Fishing Monthly Magazine | July 2024 by Fishing Monthly

• YOUR GUIDE TO WINTER FISHING ACROSS AUSTRALIA • TESTED

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Features NSW South Coast fishing • Chasing Brisbane River bass • Starlo: Using your head! • Corio Bay’s vital seagrass • Boat Test: Whittley 2800 • Local area reports •

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LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

Toby Grundy shows us the highlights of fishing the NSW South Coast

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Contents From the Editor’s Desk... We’re a pretty resilient magazine. It has been a decade now since Fishing Monthly went through its first stress-test, when part-owner, Robyn Lawrie, liberated $1.6 million from the company accounts and stuffed it down poker machines. Serving 11 months for a 7-year sentence, she is now well and truly back in the community, possibly looking for the next victim. We then navigated COVID. What a roller coaster that was! We dropped 70% of advertising in a single month and made the rapid fire decision to consolidate all of the state titles into a single magazine. Looking back, that was a smart decision, as the new magazine proved popular with over 80% of readers. Sure, some lamented the

loss of their focussed, state title, but it’s what we had to do to survive. Mid-2024 and, along with fraudsters and COVID, I can now add Australia Post to the list of major threats to the magazine. Late in 2023, Australia Post submitted to ASIC that they were justified in a 26% price rise to their Print Post products. This was after a seemingly endless string of increases that were well above CPI and dropped in service standards each time. For instance, I now have to buy a “Premium” Print Post product to get the magazine delivered to you in days rather than weeks. Where the rubber hits the road, it’s now the equivalent of a full time staff member that I pay this year that I didn’t pay last year to get exactly the same (but most likely worse) service when

it comes to delivery to our large number of subscribers. To me, there’s something wrong when your national postal carrier becomes a major threat to your business. Am I wrong? Do I expect too much? Should it cost more to post a magazine to the next suburb than to land a parcel from Temu in China? And if you’re wondering why I didn’t make a submission to ASIC? I did. They even asked if they could use some of the fruity quotes in their report. I’m not sure if they did. All I know is that the price increase was approved in full, so please realise that when the subscription price increased for the first time in years, I tried. And at Fishing Monthly, where we print in Australia, we all appreciate your business.

A Troy Whyte image.

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INSIDE This Issue

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Bunbury Augusta Metro Mandurah Lancelin Exmouth Karratha

87 88 88 90 91 92 93 93

Freshwater

Tathra

Gold Coast

New England Rivers

Jumpinpin

Brisbane

Northern Bay

Noosa

Bundaberg

Mackay

Townsville

Hinchinbrook

Cairns

Port Douglas

Cooktown

Cape York

Freshwater

Sydney Rock

Sydney South

Hunter Valley

Batlow

Albury/Wodonga

Canberra

VICTORIA Portland

Warrnambool

Cobden

Geelong

Port Phillip

Phillip Island

Lakes Entrance

Port Albert

Gippsland Lakes

Marlo

Mallacoota

Robinvale

Fun page

Bendigo

Tide page

Wangaratta

Tournaments

Shepparton

Tournament calendar

101 102

REGULAR FEATURES

Spotlight: Guide to NSW South Coast 8 Brisbane River bass

Starlo: Using you head!

Sheik of the Creek

Tagging Tales

Phases of the moon

Corio Bay’s vital seagrass 85

Ballina

Coffs Coast

South West Rocks

Forster

Ballarat

What’s New Fishing

Port Macquarie

Gippsland Freshwater

Test: Whittley 2800

108

Port Stephens

Eildon

Trades and Services

110

Swansea

Crater Lakes

Central Coast

Illawarra

TASMANIA

Batemans Bay

Hobart

COMPS AND OFFERS 67

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED JULY 2024

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Troy Whyte with a decent blackspot tuskfish he caught in Moreton Bay.

FEATURE

Location

FMM

Essential guide to fishing the NSW south coast CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

I’m writing this article while on location at Merimbula, three hours from my home in Canberra. I’ve just had an unforgettable angling experience, and I want to describe it on the page while it’s still fresh in my mind. I dropped down to Pambula Lake with my 6-year-old daughter, and while flicking an 80mm Wriggler on a 1/8oz jighead from the shore, I felt a tell-tale whack. I set the hook, my 1-3kg spin rod double bent, and the 6lb braid went taught. My 2000-sized reel started screaming, and I got stuck into what I

thought was a good fish. After a 20-minute fight, I knew the fish was well beyond ‘good’ – what was unfolding was a ‘fish of a lifetime’ moment. A few minutes later, a metre-plus mulloway swirled on the surface before going on another barnstorming run. Then, moments later, the line snapped, leaving myself and my daughter speechless. On the walk home, we had fun talking about the battle with the huge fish, happily regaling each other with the story of the lost ‘ghost of the estuary’. Experiences like this are why I focus so much of my fishing attention on the South Coast – it’s the sheer variety, the surprises and memories made with my

Jerkbaits can be very effective on bonito. 8 JULY 2024

children and mates, all while fishing one of the most beautiful places on earth. I can head to Merimbula, Eden and Tathra for a few days and catch salmon, tailor, the odd king and plenty of bread-

the cooler months. LOCATIONS I often fish from a boat or kayak in winter, and whichever system I’m fishing, I usually have it all to myself. I can spend the day hitting banks where I know the fish haven’t seen a lure for days – maybe even weeks. Lake Conjola Lake Conjola is definitely worth a look at this time of year and is one of my favourite places to cast a line, even

Flathead are a winter staple on the South Coast of NSW. and-butter species like bream from the rocks, walking the bank near the inlets or working the edges in my kayak. Then there is Conjola, three hours or so from the ACT, with its excellent beach fishing, flathead fishing in the lake, and snapper fishing off Green Island. There is also The Clyde River and Durras Lake, which are both even closer to Canberra and offer some outstanding estuary perch action in the cooler months. So, this article is all about South Coast fishing locations, plus a few techniques to get you connected to all manner of species during

Ben Lane caught this salmon while targeting kingfish. on the coldest mornings, because the fish never really switch off. The lake is about three hours from Canberra and about 30 minutes from Ulladulla. There are plenty of places to launch a boat or kayak, and lots of areas that are great places to stop and have a cast from the bank. Clyde River and Durras Lake Two other two locations that

Location FEATURE

FMM warrant special mention are the Clyde River and Durras Lake, both of which are best fished from a kayak or boat. The Clyde is an enormous expanse of water and is home to some truly enormous mulloway, along with plenty of flathead, whiting and bream. For me though, the focus through winter in the Clyde is always the estuary perch. These little bronze battlers hit hard and put up a solid fight on light tackle. While they don’t often hit surface lures when the water is cold, they will readily smash a plastic as it crashes through the snag into their lair. Durras Lake, a shallow lake that is often open to the sea, also offers some great fishing for estuary perch. Rock fishing I believe rock fishing is the purest form of fishing, with the angler taking their life in their hands and pitting their skill and wits against all manner of pelagic species, ranging from Australian salmon to kingfish and longtail tuna. If I’m fishing from the rocks, I focus my attention anywhere from The Tubes and Little Beecroft at Jervis Bay all the way to Rosedale, which is about 20 minutes from Broulee. The Tubes is still one of those locations that has to be seen to be believed, and it has produced some amazing catches over the years. It cops a lot of foot traffic but the fishing remains excellent – albeit only on weekends

