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BRIBIE ISLAND BRIBIE ISLAND 0413 0413 139139 507507
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MACKAY MACKAY 0409 0409 582582 318318
BURLEIGH HEADS BURLEIGH HEADS 5522 1933 07 07 5522 1933 REDLAND REDLAND BAYBAY 3186 5270 07 07 3186 5270
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MURARRIE MURARRIE 3907 0708 07 07 3907 0708
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April 2020, Vol. 32 No. 6
Contents NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES
10
Yamba 18
16
24
32
Ballina 20 SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The Tweed
22
Southern Gold Coast
24
Jumpinpin 25 Gold Coast Canals
26
Gold Coast
28
Southern Bay
30
Brisbane Offshore
31
Brisbane 32 Northern Bay
34
Noosa 35 CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Rainbow Beach
37
Hervey Bay
38
Gladstone 40 Bundaberg 40 Lake Monduran
41
Rockhampton 42 Yeppoon 43 Mackay 44 TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Whitsundays 46
From the Editor’s Desk... FISHING EXCITING, WORLD A WORRY It seems as though this world is changing daily and the challenge is to be able to mentally get over the noise and focus on what’s important. And with everyone wanting an opinion, sometimes it’s better to just think and act locally. At Fishing Monthly, we’re no different from everyone else. We’re a small group of people collecting and distributing information. We don’t know whether we’ll be the same shape after the current epidemic, but you can rest assured we’ll give it a go. What you can be assured of is that we’ll stay on point. We’ll talk nearly always about fishing and fish. God knows we could all use a break from the sensationalists and panic-spreaders. With a dearth of sport, you might be interested in
this. The Tasmanian ABT BREAM Tour has just wrapped up with a flotilla of boats travelling across to the Apple Isle and joining the keen locals to enjoy the amazing bream fishing that the state offers. We saw our first international angler take an ABT title with Singapore’s Mike Sutcliffe taking the win
on the second event of the Tassie Tour at St Helens. Of course, all of this positive activity sits under the impending cloud of tighter shutdowns and disruption from COVID-19. We assume that this editorial will be out-of-date by the time it hits the shelves. Let’s look broadly, however.
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Fishing may be one of the best things you can do. When the footy and cricket are shut down because of cancellation of mass gatherings, we will still be able to wet a line at our local. Also remember to spare a thought for your local tackle and boating businesses. These guys are members of your local community and it’s probably a great time to spend a few dollars and help these guys out in a time of uncertainty. Looking for a way to avoid all of the negativity and the rest of the media talking you into depression? Grab your copy of Fishing Monthly and lay down on the couch; we’ll talk about what’s biting and what’s coming into season where you are. Sometimes you just need to shut off the TV, log out of social media and enjoy the basics. We’ll be here for you.
Ayr 47 Townsville 48 Cairns 49 Cairns NFZ
50
Port Douglas
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Hinchinbrook 50
Back to Basics
14
Camping and 4WD
64
Cooking 72
Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801
Advertising Enquiries: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Nicole Kelly nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au Printing: APN – News Corp Australia
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Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au
Fun Page
73
Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas
Sheik of the Creek
65
Tech Tricks
16
Website: www.wp.fishingmonthly.com.au
Tournament News
66
Sub-Editors: Nicole Penfold Bob Thornton Lucette Eggleton
Track my fish
78
Field Editors: Jason Ehrlich Wayne Kampe
Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham
Trades and Services
80
What’s New Boating
82
What’s New Fishing
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Dam Levels
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Why not Wyaralong?
Office Manager: Marie Dykstra
Lucinda writer Jeff Wilton won the battle with this solid dogtooth tuna in FNQ. A Jeff Wilton image.
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Heading out wide in FNQ
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Get out of your comfort zone and head out wide LUCINDA
Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com
For most anglers, getting the chance to head out into bluewater is an exciting time. No matter where you live, any time the boat is pointed in the opposite direction of land there is a sense that something exciting could happen! I’m lucky to call Lucinda in North Queensland home, so heading east means I have the Great Barrier Reef and many tropical islands as my playground. We have
the two closest reefs are about 45km away so they’re reachable in smaller boats on a good day. All the reef systems off Lucinda can fish very well and, as long as you have some good current pushing, then normally the fish are active, especially around the tide changes. However, sometimes you can’t help but ignore all the closer stuff in favour of something a bit further out. SAFETY PREPARATIONS There is something special about heading out wider, when the water changes into a deeper blue
It can’t get much better than a double hook-up on GTs over a flat sea. just in case the weather turns nasty and you have to travel home quickly. Make sure you notify at least two different people where you’re going and what time you will be back. Keep
add that if I’m not home by midnight they should contact the coastguard. It is also a great idea if it is possible to radio in to your local coastguard on departure so they have you on record and
course, anybody heading offshore must have a working and registered EPIRB. This is vital equipment and is a last resort to get help. SPECIES ON OFFER The further you head out the less fishing pressure there is, which normally means greater catches. There is no need to change any gear or techniques that you would normally use in closer if you’re chasing the regular species, but heading wide means the chance to tangle with species that are not as common in closer reef systems, like jobfish, mahimahi, yellowfin tuna and the mighty dogtooth tuna. Finding small isolated rocks and pinnacles in the middle of nowhere is what dreams are made of and the excitement of a sounder screen full of life is addictive. I have spent countless
Vinnie fought it out with this typical-sized school dogtooth. a massive list of amazing fish to tangle with from tasty emperor, nannygai and trout, to sportfish, such as GTs, cobia, mackerel and marlin. A lot of people think that heading wide means booking a charter boat, but with the right preparation your trailer boat can get you into some mind-blowing fishing. When most NQ anglers plan to head out to the reef, their trips are normally around the closer reef systems. We are lucky, as
and you rarely see another boat. It can be a little daunting but if you make sure you have adequate food and water along with all safety and emergency equipment, there is no need to worry. Water is by far the most important requirement and everybody on board must have a lot. In summer you can drink 5L in a day, so double that for everyone on board just in case. Having confidence with yourself and your boat is
necessary, as out there you can feel very small and radio or mobile phone contact with the mainland may not be possible. Most boats are equipped with gauges that measure your fuel usage and the distance travelled accurately, so running out of fuel should never be possible. When planning a trip, the first thing you want to do is map out approximate distances to your destination and back home. It’s important to leave yourself plenty of extra fuel
Toni caught this beautiful coral trout, which will make for delicious fillets. in mind that you should add a few extra hours to your arrival time home, because you don’t want people to start searching for you if you decide to fish a few more hours. For example, if I say I will be home around 8pm, I’ll
then when you return, radio in to let them know you’re safe. These little things will give you peace of mind if something goes wrong. If possible, try and head out with another boat for the ultimate safety net. Of
hours travelling from one spot to another in hope of finding something exciting. Sometimes you get lucky but be prepared for plenty of searching and not a lot of finding. Charts that show contour lines is the place
TUNA ALLEY
Named after the legendary 15-mile stretch of sand cutting through the deep blue Bahamian waters where the Bluefin tuna migrate north.
