esk rose very quickly and seasonal creeks became raging rivers. While it temporarily postponed the start to our trout season, it’s a cyclic event that is of benefit to our waters in the long term.

FOUR SPRINGS Fluctuating levels on the rivers have seen anglers flocking to still waters like Brushy Lagoon and Four Springs, with the latter producing some great sessions for the lure angler. Despite surveys late last season suggesting this water had been experiencing some difficulty due to low catch rates, anglers put a spin on the theory with 126 anglers over the opening weekend catching 149 brown trout and 16 rainbow trout between them and making this one of the most productive waters in the state during opening weekend.

Interestingly, just 17% of these fish were some of the 2000 (700g) fish stocked into

Darrell ‘Daz’ Wells with a spanking brown trout from Four Springs. the lake in late May 2013.

Many fish caught were between 1-2.5kg with a couple of semiwhoppers thrown into the mix.

Most successful methods by far were hardbodied lures and soft plastics worked around the shoreline, but a few of the fly brigade got on the board with persistent wet fly casting.

Moving forward, we can expect catch rates to drop off once again at Four Springs.

It often fishes well early and late in the season but becomes tough unless hatches trigger activity. Even still, mayfly hatches will start soon (around Launceston Show Day) and unless you’re there in the right hour on the right day, you may still miss out! Overcast and warm-ish days are your best bet and when the fish are up on

useless when fish are taking mayflies off the top – believe me many have tried! I find a two-fly rig best, mostly tying on a black or red parachutestyle dun/spinner with a Possum Emerger or CDC emerger dropper. Flies that sit low in the water seem to work best and even a slight touch of flash or sparkle in the emerger can help them stand out of the crowd. Don’t go overboard, it’s not Mardi Gras.

MAYFLIES As river levels settle and clarity improves, so does the fishing. As mentioned before, mid-October sees mayfly

Caenids are one of the most anticipated hatches of spring. the mayflies, you better have your game on.

This is where the fly trumps all other methods, with plastics and hardbodied lures

activity begin and this includes the lowland rivers. Overcast days once again will be the key but if the wind is up, forget it. A light breeze at most will

suffice but anything more will hamper the plight of this mediocre aviator.

Brumbys Creek, the Macquarie, Meander, Mersey and South Esk rivers along with a handful of smaller streams will be hot spots, where both black and red spinner mayflies will dominate daytime opportunities, especially between 10am to 3pm. During the middle of the day, fine leaders and more subtle patterns could turn a tough session into something less embarrassing!

For the early riser, keep an eye of for the caenid hatch – tiny little mayflies in huge numbers that often hatch very early, sometimes when it’s pitch black. I’ve been on the river when the sun comes up to find that a hatch is done and dusted, with spent caenids the only evidence. Well, that and the fact that there’s any number of subtle rings on the waters’ surface caused by the rising trout. Much of the caenid action can be over by mid-morning and that’s often when the larger duns and spinners take over.

In particular, the Meander and Mersey rivers experienced great caenid fishing last season, let’s hope the trend continues. CDC F Flies, small Black Spinners, Possum Emergers and even Iron Blue Dun variants can work well but they have to be small (size

16-18) and sit low in the water.

SEA RUNNERS By now, sea-run brown trout would have invaded many northern rivers and estuaries, enticed in large by the influx of millions of spawning whitebait. They are a challenging prospect but utterly intriguing and hold special appeal to those who are under the sea-run spell.

The shimmer of their silver flanks and the fact that you can essentially catch a trout where you may normally encounter a bream or flathead, takes some time to adapt to!

There are many lure and fly options to imitate the whitebait but in my limited success; I’ve found something a touch darker than the natural bait can help your presentation get noticed. In any case, whitebait can change colour as they head upstream, sometimes looking black in tannin-stained waters.

In saltier shores, they are quite translucent. The Tailrace is a reliable location, as is the North Esk to St Leonards, the South Esk in the Gorge and even up around the suspension bridge! Further afield the Great Forester is probably of most renown.

October is an exciting time for trout fishing with so many options and trigger events to get the trout fired up. There’s no excuse for sitting around consuming the spoils of your children’s show bags!

Trout and anglers looking to the surface STH HIGHLANDS

Shane Broadby

What can we expect in October? The answer is heaps, especially if you love hunting around in the shallows at dawn and dusk.

The conditions are easier on us and for the fish, and the shallows are a touch warmer with more aquatic life and amphibious life out and about. October is the prime month for finding shallow water feeders, the famed Tasmanian tailing browns and frog feeders, not to mention the odd surface feature.

BRONTE LAGOON Bronte boasts an ideal environment for finding

tailing trout; the shallow bays and sloping shores just scream fish, even more so if the water levels are high which creates perfect conditions for foraging trout. Calm frosty nights can also create some great early morning chironomid, or midge hatches. It’s far better to approach a shallow shore or bay and just stand and look for 10 minutes. Most times at this time of the year at dawn until the sun comes up or just as the sun dips as the day heads towards evening trout aren’t far away from the shallows.

In fact they were most likely feeding all night or sitting under the cover offered by flooded tussocks waiting for the light to start to fade before feeling confident enough to venture out into the more open

Paddlefish Tasmania is the first and premier Kayak Fishing Tour Adventure operating in South East Tasmania. From chasing flathead and salmon in the calm bays and beaches within minutes of Hobart’s CBD, to trout in the pristine Upper Derwent and Huon rivers or targeting bream in the tournament waters of the Lower Derwent. Whatever type of experience you’re after, Paddlefish Tasmania can cater for it.

www.paddlefishtasmania.com.au

64

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

|

0455 150 120

exposed water to feed. These fish are more than likely to rise to a dry; a Zulu, Red Tag or Possum Emerger brings a lot of tailing fish undone in Bronte at this time of year. If the fish are switched onto frogs, the ever-reliable Sloanes Fur Fly or a black or MK 2 Woolly Bugger in about a size 10 is the go, otherwise a stick Caddis or 007 nymph under an indicator is never a poor option.

LAKE KING WILLIAM King William is filling up as fast and as high as it did last spring, when we got a taste of the fabulous fishing to tailing browns that are a feature of the northern bays and shores. The big problem is the when the water rises fast and too high, with a result of the best areas for seeing tails being under too much water.

The best height is between 1-3m below full supply level, the sight fishing can be simply awesome. I’ll never forget one late afternoon last spring on one of the shallow northern shores, we had had a good dump of snow the previous night and morning, the day cleared up to a magic afternoon, what a beautiful experience it was to be fishing to the dozen or so tailers parading in front of me, under a red evening

A cracking early morning at Tailers Bay, Bronte Lagoon.It’s well worth getting up for. sky, beautiful calm water and being surrounded by snow on the hills and mountains. Trout fishing in Tasmania doesn’t get any better than it did on that evening!

ST CLAIR LAGOON St Clair Lagoon is another wonderful water and a great fly fishery, when the levels are up the water backs up, in and around the rushes and tea trees. Sneaking around the nooks and crannies created by the high water looking for a swirl of a feeding fish or if you get a blue sky day polarising the flooded shallows is a great

way to spend a day. King William and St Clair Lagoon are only a stone’s throw from each other, you could do a lot worse than spending a whole days fishing between these two great fisheries.

LAUGHING JACK LAGOON Laughing Jack is a great springtime destination and it has its very faithful devotees.

It’s very popular bait and trolling water. Most of the storage is surrounded by barren rocky shores, but the northern end is like another world when it’s at its normal early season

The author landing a frog feeder from flooded shallows in the early season. levels. Sloping grassy banks with a few marshy pockets and gutters are great areas to find the well-conditioned and some of the best eating fish in the whole of Tasmania.

I’ve had great fishing here with the Fiery Brown Beetle and 007 nymph under a dry fly indicator. If no fish are evident you can do a lot worse than blind casting with a MK 2 Woolly Bugger in and around the mouth of the creek that is a feature of this northern shore.

High water brings boundless opportunities FMG

Neil Grose vfmeditor@fishingmonthly.com.au

The massive amount of late winter rain and snow has set the scene for an enormous October.

While Great Lake fishes pretty much the same irrespective of the level, waters like Arthurs Lake and Little Pine do fish well at high levels.

ARTHURS LAKE The level in Arthurs is as high as I can remember; in fact it could well be a record for this lake. This means that there are some serious amounts of new ground being flooded.

As the water warms the activity of insects and other shallow water critters also increases, bringing heaps of trout in for a shallow water feed.

Traditional areas like the top end of the Cowpaddock, Creely Bay, Hydro Bay and Pump House Bay have been fishing

very well for shore based anglers prospecting flies and lightly-rigged plastics.

My aim for October will to be explore the flooded areas to the north east of the lake. This area is hard to access unless you have a boat (or love a big walk), and is better if there is an easterly or north easterly wind. If there has been 2-3 days of big south westerly winds it can get murky over here, so avoid it in those situations.

The tussocky shores along either side of the main island are god spots to find foraging trout. Often the biggest and fattest trout are found in here, and they love a dry fly.

LITTLE PINE LAGOON Little Pine Lagoon has seen the best lead up you could ever hope for. The Pine always fishes better throughout the season if it gets a big flush in the starting months of the season. It spilled for most of August, and as the water table is very full, even

5mm of rain on the plateau could see it spill again.

If it spills in October then make all haste to the Pine, as the browns in here lover to forage out worms from flooded ground. The dam wall access is good, but don’t ignore the road shore, as some of the fattest fish feed along here. The bag limit on Little Pine is five, and if you are good enough I encourage you to keep all five – they are great eating and will do the water a great favour.

LAKE AUGUSTA The gateway to the Nineteen Lagoons is an under-rated fishery. When it spills there is often too much water, but October usually sees this lake return to its normal level of 2-3m below full. The southern shores of this lake offer some awesome tailing action when the level hovers around 2m, and will keep western lakes addicts happy until the gate opens when things dry out a bit.

Drifting around the

The trout in Arthurs are in fine fettle in October and make a great feed as well. rocky shores is a very reliable way of snitching a few trout, even dry flies will lift a few good fish.

PENSTOCK LAGOON Penstock Lagoon is a wonderful place, certainly not on my favourite list,

but keeps plenty of anglers happy.

Towards the end of October the first of the mayfly stagger their way to the surface, and while most fish are concentrating on the juvenile mudeyes

and damselfly nymphs it is good to see them.

Most anglers will be still focussing on wet fly fishing, but don’t ignore the shoreline around in front of the shacks – some big fish cruise along here.

Octoberfest for mixed species on the coast bright colours, hopped along the bottom.

Spots include the Port Sorell estuary, Stanley and the mouths of North West Coast rivers. If you want any more information on these fish, don’t hesitate to email me. Remember, October is a great month for squid as

NTH WST COAST

Bryan Van Wyk bryanvwy@hotmail.com

This is the month where all the good stuff begins!

Congratulations, you’ve made it through a long winter and if you hadn’t had much success over the start of spring last month, now is your chance to redeem yourself - whether it’s freshwater, or saltwater.

We have had some major floods lately but let’s have a look on what we can predict for October: I have a routine every October; fish hard for sea runners at the beginning, do a little bit of freshwater trouting when the weather’s bad, and then finish off the month in the salt. That’s just me however, the options are truly endless and you can’t go wrong!

In our rivers around the north west, our sea run trout tend to fire later when compared to rivers in southern Tasmania. The start of October is usually the peak of the action, especially for those chasing trophy fish on the far western rivers. I said this last year, and I’ll say it again; if you want a bit of adventure with some top quality sea runners head down to the Reece power station on the Pieman River and experience one of the biggest whitebait migrations you’ll ever see! Soft plastics, hardbodied lures, spinners or bait will produce

well, so throw some bright squid jigs off rocky points and with a bit of berley you could take home a feed.

It’s also a great month for trout in the higher reaches of our rivers, so if the weather is bad, you can always fall back to that option.

e-Em Soft Plasti cs Mak U

U

-M m ake -Em Fish Take E

MAKE YOUR OWN LURES! A nice buck brown trout caught displayed by the author. This was caught on a Berkley T-tail in black and gold. fish here. It’s a great spot land-based, just fish below the turbines.

On the saltwater side of things, October can be the start of great things to come. The water temperature is on its way to a rise, the weather is warming up and fish are on the move! I have recently been involved with some research on blue spot flathead. October is believed to be the breeding month that coincides with recreational catches.

Large flathead of up to 80cm come into shallow estuaries to spawn and therefore make an

exciting target for landbased or boating anglers. I recommend fishing paddle

tailed type soft plastics such as Squidgy Fish, DOA Shads or Powerbait Ripple Shads in

Save $ and gain a rewarding hobby!

Soft Plastics

Jig Heads

Vibes

Starter Kits

Spinnerbaits

from $28.60

Hard Bodies

Moulds of Every Shape & Size

Ph: [02] 6258 0580 Mob: 0427 580 580

Check us out at: A cracking blue spot flathead being released by Marcus Popowski.

www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au email:info@u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

65

Trout to be found in all sorts of interesting places GEORGE TOWN

Damon Sherriff

The Tamar River has been very quiet due to fresh cold water caused by consistent heavy rain that Tasmania received in August and September.

As a consequence George Town has been quiet too as the immense amounts

of freshwater gradually make their way out to sea.

The water was coffee coloured and huge barelysubmerged logs were floating down the Tamar, so boating was very risky indeed.

There has been a few small Australian salmon been schooling up off the Monument at the end of the main street of George Town.

Anglers can catch them off

is a great place to have a fish when the estuary is like the way it is.

My boys and I often fish the supply for trout when the waters high. The small brown trout fossick the new ground searching for worms, often gorging themselves so they nearly burst.

It can often be fast and furious fishing, especially when using scrub worms for bait.

It is great fun catching the little river fish and it is good to see some benefit coming from the massive downpours we experienced in the lead up to spring.

Hopefully during October the estuaries along the north coast clear up and some of our warm water species turn up and provide us with some great fishing for the spring.

The Supply River where it runs into the Tamar River near Deviot.

Ben Sherriff with a worm caught brown trout.

the rocks on small slices or soft plastics.

Low Head is pretty much the same as George Town but there has been a few barracouta and pike around the last two Farewell beacons as you leave the river.

Boat anglers are catching some nice fish trolling around the beacons using shallow running Rapala styled lures.

Up river has been very quiet due to the floods; I have not seen a boat out for weeks.

Boating was very hazardous and would not be advised until the clarity returns to the river.

SUPPLY RIVER TROUT The Supply River is situated just south of Batman Bridge on the West Tamar. It

A lovely brace of Supply River trout.

What to do in October?

TASMANIA OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

What on earth does a game fisher do in October, in Tasmania.

This is a good question.

The fishing gear and terminal tackle by now should be well serviced and any larger jobs on the good ship should be well in hand.

Water temperaturess are frosty. Weather is confused?

Striped trumpeter season is closed.

Prett much the only thing you can do is research.

RESEARCH The water we fish is often overlooked for other species. We get set in our ways and fishing techniques that we know have always worked. Often this can lead to missing quality fish not thought to be in our fishing grounds. The two species of fish that have huge potential in this area are snapper and yellowtail kingfish. Cheap airfares and good deals on accommodation at the minute allow for excellent ‘research’ missions to be had as close as Melbourne for snapper and good ole Sydney town for the kings.

Do a little looking around on the www and find a good charter operator.

The knowledge you can garner from a good charter operator is worth its weight in Gold.

The information, styles and techniques can be transferred for good result when back in Tasmania waters.

66

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

TEAM PENN ON SAFARI We spend a lot of time in and around St Helens game fishing and often hear the snippets and stories around the kingfish in the area. We have never spent a great deal of time targeting them, but with a trip to Sydney planned we decided to gather some info to have a real crack at them this year.

They prefer turbulent water and tidal rips and love to school up over sharp pinnacles of reef, around wharf pylons, and rocky headlands. They appear during the warmer months of summer and autumn and can be found lurking under schools of slimy mackerel in large bays and estuaries during autumn.

A close up look at some different rigging on the kings.

Ange with a cracking kingfish taken on a ‘research’ mission to NSW. Yellowtail kingfish are an oceanic surface fish that hold over inshore reefs, around rocky headlands, offshore reefs and around islands. Inhabiting the coastal waters of mainland Australia’s southern shores from south Queensland to the mid-coast of Western Australia, including Tasmania. Large numbers are found up and down the eastern coastline.

THE LOW DOWN We flew out the door of the Hotel in Darling Harbour in darkness and into a Taxi cab. A 20-minute trip up over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and we were shaking hands with our skipper for the day, Matt Reid from Raptor Charters. Matt had arrived just before us and removed some Police tape from across the face of the Tunks Park

boat ramp. We first thought damn kids. We were probably a touch hasty and owe the kids in the area an apology given the late model Hilux parked on its boat trailer 2m under the low water mark on the left ramp.

We met Tubby and Ange from Zulu Charters – St Helens Tasmania in the pre-dawn darkness at the ramp.

Taking all that in our stride we were off to catch some live baits and then a swift steam out of Sydney heads and turn hard left. We had a good look at what Matt was up to and asked a few questions as we deployed a live bait and a cuttlefish tentacle on two downriggers.

Once the downriggers were running nicely we had a look on the sounder at the reef edge we were working when we had a double hook up. Two very nice kingfish, one going 92cm. We quickly worked out that Matt knew his stuff as we caught kingfish at will for 4 hours boating and releasing all but 2 of 38

kingfish. The only time we rested from using bait, knife jigs and livies was to sushi-up a rat king that was destined for the table. Matt had chilled the fish down and dragged out some soy sauce, limes and wasabi. Great stuff.

We had a nice cruise back into the harbour and onto the ramp, taking in all the sights,

but also thinking how we are going to use and tweak the new techniques we have witnessed back home in Tassie.

We are all now super keen and chaffing at the bit to get out of St Helens, find some suitable ground and catch some good sized Tassie kingfish.

Adrian ‘Mozza’ Morrisby with two handfuls of research and development.

October spells big runs of trout and bait HOBART

Justin Causby

October on the Derwent can be a dynamite time if you strike active fish feeding solidly on schools of whitebait.

In recent years we haven’t seen any large scale runs but there have been sufficient schools to attract trout.

The settled weather of October begins to offer some lovely evenings on the Derwent. Daylight savings extends the evenings out and you can even start to get

in a few hours fishing after work. It’s these times I tend to find very satisfying and successful, more often than not you are the only boat on the river on a week night.

The calm evenings and a dropping tide do little to hide the frenzied feeding trout on the channel and reed edges of the main river above the Bridgewater Bridge, my favoured haunts in October.

There are also the tail end of the cockchafer beetles falling on the water. Just a quick tip, searun trout on the dry fly is a real option in the Derwent. Not many places in the world would offer that

Matching the hatch. This baitfish appears in the system as we move through October.

sort of fishing.