(entry into the area is strictly Saturday and Sunday only). The ledges at Rosedale are much less well-known but can be exciting places to fish. It’s particularly exciting when the salmon are chasing down topwater presentations, and a lone kingfish charges through the pack to nail a soft plastic or jerkbait. Tathra Wharf, Merimbula Wharf and the Navy Wharf at Eden can produce similar fishing to The Tubes. These places are iconic, and for good reason. So many great fish are landed off these wharves, year in and year out, and they are three locations close to my heart. I caught my first Australian

Wearing a life jacket is a must. salmon off Tathra Wharf, landed my first tailor off Merimbula Wharf, and the first time I was spooled was while fishing the Navy Wharf. These three land-based locations provide limitless possibilities – provided you arrive with the right gear. TACKLE If I’m fishing from my kayak or a boat, I take two combos, and the first is a 1-3kg Rovex Inazuma 6’0” spin rod coupled with a Ryobi Verum II 2000 spin reel spooled with 6lb braid and 8lb fluorocarbon leader. I use this combo for flicking plastics, small blades, vibes and divers for species like bream and flathead. The second combo is a 3-6kg

The author with a decent salmon from the rocks.

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JULY 2024 9

QLD Southern

FMM

King of the Pin reigned supreme JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

King of the Pin was another success this year with plenty of nice fish caught and a ton of prizes handed out. Anyone looking to jump into their first comp should definitely keep the 2025 event on their radar. We’ve had some incredible sessions on the charter boats the past month and things just keep looking better and better. The amount of whitebait entering the system has been jaw dropping and this will help fuel a great month ahead. Water quality has been really good and the only time it’s been dirty is just after the full/new moon (big tides) or from surface chop in high wind. Water temps have dropped and this has changed the way I’ve been fishing, but the biggest thing to consider is finding the bait and matching your

presentation to suit. I’m going to kick this month off with the humble bream. Wintertime in the Pin is a great month to target

middle sand bank in the Pin has also been firing when the bait has been pumping through. If you can get your hands on whitebait then that would

Sue and the author caught over 50 flathead and 30 bream while fishing the Pin with soft plastics. Vanessa caught this healthy mulloway on a 95mm Fish Trap. of numbers and get constant bites. Some cracker mulloway have been getting caught, I love this time of year for the bigger models. Numbers will come down after the prawn run but the size will make up for it. Live mullet, pike and legal tailor will be the go if you’re bait fishing, and 5-7” plastics or 95mm Fish Traps are gold for the lure

this species and the quality has been excellent. Very fat and healthy fish have been around the deeper water along Kalinga, Crusoe and Short Island. The

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This 96cm lizard was a new Capn’s Charters flathead record! definitely be my pick, otherwise you’re going to have a cracker time catching them on small profile plastics on a 1/8 weight with a #1 hook. I know a few of the old school bait fishos will roll their eyes at me, but chasing these fish on plastics and light gear will not only yield some crazy numbers, it’s a tonne of fun as well. It’s also a great technique if you want to keep your kids entertained as you’ll usually pull plenty

This is a lovely schoolie in the 80s. There are plenty of double digit mulloway sessions this year.

Southern QLD

FMM fishos. I’ll be sounding for these fish anywhere in the deeper water around the Pin, finding schooling fish and trying my best to keep up with them. If you know me at all then you probably know I’m pretty keen on chasing those Pin lizards. We’ve been having some cracker sessions

find those feeding fish much easier than parking a bait on the bottom. Weed edges are the prime place to target this time of year and low tide will concentrate these fish perfectly for us. All of the banks outside of the Jacobs Well channel are going to hold good amounts of fish during winter. If you see or hear of any commercial netters on a bank then it’s best to avoid that area as it won’t fish well for a couple of months in my experience. Flick small plastics in the 3-4” size using 1/6-1/4 weights and 2/0-3/0 hooks.

Crystie was flicking for tailor when she hooked this nice tuna on light gear.

Melita caught a decent school mulloway on a recent charter. on them already and it’s only set to get better! Winter in SEQ is prime time for flatties and if you only ever chase them on bait then I urge you to give soft plastics a go. We can cover ground so much quicker when fishing lures and this enables us to

Billy and the author fished the Sanctuary Cove Bream Shootout and came up trumps with some fat Jumpinpin bream.

I’m surprised by the lack of tailor running around at the moment, if you’re hooking them then you’re doing a better job than I am. We were getting loads of them a month ago and now I’ve been finding nothing but heaps of tiny ones following the whitebait around. This could change any minute though so keep an eye out for bust ups around the high tide. • Don’t forget to see Brett at the Jacobs Well Bait Shop for all your fishing needs, he’s deadset one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and if you’d like to learn how to catch fish on lures then you can hit us up at Capn’s Charters, we’d love to have you out on a charter and get you onto some cracker fish!

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JULY 2024 21

Sydney

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FMM

Productive sessions in the middle of the day SYDNEY ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

Many anglers stop fishing in winter, due to the cold weather, short days, and the fact that there are fewer species to be caught. That’s a real shame, because there is some great fishing on offer at this time of year. Why would you put the gear away to gather dust all winter while waiting for the summer species? This month off the rocks, beaches, and estuary there’s a great variety of species that will keep you sharp and enthusiastic for the next few months.

Rock blackfish fight hard and test your skills, and you’ll catch them in some of the harshest environments a rock angler can encounter. What an adventure! L-R: Steve White, Graham Vessy and Peter White. ROCK FISHING Rock blackfish (‘pigs’) are the main species to target at the moment, and they are one of the tastiest fish you’ll ever encounter. They live under submerged ledges, boulders and in gutters, close to their food sources. They feed on a variety of weeds including green, brown, pink moss and even young kelp. Rock blackfish also love invertebrates like crabs, shrimp, cunjevoi, limpets, chitons and more.

