Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly - May 2016

WINTER WHITING WONDERLAND • DAWN OF THE SPAWN

T ried and Tested

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Features

Winter whiting tips and tricks • Marlo baits beat the bream • The changing face of Lake Eildon • Kuttafurra Lures •

How To

Overcome your fear of flyfishing • Fish handling IV • Buy the right offshore craft •

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On a trip to Lake Bullen Merri in Victoria, Lee Rayner and Scott Gray caught these chinook salmon by using down riggers and hard body lures. Lee also used Black Magic 12lb Rainbow Braid Elite, and he said, “the coloured braid made it very easy to get the lure in the same position every time”.

Craig Purcell used a Black Magic 5/0 KL Hook to land this 24lb gummy shark. He was fishing at Cowes Phillip Island, Victoria.

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This impressive blue morwong a.k.a. queen snapper was caught by Clayton Wood and measured 97cm. Clayton was fishing off Marion Bay in South Australia and used Black Magic 8/0 KS Hooks and Black Magic 100lb Tough Trace.

Christian Pucong caught this 24kg wahoo off an island in Hawaii. He used Black Magic 80lb Fluorocarbon Trace and says he sticks to Black Magic leader because he knows it can stand up to a good thrashing.

Black Magic 6/0 C Point® Hooks and Black Magic 20lb Supple Trace “produced great results” for Neil Mackenzie once again. He was fishing in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria

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IS YOUR EPIRB DUE TO BE REPL ACED?

GPS EQUIPPED

beacons can locate you within 20 mins

NON-GPS

beacons can take up to 5 hrs†

More Australian Rescues start with GME than with any other brand* Next time you’re out on your boat, double check the expiration date of your EPIRB. If it has expired, or is approaching expiration, contact your local Authorised GME Dealer and discuss options for replacement, including updating to the latest GPS equipped model from GME. With a GPS equipped EPIRB, you will be located faster, and rescue authorities will be able to reach you sooner. It could save your life.

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† Source: Australian Maritime Safety Authority * 66% of all beacons detected and determined as ‘Real Distress’ by AMSA during the 12 months from the 1st of July 2012 to the 30th of June 2013 were GME brand beacons. N.B. A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is not a substitute for a 406 MHz EPIRB.

May 2016, Vol. 11 No. 7

Contents WEST COAST

52

A look at…

12 Back to Basics 13 Boating 92 Chappy’s Hotspot 33 Dam Levels 62 Fun Page 79 Junior City Fishing 22 Inland Fisheries Service 55 Kayaking 80 Spearfishing 78 Tasmanian Wrap 54 Tasmanian Lake Levels 54 Tournament News 72 Trade and Services Guide 80 Victorian Tide Times 98 VRFish Update 48 What’s New Boating 86 What’s New Fishing 82

SPECIAL FEATURES

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OUR COVER A great haul of King George whiting from Port Phillip Bay. A Marc Ainsworth image.

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– above approximately 110 of the best bass anglers on the planet – then the system goes into meltdown.

Why? Because he’s living his dream. And it happens to be a dream that Aussies, anglers and sportsman all share. To be kicking goals on the world stage.

AUST

Winter whiting wonderland Marlo baits Fishing handling IV The changing face of lake Eildon Buying the right offshore craft Kuttafurra Redfin lures Deeper Fish Finder review 484 Sniper Anglapro McLay 591 Hardtop Stessco Renegade 480

recorded, relayed and displayed in virtual real-time.

Whenever Carl catches a keeper bass, the fans light up.

If Carl approaches the top of the (estimated) leaderboard, Social Media lights up – even though it’s 3am. And if Carl is placed at the top of the heap

But there’s more.

If Carl’s sitting in the top five on the second, third or fourth day of competition, then he gets a live-streaming camera that runs for six hours of the fishing day – complete with a commentary team.

That’s when the web goes into meltdown.

For the first time in history, an Aussie, Carl, led a Bassmaster Elite event in April. From humble roots in Toowoomba, Queensland, he followed the ABT pathway and is now only a couple of steps away from the pinnacle of the sport.

Of course, those last few steps are the hardest, but rest assured, Carl has the most vocal, protective, supportive, patriotic fans on the planet supporting him.

And, of course, Fishing Monthly is a proud sponsor.

We look forward to reporting on his first Bassmaster Elite win Stateside. We think it may be sooner rather than later.

ION

TASMANIA WRAP REGULAR FEATURES

If I’m ever writing this column sleep-deprived, it’s usually one of two reasons.

It could be the mulloway down the river. When the bait runs and they start chopping on the surface, I can’t help myself.

I find myself fishing like a troll – under a bridge at all hours of the night. I mean, is there anything more exciting than a silver river predator blasting a topwater bait?

Maybe there is.

Whenever Australian bass fishing pro Carl Jocumsen excels in a Bassmaster Elite event in the USA, I get insomnia. You see, even from Australia, fishing is rapidly becoming a spectator sport.

When Carl fishes on the other side of the world, his Aussie fans – and there are many – are hunched around computers, tablets, mobile phones. They’re basically watching a spreadsheet. A couple of numbers. Each time Carl catches a bass, it’s

AT

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 59 Robinvale 60 Mildura 60 Yarrawonga 61 Shepparton 62 Wangaratta 63 Jindabyne 64 Eildon 66 Bonnie Doon 66 Goulburn River 67 Bendigo 68 West/South Gippsland 69 Central Gippsland 68 Crater Lakes 69 Melbourne Metro 69 Ballarat 70

From the Editor’s Desk...

CI

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

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EAST COAST Inverloch 38 Ninety-Mile Beach 40 Welshpool 40 Gippsland Lakes 40 Marlo 41 McLoughlins Beach 42 Lakes Entrance 42 Bemm River 43

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Geelong 20 Port Phillip West 24 Port Phillip East 28 Port Phillip North East 26 Mornington Peninsula 30 Western Port North 32 Western Port South 34 Phillip Island 38

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MAY 2016

7

Whiting

A winter whiting wonderland WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

King George whiting are predominantly a summer species to target in both Western Port and Port Phillip Bay, however they can be targeted all year round. Whiting can be caught right through

both waterways. Whether you’re fishing from a boat, sand, timber or stones, whiting are a viable catch for anglers of all levels of experience.

The whiting season in Victoria typically kicks off around December. They can be caught before December, however they are often overlooked as most Vic anglers during this time have

snapper tunnel vision and can’t see what’s lurking in the peripherals.

From December onwards, a huge switch to whiting is common. You can get the good oil from reading tackle stores weekly fishing reports, or if you’re hip and follow social media, Facebook and Instagram accounts are often flooded with tasty ting reports.

Whiting also take a backseat while many anglers head west in search of southern bluefin tuna or Australian salmon fishing along many of our surf beaches.

While the mindset may be that the whiting have gone for another season, the truth of the matter is that they are in fact a year round affair and winter continues to produce fish as good in quality as those caught through the summer months.

WINTER BLUES Winter in Victoria is never kind, and prying yourself from the comforts of your warm bed only to bob like a cork on the ocean with the days forecast a top of 12°C, showers, and a wind chill factor of 5°C really doesn’t ‘get you pumped.’

The onset of winter certainly changes the mood of many and when it comes to fishing, pick the best days from the weekly forecast and you’ll be at your happiest

When heading out always remember to rug up and keep warm. Fishing in winter for whiting is a very cold affair at times.

When targeting winter whiting you need everything in your favour. When it comes to terminal tackle, always use the best quality you can afford so you don’t lose any fish during the fight. Whiting can spook the school if dropped.

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MAY 2016

Join us on Facebook

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There is a time and place for the use of the right hook. Over 90% of the time, a Mustad Demon #6 circle hook will keep the fish connected and ensure the fish hook themselves. However, in shallow water when the fish are finicky, a Mustad Bloodworm #6 will be the difference between taking home a feed and not.

Whiting when your rod is buckled.

May through to August is the prime time to target winter whiting, and although May is technically autumn, it really is the transition month to cool winds.

Because of the cold harsh conditions, those that are successful tend to be repeat customers and have their plans in place and the right gear at the ready. The first thing you need to consider when heading out in winter is

RECOMMENDED WHITING GEAR ROD/REEL:

BRAID: LEADER: HOOKS:

Wilson Texalium ZSP484GT24kg + Shimano Rarenium 1000 Mustad Thor 6lb Hi-Vis Orange Surecatch Fluorocarbon 6-15lb Mustad Demon #6, Mustad Bloodworm #6 or Mustad 92647s #6

Such locations in Port Phillip Bay are in the Coles Channel at St Leonards, near the West Channel marker, around the edges of the West Sand, Queenscliff, Victory

Shoal, Weeroona Bay at Portsea as well as out from Point Franklin.

In Western Port however, Balnarring, Somers, Pt Leo, Flinders, Cat Bay and up to

Finding whiting territory is imperative to success. A combination of sand, weed and good current is where you will find them.

GPS MARKS FOR WINTER WHITING St Leonards: West Sand: Pt Franklin: Somers: Flinders: Cat Bay:

S38° 11.572 S38° 13.179 S38° 18.932 S38° 24.328 S38° 26.421 S38° 29.751

to make sure you stay warm.

There is no doubt about it, the wind can be bone chilling and the rain relentless – but in my book, it is still better than spending a day on the couch. It does pay to wear thermals, and it is necessary to wear waterproof pants, a good waterproof/windproof jacket, gloves, a beanie or lumberjack cap and winter buff. Though this might sound extreme, the morning air and wind factor can be almost bone chilling on the way out to your destination.

PRIME LOCATIONS Finding whiting in summer is hard enough, finding them in winter can be even harder – unless you know where to look. During winter, whiting continue to inhabit sandy areas adjacent to patches of weed. In saying that, it is also common to find them around areas of solid reef.

In conjunction with the bottom feeders, winter whiting seem to prefer locations with high tidal flow. This could be because the flow of the tides brings food and the fish can conserve their energy in cool water more easily by milling around on the bottom and allowing the tide to bring the food to them.

E144° 44.285 E144° 43.324 E144° 43.133 E145° 08.726 E145° 04.139 E145° 08.664

the Nobbies are all worthy locations to try your luck.

BAIT AND BERLEY I’ve heard it many times and still to this day after targeting whiting for well over a decade, I personally To page 10

If you’re happy to spend the day working known whiting haunts, you should come home with a solid feed.

MAY 2016

9

Whiting From page 9

haven’t caught a winter whiting using pilchard fillets. Call me sceptical, but I’ve never had a problem using pipi, mussel, and/or live Bass yabbies if you have the time to gather them.

doesn’t need to be complex, but the mixture does have to have a fine consistency.

Chook pellets from your local stockfeed store are more than ample for the job. They swell when wet and break down into a fine mist which can easily be

Another very good berley is to use a bag of pilchards and place them into a berley pot. Before sending the pot to the bottom, mash them up but not into tiny pieces, rather just enough to let the flakes flow through the pot. With both methods, after about 10 minutes, the pot will require a shake to get it flowing again as the pot can become blocked.

Despite the cold and rain on occasion, the weather in winter can be quite enjoyable, especially in the afternoons. Though the air and sea breeze might be cool, adequate clothing will prevent you from getting cold.

THE RIG Setting up for whiting in winter is no different compared to that in the summer months. There

A lovely feed to take home to the family!

When baiting your hook, always leave as much of the hook point exposed as possible.

As important as it is to have the right bait, you also want to make sure you go home with a good feed.

Whiting can be quite a difficult species to locate but provided you have a good location, berley will bring them straight to you. Berleying for whiting

distributed with the current.

Although the pellets by themselves won’t have an inviting aroma, I like to soak them in a bucket with tuna oil covering them the night before. This way the pellets absorb the tuna oil and make a real fishy smell through the water.

Jarrod Day with a nice catch of winter whiting.

are three main rigs to use when fishing for whiting and asking three different whiting anglers which rig is better will never give you the right answer.

Each of the three rig styles has its own unique time in which it can be used. The paternoster rig is ideal in situations when you’re fishing thick weed or reef areas.

This rig keeps the baits suspended over the weed and reef so not to become snagged. This rig is usually tied from 15lb fluorocarbon leader for the abrasion resistance against the weed and reef and is fished when using braided mainline and circle hooks for the

instant hook set.

A fixed extended paternoster rig is ideal when fishing in more sandy locations where reef and weed aren’t as much of an issue. This rig is typically tied from 8-12lb leader, once again using a circle hook.

A running sinker rig on the other hand is used when whiting are finicky and require the angler to set the hook. This rig is usually fished in shallow water where whiting are shy. I recommend 6-8lb fluorocarbon leader with a size 6 hook.

Fishing for whiting in winter is a lot of fun, and very few anglers take advantage of this fishery.

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Perfect for deepwater paternoster “dropper style” rigs.

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A strong hook perfect for cut baits such as squid and cut fish baits.

A 4x strong hook perfect for stopping larger fish. Suitable for cut baits.

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A Look At...

A look at whiting rigs MELBOURNE

Luke McCredden www.thelongline.net

Pre-made rigs are a great tool in any angler’s arsenal, and having a tied rig ready to go is something that you treasure when you bust-off on a snag, or get bitten-off by a pesky leatherjacket or toadfish.

fishing, but the times when you need a bigger hook, stronger leader, or longer dropper, tying your own will be advantageous.

So, what is best? Well I guess the answer is, what works for you – but there are some handy tips from a discussion I had with a couple of mates recently about whiting rigs. I spoke to Fishing Edge’s Lee

size 6 Gamakatsu Worm Hook J-Style. The other, a twin rigged paternoster with short 150mm leader.

On this rig I like to use a Gamakatsu Shiner or Octopus Circle in size 6.

Where is your go-to spot and what rig do you use?

LR: It all depends on whether we are chasing numbers of fish, or size of fish, but generally I love to fish deep ocean water in among heavy weed and reef, in which case I use a paternoster rig or a Black Magic Whiting Snatcher.

Up on the shallower banks I like an extended paternoster to cast away from the boat.

GB: In Western Port my spot is in 7m of water along the edge of Middle Spit where I use the extended paternoster with a cocktail bait of squid and mussel.

In Port Phillip Bay, I like fishing Nepean Bay in 6m with the extended paternoster and fresh squid bait.

Is there any situation when I should use more than one type of rig?

LR: It often pays to use two rigs. In my two suggested rigs, I would fish the

Gawaine Blake looking happy with a feed of whiting. paternoster directly below the boat ideally close to the berley pot, the other extended

paternoster, is ideal for casting away from the boat.

GB: Yes, particularly in deep

Lee Rayner with some big specimens caught in Port Phillip Bay. Pre-made rigs for King George whiting are no exception, they have been specifically designed for our southern waters and over the years, carefully tried and tested to make sure they are the right fit for most occasions.

Of course there are plenty of occasions when you need to customise your rig, so making your own is a must. Pre-tied rigs are made pretty general and cover most elements of whiting

Rayner, and Gawaine Blake who has owned his own charter business.

How many rigs do I need to know?

LR: Two rigs are fine. A two-dropper paternoster, and an extended paternoster. Both are easy to make, especially when you get the hang of a dropper loop knot.

GB: Two rigs – the extended paternoster with 200mm dropper, 450mm 12lb fluorocarbon leader and

Squid strips and cut mussel make excellent bait for whiting.

water of say 12-20m. I use the double paternoster in the rod holders and fish the extended paternoster in my hands.

Pre-made, or make them myself?

LR: There are some excellent off the shelf rigs these days, but personally I like to make my own.

That way I can select what hook and leader I need to suit various locations. I also like to make a few rigs up without hooks on them, that way I can add the hook of choice when on the water. This is handy if, for example, there are much bigger whiting around, because I will often use a much bigger hook than normal.

GB: I generally tie my own rigs up so I can customize them, but I am a big fan of the pre-made Black Magic whiting rigs.

Scientists forecast dip in whiting After several poor years of King George whiting fishing in Port Phillip Bay anglers have enjoyed a bumper season, however, the high quality fishing is likely to be shortlived given surveys have detected very poor juvenile whiting numbers in seagrass nurseries in 2014 and 2015.

Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said natural climate-driven variation in juvenile whiting numbers that settle in the bay was entirely normal, 12

MAY 2016

but consecutive poor years would prolong the downturn and make it more noticeable to anglers.

“The downturn’s impact will be lessened given that 87 per cent of the commercial netting catch for species also targeted by recreational anglers, including King George whiting, has now been removed from the bay as part of the State Government’s Target One Million plan, which aims to get more people fishing, more often,” Mr Dowling said.

“It’s unfortunate we have experienced two years

in a row of poor whiting settlement in the bay, which will impact stocks of takeable size whiting between 2017 and 2019.

“Much the same can be expected in Western Port.

“These surveys, undertaken annually in spring by fisheries scientists, sample little whiting of 2 to 3 cm in seagrass beds shortly after they enter Port Phillip Bay from coastal spawning sites well to the west.

“The abundance of these little whiting allows us to forecast future trends in the bay whiting fishery,

enabling everyone to understand what the fishery will look like ahead of time.

“The juvenile whiting take about two years to grow to 27 cm, which is legal minimum size. They then leave our bays by age three to four and complete their adult life in ocean waters.

“This type of life-cycle contributes to a highly variable fishery that’s largely dependent on the magnitude of juvenile settlement in the shallows several years prior.

Mr Dowling said the terrific King George whiting

fishing experienced by anglers in the bay recently was thanks to a strong settlement of tiny whiting in 2013 that had now grown and entered the fishery.

“While we expect good fishing to continue into next summer and autumn, whiting catches will likely

drop noticeably by the 2017 summer.”

Anglers are reminded that the daily bag limit on King George whiting is 20 per person and that they should be landed whole so Fisheries Officers can measure them if required. – DEDJTR

Learn to overcome your fear of fly fishing today!

NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Flyfishing has a reputation for being a mysterious and difficult art, mostly practiced by crusty, pipe-

Flies are just artificial baits, like any other lure.

However, being made from fur, fibres, tinsel and feathers lashed to a hook with thread, they’re virtually weightless. This presents a challenge from the casting perspective. That challenge

that this is the real crux of flyfishing – not the generations of tradition, nor the reams of literature surrounding this branch of the sport. While this description may offend some ‘purists’, flyfishing is no more or less than

Carp were made for the fly rod. It’s also a great way to ‘cull’ these pest fish.

Hey, you can even catch trout on fly if you want to! smoking old toffs in tweed jackets resplendent with leather elbow patches…

But the times have indeed changed! These days, flyfishing has largely been demystified, and it’s

has been overcome down through the centuries by incorporating the necessary casting weight into the line instead of the lure. So, a fly line is effectively no more or less than a long,

lure fishing with ultralight lures!

And while flyfishing originally developed in the Old World to catch trout and salmon, it’s equally applicable to any other

with either a drag or at least a clicker to stop it spinning too freely and spewing out line.

Fly lines come in varying weights (designated from 0-20 weight) and rods are made to match them, just as our spin rods are best suited to a specific range of lure or sinker weights. Heavier fly lines are best for casting large, bulky flies, especially on windy days.

But the majority of fishing you’re likely to do (in fresh or salt water) will be easily covered by an outfit in the 4-weight to 9-weight range.

Fly lines also have differing densities so they either float, or sink at varying rates. An ‘intermediate’ line (which sinks quite slowly) is a great all-rounder for anything other than dry flyfishing for trout. With a 6 or 7-weight outfit carrying an intermediate line you could happily target trout, bass, redfin, carp, bream, flathead, whiting, trevally, mullet, luderick, tailor, Australian salmon, garfish, pike and a whole bunch of other common targets.

So, if you’ve been put off having a crack at flyfishing because of all the hype surrounding it, think

again! It’s no more than another way of skinning the same old catfish… and it’s great fun!

Catching big bream on flies is challenging, but also incredibly rewarding!

Flathead love a fly, especially one presented close to the bottom. no longer solely about catching trout!

The biggest trick to breaking down any remaining misconceptions around flyfishing is to accept that it’s no more than a specialised form of lure fishing in which the lure is too light or too wind resistant to be cast any serious distance using conventional spinning or baitcaster tackle.

Simple as that!

skinny sinker or float! It’s weight or mass is used to deliver that lightweight lure to a fish.

The best way to throw such a long, skinny casting weight is to swish it back and forth through the air in order to form a travelling loop that can be extended and then unfurled onto the water, presenting the fly at the end of a leader that’s attached to the fly line.

Get it into your head

fish — in fresh or salt water — that will eat a lure. I’ve literally targeted everything from mullet to marlin on fly!

Granted, the gear needed is a little different to our standard lure casting tackle. Fly rods are generally long (2.53.5m) and have a slow, progressive taper. And that fat fly line along with some backing (in case you hook a whopper) is best stored on a simple, centrepin reel

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13

Mullo-May madness or so until normal bite patterns return. Although the river has always stayed in exceptionally good health, the increased frequency of environmental flows from Rocklands Reservoir has really helped to keep it in pristine condition.

The endemic population of estuary perch have thrived in these conditions and once again spread to the highest parts of the river with reports of perch as high as Harrow.

Modelling river inflows to replicate the flow of early historical records has been a great move by the Catchment Management Authority, and will really pay off in both

WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

May is always a great month to fish the mighty Glenelg River, with settled weather patterns and increased inflows as we begin to transition from autumn to winter.

Late March and into the start of April saw very high water levels in the river and was the trigger for an artificial opening of the mouth.

Opening the mouth seems to fire the fish up for a couple of days but is generally followed by a quiet period for a week

maintaining the health of the river and populations of native fish.

As we move into May, water clarity will remain excellent with perfect conditions for both lure and baitfishing alike. Bream, perch and mulloway have all been caught in good numbers using a variety of techniques and all species are well spread through the river.

The estuary itself has produced some great bream and mulloway. Although the latter have been a little hit and miss at times, the fish are there to be had for those who put in the effort. As we approach

Estuary perch in the 45cm+ range are a common capture on lures.

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Bream will start to sit a little wider and deeper. winter and the flows increase, we will see the beginning of spawning behaviours in estuary perch, which means there will be a steady migration of fish to the lower end of the river.

Those who target perch should have no trouble finding fish in the mid-section of the river around Sapling Creek and the Caves. Lightly weighted soft plastics, surface lures and shallow mid-diving hardbodies cast at heavy snags along the

edges will account for plenty of perch. Live minnow suspended under a float are also irresistible to perch and baitfishers who employ this tactic on the same structure will also find plenty.

Depending on the amount of rain we receive we should see the beginning of the water colouring up down in the estuary. Now is a great time to start targeting those bigger mulloway. In dirtier water, vibe and blade style lures as well as jointed hardbodies are

standouts. Live mullet slow trolled or fished static under a float are also highly successful.

May also sees bream start to recruit and school up, often out a little wider of the banks.

Use your sounder to mark fish in water depths from 2-4m before dropping bait or lures down to them.

Baits like podworm, crab and prawn are all excellent, and heavier weighted plastics fished slowly along the bottom will see plenty of fish caught.

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The author with a nice mulloway caught on heavy plastic.

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MAY 2016

Kane McNamara caught this yellowbelly on a StumpJumper in the Campaspe River.

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On your marks, get set for a tip top tuna season PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

The time of year when we turn our attention to tuna and albacore around Portland southwest has arrived. The albacore have been in good numbers in the last month ranging from footy size up to nearly 20kg. Most fish have come from the Horseshoe area.

Those who have travelled to the shelf have also had good success with bottom drops, picking up some very nice blue eye, and big models of pink ling, knife jaw, and gem fish.

Most anglers use electric reels for these drops due to the depth. The tuna have been caught in all depths of water in the last six weeks from as shallow as only a few metres to the deep

water. Even some divers have had success on a few bluefin, taking advantage of the shallow depths.

We should see them heading into deeper water and then generally head back into the 50-100m depths around Cape Nelson and Bridgewater Bay. There are quite a few charters in Portland that take bookings for tuna runs for keen anglers who want to see what tuna fishing is all about. You can generally find them through a quick Google search or call us at Compleat Angler and we can help you with some numbers.

There have been some big schools of salmon inside and around the bay, with sizes up to 3-4kg, as well as a lot of smaller ones. These guys are so much fun to throw lures at on light gear.

We have seen some good whiting in numbers around

the bay to the North Shore area with the odd big flathead mixed in. The better numbers and sizes of flathead have been around the Cape Nelson to Bridgewater Bay area.

Some nice makos have been found around the same area, and some have reached the 100kg mark. The Lee Breakwater over the past few weeks has been hot and cold, one moment we’ve had big schools of salmon around and the odd kingfish under them alongside the odd thresher shark and schoolies, and other days it slows right down.

The North Shore has fired up on the beaches with school and gummy sharks, mulloway, snapper and the odd elephant fish. The Fitzroy and Surry rivers are also great spots for bream, mullet, salmon, mulloway and perch in the Fitzroy.

These rivers are great spots

for families to sit back and relax. This month should certainly see the tuna and albacore in full swing and it will be interesting to see what comes this season. I’m sure everyone is on edge to see if the barrels will be in good numbers like last year.

We should also see good numbers of deep bottom fish like blue eye and ling as the guys certainly do more bottom drops these days if the tuna go off or they catch their bags quickly. We should see all the bay regulars throughout May including whiting, flathead, and pinkies.

Remember, for all you bait and tackle needs look no further than Portland Compleat Angler – you can contact us on (03) 5521 1844 for all your fishing and weather reports.

Fishing licences, regulation books and length stickers are also available in store.

Happy fishing!

Just one of the very nice makos caught around the Cape Nelson lighthouse area.

This fish went just under 100kg.

Prepare yourself for some big mulloway fun!

WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

May can be a fantastic month to fish locally, with plenty of different options to pursue before the winter

temperatures hit.

The fantastic run of mulloway continues. With the Hopkins still closed, the

Finn Radley with a Hopkins River mulloway.

Hugo Ullrich North, 4-years-old, is absolutely stoked with his first ever catch – a lovely little rainbow trout. Well done, Hugo!

16

MAY 2016

fish haven’t gone anywhere; the good thing is that most of the fish landed are all over the legal 60cm size limit. But it’s not just the 60-68cm fish turning up, but also some bigger fish in the 80-90cm range, as well as plenty of stories of bigger fish lost.

Although certainly not shooting fish in a barrel, there are enough fish getting caught to make any excursion after mulloway hold a certain degree of anticipation.

Mulloway are responding to a wide variety of methods, from slow trolled live baits, to anchoring and berleying with cut baits such as mullet and pilchards, to incidental lure fishing captures when bream fishing. The action hasn’t been restricted to the Hopkins with some quality fish also taken from the Curdies River. It was here Shane Handley, fishing with Declan Betts, caught a magnificent 95cm mulloway on a bent minnow surface lure, a super impressive capture. A high change of tide in the Moyne River might also be worth a look for a mulloway as last May a few fish were present in the river.

May might see things get cool and wet enough for trout to start moving. After a very quiet season last year with low water flows, keen trout anglers will be hoping for an improvement in conditions this winter. The Killarney/Port Fairy area has produced some good bags of whiting for some time. These fish provide a good option in early May but usually thin down in numbers by the end of the month.

These days expect to come across schools

of southern bluefin tuna offshore of the South West Coast. Fish can be encountered in good numbers in the traditional deeper shelf areas but have also pushed into the 40-60m of water as well. Given the amount of school-sized fish already around, it should be well and truly on by May. Of course there is always the great unknown of where

the big barrel-size tuna will turn up.

The Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic was once again a fantastic event with the largest shark, a 161kg mako caught

by Kevin McLouglin.

A 29kg model by Tim Goodall was the largest tuna and a 1.1m kingfish

by James Taylor the longest scale fish.

May is a great time to search for tuna locally.

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17

Trout fire up in the local rivers APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

There has been a noticeable change in weather patterns this month, with offshore westerly wind systems dominating the coast, which makes for better boating conditions. This month should see the winter systems kick into gear and hopefully create favourable conditions for chasing offshore species

such as bluefin tuna.

There are large amounts of bait holding off the entire coastline, and everything looks in place for a bumper bluefin season. I know I’ll be out there searching in the coming weeks, and with reports of fish just down the coast I’m sure May will produce the goods once again.

Gummy sharks and snapper continually show up for the anglers who fish over reef patches in 40m+ of water off Cape Otway.

Fresh cut fish baits or squid have done the damage, but by far the most important thing to look out for is the slack water period of the tide. Anglers who concentrate their efforts around the tide changes have found that the fish really fire up when the tidal flow is at its slowest. Once slack water has past and the tide starts running hard try moving your boat out over the sand flats and drifting around in search of flathead.

Use the same baits and rig

Jarvis Kent has been out catching trout with his dad in the Barham River at Apollo Bay.

(paternoster) as you do for snapper and gummies and you should have no trouble putting some big specimens in your boat. King George whiting are still taken from the inshore reefs such as The Waterfall and Bumbry Reef. Pipis fished on a running sinker rig is all that is needed to hook into a feed of these tasty critters.

The local rivers are very low with only minimum flow, so hopefully the change in weather brings some much-needed rain with it. I have caught some nice brown trout from the local coastal streams on dry flies but as soon as the rain comes it will be time to start using soft plastic lures.

The trout will be hungry as they feed up in preparation for the annual spawn run.

It’s time to make the most of the trout fishing as the season closes next month.

Black bream have been caught from the Aire River estuary when the mouth is open to the sea. The fish have been very aggressive and take a wide variety of lures and baits. It is great fun catching lots of fish, but when they are on the chew make sure you remember your bag and size limits.

Bream are slow growing and large specimens can be over 20 years-old so catch and release is advised.

The trout fishing in May each year is excellent as the fish feed up in preparation for the annual spawn run.

Curdies River bream in top fighting condition COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Rain has been absent, but the fishing in the estuaries and offshore has been superb.

Water levels have dropped considerably in the Curdies River and lake estuary system, which has affected the depth of the lake to the point where only kayaks can venture out to much of the water.

These conditions have concentrated the bream close to the river mouth where the depth remains a constant as opposed to their regular autumnal habit to congregate in the lake in search of their favourite food, ‘greyback’ (which is what we call the local whitebait).

It’s here that I, and a few others have concentrated our efforts to cast an array of soft plastics, metal vibes and shallow to medium diving hardbodies.

Recently I have had great success with bream to 39cm on Fish Arrow 3” Flash J Huddles mostly in pro/blue silver, which 18

MAY 2016

seems to imitate the local greyback minnows. On the occasion this hasn’t worked I have swapped to Damiki 3” Armor Shads in moebi.

Many bait anglers working the river mouth back upstream to The Lodge and Baileys Straits have reported using a creel net hanging over the side with at least a legal bream or two inside. Frozen prawn, packet glassies, locally netted shrimp and freshly caught juvenile salmon filleted have netted quite a few fish for the bait brigade.

Parks Victoria manually opened the Gellibrand River at Princetown under directions from the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority on 12 March. Despite their best efforts, much of the surface (more oxygenated) water ran out to sea causing a minor fish kill (yet again).

The fish carcasses were collected by local water watch volunteers and were mostly small mullet and salmon. Does that mean that the previous kill took out most of the bream

and estuary perch – or have they just been lucky this time?

I hope to have ventured down to the ‘Gelli’ soon, now that I can get my boat under the bridge and head upstream in search of bream and perch. I will report my efforts in the next issue.

The offshore scene continues to motor on nicely with boaters concentrating most of their efforts out in 40-50m depth. That can mean an average of 8km offshore down our way. Bottom bouncing has seen a plethora of species come aboard, including sizeable school shark to 18kg. On top of that, pinkie snapper to 40cm, blue morwong, sand flathead and the odd nannygai.

Closer to the surface, large schools of Australian salmon have kept anglers busy when the yellowtail kingfish and southern bluefin tuna aren’t on the chew. Big baits floated out the back are attracting interest from mako sharks up to 70kg with quality squid being the overall top bait.

A 37cm Curdies bream. The Damiki Armor Shad saved the day when other offerings were rejected.

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Get stuck into plenty of action GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

Remember last May, when anglers were catching 100kg+ southern bluefin tuna out off the Surf Coast? I hope everyone has spent their kids’ education fees or inheritance on some game fishing gear in anticipation of the same this season! Early signs are good out west, so let’s hope they make another appearance for us!

May is traditionally a great month for King George whiting around the Bellarine and Surf Coast.

We could definitely be in for a whiting bonanza!

We’ve also had a bit of a pinkie-fest inside Corio Bay. There has been plenty of bait stealing undersized

fish, but enough from legal length to 45cm with a few around the 5kg mark as well. The larger fish were caught on pilchards and fresh squid over near Point Wilson and in 20m of water off St Leonards after dark.

Australian salmon have been smashing baitfish on the surface along the Geelong waterfront. They have been spotted from the promenade to St Helens and can be caught from St Helens rock wall, Cunningham Pier, the waterfront break wall and near the Yacht Club by land-based fishers casting lures or using pilchard pieces for bait. They are not trophy sized at 30-40cm, but are fantastic fun.

Ross Winstanley has been getting stuck into the whiting inside Corio Bay and returning with a few mixed bags. Ross varies

his depth and by fishing as shallow as 1.8m he has caught himself a bag limit of whiting on pipis and squid (keeping only those fish over 30cm). By-catch has been good too and includes rock and blue spot flathead along with a few pinkie snapper.

Matt Wakefield has been enjoying his new boat with his fiancée Ally Martin, fishing inside Corio Bay and catching plenty of flathead including Matt’s first fish using a soft plastic lure. Matt and Ally caught most of their fish drifting near the Promenade using bluebait and squid for bait.

I took my son Max out in Corio Bay where we fished with Dean McDonald and his two sons, Hunter and Harvey. We trolled for salmon without luck and ended up soaking some baits out off Leopold where

Ross has been getting great mixed bags in Stingaree Bay.

the kids caught a few pinkie snapper and flathead. Max ended up with the biggest – a 35cm pinkie.

My work colleague Andreas Rohringer fished from Rippleside Park where he caught a pinkie snapper on pilchards within ten minutes of setting up. Andreas noted that pipis, squid and chickens only seemed to attract tiny pickers.

More work buddies Adam Jordan and Byron Sharrock both fished out off Clifton Springs where they found the squid very keen on the incoming tide.

At one stage, Adam had groups of squid cashing his jig in. They ended up with a dozen in the boat while Byron caught eight small salmon fishing from his boat.

Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head says the squid are firing on the Bellarine Peninsula at the moment. Rod suggests that the best spots have been Governor Reef, Prince George Bank and Grassy Point. The run of King George whiting around the Bellarine has been up and down but if you put the time in, you’ll get the fish.

Rod notes that dawn and dusk have been best on either tide and that St Leonards has been good as well as Steels Rocks near Portarlington for whiting. Pinkie snapper have shown up in the region, and Rod has had a few customers get stuck into them right on the turn of the high tide out off Indented Head.

Most fish have been from sub legal to 35cm, but well worth it all the same.

Craig Rippon from Apollo Bay fished out off Indented Head over Easter where he found bag limit captures of whiting and excellent squid numbers each day of his holiday!

Mick Allardyce from

Max with 35cm of Corio Bay fury.

Anglesea has hosted fishing sessions for Anglesea Primary School kids in the Anglesea River over the last few weeks. The kids have been having a ball catching and releasing small bream and the odd small salmon using bait.

PAINKALAC RESERVOIR Barwon Water plan to open up Painkalac Reservoir for public access later this year. The dam is currently the primary water supply for Aireys Inlet and surrounds but needs expensive upgrades to the water treatment plant.

A pipeline from Anglesea will connect Aireys Inlet to Anglesea’s water in late 2016. The dam will be opened to the public for walking, riding, bird watching and recreational fishing.

I had a reader send in an

email last month concerned about the amount of rubbish he was picking up from the stretch of beach from Aireys Inlet to Eastern View. He is also a keen fisher and is very careful to pick up any rubbish he sees lying about. What I find disgusting is how people can carry bait, beer or chips to the beach full but cannot carry it out empty? This is one of the most beautiful stretches of beach we have on the Surf Coast so please take your rubbish home – wherever you go.

WHAT TO EXPECT I fished Moggs Creek Beach with a few mates hoping for a salmon or three last month but lucked out. We tossed everything at them including fresh bait and an armoury of lures but doughnutted. There were some fantastic gutters here running parallel to the beach,

Anglesea Primary kids have been having a ball in the Anglesea River with Mick.

20

MAY 2016

which could be good after dark on a low tide.

Throughout May, expect Wurdi Buloc Reservoir trout to get excited.

Michael Evans has caught a couple of rippers on soft plastics and metal spoons already. Mudeye suspended under a bubble float when there is a light easterly is a winner for this lake or cast lures until your arms fall off. The Surf Coast can have an excellent run of big whiting at this time of year. Try the mouth of the Barwon on the run-out tide and those shallow reef areas off Ocean Grove for XXL KGW. There will be a new moon on 7 April and a full moon on 22 April. Both dates will have excellent tides for mulloway hunting in the Barwon. Fresh squid, a warm thermos and a beanie will give you the best chance.

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

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

FISHING FILL-ITS

Torquay Reef named in honour of Trevor Buck

Ally shows off a double header of Corio Bay flatties.

The recreational fishing reef off Torquay will be named after keen angler and advocate Trevor Buck, who passed away unexpectedly recently.

Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said Trevor had been a board member with VRFish, the representative body for recreational angling in the state, for close to 10 years and had tirelessly stood up for anglers’ interests and the aquatic environment.

“To honour Trevor’s legacy and everything he did for fishing, the recreational reef off Torquay will be named Rev’s Reef,” said Mr Dowling.

“Rev was his nickname amongst fishing friends, of which there were many, both in angling club circles and the broader fishing industry.

“A plaque will be attached to a submerged concrete reef module, which sits about 3 kilometres offshore in 25 metres of water, between

Breamlea and Torquay.

Mr Dowling said naming the reef after Trevor was appropriate because he was passionate about fish habitat and had worked on projects across the state including the Gippsland Lakes, Corner Inlet and the Tarwin River, near Inverloch.

“Trevor had negotiated hard with the Commonwealth for continued recreational

fishing access to mako sharks, campaigned to restore Long Jetty at Port Welshpool and was very active with Blue Wedges during channel deepening in Port Phillip Bay. “The recreational fishing community owes Trevor a great debt and naming Rev’s Reef will be a legacy in memory of him for years to come.” – DEDJTR

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21

Junior City Fishing

Pinkies school up at St. Kilda MELBOURNE

Jason Tanti

I am a member of the Preston Northcote Angling Club, which hosted a competition in the Maribyrnong River. The Maribyrnong Master was open to entries from fishing clubs from the wider area – as soon as I heard about this competition I didn’t think twice about entering.

THE COMPETITION With the Maribyrnong River very close to the Yarra River (which I fish regularly), I knew what to expect fishing-wise. I entered the competition

with a few mates who were both very keen. The day came and we hit the water (land-based) at 5:30am with the sun slowly rising.

I figured as the weigh-in was just after lunch I had one prime time opportunity, as after the sun got to its highest, the fishing would become harder.

We used ultra-light/ finesse rods with 4lb leader and started walking the banks with soft plastics.

I noticed a lot of smaller fish in the shallows feeding, which was a good sign. I found an overhanging tree that formed quite a large shadow onto the water. I knew fish would be sitting

Pinkies are schooling fish; so where there’s one there will be more!

under there, either using the tree as a form of protection or somewhere to feed. First cast – bang, I was on! This fight resulted in a beautiful 34cm bream. Shortly after, my mates and I managed a few more legal bream and before we knew it was time for the weigh-in.

Although my club wasn’t victorious overall, I was very happy to come first in the junior category.

What I learnt from fishing in the Maribyrnong River was that first light is the best time to get the bream, that you should fish areas with shadow/cover that can hold good numbers of fish, and to use light gear such as 4-6lb fluorocarbon leader with an ultra-light rod and reel as bream spook very easily.

SPECIES WRAP UP St Kilda Beach/Pier continues to impress me with outstanding numbers of pinkies and flathead. The size of the fish has been impressive. We have pulled pinkies up to 52cm and flathead that ranged between the 40-50cm mark. This is an awesome size to take home for a feed! Use soft plastics on low tide and your chances of hooking up is likely.

Flathead are an ambush

species and any form of drop-off is key, simply because they will sit at the bottom of the shelf and wait for baitfish to swim over.

The same goes for pinkies – you should be able find a few pinkies where you catch flatties. Where you catch one you should be able to pick up a few more as they are a schooling fish.