GREEN MIRROR: Enhanced vision and contrast for fishing inshore and on flats. • Copper Base • 10% light transmission
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APRIL 2020
OPTIMAL USE: • Sight fishing in full sun • High contrast
This sort of view makes casting arms twitch!
to start and marking areas such as depth variances or hard turns in these contour lines will give you an area
and plastics. The same can be said with nannygai and emperor if you’re dropping big baits into deeper waters,
the reef itself. Good tidal movement will push baitfish (normally fusiliers) together, making them easy targets for
Green jobfish are lots of fun and great eating. to search. When the plan is to find new ground, I would suggest setting a few trolling rods and putting them out while moving around. There are plenty of lures that can be trolled at faster speeds, just make sure you rig them on gear that can handle the possibility of big powerful fish. When you push further out, it shouldn’t be difficult to get a few trout in the icebox by dropping baits or jigs
but you will have to navigate sharks anywhere you go. When I go wide, I always spend a few hours getting some of these tasty fish in the icebox. My main target of choice is usually giant trevally. GTs are at the top of my target list because they are powerful, grow to impressive sizes and they will always give you a run for your money. I fish for them on the reef edges or isolated bommies inside
GT. The best time to fish is a few hours after low tide when the water is pushing up onto the reef and there are at least a few metres of tidal difference. Throwing large poppers and stickbaits into these bait schools will soon attract attention. You will be fishing over shallow coral bommies, so make sure your gear that is up to the task of heavy drag settings and furious battles. This is where good use of the boat will help push odds
in your favour, as towing a fish away from the reef edge or trying to get directly over the top of a fish diving deep will help reduce lost fish and gear. By-catch while chasing GT will be mackerel and red bass, both of which fight great and mackerel are a welcome addition to the icebox. Dogtooth tuna are not a common capture from smaller trailer boats but if the time is put in, they are achievable. These fish normally live in deeper waters, hanging around outer reef systems or over isolated pinnacles. Anyone that has read or watched anything on these fish will know they are one of the best fighting fish in the ocean. Dogtooth can rip hundreds of metres of braid in a minute and will normally head straight for the bottom or the reef edge to destroy you. In most cases, especially with bigger fish, there is nothing that can be done except hang on and give chase with the boat. If you can survive the first few minutes, the battle is half won and you just need to tend with the ever-lurking sharks that love eating them. The major problem with most spots that hold schools of dogtooth tuna is the fact that sharks will nearly always be there as well. If you decide you want to tangle with these fish, make To page 12
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11
From page 11
sure you upgrade your gear. You need to hold a good amount of braid and be able
some of the best sashimi you can eat so they won’t be wasted. Make sure you bleed them very well and stick them
for you to talk about on the run home. I have one such memory of a trip a few years ago; we were trolling while searching new ground when the rod went off and a wahoo came to the boat. While we were getting ready to gaff the fish, about 50 mahimahi came
out of nowhere and just swam along with the boat. What followed were some hectic moments where we all hooked and fought mahimahi while their mates swam around with them! Another session when we were catching small yellowfin tuna, we were
Watching trout chase down stickbaits in the shallows is thrilling.
Locked and loaded! to crank up the drag to tire them out. I normally jig for them with metal knife jigs that are dropped to the bottom then ripped up the entire water column. Dogtooth tuna will rarely if ever bite you off; their teeth are more similar to a mangrove jack than a mackerel. Once hooked up, it can help to follow the fish with the boat away from the area you were fishing to hopefully eliminate the shark problem. Larger fish will normally die during the end of the fight as they give everything they can in the battle, but they make
in lots of ice. Green and rosy jobfish are also more prolific out off the wider reefs. These fish normally hang in schools around deeper rocks and rubble. If you can find them it will normally mean bent rods all round in the boat, as they are aggressive and will eat baits, plastics and jigs without hesitation. It is not uncommon for these areas to also have yellowfin tuna schools chasing bait, which can be a lot of fun. Even on slower days, there is normally always something memorable that happens
This kind of activity on the sounder is perfect for jigging.
casting plastics into feeding schools when a dogtooth tuna of 50kg+ got half airborne and ate a yellowfin tuna like it was a jellybean right beside the boat! That thrill just keeps me coming back for more. PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP If you feel that you want to push your horizons a little more, plan well and do it. Keep in mind that everything out there seems to be bigger and nastier, so upgrading all your gear can be necessary. Rods obviously need to be up to the task, matched to reels that are strong with great drag systems. In prolonged battles, a sticky drag will end in disaster or will make fights last longer then they need to. Soft plastics should be tough and durable, as it can be very frustrating
WATER BALL AST
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APRIL 2020
ACTIVE TRANSOM
getting a plastic to the bottom in 80m of water to get a bite and it is no good any more. Jigheads and assist hooks need to be strong along with any split rings or swivels. Last but not least, no matter how good your terminal gear is, a weak knot or faulty braid will mean game over immediately. Don’t be lazy, check everything. Part of the enjoyment for me is the preparation for a trip out wide. I can have a cold beer or two and spend a few hours in the fishing room going over everything while I pack. I hope this article sparks the desire to push a little out of your normal routine and widen your horizons. With the right conditions, preparation and a little luck, anything is possible.
TRUE SELFDRAINING DECKS
Glidebait 178
The new Molix Glide Bait 178 is a 3oz slow sinking jointed glidebait designed in collaboration with Carl Jocumsen. Ideal for tempting big cod, barra and flathead. Available in 5 colours.
Siglon PE, is made from EX-PE fibres and offers a tightly woven braid that provides superior abrasion resistance, a very thin diameter and minimal stretch. Available in 8 carrier PE (PEx8) and 4 carrier PE (PEx4).