Anthony Bekaris with one of the several whiting caught on a recent outing. A few bream were caught as well. July is considered to be a quiet month for whiting but you can still catch them at selected beaches. The best times to fish are the early morning or late afternoon high tides. Add some white water from wave run-off, and you’re all set to tangle with this pugnacious species. Generally, the go-to bait is a sizeable peeled prawn, like a king, banana, or endeavour prawn. A peeled prawn bait fished with a mushy bread berley is a good combination. Alternatively, if you want to avoid attracting undesirable species while chasing pigs, you can use cabbage weed baits. Another great bait for rock blackfish is white bread. A lot of pig anglers don’t use bread but it makes sense; if you’re using bread for berley, why not use it for bait? Lately, my clients have been catching good pigs up to 2.2kg, with the average being around 0.6-1.5kg – good eating-size fish. Other species in amongst the pigs are bream, luderick, and leatherjackets. In NSW, rock blackfish have a size limit of 30cm and a bag limit of 10 per person. That is more than enough for anybody, but unfortunately there are some greedy people who absolutely smash this species. These are often the

same people who constantly whinge about decreasing fish stocks and sizes! If you suspect an angler is breaking the size or bag limit, please call 1800 043 536 and report it to Fisheries. Rock blackish can be caught on pretty much 90%+ of ocean rocks providing they are large enough to support the structure and food source. I recommend Little Bluey Manly, South and North Curl Curl, Long Reef, South Newport, North Whale and Barrenjoey. Snapper are in good numbers as well. When you target them you can end up with a whole bunch of bycatch species, including trevally, bream, salmon, and even some rock blackfish. The water depth for snapper is normally deeper than most pig spots; I like a water depth of 5-10m for snapper. Using berley is important, and I generally use a mix of bread, pilchard and prawns. You can also add a bit of squid or whatever bait you’re using. It’s best to deploy small amounts of berley every couple of minutes, throwing it into the sudsy white water so it spreads. I recommend hook sizes 2/0 to 3/0, especially if there are undersized snapper at the spot. If you use hooks smaller than 2/0 you’ll end up with too many small fish hooked down deep, reducing their chances of survival. I like to have squid, prawns and pilchards for bait, fished with light ball sinkers. Other baits that work well are bonito and tailor fillets cut into thin strips. Cuttlefish are about this month, and if you can get some for bait they are sensational. I recommend fishing the deeper headlands, rocks like Bluefish’s East Front. North and South Curl Curl are mid-depth spots but still fish well. Mona Vale Basin rocks, and Bangalley Head north of Avalon, are also worth trying. BEACH FISHING While fishing off the beach at this time of year, fat salmon to 3.5kg+ are always a possibility. Recently, I took a

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Cem Osturk with his best salmon to date. Fish this size can be caught in super shallow water – less than 1m at times.

client beach fishing on a cool, moonlit night. He hooked a big salmon – his biggest ever – which was jumping clear out of the water in the darkness – exciting stuff! Besides salmon, you can also catch flathead, bream and of course, tailor off the beach at this time of year. The go-to bait is whole pilchards on a set of three 3/0 to 4/0 gang hooks. You can add a short 30-35cm leader with a 1/0 to 2/0 size hook and a half pilchard for a nice bream, trevally or an Aussie salmon. When using gang hooks, most tailor won’t bite you off. At night, try the really shallow gutters, approximately 1-1.2m deep. They can produce good numbers of salmon and tailor. It’s also possible to catch these fish during the day, but it’s not the best time. They prefer the cover of darkness, which allows them to make surprise attacks on baitfish that come

Michael Daniel with a 46cm rock blackfish. If you haven’t tried rock fishing before, you’ll need steel spike shoes, a life jacket, and the right advice. The author can help you get started. into the shallows to feed. Tailor are often caught in a mix of sizes; one tailor could be barely legal with the next one being 2kg. Sydney salmon have traditionally averaged around 2kg but there are times when they’re only about 1kg. These smaller fish have unfortunately become a bit more common in recent years, probably due to the over netting of salmon. I hope this downward trend doesn’t get to be the norm. Salmon are great sportfish. I cut my teeth on them as a young angler, and I have some great memories catching them. Some people don’t like salmon much, but when cooked properly, the smaller fish are actually quite good on the plate. It’s a similar scenario with other species like trevally. More and more anglers love a feed of trevally, which are great sashimi fish and taste great when they’re up

Sydney NSW

FMM

Rivers have been producing the goods for locals SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Now that it’s getting chillier during the day, many anglers will have started to hibernate and pack their gear away for when it gets warmer. As for me, I never stop fishing throughout the year; every chance I get, I head out for a fish. Whether it’s out of the boat or fishing from the shore, I can’t get enough of it. This month you will find me concentrating on fishing off the rocks for drummer, bream, luderick, snapper, tailor, salmon and bonito. You can check out a rock session I did while chasing a few bream on my YouTube channel, ‘Gary Brown Fishing’, where I test my latest combo (TT Siva/Okuma Rockaway). I will also be out and about giving a talk at the St Georges and Sutherland Shire Anglers Club on 17 July. At the time of writing this report, I’m not sure what topics I’ll be covering in my talk, but if you follow me on Facebook, I will update you. MYSTERY FISH I work a couple of days a week at the BCF store at Taren Point, which has me meeting many anglers and hearing their reports. Some of these customers have been fishing for years, while others are just starting out. Occasionally, novice anglers will come in and show me the fish they’ve caught and kept for a feed, asking me what species it is. Keeping a mystery fish is a bad idea, as it may be illegal to keep it. to about 1kg. After that size they become increasingly drier, especially trevally over 2kg. Similarly, Aussie salmon up to about 2kg are quite good to eat, but when they’re 3kg+ they get that stronger flavour that a lot of people don’t like. If you want to catch salmon and tailor this month, I recommend fishing at Dee Why, Mona Vale and Bungan beaches. There are still a few whiting around, with fish up to around 32cm being caught in recent weeks. There is the odd bigger one in the mix, too – one angler caught one that was about 38cm. The whiting are on selected beaches like Manly, Dee Why and South Palm Beach. As usual, you should fish the best baits possible, namely live beach worms or yabbies. You can pump the yabbies in the estuary and then take them to the beach. That’s it for this month. We can expect some good fishing in the weeks ahead, and you don’t have to get up really early to do well. Fish the tides for good results, even towards the middle of the day. And remember to rug up and wear the proper clothing so you can be comfortable while you’re fishing. • Alex Bellissimo is an experienced

Two examples are undersized mulloway and groper. As many of you know, the legal size for mulloway in NSW is 70cm, and you can’t catch a groper. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to tell a groper not to jump on your line. Maybe it didn’t get the memo from the Minister! WHAT’S BITING As for what is going on in the bay, there are good catches of bream, trevally and pan-sized snapper coming in from the end of the third runway, Trevally Alley, the southeast corner of the bommie at Bare Island and the oil wharf.

Aaleyah with a great whiting she caught while fishing with her dad in the Port Hacking River.

