Issuu

• GRAB YOUR GEAR, SPRING IS HERE! • NEW FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION SEE INSIDE

QLD NSW VIC

TAS

Tried and Tested

SFT Lures • Garmin Force review • Horizon 525 SunRunner with Mercury 115hp ProXS •

Features

Tropical sweetwater fishing • Tough yakking in Tinny Creek • Gotta love those good vibes • Who represents your views to Government? • Southern bluefin tuna fishery debate • The truth about lithium batteries • Lure colour: a fish eye view •

Location Spotlight

Elliot Fooks takes us tropical sweetwater fishing September, 2020 ISSN 2652-5798

9 772652

579005

Registered by Australian Post Publication No:100002088

$6.95 (GST inc.)

issuu.com/fishingmonthly

fishingmonthly

Fishing Monthly Magazines

www

wp.fishingmonthly.com.au FishingMonthly

CONTENTS

OUR COVER September 2020, Vol. 1 No.5 TAS

QUEENSLAND Tweed 14 Gold Coast 16 Brisbane 18 Northern Bay 20 Noosa 22 Hervey Bay 24 Rainbow Beach 26 Bundaberg 26 Mackay 30 Whitsundays 32 Townsville 33 Lucinda 34 Hinchinbrook 35 Cairns 35 Port Douglas 36 Cooktown 37 Cape York 36 Freshwater 38 NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater 46 Sydney North 47 Sydney Rock 48 Sydney South 50 Ballina 52 Coffs Harbour 54 South West Rocks 56 Hastings 57 Forster 58 Port Stephens 59 Swansea 60 Central Coast 61 Illawarra 62 Batemans Bay 63 Bermagui 64 Tathra 64 Albury/Wodonga 68 Batlow 69 Hunter Valley 70 New England Rivers 70 Canberra 72 VICTORIA West Coast 80 Warrnambool 81 Apollo Bay 80 Cobden 81 Geelong 82 PPB West 84 PPB East 85 Phillip Island 86 Lakes Entrance 87 Gippsland Lakes 87 Marlo 88 Mallacoota 88 Robinvale 90 Wangaratta 91 Shepparton 92 Bendigo 93 Crater Lakes 93 Ballarat 94 Eildon 95 TASMANIA Hobart 96 6

SEPTEMBER 2020

From the editor’s Desk...

During Queensland restrictions, charter boat operator Mick Underwood got the rare chance to go fishing, and he wasn’t disappointed with his golden trevally capture. A Reef Underwood image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

LOCKED IN STATE As the COVID months trudge along, we’re all getting used to making it up as we go. We’ve done it with the magazines. We’re doing it with the ABT Tournaments and we’re doing it with our video content creation. There’s so much going on interstate, but we can’t get there to cover it, run it or film it. But I suppose that I shouldn’t complain…There’s worse businesses to be in than fishing and boating in 2020. I’d hate to be running a restaurant or live music venue. Fishing and boating are inherently low risk and social distancing practices that will be the last of our outlets to be cut. So we are doing what we can with the resources we have. We haven’t missed a print deadline yet (since 1987) and we were able to run a few events before the borders closed. We are able to do some boat and tackle tests locally and still put together a magazine that most of you still love. I won’t lie – there’s a few who have

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance 104 Bremer Bay 104 Augusta 105 Bunbury 106 Mandurah 107 Metro 108 Lancelin 110 Geraldton 113 Kalbarri 112 Exmouth 116 Broome 116 Karratha 117 Freshwater 120

REGULAR FEATURES Tropical sweetwater fishing 8 Starlo’s back to basics 12 Sheik of the Creek 29 Tough yakking in Tinny Creek 40 Gotta love those good vibes 42 WIRF 74 Who represents your views 76 Southern bluefin tuna fishery debate 78 SFT lures tested 98 Recfishwest 108 Trades and Services 102 What’s New Fishing 100 Tournaments 120 Track my Fish 124 Understanding Lithium batteries 126 Boat Test: Horizon 525 Sunrunner 128 Tide page 130 COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Sub page Fun page

FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE Published by:

ABN 72-010-542-195

SINCE 1987

Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128

Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Editorial: Nicole Penfold Field Editors: Jason Ehrlich, Wayne Kampe Publishers: Steve Morgan, Matthew Drinkall

Advertising: Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au Advertising Enquiries: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Nicole Kelly: nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au

79 73 115

Printing: APN – News Corp Australia Production: Matthew Drinkall

74 106 Women In Rec Fishing

sunk the boot in, but we take it all as constructive criticism. If you want the magazines to be just like they were, sorry. We are unable to do that. Good news is that subscriptions are still as strong as ever and newsagent sales are really good. Thank you for that. Sincerely. TUNA DEBATE Thanks, also, for the feedback we received from the great southern bluefin tuna (SBT) debate that we covered last issue. We missed a few heavy hitters in the first piece, so there’s a part two inside. Hear what some individuals and some of your representative organisations say about the issue. At least the question of “Does anyone read the articles?” was well and truly answered. GREAT FATHERS’ DAY GIFT We have a great Fathers’ Day offer at the moment – two year subscription with a free FM magazine fishing shirt and headscarf for all $130. Dad will get the gear immediately and then a Fishing Monthly in the mailbox every month for the next two years. There’s always something special about getting something in the mail, it’s more real than a notification that your digital magazine has arrived. We can do those, too, by the way. You just don’t get a shirt with it. I hope you enjoy the September issue. Wash your hands, stop licking each other and we’ll all come out the other side raring to experience all of the fishing Australia has to offer.

Qld Fishing Monthly Pty Ltd

PA RT N E R C O N T E N T

QLD NSW VIC

Website: www.wp.fishingmonthly.com.au Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE FREECALL 1800 228 244 $65 for twelve issues (GST inc.) Recfishwest

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

GET ONBOARD

FULL RANGE OF MODELS AVAILABLE...