Starting to appear toward the end of the month like clockwork are the scores of small, just legal size trout.

Each and every year they show in these mid-tidal reaches and extend through to New Norfolk. They can be a real pain on the days when they bigger fish are slow to the lures. I like to fish a quite clear-bodied lures at this time of the year as the water is usually very clean and a lot of bait is present and it’s on the trouts menu.

If you come across some feeding fish and each school of bait usually has more than one fish on it I tend to throw something bigger than the bait school itself. My theory is that the bigger baitfish in the school is seen by the trout and nailed before something else can eat it. It can be very hard and frustrating to keep casting a 40-50mm lure into a school of 5,000 white bait hoping to get a take.

I also tend to make a few trips to the water at New Norfolk in October. There are always good numbers of bait around the town and the overhanging willows above the bridge offers plenty of cover. I tend to fish the shallower shores around the Shingles and up to the big

Two big fish taken after dark at Bridgewater. bend. There is lots of fun to be had here with smaller fish to 700g or so with the odd solid trout amongst them.

The Derwent’s tributaries are looking pretty good options about now. The minor flooding of August

will have moved fish about and they will be settling into new holes. It’s a great time to target these smaller rivers like the Styx and the Plenty.

We all know how the Tyenna can fish and just what it can produce.

After it too was affected by lots of rain falling in the catchment early in the season, anglers will be making the most of the conducive levels before the low flows of summer make things more difficult. The regular devotees sure know where to find them year round, but October is a good time for a visit for the rest of us.

Craigbourne Dam has continued to see regular stockings and will keep giving up fish for some time. Levels got back to something more reasonable after some shockingly low levels seen in winter. IFS officers have been policing the area in the early season, which has been well received by law abiding anglers.

Lake Pedder is now on the radar too. The weather is warming and moving through October to November probably proving some of the best trolling conditions and returns from this once iconic water. It’s a phenomenal fishery offering something for every angler.

It’s well worth the trip for the scenery alone. If you get a still spring day you’ll need a good sized memory card to fit the shots on to.

So many options as spring bursts into action D’ENTRECASTEAUX

Phil Ellerton

October is one of my favourite fishing months with so many great fishing options.

The fishing improves dramatically in mid-October with fresh and saltwater anglers in for productive times.

Freshwater anglers will do well chasing trout in some of the smaller lowland lakes where fish will feed in flooded margins.

Larger rivers such as the Derwent, Huon, Esperance and Lune will also fish well with October and November the two best month to wet a line.

Besides the resident fish on offer, all these location will provide frustrating yet very rewarding sea run trout fishing.

The channel itself on the inside and outside of Bruny Island will start to produce the odd sand flathead with Australian salmon also a notable target species.

The much sought after bream will also begin to become more active with the Derwent still one of the more productive fisheries close to Hobart.

D’ENTRECASTEAUX CHANNEL The Huon, Lune, D’Entrecasteaux and Esperance rivers are the place to be for the freshwater angler and as mentioned above the sea trout are one of the more recognised target species.

At the time of writing I have heard very few reports

of baitfish being present, it will although not be long until whitebait soon become the focus, especially as any snow melt from the highlands dissipates.

Sea run trout and the occasional Atlantic salmon can be caught throughout all the above southern rivers with the Huon and Esperance

recognised for holding the largest numbers of salmon.

The middle to lower reaches of these rivers will give up bream, yellow eye mullet, mackerel and juvenile Australian salmon.

Lure, fly and bait are all effective methods with it well-recognised that larger fish fall to bait.

Soft plastic and fly anglers will do best to drift and cast from a boat.

Trolling in the Huon River is a very popular past time during the months of October and November

with good fish available throughout.

Winged lures such as Tassie Devils are as effective lures as any, although in recent times large bibbed hardbodied minnows have increased in popularity.

Natural colours are preferred.

LUNE RIVER October will see a distinct improvement in the fishing on the Lune River; as weather conditions improve as does the fishing in October.

The lower estuary towards the mouth

6900 CABIN Two Tone Red Paint E-Tec 200Hp Big Block Alloy Trailer Aux Bracket Spare Wheel Cabin Cushions Hydraulic Steering Boarding Ladder Folding Rear Lounge 1Only Bunk Infill and Cushion Bimini with front & side clears

(Southport) holds some large specimens of bream, flathead and mullet which can be targeted with soft plastics and bait, while anglers who prefer the sporting qualities of the Australian salmon will have success using traditional silver sliced lures and saltwater fly.

Beyond the mouth anglers who have larger boats will be able to tackle king flathead, sharks, barracouta, wrasse and calamari.

WAS $72,073

NOW $ $64,900 , SAVE $7,173

Contact Maynes Marine 03·6214 9999 The lower reaches of southern estuaries can be fantastic in October.

Email: sales@maynesmarine.com.au 6 Effingham St, Moonah TAS 7009

www.maynesmarine.com.au V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

67

Excitement as water warms and bream chew hard ST HELENS

Jamie Henderson

This month is an exciting time on the East Coast of Tasmania as spring is well and truly sprung and conditions are prime.

The big activity over this month and into the next will be the bream. October and November is prime time to target the spawning aggregations up many on the east coast river systems; some areas will show some massive numbers of fish.

The Scamander River is probably one of the most popular systems and will see some significant pressure from anglers however it seems to cope year after year and keeps producing fantastic fishing.

Here you will expect to see some spectacular surface action and sight fishing opportunities.

Further south, the Swan River system and Little Swanport are also well worth a visit. The Swan is a more open deep system with less chance of sight fishing but much larger bream that is usually encountered on the Scamander. Little Swanport will offer some spectacular

October is prime bream fishing time, with the Scamander River a top destination. shallow water sight fishing, polaroiding and oyster rack fishing.

Georges Bay estuary will be firing hard by this stage and should see some great Australian salmon schools with fish anywhere up to 3kg smashing the thick bait schools throughout the bay.

Mixed in with the salmon will often be tailor, mackerel and pike so a mixed bag is always a chance.

There will also be some good numbers of large silver trevally becoming very active and are a great light tackle sport species to target with soft plastic lures.

Offshore will see plenty of good flathead numbers up and down the coast, particularly the tiger flathead, and varying the depths will be the key to finding the schools. Start in shallow water around 15m and work your way out deeper until consistent catches are coming aboard.

Sometimes the fish can be out as deep as 80-90m however at this time of year I would expect somewhere around 20-40m should see numbers of fish.

As the striped trumpeter season is still closed until the end of October itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good time to head a little further offshore and target the deeper species such as blue eye trevalla and hapuku.

We should also be seeing a stabilisation in rainfall and the worst should be behind us, this will see the fresh water rivers such as the South Esk and Georges River basins calm down and trout fishing will flourish.

The lowland rivers will be a prime target for some early season dry fly action and caddis moths will be hatching on a regular basis with fish rising to them.

Trout are awesome in October, as Jak Elmer shows.

489 & 539 NOMAD FISHER

With 4mm bottomsides and 3mm topsides the 489 and 539 Nomad Fisher features a fully welded sub-frame rib structure and a self-draining checkerplate floor. Combine this with the EVO Advance Hull and a new transom, these are tough boats.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

VICTORIAN DEALERS

68

TASMANIAN DEALERS

MELBOURNE

GIPPSLAND

GEELONG

ALBURY/WODONGA

TASMANIA

BL MARINE

CRAWFORD MARINE

MOOLAP MARINE

BORDER MARINE CENTRE

MAYNES MARINE

612-614 Plenty Rd, PRESTON

71-77 Chickerell St, MORWELL

250 Portarlington St, GEELONG

474 Wagga Road, LAVINGTON

6 Effingham St, MOONAH

Ph 03 9478 1420

Ph 03 5134 6522

Ph 03 5248 3772

Ph 02 6040 9999

Ph 03 6214 9999

info@blmarine.com.au www.blmarine.com.au

www.crawfordmarine.com.au

info@moolapmarine.com.au www.moolapmarine.com.au

bordermarine@westnet.com.au www.bordermarinecentre.com.au

sales@maynesmarine.com.au www.maynesmarine.com.au

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Check C h ec k o out ut t h he e Z Zerek ere k

You love t he Zerek Zere e k Live Shrimp....

can be re-rigged with standard jig head or worm hook

unique rigging slots in the body to shield hook making the lure supersnag resistant k up ability whilst maintaining great hook

lumo eyes life like realistic colour range in-built rattle chamber hollow main chamber for easy hook up comes pre-rigged with weighted weedless hook unique moving leg action

01

Available in 4" & 6"

03

Available in 4" & 6"

6â&#x20AC;? also includes bonus saltwater jig head!

09

Available in 4" & 6"

unique segmented tail held together by kevlar matting to give durability and life-like action

10

Available in 4" & 6"

11

12

18

20

Available in 4" & 6"

Available in 4" & 6"

Available in 4" & 6"

Available in 4" & 6"

21

22

23

Available in 4" & 6"

Available in 4" & 6"

Available in 4" & 6"

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

69

River Dancers TRARALGON

Rod Booker harcourt@datafast.net.au

You can smell it in the air: spring that is. It has been a reasonably wet winter by some standards and most catchments in the south east of the continent are saturated.

Of course this augurs well for the coming trout season. In Victoria it means good stream flows and temperatures throughout the spring and summer as well as increased food washed into the streams. In Tasmania it means great early season fishing on the flooded highland lakes and tarns.

Early season fishing on these flooded lakes and rivers usually means wet flies, and heavy nymphs. However this is not always the case, because as the season progresses and you start to get periods with a rising barometer, the ‘river dancers’ begin to appear.

Of course I mean the mayflies. They, given optimum conditions and by that I do not mean windless blue sky days, which are optimum conditions for the angler. I mean rising water temperatures and barometric pressures.

These conditions can occur anytime from mid-October through to March and April.

Believe it or not mayflies will hatch in some of the most miserable conditions including snow storms.

Lower down in the lowland streams you are more likely to see some form of mayfly activity a little earlier than up top.

Although there are many species of mayfly, and probably ten times as many imitations for each species, I have found the simpler ones to be the most effective. And with the never ending supply of innovative materials being produced to assist the avid tyer things can get pretty simple.

This pattern I have used very effectively from the lakes in the Snowy Mountains, through Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand. For lake fishing you can dress it a little heavier to assist in keeping it up on those long drag free drifts. Alternatively on the more genteel natured or more classic mayfly streams you can dress it down a little. You can also clip the hackle level with the point of the hook to allow the fly to sit flush with the surface film, for a more realistic aspect.

Either way the key to this fly and its looks is no doubt the wing. Hemingway’s produce a number of realistic fly tying materials that can be used to great effect by the thinking tyer. The Mmayfly wings are one such product; it just makes the whole mayfly construction business an easier prospect.

The key to fishing this fly particularly on the highland lakes and tarns is to get a

TYING MATERIALS

HOOK:........................ Daiichi 1170 #12 THREAD: ................... Black 8/0 BODY: ........................ Stripped peacock herl HACKLE: ................... Honey dun WING:......................... Hemingway’s pre formed TAIL: ........................... Grey micro fibbets RIB: ............................ Fine copper wire

1

Place the hook in the vice, attach the thread and wind to the bend of the hook. Tie in the micro fibbets and take two turns of thread under them to make them sit up slightly.

4 Now wind on the herl to form the body, followed by the rib and tie in behind the wing.

Tie in your honey dun saddle feather.

2

Tie the stripped peacock herl and the fine copper rib.

Tie in the 3 Hemingway mayfly wing as shown. nice drag free drift. On those breezy days, this is a little easier to achieve as you can wade the tarns and lake shore with the wind at your back and flick short casts to either side and just slowly move with the drift of the fly. You can also use it to cast to sighted fish

5

Wind two turns behind the wing and 3-4 in front depending on how heavily hackled you want it. and ambush them by placing the fly in their path, often the trained eye will see the fish from a fair way off allowing time to set the trap.

Stream fishing with the mayfly is the most satisfying, as mayflies have the habit of bringing many fish to

the surface, and once again you have to lay your trap to outwit your victim, be advised though that the largest rise is not always the largest fish.

A large concentration of the naturals is of course going to pose other problems as the trout can be a little selective

with so much on offer.

However the materials in this pattern will go some way to evening the odds up. Tie a few up and go watch the show, and if the fish don’t cooperate, sit back enjoy the surroundings and admire your creations in the fly box.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 6th September 2013 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ............................................................................................Spilling Arthurs Lake ...................................0.43 .................................................Steady Great Lake ......................................14.23 ...............................................Steady Trevallyn Pond ..........................................................................................Spilling Shannon Lagoon .............................0.1 ...................................................Falling Penstock Lagoon ......................................................................................Spilling Lake Echo .......................................7.56 .................................................Steady Dee Lagoon .....................................0.22 .................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah ............0.01 .................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon ................................0.01 .................................................Steady Pine Tier Lagoon .......................................................................................Spilling Little Pine Lagoon .....................................................................................Spilling Laughing Jack Lagoon ...................2.17 .................................................Rising Lake St Clair ...................................1.1 ...................................................Steady Lake King William ...........................1.89 .................................................Steady Lake Liapootah ...............................2.67 .................................................Falling Wayatinah Lagoon ....................................................................................Spilling Lake Catagunya ..............................0.39 .................................................Falling

Lake Repulse ..................................0.26 .................................................Falling Cluny Lagoon ............................................................................................Spilling Meadowbank Lake .........................0.19 .................................................Rising Lake Pedder ...................................0.43 .................................................Steady Lake Gordon ...................................19.94 ...............................................Steady Lake Burbury ..................................2.65 .................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll ..................................2.25 .................................................Falling Lake Murchison ..............................1.14 .................................................Rising Lake Mackintosh ............................0.33 .................................................Falling Lake Rosebery ..........................................................................................Spilling Lake Pieman ...................................0.57 .................................................Falling Lake Mackenzie ........................................................................................Spilling Lake Rowallan ..........................................................................................Spilling Lake Parangana ........................................................................................Spilling Lake Cethana ..................................0.52 .................................................Falling Lake Barrington ........................................................................................Spilling Lake Gairdner .................................1.18 .................................................Falling Lake Paloona ............................................................................................Spilling Woods Lake ....................................0.7 ...................................................Steady Whitespur Pond ..............................7.79 .................................................Steady Lake Newton ..................................3.37 .................................................Steady Lake Margaret ..........................................................................................Spilling

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

70

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Low altitude streams focus for surface action DEVONPORT

Brett Smith

Lowland rivers of Tasmania and Victoria should be starting to really fire up with last month producing some good early action on the dry fly.

This month we should see a peak in the activity and the start of some awesome mayfly hatches that really excite us all. There’s a lot to talk about, the words caenids, spinners, duns and caddis all spark a frenzy of activity, and provide a spectacle of rising or leaping trout.

A DAY ON THE RIVER Of a morning, the tiny caenid mayfly has really been prolific on northern Tasmanian streams in the last few years.

Gentleman’s hours of 10am2pm were once considered the best time of the day to fish a river, but with the caenid mayfly hatching and falling in massive clouds overnight on balmy spring/early summer nights, starting your day on the river at crack of dawn is very worthwhile.

The water surface in slower pools and broad waters of rivers are blanketed in these small white spent adult caenid delights. Trout feeding on

The author with a larger-than-normal brown trout taken while the fish was focussed on surface food. them will be sipping or finning in the riffles of the current ever so gently, so flies need to be small and delicate, and tippets need to be very light for the best presentation. When you cast over a rising fish, make sure you only cover it with the end 30-40cm of your tippet as not to spook it.

The best flies to present to these midging river fish are very small caenid pattern, gnats, Adams variations and very small mayfly dun imitations.

Wind is your enemy for caenid feeders as it usually subdues to the rises, so calm balmy mornings are best. Your wading stealth and casting must be spot on as these fish can be quite fussy and attuned

to sipping only spent caenids for the first few hours of the day.

DAYTIME Warm or overcast spring days rate as one of my favourite times to fish a river. Late October into November is, I believe, the best mayfly time on lowland rivers of Tasmania and those in Victoria, as the larger mayfly species should start to emerge daily and sail down the current like little sail boats in big numbers in good weather.

Rises on good days to duns can be a season highlight and rival those on the central highland lakes. Tippets can be bulked up just a tad from the morning caenid session, and flies upsized to either an

adult or emergent dun/mayfly pattern. Many of the duns on some rivers are a lot closer to grey in colour than their highland cousins. I like the good old Adams dry fly in many instances. This is also definitely a great fly for a lot of good Victorian mayfly rivers as well!

Clouds of adult mayfly spinners doing their ritual dance above the water will also be seen on humid days, which can frustrate anglers at times as the trout will hone in on the egg laying insects above the water and leap at them to catch them in mid air, and ignore most surface presentation.

Persistent casting can win them over, as well as skating your fly, and funny enough they do respond to a nymph dropper or wet spider pattern.

If refusals persist it pays to move on and find rising trout further on, as there shouldn’t be a shortage of rising fish this time of year.

Around the new leaves of willow trees, and lush green banks, clouds of white caddis are a common sight as well. Along the tea tree lined streams these caddis hatches can be enormous.

Last year was a little quiet on the caddis side on my local

rivers of the mid-north west like the Leven and Mersey, but I reckon they will be back with vengeance in this year’s cycle.

You will often see a trout or two slashing underneath the insect cloud, and the good old Elk Hair Caddis flies is great, but to save changing flies for every rising fish, stick to a grey Adams as they do look similar to a caddis as well!

EVENING The evening rise can be a great fall back if you have had a tough day, or just want to cap off a great one!

Whilst a lot of separate things happen during the day, warm calm evenings can see all the fly life make one last big showing for the day, or in the case of the often nocturnal caenids, an early start!

Forget walking a long way upstream, just pick out a nice short section of river; inflows to broad waters are ideal, and sit and watch for rises and cast

to them. The trout population almost seems to double in front of your eyes in the evening and a lot of holes you thought only held a few fish, actually hold a lot of fish!

Evening is my favourite for targeting bigger fish too as they often come out of their deep lairs or logs to participate in the feast.

Tippet and presentation in the waning light are not as important and often it is advantageous to bulk up a pound or two in case of that unexpected leviathan that might sip your fly down.

Fly choice is pretty simple, just persist with a dun, emerger or spinner pattern of your choice.

I love the Adams, but make sure it is a fly you can see in the fading light, so no smaller than a size 12.

All in all it is a very exciting time, and I hope you enjoy some good mayfly fishing on your local river.

The author’s favourite dry fly for the mayfly.

Drop in to your local Quintrex Dealer!