PLEASE VISIT EJTODD.COM.AU
Hayes bashes Tambo Bridge for 2nd ABT title Melbourne’s Mark Hayes found a mother lode of big bream on the Tambo River highway bridge and milked the pattern for two consecutive days to take the first event of the 2020 Costa BREAM Series. In doing so, he became one of a select group of anglers to win events on more than one Victorian BREAM arena. Boxing a huge 5.60kg on the first day to tie for the lead and following up with a solid 4.64kg on the second day of competition, Hayes outdistanced a red-hot Kristoffer Hickson by nearly a kilogram and was the only angler to break the 10kg mark. His 10/10 bag went 10.24kg; an average of over a kilogram per fish! Running a camera on the second day, Hayes showed his bridge crankbaiting style, running a variety of slowly floating crank and jerkbaits along the pylons to tempt the black bream to duck out a foot from cover and nip at the offerings. Once the fish bit, it was by no means over, with a furious battle ensuing to
when the bream would hit. Hayes prefers slow floating lures with upgraded hooks, like the Ecogear SX43 and Gladiator Mutant. He fished the lures on a Smith Dancing Bream rod matched with a Daiwa Caldia reel (that he won as a non-boater about a decade ago), 4lb Berkley braid and a surprisingly light 4lb leader. “Some people reckon
Melbourne’s Mark Hayes milked the Tambo River Bridge for all its worth to register his second ever ABT win as a boater. A devoted hardbody angler, he rode the pattern to the only 10-fish limit over 10kg. extract the fish from the abundant structure. Some he won, some he didn’t. Scan the QR Code hereby to see him in action – there are wins and losses recorded! “On the first day I had
12 bites and landed five fish. The others made it home into the pylons,” Hayes said, “so who knows what I could have brought in. I tried going hard on them and freespooling them … sometimes that just
made it worse.” Hayes’ technique for cranking bridges is pretty simple: cast parallel and as close as you can to the pylon, slow roll it back with twitches and add plenty of pauses. It’s on the pause
BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mark Hayes 2 Kris Hickson 3 Brad Hodges 4 Jamie McKeown 5 Charlie Saykao 6 Andrew Moore 7 Steve Pryke 8 Steve Morgan 9 Peter Nord 10 Stephen Wheeler
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 10.24 $3,000 + $250 Mercury bonus 10/10 9.32 $1,250 + $125 Mercury bonus 10/10 9.23 $1,000 + $75 Mercury bonus 10/10 8.60 $900 10/10 7.91 $800 10/10 7.71 $700 10/10 6.99 $600 6/10 6.76 $500 9/10 6.13 8/10 5.78
Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 68
APRIL 2020
that the 4lb is a bit light, but I use that leader everywhere I go,” Hayes explained. The Tambo River bridge is around one hour and 40 minutes away from the start line, but there’s a lot of 5-knot idling to get there. Hayes left the bridge at 11am on the first day and fished it for the full session on the second. You can see his full winner’s interview on the QR Code hereby!
Hayes didn’t win all of the battles. With bream like this hitting inches from heavy cover, the toll was significant on his dwindling supplies of Ecogear SX43s.
Scan the QR code to see Mark Hayes’ winning interview.
Scan the QR code to see Kobi Rothall’s winning interview.
BREAM AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Hickson scrambles to second place It was a pretty big effort for Kris Hickson to even make it to the opening event of the 2020 Costa BREAM Series. Racing from a relocated Hobie Australian Championships (13 hours away rather than two hours from Gippsland), he drove most of the night to make the practice day and then scrambled to find fish. In case you didn’t know, he won the Hobie AC. According to Kris, he didn’t stop scrambling all weekend. “I started the first day in Paynesville, rotating through some docks and boats that I have done well on in the past. I lost a few early fish and bagged 1.1 and 1.2kg models on a ZMan GrubZ and a jerkbait, but as the session went on the fish dried up,” he said. Hickson then found fish with his Humminbird Mega 360 while traversing a flat near one of his go-to spots. “I spooked a couple of fish and then started seeing them on the 360. It was overcast and rough and I
dried up, leaving him no option but to expand on his flats pattern. He found more fish on flats in the Paynesville area and refined his crankbaiting flats technique. “It was all about bouncing between flats with fish on them and resting them in turn,” he said. Rolling the SX40 with small pauses and upwards twitches of the rod, he chipped away at a decent limit and ultimately, was
BREAM SERIES
abt
only bettered by Hayes. You can see Kris in action and the 360 screen in the highlights video for day two.
DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM
Hickson caught a handful of fish on a variety of lures before settling into a flats pattern with his new Humminbird Mega 360 unit. couldn’t see them well on the flat, but they stood out on the new unit,” he said. After that, he went to work with a Ecogear SX40 (colour 390) on his
Daiwa Infeet 722 ULFS rod and Caldia reel spooled with 3lb Sunline Small Game FC. “If I saw a school of bream, I’d put down the
Talon and start working them over. Those two pieces of technology in tandem were deadly,” he concluded. On day two, all of his structure spots had
Rothall wins from back of boat Kobi Rothall also did some travelling to make it to the Gippsland event. Based in Nelson, Western Victoria, he attended the Hobie AC and then travelled back to Gippsland with Steve Pryke to make the tight connection. For the first-time ABT competitor it was well worth the effort, with the Victorian winning his first ever attempt at an ABT event as a non-boater. “I had two awesome boaters, Jamie McKeown and Daniel Kent,” Rothall said. “On the first day, Jamie and I fished the Nicholson River bridge with Cranka Crabs. It didn’t really matter what colour we threw, just as long as they were heavy and we fished them slow,” he continued. “The second day I fished with Daniel Kent and the presentation was totally different. We used ZMan
BREAM abtSeries presented by
GrubZ in 2.5” (gudgeon) rigged on a Gamahatsu Round 25 jighead (1/16oz) and cast right to the edges. If you weren’t right on the edge, you wouldn’t get a bite,” he said. Rothall fished both offerings on a Millerods Grub Freak and Daiwa 2004 Luvias spooled with Yamatoyo Resin Sheller braid and a 5lb Sniper FC leader. Indeed, the first day of this event saw a swathe of ABT newcomers in the top places. Rothall, Nikki Bryant, Leo Yu and Rhys Harris made up the top four after their first day of ABT tournament. This is encouraging news for those sitting on the sidelines wondering whether they should take the leap! You fish with a different boater each day and your learning curve accelerates out of sight. Visit www. for more abt. org.au information.
ABT first-timer Leo Yu burst onto the tournament scene with a bang, dropping a 1.67kg black bream on the scales in his first ever appearance at the weigh in. Fishing with Cam Whittam, he caught the fish on a Daiwa Steez Skybolt 701LFS rod and TD SOL III 2500S reel with 4lb FC straight through and a Cranka Crab (olive, heavy). “I normally don’t fish crabs, but found fish eating the crabs on pre-fish, so I thought that’s the lure I’m going to use in the comp. On day one, we went to Hollands Landing and fished the edges. We would just cast the lure at the right place and not do anything. I think the key was to try not to work it too much and wait for the biggest fish to eat your lure,” Yu said.
Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.
Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.
How could Kobi Rothall not like ABT Tournament angling after dropping fish like this on the scales in his first ever event?
NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Kobi Rothall 2 Nikki Bryant 3 Grayson Fong 4 Nick Penprase 5 Lindsay Pryke 6 Mickael Hodges 7 Leo Yu 8 Rhys Harris 9 Wayne Mauger 10 Colin Wilson
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 7.87 Pro Lure pack 9/10 6.79 Daiwa pack 5/10 4.41 Costa sunglasses 4/10 3.17 Atomic pack + rod 4/10 3.09 EJ Todd pack 4/10 2.94 Samaki pack + rod 2/10 2.27 Tackle Tactics pack + $500 Big Bream + Daiwa J-Braid pack 3/10 2.24 Cranka pack 4/10 2.06 Ecogear pack 2/10 1.60 VMC pack
Nikki Bryant with a bream that nearly delivered her the top non-boater spot. APRIL 2020
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Morgan is crowned the master of Metung Steve Morgan has managed to turn the Gippsland Lakes arena from a triple-donut result into a place he loves fishing, mainly through a specialty in a section of the waterway near Metung. Having never landed a 5kg limit on the mainland, Morgan did exactly that on the first day of the first event and followed it up with a pair of 5kg+ bags in the ZMan round. Dropping 5.43kg and then 5.95kg on the scales, he easily out-distanced a fastfinishing Scott Towner and registered an average weight of 1.13kg per fish. Learning his lesson from the first event, where he failed to capitalise on a Lakes Entrance yellowfin bream bite on the second day, Morgan nearly solely targeted black bream in the Metung area after the rest of the field charged out to greener paddocks. With strong wind warnings for both of the tournament days, boaters were allowed to tow their rigs to sheltered ramps across the arena and not face unsafe conditions on the lakes proper. “I was amazed when the entire field chose to
said, “mainly olive heavy, but in areas with no current I used some light models on the second day.” Each time Morgan visits Metung, there’s different docks and banks that fish well. “The hot docks from previous events always seem to change, so every year you need to find where the fish are stacked up,” he explained. “This year, we only found three areas at Metung that produced more than one fish, so on the final day, it was a case of rotating through these areas and picking up a fish here and there,” “When you’re getting less than 10 bites a day, you need to convert them.
After choking with a dying yellowfin bream pattern in the first round, Morgan focussed on black bream in round two and reaped the rewards. All his bream were caught within a kilometre of the start line. leave the checkout point at Metung on the first day,” Morgan said. The only other boat to share the area was Brett Penprase after his boat was too long to launch at the Tambo River ramp.
With the arena also windblown on Sunday, they all headed off as well, leaving Morgan and leading non-boater Grayson Fong the productive area to share with only one other boat. “Usually Metung gets
plenty of attention from anglers at the beginning and the end of the session, so I really think that the rough weather played into our hands for this event,” Morgan said. “I fished Cranka Crabs the whole event,” Morgan
BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Steve Morgan 2 Scott Towner 3 Andrew Moore 4 Mario Vukic 5 Steve Pryke 6 Alex Franchuk 7 Geoff Borg 8 Brad Hodges 9 Peter Nord 10 Declan Betts
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 11.38 $3,000 + $250 Mercury bonus 10/10 10.73 $1,250 10/10 8.98 $1,000 + $125 Mercury bonus 8/10 8.88 $900 10/10 8.17 $800 + $75 Mercury bonus 8/10 8.00 $700 10/10 7.68 $600 8/10 7.26 $500 10/10 6.02 6/10 5.96
Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 70
APRIL 2020
During the event, I upped the line from 4lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon to 6lb Nanobraid and 7lb Yamatoyo Chinu Harris leader after losing a few fish in structure.” Morgan started with a 7’8” Daiwa Crab Rod/Sol III 2004 combo and finished with a Legit Designs Wild Side rod and a 2019 Certate 2500S LT reel. “The main thing I learned this event? Fish the crabs slow. The slower the better,” Morgan said. He donated the prize money to the Mallacoota Fishing Club to help with bushfire relief. All up, anglers donated just under $15,000 in ABT’s Bushfire Fundraiser.
What were the odds on a pair of Queenslanders taking home the trophies from the Victorian ZMan round of the Costa BREAM Series? Morgan and Fong both reside in Brisbane.
Scan the QR code to see the pre show.
Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.
BREAM AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Towner takes second in smallest boat With the arena opened to trailer boats in sheltered launch areas, AFC legend Scott Towner got to fish Hollands Landing for the first time in an ABT event. Usually a 40km boat ride, plenty of anglers took the hour drive by road to take advantage of the fishing. Boxing 5.03kg on the Saturday and a massive 5.70kg on the Sunday, he was over 1.5kg clear of all other anglers bar Morgan. “I found good fish on the flats at the mouth of Hollands on the calm pre-fish day, but come tournament day, the rough dirty water had pushed the fish back into the channel proper,” Towner said. “I found ‘em within 500m of the boat ramp and went to work with a deep Jackall Chubby in brown suji.” “On the first day, the water stayed clear enough to fish effectively for a couple of hours, but on day two, I got five hours and clean water and landed at least 30 legal fish to help
After slow rolling and twitching the Chubby, Towner switched to fishing a Cranka Crab on a Daiwa Crab rod outfit that he borrowed from Wally Fahey. “After the event I found out why they liked the crabs so much – my livewell was full of crab shells and legs. They obviously form a major part of a bream’s diet at Hollands,” he concluded. Towner’s next stop is Tasmania, where he has
BREAM SERIES
abt
logged multiple 6.5kg+ bags in the past. It’ll be interesting to see if the bream have gotten wiser in the meantime.
DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM
Yarrawonga’s Scott Towner has the tournament fishing bug again. He landed second place in the ZMan event from the smallest boat in the field. me upgrade my bag,” he continued. Towner’s tackle was definitely not cutting edge, using the rods he last
wielded in ABT and AFC events over a decade ago. “The Abu Garcia Soron reels still work fine, even if a few are a little
grindy,” Scott said, “but I did replace the line with new Berkley X8 braid and with new leaders I was good to go.”
Fong flogs fellow non-boaters Queensland acupuncturist Grayson Fong is always a threat whenever he graces the back of the boat. The ZMan event allowed him to put a real smackdown on the rest of the non-boating field and drop the two heaviest non-boater limits on the scales to cruise to victory by nearly 3kg. Fishing with Brett Crowe on day one and Steve Morgan on day two, Fong used two different techniques to get the job done. Up the Nicholson River Fong deep cranked Daiwa Spike hardbodies along deep river bends. “Brett and I targeted laydown timber that went out to about 6 or 7 feet of water,” Fong said. The key was to roll the lure frustratingly slowly with small twitches and pauses. The bream would eat the lure gently and hook up on the retrofitted Decoy
BREAM abtSeries presented by
YS25 trebles. He fished the lure on a Daiwa TD Hyper rod (the new grey model), a 2019 Certate and 8lb Daiwa braid with 4lb leader. Grayson hooked seven fish and landed five on the first day to finish the session in first place. As such, he was paired with Steve Morgan as the first placed boater. At Metung with Morgan, Fong threw heavy olive Cranka Crabs to edges of hard structure. As one of only two boats choosing to not trail his boat to a distant ramp, the pair rotated between productive docks and filled their limits one fish at a time. “There was only about four places that we caught fish and it was a matter of fishing them slowly and methodically,” Fong said. It took both anglers until around midday to fill their limits, with Fong eventually dropping 4.8kg on the scales to emphatically take the win.