500 CUDDY

550 CUDDY

550 RUNABOUT

600 CUDDY

650 CUDDY

650 HARD TOP

650 HTG

650 WALKAROUND

750 HARD TOP

Northbank Fibreglass Boats

@northbankboats

QUEENSLAND: Karee Marine 1776 Ipswich Road, Rocklea QLD Phone: 07 3875 1600 email: sales@kareemarine.com.au Web: kareemarine.com.au

VICTORIA: Melbourne Marine Centre 92 Hallam South Road, Hallam VIC Phone: 03 9703 2003 email: info@melbournemarinecentre.com.au Web: melbournemarinecentre.com.au

NEW SOUTH WALES: GRE Marine 24 Stoddart Road, Prospect NSW Phone: 02 9898 1010 email: sales@gremarine.com.au Web: gregarine.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Bluewater Marine 18 Hawkins Street, Bunbury WA Phone: 08 9791 1499 email: bluwater@bigpond.net.au Web: bluewatermarine.com.au

Tropical sweetwater fishing made simple BRISBANE

Elliot Fooks

With the world still more or less in disarray, most of us have gotten used to a reality of less fishing, or at the very least, fishing only in water a short distance away. With the way things are at the moment though, interstate travel is very difficult, and international travel is pretty much impossible. Anglers need to stay in their own area code for fishing fix. This is where tropical freshwater streams can offer a really good alternative to those glamorous interstate sojourns. The nice thing about Queensland and WA is that they extend north-south for thousands of kilometres, meaning you can travel in either direction for a few hours and suddenly feel like you’re in a different country! For Brisbanites used to the temperate climate of the South East, the Tropical North provides a wildly different backdrop for your fishing, and of course, a host of different species. In WA, those familiar with the green countryside

Never be afraid to throw a cast into shallow snaggy pockets like this one. If there’s a roof overhead, it’s good real estate for a sooty! around Perth suddenly find themselves in sandy, barren and windblown countryside only a few hours drive north. In both these massive states, there is flowing freshwater in the tropical north. These

Sooties can come in a variety of shades. This one blends in quite well with its environment.

streams offer some fantastic fishing year round (outside of substantial weather events), and in places like QLD and WA, they provide southern anglers wanting to stay within their state a rare treat. WHAT’S THE BIG PULL? Over the last decade or so, I’ve fallen in love with the tropical north’s many sweetwater streams and the aggressive fish that reside within. Watching a dozen or so sooties or jungle perch fight over your lure with a backdrop of rainforest and tropical birdlife is about as good as it gets for a lure angler. In these areas, there’s also a decent chance of nailing other northern prizes, like barramundi and mangrove jack, and oddballs like snakehead gudgeon, khaki grunter, tarpon, longtom and more. Southern anglers can

easily drive up in their own vehicle and stay a few days, exploring the area with the help of a map. Alternatively, flying up (if permitted) and hiring a car is a very time efficient method to grabbing a northern sweetwater fix. The real beauty of it is you don’t need a boat! Wind becomes a non-factor in these small sheltered waterways, and unless the place is in serious flood or totally dry, you should be able to connect up to some hard-fighting fish! SOME GEOGRAPHY In Queensland, the two main prizes of the freshwater streams are sooty grunter and jungle perch. Sooties, while found sporadically in some streams just north of Brisbane, officially start their range just north of Rockhampton, with good populations in the Pioneer River in the Mackay district. Jungle perch have suffered severe habitat destruction in the last century, and while rumoured to still exist in several streams north and south of Brisbane, only become a reliable target from Mackay up to the tip of Cape York. In WA’s Kimberley region, western sooty grunter (an identical twin to the sooties in the east) are the most viable target. They are documented to exist from the Meda River and north into the Northern Territory. These streams may not flow all year round, as they do not rise in rainforest areas like those in TNQ. These areas are also more difficult to access, and short trips in the interest of a quick fix might not be on the table. For the adventurous angler, however, it may be a challenging yet rewarding experience.  Cape York’s West Coast and Gulf regions are similar in character to those in WA, where sooties are again the mainstay of the fishing, with northern or gulf saratoga the icing on the cake.

ALL FOUR SEASONS One of the best things about creek fishing in the tropics is that it can be done all year round – conditions permitting. There are better times, of course, but these will vary from creek to creek. Not having to synchronize your trip with any sort of special weather event or moon phase makes this fishing convenient, and this is why it’s such a great ‘back up’ plan if your original plan doesn’t come together. Let’s take a look at the different seasons in depth. SUMMER Summer would seem like a logical go-to for some people, and in some areas it is, however summer in the tropics can be very unpredictable. At the beginning of summer, if the usual storms

Jungle perch are the true prize in TNQ’s rainforest streams. The colours on these fish are just magical, and their fighting ability and tendency to jump when hooked is a real bonus. have yet to pick up, the creeks may well be at their lowest. In this situation, it pays to prepare yourself for a fair bit of walking. Seeking out the slightly deeper pockets between the shallow riffles is key to locating any fish in low water levels. With that said, I’m constantly amazed by how comfortable these little tropical predators can be in super shallow water, especially sooties. On several occasions I’ve thrown a ‘speculator’ into

MOTU

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

GRAY:

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

SEPTEMBER 2020

a shallow, snaggy pocket no more than 15cm deep, and been surprised to see an angry sooty between 30-40cm shoot out from under the bank on its side to nail my lure or fly! Lure selection at this time is usually more difficult than in other times, as the water is clear and the fish can get a good look at your offering. In the deeper stuff, smaller crankbaits, spinnerbaits, beetle spins and soft plastics are a good choice. When the shadows lengthen and the bug activity increases, the usual poppers, fizzers, paddlers, walkers and bent minnow styles will get the job done. If you can see fish following lures but not eating them, be prepared to change your retrieve or presentation all together.

• All-around activities • Natural contrast

Tom, a trout angler, using his knowledge of fishing fast water to nail sooties during the wet season.

In a high-vis situation like this, casting well ahead of yourself as you wander or wade upstream is important. Jungle perch in particular are very tuned into their surroundings, and once you spook them, you’ve missed your chance! The second half of summer can often see small creeks flooding regularly, and while not ideal for your fishing either, can offer some unique opportunities. When floodwaters start to recede and the water clears up while still running high, the fish can become very active in an attempt to spread themselves out in the system. It can also offer flood dependent species like barra a chance to venture well upstream of the tidal limits. When fishing high rivers, seeking out eddies and structure that breaks current is a good start. Don’t be surprised to see sooties and JPs chase a lure into the fast stuff, however, as these nutrient-deficient streams don’t offer a lot of tucker for these fish. In most scenarios, small predators, and particularly sooties, won’t pass up a free feed. AUTUMN Autumn in the tropics is usually a very pleasant time to be outdoors, with intermittent rain and a possible late

summer storm the only real bother. A good wet season will see most rivers flowing nicely, and the fish should be active. Sooties generally like to have current and structure, and JP’s

and more fishing, so don’t be afraid to really work a pool over. While repeat casts to the same area aren’t very useful for these species, a cast a metre or two from the last one might

may be slippery. Something else to think about is vehicular access. In areas where you may have to navigate unsealed road, wet conditions can obviously make access difficult. In saying this though, it’s certainly not necessary to hit the dirt roads in search of these little battlers. WINTER Believe it or not, winter can actually provide some excellent sweetwater fishing. Stable creek levels and comfortable temperatures make this activity a treat, but there are some things to consider. While sooties are their usual hungry selves during winter, JPs, just like bass down south, make their

annual migration to the salt to spawn. Don’t think freshwater stretches will be completely devoid of these speckled prizes though, as a portion of the population will always remain above the tidal limit during the spawning season. At this stage of the year, depending on the wet season, the creeks may be starting to get a little low and oxygen depleted, so it pays to stay up to speed with the river levels if this information is available to you. At any time of year, the anglers who venture furthest from their access points will usually score better numbers and size, because while this sort of fishing isn’t super popular, there are enough