There have been plenty of luderick around in the Port Hacking and the Georges River. The main key to success is getting some good green weed or cabbage, although this can be hard at times. Salmon and bonito are still on the chew off the rocks at Kurnell for those using whole pilchards and metals. Just remember you must wear a life jacket when fishing off the rocks and also in the Wollongong area. There were a couple of lives lost at the end of May by a couple of

anglers fishing off the Kurnell rocks. Whiting have shown up in good numbers from Dolls Point to the entrance to the Cooks River, Towra Point and in Kogarah Bay. The best baits by far have been live pink nippers and worms. If you can’t catch your own, that’s OK; you can always get some at Mac’s Bait Bar at Blakehurst. A friend of mine couldn’t be bothered pumping nippers on a recent trip, so we drove his boat from the Hole In The Wall at Sylvania and over to the back of the shop. Walked up and bought our nippers, got back into the boat and went and chased bream and whiting off Brighton in about 5m of water.

mulloway, trevally, flathead and tarwhine caught as well. It’s great to see the Georges River is fishing so well. The Port Hacking is starting to fish better than it has over the past few months. I think this is mainly due to the river clearing up with the help of the big tides we have been experiencing. Whiting, bream, flathead, tarwhine and luderick have been on the chew, and many customers that have been coming into the shop have reported good catches from both the shore and out of a boat. I got a report from a young angler, Brent, who was fishing with his dad and caught and released an undersized kingfish while fishing off the pontoon at the Swallow Rock boat ramp. There have also been reports of bonito, salmon and the odd kingfish being caught off the Gymea and Gunnamatta Bay baths, plus the Lilli Pilli pool. Squid can also be caught here throughout the day and night. Just remember – don’t leave any mess around. Please clean up after yourself. From next month onwards, I will be giving out a small prize for the best catch of the month. It doesn’t have to be the biggest fish – just the best photo of someone with a fish they have caught in the southern Sydney area. The prize will be a couple of packets of TT jigheads

A 45cm snapper caught on the Bait Junkie 3” Prawn. The bite is similar to using bait. rock fishing guide with proven teaching formulas. If you’re an experienced angler, he will bring your abilities to new heights. And if you’re new to rock fishing, Alex will teach you all the fundamentals so you can consistently catch fish -- and stay safe at the same time. All tackle and bait is supplied. To find out more, visit www. bellissimocharters.com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au, or call Alex on 0408 283 616.

This 63cm dusky flathead took a liking to a 26cm TT’s Quakes Vibe in the rocketmaaaan colour. There was a kayak comp in the Georges River in late May, and many of the competitors bagged out on their catch of a 3-bag limit on bream. During the 2-day event, not only were there plenty of good-size bream caught (including a 1.64kg horse) there were big numbers of

and a couple of packets of ZMan plastics. You can send your photos to gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au. Don’t forget, if you are in the Taren Point area, call into the shop and keep those reports coming to gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au. JULY 2024 47

East Coast

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FMM

The squid and gummy sharks will warm you up PORT ALBERT

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

It’s nice to see the winter squid run gain momentum, and even the gummies are still turning up in fair numbers. There’s plenty of fishing ahead for the next few months of winter, so on with the report. SOUTHERN CALAMARI Squid are the gift that just keeps on giving. Not only can you rely on them to turn up pretty much on cue every year, but they do so in numbers that keep all anglers happy. For the Port Albert area, they actually showed up extra early and turned up at the entrance in the first week of May. Now the numbers have grown and they are starting to infiltrate through the system and into the usual hotspots. The sizes have been mixed, and not many have been the really big ones that we often find around mid-summer. Still, I’m tipping with the early arrival of squid this winter, the bigger models won’t be far away. It’s when we see their hood lengths get up around 40cm when things get interesting, because they can pull a bit of drag off your reel at that size. Once again, the best time to target squid is two hours before and after high tide. This also helps to avoid free floating weed, which has been quite common recently and can nearly put a stop to chasing squid around low tide. The main Port Albert channel from the entrance up towards the boat ramp is where you should start your search, but if you want some guaranteed squid action head to Welshpool. I reckon you’ll have very

little trouble bagging out. SALMON AND TAILOR If you’re looking to get your arms stretched with some salmon action, you’re in luck. They have turned up in big schools, and there are also a few tailor running around with them. I’m yet to hear of any really big greenbacks of 2.5kg+ but there are plenty of fish between 1-2kg to keep you occupied. These are real fun size fish because they don’t take forever to haul in and love hitting surface lures, which is the best way to target salmon if they’ll take them. They are the perfect size to keep and take home for fish patties, and are pretty good smoked, too. Over the last few years I’ve discovered that fresh raw salmon sashimi is a magnificent product, with a splash of chilli jam, lemon, honey soy and sesame oil. It’s a

them with a spin rod as you walk up and down the beach while you wait for your surf rod to load up. GUMMY SHARKS Not many anglers associate winter with catching good gummy sharks (i.e. up to 4ft+). There may not be the numbers of gummies around like in summer but the ones you find now are rarely little. And you don’t have to venture offshore to find them either; a lot of fishos park at the Port Albert entrance and work the changing high or low tides. This also works at McLoughlins, Manns and Kearneys entrances. On the right weather days, I know plenty of anglers who head offshore and by most accounts are rarely disappointed when it comes to catching quality gummy sharks. LOOKING AHEAD The squid and salmon should continue to grow in size and numbers in the coming weeks, and there are plenty of other species to keep you going over the next few months.

74 JULY 2024

Right now, whiting are still going pretty well, there have been some whopper trevally, and even a good feed of leatherjackets can be caught.

Bream continue in cold LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

Plenty of windy and rainy days have limited fishing opportunities lately, but keen anglers have been making the most of the good weather windows. Here’s what to expect this month.

Squid are such great sport and are often found in big numbers this month.

Winter gummies can be bigger than expected.

Preparing a feed of sashimi salmon and a big mess of squid for deep frying in crispy batter.

terrific and sustainable way to utilise a tiny percentage of those millions of smaller Aussie salmon around 500g. I also think fresh tailor is a very underrated table fare. A 40cm fish cooked on a barbecue or under a griller is right up with some of the best seafood. The best areas to try for salmon right now are the entrances at Manns, McLoughlins and Kearneys. It pays to search for them down deep at times because they often hug the bottom in the better channels. That’s why trolling for salmon is often unrewarding because you’re not getting lures into the strike zone. There have also been some ripper salmon caught from the surf recently and they seem to be bigger fish with some around 2kg. You can even target

Lindsay Pryke with a solid Gippy Lakes bream. LAKES ENTR ANCE The cool, crisp winter mornings have made for some wonderful sessions on the water. Yes, it is cold and you’ll need to dig out the gloves and beanies, but it’s truly worth it when the weather clears. Anglers have made the most of the large schools of Australia, salmon and

tailor. Areas such as Cunningham Arm have had plenty of schools cruising around as they hunt for baitfish. Getting out on the water early is best, and you can have some great fun fishing, especially with topwater lures. Rat yellowtail kingfish have still been quiet, which is fairly uncommon for this time of year. Hopefully, they’ll hang around in the lakes throughout the cooler months. Soft plastic flickbaits around 150mm are a good starting point for targeting the kings. Metung and Nungurner have held good numbers of bream lately and should continue to hold them through the winter months. Cranka Crabs and the ever-popular Mussel Vibe are good producers – just make sure you up your leader strength or you’ll find yourself donating a lot of gear. Bait fishing is highly productive for these jetty dwellers. Fresh mussel or peeled prawn fished on a slack line or the tiniest sinker is probably the best way to do it. Your offering doesn’t have to reach the bottom; it’s best for it to slowly sink and float around naturally. LAKE TYERS The lake is still very high, and masses of fish are waiting for the entrance to open. There have been some massive waves lately, with the surf often overlapping into the lake. It’s slowly getting closer to open to the ocean. Lake Tyers is a tricky fishery during winter. Some days the

East Coast

FMM

VIC

A hot bream bite during a cold winter GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The Gippy Lakes continue to live up to the reputation of having big bream, and lots of ‘em. It’s been incredibly good sport, and there is plenty more ahead, even as the days get colder.