Albert Park Lake has slowed down as the water temperature declines. This has affected the golden perch, which have become less active and harder to catch. You will still catch them, although a lot of time and persistence is necessary.

My favourite lure to target perch in the lake is an Ecogear ZX40.

I had the opportunity to go camping for a few nights at Bemm River, which was heaps of fun! We caught good numbers of bream in the lake and Australian salmon off the surf. A highlight of the trip was catching a 68cm mullet on a lure. The fight on them is awesome. I fought this fish for at least 15 minutes, and even then it kept peeling line. Overall, I’ve had a great month of fishing and I look forward to what’s in store next month.

This gorgeous mullet was 68cm long and fought like a steam train!

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23

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PORT PHILLIP WEST

Brenton Hodges blhodgey@hotmail.com

As temperatures gradually decline both above and below the surface, one would expect the fishing

to also be on the slide, but that certainly isn’t the case across the western shores of Port Phillip.

Brad Hodges gingerly applies the brakes to a super-charged bream among the yacht moorings at Limeburners Lagoon. The lead up to high tide, followed by the first two hours of the run-out offer the best chance of striking these fish in feeding mode.

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Indeed, the inner reefs are alive with action in the form of King George whiting, pinkie snapper and Australian salmon.

The local rivers are a hot topic, with some serious southern black bream and school mulloway on offer in each of the major tributaries.

AVALON TO POINT COOK It’s not only the rivers that produce bream. They can also be found schooling tightly among the jetty pylons within Corio Bay. These fish are most likely residents of the nearby Hovells Creeek, where the entrance, also known as Limeburners or Grammar School Lagoon, holds some solid specimens. Lightly weighted wriggly- tail soft plastics, such as grubs or worm imitations, are a good option for those fishing on the drift from a small tinnie or pedal powered kayak. Likewise, twitching a shallow running bibbed minnow along the yacht moorings should bring a few undone. Scale back the breaking strain of your leader material to 3-4lb fluorocarbon to increase your chances, particularly when the water is at its clearest on the top of the tide.

Over at Point Wilson, there’s a real mixed bag on offer in the shallows.

King George whiting are the primary target species in this area and the stretch from Point Wilson pier through to Kirks Point offers up some impressive bags. Just prior to setting off to Portland for a stint on the bluefin tuna, Jason Farrugia of Magnet Fishing Charters mentioned he regularly boated whiting to 45cm for his clients.

Areas of shallow reef are expected to turn up plenty of pinkie snapper action this month.

These fish have responded well to baits of pipi and tenderised squid strips in 2-5m of water, alongside some hefty flathead. Those fishing on the drift with soft plastics are also picking up some great eating-size flathead, as well as pinkie snapper to 55cm in among numbers of juveniles.

To top it off, Australian salmon have been popping up regularly, chewing their way through the abundant bait congregating in this area. Soft plastics and small metal lures cranked at high speed close to the surface generally results in a hook up when the sambos

are on the job. Working the mobile berley trail, created by a marauding school of salmon, can also produce a bonus snapper or any number of scavenger species mopping up the scraps below.

Speaking of snapper, Michael Felsovary from Hooked on Bait & Tackle says the 12-14m line straight out from Werrribee South is well worth a look. Likewise, the outer anchorage at Point Cook has been productive with late season reds to 3kg, along with the odd larger specimen, responding well to pilchards and sauries.

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Melbourne’s resident bream are active along the rocky margins and respond well to small diving minnows and worm or grub pattern soft plastics, such as this Gulp 3” Nemesis.

ALTONA TO WILLIAMSTOWN Areas of shallow reef from Millers Road at Altona through to Point Gellibrand are expected to turn up plenty of pinkie snapper action this month.

Fishing on the drift with soft plastics is a great way to cover ground relatively quickly. When you come across a fish or two, create a waypoint on the GPS and come back to fish it later.

Once you’ve put in a number of sessions, you’ll soon start to piece together a pattern.

METROPOLITAN RIVERS Bream and pinkie snapper should be on the go among the Williamstown yacht moorings at the entrance to the Yarra River this month. Small diving minnows and worm pattern soft plastics often bring these fish undone. Live crab cast among the jetty

pylons is also a good option for the land-based crew.

Further upriver, pitching crab imitations and small vibe style lures at the bridge pylons either side of high water should see the hot bream bite continue this month. Similar action can be expected on the Maribyrnong River, where the resident bream are still active on the rocky edges and responding well to small diving minnows and

The hot edge bite in the metropolitan rivers is likely to continue through early May, before gradually tapering off with the onset of cooler weather in the lead up to winter.

We should start to see a few more school mulloway in the metropolitan rivers this month.

worm or grub pattern soft plastics.

Finally, we should start to see a few more school mulloway through May. For anyone hoping to snare their first on a lure, it’s hard to go past a well rigged soft plastic, be it a paddle-tail or worm imitation. As the season progresses, small metal vibes also account for a slice of the action. Most mulloway react to a lure or

plastic within the initial stages of the retrieve, either as the offering descends immediately after casting or within the first few hops up off the bottom. Hits are generally quite distinctive and can be recognised by a solid tick or bump that transfers through the rod tip as the lure is inhaled. Therefore, it is important to maintain a slight bow in the line

as the lure descends – both after casting and in between imparting action on the lure. Anytime the line flicks or twitches strike firmly to set the hook and keep the pressure on at all times. Mulloway are experts at expelling hooks!

BEEN FISHING? Reports and images are most welcome and may be submitted via email to blhodgey@hotmail.com.

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Whiting or snapper? Why not have both species PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Every year around Easter, someone turns the big switch and like magic, the mornings and nights are cooler and a chill creeps into the air.

This shift in the seasons is advantageous to the fishing. The shift in air and water temperatures is a real catalyst for activity on the bay and spurs many of the yearly seasonal cycles into action.

We have become accustomed to an enjoyable late season run of snapper, particularly in the south of the bay at this time of year.

However, I have received only a few reports of snapper

coming from some of the wider marks closer to the main shipping channel. No doubt these fewer reports are a direct result of other fishing options elsewhere in the bay and further afield. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining; the fishing options on offer are spectacular!

For those diehards who want to tangle with a few reds as we move towards winter, I suggest you break out the light tackle and try some lures or soft plastics, especially further north in the bay. Trolling these areas can also be very effective. Baitfishers should stick to the wide expanses of mud flats and open grazing areas on the eastern and western side of the shipping channel,

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Mixed bags of whiting and squid have been a feature for many bay anglers over the past month. especially south of Mount Martha to Dromana. Be prepared to work for your fish; but the rewards will be worth it. The snapper caught out wide at this time of year are generally bigger, in top condition, and fight well. Not a bad reason to put in a few hours!

The main reason for the lack of late season snapper reports has definitely been the numbers of whiting on offer right through the bay, both for the land-based and boat anglers. While the bigger models have been firing down south, we have certainly had our fair share of action locally as well. I

have enjoyed some ripper land-based sessions as well, right on my doorstep at various spots around Mount Martha. I’ve heard good land-based reports from Mount Eliza, Frankston and Anthonys Nose at McCrae.

Fresh bait is the key to success, as well as fishing the high tide well into the night.

Boaties have been having success in similar areas, but have the luxury of being able to move with the schools, target the fish in deeper water, and not necessarily fishing at night.

Wooleys Reef, Pelican Point, Sunnyside, Mills Beach and the Mussel Farm have all been producing some nice

whiting, especially early and late in the day.

Squid numbers have really thickened up over the past month, and this will continue as we move further towards winter, as it did last year. Most of the popular inshore reef areas have been fishing off their heads as well as the piers and rocks as well. The best thing is that many of these areas can be effectively fished for both whiting and squid, which can produce some very tasty mixed bags.

Not before time, I can hear you say, but the gars have shown up in big numbers over the past month as well. Whether

you chase them for bait or for the table, the humble garfish is a popular target species that will willingly take small lures and flies as well, when they are in the mood. As always, a steady berley trail is key, as well as good quality bait and sharp hooks. Seaford and Frankston piers have both fished well, as well as wider out from Olivers Hill and Mornington for the boat anglers.

And with all this bread and butter action going on, it’s no surprise that the predators haven’t strayed too far either. Big numbers of salmon have been hunting the gars and other baitfish right along the eastern seaboard, and although most recent reports have come from the heads, I am still hearing about the odd kingfish as well. The kings hung around for a while last season, so let’s hope they do the same this year! The salmon will keep going right through winter, and can be great fun and easy to spot during those calm, cool days of autumn.

The bream fishing right through the bay has picked up, but a good dose of rain will do the world of good to flush out the system and change the menu up a bit. Much like the rivers in the north of the bay, the Patterson River is fishing well in the canals and river for lure anglers and baitfishers as well. Some nice estuary perch have been reported by some dedicated anglers fishing lures at night.

And while we are on EP’s, Devil Bend Reservoir fished very well for perch earlier this season, and will continue to be a great fishery, as the stocked fish grow bigger. Other recent stocking in local areas is very encouraging and will produce some good fishing for EP’s in the years to come.

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Squid numbers have really improved over the past month, especially on the inshore reefs. This 1kg+ model was taken land-based in Mornington recently.

The nets are coming out of the bay 33 of 43 licence holders have accepted the compensation package to exit the Port Phillip Bay net fishery in April 2016.

These 33 licence holders have caught 87 per cent of the commercial catch of fish targeted by recreational anglers.

The departure of these 33 delivers nearly all of the expected benefits for recreational anglers well ahead of the original eight year time frame.

Eight licence holders have elected to stay in the fishery using non-net methods beyond 2022. Until that time they will continue to fish using existing gear including nets, under strict new catch limits.

Two licence holders have not accepted the compensation package in year one, but will be subject to catch limits.

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MAY 2016

27

Squid flock to the Bay PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

Cooler winter weather brings with it the squid and pinkie season, and anglers are now getting out on the water and getting into plenty of good-eating fish.

The other great thing about the coming months, is that the land-based fishing options in this part of the world really start to come into their own, in fact many anglers who have boats tend to find themselves heading to a rocky bit of shoreline to cast a squid jig around for some calamari late in the afternoon on their way home from work.

MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK With the water cooling down, it’s now getting to that time of the year when the creek starts to really fire with big schools of mullet.

The best way to catch them is with a fine float carefully balanced with a split shot.

Use small hooks in size 8-10 and bait with tiny pieces of peeled prawn, dough or bits of chicken. From there you will also need a fine berley of mashed bread or

28

MAY 2016

a fine bran and pollard style powder mixed with tuna oil.

On the pier itself, the mullet will often be out, keep in mind that fishing with the same method could also see you catch good numbers of garfish, which have started turning up in good numbers over the past weeks. Late in the evening pinkies have been caught on baits of half pilchards or small squid strips – this will only get better in the coming weeks and months.

Out on the boats, anglers are getting into good numbers of pinkies and squid at locations such as the Parkdale Pinnacles and up towards Rickets Point.

This month will see the return of those solid blue spot flathead that move into Beaumaris Bay. Either drift with a small paternoster rig baited with whitebait, or with small soft plastics bounced along the bottom. The Zman 3” Minnow in motor oil and bad shad patterns has worked particularly well.

I’m unsure as to what makes the flathead come to this area at this time of the year but there are some great fish on offer and often in reasonable numbers. I would just ask that anglers show

some restraint and not keep too many of the bigger fish, to ensure there are plenty more for the future.

Beaumaris Pier has had a few squid caught off it each evening but it should really fire up this month as the water temperatures drop quickly.

From Ricketts Point to Black Rock it’s now definitely pinkie season with any reasonable evening seeing a bunch of boats fishing the edge of the reef through here, and if the past weeks are anything to go by, then this month should be great with good numbers of 30-35cm fish on offer and some anglers reporting that they have found fair numbers of fish around 45cm on bigger baits or 5-6” plastics.

SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA In this part of the world there are plenty of landbased options at this time of the year, everywhere from Sandringham Breakwall to the Hampton rock groynes and up off Brighton Breakwall are all top locations to set you up for some solid landbased pinkies.

One of my favourite places is the end of the Sandringham Breakwall, as

Mia Rayner with a quality autumn pinkie. it drops into relatively deep water and on a southerly blow the waves push everything around the end of the point and the pinkies tend to gather. It’s also a perfect time to fish for calamari on the rough ground that runs all along this part of the bay, as they are currently in good numbers. This will only get better as they increase in size over the coming weeks. A good tip in this area is to fish with larger, lightly weighted jigs such as the Evergreen 3.5XS – it’s a 3.5 sized jig but only weighs 15g so sinks super slowly so you can fish it easily in even just 1m of water. It’s also one of the best jigs I’ve ever used as a drifting jig out the back of the boat. As for colours, try brown and gold patterns or clear prawn colours during the day and dark red patterns during low light periods.

Up at Brighton, either off the breakwall or out in the boats, the shallow reef areas have come into their own on the pinkies with some solid fish to over 2kg taken over the past weeks, while on the inside of the breakwall a few anglers have found good success on trevally when they berley with a fine bran style or just mashed up pilchards, then cast unweighted pilchard fillets or whitebait out and allow it to slowly sink through the water column.

As you move further north this month, you will see the local red mullet population become very active, and the shallow reefs from Brighton through to North Road area are excellent places to chase them. It’s also worth establishing a good fine berley trail, as there

should be good numbers of garfish in the area also.

ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE Now is the time to start looking for bream as they become quite active in this part of the bay in May. The prime areas to look are along the breakwalls, as the bream will patrol the edges where the rock meets the sand.

Work these areas with small plastics or Cranka Crabs.

The other option is to berley with mashed pilchards or crushed up mussel shell and use unweighted mussel

as bait. This can also be done around the moored boats, where the bream love to hang around.

Out in the boats, the extensive cunjevoi beds in the area will provide anglers with some big pinkies and even late season snapper for those anglers willing to fish into the evenings. If the water stays clean there should also be some good numbers of garfish available over the coming weeks and months for both boat and land-based anglers fishing off Lagoon and Kerford Rd piers.

Now we’re getting into serious squid season with plenty of calamari of this size on offer.

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Whiting healthy and willing post-net removal MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Dan Lee info@peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

For many local anglers May signals the start of the winter surf fishing scene.

However, looking at the fish caught over the last four weeks you’d be forgiven for thinking we were still in the middle of summer. We have seen big schools of rat kings, along with bumper whiting fishing and plenty of squid to boot!

KINGFISH It’s been a different season this year to the last couple of years. Live bait has been harder to come by, which has led more anglers to use jigs as their main technique to target this revered species. In my eyes this has been one of the reasons we have seen more rat size kings taken – bigger fish are often more partial to a well-presented livie.

Over the last few weeks we saw some big schools of kings, with some lucky boats catching double figures while fishing around the Port Phillip heads and the wrecks offshore. On more than one occasion boats fishing offshore with a berley trail running attempting to catch livies, had a full school of rats come into the trail and starting busting up their

sabiki rigs. As you could imagine, general mayhem followed but most of the time a few kings were put in the boat as well.

WHITING

Southern Sport and Game Fishing charters have produced good bags while fishing outside the heads including nice fish like this nannygai.

I am going to go as far as to say that this has been an excellent whiting season. With many of the

A resident of southern Port Phillip Bay – a stargazer caught by Southern Sport.

30

MAY 2016

commercial nets removed from the bay as of 1 April, let’s hope it’s a whiting season that continues!

Through autumn we have seen some sensational

whiting fishing along the peninsula. The good news is that the fish have been spread far and wide – anglers from Safety Beach to Portsea have found good schools on their little patch.

Size has been good too, with most of the King George bigger than 36cm and regularly up to the mid 40s. Fish have been taken on a range of baits but one we have found popular this year, although on the pricey side, are the Gotcha red devil worms. With that said, pipis, mussels and fresh caught squid have produced fish.

AUSTRALIAN SALMON Surf season is salmon season down here and it’s good to see we have had some good size salmon already caught. Going back as far as Easter we saw fish in the 3kg range caught on blue bait from Gunnamatta Back Beach and at St Andrews Beach.

I have talked about it a lot over the last few years but if you have not tried spinning lures for salmon then you should! We now sell far more 9ft graphite surf spin rods than we do traditional 12ft rods. This is simply for the effectiveness of surf spinning for salmon – they are suckers for fast moving metals. The only downside of surf spinning is the fact that you probably cut out some of the by-catch as you are not that likely to catch a flathead for instance once you start spinning metals.

If you are new to fishing for salmon down here, then try to look for days where there is a light northerly wind blowing and the swell is down. Thankfully, we get quite a few of these days, so just keep an eye on the weather sites and pick your day – it’ll make the experience much more pleasant.

OFFSHORE True to seasonal form, we’ve had some nice clear days with small seas and no wind over the last month.

This has made for some very nice offshore fishing. Having already mentioned the

Cap’n Baz with one of the many rat kingfish taken over the last month.

Hopefully this is the start of many productive years of whiting fishing after many of the commercial nets were removed in the last month!

kingfish, other species that have been caught include gummy shark, tiger flathead and nannygai. My friend Baz Gorman at Southern Sport and Game Fishing Charters has run successful offshore trips all month with plenty of anglers coming home with a quality mixed bag of reef fish – Bass Strait style.

LOOKING AHEAD We are heading into the coolest, quietest period of the year now and it is not always pleasant to fish. My theory is keep it simple. Back beach fishing is great but also a short spell in the boat to get a feed of squid can be done pretty quickly and efficiently.

It’s a good time of year to get out, get your fishing fix, catch a few for the table and head back indoors to sit in front of the heater!

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

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MAY 2016

31

Big gummy sharks give us a run for our money WESTERN PORT NTH

Adam Ring

Summer is well and truly behind us now, it’s dark early and the warmth is disappearing, but that has certainly not put the fish off! The last month has seen some really great and consistent whiting action and the gummy shark fishing has been nothing

short of phenomenal!

THE TOP END The top end of the Port has been gummy shark heaven and the fish are well above average size. Jason Vardi left from Warneet Boat Ramp and headed out off the channel and into the top of the north arm. He had a great session on the gummies, ending up with three in total. One was a large model, which left Jason

with not only a nice feed of fresh flake but also one hell of a smile! Frank Grivas also put in a few hours up the top end and boated a whopper of a gummy that tipped the scales at 13kg.

The whiting have fired up in the Tooradin Channel.

Owen Trebilco was fishing a combination of pipi and mussels and left with a healthy bag of 17 whiting between 34-44cm. The Quail

Michael O’Connell and his 8.5kg Lysaughts gummy shark.

Andrew Ketelaar and his stunning 8kg Warneet mulloway.

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Bank has produced a few nice calamari for anglers, which is a great sign as it was been relatively hard work on the bank over the last couple of months. Lucas Davies from the Tooradin Angling Club got a few oversized models throwing 3.0 sized squid jigs. Anything with a red foil is irresistible for these hungry squid!

One of the more exciting reports came from Andrew Ketelaar who was fishing out from Warneet recently.

He was fishing with fresh garfish and was able to tempt a beautiful mulloway that weighed in at 8kg. Everyone that has ever tried to catch the unicorns of Western Port know they’ll have to put in a huge effort as they can be a frustratingly hard fish to catch!

THE NORTH ARM The North Arm of the Port is where the whiting go gangbusters, and a handful of local charter operators have put their clients onto plenty

of some of the greatest eating fish in the world!

Shaun Furtiere of Think Big Charters spends a lot of time on the Middle Spit. Most trips have resulted in plenty of fish for his clients, and Shaun uses a couple of techniques to ensure consistent results.

One of the biggest tricks is Shaun’s willingness to pull anchor and move. If there isn’t whiting in the bait within 15-20 minutes he’s on the move. Stay on the move and attempt to keep up with fish, whiting will move quite quickly to find food, so stay mobile. The other secret to Shaun’s success is fresh bait.

Shaun will use a lot of squid that he has either caught that day, or from earlier that week. The fresh is best theory works for every fish, including whiting.

Lysaughts is generally a location we mostly enjoy in November and December for the snapper season, however, this month produced a nice gummy capture. Michael

O’Connell from the Victorian Police Angling Club got a cracker 8.5kg gummy on a pilchard. Hastings still produces a mixed bag of species. Paul De Lisle and a group of mates aboard Ace Fishing Charters finished a day with 20 odd whiting, a couple of pinkies and a few nice rock flathead, which made for a very tasty meal that night!

The Hastings Pier has seen a sprinkling of squid around at the moment, and local young gun Cooper Ellis caught his first squid ever with a few casts with a Daiwa Nude jig in a natural brown colour. Well done Cooper, a great effort all round!

As we look forward, now is the time to make the most of what’s left of our season. It is going to get cold and possibly a little wet in the coming months but as it stands at the moment the fish do not seem to be slowing down at all, so get among it. Good luck and keep the reports coming!

Middle Spit whiting on board Think Big Charters.

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Tamboon Inlet a must CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

Tamboon Inlet has to be one of my favourite fishing locations in Australia. With the diversity of species this place has to offer and the size of the fish, you will see why Tamboon is a destination both lure and bait anglers consider a must fish location. The Lake or inlet system offers top notch flathead, bream, salmon and tailor to name

a few. You can also snake your way up and enter Cann River and catch a fish up in this pretty system.

PRIME TIME Tamboon Inlet can be fished with great success all year round. Target flathead in the warmer months when the shallow water heats up and the fish become more active, basking in the sun and waiting for an easy meal to swim by.

Bream fishing is exceptional in the winter months when the fish start

The bearded warrior pulled this perch up the river on a bent minnow – this is do or die fishing!

to school up pre-spawn.

Cricket scores of fish can be caught during the time of the year and can make for some top-notch fishing in the lake and river.

THE GEAR Like most estuary fishing, a light 2-4kg graphite spin rod with a 2000 size reel is best to chase bream and flathead. If you choose to target the abundant tailor, then don’t forget to use a wire trace otherwise this can become very expensive in the pocket with the amount of lost lures!

THE RIG A reel spooled up with 6lb braid and a long 4-6lb fluorocarbon leader is ideal to cast lures at bream. You might want to bump it up a little if you fish the snags as light leader doesn’t last long around barnacle encrusted snags and big perch. If specifically targeting flathead, then 8-12lb leaders are a good starting point with a 1/8oz jighead and your favourite plastic tied on the end.

BAIT AND LURES A couple of go-to lures to target flathead in the estuary are squidgy fish, grasshopper and poddy. Poddy are very good replicas of mullet

This thumping bream was caught blading in the area locals call ‘Yellowfin Alley’. and are a proven flathead catcher. Softies for bream work well also – tie on and cast Squidgy Bloodworm Wrigglers in 80mm and 100mm first thing! Fishing blades in the open water and along rock walls is very effective, and one of the easiest ways to catch bream, along with other species that are available in the lake.

BEST METHOD When targeting bream in the winter months a quality sounder is essential. Locate schooled up bream in open

water and cast small blades to the fish to have great success and an enjoyable time on the water.

MOTHER NATURE Dusky flathead rules and regulations have recently changed, so just remember that the size limit for dusky flathead are now 30-55cm with a total possession limit of five fish per angler. Let the bigger fish go to ensure stock levels of fish are maintained and the breeders are left to do their thing. Fish for the future!

HOT TIP It’s important to adjust the drag on your reel to suit the surrounding and environment that you fish. When fishing for bream in snags you want to have the drag locked up to make it easier to pull fish from the timber and not get busted off. Fishing in open water for bream and flathead having the drag backed off is best. You will not pull as many hooks from mouths of fish as you are not required to pull them from timber in a white knuckled affair.

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33

Wouldn’t be dead for squids!

WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Even with winter arriving in just a few weeks, the fishing has been sensational. King George whiting, elephant shark, salmon and silver trevally may become a little challenging to catch as the water temperature drops but gummy sharks, flathead

and calamari are still rife throughout the Port.

May is one of my favourite months to be out on the bay and while the fishing continues to be productive, the air temperatures are dropping and some mornings are freezing.

The Western Entrance still sees schools of salmon hoarding baitfish to the surface. These schools will become fewer over the next

few weeks as the salmon make their way back out into Bass Strait and into the surf zones. This is great for landbased anglers, as winter is the time to be out in the elements fishing the beaches.

In saying that, recent reports from Kilcunda, Cape Woolamai and Anzacs beaches are showing good signs of salmon. The fish caught recently have ranged between 500g-1kg, with the

Calamari are also in abundance through the cooler months, and May is a great time to target them from the shore.

odd larger fish caught in the mix. Yellow eye mullet and silver trevally are a common by-catch and have been in greater numbers. When fishing these beaches, it is imperative to fish a gutter, as this is where the fish have schooled up in numbers.

Berley has been the key as the smell attracts the fish right to the shore breaks.

Almost any bait will do when fishing for salmon, but pipi, blue bait and whitebait are the top three.

By the end of this month, the salmon will have really ramped up and from then on, the surf fishing around the Bass Coast will be in peak season for the duration of winter.

SHARKS Inside the Port, gummy shark fishing has been productive in the Western Entrance as well as around Corinella and Lang Lang.

Fishing the tides, especially the last two hours of the run-out has been the most productive time along the edges of the channels. This is when the fish are swimming off the banks before they become high and dry and into the main channels.

Use a little berley to coax the fish to your immediate

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fishing area when anchored along the edge of one of the channels at this point.

A few anglers have found success fishing the

Western Entrance with some fish in excess of 12kg caught and released. Jono Mason fished the Western Entrance and managed two gummies.

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The largest went 12kg and was released while the other two of around 8kg and 6kg were kept for the table.

Gummy sharks aside, there have also been some big sevengill sharks, one of which was reported to be an estimated 120kg.

Sevengillers might not be classed as a sportfish to some anglers and although their fighting ability isn’t renowned, they are big, put up a fair fight and are a lot of fun for anglers that haven’t caught them before.

Sevengill sharks tend

to be caught as by-catch and throughout the winter months you’ll encounter the majority of them. Keep in mind that if you are going to target them, you don’t need wire leader. Wire leaders will deter gummies if you’re after them too, so it is best to stick with 80lb nylon leader and a Mustad 6/0 or 8/0 Octopus circle hook.

Another pesky critter that anglers soon become sick of is the uninvited swell shark, also known as draughtboard sharks. These bucket mouths are more hard

work than they need to be and though you might see a bite on the end of your rod tip; they sit still and don’t move rather then head off like most other fish.

The only time you know they are there is when you go to check your bait and feel a heavy weight on the hook end. Then, you have to slowly work them to the surface where they open their mouth and let gallons of water fill them up making them much harder to wind in.

BETTER OPTIONS Aside from these tricky

Gummy sharks are best fished for on the last two hours of the run-out tide.

species, the whiting have continued to fish well and should be good for a few more weeks yet. Shaun Furtiere from Think Big Charters is still finding them in good numbers along the Middle Spit, Tortoise Head Bank, Hans Inlet and at Tankerton. Shaun reports that the run-out tide has been the prime time to catch them.

If you’re after larger models fish in deep water ranging from 10-15m.

This month there are still plenty of fishing options, especially for land-based anglers. Elephants might be heading home to their offshore lairs but within the Port, land-based fishing from Stock Yard Point, Lang Lang, Grantville Jetty, Corinella Pier and Settlement Point are producing nice fish on the run-out tides. After the full moon on 21 May, most of the elephants would have left for the year, so if you still want to get into the action, best you do it early this month before they all leave.

Calamari are also in abundance through the cooler months, and May is a great time to target them from the shore. Fishing from the beaches at Ventnor, and Cleeland Bight are the prime spots. To be successful, fish the top of the high tides with a baited jig under a float, and it always pays to cast over

A handful of whiting is always a good time – make that two handfuls! weed beds as this is where the calamari will be found.

If you’re keen on flicking artificial jigs, the Flinders

Pier will be your best bet. It does get crowded here but when the calamari are on, it can be standing room only.

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Fresh bait is the best bait FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

For most of us, the first time we dipped our toes into the world of fishing, it would have been to use a frozen prawn or tiger worm on a hook on holidays. If luck

was on your side, you may have caught something and perhaps the flame to learn more about fishing ignited.

This in every sense of the word is what the term bread and butter fishing means. I have to admit that I had probably forgotten this initial inspiration, until recently when weather

closed the door on one fishing opportunity and opened another.

On a visit to Marlo in East Gippsland, the plan had been to endeavour offshore to fish the local reefs in the hope of catching a gummy shark or two, maybe a few flathead or one of the kingfish that had started turning up in the area. Strong easterly winds put paid to this and other options were required.

Les Heyne from the Marlo Ocean Views caravan park had for many years threatened to take me to fish

hooks, we hit the water. I had questioned Les as to why we hadn’t purchased some of the local sandworm at the tackle store and he assured me we would have no trouble getting our own.

After launching, Wade took us into a shallow area not far from the boat ramp and pulled up in 1-2ft of water. Here he promptly hopped out of the boat and started to use a bait pump to pump the bottom into a bait sieve he had set up to float.

It only took Wade a couple of pumps before he could show

EQUIPMENT 7’- 8’ 2-5kg fishing rod 1000-2500 fishing reel spooled with 8-10lb monofilament line Bait pump Bait sieve Assorted ball sinkers Size #1 bait keeper hooks Fish keeper net

A bait pump, a sieve and bit of local knowledge are all you need to collect fresh bait.

A couple of pumps into a sieve will tell you if you’re looking for bait in the right area.

the feeder drains of Lake Corringle. This sounds simple, but Lake Corringle is extremely shallow (virtually impassable at low tide), so Les set up a Hunter Marine flat bottom punt with a Tohatsu jet motor, which allows you to run the craft in 10-15cm of water. This gets you across the Lake and onto some pretty fishy waters. Les was keen to take me, but hadn’t done the run across the Lake for a while, so he organised his son Wade to show me what proved to be an amazing place.

FRESH BAIT AT YOUR DOORSTEP Although I was keen to put the arsenal of lures I had in my tackle bag to good use, I was assured by Les and Wade that going and getting some fresh local bait to use was one of the keys to success on the Marlo black bream population.

After a quick stop at Snowy River Tackle for a coffee and some Mustad bait keeper

me what we were chasing.

The sieve already had some bass yabbies, sandworm and the gun local bait, soft shell.

Soft shell is a cross between a pipi and a mussel. The mollusc inside the soft black shell is very similar to a pipi, with a large white tongue that is ideal to thread onto a hook. I had never come

Wade with 42cm of quality Snowy River black bream. across these before, but Wade assured me that the bream love them. He said that these three baits are the key baits for the system, with a local black crab also dynamite at certain times of the year.

Wade looks for a sandy muddy bottom to pump bait.

He said the best ground was not muddy to the point that you sink to your knees in it, but not too sandy that you don’t sink in at all. A couple of pumps with a bait pump in an area will tell you

The channels above Lake Corringle are dynamite areas to catch fish.

Soft shell is the gun local bait in the Snowy River system around Marlo.

After 15 minutes we had plenty of bait for a morning of great fishing.

36

MAY 2016

pretty quickly if you’re in the right spot, as we had enough bait in our bucket after 15 minutes of pumping.

LAKE CORRINGLE The trip across Lake Corringle was an experience in itself. The Tohatsu jet motor had no problems getting the Hunter Marine punt on the plane and we were flying across the Lake.

Looking at the horizon, was like any other body of water. Look over the side and it was very obvious

The author enjoyed getting back into some bread and butter fishing.

the water we were in was extremely shallow and there were enough logs and other structure strewn around the place to keep you on your toes. Wade wasn’t giving too much away, but I think he was enjoying my facial expressions.

Once you are across the Lake there are a number of feeder drains that go for miles. They provide the depth change from the Lake that the bream love and it was on one of these depth changes that we sidled the boat against the bank and began fishing. I tried my hand using a few lures, but I quickly changed to a simple running sinker bait rig as Wade (using soft shell for bait) caught a couple of fish in quick time. Even though we were quite a distance

from the main system, tidal influence is an important factor and the fishing slowed as the outgoing tide lost its intensity. Ideally the channels fish better on an incoming tide, and although we caught five fish, the decision was made to head back across the Lake before it became impassable.

Wade’s face was a little more animated on the return trip over the lake, the muddy wake showing that we didn’t want to leave our crossing for too much longer.

SNOWY RIVER FISHING Lake Corringle had been tremendous. We had three bream between 31-34cm in the keeper net and had released a couple more just

legal fish (apparently they were on the small side, but for this Queenslander they were solid fish). There was better to come.

We didn’t go far from Lake Corringle to start our fishing in the Snowy, as we anchored on the current line at the entrance of the Lake.

It wasn’t terribly deep, but there was a visible current line that we targeted with our baits. Wade’s soft shell bait again proved itself as he added a couple more 34cm fish into the keeper bag. I had changed to sandworm and only managed a smaller fish. The wind and lowering tide created havoc for us so we decided to make another move.

The waterways around Marlo and through East Gippsland provide a plethora of opportunities to catch a feed of fish like this.

We tucked in behind one of the islands off to the right when you leave the boat ramp. It provided welcome cover from the easterly wind, and with the tide now slowly coming in, another excellent current line to cast our baits along became visible. This proved to be an inspired move, as within minutes, both our baits were taken by larger fish. My 4lb leader proved to be no match against the structure below, but Wade managed to avoid it and bring a beautiful 42cm bream to the net. Apparently this was the quality of fish Wade was expecting to catch and the fish so far had been on the small side!

We continued to catch fish at this location, with the bait of choice proving to be sandworm. Even though I changed my leader to 10lb, I still managed to get rubbed off a couple more times (these fish really know where the structure is), but I also contributed to the bag of fish with a couple of solid 35cm fish. The fishing then slowed as the current line disappeared, which was most probably a good thing, as we had a nice bag of fish in the keeper net and the lunch bell was calling.

OUTFITS AND RIGS There were a number of differences between Wade and my outfits. Wade was

using a 7’6” 2-3kg Shimano rod and 8lb monofilament line while I was using a Wilson Magnum 7’ 2-4kg rod, 6lb Mustad Thor braid and eventually 10lb leader.

With the vigour in which the bream hit the baits, the stretch in the mono, and the extra length of Wade’s fishing rod helped cushion the initial bite and set the hook. I found with the braid that I had to run a very soft drag to ensure I didn’t pull the hook at the start of the fight. Either way both outfits got a workout and I think the mono would be the way I would go next time.

The rig we used was a simple running sinker set up comprised of a small ball sinker (as small as you can use for the depth and flow of water) to a swivel and then a 2-3ft leader with a size #1 bait keeper hook. A bait keeper style hook is essential because the sandworm and Bass yabbies are quite soft, which makes it a little harder for the pickers to steal your bait.

A few of pieces of advice; firstly, hold onto your rod or have it securely in a rod holder as the bream have a smash and run mentality and it wouldn’t take much for a loose rod to head over the side of the boat.

Secondly, these fish really know where the structure is and take advantage of it, so hold your rod high during the fight to limit their ability

The combination of the Hunter Marine punt and the Tohatsu Jet motor allowed us to fish the waters above Lake Corringle. to cut you off on structure you can’t see. Last but not least, look for current lines and cast your bait along the edges of them. They are like fish highways, bringing the fish to you.

TALK TO THE LOCALS The fishing we had at Marlo is not limited to this system. There are umpteen options throughout Victoria where you could do the same thing. Speak to the local tackle storeowner, talk to the caravan park managers or listen to the conversations in the pub. All are fabulous sources of information.

As far as the Snowy River system is concerned and the area in and around

Marlo, your fishing options are not limited to fishing from a boat either. There are numerous shore-based options where you can get the same results (the jetty at the boat ramp is a very popular option).

You can certainly gather bait with a bait pump all along the foreshore at Marlo to French Narrows and the access via walkways is excellent (Snowy River Tackle also sells fresh bait). I know my kids love gathering bait probably more than they like fishing. As far as fishing spots go, fish where you gather your bait.

If food is there, the fish won’t be far away.

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Keep your eyes on the tide!

INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

As we all know, Anderson Inlet can be a pretty tricky stretch of water with the constantly moving sand bars. Take for instance when a couple of boaters decided to try their luck on what appears to have been the run-out tide at an undisclosed location…

As usual, the sand bars quickly appeared and in no time the boaters were left high and dry – all they could do was wait until

the incoming tide refloated their boat. One of the crew decided to take a movie shot of the predicament and the skipper decided it would be a good time to have an unscheduled lunch, sitting outside the boat and making the best of an unplanned stop. There was no damage, apart from red faces, but a good lesson was learnt. It is not known if they caught any fish but they did learn something and from now on they wouldn’t take their eyes off the run-off tide!

Murray MacDonald who runs the Foster tackle shop says that on the top end of

the inlet there been schools of snapper to 5lb caught and they have also been seen jumping out of the shallow water. One crew also bagged four good-sized gummies that were caught up near the Double Islands.

Amanda Kellar gets out to try her luck whenever the opportunity arises. Recently she wet a line inside the entrance near Screw Creek.

She said that she managed plenty of smaller flathead, which she returned to the water. She did however manage some very nice size frogs that were great for the table and she was happy!

Wonthaggi angler Trevor Bowler with a competition winning 740g whiting caught on a Bass yabby.

At a recent Wonthaggi Angling Club competition, well-known identity Trevor Bowler showed the way and weighed in a very nice whiting that was caught at a secret location on a Bass yabby presentation. It seems that Trevor only caught one fish for the day, but it was heavy enough to win him the senior male section of the competition.

Whiting have been caught from the entrance up as far as Stevies Gutter.

The better quality fish were closer to the entrance, as is usually the case, and were bagged on the usual baits such as Bass yabbies, pipis, and squid. There have also been other species such as couta, mullet, silvers, and salmon caught when conditions have allowed.

Land-based anglers have also done well at Stevies Gutter. There is a drive around Anderson Inlet to the boundary of Point Smyth Reserve and then a fair walk to where you can start to fish.

The idea is to arrive at low water on both sides of the tide where there have been good numbers of flathead, whiting and perch that will take baits such as pipis, squid, and Bass yabbies.

Perch can also be caught on a variety of soft plastic lures.

Up as far as Mahers Landing, whiting seem to make up most bags. They are being caught mainly on baits such as Bass yabbies, pipis and squid. There have been other fish such as mullet, silvers and flathead filling up

Wonthaggi angler Alan Bentick with a winning fish in the veteran category. reasonable bags. The run-in tide seems to be the most productive time, but we all know how fish can change the rules.

Just prior to reports I always like to have a chat to Karen Starrett, who runs the caravan park with husband Rob at nearby Shallow Inlet.

She reports that the whiting have been biting very well.

Every time I make an enquiry in this part of the

world there always seems to be positive reports. As well as whiting there have also been good numbers of flathead, silvers and gummy sharks.

For the benefit of boaters, we all know how that dreaded east wind can be a real turn off, for some reason it doesn’t seem to have that effect at Shallow Inlet. Of course if there is a howler, then all bets are off.

Whiting May surprise you with a late comeback PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

The whiting season is pretty much over for another year and this year it’s been a bit hit and miss. While some fishers managed to find a few hot spots, the majority of anglers had a bit of a lean year.

There were fewer fish around this year but a lot of fishers tend to fish the same spots every year

and if they don’t ‘fire up’ they go home with very little to show for their efforts. A lot of my hot spots weren’t proving fruitful this year so I started prospecting new and old areas and I found one that fished well on the run-in tide and one on the run-out. Over the season, I systematically worked both areas and have done okay.

Next season it could be a whole new ballgame – with whiting, who knows? If they are not where you caught them last year, look around,

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try new spots and you might surprise yourself.

SURF BEACHES Williamsons and Kilcunda beaches have fished well with salmon up to 2kg reported. Whitebait has been the top bait, with fish biting right up to the top of the tide and then moving out beyond the breakers once it starts running off.

SAN REMO AREA Below the Bridge Cleelands Bight still produces some good catches of calamari and a few whiting. While outside the Entrance on the 30-40m line flathead, arrow squid, the odd mako and blue shark have been reported. If you berley a lot and drop some little artificial flies down, there are lots of slimies and yakkas to be caught, which make excellent bait.

Above the Bridge There are still a few whiting about; the better areas have been Reef Island, Bass River, Dickies Bay, Coronet Bay and Tortoise

Head Bank. There have been lots of pinkie snapper in most areas but they are mostly just undersize.

FLINDERS AREA There are still some good catches of calamari reported, the most productive time

has been right on sun up.

Whiting are still a bit hard to locate and snook are starting to show up in better numbers.

David Little with an early morning’s catch on Western Port Bay.