Russel from Singapore pulled this river chunk from one of those ‘gotta be one in there’ type spots. Russel left North Queensland with a respect for these fantastic sportfish. favour pools where there’s an in-flow point to wait under for falling prey. In autumn, you should have those ingredients in good supply! Arming yourself with a good variety of lures is very important when there’s lots of fishable water, with shallow runs, slower pools and giant snag complexes all likely to hold fish. With any luck, more water should mean less walking between likely areas

make a difference. Having the ability to change lures quickly is a very economic way to fish in high water. Carrying a second rod or using a snap to make fast lure changes to meet the requirements of each pool is extremely handy. Be aware that areas that you wade in the spring and summer months might not be suitable for wading just after the wet season, and the banks

They can’t all be monsters. JPs can be quite competitive when a prey item enters their domain, however the larger, wiser fish will often hang back while the reckless juvenile fish tuck in. who do it. Fishing water that hasn’t seen pressure at least for a while is preferable, and the relatively mild winters in this part of the world make walking long distances a lot easier than in summer! SPRING Spring is probably my pick of the lot if I’m in a position to choose! My reasoning is fairly personal, and I’m not necessarily saying this is the

A 4WD is a useful tool if taking on the challenge, but by no means necessary, with many creeks accessible by sealed crossings and bridges.

best time. I like that the creeks are usually fairly low without being bone dry, the temperatures are still fairly comfortable, the chances of the weather turning bad are slim, and it’s also probably the best time to drop in and visit some of the barramundi impoundments! Spring usually sees a sharp To page 10

Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists Always Buying, Consigning & Selling Queensland’s Best Used Boats Since 1964 Quintrex 510 Coast Runner

25,995

Quintrex 530 Frontier

49,995

Beautifully presented and optioned one owner boat since new, Quintrex braked trailer, Yamaha 80Hp four stroke (low hours), hydraulic steering, seating for 5, combo GPS/Sounder, Bimini and clears, inshore safety kit and so much more. Crazy $25,995

Fully optioned with a Mercury 115Hp 4S recently serviced, Alloy Quintrex trailer, Motorguide bow mount electric, Bimini, live bait tank with viewing window, 12” Lowrance HDS, inshore safety gear, VHF radio, deluxe rod storage locker and so much more!

Quintrex 470 Escape

Quintrex 530 Coast Runner

24,995

32,995

Mercury 60Hp EFI 4S low hrs & just serviced, Quintrex braked trailer, Colour GPS/Sounder, Hydraulic steering, Bimini top, w. o’head rod storage rack, seating for 5, Trailer ‘Latch-n-Catch’, Bait board, Fishing lights & transom lights. Fishing fun at its best!

Repowered 2013 w. Suzuki 115Hp EFI 4S, 70 hours, Redco trailer, Garmin colour GPS, Furuno sounder, Fusion stereo system, GME EPIRB, Hydraulic steering, full covers, seating for 5, Bait board. Heavily optioned and stunning condition!

Whether you’re buying or selling, call us today on 07 3890 2322 or visit the sales yard at 1029 Manly Road, Tingalpa Brisbane. View the entire range at www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au SEPTEMBER 2020

TESTING BOOTH

PRODUCT GUIDE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

SFT - They’ll swiftly find their way into your tackle box I enjoy testing products for the magazine, but it does come with its challenges, mainly when the products are a little left of field or out of my comfort zone. When Steve Lewis from SFT Australia asked me to try some SFT (Super Fishing Tackle) lures out, I was keen, but knew very little about them. I had, however, seen them at the 2019 AFTA Trade Show, so I had a little bit of an idea of what I was getting myself into.

and heavy-duty Owner hooks that the lures are fitted with. It is always nice to be able to fish a lure straight out of the packet. As far as field testing goes, it is still a work in progress and will have to wait until a later issue. The lures are destined to be swum in the waters around Hervey Bay and Fraser Island, so I will let you know how they go. And now for the rest As mentioned, the Little Smart jig, the Fisherswift and the Swiftbait have a

Just a few of the colours in the SFT Fisherswift 70mm range. There are plenty of fishy options to target with them too.

This was what a typical hook-up looked like when the fish hit the lure on the drop. This one has a Fisherswift 90mm smile.

(weedless) or dropped to the depths and slow rolled through a school of fish. The addition of a plastic is up to you. I swam the jig in my pool and the skirt definitely provides enough action in combination with a bit of a roll that the head creates to catch fish. I prefer to have the plastic, because having a weedless presentation gives you the confidence to cast at the kind of structure that you normally wouldn’t dare to. So far it has been around the edges that the lure has been most effective. Lake Kurwongbah is a small kayak-only waterway in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, and one of the challenges fishing

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO - SC

CON

AN THE

DE FOR EX

The parcel from Steve arrived and there was quite an assortment of lures for me to try. They included the Takumi, Seahunt and Seadream lures that are bluewater or orientated towards larger fish, and then there was the Little Smart Jig, Fisherswift (70mm and 90mm) and the Swiftbait, which have much broader applications in both the fresh and saltwater. You will find a fact box on this page that provides a snapshot of all the versions the lures come in (weights, floating, sinking etc). SFT Takumi, Seahunt and Seadream When I was researching the SFT lures, the one lure that I could find plenty of information about was the Takumi. It comes in a number of sizes and weights and it seems anglers in South Australia and Victoria have taken a liking to them. Tuna and kingfish seem to be the common theme, and some seriously big fish have fallen to these lures. Stuart Dowie-Bridges is the man I call upon when it comes to everything bluewater. I value his opinion when comes to this type of tackle, and we both agreed that it was great to see lures with hooks and wire to suit Australian species. This relates to the through-wire construction

you will find as you read on. Little Smart Jig The best way to describe the Little Smart Jig is a weighted head with a worm hook stinger enclosed in a silicone skirt. It is available in five weights and has a range of colours that appeal to most anglers. My first thought was to rig a soft plastic on the worm hook, making the rig virtually weedless. I intended to fish the mangrove margins looking to pick up a flathead or two, but another opportunity presented itself. Our Southeast Queensland bass fisheries have been in transition for the last couple of months, meaning that the bass will slowly work their way from the