Mario Vukic anchored the biggest bag of the week (5/5, 6.29kg) with an enormous, misshapen 1.59kg Hollands Landing brute. With a bent back and a tiny tail, it was an ideal tournament fish. It ate a ZMan GrubZ 2.5” in motor oil rigged on a Decoy Nail Bomb weedless jighead. He fished it on a Daiwa Beowulf rod, 2500 Daiwa Certate reel, 12lb Sunline Castaway braid and 4lb Sunline V-Hard leader. “I was fishing 10lb leaders all day until I busted them all off, so I grabbed the 4lb and the big girl bit,” Vukic said. We’ll bet he was glad it wasn’t in prime condition!
Grayson Fong was the only non-boater to bag a perfect 10/10 for the event. His limits of 3.70 and 4.80kg topped the best-of-the-rest by nearly 3kg.
NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10/10 7/10 3/10 4/10 3/10 5/10 4/10 5/10 2/10 4/10
Grayson Fong Michael Alexander Nick Penprase Michael Hodges Nikki Bryant Blair Bryant Allan Morrison Wayne Mauger Arthur Amies Jordan Armstrong
8.50 5.69 3.55 3.29 3.11 2.97 2.64 2.41 2.20 2.11
Pro Lure pack Daiwa pack Costa sunnies Atomic pack + rod EJ Todd pack Samaki pack + rod Tackle Tactics pack Cranka pack Ecogear pack VMC Pack
Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.
Scan the QR code to see Scott Towner’s winning interview. APRIL 2020
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Cooking
Marinated baby octopus BRISBANE
Lynn Bain
Baby octopus are eightlegged, bite-sized morsels that taste fantastic when
marinaded and grilled. You could eat the grilled baby octopus either simply on its own with lots of bread, or as part of a salad with a mixture of salad leaves and the marinade spooned over
as a dressing. Below is just one way to prepare these tasty creatures. It’s absolutely perfect for the cool nights we will start to experience at this time of year.
Ingredients • 250g baby octopus, cleaned
• 1 small fresh red chilli, finely
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• chopped (optional)
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Freshly ground salt
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Place the baby octopus into a pot with approximately two cups of water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, remove the pot from the heat and allow to stand for ten minutes.
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Mix all the ingredients in the bowl together, ensuring the baby octopus are well covered with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to marinade for at least an hour in the fridge.
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While the octopus is grilling, add the retained marinade to a small microwave safe glass jug and pop it into the microwave. Microwave on high for two minutes. 72
APRIL 2020
2
After ten minutes, remove the baby octopus from the discoloured water.
5
Remove the baby octopus from the bowl, retaining the marinade.
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When grilled to your liking, place the baby octopus into a serving bowl and spoon some of the heated marinade on top of the octopus.
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Place the baby octopus into a large glass bowl. Add the dry white wine, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper, parsley, finely chopped chilli and grated garlic to the bowl.
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Heat your grill pan over a medium-high heat and add the par-cooked marinaded baby octopus to the hot pan. Grill the octopus for approximately five minutes, turning occasionally until the baby octopus is cooked through.
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Serve the grilled baby octopus with crusty bread to soak up the juices.
FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS WATER ACTIVITIES
SCUBADIVE SNORKEL KAYAKING PADDLE BOARD JET SKI KITE SURFING RAFTING FISHING BOATING
SURFING SAILING CANOEING SWIMMING CAGE DIVING CLIFF DIVING PARASAILING ROWING WINDSURFING
Name: Address:
P/Code:
The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack. SEND ENTRIES TO: QLD Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129
QLD APRIL 2020
Phone (day):
GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy
Complete the Find the Word and go in the draw to win a Fishing Monthly Prize Pack containing a limited edition neck scarf and a Fishing Monthly environmentally-friendly tote bag.
SPOT THE
10 DIFFERENCES
BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie
ORIGINAL
FIND-A-WORD
Congratulations to Stacy Parfitt, who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition! Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM
SUBSCRIBER PRIZE
The subscriber prize winner for February is G Walker of Warner, who won a EJ Todd Subscriber prize pack. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM
Parker of Roma, D McClurg of Boondall, E Lezuchowski of Darra, M Boyle of Slacks Creek, K Cook of S.C.M.C Nambour, C Rowe of Loganholme, A Tretter of Ocean View, A Ferrari of Deception Bay, R Kunde of Beerwah, B Cowell of Burpengary, E Boettcher of Tivoli, K Edwards of East Innisfail, R Waters of Temora, A Needham of Blackbutt, D Harrison of Millbank, T
Gyte of Aspley, A Robertson of Zilzie, B Tieman of Buxton, G Poor of Boonooroo, P Moody of Kingston, A Hewlett of Mothar Mountain, B Devine of Pialba, J Bugno of Bardon, G Sprott of Glenlee, S Dawson of Gympie, S Mitchell of Buderim, G Edwards of Home Hill, A Li of Fitzgibbon, M Couchman of Roma. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM
LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS
FIND THE ZMAN LOGO
GUESS THE FISH?