Gummy magic on the Ninety-Mile NINETY MILE BEACH

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

The first cold snap of this long summer happened abruptly; fortunately for us anglers it brought with it some new species. Water

temperature drops are usually associated with tougher fishing, however, the water temperature was so high that this drop just brought the temperature back to a moderate 17°C, which was perfect for typical surf species such as gummy

Shane Wedrowicz caught this nice gummy shark at Golden Beach on a squid bait.

sharks and salmon.

Not only did it bring those species on the chew, we also saw increased numbers of elephant fish all along the Ninety-Mile, some small numbers of trevally, and moderate numbers of tailor mixed in with the salmon.

Golden Beach is a standout beach.

The daytime still produces modest amounts of flathead and they are quality-sized at 45cm. Surf poppers and bluebait have been standouts for flathead and are widespread across the Ninety all the way to Woodside. I imagine their numbers will drop over the next month, but the fact that there are still a few around might suggest they could hang around a little longer. The daytime bite has produced salmon, and some big salmon at that.

These fish have been up to 2.5kg with Golden Beach, Seaspray and Jack Smiths the standout spots. Bluebait and surf poppers again have performed well. Over the next month it will be worth going down to the beach for a spin fish with metal slugs, especially when we get the first winter run of

salmon in May. The May salmon are usually massive and you can get 10lb fish at the Ninety-Mile using metal lures.

The night bite has produced gummies, salmon and tailor. The gummy sharks are going well after 8pm and are caught on squid, salmon fillet and a few on bluebait. They’ve averaged about 1m in length, but there has been the odd better sized gummy shark to 4ft mixed in. The gummy fishers are already catching their fair share of elephant fish, which are wide spread across all the beaches between Golden Beach and Woodside. Squid has by far been the best bait for the elephants – over this coming month, expect the numbers to increase dramatically as March through to June are the biggest runs of elephant fish on the Ninety-Mile beach.

The night bite has also produced many tailor, which is great if you want to catch a shark as tailor make dynamite fresh bait for gummies, schoolies and bronze whalers.

The tailor haven’t been massive by any standard, but expect to get them up

TOP ENDER RANGE

Scott Stevenson caught this cracking gummy off the surf at Golden Beach. Weighing in at over 12kg this gummy was a top fish off the beach. to 40cm long. By-catch so far has included cat sharks mainly and some undersized school sharks and gummies.

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

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Kingies reign supreme GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

I’ve lived next to the Gippsland Lakes for 25 years, and I have to say it’s fishing as good as ever! The bream and flathead have turned up in numbers as expected, along with other fish like tailor, mullet, trevally and pinkie snapper. The prawn run was exceptional this year, and I’ve also got some kingfish stories that have provided some rather unexpected, breathtaking and nasty battles – wins have been rare!

KINGFISH A new fishery is developing in the Gippy Lakes. Over the last few years, kingfish rumours have

surfaced around summer but this year they turned up in big numbers. Most of us found them when ‘large torpedoes’ started following and even attacking the tailor, bream and pinkies we were pulling in. We then started to see big fish smashing surface bait at Kalimna, North Arm, Nungurner and Shaving Point.

A few anglers started hooking the kings on bream lures – but most of us lost those battles quicker than they began! So we all got serious and geared up, tying on bigger lures and even using live bait.

The results have been frustrating, and I’ve learnt these fish are cranky tough customers! On big lures we got a lot of follows to the boat using large soft plastics, and every now and then a hook up. We tried live baits and

Brendan Roworth lands a 67cm Gippsland Lakes kingfish. (Photo courtesy of Justin Dingwall)

boy do they work a treat – for about two seconds. But alas, the four kings Mark Ramsay and I hooked one morning and got close to the boat were all dropped! We got a good look at two of them, and one was at least 80cm. I won’t bore you with the many stories like that from other anglers but we ‘greenhorns’ need help cracking these kingfish!

Other reports have trickled in, and some anglers have had better success with kings between 55-130cm boated.

Brendan Roworth netted a 67cm king in his kayak during a nervous 25-minute battle on a small blade lure using 5lb bream gear. Nice by-catch mate and thanks for the photo! I’m thinking the kings won’t hang around much longer as the water cools off towards winter but I can assure you of this – next time we will be ready and armed because although battles have been lost, we will eventually win the war!

BREAM I recently contacted Tony Pettie from Traralgon. He’s a bream competition guru in both kayaks and boat. It was time we met up so I could milk him for all he knows!

We launched the kayaks at Hollands Landing and fished out into Lake Victoria. I showed him a few tricks I use on the locals with blade lures.

A couple of hours later Tony had released over 15 bream to 46cm with most others at 36-42cm. His son Kyle joined in with at least a dozen fish and he found a new PB bream at 43cm.

Mick Caulfield and his wife Rita from Melbourne turned up in their boat to join us, and I swear they hooked up on every second cast using soft plastics. I didn’t see them catch a single little fish and I reckon Rita out-fished Mick by about two to one! It was a very

Tony Pettie whispers up another stud bream using a Hurricane camo crab blade. hot session and impossible to keep count between all of us, but I know over 50 big bream were landed between 38-46cm. That’s not even counting the smaller bream, tailor or flathead we landed. I showed Tony a few more areas I like to fish, and by the end of the session I discovered he’s a top bloke and a crack bream whisperer!

It has been such a terrific start to the traditional bream season, historically run from early March and well into July.

Plenty of happy anglers have used lure and bait over the last three months to land a pile of bream – most between 34-42cm. Matt White from Stratford is another keen bream angler who has pulled heaps of big fish to 44cm.

His daughter Skye landed a whopping 46cm truck.

Other bream hotspots at the moment include the

Mitchell and Nicholson flats, and the lower sections of those rivers. The Tambo has once again been the exceptional producer with bait anglers lined up along both banks in the lower reaches. Out into the mouth around the snags has yielded very good bream to 42cm on hardbody lures when the wind and water chop gets up. Another place to try is shallow lake areas like Bancroft Bay or even right up to Point Turner to target bream in skinny water with Bent Minnows.

FLATHEAD Right now is prime dusky flathead season and the numbers have been modest but hardly disappointing.

A lot of 40cm fish seem to be around this year and blade lures have once again accounted for most of them.

Flattie hotspots are now the lower river areas, which is

typical for late autumn and early winter. Interestingly, a lot of duskies are still hanging around in the lower lake areas.

While I was live baiting for kingfish I used a fairly big tailor as a live bait on a 3/0 hook and cast out to where I saw a large kingfish smashing the surface on a school of mullet. About 30 seconds later my line tightened up and my rod bent right down on a very heavy fish moving off slowly and not even realising it was hooked.

My mate Mark Ramsay filmed the fight as we prepared to lose yet another battle on the elusive kingies. However this fight, to my total disbelief, I won! I filled the net with a whopper flathead that went 80cm! She was happy to scoff my huge live bait and there was no sign left of that tailor. The moral of the story?

Flatties love big live bait!

Bumper Welshpool whiting WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

Even though the water temperature has cooled, the fishing has been hot and plenty of impressive bags have put smiles on the faces of boaters and land-based anglers alike.

I always check in with Welshpool Boat Storage where there is fresh bait and up to date information.

Squid are still in great numbers and there is no sign of them slowing down and of course these squid will attract numerous other species of fish such as mako sharks, gummies, pointers and school sharks.

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MAY 2016

In the Lewis Channel there have been very good numbers of whiting caught on Bass yabbies, small strips of squid, sandworms and pipis. Nicholas Graham is just six years old and loves to get out with his dad and look for a fish. On a recent trip they headed to one of their favourite spots in the Lewis Channel to try their luck where there were reportedly good numbers of whiting caught up to the 36cm mark. It wasn’t long before the little master was into the fish, and after a battle he landed a very nice whiting. Needless to say he was a very happy young angler and can’t wait to get out there to do it all again.

In the Lewis Channel

there have been a variety of other quality species caught such as silvers, mullet and flathead and they are showing no signs of slowing down.

The Franklin Channel has been very productive and good numbers of flathead and snapper have been caught on the last two hours of the run-in flow and first two hours of the run-out tide.

Out wide around Cliffy Island there have been positive reports of good numbers of gummies, which makes the effort of getting out there worthwhile. Paul Williams decided to try his luck in the area and To page 41

Feeling brave? Take a shot at a bronzie in the surf!

MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

With the rise in water temperature, the baitfish have arrived in big schools from Tamboon, all the way along the coast to Lake Tyres. At last kingfish have arrived in good numbers ranging in size from rats to trucks over a metre in length.

Anglers reported good captures fishing Tamboon and Marlo reefs spinning and skipping with soft plastics or casting big poppers on a fast retrieve.

Other anglers have had good results trolling deep diving lures, or jigging metal lures.

Anglers using a more traditional method of live baits have also managed good captures. Marlo and

Tamboon reefs are not the only place to bag a king, as wherever baitfish break the surface you can be confident the kings will be on the chew. The most unusual report was of a angler bottom bashing just off the point at Cape Conran while fishing for flathead with whole pilchards he got the surprise of his life after putting on a fresh bait. On the drop something grabbed the pilchard and fled; after some time he managed to get the fish close to the boat and to his surprise he had captured a small marlin.

After the adrenalin settled he released the marlin and went back to catching flathead.

The surf beaches are still fishing at a premium, with plenty of salmon and tailor patrolling the coastline in big numbers.

Anglers have had good results on light gear and by spinning with metal lures.

For the angler who prefers to baitfish the results are the same with plenty of salmon, tailor, and flathead on the chew. Gummy shark are still around and anglers have found a few during the day. Fish in the evening using squid legs or fresh fillets of fish for the best results. Some young and adventurous anglers have targeted bronze whalers from the beach with game gear and have had a crazy time landing several good size sharks.

The Snowy and Brodribb rivers estuaries are fishing very well. Prawns are still on the go, bream can be found through the whole system, luderick are schooling on the rock groynes that surround the islands and riverbanks,

From page 40

managed to hook into and land a very nice kingfish on a micro-jig. There have been quite a few similar reports in the same area.

Mixed in with the big fish have been plenty of rats but that is a good sign for future fishing.

The jetties are always worth a look and there have been very good numbers of garfish caught on the run-in tide.

They have with them big squid, flathead, and mullet, and making a trip to the eastern end of the structure will likely be the most productive place.

Wonthaggi anglers Danny Luna and Alan Bentick with competition winning fish.

James Herbert with a great bronze whaler he landed. and mullet seem to be everywhere. Estuary perch are schooling on snags and structures in both rivers,

dusky flathead are prolific on the sand flats that run from the Marlo jetty all the way to Frenchs Narrows,

and salmon and tailor can be found down close to the entrance moving in and out with the tides.

Not far away to the east is the sister town or the other Port known as Port Albert where Rob Killury and his wife Ulla run the local general store.

This is where most visiting boaters call in to get the latest as far as the fishing is concerned.

Rob told me that this is the best season he can remember in a long time, especially as far as whiting have been concerned. He says whiting are in big numbers and although not huge, (up to the 37cm mark) they are worth targeting.

These fish are taking a variety of baits including

Bass yabbies, squid strips, pipis, and small pieces of pilchards. There is a place about 300m out from the jetty where George Harrington and a mate headed recently and hooked into a school of whiting that were all around the 35cm mark on pipis.

As well as the whiting inside the entrance there have been good numbers of flathead and gummy sharks bagged on numerous types of baits.

The jetties have been productive with fish such as whiting, mullet, flathead, squid, and eels caught in big numbers. The best time to try your luck has

been on the run-in tide.

There are numerous other jetties in the area but some are privately owned and permission is required before you may fish there. This is not usually a problem, so get the owner’s permission to avoid embarrassment!

Manns Beach has been productive but there is only a sand ramp to accommodate boats – so be careful. At the time of this report a yacht became grounded, and all attempts to dislodge it from the sand have failed.

The future of the yacht is in serious doubt.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Can the deep sea biodiversity feed the world?

The world’s deep seas are home to a vast array of species that are a rich source of biodiversity and, potentially, food – but careful and sustainable fishing is required, according to research involving the University of Strathclyde.

The ‘twilight zone’, which daylight cannot reach, at depths of 200-1000m, is estimated to hold a community of fish, squid and crustaceans, including more than a million undescribed species, with a biomass that surpasses by far all of the world’s current fisheries. This accounts for up to 90% of the world’s total fish biomass and, even when squid and krill are excluded, is equivalent to 1.3 tons of fish biomass for every person on Earth.

All of this offers a huge potential source of fishmeal and Omega 3 fatty acids needed to feed the world

population. However, the species exist in a ‘no persons’ water’, where there is no regulation; furthermore, little is currently known about the biological processes in these waters, making it impossible to estimate accurately the fishing pressure the stocks can sustain, to assess the resilience of the community and, as a result, to develop sustainable management strategies.

Professor Mike Heath, of Strathclyde’s Department of Mathematics, was a partner in the study led at the Technical University of Denmark and also involving AZTI-Tecnalia in Spain, the University of the Azores, and the Southamptonbased National Oceanography Centre. Professor Heath said fish stocks in many parts of the world have been extensively harvested, often leaving them severely depleted.

“The deep seas are a vast untapped potential source of new resource for fisheries,

but lessons must be learned from the past, and further knowledge gained in the future, if any fishing activity in these waters is to be sustainable.

The deep sea is an essential reserve of biodiversity and our study demonstrates that environmental, economic and legal considerations must be addressed before embarking on large scale fishing.”

The new study warns that a better understanding of the role of the deep sea in the preservation of biodiversity, and its influence on climate regulation, is required if the ‘twilight zone’ community, currently one of the most understudied regions in the world oceans, is to be fished in a sustainable manner.

The study concludes that, to define the limits of sustainable fishing in this community, fundamental knowledge is needed on everything from population biology and controls on recruitment success to its role

in the food web and for climate regulation.

The ‘twilight zone’ fish and plankton species provide food for other key species, such as tuna, sharks and whales, but their importance in the ocean food web is not yet fully quantified. Furthermore, they play an important role in climate regulation.

Many ‘twilight-zone’ fish

migrate to the ocean surface at night to feed on plankton, descending back during the day to the depths, where they release carbon dioxide.

The result is an additional mechanism for fast transport of carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean’s interior, dampening the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming.

The study finds that there is

no major fishing effort on the ‘twilight zone’ community, although test fisheries are in progress. Existing fishing techniques are marginally economical when the catch is used for fish meal; however, the high essential fatty acid content of some species will make fishing more economically viable. – University of Strathclyde

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41

Catch a monster flathead month LAKES ENTRANCE

Leigh McVeigh

With a change of season comes a change in tactics, and although the hot weather is behind us now

of legal pinkie snapper have been taken in the same areas by unsuspecting bream anglers and they are more than a welcome by-catch to top up the morning bag.

Around the jetties has been a little quiet, although

Big flathead are still active, even as the weather cools down. Now that’s a big girl.

Big bream aren’t hard to come by.

All smiles for another huge flathead. the fishing should maintain the heat. The facts are that if we rethink our strategies and take advantage of less traffic on our waters we should expect some pretty hot action locally; the first people to adjust should see the best results.

LAKES ENTRANCE The action around Lakes has been consistent. We have seen a good number of flathead in the deeper holes taken on both soft plastics and bait. If you are looking for a bag of flathead around Lakes look for water deeper than 8ft and drift as wide of an area you can until you can localise where the fish are feeding as this can change on any given day. Using prawn or pilchard fished under a running sinker has been the choice for most successful baitfishers, and prawn style plastics fished to a 1/8oz jighead for the lure army have caught the best of the bags.

Some nice bream to over 40cm have been haunting the rock walls in the early mornings, and if you can match the time with a rising tide you are almost certain to find fish feeding. Plenty

some nice luderick have started to show up and it won’t be long before these fish become active and consistent on the bite. Kalimna rock wall has seen some thumping luderick taken in the past week both on weed and peeled prawn, fished under a float. It is fantastic to have large fish back in the area as their presence has been somewhat lacklustre in recent years.

OFFSHORE The gummy fishing has been very good offshore with some great sharks taken over the full moon period. Whole squid has been the pick of the bait, with boats choosing to fish close to the beaches rather than out on the deeper reefs achieving better results.

The snapper fishing off the reefs has been hot and cold and I have had no reports of large snapper caught for a few weeks, but on any given day boats are filling their bag of pinkies very quickly. Some

Tailor mean serious business.

anglers at the local ramp that went wide last week reported that they managed to tag two small marlin close to the rigs.

Although the fishing has been slow out there, if you put in the time, results will follow.

BEACHES The sand has been very inconsistent, although some nice sharks have been landed.

Some healthy gummies were tagged last week on Lake Tyers beach using eel for bait, and the same crew reportedly lost a bronzie in the breakers that was over 10ft. The salmon have been slow at best but we are all waiting for the water to cool just a little more with high anticipation of a cracking season on the sand, considering last year’s winter months were poor for the local and visiting salmon anglers.

Salmon fishing the 90-Mile draws many anglers far and wide to the area and I just cannot see us having two poor seasons in a row, so those who missed out last year should not be disheartened this year – fingers crossed 2016 will be much better.

LAKE TYERS The great local Lake has fished consistently for bream and flathead. The fish have just started to move off the shallow sand flats and head out to the deeper water, but

those large female flathead have started to bite more often once again and this is a renowned time of year to

who target these areas with fresh prawns or hardbody lures have had some great success recently. Some very

Some nice bream to over 40cm have been haunting the rock walls in the early mornings, and if you can match the time with a rising tide you are almost certain to find fish feeding. catch a large flathead, just before the water and the action cool down for the upcoming winter months.

The main Lake around the channel markers, Fishermans Landing, Mill Point and high in the Nowa Nowa arm have been the pick of the spots for large flathead in recent weeks, and most fish have been taken on large bright flick baits or prawn style plastics.

The bream fishing has been great along the lake’s many weed edges and dropoffs, and those anglers

large tailor have been caught recently and have stolen many a lure off the unsuspecting lure fisher, but have also provided some great sport on light gear for those lucky enough to land these fish before they bite through the leader.

Well, that’s a wrap from Lakes Entrance this month and with the water seeing less traffic and the fish heading out a little deeper but still very active we hope to see a few people around enjoying this lovely part of Victoria over the cooler months.

Australian salmon will run wild through May MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

You can definitely feel a change of season in the air! Cooler mornings and nights, with a water temperature that has dropped back to around 17°C at the time of writing, and I imagine will drop another degree as May approaches. Don’t despair though, the fishing is still going strong, especially when we are talking about 42

MAY 2016

Victoria’s favourite bread and butter species such as gummy sharks, snapper and whiting.

MCLOUGHLINS BEACH INSIDE Salmon numbers have also increased. For those of you that don’t know, autumn is when we get the winter run of salmon, and not just any salmon, the big black back salmon that are upwards of 2kg and can reach as heavy as 4kg. Both the entrances of McLoughlins beach and Manns Beach are chockers full of good-sized salmon

Ben Barnes and Andrew Jenkins caught a big bag of salmon during an afternoon fish inside the McLoughlins entrance using small metal lures in 25g and 40g sizes.

averaging 1-1.5kg. Not only do they make a great sportfish, they are also dynamite bait for gummy sharks and snapper.

The whiting are still going great, McLoughlins have had some better-sized ones too, with the odd 45cm+ whiting caught on pipis and squid. I personally think there’s better numbers at Port Albert though.

Anglers are still catching flathead inside on soft plastics but they are getting tougher and continue to be tough into May. Offshore is the place to target bigger flathead, especially in May and June.

OFFSHORE Another snapper run was most welcomed. We saw some whopping big models caught in late March and April, as always happens there were some cracker specimens up to 20lb caught out on the reefs in around 20m of water. But the humble gummy shark stole the spotlight over the past month with countless numbers of whopping big models up to and over 20kg caught out the front of McLoughlins and Manns To page 43

Five species a day keeps the blues away!

BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

So many happy anglers have kept reports flooding in day after day. I am yet to find a dissatisfied angler! Quality bream all throughout the system, in Bobs Bay, the Channel, Mahoganies – you name the place, they are there. No doubt about the size of these fish either – monsters!

General comments indicate that most anglers aren’t keeping anything under 30cm. The old 28cm is the new 30cm. Flathead this season have become a welcome by-catch. They are around in good numbers and love to chase lures. Regular holidaymakers to the Bemm River could not believe their week’s fishing, picking up five different species every day. These included bream, flathead, trevally, tailor and

whiting. These anglers usually fish using bait but tried their hand flicking lures and had great success.

The surf has gone crazy with huge schools of salmon moving along the coast chasing baitfish. The water level is at a great height, having risen about a metre, which allows anglers to venture into all areas that have been harder to access at low level.

There isn’t a lot to report on the river as anglers have

Not a bad little bream! These guys are great fun to catch! mainly stuck to the channel or lake. One of our regular anglers on his annual trip recently tried his hand at flyfishing and was rewarded nicely with a 38cm bream. The water level rising has made excellent fishing for land-based anglers. The East Gippsland Shire has secured funding to build two more fishing platforms and update the existing ones on the river.

This huge tailor was taken on a hardbody.

From page 42

beach entrances. Some were caught on the drift but most were caught on anchor with berley. Even a few kingfish got caught on the reefs out front as by-catch.

Pilchards were probably one of the best baits used, but as I mentioned above, the big salmon that are in the entrances have given anglers a golden opportunity to have the freshest bait that will all but guarantee a good gummy shark or bronze whaler.

PORT ALBERT

The whiting have continued to be the mainstay of Port Albert fishers and most anglers are still managing between 20-40 whiting in a session. I wouldn’t say any tide is better than others but I will say I personally think the evenings have been fishing better. Pipis and squid have been the best baits, there has been no need to pump nippers but they will still work a treat if you want to use them. Out front the gummy sharks have

Halena Gathercole with a cracking big gummy shark and an 8kg snapper caught offshore from McLoughlins Beach.

Ben Barnes with a ripper gummy weighing in at 14.5kg caught out from McLoughlins Beach.

been really good in Whale Bay and Bentley Harbour and the tide changes have been the best times to fish. There are still heaps of big slimy mackerel around so if you take a bait jig out with you and berley, you will have no trouble getting a heap of good quality bait. Out really wide, the gummies are big and not many are under 12kg. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you drift or anchor. There are plenty of pinkies to 35cm on the footy oval reefs as well and they

will continue through to May. Don’t forget about the kings, the season is a bit late this year so you could still catch kingfish until June, if the weather stays mild.

• 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. 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!

Top: All the bread and butter species have been out and about. These little flatties just love to chase lures. Above: Tailor are great fun to chase!

This will be completed before the end of 2016, hopefully with a new modern jetty for better launch and retrieval.

Don’t forget – keep your eyes peeled for our new winter promotion – The Bemm River Tag a Fish Bonanza. Check it out on Facebook, and keep up to date with this exciting promotion.

• For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation. com.au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/ Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

MAY 2016

43

Plenty of exciting opportunities in Mallacoota MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The town has recently come alive, with visitors to the area enjoying great weather and a variety of fishing options through the Easter and school holiday period.

The past month has seen some action out wide with striped marlin and striped tuna about, and anytime now you can expect the yellowfin tuna to make an appearance.

Closer to shore there has been some great fishing on offer with big yellowtail kingfish in vast schools.

There are plenty of rat kingies around, but if you find the right school you will find yourself surrounded by 1m+ models. Fish have been caught trolling and jigging;

King George whiting have been caught around the harbour at Bastion Point.

casting to a school on the surface is also a reliable way of getting in on the action.

Good catches of tiger flathead and sand flathead have been had, along with the odd goodsized gummy shark. Take care when launching from the boat ramp at Bastion Point as it is shallow at the end and the waves can come up quickly.

Presently, the harbour is being dredged and this will be an ongoing process.

Some good fish are still being caught around the boat ramp area. Fishing with fresh bait will catch yellowfin bream, whiting (both sand and King George), along with sand flathead. Schools of salmon have started to move along all the local beaches, with a few fish caught in the bottom lake. The coming months will see more fish showing up as the water cools. A few good gummy sharks have been

caught by anglers fishing into the night; Quarry Beach is a reliable spot.

Fishing in the estuary has been awesome; it’s amazing when you see just how many fish have come out of that lake in the past two months.

Yellowfin bream are about in big numbers and fish caught in the bottom lake and the top lake are taking a variety of lures. Bait fishers have also done well with prawn for bait. Mulloway are about and a number of fish around the 16kg mark were caught on a recent charter.

We were lucky enough to hook one but the 6lb trace wasn’t enough on this occasion. Plenty of eatingsize flathead are about, but getting the big ones will take a bit of luck. Good-sized silver trevally are about in good numbers with fish caught around the weed patches.

Wallaga bream are firing in the shallows BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Since Wallaga Lake reopened to the ocean back in 2009, fish stocks

for not only the bream but most other estuary species like mullet, luderick, whiting and those tasty garfish, along with a host of other species.

Surface lures imitating prawns have been working

A good bream from shallow water. have thrived, especially the bream. The reason for this? It’s the food that’s available there. All sorts of shellfish can be found like cockles, oysters, pipis or mussels around the shores of the lake or over the tidal flats. Along with these are the many species of worms, nippers, crabs, prawns and shrimp making up a smorgasbord REVA G.T

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well in the shallows, but for the best results you should use fresh baits like nippers, worms or prawns. They are guaranteed to catch fish, you just have to sit back and wait.

Bermagui is abuzz with trailer boats jostling on the bait grounds before venturing wide to tackle the mighty yellowfin tuna.

That’s how most days start here in Bermagui at this time

of year, as it’s important to gather fresh bait to be used either live or as cubes in berley trails. Once each boat has their bait they all head off in different directions to sea.

There are several methods that can be employed to catch yellowfin. Most anglers start their day trolling lures trying to find where the fish are concentrated.

Sometimes lures may be the only way to go when fish are up on the surface chasing sauries. When tuna feed on these baitfish it can be very frustrating as their focus is on those small fish and they refuse all other offerings. Thankfully they don’t read the script, and a well-structured berley trail will often have the tuna up feeding in the trail, only too willing to eat a live mackerel or a drifted cube.

As a bonus, albacore, striped tuna, sharks, mahimahi and marlin are also around in numbers, and can be caught in many different ways. Makos, blues and whaler sharks will regularly visit berley trails, so if you don’t already have a bait in the water, have one ready to toss once they arrive.

Albacore will definitely

FISH WITH A LOCAL AT

turn up in trails, so have some light 4-6kg gear handy to play with these little speedsters. They will often respond to surface poppers cast on spin gear, providing plenty of entertainment while you wait for the larger yellowfin.

Marlin will often show their bills as well, so use heavier 200-250lb mono on your livebaits to prevent any break-offs from them. You are probably more likely to see the marlin busting up on schools of sauries, where the more conventional method of trolling lures or live baits produces the strikes.

Around Montague Island, large kingies and bonito like to get in on the act, feasting on the sauries as they pass by the island. Slow trolling live mackerel may interest them, or you can troll skirted or diving lures.

Casting poppers can attract aggressive strikes as well.

It’s not just the pelagic activity that’s good – so is

Light spin gear and a well-placed bait resulted in this good bag. the reef and bottom fishing.

Snapper are starting to show in good numbers, and anglers are targeting them in many ways, including drifting, berleying or using soft plastics. Morwong, flathead, gummy sharks and perch are all there to be taken, and out wider Tassie trumpeter can be found on the Twelve Mile Reef.

On the beaches salmon can be found in any decent gutter on the high tides

while of a night tailor and gummy sharks will join them. Bream are still in good numbers however the whiting are starting to taper off.

Around on the rocks the drummer have returned in numbers, and the average size is good as well. They can be taken on cunjevoi, weed or crabs, which are also favoured by the many groper patrolling the shore line.

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The record books say longtail tuna used to show up regularly around Montague Island.

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Get in quick before winter arrives EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With the school holidays, plenty of visitors have come to the far south coast and this time of year is one of the best times to visit. The warm water encourages a variety of fishing options and the weather is still warm.

Another month will see the cold winter weather.

The offshore fishing has been excellent, with the water temperature at about 20°C in close and getting warmer as you go out wider. The game fishers have had a ball chasing the striped marlin, and plenty of fish are about. Striped tuna have also been caught, and once the water cools the yellowfin tuna shouldn’t be

far away. With any luck, the bluefin tuna will show up in the months ahead.

Kingfish are about in good numbers with fish caught down towards Green Cape. They seem to be on the move as fish will be caught one day and not seen the next.

Tiger and sand flathead have been caught and snapper and morwong from the local reefs.

Some good gummy shark

Plenty of bites and action is the key for kids when lure fishing.

and school shark have also been caught. When heading offshore keep an eye on the weather, as it doesn’t take much for it to turn pear-shaped.

Good fishing has been had on the local beaches with salmon starting to show up in numbers. Bream and whiting are also being caught and beach worms are the number one bait. The Easter period is always a great time to fish for mulloway with the beaches and estuaries all fishing well over the full moon cycle. The rocky headlands have also fished well with drummer, snapper and groper all caught.

There are plenty of rocky headlands and gutters to fish so getting a good fishing spot to yourself is no problem.

The salmon are also caught from the headlands and with the use of berley some good snapper can be caught, with the early morning the best time to fish. Good fishing has been had in the local estuaries with flathead, bream, trevally and sand whiting all available. The water is clear and little rain has fallen on the far south coast. As we head into winter the bass fishing slows down once again and the rain is needed to allow the fish to move back to the estuary to breed.

Matt Kelly recently caught this 3.97kg chinook salmon at Lake Bullen Merri on a Berkley hardbody.

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45

Offshore is going off!

MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

After a busy Easter period around Merimbula, some sort of normality has returned as the visiting fishos head home. I expect quite a few will have beaming smiles on their faces as the fishing has been excellent over recent weeks, a trend which will continue.

Offshore anglers have been fortunate and the bottombouncing brigade are licking their chops. Deciding on what you want to target will determine what bags you get, but a lot of crews have drifted

the reefs and caught a variety of quality fish. Snapper are one species high on anglers’ lists and these delicious fish haven’t disappointed. The majority of reds are averaging a kilo or slightly better – not big fish, but what they lack in size is certainly made up for in numbers. I know a few crews have been getting 20+ fish a session, which is solid fishing, and if you throw in morwong, pigfish and the odd gummy shark you’re in for a feast.

There’s been the odd kingfish about also, especially off Haycock Point to the south of Pambula. These turbo charged bruisers are quality fish with the odd king nudging 12-14kg. Most have fallen

A rare catch from Pambula Lake, this 2kg protected estuary cod was released after a quick picture.

to trolled big divers, although livebait and bigger soft plastics should work, especially if you see them on top chasing bait – which has been the case lately.

If the bigger pelagic fish are not for you, then a good feed of flathead will be easy to find. I’d be looking in the 35-40m mark straight off Pambula Beach; it’s been excellent there and should continue to be great.

Further offshore the marlin action has slowed up but certainly isn’t over with crews still getting a few shots a day. It’s definitely not what it was like last month but that’s to be expected with the water cooling down further.

The good news is it’s May and that means yellowfin tuna.

The end of autumn is prime time to target these speedsters, and there’s already been a few caught by marlin anglers while trolling skirts, so all looks promising over the coming weeks. We should see albacore in numbers, plus the odd mako shark mixed in with the tuna, so let’s hope the fish gods do the right thing for all.

The estuaries have fished very well. Both Merimbula and Pambula continue to fire with most estuarine species playing the game. We had a morning session in the top part of Merimbula Lake with

Kai Brooks and Dad Steve with Kai’s cracking yellowfin bream from the top lake in Merimbula over Easter. It was caught on a blade and released. my daughter and her cousins the other day, casting smaller softies and blades. We caught 25 legal fish which included bream, flathead, trevally, flounder and snapper. The kids were stoked as the smaller snapper to 30cm keep them amused between the bigger fish. This is a great way to get kids into fishin. It’s easy, clean and a whole stack of fun for them and you too. For those after bigger flathead there’s a few big girls getting around.

We managed a 93cm breeder there a week ago with another croc lost so they are there and active. We have found smaller presentations around 70mm have acheived the results, not

bigger presentations, as you would think. Try concentrating around the ribbon weed margins in 4-5m for best results.

On the beaches salmon numbers are on the increase as the water cools down close in.

This month should see some solid greenback tailor make their presence felt as May is the month these toothy critters make an appearance along our coastline. You will need to use wire for the choppers, as even 40lb leaders won’t survive a fight with their denture sizes.

The usual paternoster rig will work, though a single dropper rig with a wire trace might be a better option with whole ganged 4/0 pilchards as

the bait of choice.

If you’re after a feed, expect bream numbers to be good. I know a few locals are doing well on Tura Main, there’s a solid little gutter to the northern end which is fishing particularly well.

Off the headlands, Tura Head is definitely the pick with bonito, kingfish, tailor and salmon all succumbing to a variety of methods. Casting mid-sized chromes works a treat as do whole pilchards rigged on a lightly weighted ganged hooks. This technique can be deadly, especially when there’s more turbulence and white water closer to the rock faces.

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Action to write home about NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The last few weeks has seen some exceptional fishing around the Narooma region with local and visiting anglers having a ball. Most angling techniques are working a treat, it’s just a matter of what you want to target and how.

The Tuross River lake system to the north of Narooma has been a standout with all species chewing at different times. Flathead is probably the main target species for most anglers and they won’t disappoint. Some quality bags have come from the shallower banks both in the river section and lower parts of the main basin with soft plastic fishers faring the best. The size of the flathead varies day to day, but the majority are legal-sized fish with the average at 40-50cm.

At this size they are great for the plate but there are bigger fish about. I know of a handful of 80cm+ fish with one at 96cm caught recently.

Sure you have to work for them, but the rewards will be awesome.

The lower sections towards the boatshed area from 4-10m has seen quite a few school mulloway caught. These schoolies are anywhere from 65-90cm – not big fish, but still a whole stack of fun if caught on lighter gear. Most fish have responded well to softies, bigger soft vibes and a few on bait. I expect these mulloway to come and go with the tides as the entrance at the moment is quite deep for this system.

If the bigger prey isn’t for you then there are plenty of bream and whiting to be caught. It’s been a cracking season for both these species,

the rain came at the right time late last year and gave the system a good flush and now we are reaping the rewards. These bread and butter species are great fun to catch on surface lures, and this is one method anglers are using to target them.

It’s not uncommon to get 20-25 fish a day, with plenty more lost.

Wagonga Inlet has been a little slow compared to the usual standard, but if you work hard you will get fish.

The lower sections in the channel from the Highway Bridge to the entrance have been solid for bream, whiting, blackfish and trevally. Both bait and lure anglers have had success, with the draining tide best.

I’d concentrate on the last two hours of the run-out tide if casting soft plastics, with smaller stickbait models the go. If you use bait keep in mind that fresh prawns or Bass yabbies will work, and tuna cubes are excellent for bream.

Tailor numbers are increasing in the main basin as the water cools further with some decent greenbacks getting around.

Every May big tailor enter the system with fish to 3kg and bigger possible. What gets me excited though is what’s following the tailor – mulloway, and big fish too! I know of a few studs already lost the last few weeks by bait anglers fishing big livies at night. It’s just a matter of time until someone gets a 20kg+ fish and I for one hope it happens on my boat.

Concentrate your efforts around the early morning tide changes and around the dense bait schools. If you see tailor crashing on top then cast softies to the back edges of the schools.

Offshore, the game crews are still getting among the

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Chris Hilton with his first black marlin. It measured 2.7m long and was caught on a live slimy mackerel. beakies, though they have thinned out a bit. This is to be expected as the marlin season draws to a close.

There will still be the odd fish caught right through May as there always is, and quite often they are bigger solid fish. If I recall last May there were a handful of 140-150kg striped marlin caught. Let’s hope this season is the same.

Yellowfin is what everyone wants, with fish to 90kg and bigger on the cards.

These jumbo sized turbo bruisers don’t get to that size for no reason and can be cagey buggers to catch, just like a humble bream on the flats. If the hard yards and time on the water is spent it can be done. Trolling a mixture of deeper divers and skirts should work, though

The author and Ian ‘Hoots’ Cowie with a legal kingfish from Wagonga Inlet.

There have been quite a few kings this year within the estuary system.

the traditional berley/cube method is foolproof and accounts for the majority of big fish. Where they are is a lottery in itself, a lot will come down to prevailing conditions like bait, water temperature, tide and the like.

The shelf is where a lot of crews will start, but if we get the right conditions near Montague Island it may be worth a look there also. There were some solid fish caught last May/June, not jumbos but 50-60kg fish so don’t overlook the northern end of the rock, it just may pay off.

Anglers after kings have done it tough, as they are there one day and not the next. They’ve become notorious for this but when they do play the game, fishers using live bait and jigs have done well at times.

Bottom fishing for snapper, morwong, flathead, and in the deeper water blue-eye trevalla has been excellent, so getting a feed shouldn’t be too hard. Most of the inshore reefs are holding fish, it may take a few drifts to locate them but persist and you will get the desired results.

The rocks and beaches continue to fish well for bream, whiting, salmon and tailor. The beaches in particular have been good with Narooma Main, Brou and Tilba to the south the pick of them. Each of these beaches has plenty of deep gutters close to shore so all are worth a look. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few gummy sharks come from Brou Beach either, it’s this region’s hot spot for them and it’s a great time of year to target them.

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47

VR Fish Update

Commercial netting in Gippsland Lakes response VR FISH

Dallas D’Silva

The Andrews Government Target 1 million review provides an ideal opportunity to take a long term, strategic look at the future of commercial netting in the Gippsland Lakes.

We commend the Andrews Government for revisiting this important issue in its Target 1 million policy to get more people fishing, more often. It is a watershed policy for recreational fishing, and in the case of Gippsland, it recognises that recreational fishing is worth $381 million to the regional economy.

When the bream fishery in the Lakes is not performing as it should be, it is clear the local economy suffers.

The impact on businesses such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, petrol stations, tackle shops and supermarkets are significant, with the average spend per fishing trip close to $400. Recreational fishing in Victorian bays and inlets is the higher value use of the resource when compared to commercial netting.

Our consultation shows that recreational fishers are disappointed by the lack of action on this issue by the previous Coalition government. The previous Baillieu/Napthine Government made a promise in 2010 to protect spawning fish by introducing controls on the practice of commercial netting near the mouths of rivers. However, they did little more than erect signage to communicate the current 400m restrictions, which are clearly inadequate. We are also disappointed with the Fisheries Victoria report released in late 2014 investigating netting and spawning fish at Gippsland Lakes river mouths.

This report has little, if any, support or endorsement by recreational fishers. The

conclusions reached are not based on new science, nor do the assumptions stand the scrutiny of the public eye.

Bream populations were subject to heavy, opportunistic commercial netting at river mouths without the imposition of an effective catch control, such that it yielded a catch of 144 tonnes in 2007/08. To highlight the extent of the problem, catches in the years immediately before and after this year were only 49 and 36 tonnes respectively. No such corresponding 3-4 time fold increase in recreational catches occurred, which is far from satisfactory if resource sharing is to be taken seriously.

Clearly, something needs to be done to address this and it must be done urgently.

The number of commercial licences have declined over the years to 10 licences in 2016 through a series of Government funded adjustment schemes. The profitability of the commercial fishery has also no doubt declined considerably. The trend is irrefutable and it is time that the Gippsland Lakes joined the list of net free areas.

The issue of netting around river mouths can no longer be looked at in isolation. Netting practices should be reviewed across the full extent of the commercial fishery throughout the Gippsland Lakes system and netting must be phased out without delay.

There is anecdotal and historical information held by angling club records to show that Gippsland Lakes once supported healthy populations of estuary perch. We contend that these populations have been decimated by commercial net fishing operations in the past, especially around river mouths at times of spawning.

Recreational fishers have taken it upon themselves to work with fishery managers to attempt to restore these populations through targeted stocking programs, only to

Vale Don Ellis It is with sadness that I inform readers of the sad passing of Don Ellis, Chairman of the Metropolitan Anglers Association. Don was an active member of the Recreational Anglers Statewide Roundtable and ensured the interests of rural anglers were put forward and discussed. A recent matter he raised was fishing platforms on the Bemm River to cater for elderly and handicapped anglers. This project will go ahead this year. While I never met Don face to face, we have communicated with each other on numerous occasions. I was unaware of his illness in recent times as he continued to deal with fisheries issues. I send condolences to the family of the late Don Ellis and hope they feel the sense of pride in the achievements of this recreational angler on behalf of anglers generally. I thank his son Greg for informing anglers across the state of the sad passing of this fine angler. – Lynton Barr 48

MAY 2016

see our investment end up in commercial fishing nets.