Left: This 45cm Lake Kurwongbah bass was caught by the author on the 70mm Fisherswift. Right: Stuart Dowie-Bridges had every reason to smile. He was catching multiple fish like this on every drift; no wonder the author didn’t get the lure back. broader spectrum of use. Anglers targeting bream, flathead, whiting, mangrove jack and trevally in our estuaries and inshore waterways will really see the potential of these lures. Freshwater anglers should also take note, in particular Australian bass anglers, as all three are great options, as

edges and structure in our lakes and head to deeper water as the weather cools. In many cases this results in them being found in large schools and converging on the lower reaches of the waterway. During this transition you can find fish staging anywhere from the edge to these schools, and the Little Smart Jig offers the flexibility to be cast in and around structure

this lake is the abundant weed. It is not unusual to be in the middle of a bay and still have weed only a foot or two below the surface. It may well be why most anglers fish the deeper water and not the margins, however it is the areas that have space within the weed that I like to fish, and the Little Smart jig is a great option to do this. Cast and slow rolled in and around the

The SFT Takumi has become a very popular lure amongst anglers targeting tuna, kingfish and the like in our southern states. The author added a soft plastic to the Little Smart Jig to make it weedless so he could fish in and around the weed towers and structure at Lake Kurwongbah. 98

SEPTEMBER 2020

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

TESTING BOOTH

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

weed towers, it is unlikely to snag up, and the fish hiding in these areas just come out and smash it. The bonus I have found with the worm hook is that most fish are hooked in the corner of the jaw, so any fish that bricks you in the weed can generally be carefully extracted, as it is well and truly hooked. Fisherswift 70mm and 90mm At the start of this test I mentioned products that provide a challenge for me. A stickbait is one of them. The floating models not so much – worked across the surface targeting bream, bass and whiting seems pretty standard. Even a mangrove jack isn’t out of the question on the larger model, but a sinking stickbait is not something I have considered before. ‘How do they sink’, and ‘what retrieve do you use’ were the two key questions that came to mind, so off to the pool I went. The next 15 minutes was a bit of a light bulb moment for me. The lures themselves do not have a lot of action, but on the drop A Little Smart Jig was the undoing of this little bass. Stuart Dowie-Bridges the SFT Takumi and not have him try out the other lures with me. Our first outing (Lake Kurwongbah) had seen us throwing the Little Smart Jigs around the edges early before heading a

again. The one thing I know is that when they hit it, they meant it! The number of times the fish had the lure hooked across its mouth, showed they were lining it up as it wobbled down and jumping all over it. I still had the Swiftbait to try but Stuart continued with the 90mm Fisherswift, and at one point got seven fish in one drift. No wonder I didn’t get that lure back from him. Swiftbait The Swiftbait is a more traditional bibbed shallow-running hardbody lure. It comes in floating, suspending and sinking models. It does have a feature that I hadn’t seen before, which is the Swing Lip System. The bib basically folds up under the nose of the lure to help reduce air resistance, allowing you to cast a little further. The action of the lure is a little wider than I expected for a bib of this size, but it has plenty of fish appeal. Suspending lures can be deadly during the transition period I have been talking about. Bass don’t seem to be able to help themselves when a lure is swum in front of them and then paused. At times the longer the pause the better, as the temptation becomes too great and they have to eat it. The Swiftbait is spot on for this, and if anything it slowly sinks, which is preferred to slowly rising. However, so far it is the

The SFT Little Smart Jig is an interesting combination of a jighead and worm hook wrapped in a silicone skirt.

This bass really wanted the SFT Swiftbait. There is not a lot of lure left hanging out of its mouth.

This was the result of the author’s second cast with the smaller Fisherswift. It was worth a quick paddle to shore for some pics.

little wider to find active fish. We found them, but any bites we got were tentative to say the least. It was time to bring out the Fisherswifts. Surely this slower, more in-your-face

SFT RANGE Lure Sizes Weights Style Takumi 75mm, 95mm, 125mm 20g, 40g, 65g Sinking Seahunt 115mm 21g(f), 24g(s) Floating and sinking Seahunt 135mm 30g Sinking Seadream 115mm 21g(f), 27g(s) Floating and sinking Fisherswift 70mm 4.3g(f), 10g(s) Floating and sinking Fisherswift 90mm 7.5g(f), 17g(s) Floating and sinking Swiftbait 90mm 8g(f), 8.3g, 13g(s) Floating, suspending and sinking Little Smart Jig 3g, 5g, 7g, 10.5g, 14g Sinking is where it’s at. As both descend through the water, they gently shimmy and wobble and I couldn’t imagine any fish seeing this happen in front of them, not biting it. This kept the retrieve pretty simple. You just cast it out, let it wobble to the bottom and then either slow lift it or use a couple

of quick winds of the reel to spring it off the bottom, let it wobble back down and repeat. Plenty of light bulb moments have been dashed when you’re on the water and fishing, but it is oh so sweet when everything comes together. I couldn’t show

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

presentation would bring these fish undone. Any doubt it would work was blown away on the first cast. My 70mm Fisherswift was smashed three quarters of the way back to me as I worked it up a gradual incline. I lost this fish, but the next 15 minutes saw Stu and I have a number of double hook-ups including a 45cm fish for me. They hit them on the drop, on the hop and when you were winding in to cast

sinking minnow that has had the best results. Like the Fisherswift it has an enticing wobble as it drops and can be retrieved in a similar manner. It however has the bonus of the action created by the bib on the retrieve. Back at Lake Kurwongbah the change from the Fisherswift to the Swiftbait once again resulted in a hook-up first cast. The only noticeable change to the bite was that more of the fish came on the retrieve rather than the pause, but the hits were just as violent. How sweet it was that a theory conjured up while swimming these lures in my pool had worked so well! Try them yourself This Testing Booth has been a bit of an eye-opener for me. It has been great to think outside the box and successfully put a plan together for a scenario that in the past I would have left fish because they were switched off. I now have another option and the lures to do it with. These SFT lures get a big thumbs up from me. Look for them in your local tackle store or check them out at www.sftaustralia. com.au. Trade enquires can be made with Steve Lewis on 0422 177 828. - Peter Jung SEPTEMBER 2020