This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Red Emperor
The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for February were: 10, 14, 22, 26, 33, 36, 40, 44, 46, 79, 80, 81, 89, 102, 116, 118, 120. – QFM The Find the ZMan Logo prize winners for February were: D Hopf of The Palms, J Kelly of Deception Bay, P Cauchi of Kepnock, M Goodwin of Cardwell, K Martin of Dalby, J Hermann of Pacific Heights, P Davidson of Guyra, J Ryan of Yeppoon, S Davies of Emerald, C Couper of Chinchilla, B Barratt of Bucca, C, S & Z
Answer: APRIL 2020
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WHAT’S NEW FISHING
PRODUCT GUIDE
DELUXE ZMAN BAIT 1 BINDERS
ZEREK INFINITY BLADE
ZMan soft plastics are best stored in their original packets, and the new TT Deluxe ZMan Bait Binders feature extra heavy-duty rings designed to fit the pre-punched, reinforced holes located in the bottom corners of ZMan packets. Other features include larger, heavy duty zips, carry handle, water resistant, durable material and an internal pocket for storing a jighead tray, leader and snips. Deluxe Bait Binders are available in a Small (single) version that holds approximately 10 packets of ZMan 3” MinnowZ (more packets in less bulky models), and a Large (double) version that is designed to hold around 20 packets of ZMan 3” MinnowZ (more packets in less bulky models). By clipping your ZMan packets straight into the binder, there is no need for clear plastic sleeves to hold the packets and take up space in the binder. It’s also quicker and easier to access plastics and there is no need to remove the plastics from the binder, where they can then be misplaced or blown into the water. Price: SRP $19.95-$39.95 www.tackletactics.com.au
The Zerek Infinity Blade spinnerbait redefines spinnerbait design by providing an extra blade under the chin of the head weight. This addition gives the lure extra attraction through the water, while maintaining the standard spinnerbait benefits of snag resistance, excellent fish appeal and ease of use. Weighing an easy-to-cast 28g and available in 10 fish-catching colours and two blade configurations, the Infinity Blade features silicone skirts, durable hardware and strong hooks. Smart anglers have been adding trailer plastics and stinger hooks, making these lures deadly weapons in the water. During testing, Australian bass and Murray cod found this spinnerbait to be very appealing, and with an affordable price tag, this lure will be a great addition to your tackle trays. www.wilsonfishing.com
NEW EUREKA OCTANE JIG SIZE
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In response to angler demand, Eureka Lures Australia has released a new 100g size in its popular range of Octane Jigs. The Eureka Octane Jigs are a realistic squid/octopus imitation designed for slowpitch jigging that have exceptional realism and a tantalising action. Each lure features a solid ring with quality Dacron running to twin assist hooks that feature ultrasharp points that have the fish hooking themselves. Most of the jigs also feature a highly luminous body for added attraction. Eureka Octane Jigs are available in six realistic colours. To find out more on the Eureka lure range, visit the Juro Fishing website. www.jurofishing.com
DAIWA 20 LUVIAS
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Made in Japan and featuring Daiwa’s LT Concept, Infinite Anti-Reverse, Silent Oscillation, Air Rotor and CRBB bearings, the 20 Luvias is the lightest, strongest, and most refined Luvias that Daiwa has ever produced. The single-piece Zaion Monocoque (MQ) body not only makes the 20 Luvias lighter, but also improves the strength and size of the drive gear. The new larger main gear is forged and meticulously machined using the Tough Digigear concept, which improves strength and creates an effortless rotation. The MQ screw-in engine plate applies 360° pressure to the main gear to achieve perfect gear alignment and meshing. The result is flawless smoothness, today, tomorrow and long into the future. Finesse perfection continues with Air Rotor providing ultimate rotational balance and rigidity, while a new Longcast-ABS spool increases casting distance and line performance on and off the spool. The 20 Luvias finesse drag is the greatest that Luvias has ever had to offer, with Daiwa’s ATD providing flawless, silky smooth drag control even with the lightest of lines. www.daiwafishing.com.au 74
APRIL 2020
SHIMANO SALTIE
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The new Shimano Saltie rod series has been designed and developed for Australia’s northern species. Built tough, the Saltie range includes two spin and four baitcast models with varying actions to suit a range of lure fishing styles. Traditional 5’8” and 6’ baitcast rods popular for barramundi are complemented by longer 6’4” and 7’ models, designed for casting large soft plastics and swimbaits. Saltie blanks are made with Shimano’s TC4 layered graphite construction, which is highly durable and enables great lure action and control. The TC4 construction also reduces rod twist, increases sensitivity and feel, and offers impressive power and fighting performance in a lightweight package. The Saltie range features a durable matte green finish, custom shaped premium grade cork grips and Fuji K guides with Alconite inserts. A larger diameter guide train has also been used to accommodate the use of thick leader, which is often required to wrestle big fish out of structure. Price: SRP $329.95 www.shimanofish.com.au
SAMAKI PACEMAKER
BROUGHT BROUGHT TO TO YOU YOU BY BY
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The Samaki Pacemaker range has been boosted with three new colour concepts and a wicked upgrade. The sleek design has been tweaked and fine tuned to allow you to troll faster with a wider trolling spectrum to attract a variety of species. The new yakka, redbait and coral trout colours let you target new species and matching the hatch with precision, and the slimey mackerel colour has had a valuable upgrade with enhanced detail and chartreuse hints on the underbelly. Each colour has UV attributes to aid in enticing the bite. Pacemaker has an ideal trolling speed of 6 knots for you to target most pelagics, but can be trolled at up to 15 knots. It comes in 140mm and 180mm sizes, with a deep and double deep diving depth allowing you to target species from 2-10m. Other features include a 1-piece stainless welded wire, heavy-duty split rings and VMC 3X Perma steel hooks, realistic fish eye and prism tape inserts. www.samaki.com.au
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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!
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PRODUCT GUIDE
WHAT’S NEW FISHING
BROUGHT BROUGHT TO TO YOU YOU BY BY
SHIMANO BEASTMASTER 9000 7 The new Beastmaster 9000A electric reel possesses superior power, speed and durability. The Beastmaster utilises the upgraded brushless Giga-Max Motor that offers 10% more deadweight winding power than the previous model, taking it to 19kg from 17kg, and has 25kg of Cross Carbon Drag output. Regardless of the load applied to the reel, the Constant Speed Mode maintains a consistent retrieve speed without loss of cranking power during the fight. Meanwhile, the Heat-Free system allows for heat to be released from vents in the side plate, ensuring reliable performance. To reach the significant depth required, the reel can be spooled with up to 900m of PE8 braid. The new Beastmaster also features an aluminium cold-forged clutch lever and a sharp LCD screen with an easy to operate English menu. The Beastmaster is backed by Shimano’s 10-year warranty and is ready to lift monsters from the deep. Price: SRP $2269.95 www.shimanofish.com.au
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NEW 3” DEUS COLOURS
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The BIWAA Deus 3” paddle-tail now comes in four new colours. These soft finesse swimbaits are tailored for a wide range of techniques at any retrieval speed, and are ideal for trailers on skirted jigs, or rigged on a jighead for bream and bass. The Deus is injection-moulded using two different densities of plastic. The bottom half contains a denser, heavier salt formulation which allows the Deus to keep a balanced keel, even while rigged weightless. The ventral and dorsal hook slots create a perfect weedless presentation, and a prepositioned hole lets you add nail weights, while not compromising the action. A shrimp based, water-soluble scent is infused into the body and on the outside. It creates a strong scent trail, activating aggressive feeding behaviour. Meticulous attention to detail provides a big advantage in clear water, with a lifelike scale pattern. The tapered speartail design works at any speed, imitating a distressed fish. www.ejtodd.com.au
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WILSON LURE WALLETS
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Wilson’s upgraded Lure Wallets are available in two sizes, large and small. Featuring a clear swatch to allow you to see what’s inside, these lure wallets are exceptionally functional, allowing anglers to store plastics and spinnerbaits in a convenient and easy to manage way. The Large Lure Wallet is ideal for larger spinnerbaits and 7-9” soft plastics. It features eight zip-lock sleeves that are held in place by three stainless steel rings. The Small Lure Wallet is perfect for 5” and smaller plastics, as well as spinnerbaits up to about 1oz in weight. This wallet features 10 sleeves and a two stainless steel rings. Both wallets are double zippered with easy-pull zipper tabs, and feature a sturdy carry handle to make them easy to transport from home to the boat. www.wilsonfishing.com