This is simply unacceptable to recreational fishers and the community.

We understand that the Government does not plan to phase out netting in the Lakes as it has done for Port Phillip Bay. This stance must be reviewed in light of the river mouth policy commitment.

Recreational fishers are telling us a licence buyback scheme, in conjunction with the use of a catch cap that reduces as licences are removed has proven very effective for Port Phillip Bay. Commonwealth Government action on Long Jetty is long overdue.

Constructed in the late 1930s and at over 900m in length, Port Welshpool’s Long Jetty is the longest timber jetty in Victoria. As you know, a fire in June 2003 partially destroyed the historic structure and it was closed due to safety concerns. There is growing frustration and angst within the local community and recreational fishers that appropriate action has not been taken for more than 10 years to restore the jetty.

We now understand that the Long Jetty Restoration Project remains in limbo due to a lack of funding to complete the full suite of works needed.

We note initial consultation and design work for options has been undertaken to clarify cost options. Our preference is for a full restoration in line with its original design (including a timber deck).

VRFish understands that a financial commitment of $5 million from the State Government and $1 million from the Council remain intact. We thank Minister for Regional Development, Jaala Pulford for her strong support and financial commitment.

It is vital that the Commonwealth take action to provide the balance of funds from whatever means available, such as the Commonwealth Government’s National Stronger Regions Fund. It is imperative that the Commonwealth co-invest in this development and support the region. Recreational fishing in Gippsland is worth $381 million to the regional economy annually and a restored jetty would provide improved access for fishers of all abilities, especially families and elderly citizens.

Recreational fishers and the community have been extremely patient, and the time to act is now more urgent than ever before. It is time relevant agencies, the Shire Council and Ministers working with stakeholders to finalise a solution to this matter.

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49

Fish handling how-to: importance of ice brining PART IV FORSTER

Blake Hudson

Welcome to the fourth and final part of the fish handling series. This month we take you through a critical and concluding step to sophisticated handling. I guarantee you will be taking home premium quality product for the dinner table!

Experts have identified that there is an inexpensive and easier way to handle fish and avoid damaging them. These include; selecting an appropriate landing surface to eliminate flipping, wearing a cotton glove to your bait hand to effectively control your catch, and using ike jime

way the skipper insisted we maintain our procedures.

The next phase of the process that was taught was the ice brine – the technique of bringing the temperature of the fish down to around freezing point, without actually freezing the flesh.

Although any reasonablysized ice box is suitable for the task of ice brining, in the main ice box aboard the wet liner, underneath the lids (that doubled as sponge covered kill tables) were insulated compartments (nine compartments at 110L each) that were used to contain a ‘slurry’ of ice and salt water. This slurry was mixed at a ratio of approximately equal parts premium flake ice and salt water, and strictly adjusted throughout the day as fish

the fish. This optimizes quality and negates the necessity of immediate gut and gill removal. All the fish we exported had the gut and gills intact, and I was amazed that they could apparently keep this way after being ‘set’ in the slurry, simply refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Once we had returned to the harbour, we began to remove fish from the brine before packing carefully (to avoid scaling) into bins in a deliberate sideby-side, head-tail fashion.

When removed from the brine, a ‘set’ fish was more stunning than when first caught, the colours of snapper, emperor and coral trout were dazzling. I have yet to find a fish for sale at the supermarket or seafood outlet that compares.

A fillet taken from a fish treated in this manner of soft land, spike and brine, will be as firm as a chicken breast and the polar opposite in appearance, texture and flavor of a fillet taken from a fish caught and dispatched using any other method.

As previously stated at the introduction of this series, like many of us, I’ve been an angler my whole life. However, my entire fishing perspective was changed significantly once

Correct brining – this is the perfect ratio of ice and saltwater.

The fish remain fully submerged and don’t touch. had we not implemented some careful and sophisticated fish handling techniques. Techniques that don’t require expensive equipment – (a piece of wet sponge foam, a sharpened screwdriver and a few bags of ice won’t break

techniques are easy to implement and the least we can do to acknowledge the magnificence and bounty we harvest.

Ultimately, if you implement these techniques you will engage in responsible fishing practice

Premium flake ice may be harder to source than cube ice from the servo, but either are suitable. the bank!) This made the fishing far more productive and will certainly allow you much more time with your bait in the water! These

and contribute to the longevity of our oceans.

So get out there and be willing to change to a better way. Contrary to

popular belief, an old dog is never too old to learn new tricks – think back to the introduction of soft plastics and the skepticism that surrounded it. Learn how to adopt these simple changes into your fishing routine and you will be stunned at the results. I know I was! That’s why I have kept them up, whether I’m fishing from a beach, a bank, or a boat. We can all make a significant contribution to sustaining a healthy future of fishing for generations to come, and it is our responsibility to employ correct fish handling practice.

Once you have mastered the art of handling, killing and brining, you will be eating the best fish you have ever experienced in your life, putting everything else to shame. Make it your duty to also share these techniques, so that all anglers and all fish can benefit, and you’ll certainly be doing your bit in putting some certainty back into an uncertain fishing future.

Until then, see you in the soup!

Top: Here’s an example of incorrect brining – these fish are touching and not fully submerged.

Above: Another incorrect technique is a disproportionate ratio of seawater to ice, with far too much ice. (lethal brain spike) as a killing method.

In this series, I have shared techniques I learned during seasons working aboard a professional wet liner off the west coast of Australia. At the time, we were being paid more money per kilo for our catch on the Tokyo fish market auction floors than any other boat in Australia and New Zealand. This ongoing result can only be attributable to the diligent and respectful 50

MAY 2016

were added – according to both the warmth of their body melting the ice, and the temperature of the water added.

Once the fish had been killed, we would carefully lower the fish into the ice brine and assemble them to ensure that no part of the body touched another fish in the brine.

Bringing the temperature of the fish down to such a low thermal reading simply preserve

I worked professionally.

In just two seasons fishing for snapper off the coast of Carnarvon, and calculating what we returned to the ocean (around 4/5th) and what was kept for export, plus the addition of an abundance of mixed reef fish catch, it was averaged that my share of the haul alone was a staggering amount of well over 200,000 fish. It would have been absolutely impossible to manage such sheer volume of living fish,

A pan-sized snapper in rigor mortis, freshly removed from the ice brine post expedition.

R

100 years of experience Goes inTo every hook

MAY 2016

51

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Tassie tuna season is full steam ahead TASMANIA

to oblige. Interestingly, the mahimahi were quiet, and we did not see reports of many caught at all. We did have some butterfly mackerel and

short-billed spearfish to keep people on their toes. Both species are far from common.

That was summer, but now we look towards autumn and the month of May to keep us amused and fill our tummies and freezers.

By no means is it all doom and gloom here in Tasmania though May. The water temperature is still yet to really take a harsh dip, so the fishing is still good.

The best news is that the summer crowds have backed off considerably. This is sensational news for two reasons – firstly, if you are a mainland fisher, the deals and accommodation available are great value. Secondly, you can actually traverse to the fishing grounds without the roads being choked up with HiAce mini buses and campervans.

This is great news, as the weather patterns in May are predominantly driven by the westerly weather streams from the roaring forties.

This means the east coast of Tasmania can be settled and well suited for a weekend away fishing.

Looking forward we have got the big bluefin season really looking to take off. I have been holding back from talking about tuna the last few months, as it is easy to home in and lose sight of what else we have to offer.

May however is prime time for jumbo bluefin and we can

talk about what to expect.

Swordfish have been high on the list of fish to target, and there have been good catches that should continue right up to the winter solstice. It’s nice to talk about Xiphias gladius and the solstice; it’s all very mysterious... Around Tasmania some species really

slow up once the weather cools down, but there are a few that really fire. The snapper don’t mind the cold, so expect these fish to come on the chew. The estuaries around the state have really impressed over the last couple of months, which should continue in May with garfish the go-to species.

spearing out a Halco slice and bringing it in swiftly will see you score some salmon.

If the weather allows and you are fishing with friends, you can get the salmon worked in close and excited. Have a mate target them with poppers and surface lures – it’s great fun and on light line the strikes are exhilarating – they often put on an aerial show.

The area is also the access point for some of the best striped trumpeter fishing in Tasmania and crews venture far and wide looking for fresh

ground to land sensational fish. These fish are super tasty and put up a good fight; they don’t come off the bottom easily. Use three hook rigs with circle hooks on mono to nail them. Have a few lighter rigs on-board in case the fish are a bit finicky.

Circle hooks are the go here, as at depth the fish tend to self-hook, particularly if the hooks are baited properly.

Be careful you don’t fall into the trap of loading the hook up with bait and jamming the gape of the hook. The gape

is the space between the hook point and the shank.

Keep that free so when a fish grabs the bait, the hook will work perfectly. Watch for the lumo squids I see on a lot of store-bought rigs – they tend to slip down over the eye of the hook and jam up the gape.

It is often said that squid strips are king here for bait, but with three hooks you can mix it up with some fish strips as well. If you don’t have any marks from other anglers or trips of the

past, finding fish can be tough. This is where a good sounder really starts to pay for itself. The marks that a fair few people now have off Eddystone are getting a little tired and finding your own well away from the crowd is very rewarding.

Trundling around tuning the sounder as you go will eventually have you find something of interest. We have a Simrad 12 hooked up to a 1kw transducer, which often leads us to good striped trumpeter on the bottom while trolling for albacore.

Crews looking for good numbers of big stripeys are looking further afield, and heading up of the bottom of Flinders Island and further!

I was on Flinders Island recently and went out of Lady Barron to the stripey grounds to the east. We had a great day of fishing and found some very good fish in no time. We used a smaller Lowrance unit with a smaller transducer. The fish were keen to eat, and we even managed a small mako that tried to take the tail off one of our stripeys on the way up. This is a prime example of why you should keep a neat and tidy boat with everything in

Kelly Hunt

Summer is now a fleeting memory, but what a memory it is! We had one of the best summer seasons I can remember. School bluefin tuna turned up early – some would argue they never left from the season before. Whatever the case they were off our shores in great numbers and quite hungry.

PELAGIC WRAP-UP Catching them was easy, and it didn’t seem to matter where you were or what you used. We quickly turned to surface lures on spin gear for some great fun. The surface strike is very addictive and well worth gearing up for.

Marlin came down with the current from the north and Tasmania enjoyed its best striped marlin bite for many years. Fish were seen and caught from Musselroe as far south as Dart Bank.

Yellowfin tuna appeared early off St Helens, but went quiet. They decided to show up down at Eaglehawk and for a week or two, 70kg yellowfin were being caught in the same week as 100kg southern bluefin.

Yellowtail kingfish were as prominent around the state as I can ever remember, and anglers delighted in chasing them with new

Mark De Jong found his first yellowfin and it definitely put a smile on his face. gear, new techniques and an open mind. We threw big plastics, surface poppers and everything in between at them, and they were happy

NORTH EAST TASMANIA The North East of Tasmania is a treasure trove of great eating species and is often overlooked. If you have never been in and around the area, get in the car. Pack some shore fishing gear or hook up your boat, as this area caters for all types of angling. I remember as a kid that Tomahawk was famous for big wombats and flathead, and little has changed. Launching your boat at low tide is still sketchy at best, but the rewards are plentiful.

Flathead and gummies can be found in varied depths. If the weather is really calm you can trip the quality gummies up while adrift, but being anchored is a better option. If you do not have an electric powered winch, this method can be tiring. A combination of a good-sized berley bucket (well weighted), and a sea anchor will get the job done. Berley can be of the fine pellet style, mixed with some tuna oil.

These guys have a great nose and will come looking for a sweet fishy smell. As time ticks away slow or stop your drift and you’ll have the gummies on the prowl lining up to feed on 52

MAY 2016

your bait. Good bait to stay on the hooks of course is squid, but have some lines out baited with some fish flesh as well. This will add to your scent trail and start to get things rolling. Yes they are called gummy shark, but some heavy mono or fine wire trace is advised.

They have small raspy teeth despite their name, and strong jaws. This combined with their propensity to roll and twist like a crocodile can lead to break offs with lighter line. Good strong hooks and some heavier trace are well advised.

A bonus is that bigger flathead will be drawn to your set-up and you will have the opportunity to boat a few of these as well.

In the North Eastern tip, Musselroe Bay is a great fishing destination in its own right and holds some sensational bream. Work over the shallows and dropoffs for some good fun on light gear. Eddystone Point allows access to deep water directly from the rocks. This is an area that a live squid under a float cast out on surf fishing gear may bring some surprises. It’s a technique not often thought about, but well worth a try. The old trick of

Awesome yellowfin caught in Tasmania on Personalised Sea Charters.

Damien was very happy to say hello to this fantastic striped trumpeter.

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its place. We were able to quickly work as a team and get some blood in the water.

We stowed the stripey gear, cleared a corner and swiftly rigged a rod to tackle a mako. Small wire traces were accessed from where they are kept and in no time bait was over the

side. Hooked, played, gaffed and dispatched in less than ten minutes.

I am looking forward to another trip to Flinders Island this month to chase some snapper and whiting.

The area in and around Lady Barron Harbour is an angling paradise, and can be amazing once you

NORTH WEST TASMANIA Gummy sharks have been really active off the North West coast in April, and this should continue through May. The 35-40m depth line off Wynyard, Ulverstone and Devonport has yielded some beauties.

The aforementioned will work well. The snapper have thickened up lately and are still an option. Snapper are a species that you need to prepare for. Really get to know when and where they’ll be to accurately target them, especially in Devonport, Ulverstone and across to Wynyard. They were still coming over the

gunwale of boats this time last year so nothing should change this month.

Technique is crucial with these fish and finding a good patch that holds fish consistently is key. Finding that patch and prospecting is the fun part and the techniques don’t change.

Fishing multiple rods in a boat with two or more anglers is tricky without the right gear. Angled rod racks are a must, and there are several on the market that will fit into a standard rod holder. Three people in a boat fishing two rods each will be manageable, but it

EAST TASMANIA Look for the east coast to really fire in May. The weather, as mentioned before, will still be quite mild and any wind that may cause grief is often offshore.

St Helens has a lot to offer offshore with game fishing and great bottom fishing, but the fishing in and around Georges Bay is well worth the trip. The species list you will encounter is extensive.

Bait and lure fishers will be excited to find big salmon, whiting, tailor and of course bream. You will also trip up kingfish, snapper, silver trevally and flathead. There are a few I have left off and you can have some fun finding them yourself.

The salmon bust-ups are some of the best fun you can have on lighter gear. In and around the bays on a high tide and off the points you will see the fish smash bait with gusto. Sneak up on them and cast slices and bibs over the top of them and burn them through to ring the dinner bell. If they are being a bit painful, flick a soft plastic in the middle that has a tail with plenty of action.

Lifting the rod tip slowly with a little flick flick at the top, and allowing it to sink will get a bite for sure.

You will be moving the soft plastic at the end of your line to make it appear to be swimming, having a few

Sometimes waders come in handy!

SOUTHEAST TASMANIA The garfishing and other estuary species you can find in Georges Bay are also firing in and around the sheltered waters of Coles Bay, Maria Island and Spring Bay. These waters are full of life at this time of year and hatching a plan and

sticking to that plan will get results. Too often we will load the boat with a heap of gear not really targeted for any particular species and wonder why we don’t do any good. Techniques, equipment and location are the three things we have to get right to

Tasmania

have the tides worked out.

The mouth of the Tamar will continue to produce quality squid and whiting in the month of May. When I say quality, I mean serious quality. The good news is that these two species can often be found in similar areas and targeted together. The patchy weed

beds interjected with open patches of sand are prime spots to continue your assault. We have spoken before about specific techniques for whiting, and once mastered the returns will come. Fish lighter with smaller hooks, take time to prepare baits and get them on the hook nicely

and results will come.

The squid need working up out of their lairs, but once you have a group excited it’s game on. Select a jig that sinks swiftly and you can work the bottom over.

The squid are often lazing in the weed or crevice and need an excuse to come out and strike. Once you have

the attention of one, others will follow. If you have a fishing mate have them get a jig over the back of yours and work the ground you have just covered. If you are lucky you will have worked them into a frazzle and there will be a shoal worked up looking to eat your jigs.

will be easier if you fish at anchor. Fishing in good conditions in a boat held stationary by anchor is the best way to fish multiple lines from one boat. This will raise your chance of catching something. It will also negate tangled lines normally encountered when drifting with too many rods out. If you include some berley dangled from a rope and stationed on the bottom you will further increase your chances. A few small cubes of fish plopped over the side on occasion won’t hurt your chance either.

Reels in the 3500-5000 range will be great for this style of fishing. Run some 30lb braid onto them with a

leader of around 50lb. Attach the leader material with an FG knot and finish with a Strayline rig.

Southern calamari are a prime source of food and bait and will be on the minds of most anglers along the North West. The rocky points and headlands will be a great place to start for land-based fishers. Devonport Bluff is an area that has good access and is beginner friendly. If there have been a few days of settled weather, look to throw a jig long and hard seaward and let it sink for some time. The first move you make with the rod tip should be sharp and vigorous. Take two or three winds as you lift and drop

the rod tip and pause. Pause for around five seconds and repeat. If the squid are there, you should find them. Squid live in shoals so get a mate to pitch a jig in behind you or you can have another rod handy with another jig to throw yourself. This jig should be a lighter model that will slowly sink to the bottom while you sort out the first.

If you catch a smaller squid while fishing on the rocks, why not pitch it out as live bait? A longer rod with some braid and a big float will be awesome. Run some mono or fluorocarbon leader off the bottom of the float down to a circle hook and set it in your freshly caught

squid hood. Gently cast out as far as you can and set into your RockSteady rod holder.

These are a great Australian invention by a young chap from Western Australia, and a must have for rock fishers.

There is similar ground along the rocky shore at Don Heads. Use long casts and work the bottom third of the water column to find success. It is important to remember that fishing off rocks can be dangerous.

Squid fishing is best done when it’s calm and there is no swell, but it is always going to be a slippery surface. There are also plenty of lips and cracks to catch a toe or twist an ankle, so be careful.

death throes and resting. Most fish find this irresistible.

This waterway is also a go-to for mini marlin. I say mini marlin, as the garfish on the east coast are massive.

Garfish are great fun, and over the cooler months as the water cools these are one species to keep us all amused. They put up a good little stoush on light gear and are good eating. These translucent torpedos are not just found in Georges Bay, but in many east and south eastern waters.

Gar enjoy a sheltered bay or estuary, and can be great fun to chase at night on the surface with a net. During the day they can be found near the bottom or mid-water.

The secret to getting them up and feeding in daylight hours is berley. Great news here is that berley for garfish is simple. A bit of tuna oil and medium sized store-bought berley pellets or bread is all you need. Pull the bread apart and place in a bucket. I find old stale bread is good as it crumbles up better and some stores will give it to you for nothing. Once you have the bread broken down nice and small, add some tuna oil and once that has coated up the bread and made a nice goo, add some water. Not too much water as you just want

to have a bit of slurry. Use an old soup ladle to disperse, but don’t take the one from the kitchen at home…

Less is more with any sort of berley, and setting a trap forgar is no different.

If you want to add a bit of a kick to your berley and work over a different sector of the water table, I have a hot tip. Fish sauce. The bread and tuna oil will combine to give you a berley that will sit on the surface and very slowly sink. If you mix in another bucket some fish sauce with berley pellets you will work over the mid-water and bottom. Fish oil or tuna oil floats. Fish sauce does not and will go through the water differently and come off the pellets as they drop to the bottom. It shouldn’t be too long before you see your berley produce some action.

On a good day you will start to see them and other species up on the surface pecking at the floating bread.

The use of floats is very popular and a simple rig under it with a size 8 or 10 long shank hook will be fine. You will only need a small float and when you get a bite don’t pull the fish’s head off just a simple lift of the rod tip will suffice. The small sharp hooks will often set against the resistance of

the float, and raising your rod is just a formality. The two floats I like to use are a small bubble float that you can fish unweighted bait on, or the quill style float. You will need a small split shot attached to stand the float up and present the bait nicely.

Bait is pretty simple and follows the bread theme. I use fresh bread here though, as it balls up better and stays on the hook. Little pieces of tenderised squid also works well, as do pieces of shelled prawns. If you have a super

light rod and reel set up with super light braid on, you can pitch unweighted bait to the closer fish in the berley trail. There is sensational fun to be had tossing unweighted bait to free swimmers you can see in your polarised sunnies.

Using 4-6lb braid and 4lb fluorocarbon leader cast to these guys will make for a good day on the water.

Watch for your bread to disappear and lift the rod tip and you’ll get yourself a mini marlin!

get results. That being said, finding a location that holds good fish of varied species can be hard. The good thing is that looking can be just as much fun. I like to call this style of fishing, prospecting.

Prospecting calls for two things, an open mind and that cornerstone of fishing – patience. The best thing to ever happen

for the prospecting angler is the advent of soft plastics.

Now that soft plastics have been around for so long, the techniques and materials they are made of make them nearly as good as live bait.

Calm down – I said nearly!

Pick an area in and around the fish rich waters of the Southeast and perfect your soft plastic technique.

This is not only great fun, but you may make a discovery.

You may catch a pinkie snapper and think it might be worth a berley here with the anchor down and some designated snapper rigs and techniques in the future. The bays and headlands in this area scream snapper in May and are well worth a try.

Rivers and estuaries like

the Swan and Little Swanport will be great targets for bream anglers. Picking tides that will give you a good crack at the fish in daylight hours is key here. The last hour of the run-in, top of the tide and the hour of run-out are prime times to have a go. You will of course catch fish at other times, but they will be

A solid gummy shark taken off Devonport.

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Tasmania From page 53

super active at these times.

These rivers and estuaries offer very different habitats for the fish to roam, and they can be found in any of them so be prepared to move to find fish.

The shallow flats will be made of mud or sand and break into sections of mussel and oyster covered rocks. Sections of the Swan up high have awesome, boulder-covered pools that have some deep and shallow sections. You will need a selection of lures that work

at all depths and bottom conditions. Cranks, vibes, minnows, bent minnows the bream angler has a lot of choices. Each style can also come in floaters, sinkers, suspenders and everything in between. I am a sucker for a small suspending minnow worked in 1m or so of water.

The secret here is the action you impart on the lure.

Cast it long and straight, as they are often only light, and the 4-6lb braid starts to make sense. When the lure hits the water work the rod tip down low and give

your reel a couple of good winds and rip the rod tip back as you do so. Now pause – you will always hear people talk about a pause with bream fishing, and it is an absolute must to get good results. What you may not get your head around instantly is the length of the pause needed. Sometimes it might be of a short nature.

Other times you can cast out, twitch, twitch and then check your Facebook. Next minute – bang, you’re on.

Vary your pause while using all the different styles of

bream lure available and go and play with them in a clear body of water at your feet.

Watching the effect your rod tip height and action has on any lure is of great advantage. This is also why braid is an advantage as well.

You can feel, not only the strike, but also what your lure is doing at all times. Is it working properly? It may have hooked a treble up on the cast out or caught some weed as you retrieve. Fishing with braid will let you know exactly what is going on at all times.

Nigel Mawby was very happy to tag this shortbill spearfish in competition.

SOUTH TASMANIA The Derwent will also be full of bream for you to practice your techniques on.

This waterway has varied terrain to hone your skills.

Look for rock banks and deeper rocky areas to fish.

Here you can use style of lures with a much bigger bib or the metal vibes, which are so popular on the main land. Cast these out long and hard and give them ample time to sink – this is crucial.

Wake the fish up with some good rod tip lifts and let it fall again to the bottom.

Leave it there for a while and repeat. I also like using

metal vibes off the bottom and in mid-water slowly and have their action incite a bite from a range of species.

Most of the action down south will be around albacore and bluefin tuna. The area is renowned for its sensational action this time a year and May is jumbo time. Last month there were some big tuna caught and some were well over the 100kg magic mark. Look for the big fish to thicken up and then hope that someone lands a true monster.

There were some serious fish around last year and with another lap of their migratory

Jamie Harris found out how much fun these fish are on light gear!

Some strange species found their way into fish bins this season! This is a beautiful little butterfly mackerel. pattern under their belt they should be massive.

These fish will demand that you check your equipment, as they will test it to the nth degree. Line that has been on reels for some years need to be replaced and doubles need to be retied. Inspect all your lure leaders, as a nick from old battles or damage in the boat will reduce the breaking strain considerably. Lever drag reels will need the drags re-set and it’s a good idea to service the eyes of any roller rods you have. This can be done simply by making sure the rollers move freely and that all of them are sprayed with a small amount of Lanolin.

The fishing grounds in and around Tasman Island are excellent, but they are also

plagued with seals, which make it difficult to land fish cleanly. Some crews have been clever and look for areas that hold bait away from the traditional seal hang-outs.

This can involve a little bit of research and a few trips using your sounder to find good bait and bottom holding bait. This can of course be done with a full spread of lures – the way it has fished lately you won’t know what you can find.

Some people have found extra oversize albacore that fight well and are great eating.

These fish have been to 20kg and some are even bigger.

Anglers that like to chase GFAA records will be keen to get involved as there are some light line ones to be had. The lures and technique for these

two species of tuna don’t vary much, and a spread of lures trolled at 6-8 knots will get some action if they are about.

Eaglehawk Neck has produced some solid broadbill swordfish action. It doesn’t look like this will slow anytime soon. Despite the need for some pretty serious equipment, the technique and process is relatively simple. There seems to be a trend of buying big 80W overhead reels. The 80w will allow more line capacity and drag pressure should you hook a certifiable monster.

For those looking to put a broadbill rig together check out the PENN 70VS. Spooled with pre-test Platypus braid and 100m of mono top shot, you’ll have yourself a rig eligible for records. If records are not

your thing, load it with 80lb Whiplash braid and 60kg Stren mono top shot. That combination will have you with the tools to take on some serious underwater monsters. This combination is a little more versatile than the bigger 80 and 130 sized reels and can be used comfortably for jumbo tuna and big mako sharks as well.

Big squid is the bait preferred for most people at present for swords. Large southern calamari or arrows with two large hooks rigged up to them have proven very successful. The idea is not to bury the hooks into the squid and have the squid slump and jam the hook up, but rig them with some waxed line so the hooks stay well clear of the bait. This will have a greater chance of a clean hook up and to stay connected to the fish.

If you need to know more about swords and how to find and catch them, check out Team Choonachaser on Facebook. These lads have it fully sorted and are happy to share information and links on how, when and why.

Don’t let the weather put you off. Tasmania has a whole heap to offer in May so head out and wet a line or two!

HYDROTASMANIAWATERSTORAGEINFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 13th April 2016 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ...................................2.71 .......................................................Steady Arthurs Lake ....................................3.77 .......................................................Steady Great Lake .......................................18.14 .....................................................Steady Trevallyn Pond .................................1.40.........................................................Rising Shannon Lagoon ..............................0.21 .......................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon .............................0.27 .......................................................Steady Lake Echo ........................................11.75 .....................................................Steady Dee Lagoon .....................................0.29 .......................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............3.26 ....................................................... Falling Bronte Lagoon .................................0.74 .......................................................Steady Pine Tier Lagoon ..............................2.48 .......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon ............................0.98 .......................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................6.52 .......................................................Steady Lake St Clair ....................................1.72 .......................................................Steady Lake King William ............................14.92 .....................................................Steady Lake Liapootah ................................2.75 ....................................................... Falling Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................0.60.........................................................Rising Lake Catagunya ...............................0.54 ........................................................Rising

Lake Repulse ...................................0.32 .......................................................Steady Cluny Lagoon ...................................2.03 ....................................................... Falling Meadowbank Lake ..........................0.06 ........................................................Rising Lake Pedder ....................................1.39 .......................................................Steady Lake Gordon ....................................46.04 .....................................................Steady Lake Burbury ...................................8.27 .......................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll ...................................2.23 .......................................................Steady Lake Murchison ...............................10.39 .....................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh .............................2.19 .......................................................Steady Lake Rosebery .................................0.22 .......................................................Steady Lake Pieman ....................................2.22 ........................................................Rising Lake Mackenzie ...............................4.51 .......................................................Steady Lake Rowallan .................................6.51 .......................................................Steady Lake Parangana ...............................1.10.........................................................Rising Lake Cethana ...................................1.46 ........................................................Rising Lake Barrington ...............................0.55 .......................................................Steady Lake Gairdner ..................................3.37 ........................................................Rising Lake Paloona ...................................1.32 ........................................................Rising Woods Lake .....................................2.16 .......................................................Steady Whitespur Pond ...............................3.79 ....................................................... Falling Lake Newton ...................................3.04 ....................................................... Falling Lake Margaret .................................6.49 ........................................................Rising

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

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Inland Fisheries Service

Great Lake now has the dual name of Yingina IFS

INLAND FISHING SERVICE TROUT WEEKEND

Tim Farrell

A second round of dual names have been approved by the Nomenclature Board of Tasmania under the Government’s ‘Aboriginal and Dual Names Policy,’ bringing the total to thirteen names. Earlier this month dual names were assigned to seven Tasmanian geographical icons including Great Lake which now has the dual name of Yingina.

The names are applied in the reconstructed Palawa Kani language following extensive research by the Aboriginal community language revival program.

The assignment of dual names is an important step in the ongoing recognition and preservation of our Aboriginal heritage and culture.

Location Liawenee, Great Lake Date Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May, 2016 Time 10am–3pm daily Entry Free Please note that this is an alcohol, smoking and dog free event.

Come and see hundreds of brown trout on their annual spawning migration in the Central Highlands. Watch wild trout being stripped of eggs for the IFS hatchery at Salmon Ponds. Kids can try their luck at the junior angling pond and maybe catch a trout for dinner. Pick up some tips and ideas at the trout cooking and trout smoking demonstrations. Discover the wonders of our native freshwater species. Take a helicopter ride and get a bird’s eye view of the Central Plateau and Great Lake. Enjoy refreshments, competitions and giveaways. Learn about fisheries management. Talk with trout fishing experts and practice your casting skills. Discuss and buy fishing equipment at the trade exhibits.

IFS ROLLS UP ITS SLEEVES, SLAPS ON THE SUNBLOCK AND GETS TO WORK FOR CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA Inland Fisheries Service staff participated in Clean Up Australia’s ‘Business Clean Up Day’ on Tuesday 1 March. Two sites were targeted by IFS for clean up – the River Derwent, from Bridgewater to Gretna, Lakes Crescent and Sorell.

On the River Derwent

THE OTHER DUAL NAMES ANNOUNCED WERE: Wukalina Titima Laraturunawn Nungu Taypalaka Pinmatik

Mount William Trefoil Island Sundown Point West Point Green Point Rocky Cape

two teams focused on the popular angling and boat launching sites and removed two ute loads and a trailer load of rubbish that included mattresses, deer carcasses, car tyres and televisions.

Due to the increasing popularity of Lake Crescent with anglers, the boat ramps and camping sites at Lake Crescent and Dago Point, Lake Sorell, were our focus.

IFS Staff removed six bags of rubbish at these sites.

Overall it was pleasing that fishing related litter was minimal. However illegal household dumping, human waste and the dumping of animal carcasses were found too often. Dumping in close proximity of, and in some

cases into the river, shows a distinct lack of regard for the impact on downstream water quality.

IFS would like to acknowledge the Derwent Valley Council for waiving tip fees for the rubbish deposited at the Peppermint Hill waste transfer facility.

We say thanks to all anglers who ‘do the right thing’ and take their rubbish home.

WORK CONTINUES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CARP Dr. Elise Furlan, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the University of Canberra, recently returned to Tasmania, to continue her work in environmental DNA detection.

Supported by the extensive data and knowledge of the Tasmanian Carp Management Program, the team led Dr. Furlan to known carp locations in Lake Sorell and past carp sites in Lake Crescent.

Water samples were taken daily at various sites around both lakes, which were then filtered to trap DNA on filter paper. This work will highlight how many water samples must be taken before a conclusion can be made that carp are present or absent in a waterway.

Both lakes were ideal for these trials, due to their large size and isolation. There are no carp sites in Lake Crescent so it was obviously used as a control. Lake Sorell was suitable for the eDNA trials as it

is a contained system where no introduction or emigration of carp occurs, which means an accurate estimate of density is possible. The low density of carp in a comparatively large water body is also a unique situation, and is a good test of eDNA sensitivity. Dr. Furlan has conducted trials in detection sensitivity in mainland carp populations, but these areas all had high densities of carp.

If successful, this technique would be useful to confirm the presence of carp and other species in suspected waters while populations are small, as well as being a complementary technique for confirming the eradication of species from waters.

Dr. Elise Furlan, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the University of Canberra recently returned to Tasmania to continue her work in environmental DNA detection.

MAY 2016

55

Cod Feature

The changing face of Lake Eildon LAKE EILDON

Stephen Vidler

Over the last decade or so Lake Eildon has undergone a massive change in regard to angling opportunities.

Once the centre of Victorian anglers’ attention for large trout during the cooler months and reliable catches of redfin all year round, to now being one of, if not the best native mixed fishery in Victoria.

LAKE EILDON. Lake Eildon suffered drastically during the most recent drought, dropping to around 6% in May 2007.

With the dramatic breaking of the drought the lake rapidly filled during 2010/11, peaking at 99% in November 2011 and maintained healthy levels since, (the lake is currently at approximately 45% in the late stages of the 2015/16 irrigation season).

These figures become much more impressive when you consider the following

information. Lake Eildon, at full capacity holds 3,334,158,000,00L of water, and covers 13,832 hectares with a maximum depth of almost 79m (260ft)!

Along with the rapid filling and subsequent production, Victorian Fisheries carried out a massive stocking campaign during the 2010–2013 period

with an extra 1,000,000 Murray cod stocked into the lake on top of the normal annual stocking of 30,00050,000 Murray cod and around 200,000 golden

The condition of Eildon Murray cod is amazing; they’ve absolutely gorged themselves this season.

The author with one mean slice of Eildon cod. You’re guaranteed to feel like a champion catching one of these big girls! perch. With steady catches of Murray cod and reliable catches of goldens before this filling and stocking. The fish currently being caught are in absolute obese condition – get the heavier gear out and hang on!

Many Australian lakes, dams and impoundments experience cycles of fishing ‘boom and bust’ periods.

This is due to our changing

in plant and animal plankton, and invertebrates; and the subsequent fish growth that is achieved following flooding of previously dry ground is immense. This whole scenario can and will be affected by the availability of fish by way of transferral by floods, and in many cases, human intervention in artificial stocking.

Both Murray cod and golden perch can now be targeted along with redfin, trout and even carp and roach. The time of year and subsequent temperature

huge cod caught in the depth of winter.

One of the most obvious changes to Eildon’s fishing is the lack of redfin caught in the usual areas and with the usual techniques. There are still very good quality redfin in the lake, with 40-50cm fish captured and often massive schools of 50–100mm redfin showing up all over the lake.

The big difference is the lack of the once regular fish of 200-300mm that in the past were at almost plague proportions.

There are quite a few

Ah the serenity! Pick the right day and Eildon is beautiful to troll.

Harleigh caught this massive trout – awesome job!

Quality trout are not hard to find, and are more aggressive during the winter months.

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MAY 2016

and often harsh climate.

Huge rainfall and floods, that transform dry crusty lakebeds to highly productive waters, can rapidly halt periods of prolonged drought and high temperatures and create fish fattening expanses of water. Mind-blowing levels of production occur

of the water will dictate what species of fish will be more active and likely to be encountered by anglers.

Winter is still a much better time to chase trout and summer to chase the natives.

Having said that, great quality trout can and will be caught mid-summer and

possible and probable explanations for this. It is a certainty that those Murray cod and yellowbelly have grown to the huge dimensions they currently are because of a diet highly supplemented by redfin.

Yes, they’ve eaten a lot of them. The other theory is

Cod Feature that the preference of water depth, cover and space for the bigger native fish just happens to be the same ‘patch of turf’ that the redfin had previously inhabited.

I’m sure if I was a colourful little reddy in a comfortable patch of water and a big bad cod decided he’d prefer the same space I’d let him have it and I would move to a new

A big beauty brought undone by a spinnerbait is reeled into the boat.

area, even if it wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be.

The redfin caught in the lake now are far more likely to be found in 11–16m of water, not the 6–10mwhere they were commonly found in the past.

WHERE TO FIND THEM Lake Eildon can be a daunting place to fish due to its massive size and varying structure. The lake consists of shallower, cleared agricultural land around the Bonnie Doon and Delatite end through to very deep water surrounded by natural bush in the central part of the lake around the Eildon National Park, Frasers, Dam Wall and Jerusalem Creek areas. The area from the Big River Arm through to Goughs Bay and Jamieson Arm are mostly natural bushland with varying medium to deep water and have the majority of the inflowing fresh, cool water.

Areas of reliable native fish angling opportunities are increasing year-by-year, with many good quality fish now being encountered through the system, from the shallow water around the Bonnie Doon Bridge through to the inflows of the Goulburn River near Jamieson.

The most consistent areas to find native fish are around the whole Bonnie

Football-sized yellowbelly are the norm in Eildon.

Doon Bridge region through to the Delatite River, the Dam Wall and the Fraser/ Taylor Bay region. These areas can be easily trolled with bibbed diving lures and/ or fished with spinnerbaits and sinking, bibless style lures. When seeking areas to actively cast lures in search of natives, look for very deep, steep banks, areas of large structure, rocks, boulders or trees and obvious drop-offs and points where ridges of surrounding hills disappear into the deeper water.

Constant surveillance of your sounder and trolling lures will often have you finding golden perch ‘schooled up’ during the warmer times of year. If you hook a fish in open water or see deep-bodied images on your sounder, mark or remember the spot and troll back over or, even better actively cast bibless lures, soft plastics or spinnerbaits at the school. Once these fish have been found, multiple hook-ups can be achieved when the fish are switched

on. Having said that, these fish can be very frustrating at times and sometimes won’t show any interest at all in anything you throw at them.

If this is the case, and you have the time, return to the general area and try again.

The mood of the fish can change from day-to-day and the fish that wouldn’t look at a lure on Wednesday will smash them on Thursday.

The time of day will greatly influence your chance of catching a native fish. The To page 58

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Cod Feature From page 57

first few hours of darkness and the last few hours of dark leading to the first couple of hours of light are by far the best times to target these fish.

Colours! Where do I start? With no firm rule or definite pattern I tend to aim at a bit of ‘match the hatch’ by fishing with what is available in the area,

mostly redfin roach and carp colours and patterns. A couple of colours that have worked very well over the last few years are the yellow with black bands or stripes

Redfin are not as numerous as they have been, however, they are of great condition once you locate them!

The author with a standard Murray cod from this part of the world!

TECHNIQUES AND TACKLE Trolling diving lures around selected areas of the lake is the most popular technique to target native fish in Lake Eildon. This method accounts for plenty of fish and can be quite easily achieved by most boat and kayak anglers.

Medium to large lures with big, deep diving bibs and high floatation capabilities are the best for this style of fishing. These lures allow anglers to fish deep and slow enough and allow the lure to ‘back up’ or be able to shake off if and when snags are encountered.

There are endless brands, sizes, colours and manufacturers of these lures.

My choice of trolling and casting, bibbed lures consist mainly of Rapala DT and large Shad Raps, Paul Nicel Lures in the Ck‘n Big and Rattlin Hump, JD Eddy lures, Oargee Lures and the old faithful Predateks and Stumpjumpers.

Nick Taylor with a ripper cod!

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MAY 2016

(particularly for the goldens), and dark purple and purple pink combinations – what they imitate I’ll never know.

A general rule of thumb

is to fish dark, natural coloured lures in turbid or muddy water and in low light conditions and brighter, hi-vis type lures in clear, bright conditions. I have had times when fish will aggressively attack bright orange/yellow and lime greens early in the mornings, then not want anything but black and dark purple later in the morning, the next outing can be completely vice versa!

The lesson is, keep trying until something works.

If you select zones where some likely structure, steep banks or fish have been picked up on the sounder, to cast and retrieve lures at I will use either a soft plastic, sinking bibless lure or a spinnerbait. I usually have

rods in the boat set with each style of lure so I can grab what I want and start casting then swap quickly to another choice if there’s no reaction.

My first choice is normally a subtle, natural type soft plastic lure. I have been having great success with lures imitating the Australian smelt that are currently abundant in this system. My lures of choice are Jackalls Clone Fry, Lunker Baits and Fish Arrow Flash J Shad – all these lures are life-like soft plastics.