WHAT’S NEW DAIWA HRF PE SPECIAL

A baitcaster reel developed for long casting performance with braid, HRF PE Special combines a special PE tuned Magforce Z cast control system with Daiwa’s TWS system for unparalleled casting performance. This reel is as strong as it is refined, with a heavy-duty brass drive gear making this reel fit for purpose in Australia’s north. A high-speed PE tuned level wind is specifically made to lay lighter braided line evenly, avoiding line dig and preventing unwanted break-offs. A waterproof ATD carbon three layer drag dishes out 5.5kg of consistent smooth max drag performance. Fitted with a rubber gasket adorning the top of the stack, ATD eliminates water intrusion into the drag and significantly improves drag durability. A newly designed 150 size Duralumin spool is equipped into a compact 100 size frame, maximising line capacity without a physically greater size and weight. HRF PE Special is made specifically to perform with PE lines, and is the ultimate highspeed baitcaster for saltwater conditions. www.daiwafishing.com.au

SHIMANO ANTHEM SW

The new Shimano 2020 Anthem SW series is built tough and designed specifically for Australian anglers. These dedicated sportfishing rods feature 12 purposebuilt models that include two overhead, six spin, two stickbait and three jigging models across varying line ratings. Incorporating premium components and technologies, the blanks are built from Shimano’s durable and lightweight TC4 blank construction which creates an extremely durable, yet light rod that performs incredibly when casting, jigging or popping. TC4 is based on double inner layers of advanced dynamic T glass which are then over-wrapped with a spiral of high-modulus graphite. This allows the Anthem SW blanks to deliver incredible strength and durability, with actions that are inspired by the original TC4 Terez and Ocea Offshore series. The Anthem SW series further incorporates premium Fuji K Faz Lite guides which allow for optimal casting ability and distances. The Faz Lite guides also disperse heat from the line around the inner which helps to reduce damage to the line. To further improve handling and performance, the rods feature specially designed, custom shaped EVA moulded grips and Fuji reel seats. Price: SRP $299 www.shimanofish.com.au

DOMETIC CFX SERIES

Dometic has launched the new generation of its CFX series of portable fridge/freezers. The new models achieve impressive energy efficiency, and one of them – the 55I model – is equipped with a world-first ice maker. It has a dedicated section that creates ice in ice-trays while you run the main compartment as a fridge. Combined with its capability of consistently maintaining refrigerated or freezing temperature, the CFX3 allows outdoor adventurers to go even further and stay longer. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, and more are easily accessible. Features include an enhanced user interface, easy to open latches, rugged yet lightweight construction, improved LED lights, and solid anchors to secure the unit in vehicles. The CFX3 series is equipped with Bluetooth 100

SEPTEMBER 2020

PRODUCT GUIDE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

and Wi-Fi remote control functionality for increased usability and lower power consumption, and the new control panel is weatherproof. The app has graphs to monitor temperature and power consumption. Price: SRP $1199-$1899 dometic.com

MAXRAP WALK’N ROLL

The ‘do-all’ topwater bait, the Rapala MaxRap Walk’N Roll spits, bobs, skitters and slides across the surface in all conditions. Developed in partnership with pro anglers fishing the Atlantic, this lure is weighted for maximum casting distance and ultimate stability in bad weather and rough seas. Under a steady retrieve the MaxRap Walk’N Roll spits and rolls from side-to-side; or you can try a twitch and pause to create a walking action. You can crank it in fast to imitate a fleeing baitfish, or when at rest with your rod tip down, twitch it in place for a head-down bobbing motion. The MaxRap Walk’N Roll measures 13cm, weighs 29g and is fitted with VMC 7554 2X-Strong Ti coated inline treble hooks. It is currently available in eight colours: FG (flake green, GHS (ghost sandeel), HDBSRD (HD blue sardine), HDFFU (HD flying fish UV), HDRHU (HD red head UV), MUL (live mullet), NIA (night aurora), and PPGH (pearl purple ghost). www.rapala.com

EGILICIOUS SQUID JIG SCENT

When the squid won’t eat or it’s time to make your squid jig stand out from the crowd, you can turbo charge it with Pro-Cure’s Egilicious Ultimate Squid Jig Scent. A breakthrough in bait scent technology, Egilicious Jig Scent is made up of water soluble fish oils that completely dissolve into the water column, travelling further and faster than regular fish oil, creating the ultimate attraction to your squid jig. Application is quick and easy with the 115mL spray bottle design, and the cloth of the squid jig holds the water-soluble oils, releasing a cloud of scent and a scent trail upon contact with the water, drawing squid in to investigate. A UV enhanced formula and powerful amino acids assist in attracting squid to the jig, while also triggering strikes. All these factors combine to maximise your chances of catching more and bigger squid. There are two flavours to choose from – Shrimp (#0556) and Pilchard/Sardine (#0557). Price: SRP: $29.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

ZEREK DEFIANCE

The Zerek Defiance is the ultimate, slowfloating jerkbait minnow. This new lure features a unique tapered profile that allows a supreme wide wobble action. There are two models available, the first diving up to 1.2m with a straight retrieve and the second getting down to around 2m. Adding a few rips and twitches gives the defiance an erratic all-direction darting action. Internally structured with a chamber that has two ball bearings, loud rattles can be created during the retrieve. The bearings also act as a weight transfer system during a cast, allowing the Defiance to be cast a greater distance and with more accuracy. Available in two variations, a shallow version and a mid-ranged version, the Defiance is equipped with durable BKK hooks and will bring a tough and dependable minnow option to the range. www.wilsonfishing.com

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

Product Profile

Garmin Force Review: six months later FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

At Fishing Monthly we really like to test products thoroughly before we bring you a Testing Booth style review. For the last six months we have been putting Garmin’s Force electric motor to the test. Currently, it is the only cable steer style electric in its class that has a saltwater warranty. It’s a good one, too, at three years.

Previously, the Fishing Monthly BassCat Pantera Classic was fitted with a MinnKota Ultrex trolling motor. Because we use the boat 80% of the time in saltwater, this motor had received the Minn Repairs saltwater upgrade. Despite this, there is still no warranty for an Ultrex motor in saltwater and if you use it without the upgrade, you WILL kill the steering head in time, regardless of how well you maintain it. Using both motors (the Garmin after the Ultrex) we

were able to get a real feel for both motors and to give some objective feedback on the differences between the two. And let’s face it, neither of these motors are particularly cheap with the Garmin coming out at around $5,000SRP and the Ultrex between $4,500 and $5,500, depending on the model. They run on different mechanics – Ultrex is basically a powerassisted cable steer electric while the Garmin is a servosteer motor that emulates a cable steer controls. For me, that’s important.