It was a joy for the author to spend a day with Alan Bonnici catching bream. He is a guru angler and fishing mad! SHARING THE BLACK BREAM BOUNTY One of the best things about fishing is meeting up with likeminded souls and sharing our passion for this wonderful sport. Recently I bumped into someone absolutely mad about his fishing: Alan Bonnici. It was a joy to fish with Alan for an hour or so and share some of my local tips with him. I was able to show him a few tricky techniques, fishing is simply amazing, while on other days it’s so dead you start to wonder if there are even fish in the lake. Using a quality sounder, and spending the time to understand it, is really important. Metal blades are a great starting point in winter, allowing anglers to cover large amounts of water, and fish will rarely pass them up. Areas such as the island and Half Moon Bay are ideal areas to start your search. The humble flathead that call Lake Tyers home have moved into their winter patterns. Shallow, muddy bays, typically at the back of arms, are great places to start your search. Finding slightly warmer water will also help. HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic, send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail.com with a short description and you could be featured in the edition of Fishing Monthly.

and I demanded he ditch the 4lb and 6lb leaders and beef them up to 10lb and 12lb. Not only did he quickly learn and adopt the new knowledge, he also caught a whole heap of bream. A week later, we organised to spend a full day together and he joined me at Hollands Landing with sunny weather and mint conditions. Unfortunately, the bream were shut down and it was a grind all day to get the fish to take our lures. Now, however, I understand why Alan is so successful in all the filming and writing he does across so many different species of fish. The mark of a gun angler is that when the chips are down and the going is super tough, you just have to keep trying and work even harder. In the end, we found some cracking bream and Alan horsed in a very trucky 45cm reward on a soft plastic. I was able to wrestle in a 47cm model, but to Alan’s credit he out-scored me for the day with seven bream landed to my five, and we both dropped a lot of other fish. Although the cranky bream refused to fire that day, it was a pleasure to enjoy his company and I can’t wait to team up with Alan again soon. SKINNY WATER DELIGHT The real highlight recently has been the incredible sport that just keeps on delivering out in the shallows of Lake Victoria, and especially now in Lake Wellington. The bream have been hard up on the edges and feeding flat out, just like they do in summer. The water is now crystal clear and salty, and the bream are feeding in water as shallow as 45cm. When you cast unweighted plastics, hardbodies and even surface

lures at these bream, you can actually see them charge over and eat your presentation. It hardly gets any better. Big brutes from 44-47cm have been coming to the party on nearly every trip, but most of the fish have been between 34-40cm. I have been able to share this incredible sport with a lot of good buddies, and we have all had some exceptional fishing during calm, sunny winter days. A few weeks ago, I had five trips over two weeks in the shallows and worked the edges for six or seven hours a day. My best day saw 52 bream landed, with a handful of thumpers around 43cm and 46cm. The very next day, I landed 42 bream and I was even able to sight cast to them and hook them on bent minnows. It’s exceptionally good surface fun when you consider it’s winter and water temperatures are down at around 12°C or lower. I stacked about 140 bream for the five trips, all caught in skinny water. This action is starting to slow down, but even this month, I’m sure you could target these bream almost anywhere

Anthony Havers with a big Lake Wellington carp caught on lure. The fish was probably approaching 10kg.

Plenty of bream have been falling to Cranka Crabs and Mussel Vibes.

in Lake Victoria. I’m also hearing the Nicholson River and the lower Tambo are now starting to hold modest schools of bream, but there are a lot of small fish around so it pays to keep searching for the larger models. MULLOWAY AND FLATHEAD I’ve been hearing of a few mulloway being caught recently, and the Gippy Lakes seems to be slowly producing more of these elusive but eagerly sought-after fish. Brayden Kohte got one way up in the Mitchell River, and even at just 40cm it was a real surprise for him while using blades to catch a few bream. Ray Clissold caught a nice 66cm mulloway in the Straits recently and I heard of yet another one caught down at Metung. More great news that continues

The author with a 47cm bream caught on a homemade lure. into winter is the amount of big flathead still turning up. I recently caught a ripper 70cm dusky while chasing bream in the shallow lake edges, and spooked another much bigger fish shortly after. On the same day I bumped into Lee Rayner by chance, and even though he was there chasing bream he told me just how outstanding the flathead fishing has been over the last three or four months. He confirmed what all of us have been seeing: scores of super-sized duskies between 80-95cm. Mick Caulfield has caught some nice dusky flathead in the Nicholson River right at the highway bridge, and measured two around the late 60cm mark. And just now as I put my report together, I’m hearing of flatties being caught at Hollands Landing and even at Seacombe. I’ve been saying for many years now that big dusky flathead can bite well into winter, and they will keep feeding for another month yet. The real trick is to look for them pushing well up into the rivers, especially the Tambo, Mitchell and the lower Nicholson. Another quick mention I need to make is about the kingfish down at Lakes Entrance. Once again, Lawson Ware has pulled in some surprise trophies, and this time big kingies on live baits. You may remember he was also the fella who caught five gummies off the Kalimna jetty, which nobody has ever done before or since. He really is the local legend. LOOKING AHEAD By the end of this month and into August, you can expect the bream to start schooling in big numbers, as they prepare for the breeding season. You should have no problems finding them in the lower reaches of any river that feeds into the Gippy Lakes. While you are there, try some extralarge blades or soft plastics in the area and lure up a giant flathead or maybe a mulloway. JULY 2024 75

West Coast

FMM

School holiday fun with plenty of options LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

This month’s report will outline a bit of something for everyone during the school holidays. Options for big boats, small boats, kayaks, beach fishing and the town jetty.

bank is a great way to catch pink snapper and there are dhufish and breaksea cod being caught under 10m depths. DINGHY/KAYAK The smaller boats and kayaks are easier to launch through the shore break being able to be manhandled off the beach. The big thing these days is inshore pink snapper with good numbers of fish

Scott McDonald has got the pink snapper wired at the moment, regularly picking up fish on hardbody lures from the shallows while he goes out for a quick check of the lobster pots. BIG BOATS Demersal fishing remains open until the end of this month with the next ban period starting 1 August. The biggest issue will be the beach launch and getting through the passages to open water. Once the swell is around the 3m mark, caution is advised and only the more experienced skippers should be attempting an offshore fish. Pretty much all experience local skippers have a story to tell leaving the bay at Lancelin! Always wear life jackets entering or leaving the bay and log on with sea rescue, you can never be sure the unexpected not happen. Once out, professional lobster pots

inside the outer reefs. While north and south of town offer slightly deeper water and usually more fish, when the swell is pumping, snapper can be caught inside the bay. Berley and floating pilchards are