If the subtle approach fails to attract attention I will switch to a sinking bibless lure, firstly in silent then in rattling. Lures of choice include the ever-reliable Jackall range in TN60 and mask vibe, Team Diawa, and Lucky Craft LVRTO-50.

You will need to experiment with colours.

The last in the arsenal, and possibly the most successful and variable is the spinnerbait. These lures come in various sizes, blade configurations, colours and weights. In Eildon I choose natural brown, green, black and silver/grey colours to start with varying to dark skirts with bright combinations and bands.

Large spinnerbaits from 3/8oz, 1/2oz and right through to the really big 1½oz and 2oz are the best for Eildon natives, the bigger models can even be successfully trolled in shallower areas although they can be very hard on the arms in casting sessions.

When casting spinnerbaits always be ready for a hit while the lure is on the drop.

I have made the mistake of not clicking the reel into gear as the lure drops only to have it smashed in heart stopping aggression and missed or had to deal with the mess of a ‘bird’s nest’ and a hooked fish that just can’t be wound, (exciting but not fun).

Blade configuration is

the next issue. When fish are a bit slow to react, or when water is a bit cooler and a very slow retrieve is suitable, the combination of two Colorado blades can be suitable, however I choose on most occasions to use a willow (main blade) and Colorado blade combination.

This allows the lure to maintain depth with all but the fastest retrieve staying in the strike zone for much more of the retrieval.

Blade colours are again a matter of experimentation.

I have caught many Eildon natives on silver, gold, bronze and painted blades, however the most consistent blades for me have been ‘hammered’ bronze or gold coloured blades. I also prefer large blades and will often replace standard blades with large 100mm+ blades.

The addition of stinger hooks and soft plastics will greatly improve both hits and hook-ups while adding bulk to the lure to tempt the bigger of the fish. Most well-known Australian brands of spinnerbaits will work in Eildon. Secret Creek (particularly the big Gigantors), Bassman and Outlaw are just a few that are always worth a cast or two.

SUMMARY With continued stocking

by Victorian Fisheries and the massive food supply available in this great lake system, it is really up to Mother Nature as to how good this fishery can be.

Nearly all the native fish caught in the lake are in above good condition, trout have increased in quality in the past few years and the redfin, although not in the numbers Eildon was famous for, are top quality once they can be located.

This lake system will be added to many fishers’ must-do list in the future and, if it’s not already, will rapidly become the bestmixed fishery in Victoria, if not beyond.

Rethink your tactics HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

This time of year is a transition period for trout anglers. Many are already out looking for the big fellas, working the shallows and covered banks for marauding fish on the hunt for a feed This is where tactical

the colder water spurs them into action and the weed growth ceases we will see some terrific trolling action.

Reddies won’t be the only species rustled up, as the bigger trout in here will also rise to a surface lure. There will be some trophy fish out of Fyans this winter. It’s been a long road to recovery, and with plenty of fishing pressure due to surrounding

Maxi Stephens with a carp he landed at the Horsham Angling Club competition recently held on the Wimmera River. changes need to be implemented, as these fish not only become wary but wise up quickly as well.

Where you would normally use a diving or sub surface lure to entice deeper fish, a surface lure retrieved to bank or boat usually brings on a strike or follow. Reverse your thinking as to where the fish are feeding, in summer the insects are blown in at the top end of a lake and the trout are usually there waiting! In winter the trout will be at the bottom end of a lake where the weed collects and can often be seen skirting the edge of such places for an easy feed.

Work the wind lanes from bank or boat, as big trout love to cruise these areas.

LAKE FYANS Redfin have started to school here and the numbers are becoming consistent now for anglers targeting these lovely eating fish. As

lakes dying off, the stocking here has kept many anglers entertained. Rainbows and browns were liberated here at various sizes and are thriving, so expect Fyans to pull some big surprises over the winter!

LAKE WARTOOK Dropping water levels have not been kind to the lake but Wartook has still produced some great fish and will continue to do so all winter. Reddies haven’t been as abundant over summer but they could make a late appearance leading into the colder months and school in May or early June for a brief period, but the window of opportunity will be slim. The trout will become very active here in the coming weeks and bank and boat anglers should find themselves willing fish as they become hungry and search more ground for a feed. Mudeyes or minnows/gudgeon fished

under a bubble float is the best method in the brighter times of the day but darker conditions are ideal for trolling or cast/retrieve styles of fishing.

TAYLORS LAKE Some lovely fish have been landed here including several cod over the metre mark, with many smaller fish captured as well, but the best option has been to target golden perch. Prior to Easter the yellas decided to switch on and have since delighted many from both the bank and boat. Yabbies fished on the bottom on either a paternoster rig or running sinker rig have done well. The cod have been taken using most of the usual methods including spinnerbaits, deep diving hardbodies, yabbies, and grubs fished on the bottom.

Work the timbered areas and the rocky ledges. However, you can catch them in open water, therefore if you find

Zachary Stephens landed this cracker redfin at Lake Fyans during the school holidays.

LAKE TOOLONDO Unfortunately the lake has become so low it’s almost impossible to launch here in anything other than a small tinny. The fish to the best of my knowledge have pulled through but have gone back

more pressure this winter and if spring and summer catches are any indication, there’s some monsters to be had. I lost a brown weeks ago that would have been in excess of 75cm – one of the bigger fish I’ve seen for

Billy Crouch from Nhill caught and released a tench, a once very common catch in the Wimmera recently at Lake Wartook. the bait you’ll find the fish.

WIMMERA RIVER Golden perch thrive here and have become a regular catch for anglers who put the time in and source good bait prior to a visit – yabbies and scrub worms are ideal here. Locationwise it’s important to look for structure or overhanging trees as these fish are mostly ambush predators laying in wait for a passing feed.

Spinnerbaits,slow trolled or cast lures as well as plastics should see you hooked up if worked in the right areas. Cod have been a little quiet of late but may make another strong surge between now and the closed season. Redfin should be a viable option at this time of year as they tend to school and roam the edges. Baits as per above or flashy lures should entice a hit.

in condition due to very warm water temperatures over the summer – stress levels would have been very high. Let’s just wait and see if the rains turn up and the fish spring back to action.

ROCKLANDS RESERVOIR As with most lakes, Rocklands has suffered the same fate with water levels dropping fast to supply downstream users and provide stock and domestic water.

Although now at a four year low it continues to fish well on the higher barometer days for redfin and trout. Some bass are being taken but I suspect as water temperatures drop they will become a rare catch over winter. Carp continue to pester every bait that lands in the water but provide many hours of fun for kids and big kids too!

The trout here may get a little

some time. Stick to the timber lines and drop-offs for best results trolling for reddies and trout, for the bass, target the structure as they are never too far from cover.

LAKE BELLFIELD Once again Bellfield has turned on some lovely fish over the past few months and I expect that to continue right through the winter months with the chance of some very good chinook salmon emerging as the temperatures drop right off. Stocked around three years ago now, they have been a rare catch but if the progress in the Camperdown crater lakes is any indication, then we should see some fish of 2kg+ being taken soon.

Brown and rainbow trout also inhabit this lake, as well as a healthy population of redfin.

The reddies tend to be on the small side but the occasional bigger fish is landed. With good bank access in a lot of areas it’s a picturesque lake with potential. Not usually on the radar of the serious anglers due to lack of reports/ exposure as well as an electric motor only policy, I think it may become a lake of the future if managed carefully.

A good feed of golden perch landed by Clive Jones and Craig Parker at Taylors Lake over the Easter break.

MAY 2016

59

That trophy fish isn’t far off!

MILDURA

Darcy Scherger

Mildura fishing has definitely not cooled down like the weather! There have been many reports coming in of good-sized Murray cod and golden perch caught on bait and lures.

Anglers have been active in this lovely weather and have enjoyed the magnificent Murray at this lovely time of year. The weather is pleasing and a lot better for the fish upon release, avoiding heat damage.

Radiation and heat direct from the sun hurts the fish

just like it hurts the angler.

When a 1m+ Murray cod gets been pulled up from 8m of cool, pitch black water, then is handled by the angler trying to get a good picture will damage that fish. As much as you try to look after the fish, you will hurt it the longer it is out of the water in the sun. With the large specimens, especially that may not have been caught before, you’re better to stick to the South Australian rules and keep them in the water while de-hooking them and get a happy snap. Hopefully this weather is moving on and it will not be a problem for those catch and releasing the mighty Murray cod.

Small Murray cod have been consistent on bait upstream of Mildura around Nangiloc area, which hasn’t changed much at all from last month. Solid numbers of Murray cod have been caught, generally between the sizes of 30-60cm, but the larger trophy fish are a different story.

Catching that fish of a lifetime isn’t easy – it takes time, it costs money, and did I mention time? Time on the water plays a massive role in catching that 1m+ Murray cod. I used to think each and every hour I spend out here is an hour closer to that stream train hit from a 1m+ fish. The fish that peels 50lb

braid off your reel, bends trebles and bends your rod in half, is worth the endless amounts of money and time.

Persistence and patience are key when chasing that trophy fish.

There have been several of these fish caught trolling lures upstream of Lock 9 within the deep bends. Cast large profiled hardbodies and large spinerbaits and expect to be smashed by cod. Upstream of Lock 9 consists of amazing cod territory. The bends and snags are unreal cod habitat.

Luke Jensen from GO Outdoors Mildura reports that golden perch have been smashing large lures at the

Luke Jensen with a nice Murray cod trolled upstream of Mildura. moment. They have been smashing lures up to the size of 140mm, but they don’t

seem scared to have a crack at the large lures at this time of the year.

Get yourself an armload of green!

ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

A continuous trail of river bound traffic rolled through town in the lead

The opportunity to sip a brew around the glowing embers of a bank side campfire is an Aussie tradition that’s set to the aroma of a slow-cooked camp oven or a char burnt billy of gum smoked tea.

refuse to cooperate.

I love the Murray at this time of the year and the awesome camping and fishing to be had there. The smiling faces of children eagerly gathering bait from the numerous shrimp traps

Brad Clark with an early autumn monster Murray cod. up to the Easter holiday break. Despite the hype and hysteria surrounding the blue green algae, the traditional Easter camp along the Murray River was alive and well.

With rods at the ready a feed of fresh fish for Good Friday lunch was planned and the stakes were high, even though a packet of fish fingers were carefully stowed in the esky should the fish

set in front of camp is a prize in itself, let alone the catch at the end of the day.

A container of worms or a finger thick grub will do the job, as will a bucket full of pincher armed yabbies. All

A glowing fire and camp ovens are an Aussie tradition over the Easter break.

60

MAY 2016

manner of these are carefully rigged and cast from boat or bank, and the waiting game begins.

In the lead up to the Easter break the fishing was good in most areas. Swan Hill had good numbers of cod on both bait and lures near the Floodway.

Local tackle proprietor Jim Credlin said the fishing has been excellent, and with the river on the rise he expects good catches of perch on bait. Credlin also said the Wakool River at Kyalite has fished well for both perch and Murray cod. Credlin went on to say Boundary Bend has fished well for several weeks now with Murray cod to 90cm landed on trolled lures. Black and yellow StumpJumpers have been the lure of choice, with Old Mates and Codzillas not far behind. Cheese still continues to tempt a few fish and is not bad on a biscuit either should the angling be a little slow.

The Murray River at Wemen has seen good numbers of cod to 80cm caught on lures. Some solid perch have also been caught

Finger thick grubs are excellent bait for large murray cod. in this area on bait fished tight to the timber.

Several big cod have been caught in the pool water both above and below Mildura this past month on trolled lures. Perch have been having a crack as well, especially on smaller lures and bobbed baits of shrimp and small yabbies.

As the water temperature continues to cool, we enter what I consider to be the start of the big cod season.

Crisp mornings and cool nights make for excellent camping, so from an angling perspective what better time of the year to be out chasing a monster cod along the Murray River.

Second cast with the new Venom PE 3-5 and Tim Polis had himself an armload of green fish.

Codzillas still active on surface!

YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett

A U S T R A L I A

codclassic@bigpond.com

The powers that warned every man and their dog in the land to avoid all blue green algae affected waterways had little education behind their poorly planned advisory campaign. What they forgot to tell us is that it does not affect the fishing or the fish themselves – fish have lived in it for millions of years

Unfortunately, March and Easter in particular has been a write-off in both fishing and boating visitor numbers. Reports have been limited, but those who have put their lives on the line (tongue in cheek) have been rewarded more often than not.

Looking forward, we have now entered a period of cooler weather and the blue green algae (BGA) is expected to disappear over the next few weeks.

Traditionally, as the temperature cools, so does the catch rate – but the quality of cod we see tends to improve. This season fishing the shallower areas has been more productive, and there is no reason why that won’t continue.

Casting any style of lure or surface lures in particular will see you in with the best chance of tangling with a Mulwala monster or two.

Looking back, early March saw the running of the ‘His & Hers Partners Classic’. A huge 49 diehard teams tackled the BGA on a 41°C day to make things extra fun! The lake fished amazingly with 120+ cod measured and released.

Jackie Crossley got the chocolates for the ladies’ biggest cod with a cracker measuring 70cm. Nick Dobinson pulled a mighty 102cm to take home the gentleman’s honours while

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Pantera II 2016 Paul Healey’s 116cm monster caught during the Mulwala Classic.

Derek Blow was close behind with a 99cm bruiser.

Derek and Sue Blow had a massive day, and landed six legals – easily taking home the winning team prize money.

The 24th Invitational Mulwala Classic was run in mid-March in some trying conditions with 60km/h+ winds greeting competitors on the first day. Paul Healey managed to find cover in some sneaky backwaters and landed an absolute stonker that measured in at 116cm.

This fish fell victim to a cast Gangster spinnerbait.

To top it off, the following day his fishing partner Kyle Dalrymple had a blinder, landing six nice cod and taking out the Champion Angler title in the process.

Compliments to organisers Mick Massier, Simon Abernethy and their band of happy smiling helpers.

May really is the last month before w get into th bitter cold of winter down our way. Remember

to rugging up, and take care on the foggy mornings on the lake around the timber - we don’t want any accidents.

Make sure you make a trip into town and get all the good oil from the locals so you too can pull tight to a Mulwala monster!

And even if you don’t catch fish, it really is a beautiful part of the world and it’s here to be enjoyed.

• If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

CAPTURES Notable catches from March and April Angler Rob Stranger Matthew Wallis George Jovanovic Matt Pejkovic Corey Banfield Thomas Pinter Paul Klien Marshall Elliott Daneka Robinson Macca McDonald Luke James Scott Towner Glen Becker Jason Williams

Length (cm) 106 104 100 98.5 93 91 90 84 80 65+ 65+ 65+ 65+ 65+

FISHING FILL-ITS

Fishing club grants open Victorian recreational fishing clubs are now eligible to apply for $2,000 grants to promote membership and update facilities.

The ‘Stronger Fishing Clubs’ grants program opened today for 12 months, and is a key part of the Andrews Labor Government’s Target One Million election commitment, aiming to get more people fishing, more often.

Fishing clubs are often the first point of call for

beginner anglers, and that’s why the Labor Government is supporting them.

All Victorian fishing clubs that were operational as of 1 January 2015 can apply.

Favourable consideration will be given to clubs that propose to use the grant for membership drives, introductory fishing days, open days or marketing of their club with flyers, signage and website development.

Consideration will also be given to applications

for the purchase of club equipment, renovations or repairs to clubhouses and facilities.

To apply online or learn more about the program, including guidelines and conditions, visit www.vic. gov.au/strongerfishingclubs Get more information about Target One Million at www.vic.gov.au/ targetonemillion Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford said she is excited by the prospect.

“We’re creating better fishing opportunities to

attract more visitors to fishing destinations across the state, boosting local economies and supporting local businesses,” she said.

“The Andrews Labor Government is investing in recreational fishing, to encourage Victorians to spend more quality time outdoors enjoying this great pastime.

“With more people fishing more often, we will be well on our way to reach one million anglers by 2020.” – DPC Victoria

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Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com MAY 2016

61

Cool spell set to fire up the winter waterways SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The past months have been very hard to report on as normal weather predictions have been thrown out the window. A warmer than usual start to autumn accompanied by lack of rain has really tested our local anglers. With the massive outbreak of blue green algae in the Murray, the Goulburn seemed to get more attention than normal over the Easter period.

I wish I could say more anglers means more reports of fish, but the fresh environmental flows have made it very hard to catch fish. Bait seems to be the better choice, with worms or yabbies finding cod but the majority of them have been quite small. There has been the odd nice cod around the 70cm mark caught out Toolamba way on yabbies along with legal fish caught out Bunbartha way on cheese.

Those who fished the river prior to the environment flows had more luck than when it was dropping.

Kaye Goggin recently spent time tagging local cod – this is one she caught and released.

Hopefully this month we see steady water levels so the water cleans up. May is still a good time to target native species in the Goulburn River, you just have to work a bit harder for good results.

The Broken River has fished better than the Goulburn and I think that’s due to it being a lot clearer and at a good level. The boys from Catch Custom spinnerbaits have caught the cod recently, and the bigger single blades work a treat.

Those using hardbodies have reported that Codgers, Old Mates and Kuttafurras have worked well and the majority of catches have come on darker colours.

Surface fishing has been quiet in the Goulburn due to river heights but the Broken consistently produces good fish off the surface. Jackall Pompadours and the Balista topwater range have done most of the damage. With the water temperatures dropping it is becoming more difficult to catch live bait so if you can catch or buy yabbies I suggest using them. Casting baits in the back eddies is the favourite technique for many at this time.

WARANGA BASIN This is the time of the year I fish the basin the most, as there is normally minimal wind and minimal boating traffic. If you get onto a school it’s a lot easier to hold on the fish if the wind and other boats are scarce.

There have been reports of good-sized redfin caught around Harrimans Road ramp. The redfin have mostly been caught on vibes or soft plastics slow rolled from the bottom with the odd twitch.

There have been more and more reports of big yellowbelly caught in the Basin and it has been reported that most are caught as anglers drift off a school. I am no expert, but the bigger fish could be stalking the big

DAM LEVELS

Lake/Dam........................ % Full

Lake/Dam........................ % Full

LAKE/DAM Feb Mar Apr Cairn Curran 19 18 14 Dartmouth 45 43 43 Eildon 42 38 32 Eppalock 29 26 23 Fyans 61 57 49 Greens 48 44 42 Hepburn 25 17 13 Hume 38 32 24 Lauriston 70 66 66 Malmsbury 28 21 18

Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 97 94 95 Newlyn 23 18 14 Nillahcootie 38 32 25 Rocklands 12 12 11 Taylors 40 39 31 Tullaroop 20 18 14 Upper Coliban 46 44 44 Waranga 24 17 14 Wartook 52 49 39 William Hovell 82 65 43

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.)

62

MAY 2016

Gerrick Rogers with a 72cm cod caught over Easter. schools of redfin and once you drift off the school the yellowbelly ambush your lures. I will be trying to put this theory into practice over the next month or two and deliberately drift off the redfin schools with bigger lures to try and catch the bigger yellowbelly.

KIALLA LAKES All three lakes are looking the best they have in years and credit when it’s deserved, the council has really worked hard to re-establish the lakes as a premier fishing location.

The amount of kids and families fishing the lakes has been very positive for the future of fishing. The fish have quietened off a bit, but there has been some nicesized fish caught.

There have been a lot of smaller carp caught on worms around the weed banks in the second lake. Cast light weighted rigs loaded with worms near the weeds to land a carp. If you’re chasing yellowbelly, lipless crankbaits in dark colours work well when loaded up with scent.

Slow rolling or hopping off the bottom seems to work the best. Smaller spinnerbaits like the Bassman Yellamans have worked well, but almost any type of spinnerbait will work in the lake.

SHEPPARTON LAKE The Shepparton Lake is yet again full of weed and almost un-fishable. Trolling has become very hard as your line picks up the surface weed.

Your trebles seem to snag the underwater weed and you find yourself winding the lure in more than letting it swim.

Some anglers have rigged plastics on a weedless rig with rattle chambers or blades attached to the jighead. Bank fishing with bait is limited to mostly floating baits in clear water, but even that is getting harder to find.

There were some reports of the trout starting to bite again after a slow summer.

LOCAL CHANNELS I am not too sure when the channels are set to be dropped, but if it is in May there will still be good areas to fish. The stretch between Pine Lodge Pub and the Shepp/Euroa Road Bridge has worked for me. That stretch has a few drop bars and three or four bridges that hold spots for redfin. There have also been more cod caught in the last two years in the channels, so there will be plenty of cod in the same areas – don’t be surprised if you catch a nice

size cod among the redfin.

TOOLAMBA FISHING CLUB 10TH EASTER CLASSIC The Toolamba Fishing Club ran a cracker of a competition yet again over Easter this year.

There was a good turnout of competitors, with plenty of families in attendance. The biggest fish prize was an outboard motor, taken out by Adam Maxworthy. A huge congratulation has to go to the sponsors and volunteers involved that supported the Toolamba Fishing Club.

Ian Harvey of Lilydale caught this magnificent 900mm yellowtail kingfish at Walkerville. He caught the kingie in 3m of deep dirty water while chasing whiting with small calamari bait. The 79-year-old was over the moon to catch his first ever kingfish!

Take a gamble and give the trout a shot in May! WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Rug up folks, the colder weather is right on our doorsteps! Autumn has started off really well, with a lengthy spell of above average temperatures paving the way for some great early autumn cod fishing. We had rain during mid-March but it was not enough to cause the rivers to become high and dirty.

MURRAY COD Provided we do not get too much rain leading up to May we may still have some reasonable Murray cod fishing in the Ovens and King rivers this month. May is a tough time to catch cod around Wangaratta on any given year. Below average rainfall usually leads to better cod fishing during May, but even when the conditions are perfect, the fishing can still be tough as the water becomes very cold.

is May! On a positive note, May seems to be the time of the year when we see some of the largest fish get caught for the entire year, particularly downstream of Wangaratta in the far lower reaches of the Ovens River, which are backed up by the waters of Lake Mulwala. Another positive to fishing for Murray cod in the Wangaratta area during May is that there are no snakes! I have seen the odd red-bellied black snake, but they aren’t common and are usually restricted to moving around on the warmest days in May and the middle of the day!

TROUT Trout fishing can be interesting during May. It can be red hot or they can be completely shut down. Trout begin spawning in many of the streams of North East Victoria, and continue through June and sometimes into the start of July.

Early in the month you may find some great trout

The picturesque Lake William Hovell is a great place to fish during May. fishing before the spawning really begins. The Ovens River upstream of Bright will be worth a try. As the larger fish

Shane Orr with a Lake William Hovell redfin caught recently on a Strike Tiger curl-tail grub soft plastic.

If you’re lure fishing, try to retrieve your lure as slowly as possible. Whether it is a surface lure, spinnerbait or hardbody lure, the slower you can retrieve it, and the longer you can leave it in the cod’s face to annoy it, the more likely the fish will be to hit the lure. I find really large hardbody lures, which are quite brightly coloured and intrusive work well during May. Something like a fluorescent coloured Number 1 Stumpjumper is a great start.

Bait fishers can’t go past bardi grubs, cheese or worms.

Worms tend to catch more fish, but are also known for catching smaller fish so it may be worth persevering with a big stinking frozen bardi grub! As with lure fishing, do not head out with high expectations as after all – it

tend to swim upstream into the smaller creeks to spawn, look for creeks that flow into the main Ovens River that you

REDFIN Once again, it is all about Lake William Hovel during May. The redfin fishing,

Terry Alexander caught this Lake William Hovell redfin on a small yabby.

There will still be a few cod on the chew in the Wangaratta area during May, however expect to see the activity slow down.

think trout may be likely to swim up and fish them. The tributaries don’t have to be big, and if we get a really wet April the trout will even swim up a seasonal flowing creek to spawn. Small tributaries in the headwaters of the Ovens River catchment are worth fishing for trout during May. So too is Lake William Hovell. I find that Lake William Hovell stands out from the crowd during May. It’s only a small lake, but every year it fishes well for trout, particularly for boat or kayakbased anglers. Try trolling winged lures anywhere around the lake, and concentrate your efforts on the low light periods of the day and in the shaded areas. During the afternoon, I find the western side of the main body of the lake is usually productive as the late afternoon shadows creep across the lake.

which is usually at its best in the lake in March and April can slow down quite a bit during May, but in saying that, some of my most memorable fishing sessions on the lake have been during May. When redfin fishing on Lake William Hovell during May you must locate the schools of larger fish. They are there, but you need to find them. The best way to do that is to drift slowly around the lake and drag your bait along the bottom, or cast soft plastics around as you drift. If it is windy, use you anchor and keep trying new spots every 10 minutes or so. I have been doing well up there this autumn with 2” Strike Tiger curl-tail grubs in whitebait pearl colour, and small yabbies for bait.

MAY 2016

63

Dawn of the spawn JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Welcome to May, the month when we really see a change in the weather in the Snowy Mountains. The mornings are often frosty and close to 0°C and the days see temperatures between 15-24°C. The cooling water makes now a great time to catch trout.

The rules for spawning rivers like the Thredbo and Eucumbene rivers change in May to only one trout over 50cm to be kept. Keep this in mind and always check with the local NSW Fisheries regulations before fishing a waterway. Last year I wrote about late summer and early autumn being cooler and wetter – in 2016 we’ve had the opposite so the lake water temperatures have been a little slower to cool down. Without any heavy rain, it is possible we may see a much later spawning season for the trout this year. Only time will tell.

Let’s look at what to expect with the fishing over the coming month.

RIVER SPINNING Minnow lures like the small StumpJumpers or Bullet minnows will work better from now on as the trout move into spawning mode. After rain when the river is high, use sinking or deeper diving minnows and stick to smaller lures when the water is low and clear. Don’t worry about the size of lures if the river is in flood because you might find that bigger is better. The Thredbo River is my river of choice from now until rivers close in June.

If we get rain and the brown trout start to run on the Thredbo River, then you might like to use the drift

rigging technique to catch the trout as they sit in the deeper faster water. Team up a fly like a weighted black nymph with a Glo Bug and let the rig bounce along the bottom with the aid of some split shot is one way to catch trout on artificial flies using a normal spinning outfit. If you don’t know how to drift rig then call into my shop when you are down and we can set you up, or you can book a tour and learn from me personally.

FLYFISHING The streams and rivers will still have good days even this late in the season, and all depends on the weather as it can often start to get nasty in the mountains as we head into winter and snow.

Recently in the mountain streams fish have been taken on brown or black nymphs out of the running water, but you never know, a sunny day with insects about might even get a fish to take a dry fly.

As the rain comes, and more trout move into the Thredbo River to spawn, anglers will begin to chase big trophy fish and fly anglers will have the best success using Glo Bugs and nymphs.

Black and brown nymphs in about a size 10 or 12 are good.

Make sure you have some weighted flies for when the river is flowing hard, as you need to get the fly down to the fish to catch them.

Lake Jindabyne will fish better this month as the edge water cools down. Water temperatures have a big effect on how close to shore the fish hang, but it’s cooler now and the fishing is much better and will continue to improve as the water cools even further.

Flies to try over the coming months will be the purple/black Woolly Bugger and Mrs Simpson. Don’t forget the Williamson’s Gold

Fish around the creek inlets during the late evening.

BAIT FISHING This month the shore based lake-fishing gets better for the bait angler. Big brown trout cruise the edges looking for a feed before they head into the rivers on their spawning run.

Worms teamed with artificial baits and fished off the bottom is a method that is working well at the moment on Lake Jindabyne.

The best areas to try over the next couple of months will be Waste Point at Creel Bay and the Snowy Arm near the pumping station.

LAKE SPINNING As the water starts to cool down the lake spinning will improve. Tasmanian Devil lures in brown colours such as number 48, the Red Nosed Brown Bomber and Holographic will catch you fish. My Steve Williamson orange and black Tasmanian Devil also work a treat at the moment. When the water temperature gets below 14°C, pink or orange lures always work well.

On the lake, good spinning areas to try are Creel Bay, Waste Point, The Snowy Arm and for fish still actively feeding try Curiosity Rocks, Wollondibby Inlet, Hatchery Bay and The Claypits area.

TROLLING Lake trolling is interesting in autumn as some days the fish will strike out of aggression and some days they will be feeding and different lures will work at different times.

Knowing what the weather is about to do will help. As with spinning on the lake, big lures are well worth a try for big browns when they are in aggressive mode.

The weed beds are close to the edge now as the water level drops a little, so troll early in close with lures that don’t dive too deep.

Tasmanian Devil lures are still well worth a try, and this month is the time I often change to pink or orange

Amanda Walshaw with a brown and a rainbow accompanied by a girl’s best friend – Chloe the dog. coloured lures. Tasmanian Devils in colours 55 pink or 56 orange are good lures to try for non-feeding fish.

Even at this time of year the day will often warm up and the fish will still go deeper. Lead core lines and downriggers will still be very useful over the coming month. Remember all the photos in the magazines of big fish caught off downriggers with big minnow lures trolled slowly?

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Creel Bay and Snowy arm at the pumping station.

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MAY 2016

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Lion and Cub Islands always fish well in autumn for rainbow trout, and as the brown trout move to the end of the lake ready to spawn, Creel Bay and the Snowy River Arm are well worth trying.

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65

Tricky Eildon still serves up massive cod EILDON

Andy McCarthy

The extension of the irrigation period, which ran deep into April for the first time in a long time, has caused a dramatic downturn in fishing.

To say it’s been quiet would be an understatement.

A few anglers have caught fish, but there has been more people putting in long hours for no result. The only good news is that a few of the fish caught have been crackers – I don’t mean to make this magazine the

Neil Main show but he’s done it again with another 1m+ cod coming from 1.2m depth. I personally regard Lake Eildon as the trickiest fishery in Victoria by a long way as the lake is not the best location for natives because of cold water temperatures, but it’s

Neil Main’s 1.2m cod; what a healthy sight!

John Costa’s beautiful PB cod and a memory that will last a lifetime.

also not great as a summer location for the trout with warmer water temperatures in comparison to the alpine lakes (Jindabyne and Eucumbene).

Combine these factors with the very fast dropping water level throughout spring and summer to make Eildon the most consistently inconsistent place.

This year in particular has been out of

the box and has thrown up some heavily discussed points between quality anglers with truck loads of success over the past five years who struggle on the Lake versus newcomers catching a lot more fish and frustrating a lot of regulars. What this suggests is to think outside the square and try different things. John Costa did just that using

a prototype lure to pick up his PB cod coming in at just under 1.1m.

On a sad note, it’s with anger I have to report just how much rubbish and mess was left at the Fraser camping grounds right through the holiday season this year. It was disgusting and some fishers were sadly part of the blame. It’s not hard – if you can take it in, you can take it out.

Desperately waiting on some precious rain BONNIE DOON

Andy McCarthy

Things are looking pretty bad up the Doon end of the lake, as we are now down to a low 30%, which is reflected in the very few fishing reports that have come in from the top end.

The locals are a bit flat to say the least – the vast

contrasts between years and water levels are incredible.

Let’s hope like hell we get some substantial water flow to bring it back to where it has been for the last five or six years.

The water temperatures are dropping nicely, which is great news for the trout anglers as the fish start to come back in good numbers, and I think it could be a

reasonable trout season with the current reports of trout that have been in great condition. When the water level starts to rise (whenever that may be) it will certainly turn things around, which wouldn’t be hard considering how lean the fishing has been, I guess it has to change eventually.

My last three or four sessions have been ridiculously

The author with a brown trout from the same session.

A small cod was a nice catch.

66

MAY 2016

tough, and I’ve tried all the tricks in the book, with very little result but I don’t think I’m on my own there. I had one alright session where I landed a nice 2.5lb brown and a little Murray cod. The trout was taken on a Cultiva chartreuse and orange minnow

and the cod was caught on a black and gold t-tail soft plastic on 6lb braid and 4lb leader. It was great fun!

Still not a murmur on the redfin, which is frustrating many anglers going from tree to tree to tree for virtually no success. At least you are

out in the fresh air, and even if you are not catching anything you will always learn something! Stay safe and always prepare for the unexpected coming into the colder months, we don’t want anymore terrible accidents to occur.

Broody trout will pull hooks this month GOULBURN RIVER

Steve Vidler

The autumn break didn’t quite eventuate as planned last month.

With very limited rainfall, unseasonally

high temperatures and subsequent high demand for critical irrigation water, flows have been very high in the Goulburn system.

This climatic situation has created very difficult fishing in our area. Smaller rivers, creeks and streams

The bigger fish are preparing for the annual spawning runs but seem to be waiting for the more moderate and natural flows of water that are triggered by autumn rains.

have dwindled to levels not seen since before the drought broke in 2006!

The Goulburn River from Eildon to Molesworth has still turned out some very nice trout, not in the numbers that have been maintained over the last few months but still fairly reliable for those willing to put in the effort and fight against the very high water level and strong flows. The bigger fish are preparing for the annual spawning runs but seem to be waiting for the more moderate and natural flows of water that are triggered by autumn rains.

The big fish can be seen in the water, but have been difficult to entice to take bait or lures. The bigger sized minnow style lures have accounted for some quality fish, which may be triggered out of aggression and/or territorial behaviour as much as feeding behaviour at this time of

year. Colours that have performed well include the usual brown and rainbow patterns as well as silver and gold with orange coloured belly in 9-15cm range.

Baitfishing and flyfishing has been tough at best. The rains we had have triggered some action, particularly with un-weighted or lightly weighted scrub worms in the slower, deeper sections of the river. All-in-all, it’s pretty hard going but with a bit more of this beautiful autumn rain the smaller tributaries and systems will spring back to life, and the Goulburn can settle to a more ‘normal’ situation and the mature breeding trout will become more active and start to move and feed.

I would almost run my plans as if we were a month later than normal but try to make the most of the fishing opportunities available before the trout season

FISHING FILL-ITS

River fish go with the flow Fish are confined to isolated waterholes for much of the year in many intermittent, dryland rivers. It is only during these rivers’ brief flow events that fish are able to move between waterholes and explore surrounding habitat.

Researchers recently studied how and where golden perch, eel-tailed catfish and bony bream move in response to brief flow events.

The focus of the study (‘Go with the flow’

by Marshall et al, which appeared in Freshwater Biology) by was the Moonie River, which is part of the Murray-Darling Basin in Queensland. Over three years, the researchers tagged 215 fish and they found that when flow events occurred, individuals from each species moved from their waterhole but showed no preference for upstream and downstream.

Most travelled up to 20km in a few days, while others ranged over 70km. Many fish later returned to their starting waterhole.

Golden perch eggs collected during monitoring in the Goulburn River. Photo courtesy of Jim Castles, Goulburn-Broken CMA.

The timing of the flow was more important than how big it was, with most fish movement occurring in response to the first post-winter flow event, independent of its magnitude and duration. Many of the fish later returned to their starting waterhole either by the end of a flow event or on subsequent events. This indicates that they have the ability to remember their route through the waterway, and also that they prefer more permanent refuge pools.

GOLDEN PERCH SPAWNING A different study has

Golden perch have shown a strong spawning response to increased flows from environmental water in the Goulburn River.

been carried out on the fish habitat of more than 1100km of the Barwon-Darling Rivers between Walgett and Wilcannia, NSW, mapping this whole area. The river bank shape and depth, vegetation and river snags were all noted because these affect how different species of fish use various areas of the river. It also shows how the fish respond to flows. Some native fish need deeper, faster flowing water to breed, while others prefer to lay their eggs on vegetation in the calmer waters of a wetland.

Golden perch exhibited a strong spawning response to increased flows from the delivery of environmental water. In fact, the planned spring 2014 flow pulse induced golden perch spawning in numbers not previously seen, other than following the 2010 floods, and so can be regarded as an excellent example of managed flows achieving their aim. Silver perch also spawned in association with increased flows.

However, although golden perch and silver perch spawned in the Goulburn

River in 2014, no fish of that year class were collected in the 2015 fish monitoring surveys. Therefore, while increased flows can promote spawning of these species in the Goulburn River, it appears that the hatchlings may not colonise the spawning area.

Given that golden perch and silver perch lay semi-buoyant eggs that drift downstream on river currents, potentially over large distances, it is possible that eggs drift downstream into the River Murray, and that any recruitment into the Goulburn River occurs at a later stage by older fish, and also potentially by fish from other river systems.

More info is available in the Wetlands Australia National Wetlands Update, Issue 28, at www.environment.gov.au.

– Fish Habitat Network

Fish can be seen in the water, but have been difficult to entice to take bait or lures. closes at midnight Monday 13 June and work towards an encounter with those big mature pre-spawning fish that will be looking to build condition for breeding. Just remember to respect and look after these great fish.

The absolute lifeline for many trout anglers in our area has been the Eildon Pondage. Fisheries have again been regularly stocking the pondage with catchable sized and ex-brood trout. Great catches of ‘fair dinkum’ 10lb+ fish have

been recorded along with plenty of smaller 1-2lb models. The Tassie Devils, spoons, Wonder Crocs and Celtas are still working well. Mudeyes have been the most productive bait, closely followed by local dough, PowerBait, and scrub worms.

Look forward to some cooler weather, pray for rain and make the most of the best time of year to encounter some great trout before the close of the season.

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67

Quality fish on the way in May BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

Now is a great time to go fishing. During the autumn months the decrease in temperature is a great relief for anglers who have been baking in the summer heat over the last few months.

High-pressure systems become larger and slow moving in autumn. This brings more days with favourable barometer conditions and days with reduced winds.

The decreasing water temperatures trigger larger fish to feed more often in order to put extra condition on before the winter months when food sources become scarce.

LAKE EPPALOCK The fishing in Lake Eppalock continues to be good, but not easy. Anglers have caught small numbers

of quality redfin. Troll deepdiving hardbody lures to see good results. If you find a concentration of redfin, cast soft plastics and blades to catch some good fish. The most productive colours in both hardbody lures and soft plastics have been dark silhouettes and redfin patterns.

The numbers of golden perch caught in Lake Eppalock continues to be average. Anglers trolling hardbody lures around the edges of rocky shoreline and around timber have caught the majority of these fish.

Casting lipless crankbaits around timber has also been productive. Small numbers of Murray cod continue to be caught at this location.

Trolling hardbody lures and spinnerbaits have been the most productive method.

Murray cod measuring up to 80cm have been caught.

CAMPASPE RIVER Water clarity and

productivity is currently very good at most locations along the Campaspe River.

The system has received a lot of fishing pressure over the last few months. As water temperatures are starting to decline we will see a reduction in catch rates. How significant this reduction will be will depend on how cold the weather gets, and in turn how quickly the water temperatures decline.

Golden perch have made up the majority of captures recently. Anglers casting lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits with dark coloured blades have found good results. Anglers trolling spinnerbaits and medium sized hardbody lures have also caught good numbers.

Small numbers of Murray cod have also been caught in the Campaspe River recently.

CAIRN CURRAN The fishing at Cairn Curran has been below average recently. Reports of

golden perch have been low.

Anglers trolling around the edges with hardbody lures have had the best results. The catch rates of redfin have also been low. Locating a good concentration of redfin has been difficult. Trolling deep diving hardbody lures and casting soft plastics have been the preferred techniques.

Baitfishing around the edges of the standing timber has worked on the right days if you find the right tree where redfin are holding. Hopefully we see the redfin school up during the winter months.

It has been a long time since we have seen productive redfin fishing at Cairn Curran. The present conditions suggest that there is a good chance this winter may produce some good redfin fishing.

LODDON RIVER The fishing in the Loddon remains average. In the boatable section of the river at Bridgewater and Serpentine

This quality golden perch was caught at Lake Eppalock on a Jackall Clone Fry soft plastic rigged on a Bassman jighead. the productivity has reduced mainly because of a heavy season of fishing pressure. At Bridgewater and Serpentine golden perch have made up the majority of captures. The most productive techniques to catch golden perch have been to cast lipless crankbaits and troll medium sized hardbody lures. Small numbers of Murray cod have been caught in the Loddon River recently on surface lures.

The productivity in this

style of fishing typically reduces as water temperatures cool. The most productive Murray cod fishing continues to be in the shallower sections of the river, which are accessed by anglers walking the banks or fishing out of kayaks. We will hopefully see a couple of larger Murray cod caught in the deep sections of the river in the next couple of months, as these big fish come out to play!