GEELONG GEELONG BOATING CENTRE / 88 Barwon Heads Rd, Belmont VIC P 03·5241 6966 / E sales@geelongboats.com.au / W www.geelongboats.com.au

TRARALGON GIPPSLAND BOAT SUPPLIES / Princess Hwy, Traralgon VIC P 03·5174 1223 / E ray@gippslandboatsupplies.com.au W www.gippslandboatsupplies.com.au

BRAESIDE

THE 690 TRIDENT

Tough enough

T O H A N D L E T H E W R AT H O F T H E O C E A N

JV MARINE WORLD / 878 Springvale Rd, Braeside VIC P 03·9798 8883 / E info@jvmarine.com.au / W www.jvmarine.com.au Tough

LAVERTON NORTH JV MARINE WORLD / 15 Fitzgerald Rd, Laverton North VIC P 03·9368 7100 / E info@jvmarine.com.au / W www.jvmarine.com.au

BAYSWATER STREAKER BOATS / 461 Mountain Hwy, Bayswater VIC P 03·9729 8288 / E sales@streakerboats.com.au / W www.streakerboats.com.au

The 690 Trident offers superior stability generated by the Millennium Blade Hull, the new stretch-formed hull design has an entirely new concave flare in the side sheets and bottom sides for a smoother, drier ride.

MILDURA

The 690 Trident is available as a Quintrex Instant Boating Package complete with boat, trailer, engine and three year factory warranty for peace of mind.

BENDIGO MARINE WORLD / Midland Hwy, Epson VIC P 03·5448 3988 / E sales@bendigomarine.com.au / W www.bendigomarine.com.au

SUNRAYSIA MARINE / 13 Seventh St, Mildura VIC P 03·5022 1155 / E sales@sunraysiamarine.com.au / W www.sunraysiamarine.com.au

BENDIGO

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

71

18 LUCKY SUBSCRIBERS WILL WIN! $50 GIFT PACK JUST FOR SUBSCRIBING *

Picture for illustration purposes only.

* Assorted Tackle

www.gamakatsu.com.au YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WILL START WITH THE NEXT PUBLISHED ISSUE

QLD FISHING MONTHLY FOR

12

ISSUES

NSW FISHING MONTHLY

$65

INC. GST

SUBSCRIPTION FOR Name: Address: Suburb: Daytime Contact No:

OR

24

VIC/TAS FISHING MONTHLY

ISSUES

$115

If you wish to purchase any other combination of magazines please phone FREE CALL 1800 228 244 for a special price.

INC. GST

BUYERS DETAILS Name: Address: Suburb: Daytime Contact No:

P/Code:

P/Code:

As the buyer, do you wish to receive annual subscription renewal notifications?

PAYMENT DETAILS Cheque Money order Credit Card No: Card Holder’s Name:

Mastercard/Visa

Yes

No

Signature: Credit Card Expiry Date: Daytime Contact No:

IF THIS IS A GIFT PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING AND A GIFT CARD WILL BE MAILED TO THE LUCKY ANGLER OR THE GIFT BUYER!

MAIL TO

Subscriber

Buyer

To: Happy Birthday!

Happy ____ Birthday!

Other (20 characters max)

From or Love From: Happy Fishing!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Fathers Day!

SUBSCRIBER

ADVANTAGES Free Delivery Entry into the monthly draws Save $$$ 72

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

1800 228 244 OR

07·3387 0800

Fax coupon to:

Mail Coupon to: FM Subscriptions

07·3387 0801

PO Box 3172 Loganholme Q 4129

Email details to: subscribe@fishingmonthly.com.au

OUR GUARANTEE Every now and again, a copy may not arrive through the Australia Post System. If this happens to you, a quick call to us and we will post out another FREE OF CHARGE.

Eildon Big Fish Challenge The Eildon Big Fish Challenge will be held over the weekend of October 19-20.

This will be a fantastic event with the major emphasis on family fishing and fun for everyone who participates.

There will two days of fishing in the

challenge starting on the Saturday morning.

Any trout caught and registered will go in the running to win a fantastic Savage Jabiru aluminium boat, a Mercury 15hp outboard motor on a trailer, plus all the safety gear, registration and on roads.

This major prize is thanks to the hard work of Tony Kedell at Eildon Outboard Services in conjunction with Savage and Mercury.

In addition to that there will be five secret lengths which have $2,000 cash prizes in total as well as a prize of two full days of a guided fishing trip for two people with D Mac fishing adventures, including accommodation valued at well over a $1200.

The whole weekend will be packed with entertainment for the kids with a jumping castle and casting competitions being held.

On the night there will have live music into the evening, not to mention wine tastings on the

Sunday with presentations for the challenge mid-afternoon.

There is a whole bunch

of great prizes to be won over the weekend, so we hope to see plenty of anglers and their families.

EILDON BIG FISH CHALLENGE

When: Where: Prizes: Extras: Contact:

EILDON FISHING COMPETITION

19-20 October 13 The idyllic Eildon Pondage is adjacent to the Eildon township in the Upper Goulburn Valley. If you’re coming from Melbourne, Eildon is on the Goulburn Valley Highway via Healesville or Yea. 5 secret lengths, $2,000 cash prizes, 2 full days of a guided fishing trip for two people with D Mac fishing adventures, including accommodation valued at well over a $1200.

Kids entertainment, jumping castle, casting comps, live music, wine tastings. www.eildonbigfishchallenge.com.au

PONDAGE

Food and Wine Festival

Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 October 2013

• CATCH THE BIGGEST FISH A prize for each section: Male, female, junior/kids • FISHING TIMES Saturday 7am-4pm and Sunday 7am-12noon • CLUB ENTRY Prize for largest participation • MYSTERY LENGTHS CASH PRIZE!

This is our first year of running this competition and we really want to make a statement s this event is planned in for the next six years.

All the information you require will be outlined clearly when you enter and register for the event.

Want to know more? Jump onto www. eildonbigfishchallenge. com.au to get all the details.

Will you take the CHALLENGE?

MAJOR RAFFLE

• MAJOR DRAW – BOAT PACKAGE Each fish caught gets entrered into major draw • CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS PERPETUAL TROPHY Overall combined lengths (5 fish per day) – adult, junior and family sections

Saturday evening 5pm - 9pm Music, ic BBQ and auction

Fishing Entr y Fee • Adults $25 • Junior/Kids $10 • Family $60

FAMILY FUN SUNDAY  10am-3pm FREE ENTRY • Trade display • Fishing demonstrations • Food stalls • Wine tastings • Music • Children’s amusements • Competition Presentation 2pm

www.eildonbigfishchallenge.com.au This competition supports catch and release for sustainable fishing.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

73

ABT BREAM Fishing Roadshow hits Victoria Victoria is set for the largest bream fishing tournament roadshow ever experienced in November when four pinnacle events of the ABT BREAM season hit the Gippsland region for a must not miss bream-athon.

Featuring the Hobie Fishing Worlds, DaiwaHobie Kayak BREAM Grand Final, Humminbird BREAM Grand Final and ABT BREAM Classic Championship, the 10 day long bream feast will provide anglers with an action packed conclusion to a long year on the tournament trail and also provide tournament fans, residents and visitors a chance to see, first hand, the best anglers in the business. Find out how they catch their fish and experience the thrill and excitement of the tournament experience in this magnificent part of Victoria.

Let’s take a look at the events and what’s in-store for those keen to hit the road and head to Gippsland to experience life on the tournament trail.

HOBIE FISHING WORLDS It all kicks of on Bemm River with anglers from across the world converging on this popular fishery for the 3rd running of the Hobie Fishing Worlds. Kayakers from over a dozen countries will be hitting the water for this iconic event, with Bemm River set to experience a global bream bonanza like only Hobie can deliver.

With a flotilla of kayaks hitting the water at 7am sharp each morning and an action packed weigh-in taking place each afternoon, the Hobie Fishing Worlds is an opportunity to see the global phenomenon of kayak

fishing, get up close and personal with the legendary Hobie kayak brand and meet some of the international legends of the sport. Add Bemm River’s legendary black bream to the mix and it’s an event not to miss.

MARLO

DAIWA-HOBIE KAYAK BREAM GRAND FINAL The action of the Bemm was just a taste of things to come, with the Hobie Fishing Worlds hitting the road and heading to Marlo for the 2nd and 3rd day of competition.

Continued page 76

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

03 5154 8268

HOSTS: Les & Kathy HEYNE • Deluxe cabins • Cabins with ensuite • Budget cabins • Premium ensuite vans • Powered & Unpowered sites • Pet friendly • Undercover BBQ areas in Marlo Largest park • Large oval • Kitchen h • Camp fires • Kiosk k to the beac Short wallk • Coffee shops

www.marlocamping.com.au 74

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

The competition lifts to another level though when they head to Marlo with the Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Grand Final running concurrently with the Hobie Worlds. With 100 anglers predicted to take part it’ll be a kayak bream-athon like we’ve never seen before.

With anglers from across Australia joining forces with the international anglers fishing the Worlds, Marlo will be Australia’s bream fishing Mecca on the first weekend in November.

With the kayak big bag record coming from Marlo and XOS fish on the cards for competitors the Hobie double header is building to be a big fish battle.

Who will be crowned the Hobie Worlds Champion and who will be Australia’s kayak bream tournament

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

75

From page 74

DATES AND LOCATIONS

champion for 2013? There’s only one way to find out and there’s only place to see it, and that’s by heading to Marlo on November 3.

BREAM CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP The roadshow heads east to Mallacoota for the National ABT BREAM Classic Championship.

Featuring Australia’s best boating bream teams, it’s the event that all bream teams throughout the country aspire to win.

Over 60 teams are predicted to do battle in the two day event with the big bags and giant bream of Mallacoota set to test the competing teams. With over $2 million dollars worth

Hobie Fishing Worlds Location: Bemm River, Vic Date: Oct 30 (Thur) When: 2pm, Bemm River township foreshore (Sydnenham Parade, Bemm River) Hobie Fishing Worlds/Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Grand Final Location: Marlo, Vic Date: Nov 2-3 (Sat, Sun) When: 2pm, Marlo foreshore (Argyle Parade, Marlo) BREAM Classic Championship Location: Mallacoota, Vic Date: Nov 5-6 (Tue, Wed) When: 2pm, Mallacoota township boat ramp (Buckland Drive, Mallacoota) Humminbird BREAM Grand Final Location: Metung, Vic Date: Nov 8-10 (Fri, Sat, Sun) When: 2pm, Metung Hotel Foreshore HUMMINBIRD BREAM GRAND FINAL All roads lead to Gippsland Lakes after Mallacoota, with Metung playing host to the biggest event of the bream calendar, the Humminbird BREAM Grand Final.

Featuring Australia’s 40 best boaters, and 40 best non-boaters this is the event that makes tournament angling superstars and cements reputations. Tim ‘The Bream’ Morgan and many others have won this title on their way to angling stardom. Who will it be in 2013? Heading to Metung for this action packed weekend is the best way to find out.

The list of competitors fishing the events is a roll call of past and present ABT and AFC anglers and champions.

Russell Babekuhl, Kris Hickson, Tristan Taylor and current Angler of the Year Champion and Victorian gun Warren Carter are all primed to do battle in the ultimate event of on the 2013 BREAM fishing calendar.

Three days of competition, an often changing and very testing bream bite, combined with an expansive, almost daunting venue combine to make the Gippsland Grand Final the ultimate tournament test for 2013.

Who will catch

of boats on the water and the latest in cutting edge tournament tackle and gear on display on competitors’ vessels, this event is your opportunity to witness Australia’s best breaming teams do their thing on one of the Australia’s premier bream fisheries, Mallacoota.

One of Victoria’s best family fishing and holiday destination Mallacoota is a perfect location to visit and witness catch and release bream fishing at its best.

Information, action and the drama of tournament angling will all be there at the Buckland Drive foreshore at Mallacoota. Make sure you don’t miss it.

76

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

Gippsland’s legendary black bream and who will hold the Huminbird BREAM Grand Final trophy aloft?

The Metung Hotel on Sunday November 10 is where and when the question will be answered and you’ll get to witness history in the making.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the action at Metung or at any of the venues during the BREAM Grand Final in Victoria, breaming entertainment and opportunities like this only come along once. – ABT

Australia finishes ninth in World Championships The Australian Fly Fishing team has returned from the 2013 World Fly Fishing Championships in Norway with a very credible ninth splacing.

Fishing conditions for this championship were best described as challenging at best, woeful at worst.

Many anglers from other countries failed to even catch a fish over the three days of competition – many competition beats failed to even yield one fish at all.

Of the 128 anglers from 25 countries, 11 failed to catch a fish.

The competition is conducted over five three hour sessions on three river beats and two lakes; fished from boats and from the shore. Each beat on the river is around 100m long, and anglers are only permitted to fish within this stretch. Beats are allocated by random draw, which ultimately influenced the final outcome.

The boat session were

The Australian team in Norway for the 2013 World Fly Fishing Championships. able to go where ever they liked, but were restricted to rowing boats propelled by a ‘controller’ in the middle of the boat.

Anglers were able to catch grayling, trout and sea trout – anything over 18cm was able to be measured.

Points are allocated according to the length of the fish – most points in any session wins. Anglers are allocated ranking points

AUSTRALIAN PLACINGS

11: Jonathon Stagg 32: Christopher Bassano 53: Joe Riley 67: Craig Carey 106: Chris Dawson

according to where they finish in each session – one ranking point for first, two for second and so on.

Ranking points are tallied over the five session and the angler with the lowest points wins.

The Australian team comprised of Christopher Bassano, Joe Riley, Jonathon Stagg, Craig Carey, and Chris Dawson. The team has had extensive overseas competition experience and was seen as a great chance to do extremely well indeed.

The team was expecting the competition to be based on wild brown trout in big rivers with massive flows – the reality was that rivers

were very low and where there was trout, they behaved like stocked rainbows rather than wild browns.

The massive advantage that the team anticipated prior to the championships evaporated with the river levels, and as such the team battled to keep in touch with the leaders.

Many members of the team fished very well in their individual sessions, with Jonothan Stagg doing extremely well, winning one session and placing second in another. Joe Riley also did well in one session placing second, but due to some impossible beats he failed to catch a measurable fish in

three other sessions.

Christopher Bassano did extremely well in several sessions, but again was hamstrung by bad beats with few if any fish in front of him. Christopher actually managed to catch fish in one river session where no others had done so before him.

While the team might be disappointed with their ninth spot and travelling so far for such poor fishing, it does bode extremely well for future championships.

The experience of difficult fishing in foreign waters will hone their skills and sharpen their determination to rank much higher next time.

TOP TEN TEAMS

1: Czech Republic 2: Italy 3: France 4: Finland 5: USA 6: Norway 7: Poland 8: England 9: Australia 10: Luxembourg The Australians are highly respected anglers, and their results in this most difficult of championships proves their skill and determination.

- Neil Grose

Christopher Bassano lands a grayling in practice. This northern hemisphere species is beautiful and feisty.

Tea Tree Snapper Fishing Competition incorporating The Victorian Amateur Snapper Championship FRIDAY 1st NOVEMBER & SATURDAY 2nd NOVEMBER 2013

Hosted by the Snapper Point Angling Club.

Weigh in and presentation MORNINGTON RACECOURSE.

$130,000 IN PRIZES sponsored by:

including...

3 BOATS! Snapper Point Angling Club wishes to acknowledge the generous support given by the sponsors of this competition and thank them for their involvement.

The 30th Annual Mornington Peninsula Tea Tree Snapper Fishing Competition The competition for the serious Port Phillip and Westernport Snapper fisherman...

Entry details at www.teatreesnapper.org.au V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

77

Tea Tree Snapper fishing competition 2013 The 30th annual Tea Tree Snapper Fishing competition, run by the Snapper Point Angling Club of Mornington will be held on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd November, just before the Melbourne Cup. Being the 30th year of the competition, the club is making a big effort to have some special prizes this year.

Prizes will include three boats and a great range of tackle, boating and other products.

For the past few years, the snapper stocks have improved year on year and with the improving health of Port Phillip and Western Port, there is promise that 2013 will be a bumper season for snapper anglers.

made to fit your fugly head From $39.95 + p&h

www.fuglies.com.au

...and they float!

PO Box 235 Yorkeys Knob Qld 4878 Ph: 07 4055 8472 Fax: 07 4055 8471

It’s time to begin planning the tactics and tuning the gear to increase your chances of being one of those anglers who has a good fish in the running for one of the fabulous prizes in the random capture draw.

Whether you are new to snapper fishing or a seasoned angler, planning and having your boat and gear ready is everything. Don’t wait until the day before fishing to prepare. The weather improves from September so why not get rid of the winter blues by taking the time to service and run the motor, check the brakes, wheel bearings and winch cable.

Make sure the flares are in date and all of the safety gear up to standard. Law enforcement officers will be operating and you need to be able to demonstrate that your rig is good to avoid a bad day.

Take your time and be patient when launching. There will be a lot of boats on the water and being relaxed will make for an enjoyable day.

Here are a few tips from the Club to help you with your chances of being in the draw for one of the three great boat, motor and trailer packages and other fantastic prizes.

Make sure you have your order in at your local tackle store for bait or have a plan to

for sale on X16 Bass Boat Mercury Pro XS 115HP, low hours, loads of extra’s QLD

..................................................$19,990

Minn Kota Fortrex 80 LB 24 volt electric motor brand new NSW .............................................................................. $1800

Skeeter ZX190 Evinrude Etec 150 HO, low hours, power pole plus more VIC ................................................... $40,500

BlueFin 475 Mercury 90 HP Optimax, sounder, electric, ski pole, plus more NSW

..................................$21,000

Legend Alpha 211 Mercury 200 HP Optimax, brand new boat and motor QLD

.............................................$66,800

Seascape Viper Evinrude Etec 50 HP Tiller Steer, double rod lockers plus more QLD

....................................$16,000

LIKE ‘TOURNAMENTBOATS.COM.AU’ ON FACEBOOK FOR AUTOMATIC UPDATES

78

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

go early and catch your own squid of garfish. Fresh bait is always best and having a gar rod over the back while you are snapper fishing often produces a ready bait that big snapper like.

Having rods set up ready to go with drags pre-set to just allow the fish to run without feeling pressure or causing a backlash is the trick. If you use bait-runner type reels, adjust the hook up drag to set the hook but still allow the fish to take line. If you have reels with only one drag setting, set the drag to allow the fish to run freely and use your hand to apply pressure to the spool when setting the hook.

Hooks should be sharpened and the points well clear of the bait for best hook ups. The leader needs to be heavy enough to resist fraying from flathead gnawing on the bait but light enough to avoid putting the snapper off. If the leader is frayed, replace it

before the next cast as it will not stand up to a big fish and your day and chances could be ruined.