Bo with a nice greenback on the Halco Roosta popper. the best way to catch them from the shallows. Next on the hit list would be King George whiting. It’s been a reasonable season for them usually a feed can be

found around the weed bed to sand edges. With southern gars now back on the menu keep an eye out in the berley trail for those tell tale swirls. When they are around the easiest way to catch them is a long shank hook tied to a light leader with a small piece of squid or prawn, just use the wind assist to toss it out into the berley trail. There are also plenty of herring, skippy, tarwhine and snook around the bay who will aggressively take small artificial lures. With gin clear waters, it’s a great time to break out the ultra-light gear for a light tackle micro lure session. Squid fishing is best at sunrise and set and they are very active under the full moon at night. Sambos roam the bay and at this time of year and we nearly always hook a few big ones while fishing for pink snapper, they will be attracted to the activity created when fishing a berley trail. BEACH Big swells can make beach fishing difficult, and the beaches can be very treacherous to drive on at this time of year. If unsure use the back tracks to access the various beaches along the coast. The swells also open up the gutters and scour out the reef breaks. I would be looking along the Back Beach or around Wedge Island for a nice deep hole or for the experienced 4WDers along the bombing range. This year, the mulloway have been in lower numbers and a lighter weight for length than we usually expect. It’s a transition time we start to see a lot more schoolies and tailor in the gutters vs large mulloway and sharks off the open beaches. Tailor can be patchy and hard to get a good number, but the size is good with fish over 50cm not uncommon and around the reef breaks larger greenbacks are mostly 50-60cm with the chance of a really big one over 70cm. During larger seas, tailor move to the offshore breaks. When there has been a break in the big storms and swell for several days expect a lot more fish on reef breaks within casting range. So follow the weather patterns to pick the right day! Fishing reefs at dawn, and I mean you

Nolan had a great session casting lures to the break. are usually set up on the lumps so a good opportunity to find good grounds. You can expect the usual mix of baldy, dhufish and snapper, also gummy sharks have been landed as incidental bycatch. It’s been a good year for cuttlefish, if you like to snag a few out deep use of j hooks over circles lands a lot more. They will be starting to die off and float, so you can grab a few for bait too. Setting up a berley trail inside the white 92 JULY 2024

The author was chuffed with an eight bar groper caught on his first time out deep dropping.

Conor had fun casting poppers to the reef breaks during a calm spell. are losing tackle to snags casting to the rough stuff, will get pink snapper, while drone dropping baits around 200-300m after a storm passes usually finds snapper throughout the day. Sand whiting come in a larger size class off the beach over winter and we have been onto a great season for herring.

The season is shaping up for lots of schoolies in the gutters. Berley near the deeper areas adjacent to the weed or reef is best for the herring and there is always a chance of skippy and tarwhine joining the party. South end of the bay near the Sea Rescue building has been cleared of weed for the winter and will fish great at this time of year for a multitude of species. Casting small lures or baits here can catch a bunch of species in one session with skippy, tarwhine, flathead, flounder, herring and King George or yellowfin whiting all on the cards. While nighttime walking the shallows will find a few big cobber. JETTY Lancelin Jetty is only an hour from Perth and is a great platform to take the kids fishing. There is even a LBG option with samson fish best at dawn on live baits or casting large stick baits and poppers. Daytime blowfish is a problem so cast baits to the shallows for a few sand whiting. At nighttime the jetty transforms, as blowfish disperse and snook, tailor, skippy and large numbers of herring gather under the lights.

South Coast

FMM

Pelagics are stealing the show DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

In last month’s article I largely covered billfish and pelagic fishing and to highlight how good this season is going, the results for the 2024 Nickol Bar Sportfishing Club Billfish Shoot held in June where a total of 120 billfish tagged, of which 118 were sailfish and two marlin across a total of 81 anglers. Now that could seem quite low for Western Australia comps but the three-day event was hampered severely by weather with only two hours of fishing on day

right now and seeing quality fish such as red emperor move further into shallow waters. Areas outside of the archipelago, such as off Point Samson and further south off Fortescue and the islands out and around Barrow Island, have been seeing many red emperors around the 5kg mark being caught in water as shallow as 10-15m. Some of these areas can be better options when sharks are a problem in deeper water or around your favourite lumps. Try berleying up in the shallower water close to the islands off Fortescue and 40 Mile as this always works a treat to bring red emperors and coral trout in. If gold band snapper are your target species then now is also the time to chase them as they are appearing in waters from 60m, which is a lot closer than 70m+ where they are found outside of the dry season. Bluebone are being caught around the archipelago and along the pipelines along with Spanish flag, darktail snapper and Moses perch also being caught in good numbers. Among them there are plenty of coral trout but you need to watch the size limit as there are thousands out there in the 35-45cm range and although a great

Plenty of rankin cod are being caught in Karratha, like this one the author caught in 50m of water recently. one due to strong winds and day two was rain storms all morning. All-in-all a good event with good numbers and we have continued to see plenty of billfish being caught during the following weeks off Dampier. The FADS are working well and holding plenty of baitfish with mahimahi, Spanish mackerel and wahoo congregating at a variety of times around each FAD. Not too much in the way of demersals around the FADs at the moment although it is worth trying your luck. Elsewhere out wide it has all been about demersals as we are in peak season

If it is the great eating gold band snapper you are chasing on your North West adventure, try off the back of the archipelago in 60m+ where Dave Laver was successful last month.

fish, they do not meet the required 45cm limit, which can easily be mixed up with the 30cm and 40cm limits of most of the other near shore and demersal species. Spangled emperor is another species we start to see more of during the cooler months and they have been turning up in the 30m mark out from Cod Bank. The balance of Cod Bank has been fishing well

The author with a nice red emperor caught on a 200g Ocktajig in June. can even be caught with throw nets from shore. Always check the legality of your fishing methods and bag limits when fishing for prawns and ensure you have the correct licences. Squid are everywhere at the moment

Dave Laver caught this solid 650mm coral trout while jigging in 50m+ of water. for blueline emperor with a lot of good fish exceeding 50cm. Coral trout, gold spotted cod, rankin cod and a variety of nearshore species are also coming in here regularly. The gear and back destroying Chinaman fish numbers have slowed down on the bank, which although a great fish, can be a good thing as they are hard to get past at times and certainly slow your fishing down by needing a few breaks in between fish to rest. Blue swimmer crabs are still in big numbers and growing by the week in size. All of the usual areas, such as Nickol Bay, Point Samson and Cossack are working well. All of the adjoining creeks are also fishing well for mud crabs. Prawns are turning up at night in Nickol Bay and

Further north, Tyren Morris found the bluebone while out fishing in magic conditions. with the clear water on the neap tides being the best times to target them. All of the weed beds around the archipelago are full of them but if you are looking for monster squid then why not try your luck with some Karratha deep water squid jigging. I will bring you more on this next month after I try my luck and test some new specifically designed jigs in a couple of areas I know hold very large deep water squid.