Change of season brings on the tenacious trout CTL GIPPSLAND

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

The recent change in weather has bought us into what feels like a

real autumn, which may have slowed down the bass a bit but has put the trout on the chew.

After some hot weather in March, the bass went crazy, but the low water levels and high

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temperatures weren’t so troutfriendly. The recent drop in temperature has brought with it some well-deserved rain, which has sparked some life back into our rivers. The bass are now little sluggish, and you are far better fishing for bass with worms rather than lures.

Plenty of good-sized bass are caught in the main areas such as Lake Glenmaggie and Blue Rock Lake, but the worms definitely seem to be the way to go. You will still get a few bass on lures over the next month, but they will be a bit finicky and harder to catch. Conversely, the trout bite has increased dramatically. Anglers have had some success in the local Strzelecki streams such as

Dylan Shaw has caught some nice little brown trout in Traralgon Creek on spinners since the recent drop of rain.

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www.codhunter.com.au 68

MAY 2016

How cool are these little Traralgon Creek bass? At just over a year old, these little critters get caught as by-catch by young local anglers fishing for carp and redfin. This little guy was caught and released to grow bigger by Jordan Morley who used worms.

Traralgon Creek and Morwell River using Celtas and Mapso spinners. The low water levels have made smaller sized lures more effective.

The lakes have produced a few trout as well, and anglers who fish Blue Rock have found a few nice trout as by-catch while bass fishing. Local bass guru Paul Landmeter says he expects to see an increase in trout captures out of Blue Rock this season, as it will be the first winter season with no boating restrictions. He also says that the bass will begin to prefer baits to lures as the water temperature further declines. Over the next month we will see trout start to move upstream in our rivers preparing to spawn, and I suggest anyone with a boat to have a good crack at trolling Blue Rock this season on those calm winter days.

Lastly, a heads up on how

our little Traralgon Creek bass are going. Fisheries were nice enough to agree to let the little creek have a couple of thousand bass.

Some of the young local fishers have been chasing redfin and trout and managed to snag up on some of these little beauties. They aren’t big of course, but at just over a year old, they’ve got a potential ferocious look about them. I can’t wait to see what the bass fishing in the creek is like in a couple of years.

• 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. 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!

Get the Chinook look CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

The weather has finally cooled and the rain is beginning to fall, hopefully soon in earnest. Although we never experienced a hot summer was certainly a dry one – much to the detriment of our freshwater rivers and lakes. Hopefully that is all about to change for the better.

Lake Bullen Merri’s blue-green algal bloom has all but disappeared and we’ve seen some real salmonoids caught for the first time this year. Those in the know persevered and eventually came up with the goods.

One intrepid angler from out of town had a great session with several Chinook salmon as well as some rainbows simply by fishing at depth using bait such as pilchard.

He managed to catch some

amazing fish including one Chinook that measured 75cm and weighed approximately 12lb. Since then every angler and their dog has been on the lake trying to replicate this much publicised catch.

Some have come up with the goods while others are still persevering with hope. Either way, the fish have come back on and those who don’t bait fish are trolling lures at depth.

Using attractors such as cow bells and the like in front of a minnow lure sent down using a downrigger or by other methods have found some fish. The depth to explore seems to be 10m+, otherwise use your sounder to find schooling salmon and trout.

Last year’s release of brown trout, although limited here compared to Purrumbete’s larger share should become active in the next two months or so.

Hopefully by late May all three species may come

fully online in the shallows and shallow trolling and casting of lures and plastics will prove successful. So too will baitfishing with local minnow or PowerBait suspended under a float or allowed to slowly sink unweighted.

Recently the South Beach double concrete boat ramp was extended by several metres due to falling water levels, which was a muchneeded improvement. Here’s hoping the rain continues and we won’t need it soon!

Lake Purrumbete remains fairly quiet, which is a shame although for one boater, baitfishing at depth did come up trumps in March with a 4.4kg Chinook salmon. Unfortunately there has not been much else to report except masses of small redfin pinching anglers’ bait and lures. Hopefully in the next month or two fish will move into the shallows and

A reasonable Chinook salmon taken on a Damiki Saemi hardbody.

This will hopefully become a common capture! once again anglers will be in a position to target fish without having to present bait and lures at depth.

Purrumbete has received

a larger portion of brown trout releases over Chinooks and will continue to do so.

The opposite has occurred at Bullen Merri. This was based

on growth and capture rates of all three species recorded

by Fisheries in both lakes and only time will tell how it will work out – so far, so good.

Catch and release before trout season ends

WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

This is the last full month of stream trout fishing as the trout season closes on midnight Monday 13 June and doesn’t reopen until midnight Friday 2 September. This is as good a time as any to remind anglers that the streams and rivers of the West and South Gippsland region are not stocked with trout but rely solely on natural spawning so it’s important to practice catch and release, particularly to release those healthy breeders back to fight another season.

It’s been a very dry season, with below average stream flows and the start to autumn wasn’t any different. It’s difficult to

The author with a nice late autumn bass from Blue Rock Lake caught and released off the bank. When they’re feeding off the surface, poppers get hit hard and can be a lot of fun! predict whether trout will begin moving upstream early as a natural instinct to previous wet years or whether they will wait for conditions to become

more favourable for spawning.

Either way they will become more difficult to catch as their behaviour changes from aggressive feeding to focusing

on producing offspring for the next season. As the fish back off from feeding, live baits and more natural flies or nymphs will out-fish lures. In any case, whatever you cast at them needs to be put right in front of their mouths and there are still no guarantees. This can often be frustrating when sight fishing. As an angler that appreciates trout, not just for the eating part, but for the sport of catching, it is rewarding to just watch and learn as they go about their business.

Not all is doom and gloom with the wind up of the stream trout-fishing season for another year. Eel and blackfish are still good targets in all of the streams around West and South Gippsland, and provide a lot of fun for anglers of all ages using light gear. Blackfish are an exciting winter target species in streams and can

be caught using the same techniques used to target eel.

A 6-7ft rod with a 1500-2500 class reel spooled with 2-3kg line is a good all-round outfit.

In slow moving water, fish bait off the bottom of the streambed using a size 6 or 8 baitholder hook with a running sinker held about a foot from the hook. In slow flowing pools, and if there are plenty of snags in the section of stream you are fishing, have your bait suspended just off the bottom using a float. Both eel and blackfish prefer slow flowing to still water and love structure like logs and rocks. Eel in these streams commonly grow 60-70cm and blackfish are typically caught around the 250-400g mark with larger specimens to well over a kilo being caught in larger bodies of water. Both species can be targeted late afternoon into

the evening and can also be targeted all day if there is little sunshine about in the hills. Best bait by far for both species is live garden worms and put as many as possible on your hook.

Blue Rock Lake will still fish well over winter.

Drop baits down deep to target bass; redfin and large eel will provide a bit of fun as by-catch. Early winter is a great time to troll up trout. Lures on a downrigger outfit work well up the river arm whereas out in the lake plenty of small pan-sized trout can be caught flat-line trolling.

Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories over the Easter holidays with the family. Please email me any questions.

Happy fishing!

Nearly prime trout time MELBOURNE METRO

Dylan Brennan

The start of autumn has officially arrived in Melbourne and the weather has been tranquil, with typical calm and crisp mornings followed by a peek of sunshine throughout the day - almost perfect fishing conditions. While we haven’t had the much-needed rain for some of the smaller rivers and creeks, hopefully there should be some on the way to breathe life into them.

Speaking of rivers and creeks, the Yarra has been fairly consistent over the last

few months. The last couple of months have been a bit slower on the trout front, but until season close they should be worth a shot. The upper river section from Warburton to around Reefton has been the most productive, with plenty of feisty little browns to keep bait, lure and fly anglers busy.

The ever productive method of drifting a small bunch of worms through some deeper section has been good, especially if these are fished lightly weighted with a couple of splitshot sinkers. Small, slim profiled hardbodies are also excellent through this section; with lures like the Ecogear

MX48 and Pontoon21 Greedy Guts proven fish takers, especially in gold tones or juvenile trout patterns.

Further down the Peninsula at Devilsbend Reservoir, the fishing has been good over the last month or so with some nice trout and redfin caught. The trout have become more active as the water temperature cooled off over the last month, with fish cruising the weed edges.

Early mornings have been the most productive time with both trout and redfin actively feeding. Many anglers have reported using small ‘nymph’ style soft plastics and have achieved

Chunky redfin like this have been caught in the early morning at Devilsbend Reservoir. Photo courtesy of Donald Smith. excellent results on these margin feeding fish, as generally they are in this shallow water looking for food. The odd rainbow has also been caught using PowerBait fished under a

float out over the deeper edge of the weed beds during the day as well.

• 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.

For our other latest fishing reports and to download information sheets, go to www fishingcamping.com.au MAY 2016

69

Mayflies live up to their name!

BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Fishing reports in and around the district have really quietened down, mainly due to the low water levels in a lot of our waters and an abundance of weed. The footy season has started up, which may

redfin that lurk in Lake Wendouree’s waters.

My son Zach and I have been trolling the main rowing channel like a lot of others with some excellent results. Zach has been top rod recently, landing some lovely rainbow trout. His personal best for Wendouree was achieved with a 51cm cracker on Bullet Lures in a

at Wendouree and made the trip up from Melbourne. He wasn’t disappointed, and managed to land a couple of redfin and a rainbow trout.

One redfin was an absolute stonker 2kg, at 50cm on a Shimano Wax Wing lure.

Jo Howe has been catching some lovely trout again on mudeye.

Jo commented to me that

Zach’s trout was his personal best and measured in at an astonishing 51cm. explain the lack of reports!

The weather has cooled down a little as well, but that hasn’t stopped the diehards hitting the water and reaping the rewards.

Lake Wendouree is back on top of anglers’ lists with lots of reports filtering through word of mouth (the old angler’s grapevine) and social media like Facebook, which has become a fantastic tool to find when the fish are biting and what they have been caught on. Wendouree is firing on all cylinders at the moment with the lure, bait, trollers, soft plastic fishers and fly fishers starting to catch some of the rainbow and brown trout and trophy

mixture of rainbow pattern with gold being the most effective. We have fished Wendouree at first light for a couple of hours to gain the best results as it seems as soon as the sun comes out, the fish stop biting. The trout are not the only ones that have been on the chew.

I landed some lovely redfin as well on some Norries Lures recently. The secret to trolling Wendouree is to use shallow running lures and don’t have your lures too far out the back of the boat as they can dive too deep and get caught on the rowing lane ropes or weed up.

Anthony Sakic is another angler who heard the fish were on the chew

Jo Howe landing another Lake Wendouree brown trout on a mudeye suspended under a bubble float. Photo courtesy of Jo Howe 70

MAY 2016

the fishing had been a little quiet but with things cooling off, the trout and redfin are really on the chew again. Jo recently bagged some magnificent brown and rainbows fishing in the rowing channel with mudeyes suspended under bubble floats.

Craig Mitchell has been flyfishing Wendouree with success on both rainbows and browns stripping wet flies in the open clear water of Wendouree. The most successful patterns have been the Woolly Bugger patterns in various colours with the standout olive or magoo pattern. On an even brighter note for flyfishers, I mentioned last month in my

article we would hopefully see the second hatch for the season of mayfly and they are back. I went up for a look the other day with perfect overcast conditions for them to hatch normally, and to my delight I did see quite a few hatching. I will certainly be back on the water after seeing this, and full of optimism!

Lake Wendouree will continue to fish well over the next few months as the weather really cools down the water temperature that dictates the feeding habits of the trout in our lake. If this time last year is anything to go by, the next month should be a cracker, especially with the brown trout that have been in hibernation it seems over the warmer months that start to show up. Last year we saw plenty of brown trout in the 50-60cm range caught on all forms of angling methods.

Fishing reports around

Zach Stevens’ Lake Wendouree rainbow trout caught on the troll.

Zach Stevens’ Lake Wendouree rainbow trout caught on the troll.

Anthony Sakic’s awesome redfin capture. Photo courtesy of Anthony Sakic

the district have remained very patchy but this should not deter anglers from getting out and having a crack at catching some fish that are lurking in our districts waters.

Waters that I would certainly be looking to fish over the winter months that hold good populations of both trout and redfin within an hour of Ballarat include Newlyn Reservoir, Cosgrove Reservoir, Dean Reservoir, Moorabool Reservoir, Bostock Reservoir and Tullaroop Reservoir. All these waters are land-based fisheries where anglers using lures, baits and flies certainly have the chance to nail some magnificent trout and redfin.

Shane Stevens’ Lake Wendouree redfin caught on the troll on a Gold Bullet Lure.

Kuttafurra Redfin lures carve it up at Eildon VFM

Kaleb Oxley

In 2014 I met up with Aaron Young, the owner of Kuttafurra Lures for a few day to go fishing and use some new lures at Lake Eildon. Although the fishing wasn’t favourable, it was great to catch up and talk about everything fishing and lure making.

Aaron showed me one

was the action, instead of the basic sway or wobble, this lure had a rolling action. Well within the last few hours before darkness, eight fish had hit the deck of the boat. The initial thought after that session SPECIFICATIONS Length Depth Weight Type

95mm 12ft+ 25g Floating/Diving

increase casting distance and enhances accuracy as the weight in the head of the lure allows the lure to cut through the air on a cast. The lure weighs approximately 25g, made of timber, and has a very tough body.

One of the best features of this lure is the ability to crash hard into the timber but bounce over it with great success – a very important feature to catch

Craig Oxley with an armful of Murray cod that measured over 1m. more fish in the strike zone.

TROLLING At an average trolling depth of 4m, the Kuttafurra Redfin is a great lure to troll in lakes and slow flowing rivers, especially lakes such as Mulwala and Copeton.

Use this lure against banks with heavy timber or rock structure. I recommend trolling at a speed of Kuttafutta Redfin are pushing to be a winner on cod. of his very own lures in his tackle box – a lure that had caught my eye, something that had a different style body, which would act different in the water.

Aaron first created this lure late in 2011, but it was never fully exposed to the lure market. I decided to head to the Murray River the next day to see just how well this lure could work.

The first thing I noticed

was to message Aaron and tell him to start pumping them out. Wind the clock forward two years and now the Kuttafurra Redfin is arguably the most highly sought after lure in the Kuttafurra range.

FEATURES The lure is 95mm in length, which is a great all round length for both Murray cod and golden perch. The shape helps

1.3-1.5mph for best results and give it a twitch every 50m. For trolling in rivers, find a stretch with plenty of structure in around 3m and troll the stretch over numerous times, this will either get fish interested in your lure or entice a reaction bite once they get annoyed of the lure in their habitat.

CASTING There are two diving depths in the Kuttafurra Redfin range, the first is a 4m diver with a plastic

bib, the second is a nose tow style lure with a small aluminium bib, which is probably best for casting with the extra weight in the top end of the lure. In saying that, I will use both according to the places I fish and weather conditions.

In windy conditions I use the metal bib, as the bib is smaller and catches less wind, but on calm days use the bigger bib so you can slow the retrieve right down. This lure really crashes down on the cast and bounces off timber really well, but always have a lure retriever handy, as you may get caught up in some heavy cover.

Part of the new range of colours.

HAND CRAFTED Timber Fishing Lures

REDFIN

Must have lures for native fish anglers

The author shows off an 86cm Murray cod.

0418 349 782 kuttafurralures@outlook.com www.australianlureshop.com.au/kuttafurra/index.php

MAY 2016

71

yak Hobie Ka ries Se BREAteMd by Daiwa Presen

The weekend of 5-6 March saw 93 kayak anglers from New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia hit the legendary fishing town of Mallacoota in Victoria’s East for what was to be an exceptional weekend’s fishing.

The Mortgage Corp Round 3 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series delivered the goods and a massive 134 full bags of three bream was a

Carl Dubois dominates at Mallacoota On both days, anglers headed off from the PowerPole Start Line, splitting up with half the field heading for Top Lake and The Narrows and the other half opting for Bottom Lake and the flats leading to it.

It was Carl Dubois from Sydney who scooped the top prize with six bream for a total weight of 5.47kg. Tony Pettie held on to second place with six for 5.44kg and third place went to Josh Kilmas from Victoria with six for 5.20kg.

Winning Tackle Braid: Gosen PE 9lb.

Leader: Reloaded BASS FC 6lb Rod and reel: Gladiator Psyborgmatched to a Psyborg 2000 reel Scent: Squidgy Lure/s: Gladiator Shiver Vibe in purple and black, Jackall Chubby Vibe in purple and black and Evergreen Tiny Predator

Mortgage Corp Monster Mover The Mortgage Corp Monster Mover for Round three went to Alan Osbourne, who improved his day one score by 1.8kg and took home a Mortgage Corp picnic pack for his efforts. highlight for the weekend.

A total of 458 fish with a combined weight of 307.42kg were brought to the scale, which is just great to see.

While anglers were looking for the round win, they were also chasing a spot in the Australian Championship as well as qualifying points towards the 6th Hobie Fishing World Championship to be held later this year and another, yet to be announced international event.

Dubois pushed through from second place on day one to take the title, scoring himself a sponsors prize pack, a $2,590.00 pay cheque and 100 points towards qualifying for the 6th Hobie Fishing World Championships for his weekend’s work. Dubois also took out the Hog’s Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream award with his 1.20kg bag kicker on day two, adding another $100.00 to his prize tally.

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

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DUBOIS ON TOP When asked about his tournament Dubois said he loved it.

“I’ve had a great comp!” he said. “Pre-fish was a fairly average day, I only got about six legals, but the actual competition days were just great! I got my bag nice and early and caught about 10 or 11 legals each day.”

PLAN OF ATTACK “My plan was to get to the flats for the early bite while the light was still low.

I thought they’d be on the flat and they were,” Dubois said.

“Using 2.5” Z-Man GrubZ in bloodworm, I had my bag within 20 minutes each day.

I just wanted to lock in my bag early and search for the bigger ones later.”

Day one “The big fish all came from about 2.1m depth on a Gladiator purple and black Shiver Vibe. The rest of my bag came from over the flats in around 1.5m on an Evergreen Tiny Predator, they look a bit like an OSP Dunk with a green back and a cream belly.”

Day two “On day 2 the bream were going after the Shiver Vibe and it seemed like they went after a bit more noise so I put on the Jackall Chubby Vibe in Purple and Black and I think that bit of extra noise was what they wanted and they just zeroed in on it and that’s what I got the big fish on.”

WINNING WAYS “With the Tiny Predator I was going for long casts and cranking it down quick to get it deep to the bottom and then used a slow roll to keep it digging into the

bottom. With the vibes I was using subtle, little, lifts only 4-5 inches, and keeping the slow roll going as well,” Dubois said.

This is Dubois’ second Worlds qualifying round after fishing Bemm River in January, with another 100 points towards his qualifying

score Dubois is sitting on 159 points with the Forster round still on his calendar, there’s still plenty of work to do to claim a spot for Worlds.

RESULTS Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Carl Dubois Tony Pettie Josh Klimas Richard Somerton Paul Malov Chris Burbidge Glenn Allen Neil Carstairs Kane Terry Jim Barrie

6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

5.47 5.44 5.20 5.09 4.80 4.75 4.69 4.68 4.68 4.62

Grand Masters: Masters: Women: Youth:

Brian Rutledge Gary Hanson Tracey Wright Stephen Pryke

Payout $2590 $1350 $870 $400 $340 $300 $270 $240 $200 $170

4.42kg 4.35kg 3.08kg 4.45kg

Round winner Carl Dubois also took out the Boss Hog Big Bream prize with this 1.2kg monster.

Tony Pettie takes it to the wire The winner of last year’s Mallacoota round, Tony Pettie came extremely close to a repeat performance for 2016 and took it all the way to the wire, following up his impressive day one bag of 3.01kg with another 2.44 kg on day two that eventually landed him in second place.

Tony had a great weekend on the water from pre-fish through to the final results.

“I started off on pre-fish and went to Goodwin Sands and found some fish, so I marked them up and moved on to Tea Tree Point. I found fish there and then went around towards Howe Bight, I couldn’t scratch a fish there so I struck a plan to go to The Sands first up on day one and it paid off, “ he said.

“On day one, I headed to ‘The Sands’ and found a patch. I had my bag and my big one within eight casts. Then I went behind The Sands and picked up a

couple more and then picked up another couple here and there over the course of the day.

“On day two, I wanted to mirror my day one plan so I went to The Sands again but there were no fish there.

I managed to get a couple of small ones but it struck me it was going to be tough.

“I went behind The Sands to where I’d fished in last year’s competition. I got three fish there and upgraded a couple of times, then from 11:30 that was it, only small ones from there.

“I was in the second group to return for weigh-in and as I was coming in I could hear what Carl had weighed in and I knew there was only 40-50 grams in it and it was going to be close.

I was actually speed fishing for the last 10 minutes to try and get another upgrade out the front, but unfortunately it didn’t happen, but it was still an awesome comp.

Congratulations to Carl on a great Result.”

SPECIAL THANKS As with all of the events in the Hobie Kayak Fishing Series, this round could not have gone ahead without the generous support of our series sponsors Daiwa, Berkley,

Atomic, Lowrance, RhinoRack, Strike Pro, TT Lures, Power-Pole, Mortgage Corp, Hog’s Breath Cafe and ABT. Thanks also to Leaf and Vicki from Compleat Angler in Merimbula for providing Hobie dealer support. – Hobie

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG BIG BREAM AWARD Round winner Carl Dubois TOPand 10 NON-BOATERS pigged out weighed in the tournament’s biggest fish, a 1.20kg bream, taking ELECTRIC SERIES another $100.00BASS home for his efforts with the Hog’s Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream cheque. He caught the Boss Hog on day two of the tournament using a Jackall Chubby Vibe in Purple and Black.

HOGS BREATH BOSS HOG PAY TO:

Hogs Breath Boss Hog

FOR THE SUM OF:

One Hundred Dollars Fishing Tournaments bass • bream • barra

DATE:

/

/

$ 100

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016

DATE DETAILS

CONTACT

APRIL

Apr 30-1 May

ABT BREAM Qualifier #5

ABT 07 3387 0888

Derwent River

abt.org.au

Rnd 3 Mallacoota Bream Classic

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070

Mallacoota

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Apr 30-1 May

MAY

Rnd 4 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

May 15

Mulwala

roundy@cvlcss.com

Rnd 7 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

www.hobiefishing.com.au

May 15

JUNE

St Georges Basin Rnd 5 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

Jun 4

Torrumbarry Horse Shoe Bend

roundy@cvlcss.com

Rnd 8 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jun 5

Gold Coast

BREAM Qualifier #6

ABT 07 3387 0888

Forster

abt.org.au

Rnd 4 Metung Bream Classic

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070

Metung

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Rnd 9 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jun 11-12 Jun 18-19

JUNE

Jun 26

JULY

Port Macquarie

Jul 2-3

Rnd 10 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

Mandurah

Rnd 11 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

Jul 23-24

AUGUST

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Lake Macquarie

Aug 20-21

ABT BREAM Qualifier #7

Clarence River

ABT BREAM Qualifier #8

Aug 24-25

Gold Coast

Rnd 12 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

Aug 27-28

SEPTEMBER

www.hobiefishing.com.au

www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au www.hobiefishing.com.au

Wallis Lake

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Nelson

Rnd 6 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

Cairn Curran

roundy@cvlcss.com

Sept 17

OCTOBER

Oct 8-9

Oct 8-9

Oct 15

Rnd 5 Glenelg River Bream Classic

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070

Nelson

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Rnd 14 Hobie Kayak BREAM series

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Bribie Island Rnd 7 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

Eppalock Holiday Park

roundy@cvlcss.com

Tea Tree Snapper Fishing Competition

teatreecontact@spac.net.au

Mornington Peninsula

www.spac.net.au

Hobie Kayak BREAM Aus Championship

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Oct 28-29

Oct 28-30

NOVEMBER

Nov 19-20

Nov 26-27

DECEMBER

Dec 2-4

Queensland Rnd 8 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

David Nelson 0418 378 944

Eildon

roundy@cvlcss.com

Vic Bream Classic Series Grand Final

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070

Nelson

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

BREAM Grand Final

www.abt.org.au

St Georges basin

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au MAY 2016

73

Austackle Lakes Entrance Flathead Classic FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

The Labour Day long weekend in March saw the Austackle Lakes Entrance Flathead Classic held for its third year. Run by the Lakes Entrance Game and Sport Fishing Club,

winner as it has something for everyone, regardless of skill level or age.

A BIT OF TIME ON THE WATER I was lucky enough to have a fish at Lake Tyers on the second day of the competition. Lindsay and Steven Pryke generously agreed to have me on board for the day and show me

and distinct drop-offs, so hopefully our luck would change. And change it did, as Lindsay very quietly let us know he was on.

Lindsay wasn’t giving much away, but it was pretty obvious it was a good fish. Using just 6lb leader, it took a while to get the fish into the net range. There was a sense of relief and exhilaration as an 88.5cm monster flathead was safely lead into the net. Amazingly, this massive fish had taken a small Ecogear ZX lure in black knight colour in about 6ft of water.

Finally things went our way and we consistently picked up fish until our fishing time was up. I snuck in a 51cm flatty, while

Team Tyers Tryers won the overall event for the third year in a row.

Tyers with his Pa, Barry Smith. They were casting and slow rolling lures across the many shallows of the lake. Barry had

already caught a 71cm fish when Conner hooked up. His Bass-X lure got smashed in pretty shallow water and it took more than

Lindsay Pryke with his 88.5cm flathead caught in Lake Tyers. It was the largest fish caught in this year’s event. the event, as the name suggests, targets flathead in the waterways of Lakes Entrance and Lake Tyers.

It is a catch and release event open to all types of fishing. Teams can be up to four people, with the four largest fish length counting towards the final result – the largest average length per four fish bag is the overall winning team. There are also many other prizes on offer, such as the largest fish per day, junior winners and a mystery length prize.

This tournament is a real

74

MAY 2016

around the lake. I had not fished Lake Tyers before and its reputation as a big flathead fishery had me pretty excited.

We were met by overcast conditions and misty rain, but this didn’t dampen the enthusiasm on board. Steven quickly got the first fish and followed it up with a few fish that were not the target species.

The first hour had been a bit slow so we headed to a bay that had a rocky point at each end. There were lots of little patches of weed

Conner Talbot was stoked to catch his 67cm fish while fishing with his Pa Barry Smith.

Steven added a couple more about the same size. Our team total was a healthy 60cm average for the day. Lindsay’s fish ended up being the largest fish for the competition – well done Lindsay and thank you for getting me out on the water.

LARGEST FLATHEAD – JUNIOR In a hotly contested Junior section, Conner Talbot took out the largest flathead by 1cm from Paige Hamilton. I had a quick chat with Conner and he was pretty excited to catch the biggest flathead at 67cm.

He was fishing Lake

Winners are grinners, Conner Talbot with the spoils, after catching the largest flathead caught by a junior in the event.

There were plenty of prizes and giveaways for the kids who entered and they were pretty happy about it too.

Paige Hamilton caught the second biggest flathead in the Junior section of the Classic. At 66cm it was only 1cm behind the biggest caught.

RESULTS Top Team Lake Tyers Tryers Largest Whiting Lindsay Pryke

38cm

Top 3 Junior 1st 2nd 3rd

Conner Talbot Paige Hamilton Jackson Smith

67cm 66cm 61cm

Top 3 Senior 1st 2nd 3rd

Lindsay Pryke John Burke Ashley Harley

88.5cm 87.5cm 85cm

10 minutes before Pa was able to slip the net under it.

A few quick photos and his beautiful fish was released to fight another day.

Conner said they had a great day, with Barry getting another good fish later in the session. He said he couldn’t wait to get out and fish in the comp again next year.

TEAMS WINNERS Team Tyers Tryers made it a ‘th-repeat’, for the third year in a row they took out the Overall Team winners’ trophy with an average fish size of 67.5cm.

The team consisted of John Bourke, John King, Ray Schmidt and Vic Forugla, who enjoyed fishing the tournament and targeted the larger flathead using live baits or pilchard cubes.

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2017 The committee of the Lakes Entrance Game and Sport Fishing Club is looking forward to this event becoming bigger and better as their membership grows and the word gets out there. There is no doubt that the fishery is exceptional and with the ongoing support of great sponsors like Austackle, success is almost guaranteed.

To find out more about the clubs events go to www. legsfc.com.au or contact the club on 0497 432 982

Many of the competitors stayed for the presentations, enjoying a sausage sizzle and a chance to win a prize in the raffles.

Steven Pryke with a solid Lake Tyers flathead.

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2016 Riverina Classic Catch and Release comp The third annual Riverina Classic Catch and Release fishing competition was held over three days on Valentine’s Day weekend in February. Anglers headed to the banks of the Murrumbidgee River at Darlington Point in the Riverina NSW, located 30km south of Griffith and 150km west of Wagga Wagga.

The event transpired to be a great success again this year with $20,000 donated to Motor Neurone Disease NSW and the local Griffith support group for MND, who service a large section of the Riverina, providing assistance to those living with the disease.

Over 7000 Murray cod and golden perch fingerlings were also released at the

welfare and ensure anglers have maximum opportunity to chase that elusive big one, with entries coming in around the clock over the weekend.

Overall there were 500 entrants into the competition, with a total of 94 fish of legal size entered over the weekend.

Categories in the competition included: Biggest Yellowbelly, Biggest Cod, Biggest Carp and

An aerial view of Darlington Point township. of prizes given out over the three day event.

The major prizes that were given out as part of the raffle draw included a $10,000 Flight Centre

Lucky entrants in the fishing competition went in to the draw to win a complete Stacer 399 Proline Angler Boat with 2-stroke 30hp Mercury motor and trailer

entrant prize of a Stacer 3.5m punt and motor package to winner Trent Royston during presentations, thanks to Griffith Marine Centre.

Thanks to the sponsors,

Over 7000 Murray cod and golden perch fingerlings were also released at the closure of the competition.

The Riverina Classic is designed to cater as a complete family event weekend featuring helicopter flights, catering, kids’ activities, lure casting competitions, boat displays, major raffle draw, release of native fingerlings, river train rides and much more.

closure of the competition in order to help secure a sustainable fishing future in the Murrumbidgee River ecosystem.

This year the competition was designed to run as a photograph entry competition in order to minimise any negative effects on fish

ROUND 4:

cumulative length. Each category had both Junior and Senior sections and every single junior that entered the comp went home with a prize.

Jack Smith and Brodie Kenningale took the crown of Senior and Junior Champion Angler respectively for 2016.

This year we also delivered a prize for the best represented fishing club in attendance with Griffith Northside Leagues Fishing Club taking home $1,000 cash to put towards their club.

The Riverina Classic offers one of the largest prize pools for inland fishing competitions in New South Wales with $50,000 worth

The lucky entrant prizes were very impressive.

Holiday Voucher, won by local entrant Jeanette Bagatella of Griffith; a platinum 40L Engel fridge package and a Weber Q BBQ.

package, with Andrew Kocaj taking home the goods.

Additionally the committee was able to give away an additional lucky

Location: LAKE MULWALA – DC ON THE LAKE

MAY

INCLUDES

14-15

DAILY DOUBLE (Pre Fish Only)

2016 Super Series

• Each round will have a target species, either Murray Cod or Golden Perch • Catch and release lure tournaments • Entrance fee $30 per Senior • New for 2016 we will also be running team’s events (maximum 3 anglers) • Conditions Apply

Saturd a Wood y Night Pizza w Fired Availabill be le

Largest target species caught in each event wins a rod from

Fishing

For more information contact

David Nelson 0418 378 944

roundy@cvlcss.com – www.cvlcss.com 76

MAY 2016

An aerial view of the venue for this year’s Riverina Classic, Lions Park.

they were also able to giveaway a dinner and movie Valentines package and a getaway, including flights to Mungo Lodge, in the Mungo National Park, NSW. Thanks to everyone who entered, helped out, attended the weekend and had fun! The event was made possible by the hard work and dedication of volunteers from the Riverina Classic Fishing competition and their partners and friends who help organize the weekend. The event would not have taken place without the generosity of all our sponsors whose support will help ensure the community and the event continue to thrive.

We hope to see you all at next year’s competition 10-12 February 2017. For more information on the Riverina Classic Fishing Competition weekend like us on Facebook or visit www.riverinaclassic.com Riverina Classic

Records fall at the Shimano BCF Bream Classic

The weekend of the 19-20 March saw 37 teams head to Warrnambool on the Hopkins River for the Shimano BCF Bream Classic. This was the first time the Atomic Vic Bream Classic Series had headed to the Hopkins in March, and all anglers were very eager to see what kind of fishing the river would produce at this time of year.

Team ‘Warm & Safe Australia’ (Mario Vukic and Paul Conn) had an angling weekend others have only dreamt of. By the end of the competition they had accomplished something that no other team in the history of the Vic Bream Classic Series has ever done.

Confidence was high among anglers as they checked in on day one.

Terrible weather on Friday’s pre-fish produced some excellent fishing, and with the weather settling down for the first day of competition, anglers predicted the river would fire. Unfortunately, for the majority of the field the bream had other ideas, and after their aggressive feeding on Friday, the majority of the river shut down on day one and only smaller fish were landed. Team ‘Warm & Safe Australia’ found that the fish they caught on pre-fish were nowhere to be found.

“After a successful pre-fish, we decided to fish

the flats on the left-hand side after the ski zone. It turned out the fish had moved, and at 9.30am we went in search of our first fish upstream.

We mainly fished flats and edges with SX40s in colours 310 and 500 and OSP Dunks in colour GF76 – it took until 12pm for Paul to land our first legal, a whopping 29.5cm tipper, off the dreaded donut.” Paul said.

They managed to catch another similar sized fish, and headed to the key tag area at 1.45pm. They decided to throw a VX35 in colour 445 in front of the restaurant jetty for the last few minutes and Paul pinned a 30cm tipper.

“What an important fish it turned out to be,” Mario said. This couldn’t have been closer to the truth for Mario and Paul. With only three fish on day one, they pulled up in front of the Warrnambool BCF store for the weigh-in with a modest 1.19kg, which had them sitting in 21st spot and a long way off the lead.

Isaac Primer and Morgan Flook from team ‘Keeping It Reel’ produced a great bag considering the conditions and had the lead with 5/5 bream for 3.14kg, including a solid 1.29kg beast holding the JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream on day one..

DAY TWO The weather improved for day two, which had

FISHING FILL-ITS Place Team 1 Warm & Safe Australia 2 Keeping It Reel 3 Bream O’Clock 4 Colac Tackle – Samurai Rods 5 Barely Legal 6 Breamaholics 7 B+C Fishing 8 Scales 9 Edge Bite 10 ZMan Tackle Tactics

Total Fish 8/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10

anglers worried the Hopkins River could slow down even further. For team ‘Warm & Safe Australia,’ the idea of winning the tournament hadn’t even crossed their minds. Using a combination of G-Loomis SR842-2GLX, G Loomis SR842-2GLX and Daiwa Saegake rods matched to Diawa Steez 2508 and Exists 2506 and Shimano Stella reels spooled with Sunline Castway braid tied to 4lb FC Rock fluorocarbon leaders, the boys worked to improve their position.

“We decided to do exactly the same thing on day two. We didn’t want to lob on the leaders upstream, so fished the same flat for two hours for the same result – nothing. Again, we worked

edges upstream until at about 11am Paul suggested the Hens and Chicken Reef, where we found fish during the pre-fish and I agreed.

We managed a 29.5cm tipper on a VX35 vibe but then lost about four lures to the reef. Paul noticed that we were always on top of the reef so we stayed off the reef upwind and cast to it.

We changed lures to the light Cranka Crab in olive and brown, which we had not thrown all tournament.

These little gems are a lot more snag proof than people give them credit. This was a great choice as on the first cast I pulled the hooks on something big. Although disappointed, it did give us the confidence to stick at it.

The top three teams pose for the camera. Michael Linke and Lewis Holland secured third place for team ‘Bream O’Clock’. Isaac Primmer and Morgan Flook took out second place for team ‘Keeping It Reel.’

Total Weight (kg) 6.24 6.20 5.85 5.60 5.40 5.32 5.30 5.11 4.96 4.60

A few casts later I landed the JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream of the tournament at 1.37kg. Paul decided that it was far more beneficial if he worked the electric motor while I fished. This was the ultimate sacrifice for the team, as by keeping the boat in the right spot, switching to Cranka Crabs and working together, we managed to land a further 1.36kg, 1.04kg

Mario Vukic and Paul Conn from team ‘Warm and Safe Australia’ display some of the quality bream from their 5.05kg Maria Lures Best Bag. and two more fish of around 700g.” Mario said.

The icing on the cake of their session was when Paul, after not fishing for hours finally hooked an upgrade for them at the end of the session of about 20g.

Heading to the weigh-in the guys knew they had a great bag but just assumed the rest of the river would have fired also and the rest of the field would have found a hot bite, but that wasn’t the case. Bag after bag of just legal fish kept hitting the scales and with whispers starting to emerge that Mario and Paul had something special in their bag the excitement was building.

When they finally arrived at the Warrnambool BCF store drive by weigh-in, all in attendance were eagerly waiting. As the cracking bag of bream hit the scales and settled the crowd erupted, and even at that point everyone knew they’d taken out the Maria Lures Best Bag with 5.05kg, along with ever popular Graeme Taylor Memorial Trophy for the heaviest day two bag, the JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream with 1.37kg, and also the Hurricane Monster Movers Prize as no one expected what would happen when the final scores were calculated.

“As I entered the scores into the computer to sort and ‘Warm & Safe Australia’ jumped to first place my jaw dropped and I had to double check the score I couldn’t believe it,” said Bill Hartshorne, Tournament Director. ‘Warm & Safe Australia’s’ Mario Vukic and Paul Conn had done the unthinkable, and moved up twenty positions to come from 21st position to claim victory by 4g and take out every prize category for the weekend, writing a new page in the record books of the Vic Bream Classic Series.

“We just couldn’t believe we won, and were both over the moon. We would like to thank the two boats either side of us (Aaron Bickery was one) who gave us our space and let us capitalise on the bite we managed to find.

Also the people who have helped us along the way – Warm & Safe Australia and Aussie Angler Fishing Tackle,” Mario said.

After such an exciting event, the Atomic Vic Bream Classic Series will now head to Mallacoota for the Bayford Volkswagon Bream Classic. Be sure to check out the June issue of Victorian Fishing Monthly for all the action in the tournament report. –Vic Bream Classic

MAY 2016

77

SBT create an awesome challenge for spearos!

WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

As we trudge on towards winter, it’s a little less inviting to drag the wetsuit on, but don’t let the cold put you off as both the reef and bluewater spearing is fantastic at this time of year.

Through March and April we saw a continued build up of southern bluefin tuna, with plenty of fish in the shallows off the North Shore at Portland. Fish have been as shallow as 6-7m and large schools of fish in the 10-25kg range have been permanent residents in the area. Numbers of fish will only increase as we move into the colder months and the real peak period for SBT. May will see fish from the shallows of the North Shore to the shelf and everywhere in between

and we are expecting another amazing season.

The end of May also sees the running of the first ‘Bluefin Battle,’ hosted by Shipwreck Coast Skindivers Inc, the Port Fairy based spearfishing club. This promises to be an extremely popular competition. Rules and requirements to enter this comp can be found on our Facebook Page – ‘Shipwreck Coast Skindivers Inc,’ and our website www.shipwreck coastskindivers.com.

Targeting SBT through May is no different to any other month in the peak of the season. Divers should simply head out and remain observant of bird activity.

Birds diving indicate schools of tuna that are up on the surface feeding, and once we get the boat in close to the school it’s a simple matter of throwing handfuls of pilchards into them to hold the fish around the boat.

Brett Illinworth of Esclapez Australia with a nice queen snapper – a rare fish for divers in Victoria.

Southern rock lobster are abundant inshore.

It’s always a good idea for divers to enter the water in a minimum of pairs and allow one diver at a time to take his/her shot so as the partner can assist if needed. This kind of tag team spearing is the safest way to go about bluewater hunting. It’s also advisable to have a boat handler to drive the boat and stay close to the divers as well as keep the berley going to hold the fish.

Inshore diving in May is great in the southwest, as we generally get more settled weather patterns which makes access to some of the rugged inshore reefs more achievable. Southern Rock Lobster are in good numbers along the coastline in the shallower waters after migrating in from slightly deeper water. Some of our winter pelagic species like Australian salmon are also

Jamie Ross and Doug Smith with some great SBT speared out of Portland recently. abundant at this crossover period between autumn and winter. Sheltered sand holes bordered by reef and weed banks have no shortage of King George whiting and the seaward sides and rougher white water areas of the same reefs often produce a feed of sea sweep.