Patience is everything when boating a good fish.

If you use large baits or live gars, make sure that the hooks points are well clear of the bait and don’t be too quick to strike. When rigging a gar for bait, make sure the hooks are placed to avoid injury and the beak is tied to the leader. Counting to at least three before setting the hook often helps the hook up rate. Once you feel the pressure on the line, you can tighten up the drag a bit and keep the line tight to the fish.

Best times to fish are 1.5

hours either side of the tide changes and if this can be combined with dawn or dusk then the probability of action is greatly increased. That does not mean the fish do not bite in between times.

Sometimes they just get hungry and the lines start screaming.

The week before the competition, go to the tackle shop or ramps and ask where and what time the fish are active. Keep checking until you are confident of the information and decide an area to fish. If there are a lot of boats in a group and you want to fish the area, allow plenty of distance to other boats, particularly if the tide will change while you are in the location.

If you use berley, make sure it will work for you and not other boats. Being on the outside of a group or upstream of the tidal flow can be an advantage. Don’t be afraid of fishing in an area on your own. If the flathead drive you mad, move a bit to get away from them.

Now, before it’s too late, get your entry in. Just go to www.teatreesnapper.org.au to download your entry form.

You can pay by EFT. - John Vincent

2013 Yamaha Cod Classic Australia’s richest freshwater fishing tournament and most eagerly awaited social event on the fishing calendar, the 2013 Yamaha Cod Classic and Wilson Slick Back Lures Junior Cod Classic is drawing near. December 7-8 will see Lake Mulwala come alive with an expected 3,000 plus anglers and 1,400 boats.

Entering its 14th year, the Cod Classic continues to offer an amazing prize pool totalling in excess of $125,000 including 7 Quintrex/Yamaha boating packages. Incredibly, 76 boating packages will have been given away through the Cod Classic after this year.

Throw in a $20,000 bounty for some lucky angler if they catch Brian, a specially tagged Murray cod, and you have a weekend you would be crazy to miss.

The Fishing and Outdoors Expo will again be a feature with the chance to grab a bargain not to be missed.

Other popular parts of the competition include iconic entertainer Flathead Fred for the juniors, Cod Talk with Rod Codmac McKenzie and Gus Storer, and the Australian Pro Casting Championships.

The Old Town Australian

Canoe and Kayak Cod Fishing Championships enters its third year. Catering for the new breed of fishers who chose to fish from either a canoe and kayak, this event is a must for those who chose paddle and peddle over petrol and power.

The Cod Classic is a total catch and release event for all native species. Competitors will have the chance to learn from some of the country’s leading authorities on native fish in regards to catch and release and its values through our catch and release clinics.

Designed for the family with all levels of fishing skills catered for, everybody has a chance of winning one of the many great prizes on offer whether using bait or lures. The majority of prizes are randomly drawn with competitors not having to catch a fish to be a winner!

Those who are lucky enough to register either a legal size Murray cod or golden perch go into additional draws to win extra great prizes. There will be over 1,500 prizes (adults) and all juniors will receive several prizes. Boating packages, sounders, canoes, kayaks, fishing trips, holidays, fishing gear, camping equipment and clothing just to name some of

2013

the gear lucky anglers will go home with.

Entry for the competition will be $90 for adults and $40 for juniors. This includes four meals, souvenir stubby holder, a free ticket into the major boat raffle, Wilson Slickback lure and Bassman Spinnerbait (for the kids), entry into 1,000s of lucky door prize draws and the promise of a great weekend.

The Mulwala Football Netball Club fishing events calendar continues into the New Year with three other events on the cards. They include the Lowrance Da$h 4 Ca$h on 15-16 Feb, the His and Hers Partners Classic on March 1 and the exciting Cod Nationals from April 27-May 2.

You would be crazy to miss this great weekend in Yarrawonga/Mulwala and the chance to catch a legend on the twin towns’ famous cod fishing ground, Lake Mulwala.

For more information check out www.codclassic. com.au, or call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski at 74 Melbourne St Mulwala (Opposite Post Office) the official Cod Classic shop, or call Tony Bennett 0439 441 667. - Mulwala Cod Classic

+ COD CLASSIC

L.WILSON & CO

FISHING TACKLE JUNIOR COD CLASSIC

DECEMBER 6TH, 7TH & 8TH ~ LAKE MULWALA & THE MURRAY RIVER

$

125,000

+

S! E Z I R P N I LEASE TOTAL CATCH & REDEN PERCH

CHANCE TO WIN

FOR ALL MURRAY COD & GOL

ENQUIRIES: TONY OR VANESSA BENNETT 03 5744 1667

www.codclassic.com.au

1 7 BOATING PACKAGES OF

20

$

K TAGGED

COD BOUNTY! V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

79

Cooking with Jamo

Prawn Curry Puffs COOKING

Jamison Godfrey

When people think of curry puffs they tend to think of a filling wrapped in pastry and oven baked or fried which can be a lot of work rolling the dough.

This is an easier way where you just add the ingredients to the choux paste and spoon them into hot oil, drain and serve.

They’re a great to hand around when people come over while entertaining; I think they’re best served with a sweet accompaniment like tomato relish to really set the flavours off!

METHOD To make the choux paste, place the water, butter and sugar into a saucepan and bring up to the simmer slowly ensuring all the butter is melted.

INGREDIENTS

Choux paste 250ml water 100g butter 10g sugar 140g plain flour 4 eggs 200g cooked prawn meat chopped (keep some tails for garnish ) 1 long red chilli deseeded and chopped ½ red onion peeled and chopped 3 tablespoons chopped coriander 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped Zest of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons curry powder Good homemade tomato relish to serve Vegetable oil for frying

Remove it from the heat and add the plain flour and combine well until lump free. Return it to a low heat and continue to stir well until it doesn’t stick to the side of the saucepan, then remove from the heat again to cool down slightly.

Now add the eggs one at a time mixing in well to form a smooth paste.

To the choux paste add the chilli, onion, coriander, garlic, lemon zest and curry powder and mix with a wooden spoon until all combined.

Pre-heat vegetables to about 170°, (too hot and they will burn), and spoon in batches of 5-6 at a time. Once cooked, drain on paper towel and break one open to ensure they are cooked correctly, they will be dough -ike inside and slightly runny if under done.

Place them onto serving dishes while hot and put the saved prawn tails in the end of each one, then serve with the tomato relish and go for it!

1.

Mixing up the Choux paste.

2.

3.

Add the eggs.

5.

And mix it all up.

4.

Spoon the mix into the hot oil.

80

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

And serve up ready to eat – yum!

The TESTING BOOTH

Techni Ice’s portable car fridge/freezer is cool FMG

TECHNI ICE 45L PORTABLE FRIDGE FREEZER

Travis Davies

External size: 40cmW x 65cmH x 43cm L Internal size fridge/freezer section: 30cm x 33cm x 33cm Internal Size fridge section: 30cm x 13cm x 16cm Weight: ......................20kg Warranty: ...................2 Years parts and labour Price: $439; freight Vic, Tas, ACT, NSW, Qld, SA $35; WA & NT $70 Pick-up available in Victoria

travis@fishingmonthly.com.au

These days fishing, camping or just a family picnic can be a lot easier, with the new portable fridge/freezer range.

When assessing what model to buy, I gave myself a checklist: external size, internal size, weight, warranty and price.

I knew I wanted a back of the car size fridge that can fit the necessities of a camping trip with a young family. I also knew that I needed to fit a few drinks, milk, and other smaller

released portable fridges into their range. They are known country wide for their ice boxes, dry ice bags and camping gear.

I own some of there other products so I had no

The switch panel controls the input. cold products need to fit.

I also wanted a model to make it a freezer if required.

I also wanted the lightest I could buy so that when loaded it was liftable for even my son or wife. The size I thought would suffice was the 45-litre version. It came at only 20kg; in some cases that’s 8 to 10 kilos lighter than others on the market.

And like everything these days, price plays a major part so with this all in my mind I hit the net for some research and everything I researched came up with one name Techni Ice. Now I didn’t even know they had early in 2013

trouble in buying a 45 litre fridge freezer from their website.

The range consists of 30 litres, 45 litres and 60 litres. (see website for details on

these models).

Order was placed and 3 days later I had my fridge. My first surprise was I noticed I received an insulated fridge cover which was an awesome bonus. This really looks after the outside of the fridge and also keeps the cold in!

The insulation of the cover seemed very thick that on top of the built in insulation of the fridge, knowing it comes from the range of ice boxes I was reassured it would deliver performance.

So an insulated bag around an insulated product was a great idea and was bound to keep the sun out!

It also comes with a 24-volt adapter and 12 volt cord so you can plug it into the car when travelling.

Plenty of room in this baby, 45 litres.

Now I for one know nothing about motors, compressors or anything about the make up of the fridge, its all way over my head, but externally it’s made from heavy duty plastic, but its actually called Heavy Duty Polyprop case construction.

The compressor motor is an Italian design that has a high efficiency power consumption for minimum battery drain. This I’ll take their word for it as I wouldn’t know. But the 2-year warranty is piece of mind!

easy to set and re set the temp to the conditions.

The temp is always lit and easy to see, the freezer can actually go to – 25°, which is amazing for a portable fridge.

The buttons are soft start buttons. You can choose between three different battery stages to look after your car battery, and they reassured me that if the battery was running low it knows to save enough to start your car.

OK I loaded the fridge up the night before we hit

The rack slides in and out with ease.

The TechniIce 45L Portable Fridge Freezer fits comfortably in the back of the average wagon.

The internal side of things is clean and simple, it comes with an internal light so you open it, the light comes on, which is a great feature.

There is a separate fridge and stainless steel freezer compartment so you can lift that out and load or unload it. The internal lining section of the fridge is stainless steel so it keeps things cool for longer.

The lid on the fridge can be hinged either side, so if your vehicle is better suited to the fridge being one way from the other no worries, swap it over it’s very easy.

Controlling the fridge is so easy also. The digital LED control panel is very

the road. The 240-volt was plugged in and I filled it up with our requirements and the following day I easily picked it up with the handles and placed it in the car and plugged in the 12-volt plug for travel so I

could continue cooling the items.

I left it running while the car was running and when I stopped short term, I left it running as it pulls low amps from the car.

Overnight I disconnected it fully and in the morning it was as if it wasn’t even off; this is the insulation coming into play.

Its easy access and easy manoeuvrability for me was a winner and it’s now a permanent part of my travels, I rarely leave home without it.

Stock up on drinks and food and throw them in the fridge in your car just makes sense. You don’t have to pay way too much for service station drinks and food.

In fact a long trip with many stops and a car full of kids will probably outweigh the $439 the fridge cost, so it’s a win-win. Fresh food on tap in the car and when you get to your destination, whether that’s a tent, cabin or apartment it’s easy to set this fella up and use it during your stay.

So the Techni Ice fridge freezer ticked all the boxes for me, I purchased and I am loving the decision.

I am sure it will be with my travels and me for many years to come.

The gauge on top shows what it’s like inside.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

81

IN

TE

RE

PRO

TU

ION AT

ION AT

ION

LI

A

N

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

AFTA Best of Show Awards

CT TE PRO

RE O

LI

CI

RA

AT

ION

AUST FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

IN

G

’

TE

CT

FISH

PRO

RE

’

TU

N

ION AT

CI

A

LI

G

FU

A

RA

IN

G

AUST

FISH

• Salt Free Too Easy •

IN

TU

G

BEST ELECTRONIC ACCESSORY

FU

IN

S

BEST CLOTHING

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/L8iN2J

S

The AFTA Tackle, Marine & Outdoors Show, Australia’s only tackle trade show, was a great success this year, with more exhibitors than ever before. The 2013 AFTA Best Of Show Awards were drawn on the second day of the Show, and represent some of the best new products to hit Australian shores.

Each year the AFTA Best Of Show Awards are judged according to their level of innovation, effectiveness and value for money. The judges were tackle retailers and members of the fishing media, and you can rest assured that these seasoned critics know what sets a good product apart from its peers.

This year’s competition was hard-fought in numerous categories, and with the addition of several new categories, the awards showcase the best of what is to come this season. In 2013, 15 products were awarded the coveted title of Best of Show, each deserving winners in a field of exceptional development in the Australian tackle trade.

Now, without further ado, here are the Best Of Show winners for 2013!

assured these rods won’t blow up when jammed into the ground!

The stainless steel guides are strong and hassle-free, and the Palmperfect kids grips are designed to be not only comfortable for small hands but look great.

Ambition reels feature a three bearing design with infinite anti-reverse, and their durable quality construction means there will be no need to replace or upgrade the reels as your little angler progresses.

There are two models available, a 4’6” and a 5’, available individually or as pre-mounted combos.

Price: RRP $89.95 ($49.95 rod only) www.13fishing.com.au

N

O

AT

O

’

TE

CT

G

PRO

TE PRO

CI

IN

RE

RA

O

FISH

G

AUST

A

IN

TU

ING TRADE

BEST ENVIRONMENTALLYY FRIENDLY PRODUCT

FU

SH

ING TRADE

S

LI

FI

SS

SH

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/GR0gzf

RE

RA

N

AWARD WINNING PRODUCTS

S AS

There are 23 prints in the series, covering a wide range of freshwater and saltwater species. Big Fish has also released new headwear and jumpers to complement their popular series of sun protection shirts.

Price: RRP $89.95 www.bigfishgraphics.com.au

TU

AUST

A

FI

CI

’

N

O

G

FU

CT

LI

A

CI

RA

IN

’

AUST

G

S

IN

FISH

G

FU

CT

FISH

G

S

AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW 2013

IN

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

Salt Free removes salt and leaves a layer of protection to prevent corrosion. It helps to preserve the value lifespan of boats, trailers, motors, and fishing equipment. It’s safe on all metals and rubber components.

Salt Free is available in ready-to-use sprays, a concentrate formula (for flushing engines), and now a new delivery system that attaches to your hose: Salt Free Too Easy. To clean your boat and trailer, just plug Too Easy straight onto your hose and the job is done in five minutes flat.

To clean your fishing gear, give the contents of your tackle box a quick spray with Salt Free’s ready-to-use Salt Remover, leave to dry and then close the lid. Before you put the rods away, give them a quick spray (including the reel) and then leave them to dry. Job done!

Salt Free is a New Zealand product that’s non-toxic and biodegradable. A bottle of Too Easy has a RRP of $89.95, while smaller Salt Remover sprays start from around $10.

Price: RRP $89.95 www.saltfree.co.nz

• Black Magic Digital Scales •

IN

G

FISH

IN

G

’

S

RE

PRO

TU

TE

FU

N

O

LI

A

CI

RA

AT

ION

AUST

BEST KIDS TACKLE

CT

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/cv5eOL

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

• Big Fish Yellowbelly Shirt • The latest release from Big Fish Graphics is a striking Yellowbelly Shirt, featuring one of Australia’s best loved freshwater fish.

Like all Big Fish shirts, it’s 100% designed and made in Australia. The fabric has been designed for the tropics (Big Fish is based in Darwin) and is incredibly soft, cool, lightweight, and has UPF 50 sun protection. It won’t fade or shrink like cotton, it doesn’t require ironing, and wicks away moisture. The gentlest breeze will immediately give you the ‘air conditioned’ effect, which is a blessing on hot days. Sizes range from S to 5XL. 82

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

• 13 Fishing Ambition combo • If you want to give your child something better than a bargain-basement combo, check out the awardwinning 13 Fishing Ambition kids combos.

Ambition rods feature a composite graphite blank, delivering durability and lightness, which are both important attributes for junior anglers. You can rest

The new digital scales from Black Magic are the perfect companion for your next fishing trip.

These compact scales weigh to 25kg and they’re very simple to use. You can select the unit measurement to either kilograms or pounds/ounces, and can store up to 10 weights – a handy function for tournament anglers.

The large, backlit digital display makes these scales ideal for use at night. The stainless steel hook is designed to withstand the harsh saltwater environment, and the water-resistant body design ensures you don’t have to worry about getting it wet.

Features include: power button, memory button (10 weights), unit button, auto power off function to extend battery life, and battery life indicator (battery included).

This new release is available now from leading tackle stores.

Price: RRP $40 www.blackmagic.co.nz To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/eQx9yu

IN

TE

RE

PRO

TU

ION AT

G

’

TE

CT

IN

PRO

ION AT

ION

FISH

G

CI

A

N

O

CT TE PRO

AT

ION AT

CI

CI S

LI

O

O

TE PRO

IN

RE

RA

ING TRA

AS DE

FI

SH

ING TRA

AS DE

S

TE

RE

ION AT

IN

G

FISH

IN

G

’

TE PRO

ION AT

CI O

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

LI

O

N

IN

G

FISH

G

’

FU

TU RE

ION

AUST RA

A

N

O

LI

• Fenix-PD35 Torch •

IN

S

BEST TERMINAL TACKLE

CT

A

TE

ING TRADE

PRO

SH

AT

FI

SS

CI

RA

CI

A

LI

TU

PRO

RA

FU

BEST TACKLE MANAGEMENT

AUST

’

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/8ZaVT3

RE

G

Maxima has introduced new braided lines called Braid Ultragreen and Braid High Visibility (yellow).

This new braid is manufactured with the latest 8-yarn Round Construction Braiding process. Its sealed and smooth surface is achieved by Maxima’s new Triple Coating Treatment which leads to exceptional castability and outstanding abrasion resistance.

In order to ensure a high-strength connection as well as a sensitive contact to the fish, Maxima’s Braid is pre-stretched and heat fixed.

Price: RRP 300m $80 www.jmgillies.com.au

TU

IN

CT

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/ykEVhV

• Maxima Braid •

FU

FISH

S

CT

BEST LINE B

AUST

SH

TU

FI

S

G

AUST

N

N

The Nano PX range of rods incorporates the proprietary 3M Powelux nano resin technology to produce a range of rods that are at the cutting edge in rod technology.

Designed in Australia for Australian species by renowned rod crafter Ian Miller, the Nano PX series of rods incorporates the very best of everything in this top of the class rod series that will impress even the most fastidious rod buyer.

Fuji titanium K guides are used throughout, and each rod features a custom designed handle that ideally matches the rod’s intended use. Only the highest grade of cork is used while firm and durable EVA is used on the locking parts of the reel seat. In fact, Shimano has developed the entire reel seat for this series and it has been so good they have incorporated it into other series of rods.

There are five rods in the range including two baitcasters for barramundi and five spin models from ultra-light finesse through to medium-heavy spin.

An uninhibited leap into the top end of rods, the Nano PX series is the place where all of the top end products come together in one package.

Price: RRP $599 www.shimanofish.com.au

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/q5pYjz

A

ING TRADE

FU

Halco Tackle has developed a new topwater lure design.