I’ve grown up with cable steer motors and to me it’s essential that I don’t have to look at the motor while I’m fishing. I (and you) can do it all by feel. I’d never been a fan of an electric that has infinite left and right steering, the heading is dependent on a control position on a cable steer but it’s not with a standard servo steer motor. In a typical pre-tournament scenario, the plans to install the review Garmin before a big Victorian BREAM road trip were hindered by lack of

time and some freight delays. It did arrive, though, and we loaded the big box into the van for the 2000km journey. As a side note, the trip down was pretty interesting. Post-bushfires (and when bushfires were the biggest of our worries) the quickest route to Gippsland Lakes was through Mt Hotham. I’m not planning a route through there towing a boat again any time soon. You also may remember Mallacoota, the epicentre of bushfire publicity. We’d relocated that event to Gippsland Lakes and run two events in a row there. This gave me a sneaky day to install the Garmin between events. But as we all know, wheels can fall off at any time and they did for fellow competitor, Mark Saric on Day 1 of the first event. His Ultrex threw in the towel during the day and he reached out for help. Easy! Pull off the Ultrex from my boat and install the Garmin that night. And any of you who have been upside down in a boat in the darkness the night before an event will know that nothing is ever easy. Big thanks to Rhys Harris for the assist. Regardless, by about 10pm, my Ultrex was on Mark’s Skeeter and the Garmin was on the BassCat. Nothing like going into Day 2 of the event with a brand new, untested electric motor! As an after thought, I threw in the instruction book. I got an inkling of how quiet the Garmin would be when we finally connected the power. We hit the button and the first thought was that it wasn’t working. “Crikey, that’s quiet,” were the comments from the peanut gallery. The Garmin features a brushless motor and I really didn’t give that a second thought until we turned it on. Most electric motors will emit a noticeable hum from the armature out of water. From previous experiments with Hydro Nuts (see the QR code for the link to the video nearby) I’m quite aware that electric motors aren’t silent underwater. Indeed, anything over 30% of power during these tests was quite distinct. At 100%,

electrics can be damn loud! The next review video will include underwater sound recordings from the Force and its competition. Does quietness above the water equal quietness under the water? We will see in due course. On the water on the tournament day, I powered up the motor and it ran fine right out of the box. The servos were very quiet and responsive. I’d added a couple of batteries to the wireless foot pedal and also some to the hand held control. There was no need for pairing. It all just worked. Spot lock, however, wouldn’t. I didn’t need it for the first few hours of competition, but when I did, I had to get out the instruction book and power up the remote control. To enable the spot lock feature, you have to calibrate the compass. It may have looked crazy when I had a single power pole down on a sandbank and was doing 360s with the electric in opposite directions, but it got the job done and from that point on, the feature worked perfectly. Like all virtual anchors, it works best when there’s some wind or current to work against, but to date, it’s performed flawlessly and without a need for an external heading sensor install. I’m running the Force electric off a Torqeedo 26-104 lithium battery. With the Ultrex, there was always a narrative from the distributor that the motor wouldn’t be

wireless connectivity between the two devices and the ability to deliver waypoints and routes to the motor and use them in practical fishing situations. Of course, there’s an inbuilt system that houses a Garmin transducer on the Force. It’s not compatible with other branded units like is available in some MotorGuide and MinnKota generic transducers. As part of this build, there’s also relatively cheap and expendable nosecones and skegs that can be replaced if damaged without having to work on the full armature. If the build of the sounder units and transducers is anything like the Force, then I’m in for some quality technology that will last me a long time. To see a breakdown of the basic features in action, watch the Video Review by scanning the QR code hereby. Subscribing to the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel will ensure that you don’t miss any of our review, fishing and boating content. I’ll be back to you in another few months when we have a handle on the complementary electronics and have learned how to use it. At the moment, though, we love the Force and if you’re after a motor in this style, we know that you will, too. The Force is available in two models. Both are 24-36v capable. Ours has a 50” shaft while a 57” shaft model is also available.

More Online

Scan the QR codes below for extra online content

Does the Hydro Nut Actually Work?

warranty covered when used with a lithium battery. Since the Force operates anywhere between 24-36 volts, the motor actually rewards voltages slightly higher than 24 with increased thrust! This was one of the things I noticed immediately, at maximum thrust there was an increase in speed. It’s not that I spend anywhere near most of the time at full thrust (in fact I’m conscious of the fact that thrusts over 30% are increasingly noisy) but it’s nice to be rewarded for a few extra volts rather than punished. I was also a little sceptical of the wireless foot pedal. “This will definitely blow out of my boat and run out of battery,” I thought. Then I found out that you can screw it into your deck and hardwire it to your 12v battery. I haven’t done that yet and it still hasn’t run out of its first set of batteries … or blown out. Six months down the track – and with a couple of months COVID-19 time-out in the middle – we’ve managed to give the Force a real flogging, mainly in saltwater. The stainless steel hardware across the motor build is spotless and anyone who has fished in the boat comments on how quiet the unit is. To enter the next phase of testing, we have a Garmin with LiveScope on the way. I’m really looking forward to learning about using the

Garmin Force Review.

Torqeedo 26-104 Battery. SEPTEMBER 2020

101

BASS Series presented by

BASS PRO SERIES

abt

Browning king of Wivenhoe BASS Pro Wivenhoe Dam hosted the Ecogear Qualifier for Round 2 of the Sufix Bass Pro series and unfortunately it lived up to its nickname of ‘Lake Misery’. Fishing was extremely challenging, but David Browning proved he is hard to beat when the going is tough. He took his maiden win in the Boater division with a 9/10 bass limit for 6.46kg.

they reached the point, they would school to feed and that’s were he capitalised and filled his well. Dave’s technique was textbook for shut down fish – hopping a Smak ice jig in their face until they got agitated and struck at the lure. Browning’s tackle was key for this technique as his Edge 703 was the perfect action to impart the short, sharp rip in the ice jig without moving it too far from the strike zone. Moving into day two with the lead, Browning knew he needed a kicker fish and, just as the ABT Team arrived and starting filming, he hooked up right on cue to what would

Scan the QR code to see Day 1 Highlights on the water.