Shore-based anglers are scoring quality fish EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

This month’s report has been supplied by James Fitzgerald. A few black marlin and sailfish have been turning up for game fishers this past month. The bycatch has been good, with some mahimahi up to 14kg, a few wahoo and a couple of yellowfin tuna up to about 20kg. In the Gulf, we’ve been seeing a few school mackerel and some really big golden trevally coming through, whether it’s on the bottom or other side of the Gulf, on the shoals or artificial reef. There have been tons

of sharks, but with them come cobia, which are always a welcome catch (and the sharks don’t tend to eat them). Anglers pushing out wide, bottom bouncing on the west side and up near the Muiron islands, have been catching red emperor and gold-band snapper. The Squidtrex has been picking up a few, but most fish have been caught on bait. The bycatch has included pearl perch and Robinson’s sea bream. On the inside of the reef, on the west side near Tantabiddi, people have been catching trevally, queenies, dart/ permit and spangled emperor. Nomad Madscads and Halco Slidogs are good options, or you can just free-weight a

bit of mulie down on a hook. Down to Pilgramunna and right up to Mildura shipwreck, shore-based anglers have been catching queenfish, golden trevally, giant trevally and spangled emperor. Stickbaits such as Jackson G-Controls, Saltiga Rough Rides, and Storm So-Runs have been catching their share, along with soft plastics such as the Bait Junkie 5” Jerkshad in brighter colours. On the gulf side, anglers have been targeting whiting, squid and blue-lined emperor off the shore. The whiting have been hitting Sugapens and grub-tail soft plastics, while the Shimano Clinch Flash Boost jigs have been working well on the

squid. The blue-lined emperor have been hitting smaller stickbaits and grubs. If you prefer bait fishing, you can always throw out a squid or mulie for them. • For the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop in to Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or call them on (08) 9949 1315. You can also view the range at www. tackleworldexmouth.com.au, and see the latest catch photos on their Facebook page. This family business stocks a large range of tackle, from light spin to big game. The staff have a wealth of local knowledge and expertise, and are always happy to help. JULY 2024 93

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PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS MARINE

185 Hastings River Dr, Port Macquarie Ph (02) 6583 5511 sales@hastingsmarine.com.au

www.hastingsmarine.com.au

VICTORIA

GIPPSLAND

CRAWFORD MARINE

71-77 Chickerell Street, Morwell Ph (03) 5134 6522 sales@crawfordmarine.com.au

www.crawfordmarine.com.au

MELBOURNE

DIPTECH PERFORMANCE

15 Miller Street, Epping Ph (03) 8401 3956 sales@diptech.com.au

www.diptechperformance.com.au

MELBOURNE STFMMFastDealer 001

MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE

Stacer. Memories for a Lifetime.

Creating Stacer Memories is easy with the all NEW boat packages. Build your perfect boat in just three easy steps.

393-399 South Gippsland Hwy, Dandenong South Ph (03) 9703 2003 info@melbournemarine.com.au

www.melbournemarine.com.au

GEELONG

GEELONG MARINE WORLD

401-409 Portarlington Road, Geelong Ph (02) 5248 1752 info@geelongmarineworld.com.au

www.geelongmarineworld.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

BUNBURY See stacer.com.au for details.

BLUEWATER MARINE

18 Hawkins Street, East Bunbury Ph (08) 9791 1499 bluwater@bigpond.net.au

www.bluewatermarine.com.au

NEW RELEASE

Honda’s new 350hp V8 outboard FISHING MONTHLY

Steve Morgan

It’s been a while since we’ve heard much from Honda Marine, but last month on the Gold Coast they held the Australian product launch of their all new 5 litre V8, 350hp outboard. And it looks a lot different from the Hondas you know. “The BF350 5-litre V8 engine offers the most formidable power amongst our outboard engines. The BF350 offers Honda’s revolutionary BLAST (Boosted Low Speed Torque) mode, ECOmo economy mode for optimised fuel efficiency and when extra power is required, VTEC will boost peak power, providing a positive surge of acceleration,” says the press release. “In addition to its power and torque, the engine provides improved comfort through its low-vibration design with low fuel consumption and reliability,” it continues. Honda have been selling 4-stroke outboards since 1964, yet this is the very first production V8 that they have made - across all platforms, excluding their racing team engines, however it uses their established

JULY 20242023 106 1 NOVEMBER

VTEC technology that already in their product line from 100hp and upwards. NMEA 2000 protocols allow engine data to be interfaced with on-board systems and displays, integrating information with systems such as SONAR or GPS. “This engine is designed to meet the needs of today’s families, commercial users and government agencies who require larger boats and the ability to journey farther

from shore,” says Honda’s release. Indeed, their warranty is impressive – 7 years (transferrable) for recreational users and 3 years for commercial duty cycles. Two colours are available, silver and white. They’re particularly proud of their crankshaft technology. “The BF350 crankshaft is manufactured using the same materials and tested to the same strength specifications as Acura’s

SPECIFICATIONS Type.............................................................................4-Stroke,.SOHC,.60°.V8,.32.Valve. Displacement......................................................4952cc.(302.cubic.ins.) Bore & Stroke......................................................89x99.5mm/3.5x3.9in. Full Throttle RPM Range.............................5000-6000rpm Rated Power.........................................................350hp.at.5500rpm Cooling System..................................................Water.Cooled Fuel Delivery.........................................................Programmed.Fuel.Injection Ignition System..................................................MicroComputer.Programmed Starting System.................................................Electric Exhaust.....................................................................Through.Hub Lubrication............................................................Wet.Sump Trim Range.............................................................-4°.to.+15° Tilt Range................................................................68° Fuel Type.................................................................86.Octane Gear Ratio...............................................................1.79:1 Battery Charging Power..............................70.Amps Cruise Control Range....................................650-6000rpm.in.50rpm.Increments Overall Width.......................................................650mm/25.6.in Transom Weight.................................................347-352kg

Main photo: When Honda owners want to triple rig, Optimus steering is the option for joystick operation. famed NSX high-performance sports supercar. “Various technologies have been applied to the crankshaft to achieve

NEW RELEASE higher output/ higher torque, quieter operation, and increased strength, contributing to a comfortable and smooth onboard experience. “The fully balanced, 60° offset crankshaft eliminates the need for counter balancing; it seamlessly integrates with 60° engine design and nonlinear engine mount to provide exceptional performance with minimal vibration. Crankpin offset angle reduces vibration and noise generated by the crankshaft. Also, the BF350 has reintroduced the use of an oxygen sensor which

contributes to Honda’s superior fuel economy. effective combustion on a leaner air-to-fuel mixture. At cruising speed, Honda engines claim to run on up to 20% less fuel than other comparably sized outboards. NEW CONTROL BOX “Accompanying the V8 outboard is the all-new BF350 controller. The controller comes in an ergonomic form to support various grips and operations, has an intuitive 5-button multi-function panel, and a high visibility neutral position indicator, all enhanced in a leather grain for exceptional comfort. “Incorporating DBW (Drive By Wire) owners have precise electronic engine response to control multiple

way it’s headed, the staff and dealers are excited. Pricing is very competitive with other outboards of the same power on the market today, but it’s best to check with your local Honda dealer for the up-to-date options. You can also watch the Fishing Monthly video by scanning the QR code hereby.