The Skim Stick 185 is a totally unique and innovative concept for all blue water anglers.

A hybrid lure, the Skim Stick fits somewhere between stick bait and skittering popper. It imitates a long, narrow profiled baitfish fleeing on the surface from any hungry predators in the area.

Intended for long casting and slow trolling applications, the lure frantically skitters across the surface with a steady but simple winding technique. The result is often a phenomenal surface strike from mackerel, wahoo and many trevally species.

The lure features a very distinctive head design and is 185mm long and weighs 75g.

Halco has incorporated its new clear polymer technology with internal holographics and scales in some colours, while other more traditional Halco paint finishes are also available in the range.

For the first time on a Halco lure, premium Japanese Decoy 5/0 inline single hooks come as standard fare to make the handling active fish a far less risky proposition while also giving superior hook setting and holding ability.

The all new Halco Skim Stick is set to make waves wherever it goes, look out for them at all good stockists.

Price: approx. $23 - $25 www.halcotackle.com

BEST OUTDOOR CAMPING PRODUCT

SH

’

• Shimano Nano PX •

• Halco Skim Stick 185 •

IN

A

LI

S

AWARD WINNING PRODUCTS

S AS

S

BEST ROD

RA

ING TRA

AS DE

G

AUST

SH

IN

RE

LI

FI

FISH

TU

RE

RA

N

G

FU

TU

AUST A

IN

FI

S

’

FU

CT

G

N

O

LI

A

CI

RA

IN

’

AUST

FISH

G

S

BEST HARD LURE

IN

G

FU

CT

FISH

G

S

AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW 2013

IN

FI

SH

ING TRA

AS DE

S

• Mustad Staylok Snap •

This new model torch from global company Fenix is extraordinary. It matches or exceeds the durability and brightness of many heavy-duty torches, and is a fraction of the size.

An incredible 850 lumens of output in the Fenix PD35 makes it the perfect fit for those who want high performance in a compact, lightweight package. This torch has an anti-slip grip and is made of durable, aircraft-grade, abrasion-resistant aluminium.

The PD35 weighs less than 100g and is only 140mm long, so it’s easy to store in your glovebox, in your pants pocket, on your belt or around your neck (a holster and lanyard are included as standard). There are five brightness levels and a strobe mode, which you can select with a simple press of the side switch. The LED has a lifespan of 50,000 hours of continuous use, and there’s a low-voltage warning to remind you to replace the battery.

The Fenix PD35 uses one 18650 rechargeable Li-ion battery or two 3V CR123A lithium batteries (batteries not included).

Price: RRP $99.95 www.g8.com.au

The new Guide Series of Plano bags feature a moulded top which holds one 3700 Series stowaway for quick access to your favourite baits. This top section is secured with elastic tie-down straps.

The bases of these bags are made from waterproof, impact-resistant material. There are side pockets and a mesh pocket on the back for easy access of tackle and equipment.

Each bag comes with a range of stowaways to store all of your lures and tackle items.

Like all models in the Guide Series, the 467310 has been designed to meet the demanding needs of professional fishing guides. The durable materials and construction ensure that these boxes can handle the rigours of daily life on both fresh and saltwater.

Price: RRP from $80-$150 www.jmgillies.com.au

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/IpvBTr

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/UzHLi4

• Plano 467310-3700 Guide Series •

Some anglers are leery of snaps because they’ve lost a fish to a failed snap, but the Mustad Staylok will never be opened by a fish.

Mustad representatives at the AFTA Tackle Trade Show demonstrated that you can’t just pop this snap open; you have to press in at the side first. This makes it easy for anglers to open (and close) but it’s impossible for a fish to do so.

The Staylok has a nice round end to give your lure the best action possible, which means more fish in your boat.

And you don’t have to worry about ripping up your fingers on these snaps, as you don’t get the protruding wire that you get on traditional snaps.

Released at the same time is the Mustad Fast Snatch Clip, allowing people with arthritis or less dextrous fingers to quickly change lures. A simple twist is all it takes to attach or remove a lure and, like the Staylok snap, it’s designed to give lures the best possible action.

Price: $4.50 - will be available December www.wilsonfishing.com

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/D9VQhT V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

83

IN

TE

RE

PRO

TU

S

ION AT

O

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/OZAAnQ

IN

G

’

RE

PRO

TU

TE

CT

FISH

G

FU

CT TE PRO

ION AT

CI O

LI

ING TRADE

AS

S

weedless hook, and the 6” model comes with both a worm hook and a hammerhead-style jighead. The jighead allows the Cherabin to sit with its nose on the bottom and its buoyant tail waving in the current – something that has proven to be irresistible to snapper.

The worm hook lets you use the Cherabin in the snaggiest of waterways. Unique rigging slots in the body shield the hook, making the lure super-snag resistant whilst maintaining great hook-up ability. You can re-rig this lure with a standard jighead or worm hook.

There are currently 11 colours in the range, and you can check them all out at the Wilson Fishing website.

Price: approx. $14-$15 www.wilsonfishing.com

G

FISH

IN

G

’

RE

PRO

TU

TE

FU

CT

IN

S

N

O

LI

A

CI

RA

AT

ION

AUST

BEST COMBO

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

• Stella SW 30000 •

84

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

N

G

FI

SH

FISH

IN

ING TRADE

G

’

AS

S

Nothing in the ocean that doesn’t like eating a prawn. The Zerek Live Cherabin from Wilson Fishing is a lifelike prawn imitation that fish just love.

It has a unique segmented tail held together by Kevlar matting to give durability and a lifelike action, and a unique moving leg action. There’s an in-built rattle chamber for added attraction, and a realistic colour range with lumo eyes.

The 4” Live Cherabin comes pre-rigged with a weighted

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/3mxjX1

With technological advancements in gear design and production, drag technology and power and Shimano’s new X-Technology, the Shimano Stella SW sets the benchmark for the top of the line, saltwater reels.

The new Stella 30000 SW is designed to hustle XOS gamefish, right up to brutal dogtooth tuna and marlin.

The 30000’s Power Gear has a 4.4:1 gear ratio, pulling in 131cm of line per handle crank for maximum retrieve speed. The lower gear ratio lets you put the hurt on big, hard-fighting fish, and it’s all topped off with 20kg of drag

A

LI

RE

SH

• Zerek Live Cherabin •

IN

RE

’

TU

FI

BEST DIVING WATERSPORTS

TU

G

FU

RA

N

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/ZjfxtY

S

FU

IN

AUST A

ING TRA

S

FISH

SH

AS DE

RA

G

S

IN

FI

AUST

To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/AK9QFj

N

O

LI

A

CI

RA

AT

ION

AUST

Every competitor in the USA B.A.S.S. tournament elite rounds uses a HydroWave, and now this amazing fish magnet has been customised for Australian fish.

The HydroWave has an underwater speaker that plays pre-recorded sounds of fleeing baitfish and other prey items, as well as sounds of predatory fish feeding. Because these are real recordings, not simulated sounds, they create a peak bite time, attracting predators with the promise of a hearty meal.

The Australian HydroWave comes in both freshwater and saltwater versions, and has a range of different predator and bait sounds to choose from. This allows users to adjust the settings to suit their target and location. Some of the available sounds include: bream surface feeding; slimy mackerel, mullet, jew ‘croaks’, barra ‘boofs’ (both surface and sub-surface), boney bream (including panicked, balled-up boneys being picked off), smelt, freshwater shrimp, redclaw and yabbies (including gravel flicking sounds), and baitfish fleeing.

The HydroWave comes with an easy-to-use head unit and an underwater speaker, and is an excellent tool to add to your fishing arsenal.

Price: RRP $699 www.hydrowaveaustralia.com.au

BEST REEL

IN

S

BEST SOFT LURE

• HydroWave •

CT

AS

blank innovation, design and components with proven reels, delivering ultimate performance yet incredible value for money.

TDS rods use Daiwa’s HVF carbon, resulting in even stronger, leaner, lighter, sharper rod than ever before. They’re finished off with Fuji stainless Hardloy guides, customized Fuji VSS/TCS reel seats, custom manufactured alloy componentry and ultra tough EVA grips.

Built on a solid one-piece aluminium frame, the TDS exhibits incredible strength and lightweight power. The rigid metal framework holds the drive train in place even under the heaviest load.

There are five spin models and two baitcaster models in the range, covering a wide range of applications from flicking lures for bream, whiting and trout, through to muscling in barra, snapper and Murray cod.

To read up on all the specs for each of the seven models, visit the Daiwa Australia website.

Price: SRP $299 www.daiwafishing.com.au

TE

ING TRADE

ING TRADE

ION

SH

SH

and a line capacity of 600m of 80lb braid.

Other features include a cold-forged main gear and stainless steel pinion, Propulsion Line Management system (to combat line twist and wind knots), Propulsion Spool Lip with anti-scratch coating, ultra-tough SR One-Piece Bail system, SR Arm Cam, redesigned Bail Trip and Power Roller IV with over-flange, a water-resistant body, hyper disk drag, Assist Stopper, Fluidrive II, DynaBalance and aluminium frame, rotor and sideplate.

Shimano recommends pairing this reel to an Ocea Rod for the ultimate combo.

Price: RRP $1399 www.shimanofish.com.au

AT

FI

AWARD WINNING PRODUCTS

S AS

CI

N

FI

O

ION AT

O

LI

CI

RA

A

N

PRO

RE

PRO

TU

TE

FU

CT

LI

A

CI

RA

’

’

AUST

G

S

IN

IN

AUST

BEST BOATING ACCESSORYY

FISH

G

G

FU

CT

FISH

G

S

AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW 2013

IN

• Team Daiwa S • Team Daiwa S combos are built to perform to the extreme.

TDS is the perfect enthusiast combo, pairing high-end

• Aeris F11 Freediving watch • This brand new watch from respected brand Aeris is an upgrade of the popular F10 watch.

The F11 provides spearfishers with up to 10 visual LED alerts and different alarms which you can customise. These include depth, elapsed dive times, surface recovery times (so you know how long you need to spend on the surface before you can safely descend again). The depth range is an impressive 150m, giving you the confidence of knowing this watch will never buckle under pressure.

There are also logging and history modes so you can know where and how you were spearing, and you can download any or all of this information to your PC. This super-durable diving tool is protected with a stainless steel housing and is backed by a 5-year warranty with unlimited dives. For more information on the F11 watch, or to view a range of other spearfishing and watersports gear, visit the Oceanic Australia website.

Price: RRP $749.95 www.oceanicaus.com.au To watch the video, scan this QR Code with your smartphone or log onto http://goo.gl/JnDqXE

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW CRANKA CRAB FINALLY HERE

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been waiting a long time for the award-winning Cranka Crab to hit Aussie VKRUHV DQG QRZ LW KDV Ă&#x20AC;QDOO\ DUULYHG ,WV action underwater is so lifelike, it has to be VHHQ WR EH EHOLHYHG VHH WKH YLGHR OLQN EHORZ

The Cranka Crab has been designed with tournament bream anglers in mind, and those pros lucky enough to fish with prototypes have been rewarded with great results.

The level of detail and features are testament to the Crabâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nine years in development.

It features floating claws, through-wire construction, Decoy trebles, interchangeable weighted tungsten base plates (4.4g or 6.6g), interchangeable legs and claws (five different colour options), and internal scent and rattle chambers. This level of customisation means the lure can tempt the fussiest of bream.

It comes in eight patterns which replicate different Australian crab species. No matter where you live, there is a Cranka Crab to replicate your local crab.

Price: Too new!

YouTube video: http://goo.gl/Kh4Z3M www.crankalures.com

NEW GARY HOWARD G-FORCE MODELS

* )RUFH URGV DUH DQ H[FOXVLYH UDQJH RI KLJK SHUIRUPDQFH VSRUWĂ&#x20AC;VKLQJ URGV FXVWRP GHVLJQHG E\ PDVWHU $XVWUDOLDQ URG EXLOGHU *DU\ +RZDUG The unique strong-yet-lightweight construction is achieved by infusing, under high pressure, a blend of durable E Glass with graphite cloth. This creates incredible power in the butt section while the tip section retains sensitivity.

For a long time the mainstay of snapper bait anglers has been the 7ft range, and now Gary has refined it with three key models: 8-15kg, 15-24kg and 24kg to cover 99% of offshore applications. He has changed the action slightly to reflect the increasing use of braid, giving the rods a softer tip thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit more forgiving so you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pull the hooks.

The 7ft spin range is great for reefies like snapper, and pelagics like tuna and mackerel.

However, many customers wanted a shorter version so Gary has released a 6ft rod thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideal for jigging or trolling for pelagics.

These rods have polished stainless guides that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t corrode, and the overhead models

FROM AROUND THE TRAPS

have high quality, super secure reel seats so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any side-to-side rocking while you wind. The grips have also been designed to be very comfortable, so you can fish with them all day.

Price: from $229 YouTube video: http://goo.gl/ZdQaZr Jarviswalkerfishing.com.au

DUO ROUGHTRAIL AMASOA

OKUMA RTX PRO

DUO lures have attracted a strong following DURXQG $XVWUDOLD ZKHWKHU LW EH EDUUD Ă&#x20AC;VKLQJ LQ WKH QRUWK WR WKH Ă&#x20AC;QHVVH Ă&#x20AC;VKLQJ DORQJ WKH HDVW FRDVW DQG WKH WXQD VFHQH RIIVKRUH One of the latest models from this Japanese company is the RoughTrail Amasoa. These 148mm, 50g (including hooks) diving pencil baits are vastly different from your everyday run-of-the-mill stickbaits in that they have been specifically designed for kingfish. With a little rod action these lures dive under the surface, swim in a neat little â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shape, and pop back up to the surface. This is the moment when the fish strike, so be sure to pause and hang on!

Of course, the Amasoa is very effective on a range of other species â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pretty much any pelagic hoodlum that eats pilchards will love this lure. Keep an eye out for a bigger 188mm version of this lure, scheduled for release in the coming months.

Price: approx. $40 YouTube video: http://goo.gl/2ZP0pW www.swldistributions.com.au

7KH 2NXPD 57; 3UR ERDVWV DQ H[WUHPHO\ OLJKWZHLJKW & ; FDUERQ frame, sideplate and rotor, resulting LQ D UHHO WKDW ZHLJKV OHVV EXW LV WZLFH as strong as traditional graphite reels in LWV FODVV Inside it has a very strong and

REIDYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HELLRAISER 5HLG\¡V QHZ +HOOUDLVHU LV WKH ODWHVW PHPEHU RI WKH /LWWOH /XFLIHU IDPLO\ â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Little Lucifer has been very popular, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been asked for a shallow diver,â&#x20AC;? said Reidyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s co-owner Colin Burdon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is it!â&#x20AC;?

The Little Lucifer has always been a strong lure to stand up to the punishment dished out by jacks and barra, and the Hellraiser is no different. This floating lure comes with 3X VMC trebles, or you can go for heavier hooks to make it suspend.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideal for fishing sand flats, mud flats and mangrove areas for all sorts of species, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also affordable so you can fish it around snags without hesitation.

This new lure is just about ready to hit tackle stores, so keep an eye out for it in the coming weeks.

Price: SRP $14 YouTube video: http://goo.gl/nCL08q www.reidyslures.com

PENN CONFLICT

Designed for inshore anglers looking for topOLQH SHUIRUPDQFH 3HQQ¡V &RQà LFW 6SLQQLQJ Reel delivers a lightweight and smooth FDVWLQJ UHHO FDSDEOH RI ELJ GUDJ SUHVVXUH ² XS WR NJ It has a Full Metal Body, and the 1000-4000 models use a high-strength graphite rotor, while the 5000-8000 versions use an aluminium rotor.

All rotor designs are Techno-Balanced for a smooth and balanced retrieve.

Other features include: 7 +1 SSBB; HT-100 Versa-Drag carbon fibre drag washers for multiple drag settings; heavy-duty aluminium bail wire; and Line Capacity Rings on the spool, letting you see how much line is left on the spool while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fighting a fish.

There are six models in the range, and you can view all the specs at the Penn website.

Price: from RRP $199.95 YouTube video: http://goo.gl/rbYstj www.pennfishing.com.au

ZMAN 2â&#x20AC;?

GRUBZ

:KHQ WKH =0DQ Âľ *UXE= EHFDPH DYDLODEOH LQ $XVWUDOLD LW H[SORGHG LQ SRSXODULW\ ² winning bream and bass tournaments, TXLFNO\ DFFRXQWLQJ IRU VSHFLHV IURP WURXW WR WUHYDOO\ ZLWK LWV ; WRXJK EORZLH UHVLVWDQW (OD=WHFK FRQVWUXFWLRQ Now, after numerous angler requests, Tackle Tactics has worked closely with ZMan US to design a smaller, more finesse version of the GrubZ, the 2â&#x20AC;? GrubZ. This smaller, narrower curl-tail is a deadly presentation when the bite is tough, the fish finicky and the bait tiny. Its buoyant, so its tail wafts back and forth when the head is resting on the bottom, and its tough yet supple construction means more fish per lure.

As well as taking up residence in the bream tournament anglerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s box, this little curl-tail will also be deadly on trout, redfin, bass, yellowbelly, saratoga and a multitude of other species that feed on small insects, baitfish and crustaceans.

The 2â&#x20AC;? GrubZ is currently available in 10 colours, including motor oil, bloodworm and watermelon red. TTs recommends rigging it on a HeadlockZ jighead to keep it locked on tight.

Price: SRP $8.95 for a pack of 10 YouTube video: http://goo.gl/2BSLvk www.z-man.com.au

smooth multi-disc, Japanese oiled felt drag system; Hydro Block watertight drag seal; and seven stainless steel ball bearings plus a quick-set anti-reverse roller bearing.

Other features include: ALG Precision AlumiLite alloy main gear and oscillating gears; durable one-piece aluminium bail wire, machined aluminium two-tone anodized spool; Precision Elliptical Gearing system; and a lightweight EVA handle knob.

Like all Okuma reels, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backed by a Lifetime Guarantee.

Price: approx. $200-$250 YouTube video: http://goo.gl/6R5tAO www.okuma.com.au

BERKLEY SQUIDDO

'HVLJQHG LQ $XVWUDOLD E\ 0DWW )UDVHU WKH unique Squiddo jig combines slow movement with scent and action with the addition of VRIW EDLWV Fish-attracting features include the pulsing silicone skirts, lifelike 3D eye and finishes complete with UV accents for extra appeal in deepwater. The Squiddo head is shaped to mimic a squid, and the torpedo shape also improves sink rate for deepwater applications. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The unique Owner Centring-Pin Spring allows the addition of scent and flavour via soft bait additions,â&#x20AC;? Matt Fraser explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To attach a Gulp or PowerBait, simply screw the plastic onto the Centering Pin Spring. This adds scent and flavour to provide the best in slow jig technology.â&#x20AC;?