CHASEBAITS RIPPLE 10 CICADA
The Chasebaits Ripple Cicada has been designed for Australian Freshwater natives like bass, saratoga, jungle perch and sooty grunter. Whether you are fishing in creeks, dams or lakes, the Ripple Cicada is a great option, especially in cicada season. The 43mm, 6g Ripple Cicada has a soft hollow body that feels lifelike to the fish. It sounds just like a cicada hitting the water, and the fast-acting crawling wings kick into gear almost instantly. Other features include ultra-sharp BKK trebles, robust wing structure, flexible wings and seven colours that will suit all conditions. The best way to use the Ripple Cicada is to let it land and sit for roughly 20 seconds, allowing the ripples to spread out, and then begin a steady slow wind or short, sharp twitches. For more information on the Ripple Cicada or other lures in the Chasebaits range, visit the Chasebaits Australia website. www.chasebaits.com.au
SAMAKI C-12 V3
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NOMAD MADMACS
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The new Samaki C-12 V3 is the lightest C-12 range of rods ever! The new 40-tonne prepreg blanks deliver the ultimate in strength, casting distance and power. The cork grips are perfectly tapered, and the ultra-light Fuji K and LKW silicon guides enhance the lightweight sensation. This premium rod series includes both spin and baitcast models. The 7’, 3-8lb model has a fast, crisp tip for casting small hardbodies, with a softer belly section to maximize hook-up rates and land big fish on small trebles. The 7’ light 4-8lb is perfect in the estuary for throwing plastics and vibes, with plenty of grunt to land juvenile mulloway. The 7’ medium 6-12lb is a crossover model targeting heavier estuary applications using large vibes, or light inshore snapper fishing. You can use the 7’ medium heavy 10-17lb for jacks and barra on soft plastics, or the 7’ heavy 10-20lb for dam barra, large snapper or chucking slugs at pelagics . In the baitcast range there’s a 6’8” 6-12lb rod for throwing spinnerbaits and hardbodies for freshwater species, a 6’8” medium model designed for football jigs or light barra, a 6’ traditional barra baitcaster, a 7’ medium for chucking vibes at barra, and a 6’8” heavy brute stick for dam barra. www.samaki.com.au
The new Nomad Madmacs range of super high speed trolling lures comes in 3 sizes – 6”, 8” and 10”. Developed specifically for trolling at high speeds, the 6” and 8” are capable of a max speed of 20 knots with the 10” rated at 15 knots. The Madmacs can also be trolled as slow as 5 knots and has an enticing vibrating action even at very low speeds due to the Nomad Autotune system. This feature allows the Madmac to always troll straight and to run perfectly and with an amazing action at a huge range of speeds. The Madmacs run at a depth of around 8-15ft when trolled at slower speeds, and around 3-4ft when trolled super fast. Featuring a machine-stamped stainless steel plate and full body foam core construction, this is one of the toughest lures available. Fitted with super strong BKK hooks and heavy-duty split rings, the Madmacs is ready for battle. Nomad recommends trolling it in the spread with a DTX Minnow to cover the whole water column. www.nomadtackle.com.au
Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2020
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WHAT’S NEW FISHING RAPALA X-RAP HAKU
PLATYPUS HARD 13 ARMOUR LEADER
The all-new Rapala X-Rap Haku features Rapala’s 3R System Titanium Release Rig with VMC Coastal Black hooks. The 3R System, when clipped into place under the belly of the Haku, rests snugly in the lure’s belly groove out of the way and protected from weeds and other obstacles. At hook-set, the hook rig will partially release from the body, allowing a direct contact to the fish, from line to hook, removing the lure from the fish’s mouth which helps to reduce leverage that could allow the fish to break free. The 3R System also makes it easier to unhook the fish, as the body of the lure no longer gets in the way. Varied actions can be achieved by either twitching the rod or by imparting a stopand-go retrieve with your reel. Twitching the rod will create a faster turning side-to-side action, while a stop-and-go retrieve allows for a longer, gliding presentation. A fast burn in between the stops will send the Haku fleeing from predators, mimicking a frantic baitfish trying to escape. The durable rig is built with 100lb titanium wire and features a solid connector ring, heavy-duty split rings and premium VMC Coastal Black round bend trebles. www.rapala.com
SKITTER POP AND SKITTER V
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With its unique loud popping, cupped plastic lip and balsa wood body, the Rapala Skitter Pop can be popped, blooped, walked and skittered across any aquatic surface with ease. Rapala has now expanded the colour range with the addition of two new patterns (TGS and THB), bringing the total number of colours to 9. Rapala has also released a new size in the Skitter V stickbait – a 13cm version, which joins the popular 10cm model. This topwater lure features an exclusive design that radically alters its action. V-Rap Technology combined with tail-weighed balance allows the lure to turn sharply with a snap of the rod, ending with a soft, long glide on slack line. Boasting excellent attention to detail, the Rapala Skitter V features a translucent body, 3-D holographic eyes, and a premium finish. The 13cm model is available in six colours, and the 10cm version comes in seven colours. www.rapala.com
LUMICA CHAP ON FLOATS
APRIL 2020
BROUGHT TO TO YOU YOU BY BY BROUGHT
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Platypus Hard Armour mono leader is Australian made, has increased knot strength and up to 20% more strength and abrasion resistance than its competitors. It’s all thanks to intensive product development and testing to create a product that is worthy of Australia’s only fishing line manufacturer, which has been producing line for over 120 years. Manufactured from premium Japanese copolymers, Hard Armour has superior levels of clarity, controlled stretch for shock absorption and outstanding knot and crimp strength. It is available in both Tough (the ultimate abrasion resistance when extracting fish from cover), and Supple (increased sensitivity and action while still maintaining extreme abrasion resistance). To avoid frustration with spool management and locating the tag end, there’s a Line Tamer for leader control, spool management and simple leader dispensing. Supple leader is available in breaking strains from 20-100lb, and Tough comes in 20-15-lb breaking strains. Price: SRP: $19.90 www.fishplatypus.com.au
DAIWA 20 SALTIGA
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Made in Japan and featuring Daiwa’s most advanced technologies, the 20 Saltiga is the ultimate saltwater spinning reel. The new single-piece Monocoque body is machined from high-strength aluminium to provide superior strength and improved sealing. A new G1 Drive Gear is thicker and larger with a newly designed Tough Digigear concept of larger and deeper cut teeth, providing increased strength. Drag pressures have been increased to an impressive 25/30kg, with 10 times the drag durability compared to the 15 Saltiga. All that pressure generates heat, and a newly designed aluminium Radiation Drag Knob delivers improved cooling and heat dissipation. The new ABS Longcast lip design offers improved casting performance and enhanced line management, while a brand-new aluminium Air Rotor delivers more than double the rigidity of its predecessor. Protection from the elements has been elevated with a new screwless rear cover, a reduction in spool porting and a unique underside lip in the spool design, all combining to reduce water intrusion. www.daiwafishing.com.au
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TIEMCO LONESOME 18 15 SWEEPER
Lumica Japan, inventors of the chemical light stick, have now developed a high quality range of LED floats for anglers targeting fish at night and in low light conditions. Lumica Chap On Floats are running floats that are available in both green and red and are visible for 100m. They measure 37.5mm x 29mm and weigh 12.5g. Chap On Floats are water activated and come with 2 x LR41 batteries. These floats are ideal for anglers fishing for trout and garfish at night time. To see more information and videos of the Lumica range of LEDs, chemical lights, deep sea lights and soft plastic squid, visit the Juro Fishing website. www.jurofishing.com 76
PRODUCT GUIDE
EJ Todd, the Australian distributor of Tiemco, has expanded the colour range of the popular Lonesome Sweeper surface lure, bringing the total number of colours to six. The 75mm Lonesome Sweeper is a popular topwater lure for tournament bream anglers. It is rigged with feather trebles, has a neon fibre tail and a jointed body to produce a tantalising yet subtle commotion on the surface that bream, whiting and bass find attractive. This subtle little lure is ideal for targeting spooky fish that are feeding just below the surface. Fished on a twitch and long pause retrieve, the Lonesome Sweeper is very effective for a range of species in both fresh and saltwater. www.ejtodd.com.au
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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!