This was the key bass that Dave caught to seal the win. You can see him catch it by scanning the QR code below. Browning spent the majority of his weekend on a small point in the middle section of the lake where he had located fish during pre fish on his Garmin Livescope. The fish would patrol along the natural bank and once

be the fish that won the tournament for him. Browning explained that the Garmin Livescope was crucial to his win, “Being able to see the fish come along the bank and sit under the boat gave me the confidence

Dave Browning was stoked to break through for his first ABT win and he nearly did it with a full 10/10 bag on a tough weekend. He missed the perfect mark by a single fish. I needed to stay on them long enough to put them in the boat,” he said. Dave used an Edge 703 spin rod, Daiwa 2500 Luvias reel spooled with 8lb Daiwa J-Braid, 12lb Sunline FC Rock leader and a Smak ice jig to do the damage. And although he only landed four bass on the last day of the event, it was enough to maintain his top placing. BALE SHOOTS TO SECOND Mr Consistent Jono Bale made a run with a couple of

Scan the QR code to see Day 2 Highlights on the water.

quality bass on Day 2, but fell short with his 6/10 for 5.76kg. Bale used his electronics to his advantage by locating active fish on the flats where he would make long casts with his Dobyns Champion Extreme outfit and slow roll back a baby bass coloured Slider Grub rigged on a 5/8oz jighead. Once the fish flatlined and sat tight to the bottom, Bale opted for a vertical approach, also working a Smak ice jig with sharp rips. While Bale only brought two fish to the weighmaster on the second day, they were enough to send him right up the leader board.

BRIDGETT GIVES THEM CURREY In her first year as a Non Boater, Bridgett Currey took out the win with her 6/10 limit for 5.36kg. Fishing with Tom Deer on Day 1 and David Browning on Day 2 she was destined for a great weekend, and she got the fish to bite as well. Currey implemented the same technique as Browning, which was short sharp rips with an ice jig to annoy the fish into a bite. This is another great example of how great the shared weight format is and how effective the anglers work as a team.

CONDUIT BAGS BIG BASS

Patrick Conduit snuck into 4th place on the back of the biggest bass caught at the event. It ate a 30g Palms Slow Blatt near Logans inlet.

We have rarely seen anyone as excited as Bridgett Currey when it was announced that she’d won her first ABT event from the back of the boat.

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Dave Browning 2 Jono Bale 3 Shea Williams 4 Patrick Conduit 5 Mark Petersen 6 Jake Schwerin 7 Steve Kanowski 8 Jordan Stoddart 9 Bill Rose 10 Tom Deer 120

SEPTEMBER 2020

Bag 9/10 6/10 7/10 3/10 6/10 6/10 6/10 5/10 5/10 3/10

The VMC $500 Big Bass prize went to Patrick Conduit with a 2.1kg cracker he caught on Day 1 close to the

start line. Conduit tempted this bass with a 30g Palms Slow Blatt metal jig in green and gold colour.

NON- BOATER RESULTS Weight(kg) Payout 6.46 $2,100 5.76 $1,400 4.86 $1,000 4.42 $1,300 4.30 $700 4.14 $600 3.95 $500 3.57 2.81 2.80

Place Angler 1 Bridgett Currey 2 Brad Wickson 3 Allan Price 4 Trent Collins 5 Travis Payne 6 Mick Horn 7 Shane Richards 8 Pearson Hart 9 Michael Thomas 10 Adam Wilson

Bag Weight(kg) Prize Pack 6/10 5.36 Bassman 6/10 4.08 Megabass 6/10 3.90 VMC/TT Lures 6/10 3.85 VMC/Sufix 5/10 3.78 Sufix 5/10 3.60 TT Lures 5/10 3.50 TT Lures 5/10 3.29 EJ Todds 2/10 3.20 Daiwa J-Braid 5/10 3.08 Ecogear

Cashman cashed in for first ABT victory The last time Peter Cashman fished a Bribie Island ABT BREAM event, a late penalty spoiled his chance at the top spot. Fast forward a year and he made up for his mistake by winning the Garmin Bribie Island BREAM Qualifier, supported by Moreton Bay Regional Council. With the Bribie arena fishing particularly well, three of the top four anglers chose to make the run to Caloundra to chase the spawning-run fish Scan the QR code to see the Peter Cashman Interview

BREAM SERIES

abt on the first day with fish biting freely, but on the second day he had to expand his range and fish the shallows as well, although his Day 2 kicker (the event’s Daiwa J-Braid Big Bream of 1kg) did come from deeper water on the 65mm Cranka Crab in olive. “It’s scary running through the shallows of ‘The Skids’ each day on the way to Caloundra. High or low tide – it doesn’t matter – you know you’re going to hit the bottom,” he said, although all anglers made it up and back who chanced the run. Peter joined a long line of new ABT winners in 2020

Peter Cashman stepped up to take his first ABT win and a pile of cash and prizes.

Here’s Peter’s kicker fish that was also the Daiwa J-Braid Big Bream of the event. that congregate in the area. Pete used a variety of baits to tempt these fish and outdistanced Jamie McKeown by 390g. He used a variety of techniques over the weekend and credited all four in combination to be able to follow the fish as they moved between environments in the far northern part of the arena. “I used a 2.5” ZMan Grub in motor oil, a ZMan StreakZ 4” Curly Tail in the same colour, the larger Cranka Crab in olive and a deep diving Jackall Chubby in brown suji,” Peter said, “And I wouldn’t have been able to catch the limits I did on any one of those baits by itself.” Peter fished deeper water

BREAM Series presented by

and took home $2,250 in prize money on the back of his Day 2, 3.50kg limit. MCKEOWN’S CANAL PATTERN FELL SHORT Red hot Queensland BREAM angler, Jamie McKeown also braved the daily run to Caloundra, although he tackled the canal system there instead of

spawning fish. Ultimately, he fell short, but had two great sessions crankbaiting the pontoons in the system. “I caught one fish on a Gulp Crabby and one on a Cranka Crab,” McKeown said, but he did nearly all of his damage on an unnamed small, deep crankbait. “I don’t twitch the lure like others do, I just use a slow roll right next to the structure and wait for them to bite. Jamie threw the cranks on a variety of Samaki rods, including the Zing Gen 2 7” Light and the C4. On them he had Daiwa Silver Creek Presso spin reels, braided line (brand unknown) and a length of fluorocarbon leader.

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Peter Cashman 2 Jamie McKeown 3 Denis Metzdorf 4 Mark Saric 5 Alan Lister 6 Tom Deer 7 Blake O’Grady 8 Michael Thompson 9 Scott Wilson 10 Steve Morgan

Bag 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

The canals were a productive location. He shared the system with roommate, Mark Saric, who ended up in fourth place. TYSON HAYES BEST FROM THE BACK Kayak bream champ, Tyson Hayes, beat Brisbane’s Michael Maas by the narrowest of margins to take the Non-Boater title for the weekend. He fished at opposite ends of the arena over the event, landing limits in the Brisbane River one day and Caloundra the next. Hayes uses his Okuma Helios rod for everything he threw, including ZMan motor oil GrubZ and Gulp Crabbys (camo) on TT jigheads. He matches them with Daiwa Certate reels spooled

with braided line and straight through fluorocarbon. “On the first day I lost a lot of fish as they were lunging near the boat on my Scan the QR code to see the Tyson Hayes Interview

braided line, so I switched to fluorocarbon straight through on Day 2 and lost fewer fish,” Tyson explained. He was rewarded with an epic ProLure prize pack, trophy and immediate qualification into the Costa BREAM Series Grand Final to be held whenever COVID lets us travel interstate again.