There are currently three models in the series: 28g, 57g and 113g. Colours include proven favourites such as nuclear chicken, blue pepper neon, orange tiger and pink shine, which you can mix and match with your favourite soft bait colours.

Price: SRP $16 YouTube video: http://goo.gl/dx7WIF Berkley-fishing.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME,V&TFM QLD. 4129

OCTOBER 2013

85

THINGS YOU DON’T WANT TO CATCH

BIRD

PUFFER FISH

BOOT

ROCK

BOTTLE

SEAWEED

COLD

SHELL

DAD

STARFISH

DEBRIS

STINGRAY

DIVER

STONEFISH

OLDRIG

TREE

PIKE EEL

TURTLE

PLASTIC BAG

TWIG

LAST MONTH’S SOLUTION

FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION WINNER Congratulations to Doug Steel of Sunbury, who was last month’s winner of the Hawk Tournament Find-a-Word Competition!

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

FINS SCALES & TALES

HAWK FISHING

FIND-A-WORD COMP

by A. Both

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

SEND ENTRIES TO: Hawk Tournament Competition PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129 Name Address

BARRA COUNTRY

by Brett Currie

H b n m f e r g o P

a e b w E a u

( w w i b t a a 2 i 1

P/Code Phone (day):

Find the Marukyu Isome Boy

by Trisha Mason

BITE ME

The Find the Marukyu Isome Boy answers for February to July 2013 were, February: 14, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 52, 55, 60, 64, 66, 76, 82.

March: 14, 30, 49, 50, 55, 69, 74, 82, 86, 90, 91.

April: 7, 10, 20, 30, 32, 49,

55, 63, 70, 73.

May: 10, 12, 14, 20, 24, 30, 36, 39, 42, 50, 55, 57, 59, 63, 77.

June: 8, 12, 14, 18, 20, 31, 32, 37, 40, 44, 47, 51, 65, 75, 84, 96.

July: 10, 14, 22, 26, 30, 42, 46, 49, 53, 55, 58, 61, 64, 66, 72, 81. – V&TFM

J w B s o m n

d n F o c M m

G&N

by Michael Hardy

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for August was K Madigan of Ballarat North, who won a MajorCraft package and Atomic lures valued at $199.

86

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

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

– V&TFM

z s i r f a J M v –

NEWS

FROM THE BOATING WORLD

GAUGES TELL EVERYTHING

Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new VeeThree digital gauges have been designed exclusively for NMEA 2000 networking with its advanced range of marine outboard engines. The stylish whitefaced tachometer and speedometer units each feature analogue pointers for engine rpm and vessel speed, and a two-colour graphic LCD screen with push-button operation to place a range of detailed engine PDQDJHPHQW GDWD DW XVHUV¡ Ă&#x20AC;QJHUWLSV Both gauges are waterproof and feature anti-fog coated lenses. The tachometer features engine rpm; trim/tilt angle; operating hours; fuel burn rate; fuel tank level; battery voltage; alerts/ warnings (oil level, temp, PGM-FI, battery); ECOmo indicator (when lean burn control is active); water in fuel; emergency stop; and a useful maintenance reminder.

The speedometer shows primary speed (knots); secondary speed (kmh); speed over water (non-GPS); speed over ground (GPS); water depth; water temperature; ECOmo indicator (when lean burn control is active); fuel burn rate; fuel tank level; total fuel used; water tank level; engine temperature and steering angle. VeeThree gauges are compatible for single and twin-engine installations for all NMEA 2000-compliant Honda outboards. For more info call Honda Australia customer relations on 1300 559 846 or visit honda.com.au. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Honda

BLUETOOTH FROM JENSEN Jensenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new MS2013BT AM/FM/USB waterproof stereo is the only marine-grade Bluetooth stereo that streams Bluetooth straight out of the box, with no costly add-ons or adapters. This sleek stereo gives boaters the most advanced features with the durability needed to withstand life on the water.

The powerful 160W MS2013BT has been designed with high quality features to meet the needs of the marine industry. It has an AM/ FM tuner, rear auxiliary input and pre-amp line out audio. There are A2DP/AVRCP Bluetooth capabilities along with a USB input for full iPod/ MP3 device interface to provide boaters with many entertainment options while on the water.

The MS2013BT has a low battery alert and zero current memory draw for successful boat storage without running down a battery, and is compatible with the Jensen MWR150 wired remote. Its marinised construction features a fully enclosed chassis, UV-resistant materials and a corrosion-resistant finish. Contact Jensenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Australian distributor BIGFISH Marine and Outdoor on 0407 392 077 or visit www.bigfishmarineandoutdoor.com.au. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BIGFISH M&O

NEW SPEAKERS RAYMARINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FROM GME a FOR ANGLER

Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading local manufacturer of marine electronics, GME, has produced three new speakers to coincide with the release of its acclaimed G.Dek multimedia marine entertainment system.

Based on the proven performance and reliability of GMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular SPK002 series, the flush-mounted S5 and S6 5â&#x20AC;? and 6â&#x20AC;? coaxial marine speakers feature an attractive new grill design and come complete with all mounting hardware and 5m of cable.

The up-spec S6+ 6â&#x20AC;? speaker features a larger tweeter, larger voice coil and injection moulded cone and sports grill.

All feature ASTM B117-03 salt spray (fog) resistance, ASTM G154 UV exposure resistance and come with a three-year warranty. For more information visit your local GME dealer or www.gme.net.au. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GME

UPDATE BOOSTS LOWRANCE

Lowrance has innovative new software available as a free online download for its powerful HDS Gen2 Touch touchscreen and HDS Gen2 multifunction displays.

The Gen2 Version 2.0 update brings existing advanced features of the newer Touch series to HDS Gen2 users. The updates provide support for GoFree Wireless integration that enables wireless connectivity between the displays and supported tablets, mobile phones and computers. Navigational and sonar enhancements include chartsharing capability which allows maps on memory cards to be shared across the ethernet network for viewing on multiple displays.

StructureMap HD capability allows users to convert recorded StructureScan HD sonar logs into high-definition underwater maps that can be viewed as a chart overlay and toggled on and off to provide the ultimate in situational awareness in relation to both chart and bottom detail.

The feature-packed software can be downloaded free from www.lowrance.com/ en-US/Software-Updates/. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lowrance

7KH FRPSDFW GLPHQVLRQ ELJ VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ format of Raymarineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new a Series multifunction displays (MFDs) has received another boost with the release of its latest models, expanding screen sizes to 7â&#x20AC;? and DGGLQJ ZL Ă&#x20AC; DQG QHZ VRQDU RSWLRQV The combination of CHIRP and Downvision sonar, first seen in Raymarineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ground-breaking Dragonfly, is now available in a Series. The a Series MFDs feature Raymarineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LightHouse user interface and offer advanced navigation, sonar, and network capabilities in a compact, full-featured touch-screen display.

An anglerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream to use, the new a78 (7â&#x20AC;?) and a68 (5.7â&#x20AC;?) are engineered for freshwater and coastal fishing. Both use CHIRP and Downvision sonar technology to deliver realistic, photo-like images of the underwater world, seeing fish and structure with absolute clarity. The new a77 with built-in ClearPulse digital sonar and the new a75 bring a larger screen size to the a Series format. All a Series are now available in a Wi-Fi version so Raymarine mobile apps on smartphones and tablets have wi-fi access and control of charts, sonar, radar and more from anywhere on board. Visit www.raymarine.com.au or call 02 8977 0300 for more details. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Raymarine

AFFORDABLE BAY CRUISER

With durable 3mm bottom and sides, the new-look 415 Bay Cruiser offers versatile boating for cruising lakes and estuaries and is built to last.

Easily towed behind a mid-sized family car and able to carry up to five adults, the Savage 415 Bay Cruiser is the perfect choice for families and friends looking to spend quality time on the water. With a maximum rating of 40hp, the 415 Bay Cruiser has enough guts for water sports and fishing yet wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t break the bank to run.

The Ultra Lift Hull creates unmatched stability at rest with the help of the Extended Reverse Chine, which also promotes lift onto the plane for excellent fuel efficiency.

Options include CD stereo, rod holders, ski hooks, transom step and rail, extruded side decks, sounder, side pockets and two-tone paint. For more information head to www. savageboats.com.au. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Savage

BALLAST IN ALL CRUSHERS

MORE TOHATSU 4-STROKES

The Tohatsu Corporation has signed an OEM agreement to source a range of Honda four-stroke outboards from 60hp-250hp and market them under the Tohatsu Brand.

The range will comprise 60hp, 75hp, 90hp, 115hp, 150hp, 200hp, 225hp and 250hp engines sporting the Tohatsu brand and Tohatsu aquamarine blue livery. Michael Goddard, managing director of Lakeside Marine, which has been distributing Tohatsu outboards for 25years, says the engines will be available to the Tohatsu national dealer network from early next year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is an exciting time for Lakeside Marine and our devoted Tohatsu dealer network,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It provides an opportunity for the Tohatsu Brand to move out of the shadows and into the mainstream market.â&#x20AC;? Tohatsu outboards will then be available in 2.5hp-140hp in conventional two-stroke, 40hp-115hp TLDI direct injection two-stroke and 2.5hp-250hp four-stroke models. For more information email sales@lakesidemarine.com.au. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tohatsu

Date

Event

Oct 3-6

Melbourne Leisurefest

www.leisurefest.com.au

Oct 18-20

JV Marine World Fishing and Boating Expo, Braeside and Laverton

03 9798 8883 or 03 9368 7100

Bar Crusherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular 535 hull series has been upgraded to incorporate the FRPSDQ\¡V LQQRYDWLYH 4XLFNĂ RZ ZDWHU ballast technology, bringing the 535 CR cuddy, SC side console and XS rear centre console in line with the rest of the Bar Crusher range.

The Quickflow system incorporates a cavity running the full length of the keel thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open at the transom. This cavity quickly fills with water when the boat is stationary, which lowers the chines into the water for greater stability. The water is jettisoned in seconds as the boat moves forward to allow it to leap onto the plane.

Although theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the smallest models in the range, many 535 owners are taking them out of the estuaries and into bays and even offshore in the right conditions. The added weight and resultant stability at rest is ideal when fishing at anchor or slow trolling. The optional Bar Flap system can be used to keep water out and ensure the boat is easily manoeuvred through tight waterways. For more info, call 03 9792 2999 or visit www.barcrusher.com.au. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bar Crusher

Contact

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group 87 V&TFM OCTOBER 2013 PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

TRADES, SERVICES, CHARTER BOATS This new section in VIC/TAS 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 Victoria and Tasmania, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0835 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Bait and Tackle

Marine Mechanics

West Coast

Central

Portland Bait & Tackle (03) 5523 5213

Online

Kris Oakley Marine Services (03) 9794 5524 Flatwater Marine (03) 9401 2298

Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au U-Make-Em Soft plastics ww.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883

Central

Online Tackle Products

Hooked On Bait and Tackle Hoppers Crossing (03) 9748 3811

JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100

Fishing Fever Mordialloc (03) 9590 9899

The Outboard Workshop (03) 9783 0840

Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 2x2 ad size.

Contact Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 8 x2 ad size.

Peninsula Total Tackle (03) 5981 1994 JV Marine World Braeside 03) 9798 8883 Complete Angler Ringwood (03) 9870 7792

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

New World Marine (03) 9709 8444 The Flyfisher Melbourne (03) 9621 1246

East Coast

Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au She Left www.hdvcs.com.au

Always Angling Traralgon (03) 5174 8544

Freshwater Fish Taxidermy

Complete Angler Echuca (03) 5482 1992 Complete Angler Shepperton (03) 5822 2180

Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

J T’s Fishing and Camping Moama (03) 5480 3868

pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Neptune’s Treasures 0419 643 654

Screen Printing

Boat Modifications & Repairs

Logan Specialised Screen Printing (07) 5546 4107

Nautical Marine (03) 5984 1666

Central

New World Marine (03) 9709 8444

Cover Craft Boat Covers (03) 9729 3030

BOAT COVERS FULL COVERS

Regal Marine (03) 9874 4624

Boat Imports

Streaker Boats (03) 9729 8288

Boat Import USA 0435476 177

Triple M Marine (03) 9465 8787 Warragul Marine (03) 5623 6250

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 2x2 ad size.

Contact Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Wes Frost Marine (03) 5976 4622

TONNEAUS CANOPIES

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 2x2 ad size.

Contact Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

CLEARS BIMINIS

Boat Hire

RODRACKS

Freshwater

CUSTOM MADE

East Coast

FOR ANY SIZE BOAT

Boab Boat Hire Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

Inverloch Marine (03) 5674 1502

Boab Boat Hire Echuca (03) 5482 1992

20 Years experience, highest quality material.

23 Edelmaier St, Bayswater, 3153

(03) 9729 3030

Freshwater Boats and More Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

Flatwater Covers 0438 367 689

Boats and More Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Naaj Marine 0421 955 371 Unique Marine Accessories (03) 5427 1802

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

CMC Marine Sales www.cmcsales.com.au Hunter Marine Boat Builders (03) 5032 2320

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

WANT IN? EMAIL : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au V&TFM

This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 8 x2 ad size.

This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

OCTOBER 60 • APRIL 20132013 88

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

& GUIDED FISHING TOURS DIRECTORY Charter Boats Continued

Holiday Rental West Coast

Central

East Coast Shallow Inlet Caravan Park (03) 5687 1385

SHALLOW INLET CARAVAN PARK Edg On the Waters Edge

FRESH BAIT | HIRE BOATS | ICE

from Dawn to Dusk

7 DAYS

• Plen Plenty P lenty ty Of Pow Powere Powered/ eredd/ d/ Unpowered Camping Sites BBQ’s • Playground

Off The Hook Fishing Charters 0419 554 916

Far Out Charters, McLoughlins Beach 0428 401 819

Reel Time Fishing Charters 0438 302 093

Prom Adventurer, Port Welshpool (03) 5682 2633 or 0428 594 767

Able Fishing & Charters, Williamstown (03) 9502 3777

Prom Coastal Charters, Yanakie (03) 5687 1248 or 0429 935 583

ACE Fishing Charters, Bonbeach (03) 9773 4183

Razorback Bluewater Charters, Port Albert (03) 5183 2691

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 8 x2 ad size.

Lester Rd Yanakie WILSONS PROM E sicp@sicp.com.au

Freshwater Angling Expeditions Victoria, Tawonga (03) 5754 1466 Highland Trout Lakes, Ballarat (03) 5368 9574 Millbrook Lakes Lodge, Ballarat (03) 5334 0404

Tasmania & Flinders Island Ausprey Tours, Launceston (03) 6630 2612

FREE ADVICE ON WHERE THEY’RE BITING

OPEN

East Coast Capella III Fishing Adventures, Port Welshpool (03) 5688 1585

Warrnambool Holiday Park (03) 5562 5031

• Easy Easy ac access acces cesss for for boats boats • 10 Cabins-3 With Ensuites • LPG Gas Refills • Kiosk

Charter Boats Continued

Gone Fishing Charters, St Helens (03) 6376 1553 Fish Wild Tasmania, Hobart 0418 348 223

03 5687 1385

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Queensland Cairns Bed and Boat 0418 772 751

pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Chandlery & Accessories Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014 Techni Ice (03) 9783 1922

Adamas Fishing Charters, Barwon Heads (03) 5254 3320

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Big Red Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 1800 805 587

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Boat Trailers Central BMS Marine (03) 9731 7269

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 2x2 ad size.

Contact Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Blue Magic Fishing Charters, Rowville (03) 9759 5301

Flinders Island Adventures, Flinders Island (03) 6359 4507 Professional Charters, St Helens (03) 6376 3083 Trout Adventure Tasmania, Bronte Park 0418 139 048 Trout Territory, Northern Midlands (03) 6397 5001

NSW South Coast

Calypso Fishing Charters, Tootgarook (03) 5985 8463

Reel Affair, Merimbula freecall 1800 233 247

Geelong Charters & Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107

Espirit Charters, Bermagui (02) 6493 4104 or 0407 260 110

Impulse Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 3739

Freedom Charters, Eden (02) 6496 1209 or 0415 602 446

Jillian Fishing Trips, Blairgowrie 0418 148 426

Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134

Katrina Louise Charters, Cheltenham 0402 828 140

Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857

Kestrel Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 1783

K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681

Queenscliff Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 0458 504 058

Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080

Pro Red Fishing Charters 0421 442 775

Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111

Reel Adventure Charters, Yaringa 0409 932 077

O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

Rip Charters Fishing Trips, Sorrento (03) 5984 3664 Saltwater Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 4888

Charter Boats West Coast

Western Port Fishing Charters, Hastings (03) 9769 5544

Sharkmen Fishing Charters 0418 107 071 Portland Fishing Charters, Portland (03) 5523 3020 Shipwreck Coast Diving & Charters, Warrnambool (03) 5561 6108 South-West Fishing Charters, Portland 0418 306 714

Central

Fishing Guides

St Kilda Fishing Charters, St Kilda (03) 9770 2200

NSW South Coast Wilderness Fishing Tours, Mallacoota VIC 0424 625 160

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures, (02) 6495 9902 or 0400 062 504

This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 8 x2 ad size.

Gone Fishing Charters 0409 007 068

pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING Line listing from $15 + gst per mth* 2cm x 2 from $35 + gst per mth* 5cm x 2 from $50 + gst per mth* 7cm x 2 from $74 + gst per mth* 9cm x 2 from $89 + gst per mth* 10cm x 2 from $99 + gst per mth* 11cm x 2 from $105 + gst per mth* 12cm x 2 from $110 + gst per mth* * Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0835 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

WANT IN? EMAIL : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au V&TFM

61 OCTOBER 2013 APRIL 2013 • 89

Savage Piranha: small boat, big bite WARRAGAL

Martin Auldist martinauldist@gmail.com

You don’t have to know too much about boating to know the name Savage.

The company has been designing, manufacturing and selling quality boats in Australia since 1898. That makes it one of the oldest brands of boat in the country.

I have a Savage boat myself, so I jumped at the chance to take one of the new Piranha range for a spin with Simon Wakefield and David Garcia from Warragul Marine.

The model we were to

test was the 455 SC. As per convention, the 455 refers to the hull length, 4.55 m, while the SC indicates that the boat is controlled from a side console on the starboard side of the boat. The other Piranha models in the range include the 435 and 485, with the bigger boats available with the option of a centre console instead of the side console.