As always it’s a must to

dive safely by flying a ‘diver below flag’ off your boat and personal float towed with the diver. Safety equipment such as a reflective mirror for signalling and a whistle are also essential and can be carried on your float. Get out and enjoy what the month of May has to offer and above all do it safely.

NEWS

Proposed changes to Victorian fishing licence The Andrews Labor Government has invited recreational fishers to have their say on proposed changes to Victoria’s recreational fishing licensing system.

Steve Morgan caught up with Travis Dowling, the Executive Director of Fisheries Victoria to get the scoop on the proposed licensing fee increases and to establish where the extra revenue would be used in terms of boosting the recreational fishing experience in Victoria.

Under the proposed changes, the price of recreational fishing licenses will increase from July 1 this year and extra revenue generated 78

MAY 2016

will be spent on boosting recreational fishing.

“When you buy your license, the money goes into a trust account that can’t be used for other things or wasted by politicians, it all goes into recreational fishing,” Mr. Dowling said. “If and when after the Regulatory Impact Statements the license fees increase, the additional revenue will go towards fish stocking programs, boat ramp facilities, fishing platforms and general access improvement, conferences and festivals – all the different things that grow fishing in Victoria.”

Ultimately Fisheries Victoria has one major goal, and that is, in Mr. Dowling’s

Click on the QR code to read the full press release. words, to create, “Better fishing tomorrow over today through improvement of habitat and most importantly, access.”

THE CHANGES Recreational fishing license fees have only been increased twice in twenty years, with the last increase

in 2008.

The current two-day license ($6) will be replaced with a three-day license for $10, and a 28-day license will rise from $12 to $20.

A one-year license will increase from $24.50 to $35, which is the same fee cost as a NSW license. A threeyear license will rise from $66 to $95.

If you purchase online, the one and three-year licenses will be discounted to $33 and $90 respectively, and anglers will continue to receive a plastic license in the mail, as they have since November 2015.

There will be no changes to exemptions and children under 18 will continue to fish for free.

Ultimately, Mr. Dowling believes recreational anglers will be happy to pay the extra costs as they are aware how valuable the money is to improve the fishery, industry and the overall fishing experience in Victoria.

Steve Morgan and Mr. Dowling also chatted about the possibility of a joint license across New South Wales and Victoria, which would be, in Steve’s words, “a massive victory for common sense.” Mr Dowling agreed and noted the success of the shared Murray cod slot limit laws between the two states as indicative of the benefits of cross-state laws and regulations. Exciting times are ahead!

A five-week public consultation period on the changes began today with the release of the Regulatory Impact Statement and draft amendment regulations, which are available online along with more information about the changes.

Mr. Dowling and Steve encouraged fishers to have their say and get involved in the decision as a community. Good or bad, your feedback is invaluable to continue to improve recreational fishing in Victoria. To have your say or to make a comment, visit www.vic. gov.au/RFLchanges – FMG

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Name: Address:

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The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: VFM Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

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Phone (day):

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Congratulations to Vicky Finn from Numurkah, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Surf Lifesaving prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – VFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winner for March was G Burns of Garfield North, who won a GME Marine AM/FM Bluetooth Stereo pack valued at $328.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

FIND THE ZEREK LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

March locations: 8, 12, 16, 21, 36, 52, 55, 61, 65, 67, 70, 72, 78, 80, 83. – VTFM The Find the Zerek logo prize winners for March were: D Hedley of Hamilton, F Hutchins of Sunbury, R Leathers of Romsey, B Peeters of Colac, A Gee of Goornong, K Bradley of Sale, S & M Stewart of Ballan, T Darker of Daylesford, B Shelton of Romsey, G Whinney of St Albans, G Pezos of Notting Hill, B Collier of Smythes Creek, M Fryer of Balwyn North, G Ailey of Sunbury, P Cobb of Berrigan, V Illman of Mt Gambier, T Logeadice of Morwell, G Easterbrook of Rosebud, J Laszczyk of Newborough, N Bryant of North Albury, D Murray of Templestowe, K Carter of Shepparton, R Waters of Temora, P Walker of Sebastopol, J Hines of Leopold, M Moulding of Red Hill, P Finn of Numurkah, J Killian of Briar Hill, H Sutcliffe of Alexandra, R Sanders of Lang Lang, S Andrighetto of Inverloch, P Geale of Georgetown, R Beech of Wonthaggi, J Llewellyn of Devonport, L Gruar of Portland, C Smith •ofNewTraralgon, K Tripp of products Glenroy, Z Stevens of Alfredton, • Videos G Butler of Kerang.

Indepth Prize delivery takes up •Reviews to 8 weeks. – VTFM

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MAY 2016

79

Yakking about flathead BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

If there was one species that has been designed with kayak anglers in mind, it would have to

rates and make the most of the glassy winter days. The size may not be there when compared to the spring breeding period, however, if you go looking for flathead in winter you will find them.

Although flathead are often caught in deeper water in

the drift and almost onto the bank, and then hop the plastic down the drop off.

Hits will often come within the first 5m of the retrieve and depending on the speed of the drift and steepness of the bank, you may wish to wind the second half of

Get up on the flats when the tide is high!

A landing net and lip grips make handling fish safer and easier. be the humble flathead.

They are easily accessed by kayak anglers, inhabiting rivers, creeks, estuaries and bays, and they love to get up and feed in the shallows. They respond well to all types of lures and are easily handled in the kayak with a landing net and lip grips.

As a bonus, for those that like a feed of fish, they are also a favourite table fish for many. One of my favourite techniques for targeting flathead from the kayak is fishing soft plastics and in this article, I hope to pass on some of the tips that I have picked up over the last 20 years in the kayak seat.

Flathead are a year round option, with many anglers choosing to chase other species in winter, while I still record some of my best catch

southern parts of Australia, I have successfully used these shallow water soft plastic techniques from Townsville in North Queensland all the way down the coast to Coffin Bay in South Australia.

WHERE AND WHEN Low Tide The prime time to target flathead is around the last two hours of the run-out tide and first hour of the run-in.

At this stage of the tide flathead are concentrated on the edges of channels, drop offs and sand bars. Here they lay in ambush, waiting for the bait to be forced off the flats and banks with the last of the falling tide.

There are a few options for the kayak angler when targeting these fish. Firstly, you can position the kayak a cast distance from the bank. Cast slightly ahead of

Downsizing your plastic will see bream by-catch increase.

80

MAY 2016

the retrieve in quickly and cast again.

In saying that, persistence in hopping the lure into deeper water can often lead to a mixed bag of other species, including mulloway, snapper and trevally.

A second successful technique is to position your kayak on the edge of the drop off, in a metre or so of

water and cast up current, bringing your lure back with the current, so that it presents more naturally. You can fan your casts from the shallows to the deeper side of the drop off, effectively covering that first 5m where many of your strikes come when sitting a cast distance out and casting toward the bank. The downside of this technique is that you are

Jaki with a pocket rocket flathead. Remember, when you catch one, give the area a good work over.

drifting over the water that you are fishing and when the water is clear, you can spook a few fish. If you notice a few puffs of sand and flathead heading for deeper water, revert to the first technique.

Finally, if you are in a pedal kayak then you have the advantage of being able to slowly work your way into the current while using the second technique. This means that you are hopping the plastic back with the current, covering that key section of water, with the advantage of fishing water that you haven’t drifted over.

High Tide When the tide is higher, I have still had success chasing flathead and the key has been to get up on the flats, targeting areas that hold bait as the flathead that are here have moved up with the tide to hunt.

Casting to the edge of the mangroves and retrieving with a few quick hops and winds, keeping the lure above the spiky and snaggy mangrove roots, before allowing the lure to sink to the bottom near the edge of these roots and then hopping it back will produce a range of species.

Having a few rods on board makes switching lures easy.

Some big flathead patrol the edges of these mangrove roots in search of baitfish, crabs and prawns that stray too far from cover.

Other prime high tide structure includes the edges of rock bars, drains

your kayak along a fishy looking edge or near a sandy patch on the flats. I use an anchor running rig (anchor trolley), so that I can swing the anchor to the front of your kayak and fan casts in front of

gets swept down current and I l lose touch with it.

After I have covered an area, I usually take 10 steps and fan my casts again. This methodical approach will produce results and your kayak allows you to reach

If it’s not working, change it up! Here the author is downsizing his plastic.

Sheri works a flat, hopping her plastic back with the current in search of flathead. depressions on the flats, and the sandy sections that can be found dotting broken weed and rubble flats. The kayak holds advantages over other vessels as it allows you to traverse extremely shallow flats to reach drains and deeper sections of water, while also accessing the flats first and remaining on the flats

the kayak. This helps with hopping the lure back with the current and covering the area thoroughly.

If you land a fish, then give the area more of a work over before upping the anchor and moving a cast distance further along the bank. Dropping and retrieving the anchor can be a little tedious, however

banks that aren’t pressured by shore-based anglers.

GEARING UP Rods of 6’6”-7’ in length and 2-4kg rated are a popular option, fitted with a 2500 size spin reel, loaded with 6-10lb braided line. Leaders vary from 6lb when the fish and plastics are smaller and the bite is tougher, through to 10-12lb when larger

When the bait is small or the bite finicky, I downsize to a smaller paddle tail in the 2.5” size range. This also produces a lot more bream by-catch than the larger plastic. Paddletails have proven deadly in both Queensland and NSW waters. I have found a jerkbait profile in the 3.75” size range comes into its own further south, especially when twitched across the top of weed beds.

Colour can also make a difference. Try fishing natural, lighter colours when the water is clear, and change to a darker colour that offers a better silhouette when the water is dirty. If neither of these

colours are working, a switch to a fluro colour like chartreuse or pink may save the day.

Adding scent can make a difference when the bite is tough. It seems to create a more aggressive bite and encourages the fish to hold on a little longer, in turn giving you more time to set the hook.

JIGHEAD SELECTION A 3/0 jighead is popular for 3” plastics, and I usually downsize to a 2/0 or 1/0 as I decrease the size of my soft plastic. A 1/8-1/6oz is a good starting point for the shallow flats and mouths of drains, and you can step the weight up to 1/4oz for fishing the edges and 3/8

or even 1/2oz when fishing down the drop off into the channels.

LAUNCH THE YAK If you haven’t given lure fishing a go, flathead on soft plastics is a great place to start and once you catch a few, it all clicks and it becomes easier to locate them. If you’re a lure and flathead fishing tragic like me, I hope I have given you something to try next time you’re out on the water.

On those days when the wind is blowing or the tides aren’t great and you’re still keen for a fish, don’t forget the fish that has been designed for the kayak angler, the humble flathead.

See you on the water!

Drains like this funnel the bait to awaiting predators. longer than the boat anglers.

A few things to remember include, giving the area additional attention once a flathead is landed, as they commonly school.

Something else to try is to mix up your retrieve until you find what the fish want, while still ensuring your lure is on or near the bottom. Finally, keep an ear and eye out for baitfish flicking in the shallows as this often signals that there is a predator in the area.

ANCHORING AND WALKING If the wind is blowing or the current I too strong to position your kayak, don’t be afraid to anchor

this systematic approach can produce plenty of fish in tough conditions. A drift chute is another option for slowing your drift in the wind.

Another option is to slide your kayak up on a good-looking bank on a dropping tide. Make sure you anchor it securely, and then can walk the bank flicking soft plastics. Again, it is important to cast up current and hop the plastic back with the current, with strikes often occurring right at your feet. I usually fan 4-5 casts, slowly casting further out from the bank without going beyond about 60° to the bank, or my lure

fish are more common and structure is likely to be a factor in the fight.

A landing net is a good idea, as flathead have raspy mouths that can wear through leaders and spikes on each side and the top of their head that should be avoided… you don’t want them in your lap in the kayak. Lip grips are handy for handling fish for photos.

SOFT PLASTIC SELECTION My go-to plastic is 3” paddle-tails rigged on a 3/0 jighead. Most realistic baitfish profiles with a lively paddle-tail action have proven themselves on flathead of all sizes.

MAY 2016

81

What’s New FISHING

1

DAIWA BALLISTIC X

Rocketing onto the scene is Daiwa’s latest weapon – Ballistic X. Combining cutting-edge blank design with unmatched value, the Ballistic-X series is undeniably impressive and built to perform. Light, powerful and designed for ultimate strength and performance, this is the rod series that delivers unrivalled value.

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If you’re looking for a great value for money baitcaster or spin rod, without compromising on quality, then the Ballistic-X series is well worth a look. www.daiwafishing.com.au

2

PILLO GRUB PONTOON 21

Pontoon 21 has updated the traditional grub design with the release of the 2.25” Pillo Grub. A series of ribs varying in width, diameter and number offer a unique presentation to fish, while complementing the curl tail. The Pillo Grub also features an entry/exit point for your hook of choice, enabling you to thread your plastic onto your hook dead centre, which is important when it comes to your lure swimming naturally and straight.

Most commonly the Pillo Grub is fished on a jighead. It can be fished very lightly, still retaining its important tail action while managing to stay in the optimal strike zone for longer. A mixture of pauses, slow winding, single, double or triple hops have all been catching fish. Just chop and change your technique to find the best retrieve on the day.

The Pillo Grub is available in eight colours and is great for most inshore/estuarine species such as bream, bass, mulloway, perch, whiting, tailor and more.

To see a number of ways to rig these soft plastics, visit the Searing website.

Price: SRP $11.99 www.searingtackle.com.au

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BERKLEY WALK N WADE BAG

The Berkley Fishin’ Gear Tackle Management range offers a variety of storage solutions to suit every angler.

The range features heavy-duty fabrics for style and durability, comfortable handles and corrosion-resistant zips and fittings.

The FG Walk N Wade is for anglers on the move! It doesn’t matter if you’re walking the banks of a stream stalking trout, wading the sand flats of an estuary for flathead, or rock hopping with metal slugs for pelagics, the Walk N Wade is going to give you mobility and easy access to your gear for a great day on the water.

You can wear this bag as a shoulder bag or around your waist, thanks to its adaptable straps. The front and top tackle compartments have been designed for fast access, so it’s easy to quickly grab a lure or jighead. The bag also has accessories holders and two tackle boxes – everything a landbased angler needs.

Price: RRP $69.95 berkley-fishing.com.au

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DAIWA FREAMS Z

The original Freams set a new standard for light tackle spinning reels, introducing Zaion technology to the everyday anglers.

Zaion is a material that is incredibly strong and corrosion resistant. Now in 2016 Daiwa is upping the ante, introducing the Freams Z with Zaion and Magseal.

Daiwa’s Real Four is where it all begins when it comes to what’s inside, with Real Engine, Real Control, Real Endurance and Real Custom. Featuring a plethora of innovations like Magseal, Zaion, Air Rotor, ABS II and Airbail, Freams Z brings high end technology to the mid-range prices, and is now lighter, stronger, and more sensitive and feature-packed than ever before.

Other features include UTD (Ultimate Tournament Drag) and Twist Buster II. Check out the Freams Z at your favourite tackle store. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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Originally designed for targeting big tuna, the heavy-duty Monster Pencil from NS Black Hole has also proven to be deadly on mackerel, kingfish and giant trevally.

Now the range been expanded with the addition of five new colours.

Four of the new colours are natural baitfish imitations – flying fish, mackerel, mahi mahi and pilchard. The fifth is a zebra glow stripe pattern.

You can troll these lures, retrieve them with twitches and pauses to make them dive and shimmy, or burn them across the surface to make them skip along like a fleeing baitfish. If you work them with a sweep they will snake enticingly through the water.

Available in both 182mm (75g) and 200mm (110g) versions, these floating stickbaits feature a strong wire through construction and #8 split rings. They are unrigged so you have your choice of fitting singles or trebles. With a retail price of under $40 they are a quality lure that will stand up to the harshest punishment without breaking the bank. www.ejtodd.com.au

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MONSTER PENCIL NEW COLOURS

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STRIKE PRO FINESSE GRUBS

Designed and developed in Australia

by Strike Pro’s Pro Tournament Team, Strike Pro Finesse Grubs produce a truly tantalising action.

Finesse Grubs feature a powerful secret shellfish formula infused into the plastic so there is no messy liquid in the bag. This potent scent attracts fish and triggers them to strike.

The smooth body has ribbing added to increase vibration, and if you want to add extra catch scent the ribs will help retain it for longer.

The tail has been designed so you don’t need to trim it for modern jigheads, and they feature a top rigging slot so they’ll be rigged perfectly each time.

The 2” Finesse Grub’s ultra-fine tail will work on the lift and drop using ultra light jigheads, even 1/32oz or lighter, and are superb for finesse fishing for ultra flighty fish in shallow water and around structure. The 3” Finesse Grub can be rigged on a standard jighead or on a worm hook as it has neutral buoyancy for use across the top of oyster racks or for surface fishing.

These lures come packed in a tray, and they’re ideal for bream, bass, EPs, flathead, whiting, snapper, trevally, trout and redfin.

Price: SRP $11.99 www.jurofishing.com

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

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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What’s New FISHING

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NEW COLOURS FOR FAT DOGS

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WILSON OCTOPUS SKIRTS

A classic fat slow roller or twitch bait, the 3B Fat Dog now comes in four new colours: redeye express, 12 gauge, toxic sushi and linch pin.

This lure comes in deep and shallow versions. The Deep Fat Dog is a gun rock wall and tree snag specialist. With a crazy deep bib to smash into the structure and wake the fish up letting you know when you’re right in the mix, this fast diving HB will serve you well when you have a deep short strike zone.

The Shallow Fat Dog is an excellent lure for fishing the flats or over weed beds, targeting everything from trout to bream.

The 3B Fat Dog series comes with Owner #14 ST36BC trebles and an #0 P04 ring. The 3B Shallow Fat Dog is 38mm long, weighs 3.5g and dives to 1m. The Deep Fat Dog is 38mm, weighs 4g and dives to 2.5m. berkley-fishing.com.au

For those chasing the ocean’s predators, trolling baits has always been a fantastic way to make the most of your time on the water, and the Wilson Octopus skirts will enhance any trolled offering.

Made from durable materials and coming in a range of colours to suit different applications, the Wilson Octopus skirts are available in six colours that include green lumo, pink, blue, pearl, pink/white and red blue.

The size range also allows anglers the option to fish small to large baits, with sizes including 3”, 4”, 5”, 6”, 6.5” and 7”.

If you’re keen on trolling baits, whether you’re chasing salmon and kingfish down south or mackerel and billfish up north, the Wilson Octopus skirts are worth a serious look. www.wilsonfishing.com

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SIENNA FE AND SOCORRO SW

Shimano have revolutionised two of their spin reels, delivering more performance without compromise.

The Sienna and Socorro are two spin reels that have played an essential part in the Shimano line-up for years, and now they have received an upgrade. With substantial improvements over their predecessors, the Sienna FE and Socorro SW have you covered for all the big fish applications from inshore to offshore, surf to pier, kayak to boat and saltwater to freshwater.

Punching out 4kg of drag, the Sienna FE’s AR-C die-cast aluminium spools hold a generous amount of mono and a lot more braid. The Sienna FE range is super smooth thanks to Shimano’s Dyna-Balance technology.

The Sienna FE range is ideal for novice anglers who want something more sophisticated than the basic spin reel. The new centre of gravity (M-Compact Body) has increased balance by moving the oscillation gear closer to the rod, gifting you more comfort while fishing.

The versatile Socorro SW reels are great for inshore and offshore fishing for multiple species, whether you’re using bait, hardbody lures or jigs. Available in four sizes ranging from 5000 to 10,000, the Socorro has a waterproof cross carbon drag so you can maintain complete control, even when battling the strongest of fish. The series incorporates Shimano’s highend technologies such as Hagane, their waterresistant drag, and X-Ship.

Price: from $64 (Sienna), from $129 (Socorro) www.shimanofish.com.au

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

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KUTTAFURRA REDFIN

Aaron Young from Kuttafurra lures is recognised as one of Australia’s premier lure makers. He has won numerous awards acknowledging his skills as a lure designer, for his artistic flair and his attention to detail.

The Kuttafurra Redfin is another feather in his cap. The lure is 90mm long and dives to 3m.

Aaron has cleverly painted each colour with a focus on mimicking the redfin that are in our waterways.

With an enticing action that appeals to our native species, the Redfin can be fished in many situations. Slow rolled or retrieved with small sweeps of the rod tip see this lure come alive. And like all good Australian native lures, the Kuttafurra Redfin can be thrown in the thickest structure and retrieved back through without hanging up as it bumps and bounces its way through letting the fish know it’s there.

Kuttafurra Lures are available at selected quality tackle outlets. kuttafurralures@outlook.com

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ZEREK MEASURING TAPE

Most measuring tapes are large and cumbersome but the Zerek Marsh Slider Measuring Tape is not. It’s a pocket-sized measuring tape that will go anywhere and fit anywhere, giving all anglers the chance to measure their fish in any situation.

Constructed using durable PVC and with large numbers for easy reading, the Zerek Measuring Tape measures fish up to 120cm, and it rolls up to a very compact 13cm high by 7.5cm wide.

Conveniently small, easy to use and easier to store, including in your pocket while you’re walking and fishing from the bank, the Zerek Marsh Slider Measuring Tape is a handy and simple tool to help you know the length of your catch anywhere at any time. www.wilsonfishing.com

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SHAD

RAPALA SHADOW RAP

Big fish can’t resist the tantalizing, slowrising action of new Shadow Rap Shad from Rapala. Swimming with the infamous horizontal struggle with a vertical ‘rise’ on pause, they perfectly mimic a shad in trouble. The larger profile presents more flash and the option to fish from a finesse to more aggressive retrieve.

Kicking almost 180° right then left, with very little forward travel, the Shadow Rap Shad stays in the strike zone. With its head up and ready to rise, the fixed weight system allows lure to rise slowly like a dying shad.

After a sharp snap and generous slack line, it will actually spin around and look backwards.

Features include: textured scale body; translucent and frosted colours; sharp left to right turns; slow rising on pause; and premium VMC thin wire black nickel round bend hooks. Weighing 12g and measuring 9cm in length, the Shadow Rap Shad is available in a shallow and deep model that dives to 3-4ft and 5-6ft respectively. www.rapala.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au MAY 2016

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Product Profile

Features of the Deeper castable fishfinder Traditionally fish finders have been available only for anglers who own boats, but land-based anglers can now enjoy the advantage of seeing what’s hidden below the surface. If you’ve ever wondered what’s really going on down there, the compact Deeper castable fishfinder is for you.

To use the Deeper, you just screw an attachment bolt, tie it on your line and cast it to any spot you like.

It will display its readings on your smartphone or tablet in real time.

This portable, wireless sonar is compatible with over 7000 Apple and

Android devices.

As well as displaying the fish and structure, it also displays depth (up to 40m), water temperature, bottom contour and more.

Innovative Smart Imaging technology provides detailed and crystal clear information. The Deeper app also helps you mark all the good fishing spots and spend less time wondering and looking for the right place to cast.

This little sonar is the size of a cricket ball and weighs only 100g. That means it fits in any size tackle box, making it easy to carry it anywhere.

Developed in Europe

and distributed in Australia

by Rapala VMC, this clever product has won several

SPECIFICATIONS Size.............................................. 2.6”/ 6.5 cm diameter Compatibility............................... From iOS 8.0 and Android 4.0 to the latest iOS and Android devices Construction............................... ABS Weight.......................................... 100g Connection.................................. Wireless Bluetooth Bluetooth range.......................... Up to ~50m, depending on the OS and smartphone model Depth range max/min................ 40m/wide angle - 1.3m; narrow angle - 0.5m Temperature................................ water temperature sensor Temperature unit........................ Celsius / Fahrenheit Operational temperature........... -20°C to 40°C Battery......................................... Lithium polymer, 3.7V rechargeable; lasts for six hours of non-stop usage; takes two hours to fully charge Power adapter............................ compatible with 110V/240V. Micro USB Sonar type................................... Dual beam Frequency.................................... 290 kHz (15°) / 90 kHz (55°) Colour.......................................... Black

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awards, including Best Boating Accessory at the 2015 AFTA Trade Show.

SMARTPHONE APP Before purchasing a Deeper sounder, it’s worth downloading the free Deeper app to get a better idea of what this fishfinder’s features are and how to use it. After you download the app you can run the sonar simulation to see how everything works and what the display will look like.

This all-in-one mobile application provides owners with unique content and the latest features which can be accessed anytime, anywhere. It’s compatible with Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Huawei and over 7000 other smartphone models and tablets.

Boat Mode 4.0 is the name of the latest app update, available for both iOS and Android users.

This update has two longawaited features: mapping and unlimited history.

This means you can create personal bathymetric maps which allow you to monitor bottom contour and depths, therefore helping you find the best fishing spots in the

area. Unlimited data history means you can store the maps and sonar readings so they can be accessed at any time. The Boat Mode 4.0 app update is free and is compatible with all Deeper sonar versions.

Here are the other main features of the Deeper app.

Know when to fish A primary feature is a a detailed fishing calendar based on lunar phases for your chosen location, along with the best biting times by hour. This means you’ll always know the best fishing time.

Be prepared for any weather Up-to-date weather reports based on your favourite locations provide accurate 5-day forecasts, including air temperature, cloud cover, wind speed and direction, humidity, pressure and even the position of the sun and moon.

Save the best spots With Smart Fish Finder you get an integrated map function complete with fish location saving option, so you always know exactly where you should be fishing next time.

Track data history Review your recent

sonar history by simply moving the screen or the cursor to the left until the screen starts to move in reverse.

Share your catch Smart Fish Finder is fully integrated within social media networks so you can share your fishing stories and pictures quickly and easily at the touch of a button.

ACCESSORIES There are two handy accessories available, catering to anglers who fish at night, and those who fish from kayaks. The flexible arm accessory is perfect for yakkers; a universal 1/4 20” male screw makes it compatible with RAM mounts and most paddle sport gear. And if you’re fishing at night, you can swap out the original cover case for a night fishing transparent one. Select ‘night fishing mode’ on the mobile application, and your Deeper will light up so you can clearly see it.

WHERE TO BUY The Deeper fishfinder has a recommended retail price of $339.95. For more information or to find the Deeper stockist nearest you, visit www.buydeeper.com.

Product Review

Using a Deeper for the first time FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

It’s always a good test of how intuitive a new piece of gear is when you can crank it up and use it effectively without the instruction manual. That’s exactly the position I found myself in on a hectic day of tagging on North Pine Dam, just north of Brisbane.

it sounds. Volunteers tagged over 1000 fish on the first day with all of the data contributing to better knowledge of the population dynamics of the fishery.

It’s tough work, but someone has to do it.

After nearly exhausting our tag supply, I opened the little black bag that contained a spherical transducer. My brother Tim, who had supplied the test

installed the free Deeper app from Apple’s App Store. The process was trouble free. After that, Bluetooth pairing to the unit completed the setup and we were ready to go.

And by that, I mean we were ready to drag around the little floating ball on the VB cord.

Since then, I’ve found that there’s a variety of mounting options that are suitable for basically anything that floats.

Immediately, we were able to get an accurate depth on the Deeper. I know this because I was

checking the reading with a Humminbird 1198 running right next to it.

It didn’t take long to find some fish, and because they probably hadn’t ever seen a lure before, it took even less time to hook one up for the camera.

You can see the sequence on the video review we produced by scanning the QR code hereby.

In practice, fish showed up exactly the same on the Deeper as they did on the Humminbird, and although it’s probably not as powerful a solution as the ‘bird provided, it

The Deeper fishfinder uses the processing power and Bluetooth connection of your smartphone to display an accurate image of what’s under your transducer.

Now and then, keen taggers get a small window of access to the hyper stocked bass lake where the bass are big and greedy.

And yes, it is as good as

unit, also kindly provided a length of venetian blind cord to tow around this little ball of technology.

When I picked up the unit, I’d searched for and

For a $300 price tag, you can turn your smartphone into a fully capable fish finder.

Once you download the app and pair the device, you can start sounding straight away. Admittedly it’s not too hard to find and catch bass in North Pine Dam, but the unit was still pretty impressive. sure is a convenient and economical one.

It’s literally a sounder in your pocket.

So, with only half an hour of testing, I can say that we’re looking forward to more time on the water with the Deeper products.

You can see the options and extended capabilities of the latest versions of these units in the article on the opposite page.

The next time you’ll hear from us about it, we’ll have given the Deeper sounders a serious flogging.

Check out the range at www.buydeeper.com. Trade enquiries locally to Rapala Australia.

VIDEO

To see the full video review, scan the QR code on your smartphone.

MAY 2016

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What’s New BOATING

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STACER PROLINE STRIKER

Stacer has updated its Proline range with the release of the new Proline Striker Series, which features Proline models 399-429. These tinnies are budget friendly, and have new and improved features.

Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson said Stacer have widened the chines for excellent stability at rest and underway.

“The new hull also provides a deeper entry point to ensure a soft ride and improved spray deflection to make sure passengers stay dry,” he said. “Additionally, the innovative arrow-shaped bow design has effectively increased the cockpit size by 11%.”

Standard features include a glove box, fitted drink holder, bow and transom handles and bench seat flotation, with the option of a bimini. Models 399-429 have enough room for five people with front and rear bench seats.

Prolines are available as a boat, motor and trailer package, and come with 3-year warranty. www.stacer.com.au

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SOLVENT-FREE FLUID FILM

Fluid Film corrosion control and lubrication products were originally developed for the US Navy, who were concerned about the use of solvents in confined spaces.

This lanolin/wool wax base product line works where other products don’t last or don’t work at all. These are non-toxic, long lasting, thixotropic liquids (they liquefy when shaken, and then solidify when left standing). They have been used for over 50 years in the highly corrosive environment of ships and offshore drilling rigs.

Because Fluid Film products have no added solvents, except for a small amount of propellant in the aerosol, they are safer for users and the environment. Additionally, they won’t dry out or stop working, they have a higher flash point (less chance of a fire), won’t evaporate, and won’t go tacky and gummy.

Fluid Film is available in various grades of thickness (six plus an aerosol can) to suit different application methods and environmental conditions. www.stottind.com.au

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IHOUND GPS TRACKERS

iHound GPS devices are small, waterproof and discreetly concealed on your trailer. iHound will report to you once a day on your PC, tablet or smartphone with a status and location report (can be more frequent if you require). If your equipment is moved or leaves its digital ‘geofence’ it will instantly let you know by an SMS message to your phone, an email, an alert on your iHound user interface or all three. If the equipment is moving it will send regular updates to tell you where it is so you can chase it down or notify the authorities.

The battery will last up to six months reporting once per day, and will recharge itself when your trailer lights are connected to your vehicle. When connected to the vehicle the device will report its location every three minutes.

Another potential benefit of fitting an iHound is that it may greatly reduce your insurance premiums, so it’s worth checking with your insurance company.

Price: SRP $249 + $15 per month maintenance www.ihound.com.au

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GARMIN QUATIX 3 SMARTWATCH

The Garmin Quatix 3 streams NMEA 2000 data – including speed, depth and wind data – from compatible Garmin marine electronics. Users can also start and stop recording video or take still images with a Garmin VIRB camera, control their FUSION stereo, and there’s also a dedicated MOB hotkey.

Other features include a 3-axis electronic compass, barometer, auto-calibrating altimeter, anchor alarm, alarm clock, anchor rope calculator, a fishing tournament timer and fish catch log. You can also receive tide data through a smartphone.

The Quatix 3 is water resistant to 100m, and has a tough lens with reinforced housing.

It has an omni-directional EXO antenna and high-sensitivity GPS with GLONASS support, and its colour display is sunlight readable with an LED backlight. The battery life ranges from 20 hours to six weeks, depending on settings.

You can customise your Quatix 3 with sport functions, daily activity tracking and more, which can be synced with your phone.

The watch can also deliver notifications for calls, texts and emails, and is Connect IQ compatible.

Price: RP $899 w w w. g a r m i n . c o m / e n - AU / e x p l o re / onthewater/

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MINN KOTA DRIFT SOCK

The Minn Kota Drift Sock is a great addon product for electric motor users.

“A device similar to the offshore sea anchor or drogue, the Drift Sock is a helpful tool to use when shallow water fishing for estuary or impoundment species,” advises Justin Welsh, Brand Manager.

“For example, you could use it while drifting over an area of shallow saltwater flats, maybe fishing for bream or flathead.

As the wind pushes you, you can start to go quite quickly, particularly in a light aluminium boat. The Drift Sock allows you to slow that drift down. You can position yourself with the Minn Kota, and tied off mid-ship you can have the Drift Sock out to slow you down.”

The Drift Sock is built to last, with 210 denier ripstop nylon and heavy duty strips.

Price: SRP $72.90 minnkota.com.au

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MERCURY VESSELVIEW LINK MODULE

In partnership with Mercury, the full lineup of Lowrance HDS Gen3 and HDS Gen2 Touch multifunction displays, as well as all Simrad GO, NSS evo2 and NSO evo2 multifunction displays, will receive a software upgrade that adds powerful functionality with the new Mercury VesselView Link module. This will provide boaters with fully integrated Mercury engine data combined with their chartplotter, sounder or radar display.

The touch-friendly interface will offer quick access to data like RPM, speed, fuel remaining, battery voltage and trim tabs. The VesselView Link control bar also provides quick access to Mercury smart modes including: Eco, Smart Tow, Troll Control and Cruise Control, and a quick-access bar displays clear warnings and alerts such as fault notification, identifying the affected engine on multi-engine boats, descriptive fault text, and maintenance reminders. To maximise the combination of engine data with sounder, chartplotter or radar displays, users can also enable split-screen functionality with automatic panel adjustment.

VesselView Link will be available in June 2016. www.lowrance.com

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

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Built to perform.

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3 SATU WAY MORNINGTON Phone: 03 5976 4622 Email: sales@wesfrostmarine.com Website: wesfrostmarine.com.au

MAY 2016

87

What to know when buying a boat: offshore craft BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

This article is the first in a series designed to make things easy for the angler keen to own a boat for a particular style of fishing:

day to ensure those specs are not exceeded.

The next move is to give some thought to where the boat will be kept. Boats don’t do well if left out in the weather for prolonged periods, so undercover storage for an item involving a significant

the amount of freeboard of an offshore craft and tend to be mainly open boats.

A large centre console can satisfy both estuary and offshore work, but with entirely open boats there can be issues with rain or bad seas. The only option is to break out the wet gear and grin and bear it.

By and large the most favoured offshore rigs are larger boats because they can combine freeboard, interior space and cockpit work area in harmony.

Accordingly, to see these features melded seamlessly off shore rigs are at least 5m in length, and while most are either centre cab or cuddy cab

A Haines Signature 650 F, powered by a 250 Suzuki in its element. At 6.5m in length this cuddy cab rig offers many desirable features.

An Offshore Marine Master plate alloy rig going through the Caloundra Bar. With a centre cab or cuddy cab craft, protection from water and the elements is a big advantage. in this case, heading offshore for a crack at the big stuff.

Obviously, an offshore rig needs to have very specific features for work out on the ocean and we’ll look at them in detail shortly, but let’s first start with tow and stow.

TOW AND STOW Safe towing is vital and it’s important to have a favourable margin between the weight of the chosen craft and the tow capacity of a vehicle. While it’s pretty easy to tow anything, stopping becomes the issue.

Car manufacturers provide tow capacities and boaters should always consider full fuel loads, topped up eskies, and everything else carried in the boat on the

capital outlay is important and a fold down T top, bimini or other over head frame work is a blessing if overhead storage room is going to be tight.

Tow and stow are minor considerations, but can have a big impact on the degree a boat is used from my experience. If transportation away from or a return to home is awkward or difficult, the boat won’t get much use.

BASIC OFFSHORE REQUIREMENTS There’s a vast difference between a craft that’s suited to offshore fishing to one that is best used in the bay or estuary.

Estuary or bay craft slot into the smaller side of the ledger and do not require

Bunks, or even full beds, are featured in all cuddy cabs, and offer shelter plus storage space as well.

among us.

There’s a trade off in overall fishing room due to the cabin’s intrusion, but the comfort and protection offered by that cabin plus the bimini usually associated with it is a huge bonus.

DESIRABLE FEATURES FOR OFFSHORE WORK Moreover, the cabin will feature bunks where you can enjoy a sheltered rest or sleep, make use of the storage under them and that of overhead shelving if it’s provided. Again, a toilet may be an option as

well and this combination of features is what makes a cuddy cabin style of craft so favoured by off shore anglers.

The dash area should be large enough for anticipated navigation aids and sounders with all instruments and gauges easily read. Forward and side visibility should be unobstructed from the helm seat.

Within the cockpit work area, a live bait tank, an aft seat that can be folded down when fishing to compliment the seats for

styles of craft I’ve reviewed a couple of really large bow riders that easily doubled as offshore fishing craft.

Larger boats of all styles can readily double as a bay or estuary craft suited to family boating due to the combination of comfort levels, protection from the elements and the capability to readily store expensive tackle when on prolonged runs out to sea.

CENTRE CAB OR CUDDY? Centre cabs are a step

An exception to the rule; the big Sea Fox is a bow rider. It’s a fun craft, but the sheer size, ample freeboard and overall comfort levels would see it do well offshore with ease.

Plate alloy offshore perfection. Sea Jay’s great 618 Pursuit flying along in fine style. Every desirable offshore feature is packed into the big Sea Jay, which has a dedicated following among boaties who love their offshore fishing.

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up from the standard centre console rig as they offer a mini cab amidships. They also offer walkaround areas from front to rear and when the craft is a larger one there can be quite reasonable storage within the centre cab. Some even feature a toilet!

But when it comes to overall protection from the elements, it’s near impossible to beat a cuddy cab craft. Size is everything in these craft and it’s no surprise that few manufacturers offer models under 5m, and many offer craft right up to 7m for the dedicated offshore anglers

Some of the necessary features for offshore work are on hand here: there’s a livewell to starboard, a bait station with rod holders amidships, a full height transom, side pockets, folding rear seat and decent side padding.

skipper and mate, a deck wash and maybe in floor storage for ice and drinks or the day’s catch will also be desirable features.

Most manufacturers offer all or at least some of these features in their cuddy cab models and with the certain knowledge that a lot of these rigs will be used offshore, they ensure that cockpit and transom heights (the overall freeboard as it’s called) are sufficient to inspire confidence in an owner. The higher those sides, within reason, the less chance of water or spray intrusion.

THE RIDE IS EVERYTHING As mentioned, cuddy cab

The Evolution 552 is another cuddy cab that combines plenty of excellent offshore fishing features with a compact size.

Some of the main features of a well-designed offshore rig are outstanding. Note the high sides of the OMM 610 centre cab, the full height transom, twin livewells aft, ample rod holders and the shelter provided by the centre cab amidships.

craft are usually on the larger side, which in turn – whether the craft is a plate alloy or fibre glass rig – equates to some serious mass. On the water, mass is not a bad thing at all as it softens the ride, adds stability both at rest and underway and gives a great feeling of solidarity in that the boat is travelling in rather than just on the water.

What’s more, today’s boat owners also have the benefit of many years of competitive hull development and current hull styles in both alloy and glass ensure that ride quality is everything it should be.

That’s not to say that the

boat owner can just head straight into metre and a half swells with the throttle lever down and the tacho showing 5000rpm! After the first couple of impacts that throttle lever will come back very quickly!

The key is to drive the boat sensibly according to conditions with faster travel in calmer sea conditions, less pace equating to a more comfy ride when things are rough.

Sufficient power for the job is vital, which is why many manufacturers are recommending top engine power for their larger craft.

When a wave is coming astern there are times when a rapid engine response

provides peace of mind and this is never more important than when a bar crossing is being undertaken.

CONCLUSION When selecting a suitable boat for offshore work it’s pretty obvious that some hard and fast rules are involved and over riding all is the dollar factor.

Larger craft do involve more expense but the enjoyment when offshore fishing on a great day is hard to beat. My advice is to shop around, looking for as many features as possible in a rig from a well-established manufacturer and make sure the chosen boat fits as many of your requirements as possible.

The Tournament 2000 is a 6m cuddy rig with the lot, and is ideal for offshore fishing in every respect.