Tyson Hayes is a gun whether he is in a kayak or a boat. He took the win by 10g from Michael Maas.

NON- BOATER RESULTS Weight(kg) Payout 6.59 $2,250 6.20 $1,250 4.70 $875 4.63 $500 4.49 $75 4.35 4.35 4.22 4.16 4.03

Place Angler 1 Tyson Hayes 2 Michael Maas 3 Grayson Fong 4 Glen Sturrock 5 Stephen Maas 6 Mitch Maddison 7 Chris Golding 8 Sam Peck 9 Nick Penprase 10 Steve Crawley

Bag 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 10/10 9/10 7/10 6/10 5/10

Weight(kg) Prize Pack 4.47 ProLure 4.46 Daiwa 4.11 Costa 4.02 Sufix/VMC 3.90 EJ Todds 3.66 Samaki 3.46 TT Lures 3.34 Cranka 3.06 Ecogear 2.98 Keitech SEPTEMBER 2020

121

Horizon 525 SunRunner with Mercury 115hp ProXS

- SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

CON

AN THE

DE FOR EX

T FMG

before, they can be a little weight-sensitive while underway. Understandably it didn’t like all three of us on the starboard side while trying to film running shots while underway. Move a person to port, however, and the problem is solved. There’s a neat bimini top

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

At Fishing Monthly, we like getting the first look at new ranges of boats. Horizon Plate is a new line-up from Horizon Aluminium Boats, sister brand to Stessl, which is built in the same, growing factory in Coomera, South East Queensland. The two brands have merged together nicely under the management of Scott James. Incidentally, they also build boats for other brands and plenty of commercial workboats. It’s a busy factory that’s already spreading into their second block of land next door. Horizon boats have been built for years, specialising in a range of affordable runabouts that have been historically built with pressed aluminium. And you would assume correctly if you thought that Horizon Plate boats were a

PERFORMANCE

Main: The new Horizon Plate models mimic the existing pressed Horizon runabout offerings - just in a plate look and build with their new Grid Core construction. Above: For someone coming up from a basic tinnie, the Horizon runabouts offer shade, comfort and a mountain of deck space to enjoy a day on the water. what you would expect from a plate boat.” And if you think that the upgrade costs an arm and a leg, you’d be pleasantly surprised.

SPECIFICATIONS Length........................................................5.4m Beam..........................................................2.4m Depth .......................................................1.35m Bottom.sheet ............................................4mm Side.sheet..................................................4mm Hull.weight ..............................................700kg Rec.HP ...........................................................90 Max.HP ........................................................ 115 Capacity ............................................ 5 persons similar line-up of craft - built with plate aluminium. “The Horizon Plate boats feature a Grid Core underfloor construction,” said Brand Manager, Mark Johnson, “They have full height bulkheads in both directions under the floor which give an extremely solid build - just 128

SEPTEMBER 2020

wouldn’t fit into a standard suburban garage. Overall, the ride of this boat feels solid. You can see the rig in action on the video boat test that’s available by scanning the QR code on the main pic of this article or be searching for the test on the Fishing Monthly Magazines

Depending on the model, it’s a ‘couple of grand’ and you can find out exactly the difference at your local Horizon dealer. The 525 tested is a true, basic runabout configuration. There’s easy access to the anchor well up front, a couple of comfortable helm seats, some simple dividers to keep

your gear stashed under the front and then a mountain of cockpit space from there back. The way the anchor well access has been built is a great treatment of the access to the bow. There is a small, two-person foldable lounge along the transom, but this easily stows when not underway to maximise fishing room. Also on the transom is a (standard) transom door that leads out to the boarding ladder. Both on the water and on the trailer these features are a must. Because the hull sits over the top of the wheel guards, you’ll need to climb in and out of the boat through here. Powered by a 115hp, 2.1L Mercury Pro-XS 4-stroke outboard, this was always going to be a responsive package. Top speed was 66km/h at wide open throttle, where it reached 6,300rpm and yielded 1.5km/L. Drop the

stick back to 3,500rpm and economy jumped to 2.4km/L while cruising at 32km/h. Remember that if you haven’t driven runabouts

RPM.....SPEED.(km/h)..........Economy.(km/L) 1000 ...................... 6.3 ...............................2.6 2000....................... 10 ...............................1.6 3000....................... 18 ...............................1.8 3500 ....................... 32 ...............................2.4 4000....................... 36 ...............................2.0 5000....................... 50 ...............................1.7 6000....................... 60 ...............................1.5 6300 ....................... 66 ...............................1.5 that sits over the helm and this is essential no matter what part of Australia you are from. You can fold it down to squeeze into certain garage situations, however, I’d suggest that this boat

YouTube channel. There are around 30 Horizon Boats dealers nationwide. They can help you get a quote for YOUR ultimate Horizon Plate rig. As tested, this rig came in at $49,990.

What better way to show you what the bottom of the hull looks like than to go on a run through the Pin bar.

With a broad beam, the hull sits above the guards when it’s loaded on the single axle trailer. This means that a solid boarding ladder and transom door are important. Both are standard features.

There’s no denying that the new Horizon Plate boats look the part. This one has graphics matching the Mercury 115 Pro-XS 4-stroke.

There’s broad duckboards either side of the outboard that give the kids somewhere to climb on when the boat isn’t running.

The internal layout of the Sunrunner is pretty simple - a couple of seats, some bars to hold back your gear and a pathway up to the anchor. The rest is cockpit space. There have been plenty of solutions to the “how do we build a pathway to the bow” issue for runabouts over the years. This solution is pretty neat. The helm is simple and can hold large electronics flush-mounted. It would have been nice for somewhere to rest your arm while adjusting the throttle.

From the inside, here’s the access to the anchor well. The front flap folds away as well to let you anchor with ease.

We didn’t expect to have an underfloor fish box, but there’s one back near the transom.

The transom door is a standard feature in all Horizon Plate boats and is a necessity for getting in and out while both on the trailer and on the water.

Top: Looking back from the bow, you can see the massive amount of cockpit space in this rig. This is a 5.25 metre boat! Above: A small area up for’ard holds your gear in place.

The small, fold-away lounge seat can seat an additional two people while underway. When folded away, there’s a mountain of room back there. SEPTEMBER 2020

129