Sitting on the trailer in the yard, the 455 was an striking sight with its bright red paint job. The boys assured me that red is the fastest colour but if it is too bright for your liking, there are other colours and even unpainted versions available. Hanging off the

David Garcia from Warragul Marine Centre puts the 455 Piranha SC through its paces. A small windscreen in front of the centre console provided protection from spray – not that there was much of that.

back of the Piranha, Simon and Dave had fitted the impressive Mercury 60hp EFI 4-stroke Bigfoot outboard – more than adequate for a boat this size.

Incidentally, 60 ponies is the maximum recommended for this boat, so you could get away with a smaller engine if that better suited your budget.

As Simon points out though, there’s not much difference between the 50 and 60 horsepower engines in terms of size, weight or price, so most people go for maximum power. You don’t have to use it, but it’s nice to have.

As luck would have it, when the test day arrived it dawned overcast and drizzling.

By the time we reached Inverloch the combination of a high tide and 20 knot winds had churned the shallow water into a sloppy, brown mess. Nevertheless we pushed on and launched at Mahers Landing, confident that the uninspiring conditions would prove perfect for testing the Piranha, even if they were photographically challenging.

The first thing I noticed when I climbed aboard was the space. There was plenty! The Piranha 455 is a fairly small boat, but it definitely feels much bigger. This has been achieved by building in a large,

carpeted casting deck over the forward half of the hull, and a smaller one at the back, so that every square centimetre of the upper surface is useable. When I say useable, read heaps of fishing space! Storage space isn’t compromised though, with lots of stowage under the decks. The front deck, for example, houses a huge underfloor compartment with four separate hatches, along with an anchor well at the bow and a plate for attaching an electric motor. There is also a full-length rod storage

The Mercury 60 hp EFI 4-stroke Bigfoot had the 455 Piranha SC pushing along at nearly 50km/h with three people aboard.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Safety is key to a successful catch While recreational fishermen and boat operators are gearing up for a big catch over the warmer months, Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) Harbour Master, Captain Gary Wilson, is keen to remind bay users that large commercial vessels and small recreational craft can’t be in the same place at the same time.

“Port Phillip Bay is a large area but commercial vessels are restricted to using the existing channels.

“As more recreational craft take to the water over summer, all boat operators need to recognise that impeding the passage of a large ship by anchoring or mooring in a shipping channel is dangerous and illegal,” says Captain Wilson.

Joining PoMC from the UK Port of Felixstowe last year, Captain Wilson has helped lead the ‘Steer Clear’ boating safety campaign and worked with key stakeholders such as VRFish, BIA, ship’s Captains and Port Phillip Sea Pilots to seek their co-operation and input.

“We want bay users to enjoy their experience on Port Phillip Bay whether it is recreational angling or sailing.

“But we also have an 90

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

The 455 Piranha SC was pushed along easily by a Mercury 60hp EFI 4-stroke Bigfoot outboard.

important responsibility for ensuring the safe navigation of the 7000 commercial vessel transits across the Bay every year.

“The good news is that we can have both with the appropriate infrastructure, systems and goodwill which places safety at the forefront of our thinking,” says Captain Wilson.

The latest example of this valuable cooperation is the program to enhance the aids to navigation that mark the Transit Only Zone (TOZ) near the Port Melbourne Channel. New steel pile beacons over 8 metres high will be installed to replace the current buoys. The beacons feature retro reflective tape close to the water level, as well as large topmarks and bright lights making them

equally visible to small craft and large commercial vessels.

Recreational boaters should keep outside of the TOZ and not tie up to the beacons at any time.

Navigation modifications are also being carried out in the vicinity of Hovell Pile near McCrae. Three new steel pile beacons will be placed to the north and east of Hovell Pile to mark the extended “bell mouth”. The beacons will provide certainty of position to fishermen as well as large commercial vessels, resulting in improved safety overall and no net loss of fishing areas.

Remember, the best way for recreational fisherman and boat operators to enjoy their time on Port Phillip Bay is to do so responsibly by steering clear of large ships. – PoMC

compartment along the left hand side of the boat, though you’d probably want to retro fit it with some secure rod holders before stashing your expensive rods in there. Add in a 70 litre in-floor fuel tank, a recess for the battery, and the option for a livebait well, and it’s quite amazing how much is hidden ‘below decks’.

The console itself sits in a sunken area between the two raised decks, and in the test boat was covered by a bimini (an optional extra that definitely came in handy on the day we tested the Piranha).

There are two fold up pedestal seats that can be deployed in four different positions, one of which allows the driver to control the vessel while comfortably seated. A small windscreen above the console provides a modicum of protection from any spray, not that there was much of that anyway. The standard dashboard houses a small glove box, drink holder, the Mercury SmartCraft multifunction gauge, fuel gauge and switches for the navigation lights and bilge pump.

Although the test boat hadn’t yet been fitted out with all the fruit, such as a sounder, chart plotter, radio and stereo, there is plenty of room to do so.

ON THE WATER That’s all very well, but how did it handle? In a nutshell, extremely well. The ‘Ultra Lift’ hull is designed to give the boat extra lift and stability, and the pronounced V-bottom cut through the short chop with ease, even at top speed.

Cornering was no problem with the running strakes and reverse chines, the latter of which were also very effective at deflecting spray away from the boat so that the interior remained dry: something I was very grateful for with $5,000 worth of camera gear sitting on the deck. The ‘dry factor’ was further enhanced by the broad sides of the Piranha, with a substantial slab of aluminium between the chines and the gunwale. With three people on board and a motor that was yet to be run in, our GPS showed the Piranha still popped out of the hole at much less than 20km/h, and reached a top speed of just shy of 50km/h

Along the left hand side of the deck there is a full length rod storage compartment.

at 5,500rpm. The bottom of the hull is constructed from 3mm aluminium plate while the sides are 2.5mm, so there should be no problems with strength and durability.

The Mercury 60hp EFI 4-stoke Bigfoot engine, by the way, has a taller, more heavy duty gear case than standard outboards, together with larger gears and a shaft that places the propeller deeper into the water. This means it is capable of turning a larger diameter propeller. The test boat was fitted with a Spitfire four-blade prop which, having up to 20% greater surface area, gives greater grip on the water than a standard three-blader and the increase in thrust was noticeable.

Like most four-strokes, the Bigfoot was pleasantly quiet, purring away unobtrusively in the background. Like all

new Mercury outboards, this motor is covered by their fully transferrable, non-declining 3+2 year warranty.

When we got back to the fairly rudimentary ramp at Mahers Landing, the Piranha was easily nestled back on to the drive-on trailer, even in the 20 knot side wind.

Being a trailer made by Savage themselves, it had the advantage of fitting the boat perfectly, which makes good sense not only for launching and retrieving but also for transport: ill-fitting trailers will ultimately wear holes in your boat. One thing I wish I had on my trailer was the walkway from front to back – a clever inclusion that would surely save you from wet feet on many occasions. The trailer also featured brakes and alloy wheels that incorporated bearing buddies.

The 455 Piranha SC is a good looking boat.

The big casting platform at the front will prove popular with light tackle sport anglers.

SPECIFICATIONS 455 PIRANHA SC

Beam:....................................................... 2.05m Bottom sides:.......................................... 3.00mm Depth: ...................................................... 1.10m Height on trailer: ..................................... 2.10m Length maximum:................................... 4.55m Length of hull:......................................... 4.55m Length on trailer: .................................... 6.30m Max. HP: .................................................. 60hp Number of people: .................................. 5 Top sides: ................................................ 2.50mm Transom material:................................... 3.00mm Transom shaft length: ............................ L/S Weight (boat only): ................................. 350kg Price as tested: ....................................... $26,500

455 Pirahna SC

$

Top Left: The 455 Piranha SC is controlled from a side console on the right hand side of the vessel. The bigger models in the Piranha range have the option of a centre console instead. The dashboard has plenty of room for all the fruit.

Top Right: At the bow there is an anchor well and a plate for attaching an electric motor.

Bottom Left: There is heaps of stowage room under the casting deck at the front.

Bottom Right: A large casting platform over the front half of the boat ensures heaps of space for fishing.

26,500

Though I don’t have the data to prove it at my fingertips, I’d be confident that the popularity of ‘open top’ boats with big casting decks has increased markedly in the deep south since the ‘discovery’ that bream eat lures. The flow on from that discovery has been an increase in the popularity of light tackle sportfishing, plus the establishment of a tournament fishing scene in this state and others. The Savage Piranha range of boats – and don’t those two words go together well – is a boat that should find favour in these types of markets, but especially amongst those anglers that like to mix a little open water bay fishing with their estuary angling.

With this Savage/Mercury package (as tested) priced at $26,500, including Victorian inshore safety pack and all

registrations, this combination of two quality products is great value for money. If you like to spend time fishing for bream and flatties in the estuaries and snapper and whiting in Port Phillip and Western Port, the Piranha 455 could have your name on it.

For further information or to arrange an inspection, contact Warragul Marine Centre on (03) 5623 6250 or go to www.warragulmarine. com.au. For details on the Piranha range go to www. savageboats.com.au.

Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

415 Jabiru Pro Includes Mercury 40HP four stroke Big Tiller Packages start from $13,800 (unpainted with Mercury 30HP two stroke)

$

24,999 385 Big Boy Includes Mercury 30HP two stroke

Includes Mercury 60HP four stroke Big Foot Packages start from $21,000 (including Mercury 50HP two stroke)

$

7,999

Search for Warragul Marine Centre

South Rd, WARRAGUL VIC 3820 P 03 5623 6250 E info@warragulmarine.com.au

www.warragulmarine.com.au V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

91

Crestliner Super Hawk 1600 SYDNEY

Dan Trotter

The design, performance and handling of the US Crestliner boats should be no secret to regular readers.

The Super Hawk 1600 is a stealthy calm-

lot for the dollars and some of them handle so well it is disappointing to step back into many dedicated fishing boats.

But fishing in my mind is what boats were built for – everything else comes in second place.

So when I first laid eyes on the Super Hawk 1600

to store up to six rods out of the way. This rack can store one or two 7’ rods in the top two spaces with shorter poles below because of the intrusion of the passenger foot well.

Two gunwale rod holders were to be fitted later to the test boat, which had only just been unpacked

Like all Crestliners, the Super Hawk 1600 runs level, even coming out of the hole. water fishing boat with the ability to convert from serious fishing platform to family fun boat in under 60 seconds, and that is no mean feat.

One thing died-in-thewool fishing fanatics dislike is family cruising boats that try to masquerade as fishing boats. Nine times out of 10, they just don’t work.

Take a look at many of the bow riders, local and imported, to see where the let-downs are. I’m not saying they are bad boats; they are great fun, deliver a

with all its seats folded up, I was sceptical to say the least at how this platform would really shape up when it came to serious fishing.

The beautiful thing is that once the seats are folded down, loads of stable, carpeted standing or pedestal seated fishing space is available for two to three anglers. With the seats up, there are enough cushioned resting spots for at least six people.

Storage is ample. Under the port gunwale is an open rod rack, with enough space

and sea-trialled prior to my arrival.

Additional rod holders are an option I would

the perfect harbour, estuary, lake and inshore serious fishing vessel.

DEDICATED DESIGN The layout and design of this feature-packed boat are impressive.

From the well-appointed anchor well, sturdy bow roller, and casting/storage platform to the fold-away seating at the rear, it is obviously user-friendly.

The plate aluminium hull features a unique tongue-and-groove locking system that increases the rigidity and welds run the full length of every join.

Coupled with injected foam, the construction delivers a solid ride and level buoyancy.

Aggressive reverse chines deliver stability at rest and deflect spray down and out while under way.

The high walk-through windscreen is practical, provides easy bow access and plenty of protection.

The swivelling pedestal seats for driver and passenger can be rearranged at rest for seated fishing on the forward and aft casting decks, where the pedestal

There’s a load of fishing room in the Super Hawk 1600. of instruments and through the windscreen.

The fold-away seats extend the bow and rear casting decks and are an ingenious solution to the ongoing seating problem for family-friendly fishing boats, and I expect we will see more convertible styles.

It will be interesting to see how the folding steel frames cope with continuous saltwater use.

The battery, isolation switch and cables are easily

That big windscreen is a breeze-buster and will keep occupants quite dry on choppy days.

Top: There’s storage, seating (with more storage under), buoyancy foam and an Aussie-style anchor locker here.

Above: The roomy aft casting deck has more storage and fold-out seating.

92

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

definitely select. Having six mounted in the gunwales is a great way to ensure there is always somewhere close by to safely rest a rod.

It would also be worth considering mounting one or two upright rod racks so you can have a number of rigged outfits at the ready.

Lure and fly anglers or live-baiters would have few problems with this boat although if you use cut bait or pillies the marine carpet fitted could get messy.

There was no bait board fitted but an aftermarket selection would overcome this issue.

Other noticeable additions which would improve the fishability of this rig are a bow-mount electric motor and a sonar GPS combo on the skipper’s console.

With these additions the Super Hawk 1600 is

bases are offset to equalise weight distribution and maximise balance.

The dash layout is simple with good visibility

accessible via a hatch in the rear casting deck There is also enough space to house a deep-cycle battery for a bow-mounted electric,

although it would be worth considering how this will affect the balance under way and the distance the cables need to be run.

PERFORMANCE The Super Hawk 1600 was powered by a Mercury 75hp EFI four-stroke fed by a 75L underfloor fuel tank.

The fill cap is just in front of the driver’s windscreen.

With a 17” prop top speed at wide-open throttle was a touch over 34 knots (64kmh), enough to get you quickly to your next destination in calm conditions.

Steering is hydraulic and at trolling speed the hull responds well and has a relatively tight turning circle. In reverse gear some water does push up onto the casting deck if you ‘give it some’ and while this may trouble those anglers operating in choppy conditions, these boats are foam-filled to achieve level buoyancy.

Powering into and out of corners felt confident and the boat really clung to its lines. Crossing and riding chop and boat wakes was also comfortable, with the hull tracking true with no rolling or broaching.

At rest with just myself on board, I did notice my weight shifting the resting line of the boat just a

Plenty of room for two or three to fish or a whole bunch of family fun.

little but standing at any location felt safe. Stability was good.

All the Crestliners I have tested share a unique behaviour: they all run flat from take-off to top speed. From the first touch of the throttle the hull just wants to hang onto the surface. Even trimming the engine out does little to modify this.

AUSSIE IMPROVEMENTS North American boaters and anglers use their boats in subtly different ways to Australians. To address these alternative approaches and in recognition of the growing

market Down Under, Crestliner has taken the time to send their management and design to team to learn just what is needed to make their boats even better for Aussies.

The Super Hawk 1600 enjoys the addition of an anchor well and sturdy bow roller and a deeper transom requiring a long leg outboard for peace of mind in choppy, open water.

Comfortable, safe towing and ease of launch and retrieve are important factors to consider when purchasing a new boat. The Dunbier 5m Loader is a proven design of single-axle, braked trailer,

SPECIFICATIONS

Length: ....................................5m Beam: .......................................2.18m Depth: .......................................89cm Transom deadrise:...................12° Total weight BMT: ....................915kg Total length BMT:.....................7m Total height BMT: ....................1.96m Capacity: .................................6 adults, 587kg Max power: ...............................90hp Fuel: .......................................... 76L underfloor Standard: Plumbed live bait tank, bilge pump, navigation lights, switch panel, battery switch, inshore saltwater safety kit for 6 persons, 12 months registration.

Priced from $35,998 at time of test with 75hp Mercury 4 Stroke on Dunbier 5m Loader singleaxle, braked trailer. Test boat from Avante Marine, 345 Dorset Rd, Boronia, VIC ph 03 9760 2222 email sales@avantemarine.com.au. built with quality fittings and easily available spares.

With a total weight of 915kg on the road, this inshore rig can be towed

That foredeck can switch easily from a roomy casting platform to a family bow-riding area.

Handling is direct and predictable and the ride smooth and quiet. comfortably behind most family sedans and wagons.

There is loads to like about the way this compact boat is fitted out. It’s a

The full cutaway transom is great for boarding and for landing fish.

well-thought-through compromise for a dedicated inshore fishing platform one minute, and a familyfriendly fun boat the next.

So if you’re in the market for a vessel that fits this bill, make a visit to your local dealer to check out this and the other models in the Crestliner range.

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.

BUILT STRONGER • RIDES BETTER

OCTOBER MADNESS SALE

Crestliner 1600 Super Hawk (2011) blue display boat, 75HP Efi Mercury four stroke, Dunbier trailer, live bait tank, Transom swim step, casting platform, rear fold down seats, blue painted hull sides and full safety gear. WAS $34,986, NOW $33,490

Avante Marine Boronia – www.avantemarine.com.au p. (03) 9760 2222

f. (03) 9762 865

t a. 345 Dorset Rd, Boronia VIC 3155

OTHER MODELS AVAILABLE AT CRAZY PRICES, JUST STOP BY OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE. V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

93

A new boat in the making FMG

Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au

With all of the wants, needs and desires sorted and a rough plan on what I wanted inside, I set off on a search for a custom boat builder who wouldn’t send me bankrupt!

My first port of call was to drop in and see James Cullen, one of the owners at Stones Corner Marine. He pointed out a few facts about aluminium and fibreglass and he swayed my mind both ways, however I eventually settled on fibreglass as a hull material. This made perfect sense for a lot of reasons, most of all the ride as every time I fish the Flathead Classic the wind decides to blow the dog off the chain and a glass boat would help sort that out somewhat.

From here I started to look at local glass boat builders and Shayne McKee and Wayne Kampe advised me to talk to the team at Galeforce Boats, so on a road trip we stopped in and saw Tony.

Obviously Tony was pretty enthusiastic about his boats and after an hour or so of just messing about in the factory and getting some

lessons in fibreglass, Tony had convinced me further that a glass boat just might be the best thing. So I sent Tony the rough plan I had and he got back to me with the good news that my ideas would be easy to incorporate with little change.

So the hull was sorted – at last!

THE HULL The chosen hull was the 4.8m Galeforce set up as a tiller steer. The boat was a bit bigger than I first wanted, but the advantages and the options it opened up were huge. This little boat could comfortably take on most days out on the bay and on a good day, head to the inshore grounds so I could tackle some mackerel, tuna and hopefully one day a little billfish. Being fibreglass the hull rides softer than I am used to and almost encourages you to go out on those days where previously I might have just said no.

But these extra options didn’t come with a reduction of the boat’s primary purpose, which was to hunt the flats in the estuaries and knock around the dams and rivers for cod and barra. In the water the 4.8 drew around a foot of water, a little more than what I was used to, but it would just take a little bit of time to get used to that. The stability was not as

good as the vee-nose punts and tinnies I was used to fishing from, however it compared favourably with standard tinnies. This stability is a big factor for me as I lure cast a lot and often there are two or three people all on one side of the boat.