The perfect boats for barra, bass or bream

You’ll find them where the fish are... since 1967 Mako 214 CC

Fishing with Nitro is a blast!

Whether you’re a tournament pro or a weekend warrior, Nitro boats will ignite your passion and pack more fun into your day. Just getting there is half the fun!

For more than 20 years, Nitro have continually refined and delivered serious fishing boats for serious anglers.

Nitro boats are foam-filled to exceed US Coast Guard survey requirements.

This gives you the safety of level floatation, security and comfort – and additional fishing stealth – all backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Mako 234 CC Mako 284 CC

The latest offerings from Mako feature the deepest internal freeboard of any boats in their class, while still providing large underfloor fish boxes, and the huge safety benefits of a true self-draining cockpit and foamfilled hull.

You’ll enjoy your offshore fishing more knowing that Mako’s 100% composite construction is totally rot-free, enabling Mako to give you the best warranty in the business – the Mako Assurance Life Time Warranty

Call Tim Stessl now on 0429 680 504 to arrange a test drive or em:tim@flboats.com.au Hopefully it will be rough, as you’ll be stunned by the performance of these boats when the weather gets challenging!

Fishing and Leisure Boats, 165 Currumburra Road, Ashmore, QLD 4214

www.fishingandleisureboats.com.au

The world’s #1 aluminium fishing boats!

Tracker’s outstanding quality and unique manufacturing process have made them the world’s largest boat builder – producing more than 40,000 aluminium fishing boats per year. Their foam-filled, unsinkable, 3mm plate alloy hulls are robotically welded to deliver superior quality at a lower cost – and are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Tracker’s Pro Guide series is designed with a deep-vee hull for exceptional performance, even in rough waters.

Their Diamond Coat finish is a Tracker exclusive that resists oxidation, providing protection and a shine lasting 70% longer. Standard features include a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance colour sounder, plus tournament-ready live well systems and rod lockers.

COME AND VISIT US

AT THE

1 9 - 2 2 M AY 2 0 16 ON MASTHEAD W AY MAY 2016

89

BAIT & TACKLE WEST COAST

Melbourne Marine Centre (03) 9703 2003

U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Regal Marine (03) 9874 4624

Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au

Streaker Marine (03) 9729 8288

She Left www.hdvcs.com.au

Triple M Marine (03) 9465 8787

Portland Bait & Tackle (03) 5523 5213

Warragul Marine (03) 5623 6250

Compleat Angler Portland (03) 5521 1844

Wes Frost Marine (03) 5976 4622

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING

EAST COAST

CENTRAL

Inverloch Marine (03) 5674 1502

Hooked On Bait and Tackle Hoppers Crossing (03) 9748 3811

FRESHWATER

Fishing Fever Mordialloc (03) 9590 9899 Compleat Angler Rosebud (03) 5981 1994

Boats and More Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883

Boats and More Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Compleat Angler Ringwood (03) 9870 7792

Eades Xtreme Marine Echuca (03) 5482 2333

The Flyfisher Melbourne (03) 9621 1246

BOAT MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS

EAST COAST

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

Always Angling Traralgon (03) 5174 8544

FRESHWATER Compleat Angler Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Line listing from $90 + gst 6 months* 2cm x 2 from $195 + gst 6 months* 4cm x 2 from $320 + gst 6 months* 8cm x 2 from $590 + gst 6 months* Rates exclusive to Trades and Services Directory *Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0835 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you have any other trades or services that you would like to see in this section please don’t hesitate to give us a call Email: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Compleat Angler Shepparton (03) 5822 2180 Compleat Angler Wangaratta (03) 5722 4622

CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

MARINE MECHANICS

WARNING!

Naaj Marine 0421 955 371

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion

Unique Marine Accessories (03) 5427 1802 CMC Marine Sales www.cmcsales.com.au Hunter Marine Boat Builders (03) 5032 2320

CENTRAL

ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR.

Chelsea Yamaha (03) 9772 1212

SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

Kris Oakley Marine Services (03) 9794 5524

ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883 JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100

FREECALL For more info

The Outboard Workshop (03) 9783 0840

Nautical Marine has been providing all your boating and marine needs since 1976, and continues to ensure that your days on the water are enjoyable and safe.

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1800 091 172

VISIT www.salt-away.com.au

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ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

90

Logan Specialised Screen Printing (07) 5546 4107

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Boab Boat Hire Echuca (03) 5482 1992

HOLIDAY RENTAL WEST COAST Warrnambool Holiday Park (03) 5562 5031

EAST COAST

SHALLOW INLET CARAVAN PARK On the Waters Edge

FRESH BAIT | HIRE BOATS | ICE

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03 5687 1385

Shallow Inlet Caravan Park (03) 5687 1385

This section in V&TFM Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

MAY 2016

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION EAST GIPPSLAND

Kestrel Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 1783

Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080

Queenscliff Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 0458 504 058

Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111

Pro Red Fishing Charters 0421 442 775

O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

Rip Charters Fishing Trips, Sorrento (03) 5984 3664

MARLO

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

Saltwater Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 4888

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

NSW SOUTH COAST

03 5154 8268

Wilderness Fishing Tours, Mallacoota 0424 625 160

• Deluxe cabins HOSTS: Les & Kathy HEYNE • Cabins with ensuite • Budget cabins • Premium ensuite vans • Powered & Unpowered sites • Pet friendly • Undercover BBQ areas in Marlo • Large oval • Kitchen Largest park • Camp fires • Kiosk the beach Short walk to • Coffee shops

Ask us about our LONG RANGE

Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures (02) 6495 9902 or 0400 062 504

FISHING ADVENTURES!

www.marlocamping.com.au Marlo Ocean Views Caravan and Camping Park, Marlo (03) 5154 8268

FISHING GUIDES

For Bookings call

0418 107 071

www.sharkmen.com.au

IDEAL GIFT!

Sharkmen Charters, Carrum 0418 107 071 St Kilda Fishing Charters, St Kilda (03) 9770 2200 Western Port Fishing Charters, Hastings (03) 9769 5544

EAST COAST

Clean, Quality Self Contained Accommodation Overlooking Sydenham Inlet s • Kiosk om Unit 2 Bedro Bedroom • Ice Plus a 4 Available • Bait House • Boat Hire Owner Operated

Capella III Fishing Adventures, Port Welshpool (03) 5688 1585 37-41 Sydenham Parade, Bemm River 3889 Ph: (03) 5158 4233 – 0427 584233 E: bemmaccomm@bigpond.com www.bemmaccommodation.com.au

Bemm River Holiday Accommodation & Boat Hire, Bemm River (03) 5158 4233 or 0427 584 233

Lazy Acre Log Cabins 1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM SPACIOUS COTTAGES ♦ Solar Pool ♦ Free Wi-Fi ♦ Air-Con/Heating ♦ Fishing Advice ♦ Boat Parking

Quiet central location Ideal for all the family Close to 90 mile beach 5min drive to boat ramps

Far Out Charters, McLoughlins Beach 0428 401 819 Prom Coastal Charters, Yanakie (03) 5687 1248 or 0429 935 583 Razorback Bluewater Charters, Port Albert (03) 5183 2691

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Lazy Acre Log Cabins, Lakes Entrance (03) 5155 1323

QUEENSLAND Cairns Bed and Boat 0418 772 751

CHARTER BOATS EAST GIPPSLAND East Gippsland Charters 0400 564 032

WEST COAST Portland Fishing Charters, Portland (03) 5523 3020 Shipwreck Coast Diving & Charters, Warrnambool (03) 5561 6108

CENTRAL South-West Fishing Charters, Portland 0418 306 714 Gone Fishing Charters 0409 007 068 Off The Hook Fishing Charters 0419 554 916 Able Fishing & Charters, Williamstown (03) 9502 3777 ACE Fishing Charters, Bonbeach (03) 9773 4183 Adamas Fishing Charters, Barwon Heads (03) 5254 3320 Big Red Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 1800 805 587 Blue Magic Fishing Charters, Rowville (03) 9759 5301

pjung@fishingmonthly.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 Gone Fishing Charters, St Helens (03) 6376 1553 Fish Wild Tasmania, Hobart 0418 348 223 Flinders Island Adventures, Flinders Island (03) 6359 4507 Trout Territory, Northern Midlands (03) 6397 5001

NSW SOUTH COAST Reel Affair, Merimbula freecall 1800 233 247 Espirit Charters, Bermagui (02) 6493 4104 or 0407 260 110 Freedom Charters, Eden (02) 6496 1209 or 0415 602 446

Calypso Fishing Charters, Tootgarook (03) 5985 8463

Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134

Geelong Charters & Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107

Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857

Katrina Louise Charters, Cheltenham 0402 828 140

K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681

Visiting places like Bemm River is an experience that will keep you going back again and again. Although renown for bream, Bemm River also produces some great flathead.

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

MAY 2016

91

484 Pro Sniper Anglapro with 60hp Mercury WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT BOAT TO OWN?

SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

There are a number of factors that make the 484 Pro Sniper Anglapro stand out above the pack. You’d think that as an aluminium boat extra noise, extra vibration (whether at rest or when travelling) and that extra flex in the sides of the boat would be standard – this is not the case when it comes to the 484 Pro Sniper Anglapro.

Anglapro have highly refined the construction, design, shape and finish of the Sniper to suit an avid angler who enjoys fishing in the estuaries, maybe poking their nose offshore to troll for kingfish or working soft

• Easy to use by yourself • Plenty of room to move about • Adequate storage • Very comfortable ride • Strong design with less noise for an aluminium boat • Less flex in the hull • Extremely stable • Corners very well while still holding in the water • The 60hp 4 stroke Mercury lifted the boat out of the hole with ease. I could just only imagine what a 90hp outboard would do • Carpeted throughout •C omfortable upholstered pedestal seats with four positions • Gussets (bulkheads) are then welded to the ribs to establish a solid structure for the floor to be fixed to and for improved hull integrity The Sniper is fully equipped to target fish in both fresh and saltwater. The 3mm bottom and sides, aggressive ribbing support and extra wide gunwales gives you

boats. This is where the deep V dead rise and internal keel system comes into play.

ERGONOMICS I like to be able to move about a boat with ease. For a boat of its size, the 484 Pro Sniper had so much room that when the tailor came on the chew, my mate Derek and I didn’t have to keep looking around to see where the other was – even when I invited him to come up to the front casting deck as the school moved around.

The Anglapro 484 Pro Sniper looks very impressive in or out of the water.

I’ve put many boats through their paces and I have come to prefer a boat with a raised platform at the rear of the boat that can be used as a casting platform. You can still stand at the rear of the boat, but there are times when you need to work the rod tip down near the water. The raised platform at the rear was big enough for someone to quite

comfortably stand while not having to brace themselves.

With plenty of room at the rear and front of the boat you would be able to have a third and maybe even a fourth angler casting lures at a feeding school of fish.

I am an angler who needs plenty of places to store items, and when you look around the 484 Sniper there are quite

As you can see there is so much room in this outfit. plastics for snapper over the close inshore reefs. This boat is also totally suitable and comfortable to take the family out for a bit of fun!

The deep V side console is the perfect blend of stability and capability in enclosed waters and is tough and comfortable in the rough stuff.

total confidence in the boat whether trolling for kingfish, barramundi or Murray cod, drifting for flathead and offshore reef species or at anchor berleying for bream, trevally and whiting.

On the test run I found that I didn’t have to slow down when crossing over chop or the wake of other

Tight turns are easy for the 484 Sniper Pro. 92

MAY 2016

The seat at the helm and the passenger’s seat are very comfortable and can be re-positioned closer to the rear of the boat or up front.

a few places where you can store your gear and supplies.

The rear-casting platform has two closed in compartments, one for the battery and one to store your tackle. As you move forward there is a built-in open aluminium tray on the port side and a smaller one on the starboard side underneath the controls. Both of these could store a number of items that would put them within an arm’s length of the passenger and skipper.

At the front there is a 100L built-in plastic kill tank that could be used either for storing the day’s catch, plumbed to keep your fish alive or just as a big storage compartment. At the pointy end of the boat there is a deep built-in anchor well and another storage compartment for extra life jackets, extra anchor and rope, wet weather gear and much more.

The side console had a fuel gauge, five toggle switch panel with a 12-volt adapter, and RPM gauge. There was also room to display the voltage, motor hours, troll mode and trim.

The side console also had an open storage area on the floor, plus a small tray for those incidentals. I would put a fold down cover on the tray to keep things dry. As

The 60hp, 4-stroke Mercury outboard pushed the 484 Sniper Pro along with ease. Don’t forget you could always up size to a 90hp.

we were travelling along the high windscreen did enough to keep the spray off the Elite-4x sounder. I would have preferred the screen to wrap around the console for a bit more protection from the elements.

Having the extra wide gunwales would enable you to

centre rollers centred the boat with ease so all I had to do was walk up the front, attach the boat clip, climb out and drive off the ramp. This is definitely one of those boats that a single angler would be able to use with ease.

Climbing in or getting out of the boat while it was on

the trailer was a bit harder for me. The wheels of the trailer are back under the boat and I am short and don’t have long legs – for me this would be overcome by installing a fold up stainless steel ladder on one of the rear steps. This step would then also be used if you want to jump in for a

The port side storage would have a number of uses, and above it you could store your stern light or another couple of rods.

Two people can easily fit on the front casting deck. be able to run the extra cabling needed for deck lights, electric motor up front and even a stereo if you wanted!

FISHABILITY On the fishabilty side of things, the 484 Pro Sniper Anglapro has the ‘WOW’ factor. With all the movement between Derek and I while casting at schools of feeding tailor, and blading for flathead and flounder, the stability of the boat never faulted – even when both of us were on the same side of the boat and either the front or the rear.

Whether lure or baitfishing I prefer to have a number of rods rigged, ready to be able to grab if I need to change tactics. As you will see, there were six stand-up positions to have pre-rigged outfits. With two anglers onboard this setup gives you three each, rigged and ready.

On the starboard side of the boat the horizontal storage could serve as another couple of rod racks, giving you four rigged rods per angler.

The live-well at the rear is big enough to hold your pink nippers, poddy mullet and yellowtail. The kill tank is large enough to store that large dusky flathead before you release it or if you are fishing in a bream tournament with a non-boater there is a plastic divider to keep the fish separate.

SAFETY The high gunwales gave me a sense of stability when leaning up against them, even when there was a bit of wash hitting the side of the boat. The wide beam of the boat gives plenty of extra stability when moving about in the boat and even when there was only the skipper in the boat there was very little tilt sideways.

I did find that when I drove the boat onto the trailer at the ramp the skids and

swim or get back into the bait after being towed behind on a kneeboard.

I put the 484 Sniper into fairly sharp turns with very little roll off the horizontal

The Sniper Pro was extremely easy to launch and retrieve.

The side console with windscreen will provide some protection from the wind and spray. You could even get the crew to make you a wraparound screen.

plane, which gives you that extra stability.

THE DETAILS If you are looking for an outfit that is ready to go and all you need to do is put yourself and some fishing gear in it then you need to contact the crew at Wes Frost Marine and they will hook you up with the 484 Pro Anglapro Sniper. The RRP for the basic setup starts at $29,662 - ring Wes Frost Marine for a quote.

If you are looking to customise one to suit your needs you won’t need to go anywhere else as they can create the outfit you are after.

The Sniper package will give you the confidence to step your fishing up to the next level. It’s an aluminium fishing boat that performs like a sports boat. It’s great for an avid angler who has a family or friends that like fishing, getting towed around on a float tube or kneeboard or simply cruising about.

Find your dream boat go to Wes Frost Marine, 3 Satu Way, Mornington 3931, or call 03 5976 4622, email sales@ wesfrostmarine.com or visit

www.wesfrostmarine.com.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/

trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

SPECIFICATIONS Overall boat length............................................4.840m Length on trailer with motor down................ 6.200m Beam width....................................................... 2.200m Outboard minimum...............................................60hp Outboard maximum..............................................90hp Payload................................................................ 450kg Freeboard.......................................................... 630mm Sides and bottom..................................................3mm Warranty............................................................. 5 years • Trailer: Dunbier braked trailer with folding jockey wheel, LED lights, skids and centred rollers • Anchor well with drain and bollard • Side decks • Side console with grab rail • Console windscreen • Non-feedback steering • Bow sprit and roller • Front casting deck • Side pockets • Rear casting deck with splash tray • Rear step port side • Rear step starboard side • Side rails • Bow rails • Chine height cockpit • Bow keeper tank (not plumbed) painted inside and out • Bow battery shelf • Plumbed bait tank • Two upholstered pedestal seat • Driver seat slide • Deluxe pedestal seats • Underfloor fuel tank (minimum 60L) • Electronic package (Navigation lights, bilge pump, accessories, bait tank and a 12v socket) • Colour sounder Additional options: • Coloured sides • Bimini • Full boat cover • Plumbed keeper tank • Bow mount plate • Plastic rod holders • Aluminium rod holders • Hydraulic steering • Courtesy lights • Keeper tank plumbed • Rocket launchers mounted off bimini • Cup holders • Dual batteries • VHF radio • Lowrance sounder GPS upgrade MAY 2016

93

McLay 591 Hardtop – tough and affordable FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

New Zealand built boats have a reputation for being well-made and for offering packages that are designed for anglers. With this in mind I was looking forward to heading out on the water with David Garcia from Warragul Marine Centre to test out one of their new arrivals, the McLay 591 Sportsman

McLay 591 Hardtop came at the boat ramp at Marlo.

It definitely catches your eye, with a painted top deck and a newly installed 140hp Suzuki 4-stroke on the back.

Warragul Marine Centre is the sole McLay dealer in Victoria, and they are keen to show off the full potential of these boats to their customers. If the feedback at the ramp from the local anglers was anything to go by, they liked the look of the McLay and were keen to see us running around in it.

kill tank, two side pockets, a plumbed live bait tank, walk through transom with dive ladder, bait station with a draw, rocket launchers, Nyalic clear coat finish on all unpainted surfaces, dual battery system, Garmin 95sv sounder/GPS, Fusion radio, Garmin100i VHF radio, LED deck lights, hydraulic steering and a deck wash.

There is also additional storage with space below the cushions in the front cabin and in the pedestals of the seats.

The McLay 591 Hardtop is an impressive looking vessel.

The hull of the McLay 591 ensures a smooth dry ride.

Hardtop. The Snowy River at Marlo greeted us with a sensational morning, but we knew this weather window would be short lived, as an easterly change was expected mid-morning. Just enough time to put the boat through its paces.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS My first look at the

We headed to the mouth of the river to see how the 591 would deal with the already freshening easterly.

FIT OUT The McLay 591 Hardtop is unassumingly a boat designed for anglers, with options available to meet the user’s every need. The many options on the boat tested included an underfloor

The huge dash had ample room for any electronics and gauges you may want or need, and is surrounded by a large windscreen. Vision through the windscreen was excellent and there is a wiper on the skipper’s side to ensure any spray and rain can be removed. I would include a sliding window or ventilation hatch on the roof

to allow some airflow on those really hot days, as it didn’t take long for the cabin area to get quite stuffy and hot. On the upside, when the weather deteriorated later in the day, the warmth and protection the cabin provided was much appreciated.

To make anchoring a breeze the 591 was fitted with a Lone Star Marine GX1 600watt drum winch matched with a Mud Magnet Max anchor. There is a hatch that provides full access to the forward area and anchor well, but why manually anchor when there are affordable quality winches available like the Lone Star to do it for you?

BUILT TOUGH It is hard not to be impressed by the build of the 591 Hardtop. It has a 5mm bottom, 3mm sides and a 4mm chequer plate floor. The visible welds are impeccable and the fit out (all done by McLay Boats in New Zealand by request)

shows plenty of attention to detail.

What is impressive with all the McLay boats is what you can’t see. Underneath the welded floor, foam filled air cells stretch down each side, acting like concealed pontoons, and closed cell foam filled chambers run under the gunwales from the transom to the anchor

inside the mouth of the river.

The McLay 591 handled the waves and chop like it was a calm day and I really enjoyed the tight turning circle in what is a narrow and shallow bar. There was no need for excessive trimming of the motor and you really would have to do something out of the ordinary to get yourself in trouble when driving it.

The bait station on the McLay has a draw to store the essentials and plenty of rod storage. well. Both of these features increase the safety in a massive way, should an incident occur. The strakes in all McLay boats are pressed in, not welded on, and the big wide chines coupled with the 17° variable V-hull

FISHABILITY The fit out of the 591 Hardtop was set up with inshore and offshore fishing in mind. It would certainly be ideal for areas like Port Phillip Bay, Western Port or for fishing the many reefs

The 591 has a huge dash area with plenty of room for any electronics you may want.

The pedestal seating is versatile, with additional seating facing the transom of the boat and storage space in them as well.

94

MAY 2016

The 591 had a large kill tank to look after for your bigger captures.

configuration provide fabulous stability at rest with excellent handling at low and high speeds.

Although we didn’t go through the Snowy River bar during the test (we certainly could have in the 591), we did run around

along the South and East Gippsland coasts. The ease of anchoring, the excellent stability at rest, and the reliability of the Suzuki make these areas well within reach.

I loved the comfortable cabin area. Outside of the

additional storage and seating, its also provides a haven or safe area for the kids to escape to if they are on the boat with you and the fishing is a little slow.

A few treats and something to entertain them will keep you on the water for a little while longer.

We did have rods on board for the test and although heading through the bar wasn’t on the timeline, we did take advantage of the huge

PERFORMANCE RPM Idle (700) 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 WOT (5800) Hole shot

Litres/hour KPH 1.2 5 1.7 6.5 5.0 11 10 22 16 43.5 31 54 44 61 6.10 seconds

to conditions and allows for a more fuel-efficient mixture while operating.

Although this was the

DUNBIER TANDEM GLIDE-ROLLER DRIVE ON TRAILER With a tow weight of approximately 1.5 tonne, the McLay is not the heaviest of boats, but it is always best to run a quality trailer under your pride and joy. The tested boat came on a Dunbier tandem Glide-Roller drive on trailer. This is a braked trailer and comes with a spare tyre.

David and I had no problem launching and retrieving the 591. An overly tight shackle created a few dramas for me when we launched (that’s my excuse anyway), but other than that lack of muscle, we were able to put the boat on and off the trailer with no fuss at all. The alloy wheels on the trailer were also a nice touch, which further enhanced the look of the package.

Rocket launchers are just one of the many storage solutions of the McLay. CONCLUSION This was my first introduction to a McLay boat, and I have to say that I was impressed. The workmanship and features of the boat suggest to me that it would be at the top end of the price scale, so when David informed me that you can get an absolute base model boat on the same trailer with a 90hp Suzuki for $53,595 I was blown away.

You are getting a lot of boat for that money.

You can personalise your

591 Hardtop with multiple options and accessories that are completed at the McLay factory, and you can

on the McLay 591 Hardtop and the rest of the range of McLay Boats you can ring them on (03) 5623 6250, or

TEST BOAT OPTIONS AND ACCESSORIES

The Suzuki 140hp 4-stroke with its Lean Burn technology had some impressive fuel usage figures. amount of tailor in the Snowy River system. There was plenty of room for David and I to flick lures around and enough space to set a good spread of baits, if that’s what you prefer.

Working space is always important in a fishing boat, and the 591 has plenty. The rocket launchers and other storage, keep the bulk of the items out of the way, leaving the entire area behind the seating obstacle free. The cushioned seating attached to the rear of the pedestals is a nice touch. It is always nice to take a load off when you are waiting for a bite. I give the McLay 591 Hardtop a big tick for fishability.

SUZUKI 140HP 4-STROKE The McLay 591 Hardtop was fitted out with a Suzuki 140hp 4-stroke engine. This is close to the maximum horsepower for the boat (Warragul Marine Centre have had the max hp rating increased by McLay Boats to 150hp for them). The additional horsepower adds security if you’re venturing further afield. Fuel use is an important factor of buying a boat and motor package these days. Suzuki is a leader in its class with their Lean Burn Control System.

This technology predicts fuel requirements according

first time on the water, the 140hp Suzuki churned out some impressive figures.

With its 130L fuel capacity, the McLay 591 HT would be able go approximately 350km on a tank of fuel running at 4000rpm. As much as fuel economy is a factor, acceleration and torque is also important, and the Suzuki’s 103KW of power had no trouble delivering this. Australians have a preference for larger horsepower motors on our boats, and the combination of the Suzuki 140hp 4-stroke and the McLay 591 HT was a perfect match for this request.

Windscreen wiper Bait board with drawer & rod holders Storage pockets Deck wash pump Live bait tank with Perspex window 6-rod rocket launcher on Hardtop Bait board with 6-rod holders & drawer Walk thru transom with dive ladder Lined cabin, dash & half deck Padded cushions in cabin Underfloor kill tank Painted top & side stripe Nyalic clear coat finish on all unpainted aluminium surfaces Dunbier tandem Glider-Roller drive on trailer with alloy wheels & spare Suzuki 140HP Four Stroke with single multifunction digital gauge & alloy prop Hydraulic steering Dual battery system Garmin 95sv sounder/GPS Lone Star Marine GX-1 high-speed anchor winch Garmin 100i VHF radio Fusion RA50 stereo LED deck lights Dual USB socket (charging phones etc.)

• Includes 2-person inshore safety pack & 12 months Victorian boat & trailer registration Top: For the author, the Lone Star anchor winch is an essential option for a boat like the McLay 591 Hardtop.

Middle: The walkthrough transom is a great feature of the 591. It allows easy access to the cabin area on and off the water. This area also houses the plumbed live well. Bottom: Side pockets and a deck wash were some of the options Warragul Marine Centre added to the test boat.

The Suzuki 140hp 4-stroke and the 591 were perfectly matched.

add electronics and the like through Warragul Marine. I think the team at Warragul did a fantastic job with the options on the boat we tested; it was eye catching and practical at the same time. Coming in at $71,499 with the options in the attached factbox, you have a boat ready to get you out doing some serious fishing.

To contact Warragul Marine Centre for more information

check out their website www. warragulmarine.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.

MAY 2016

95

Stessco’s new Renegade 480 with Yamaha F70

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

As a boat company, Stessco seems to be on a bit of a roll at the moment. The factory is busy, there’s some keen, young managers in there getting things done, and they are kicking out some great product.

This was no more evident than at the most recent Stessco boat test we completed – the launch of the Renegade 480.

We were met at the ramp in Caloundra by Stessco’s Adrian Beil. Adrian was very enthusiastic about the boat, and with good reason.

For starters, the Renegade 480 is a good-looking boat.

The test boat was fitted with a tasteful vinyl wrap, a bow mounted Minn Kota, a flash Humminbird Helix and Yamaha’s swanky digital all-in-one gauge.

Boarding over the transom, we noticed the polished rails. All the rails 96

MAY 2016

on the boat are polished alloy and add a classy touch.

The next thing you notice is how beamy this boat is. The Renegade carries the 2.2m beam nearly all the way to the bow, giving you a mountain of cockpit space, and the simple deck layout lets you use nearly all of it effectively, no matter what your intended purpose of use is for this boat.

Powered by Yamaha’s superlative F70, this is one of the most frugal boats I’ve been in recently.

One-up, I cruised at between 3-3.5km/L of fuel burned, giving a cruising speed range of well over 200km for the

80L underfloor fuel tank.

That’s more than enough for nearly every weekend trip I’ve ever done.

The design of this hull reflects a modern trend of pressed aluminium boats with pressed bottom and sides, and smooth top sides.

They look the goods and perform just as well. This Renegade used 3mm thick marine grade aluminium for all of the outer sheets – pressed or not.

Reverse chines help with stability at rest, lift when you put the hammers down and are a virtual necessity on modern boats.

At the bow, there’s a

PERFORMANCE RPM.................. Speed (km/h)............... Fuel (km/L) Idle................................6........................................ 0.8 1000........................... 7.5...................................... 1.4 2000............................12....................................... 4.0 3000............................17....................................... 8.0 4000............................32......................................11.6 5000............................44......................................18.2 5700............................53..................................... 21.8 Note: Figures with three adults on board.

substantial anchor well with a chain-silencing rotomolded liner and beside this is the optional electric motor bracket.

The front deck is as wide as it is long and offers plenty of space for the lure-casting angler. Under that deck is a 109L livewell/kill-well and more storage.

The console is as well designed as I’ve seen on local boats of this type – with room for bracket mounted large sounders and in-dash controls from any motor manufacturer.

Yamaha’s colour screen Command Link gauge is fantastic, but possibly a luxury for a boat this size.

The rear deck conceals a smaller live-well (30L) and the cranking battery and fuel filters.

Performance wise, this rig was set up for economy rather than blistering speed. Quick out of the hole, it cruised nicely at anything over 3500rpm with fuel economy bordering on the ridiculous.

Stessco build their own

trailers and this hull was matched neatly to one of their single axle models. With only a moderate level of skill, drive-on retrieval should be

by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine

SPECIFICATIONS LOA....................................................................5.2m Beam..................................................................2.2m Depth.................................................................1.1m Max HP..............................................................80kg Max Transom weight....................................... 180kg Capacity....................................................5 persons Hull only weight..............................................438kg achievable.

In short, if you’re looking for an all-purpose boat that’ll be just at home drifting over an estuary flat as it is chasing mackerel on a calm day, then you should definitely have the Renegade 480 on your list of hulls to check out.

BMT packages start from $27,900. For more information visit Chelsea Yamaha, 13 Ashley Park Dr, Chelsea Heights, call 03 9772 1212 or go to www. chelseayamaha.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied

installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

VIDEO

Scan this QR code with your smart phone to see the Renegade 480 in action.

The Renegade carries the beam well forward and you can see this on the front casting deck.

Left: Yamaha’s F70 is a reliable and economical power plant that gets 3.23.5km/L of fuel burned at standard cruising speeds (one-up). Just calculate the range with the 80L underfloor fuel tank – ridiculous! Right: Yamaha’s all-in-one digital gauge fits perfectly into the helm. Between the Helix and the Yamaha gauge there’s a mountain of information to help you boat and fish economically.

The aerial shot shows just how beamy the Renegade 480 really is, and how far for’ard the beam carries.

Supplied on a Stessco trailer, which is built in-house, the Renegade will certainly turn heads at the ramp as well as down the highway.

The cranking battery and fuel filter lives in a small hatch in front of the motor well.

Adrian Beil is at the helm and you can see the polished aluminium grab rail around the windscreen. All of the rails on the Renegade are finished like this and it looks great.

The big livewell (109L) lives under the front casting deck. Replace the standpipe with a plug and you can use it as a kill-well as well.

The small live bait tank (30L) in the rear casting deck comes with a standpipe that you can cut to suit the height of water you want in the well.

MAY 2016

97

Victorian Tide Times

2016

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA LAT 38° 18’ LONG 144° 37’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters JUNE JULY

MAY Time

m

Time

m

Time

m

Time

m

Time

m

Local Time AUGUST Time

2 0357 1115

17 0324 1052

3 0505 1215

18 0432 1149

4 0000 0605

19 0533 1240

5 0059 0658

20 0036 0626

6 0152 0745

21 0130 0714

7 0240 0829

22 0220 0800

8 0324 0907

23 0308 0846

9 0404 0945

24 0356 0932

25 0319 0900

10 0444 1020

25 0444 1017

11 0428 1010

26 0405 0945

11 0523 1057

26 0536 1103

27 0415 0956

12 0514 1048

27 0453 1030

12 0605 1134

27 0633 1149

13 0540 1116

28 0502 1040

13 0602 1126

28 0546 1116

13 0005 0652

28 0024 0738

29 0429 1010

14 0638 1157

29 0555 1127

14 0006 0654

29 0647 1204

14 0044 0746

29 0117 0844

30 0514 1050

15 0041 0739

30 0006 0658

15 0046 0748

30 0042 0755

15 0128 0845

30 0223 0949

1 0017 0706

16 0129 0839

1 0058 0809

16 0130 0844

2 0616 1151

17 0109 0810

2 0112 0819

17 0221 0937

2 0155 0921

17 0221 0942

3 0032 0716

18 0208 0915

3 0214 0937

18 0321 1034

3 0301 1030

18 0321 1040

4 0128 0830

19 0313 1018

4 0323 1048

19 0420 1128

4 0413 1134

19 0423 1135

5 0235 0951

20 0415 1117

5 0432 1153

20 0513 1215

5 0519 1234

20 0519 1226

6 0347 1107

21 0509 1208

6 0536 1253

21 0600 1259

6 0015 0618

21 0003 0608

7 0458 1213

22 0555 1252

7 0036 0634

22 0034 0641

7 0112 0712

22 0057 0652

8 0010 0600

23 0027 0635

8 0130 0728

23 0121 0720

8 0204 0801

23 0146 0733

9 0103 0656

24 0109 0714

9 0221 0818

24 0205 0758

9 0254 0847

24 0233 0816

10 0154 0748

25 0149 0750

10 0310 0907

25 0249 0835

10 0342 0930

11 0242 0839

26 0229 0826

11 0359 0952

26 0331 0914

12 0329 0928

27 0309 0900

12 0447 1035

13 0416 1014

28 0348 0933

14 0505 1059

15 0600 1142

0.66 1.33 TU 1244 0.56 1959 1.44 0.64 1.35 WE 1347 0.64 2101 1.42 0.58 1.41 TH 1501 0.70 2207 1.43 0.49 1.52 FR 1623 0.72 2311 1.47 0.38 1.64 SA 1738 0.70 1.52 0.28 SU 1312 1.75 1840 0.66 1.57 0.21 MO 1405 1.82 1933 0.63 1.60 0.18 TU 1456 1.85 2023 0.60

1.61 0.19 WE 1545 1.83 2111 0.58 1.59 0.24 TH 1631 1.78 2157 0.58 1.54 0.31 FR 1717 1.71 2243 0.59

1.48 0.41 SA 1803 1.63 2330 0.61

1.41 0.51 SU 1849 1.55

Time

m

16 0220 0949

16 0017 0701

1.35 0.49 MO 1903 1.48

Time

1 0243 1011

1 0529 1108

1.38 0.43 SU 1815 1.53 2346 0.67

m

0.64 1.35 MO 1226 0.61 1936 1.47 0.66 1.31 TU 1315 0.71 2025 1.41

0.67 1.31 WE 1413 0.80 2115 1.37 0.65 1.35 TH 1523 0.86 2206 1.35 0.61 1.41 FR 1637 0.87 2256 1.35

0.55 1.48 SA 1740 0.85 2344 1.38

0.49 1.56 SU 1828 0.82

1.41 0.44 MO 1330 1.63 1909 0.78 1.44 0.40 TU 1406 1.68 1947 0.75

1.47 0.38 WE 1442 1.71 2024 0.72 1.48 0.38 TH 1518 1.72 2100 0.70 1.48 0.39 FR 1555 1.71 2137 0.68

1.47 0.41 SA 1633 1.69 2214 0.67

1.45 0.44 SU 1712 1.65 2251 0.65

1.43 0.49 MO 1752 1.61 2331 0.63

31 0604 1136

1.41 0.56 TU 1837 1.56

0.60 1.41 WE 1229 0.64 1928 1.52 0.56 1.43 TH 1329 0.73 2025 1.49 0.50 1.49 FR 1439 0.80 2128 1.48 0.44 1.57 SA 1556 0.84 2233 1.49 0.36 1.67 SU 1711 0.82 2337 1.52 0.29 1.76 MO 1816 0.77 1.55 0.25 TU 1347 1.81 1913 0.72 1.58 0.24 WE 1438 1.84 2004 0.67 1.59 0.27 TH 1526 1.82 2054 0.64 1.57 0.32 FR 1611 1.78 2142 0.61

1.53 0.40 SA 1653 1.72 2228 0.60

1.48 0.48 SU 1733 1.66 2313 0.60

1.42 0.57 MO 1813 1.59 2357 0.61 1.38 0.67 TU 1851 1.52

0.62 1.35 WE 1240 0.76 1931 1.46

0.62 1.34 TH 1329 0.84 2015 1.41 0.62 1.36 FR 1427 0.91 2103 1.38

0.60 1.41 SA 1536 0.95 2156 1.36

0.56 1.47 SU 1648 0.95 2251 1.36

0.51 1.54 MO 1747 0.91 2345 1.39 0.46 1.61 TU 1835 0.86

1.42 0.42 WE 1340 1.67 1918 0.81 1.45 0.40 TH 1419 1.71 1959 0.76 1.48 0.39 FR 1459 1.73 2038 0.71

1.49 0.39 SA 1537 1.73 2117 0.66

1.50 0.42 SU 1615 1.72 2157 0.62

1.49 0.46 MO 1652 1.69 2237 0.57 1.48 0.52 TU 1731 1.65 2320 0.53

1.47 0.60 WE 1814 1.60 0.49 1.46 TH 1217 0.68 1900 1.56

0.46 1.47 FR 1313 0.77 1955 1.52 0.43 1.51 SA 1417 0.85 2056 1.49 0.40 1.56 SU 1530 0.88 2204 1.47 0.36 1.63 MO 1646 0.87 2312 1.49 0.32 1.69 TU 1755 0.81 1.51 0.30 WE 1329 1.74 1855 0.74 1.54 0.30 TH 1419 1.77 1948 0.68 1.55 0.33 FR 1505 1.77 2039 0.62 1.54 0.37 SA 1546 1.74 2126 0.58 1.52 0.44 SU 1624 1.70 2209 0.56

1.48 0.51 MO 1658 1.65 2249 0.55 1.44 0.58 TU 1730 1.59 2328 0.54

1.40 0.66 WE 1803 1.54 0.54 1.37 TH 1206 0.74 1839 1.48 0.55 1.36 FR 1249 0.82 1919 1.43

0.56 1.36 SA 1339 0.89 2007 1.38

0.56 1.37 SU 1438 0.95 2100 1.35

0.54 1.41 MO 1548 0.97 2201 1.33 0.51 1.47 TU 1659 0.94 2304 1.35

0.47 1.54 WE 1758 0.88 1.38 0.42 TH 1312 1.61 1847 0.80 1.43 0.39 FR 1355 1.66 1931 0.72

1.48 0.37 SA 1436 1.70 2014 0.63

1.52 0.38 SU 1515 1.71 2057 0.56

1.54 0.40 MO 1554 1.71 2139 0.49 1.55 0.45 TU 1631 1.68 2223 0.43

1.54 0.51 WE 1710 1.65 2307 0.39 1.52 0.59 TH 1751 1.60 2353 0.37 1.49 0.67 FR 1837 1.55

0.37 1.47 SA 1256 0.76 1930 1.49

0.39 1.49 MO 1508 0.86 2145 1.42 0.39 1.53 TU 1628 0.84 2256 1.42 0.37 1.58 WE 1739 0.78 1.45 0.36 TH 1309 1.63 1841 0.69 1.48 0.35 FR 1358 1.67 1933 0.62 1.51 0.37 SA 1440 1.68 2021 0.55 1.52 0.40 SU 1516 1.67 2103 0.51 1.52 0.45 MO 1549 1.64 2142 0.48 1.50 0.50 TU 1619 1.60 2218 0.46 1.47 0.56 WE 1650 1.56 2253 0.45 1.44 0.62 TH 1722 1.52 2329 0.46 1.40 0.68 FR 1757 1.47

0.47 1.37 SA 1214 0.75 1836 1.41

0.49 1.35 SU 1257 0.82 1921 1.36

0.50 1.34 MO 1348 0.88 2015 1.31

31 0137 0903

0.38 1.47 SU 1356 0.83 2033 1.44

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2014, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon

m

0.52 1.35 TU 1452 0.91 2119 1.29

0.51 1.39 WE 1605 0.89 2229 1.30 0.48 1.46 TH 1715 0.82 2336 1.35 0.43 1.53 FR 1813 0.72

1.42 0.39 SA 1327 1.60 1902 0.60

1.50 0.37 SU 1409 1.65 1947 0.49

1.57 0.37 MO 1450 1.67 2032 0.39 1.61 0.39 TU 1530 1.67 2118 0.32

1.62 0.43 WE 1608 1.65 2203 0.27 1.61 0.49 TH 1647 1.62 2249 0.26 1.56 0.55 FR 1730 1.56 2335 0.27

1.51 0.63 SA 1817 1.50

0.31 1.45 SU 1239 0.71 1913 1.43

0.37 1.42 MO 1337 0.77 2019 1.37 0.42 1.41 TU 1450 0.80 2133 1.34

31 0339 1053

0.45 1.43 WE 1613 0.77 2245 1.35

Last Quarter

Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

98

MAY 2016

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MAY 2016