VIDEO

Left and above: From the back, the new Honda 350hp V8 outboard has a whole lot going on and the look is distinctive.

engines with a single lever, providing simple operation for smooth, stressfree boating. Honda’s alternator is also large enough to cope with modern electronic demands - 30a at idle and 70a at 6,000rpm. OPTIMUS OPTIONS To date, there’s no proprietary Honda steering system – you can run them on standard aftermarket steering options. Honda have partnered with Optimus to offer a joystick option for multiple outboard rigs. We got to ride in several boats on the test day and subjectively, these are a smooth and relatively quiet offering. What is exciting is Honda’s apparent commitment to revamping their outboard range. We couldn’t tell if this was to be more larger engines or a refurbishment of their smaller offerings, but whichever

Scan this QR code to watch the new Honda 350hp V8 in action.

NOVEMBER 2023107 JULY 2024 2

BOATING TEST

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR EXTRA CONTENT

FMM

MORE ONLINE

Whittley 2800 Heritage Cruiser with Volvo 350hp FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

For all of the Whittley tests we’ve done over the years, I’ve never set foot in the biggest cruiser in the range – the 28 footer. This legally trailerable craft is pretty close to the ultimate family cruiser and packs a lot into the available hull length. Maybe one of the reasons I haven’t tested one is because it’s definitely NOT the ultimate fishing boat in their range. That status would sit somewhere in their SL series – models that are designed for serious fishing with an elevated comfort aspect. The cruiser (CR) range are skewed towards some serious comfort for multi-day trips on the water. You’ll see what I mean throughout this test. Gary Honeychurch from Whittley calls it the “Waterbago”, which alludes to the fact that you can live on it just as

SPECIFICATIONS Length Overall ................................. 9m Beam ................................................ 2.49m Length on trailer .........................10.1m Height in trailer............................ 3.3m Transom deadrise........................... 19° Fuel ........................................................210L Water ....................................................100L Dry tow weight ..................... 3,200kg Max HP......................350hp Volvo V8 comfortably on the land as you can on the water. Indeed, many Whittley customers live on their boats in transit, you just pull up to the caravan park and plug in! The cabin has a fully solid, lockable door, which helps with peace-of-mind when you take the car out to do some shopping or eat out on the road. You can see the whole interview with Gary and the video boat test by scanning the QR code at the top of this page. The 2800 is powered by a Volvo Penta 350hp V8 inboard motor. Nowadays,

inboards aren’t the flavour of the month, but they are an ideal choice for this rig, opening up a massive duckboard area over the DuoProp that has wet-gear storage incorporated and effectively acts as a swimming deck and BBQ area simultaneously. Couple this with the inbuilt freshwater shower at the transom door and you can keep the salt out where it needs to be. When the boat is on the trailer, you board here with the fold-away ladder, just as you would when the boat is in the water. Moving forward to the main cockpit area and there’s a lot of comfortable seating, dedicated to providing a space for multiple people to sit and entertain. And as if magically, a table top drops from the hard top here, solving the problem of where to actually store a table top when it’s not in use. This is a great place to enjoy a meal. Moving for’ard again and there’s the helm with most of the controls for the motor and accessories on boat. As is the standard nowadays, this is flush mounted and has all of the switching in easy reach. The real comfort and appointment, however, is inside of the lockable door. As you enter, there’s a full kitchen on the port side, complete with sink, fridge and induction cooktops, which are powered by some of the three lithium batteries. PERFORMANCE RPM Speed

(km/h)

Main: Here she is! The biggest Whittley Cruiser in their range in its element on the Gold Coast. Above: The 2800 is surprisingly economical. Between 3500 and 5000rpm uses around a litre per kilometre. Best was 4000rpm with 1.15km/L at 46km/h. 108 JULY 2024

Economy

(km/L)

600 ............................ 6 ........................2.0 1000 .......................... 9 .........................1.5 2000 ........................15 .......................... 1.1 3000 ....................... 27 ........................0.9 3500 .......................37 .........................1.0 4000 .......................46 ....................... 1.15 4500 .......................55 ...................... 1.05 5000 .......................65 ..................... 0.95 5800 .......................78 ........................0.8

It’s a two person operation to comfortably get the boat on and off the trailer. The lithiums definitely help save on towing weight. There’s a fully private shower and toilet as well as a second, indoor dining area that converts to a queen sized berth. The outdoor dining area also converts to a queen sized berth, allowing the 2800 to sleep four people comfortably. There’s even a telly in the main cabin, so you don’t miss any of the footy (or comforts of home). On the water, I’d expected the Volvo 350 to be thirsty and unresponsive. How wrong I was! The V8 offered plenty of power to propel this rig to just under 80km/h with a significantly wide range of economical cruising speeds. Anywhere between 3000 and 5000rpm gives you around that 1km/L economy at speeds between 27 and 65km/h. As Gary says in the interview, “It’s 28 foot of caravan that will tow a water skiier.” The Heritage Edition 2800 that we tested is limited to 10 boats, with six of them already sold as at the close of the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show 2024. One of those boats had a drive away price of $339,990. For more information, contact your local Whittley dealer or visit www.whittley.com.au.

FMM

BOATING TEST

Top: The helm is simple and easily fits your MFD with all of the gauges and switches for the accessories. Above: The advantage of a freshwater cooled inboard is that it opens up the aft duckboard for swimming, BBQing and it adds to the available length.

On the trailer and on the water, access is by the folding rear ladder.

Top: The trailer can handle 4.4t and has electric over hydraulic braking. You’ll need a big car to tow it, though. Above: From the waterline, the 2800 is an imposing hull.

The rear saloon uses a table that fits in a fold down hatch from the hard top.

The cabin door is lockable for when you’re overnighting on the road or the water.

Top Left: Here’s the front cabin and seating area. It will be perfect for winter evenings on the water. Top and Bottom Right: Here’s the full kitchen setup with fridge, induction cooktops, sink and plenty of storage. Bottom Left: There’s your stereo controls and secure drink storage in this area.

Left: The head has full shower facilities and a solid privacy door. Top Right: You’ll hear your chosen music all around the boat. Bottom Right: The Volvo Penta V8 350HP features their DuoProp design. JULY 2024 109