Other advantages were the sealed floor that allowed for a massive 80L underfloor fuel tank, a customised live well/ esky combination, storage for my Plano tackle trays, a mass of storage up front, a custom built rod locker, the ability to build a neat little sounder console and so much more.

And the best part of all from my 6-year-old daughter’s point of view was that the sides were higher than my old tinnie.

And that’s has to be a good thing when it comes to having a bit more fun out in the boat with the family.

THE MOTOR I had a few demands on the outboard I was going to buy and they all came together with the Honda BF60 4-stroke tiller steer. Firstly, this outboard is very user-friendly with electric start and power trim and tilt. Electric start was a given as was the need for the outboard to be 3 star rated from OEDA in regard to pollution. And the new tiller

handle on the 60 Honda meant I did not have to install a trim tilt switch on the hull as it is placed perfectly where your thumb rests while operating the craft. In real use this trim and tilt switch was magic.

But the best bit was the Trolling Control Switch. To be able to drop 50rpm or jump up 50rpm is amazing. It makes about 0.1 knots of difference and with a range from about 750rpm through to 1000rpm, this little device is brilliant. If you do any amount of trolling, take a look at this outboard because it seriously rocks! I’ve already used it on a few flatty trolls and it controls the troll speed brilliantly.

Other features that made the Honda a contender, included the BLAST technology, ECOmo (Economy Controlled Motor) technology and the overall output that was more than adequate to push around the 4.8m Galeforce. I had also been lucky enough to test this exact outboard just over 2 years ago at Lake Natimuk in Victoria when the new 60 was released onto the Australian market. We had the chance to actually see the fuel figures in use, got to play with the BLAST feature and the Trolling Control setup and lastly we saw this outboard on several hulls. Apart from

The team at Bay Honda putting the 60hp Honda 4-stroke on the back. This is a much more exacting task than I ever thought it would be and it is well worth your time getting it done correctly the first time by people who do it every day.

Engel generator! Yes I do all of these things regularly.

So overall the Honda BF60 is a remarkable piece of engineering that ticked every box and best of all the team at Bay Marine rigged it all up with minimal fuss and no issues. I would recommend a qualified mechanic installs any tiller steer outboard that requires bolting on through the hull. It was a lot more complicated than I first thought and the Bay Honda team were efficient and explained it all clearly to me.

THE TRAILER The trailer was always going to be an interesting

The Marine Warehouse team after market fitted the Flow Rite livewell system. Given the kit nature of the Flow Rite system, an aftermarket fit out is simple to do. Again measure twice, drill once.

CONTACT YOUR POLYCRAFT DEALER Shepparton Boats & More 207 Numurkah Rd Shepparton VIC 3630 P 03 5822 2108 E sales@boatsandmore.com.au

1800 336 603 For more boats visit:

www.polycraft.com.au 94

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

the major advantages of the BLAST, which improves hole shot markedly, the ECOmo was very appealing as this technology incorporates Lean Burn Control technology, which allows combustion to operate on a leaner air/fuel ratio. An O2 sensor, together with the ECM, precisely controls the air/fuel mixture for the best fuel economy at cruise setting.

The BF60 also has a multipole AC generator (ACG) that provides 22amp of battery charging capacity! Ample power for onboard marine electronics, livebait tanks and other equipment, which is brilliant for longer trips where I don’t have access to power, forget my charger or bring the charger and don’t have my

project. I have yet to own a trailer that lasts. Why that is so is beyond me and I suppose it all comes down to keeping package prices as low as possible. But after a few repairs and a few dodgy trailers I’d had enough. It was time for me to get a trailer that had all that I wanted and was over-engineered to last.

I chose an R and M Trailer from South East Queensland as they essentially custom build their trailer to suit the client’s needs. My list of options was thrown at them and to my relief they had no hesitation in confirming that everything I wanted could be done. So with that in mind I ordered a custom keel roller trailer.

This trailer was built from alloy I-beam and came with a

spare wheel kit, stainless steel brake components and I had the bolt package upgraded to stainless as well. The trailer would be capable of handling almost 1200kg and the 4.8m Galeforce was not going to come close to that, which meant I had the ability to use the boat a little bit like a trailer when on longer road trips.

Things like swags, tents, tackle boxes and the like could all be towed to the destination in the boat leaving the car’s cabin with more room. Gold!

The wheels were large and the spare wheel was attached to the trailer’s frame, making this the perfect trailer for me.

Add in that the trailer was set up as a drive on and drive off trailer and this old boy was pretty stoked.

THE ELECTRONICS I’ve already mentioned the fabulous i-Pilot and that was the first electronics accessory as to me it’s the most important. After much discussion with Tim Morgan and Shaun Clancy, I was convinced to go for an 80lb i-Pilot. This meant 24V of battery were needed. In reality I can usually see the snags I am fishing for jacks and Murray cod and when I am flathead fishing I can usually see the sand and weed banks. This piece of equipment is far more important than the sounder, however…

If I am impoundment fishing for native fish or barra, a sounder is an absolute must.

It not only allows you to see the depth, bottom contours, weed beds and more, these days you can actually see the fish!

To keep it simple I chose a Humminbird 898 after some great advice. This unit was small enough to fit on the console, yet had the screen size, power and ability to literally separate fish from water, and I generally need all the help I can get doing that!

Although not new technology these days, the side imaging and screen resolution was phenomenal, plus all SI units from Humminbird come with down imaging, a great feature that shows you more clearly what the snag or rock bar actually looks like.

But even better was that this unit linked in with the i-Pilot. This means that I can mark a feature on the sounder and tell the i-Pilot to go there.

It’s almost getting too easy.

I can’t wait to really get my head around this function and see how it improves my fishing opportunities. I say opportunities because you still have to catch the fish and fish the structure the right way. All of these electronic aids are still simply that, aids.

Livewell wise I had the team at Marine Warehouse fit a custom Flow-Rite livewell system into the massive well that was placed at the rear of the front casting deck. The system was a little bit of their basic system mixed in with their tournament grade system

and I am glad I got the right advice from the start. My system has a manual and timed recirculating option and a separate fill system that allows me to pump however much water I need into the well. I can recirculate water, change the water completely by draining the well and adding new water or I can add ice and make an ice slurry. The Flow-Rite system is simple to use, works well and will allow me to keep fish in the best condition wether that is for release or for keeping to eat. I love it.

OTHER BITS AND PIECES One important piece of equipment I had never really given any thought to was a fuel filter and the team at Marine Warehouse solved that

problem with their new release WaterScreen Nano Fuel Filter.

This smaller version of the standard fuel filter has all the same attributes as their original version, however its size make it ideal for use on tiller steer boats of any size. I now have little fear of the fuel hampering the outboard’s performance or indeed doing much worse.

I also installed a series of lights from Korr Lighting that operated on two switches.

The first switch controlled the floor lights that would be used when baitfishing at night while the second switch controlled the hatch lights. These lights allow me to see what is in the hatches and are awesome. We also installed a 10w spotlight underneath the electric motor mount. For locating channel

The first time her feet got wet. I reckon I was only more nervous once and that was when my little girl was being born. Luckily everything went well and the first water test was positive.

markers and the like at night it’s brilliant.

Batteries are important, especially with my electric use so I didn’t have any other choice than to stop in and see Steve Eldred at Battery Traders in Logan. Steve chose and installed the right batteries for my needs and did a first class job. He also sorted out the right chargers for the batteries to make it easy for me. I dropped the boat off one morning and the next morning I picked it up all ready to go. It was awesome.

STILL TO COME The most interesting other accessory is the Hydrowave.

This piece of electronic noise is very interesting and I can’t wait to give it a crack over the next 12 months. It recently won the Best of Show Boat Accessory award at the AFTA Trade Only show. I am also going to get a custom-fitted travel cover to stop prying hands and to stop the police pulling me over for an unsecured load and also to protect thing like tents, swags and more from weather when travelling. These days there are many reasons to have a travel cover and I will get one.

And I am sure there will be all sorts of weird and wonderful accessories that find their way onto the boat over the coming years. I’ll probably wreck a perfectly good boat, but at least I’ll be wrecking my boat!

SUPPLIERS

The below list are the suppliers I chose to use. While some gave me a great price, the cost did not influence my buying decision. The decision was based on quality, the ability to meet my expectations and the service quality. I am not amazing at maintenance or fixing things up so all the products chosen were easy to maintain and had a reliability that many friends vouched for.

Battery Traders Logan ..................(07) 3209 3144 www.batterytraders.com.au 120aH batteries for electric, cranking battery for motor, dedicated chargers Bay Marine .....................................(07) 3269 2702 www.bayhonda.com.au Fit out and service of outboard BLA www.bla.com.au Minn Kota i-Pilot 55lb Humminbird All stainless latches, grab rails, screws, seats, switch panels, nav lights and more Galeforce Boats .............................0427 870 799 www.galeforceboats.com.au galeforce@galeforceboats.com.au Galeforce 4.8m Tiller, custom deck and internals Honda Marine www.honda BF60 4-stroke Korr Lighting .................................07 3801 8332 www.korrlighting.com.au sales@korrlighting.com.au Boat Light Strips Spotlight Marine Warehouse ........................07 3272 7701 www.marinewarehouse.com.au WaterScreen Nano fuel filter Flow Rite livewell system Next issue we hit the water and look at how everything worked out. I will discuss the pitfalls I had as well as talk

about what I love, what I’d change and any thoughts on how I would do it differently next time.

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

95

VICTORIAN TIDE TIMES

2146 2*+..+2 *'#&5 26 .105&#.'

.#6 u Ĺ? .10) u Ĺ?

6+/' <10' Ĺ&#x152; 6+/'5 #0& *'+)*65 1( *+)* #0& .19 9#6'45

1%61$'4 Ĺ&#x152; 6KOG O 6KOG O 6KOG O 6KOG O

67 9' 6* (4

9' 6* (4 5#

6* (4 5# 57 Tides

34x6

Not in system

(4 5# 57 /1

5# 57 /1 67

57 /1 67 9'

/1 67 9' 6*

67 9' 6*

l %QOOQPYGCNVJ QH #WUVTCNKC Ĺ&#x152; $WTGCW QH /GVGQTQNQI[ 0CVKQPCN 6KFCN %GPVTG &CVWO KU .#6

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.

96

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

No scheduled maintenance for 3 years or 300 hours.

Victorian Dealers

Tasmanian Dealers

SOUTH WEST MELBOURNE

GEELONG

NORTHERN SUBURBS

SOUTHERN TASMANIA

JV Marine World

Moolap Marine

Triple M Marine

Maynes Marine

9-11 Fitzgerald Rd Laverton North P: 03 9368 7100 E: info@jvmarine.com.au W: www.jvmarine.com.au

250 Portarlington Rd Moolap P: 03 5248 3772 E: info@moolapmarine.com.au W: www.moolapmarine.com.au

117 Northgate Drive Thomastown P: 03 9465 8787 E : triplemmarine@dodo.com.au

6 Effingham St Moonah P: 03 6214 9999 E: sales@maynesmarine.com.au

WESTERN DISTRICTS

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE

MELBOURNE CENTRAL & SOUTH EAST

ECHUCA 76 Northern Hwy Echuca P: 03 5482 1992 E: b.altham@boatsandmore.com.au

WebbCon Marine

JV Marine World

72 Hamilton Rd Horsham P: 03 5381 0600 E: info@webbconmarine.com.au W: www.webbconmarine.com.au

878 Springvale Rd Braeside P: 03 9798 8883 E: info@jvmarine.com.au W: www.jvmarine.com.au

Cranbourne Boating Centre

ALBERTON

MORNINGTON PENINSULA

TRARALGON

Alberton Marine

Barrow Marine

Gippsland Boat Supplies

39 Johnson Street Alberton P: 03 5183 2344 E: albertonmarine@wideband.net.au

28 Overton Road Frankston P: 03 9783 8991 E: barrowmarine@tpg.com.au

Princess Hwy Traralgon P: 03 5174 1223 E: ray@gippslandboatsupplies.com.au

236 South Gippsland Hwy Cranbourne P: 03 5996 2206 E: crannyboating@bigpond.com

Boats & More

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

97

pick up an

deal

DË·RUGDEOH

SUZUKI 635,1* 2))(5

1

service

)5((

Pick up a deal now at participating Suzuki Marine dealers and receive \RXU ˸UVW VHUYLFH )5(( RQ DQ\ RI WKH $))25'$%/( 3257$%/( range. )RU WKH Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Four Stroke YLVLW \RXU ORFDO 6X]XNL 0DULQH GHDOHU DQG RQH RI RXU 7HFKVSHUWV FDQ H[SODLQ WKH PDQ\ IHDWXUHV DGYDQWDJHV DQG EHQH˸WV RI WKH DË·RUGDEOH SRUWDEOH UDQJH VW VHUYLFH IUHH DSSOLHV WR RQO\ ') WR ') $ DQG '7 $ SRUWDEOHV 2Ë·HU YDOLG XQWLO 2FWREHU RU ZKLOH VWRFNV ODVW DW SDUWLFLSDWLQJ GHDOHUV

BENDIGO %HQGLJR 0DULQH :RUOG

EHQGLJRPDULQH FRP DX (33,1* )ODWZDWHU 0DULQH

˹DWZDWHUPDULQH FRP DX

%5$(6,'( /$9(5721 -9 0DULQH :RUOG MYPDULQH FRP DX +,('(/%(5* :(67 75( 0RWRUVSRUW

WUHPRWRVSRUW FRP DX

:$551$0%22/ 5LFKDUGVRQ 0DULQH

ULFKDUGVRQPDULQH FRP DX 98

OCTOBER 2013

V&TFM

'5202$1$ /HLVXUH 6SRUWV 0DULQH

OHLVXUHVSRUWVPDULQH FRP

6$/( 0,/'85$ &DUPRG\ 0DULQH 'HDNLQ 0RWRUF\FOHV

VX]XNLPDJLF FRP DX FDUPRG\PDULQH FRP DX

:2'21*$ 7%6 0DULQH

WEVPDULQH FRP DX

7$60$1,$ ˽6RPHUVHW˾ &RDVWDO 0DULQH

FRDVWDO PDULQH FRP DX

(&+8&$ 6+(33$5721 %RDWV 0RUH ERDWVDQGPRUH FRP DX 75$5$/*21 *LSSVODQG %RDW 6XSSOLHV

JLSSVODQGERDWVXSSOLHV FRP DX

7$60$1,$ +REDUW

$FWLYH 0DULQH

DFWLYHPDULQHWDV FRP DX

South Gippsland

Echuca

Alberton Marine 39 Johnson Street, Alberton Phone: (03) 5183 2344 | Fax: (03) 5183 2219 Email: albertonmarine@wideband.net.au

Eades Xtreme Marine 24 Sturt Street, Echuca Phone: (03) 5482 2333 | Fax: (03) 5482 2133 Email: info@xtrememarine.net.au Website: www.xtrememarine.net.au

Melbourne

Melbourne The Marine Shop 6 Holland Drive, Melton Phone: (03) 9747 0588 | Fax: (03) 9747 3999 Email: admin@themarineshop.com.au

Melbourne

Avante Marine 345 Dorset Road, Boronia Phone: (03) 9760 2222 | Fax: (03) 9762 8565 Email: info@avantemarine.com.au Website: www.avantemarine.com.au

East Gippsland

Cheltenham

Corowa

Bell Marine Services 120 Talinga Road, Cheltenham Phone: (03) 9583 3881 | Fax: (03) 9583 0117 Email: admin.sales@bellmarineservices.com

Maverick Boats Hammersley & Theiss Roads, Corowa Phone: (02) 6033 3222 | Fax: (02) 6033 4488 Email: sales@maverickboats.com.au Website: www.maverickboats.com.au

Warragul Marine South Road, Warragul Phone: (03) 5623 6250 | Fax: (03) 5622 0623 Email: info@warragulmarine.com.au Website: www.warragulmarine.com.au

Geelong

Mornington

Bendigo Bendigo Marine World 49 Midland Highway, Epsom Phone: (03) 5448 3988 | Fax: (03) 5448 3940 Email: sales@bendigomarine.com.au Website: www.bendigomarine.com.au

Melbourne BL Marine 612- 614 Plenty Road, Preston Phone: (03) 9478 1420 | Fax: (03) 9470 4638 Email: info@blmarine.com.au Website: www.blmarine.com.au

Shepparton Boats and More 207 Numurkah Road, Shepparton Phone: (03) 5822 2108 | Fax: (03) 5821 2908 Email: sales@boatsandmore.com.au Website: www.boatsandmore.com.au

Gippsland Crawford Marine 71-77 Chickerell Street, Morwell Phone: (03) 5134 6522 | Fax: (03) 5134 6455 Email: info@crawfordmarine.com.au Website: www.crawfordmarine.com.au

Mallacoota Outboards 3 Commercial Road, Mallacoota Phone: (03) 5158 0459 | Fax: (03) 5158 0719 Email: smo02688@bigpond.net.au

Moolap Marine 250 Portarlington Road, Moolap Phone: (03) 5248 3772 | Fax: (03) 5248 4633 Email: info@moolapmarine.com.au Website: www.moolapmarine.com.au

Triple M Marine 117 Northgate Drive, Thomastown Phone: (03) 9465 8787 | Fax: (03) 9466 1418 Email: triplemmarine@dodo.com.au Website: www.triplemmarine.com.au

West Gippsland

Wes Frost Marine 3 Satu Way, Mornington Phone: (03) 5976 4622 | Fax: (03) 5976 4633 Email: sales@wesfrostmarine.com Webste: www.wesfrostmarine.com

Sorrento Nautical Marine 139 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 141 Hotham Road, Sorrento Phone: (03) 5984 1666 | Fax: (03) 5984 1680 Email: nautical@surf.net.au Website: www.nauticalmarine.com.au

Melbourne Regal Marine 514 Canterbury Road, Vermont Phone: (03) 9874 4624 | Fax: (03) 9874 6586 Email: sales@regalmarine.com.au Website: www.regalmarine.com.au

West Gippsland Tooradin P & J Marine Service Centre P/L 101 Tooradin Station Road, Tooradin Phone: (03) 5998 3107 | Fax: (03) 5998 3108 Email: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com

V&TFM

OCTOBER 2013

99

ENDS 15 NOVEMBER 2013

When it comes to power, reliability and performance, you can’t go past a Mercury FourStroke 2.5-115hp.

Backed by the only 3 year corrosion warranty, their lightweight, durable design and enhanced fuel efficiency makes them perfect to power everything from small inflatables to large Cuddy Cabins.

For one awesome FourStroke offer, go to your participating Mercury Marine dealer today.

Visit mercurymarine.com.au for full details. *

Terms and conditions apply