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WHAT’S NEW FISHING
Newly released Hurricane Lures Sprat 65 and 75 Hurricane Lures is the brainchild of Peter Nord, a super keen angler from East Gippsland in Victoria. Peter has been producing lures since 2006, releasing his newest offerings in late 2019, the Sprat 65 and Sprat 75. Both are small profile plastics, with the 65 being a paddle-tail format and the 75 a jerkbait-style plastic.
aware of with plastics made of this type of material is that they do not play well with others. Mix these plastics with other plastics and you’ll end up with a tackle tray full of unusable mess. The manufacturer recommends keeping the plastics in their original packets and in the plastic sleeves they come in, to ensure they will keep their shape and stay in pristine condition.
The Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 are classic paddle-tail and jerkshad profiles. WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON Both models are made of a FlexiTech 8X tough material. This material makes the plastics very durable, super stretchy and very supple. The advantages this has for the angler are that multiple fish can be caught with just one plastic; you may not even have to change your plastic in a day’s fishing.
The Sprat 65 was perfect to fish the shallow sand pockets and depth changes of the sand flats in Yamba. I was impressed by the suppleness and softness of these plastics. They are very soft to touch, which equates to a natural feel for any predator eating it. Even better, the suppleness maximises the lure’s action, and this is particularly evident in the Sprat 65. The paddletail really rocks and rolls with minimal movement, and it even gets some body roll as well. Both plastics also have a hook penetration guide along the top of them. This helps you keep the hook nice and straight when you’re rigging them, while giving an indicator of where the hook needs to protrude from the lure. Something else you need to be
COLOURS From the moment I opened the parcel of plastics in the office, I loved the colour range that’s available in both the Sprat 65 and 75. Each model comes in six colours, with three colours standard in each and three unique colours to each shape. I had no doubt that all of them would catch fish. The colours are heavily baitfish orientated, and I like the fact that a number of the colours are two-tone and some are also UV enhanced. If you are looking to match the hatch, there is bound to be a colour that is suitable. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The shapes are not unique, but are a clever twist on these styles of plastics. The key is the profiles, which lend themselves to targeting multiple species in our estuary systems. They are subtle enough to finesse fish with if you are targeting bream or estuary perch, while also having a presence if flathead or other reaction type feeders are your preferred targets. Rigging the plastics is also easy. The guide helps you rig them straight, and the relative softness of the FlexiTech material makes getting a hook through it easy. IN THE FIELD My first opportunity to test the two Hurricane Sprat lures was in Yamba, NSW. Yamba is an amazing fishery at the mouth of the Clarence River. It offers all sorts of fishing opportunities for all of our estuary favourites, and that certainly proved to be the case over the Christmas period. My first challenge was fishing the middle wall, in hopes of picking up a mulloway or one of the big flathead that the area is known for. I chose the Sprat 75 because it was slightly larger. I wasn’t sure whether the mulloway or flathead were there because the tailor were in huge numbers right along the wall and nabbed the Sprat pretty much every time one hit the water. It may not have been the test for the lure that I envisaged, but it did show the value of an 8X Strong FlexiTech soft plastic. Tailor are savage on terminal tackle, so any time you land multiple fish on one lure and it doesn’t get destroyed it is a bonus. I left the fish biting because there are only so many 25cm tailor that you want to catch. Once the wall experiment was over it was back to the areas and type of fishing that I love: large sand flats and undulations, which Yamba has an abundance of. It is very visual fishing (you are focusing on fish in 2-3ft of water) and the profile and size of the Hurricane Sprat lures lends itself to this.
Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au
The Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 are a great baitfish profile, which means the species you can target with them is only limited by your imagination. Once I started fishing these areas I was met with instant and consistent success. I was targeting sand patches in weed and subtle depth changes – areas where bream and flathead love to ambush their prey – and the Sprats matched the hatch beautifully. The small tailor were quickly forgotten as predominantly flathead consistently found their way into the net. I caught fish on every colour in both sizes, which is a great testament for the colours that are available. FINAL OBSERVATIONS Four months down the track and my initial thoughts still stand true: the colours,
The Sprat 75 is available in six colours, all of which have plenty of fish-catching potential.
profile and the suppleness of the plastics makes the Hurricane Sprat soft plastics very effective lures. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind to get the most out of your Hurricane Sprat purchase. First of all, due to how supple these plastics are, your choice of jighead is very important. Although the Sprats can be rigged on a standard jighead, it doesn’t take long before the plastic will consistently slip off the grub keeper. Hurricane produces a jighead range that has a wire keeper that is very effective in this scenario, but there are a number of other products to choose from that will do the job just as well. My solution was a dab of quality super glue on the grub keeper (not on the head) of my jighead, and it was sorted. You should also definitely take heed of keeping these FlexiTech plastics separate from other types of soft plastic, and I have also taken to unrigging my Sprats after using them and putting them back into the sleeves provided. It maintains their shape and lets me use them multiple times. You can check out the full range of Hurricane Lures at www.hurricanelures. com, and the site also has some helpful tips and stockist locations. These lures are well worth a look. - Peter Jung
Plenty of flathead hit the net while the author was testing the Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 in the Clarence River. APRIL 2020
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Trades, Services, Charter BOAT MODIFICATION & REPAIRS
BAIT & TACKLE Allfly Outfitters – 0428 615 885 Alvey - www.alvey.com.au Bait Tackle Store - www.baittacklestore.com Barambah Lures - www.barambahlures.com Bayside Bait & Tackle – 07 3820 9757 C & Horsey Lures - 07 3275 1881 Chilton Tackle Co - http://www.chiltontackleco.com.au/ Coomera Bait & Tackle - www.coomerahouseboats.com.au Crab’n Gear - www.crabngear.com.au Fisho’s Tackle World - www.fishostackleworld.com.au Gem Bait & Tackle - 07 3287 3868 Halco - www.halcotackle.com Hillies Lures – www.hilliesspinnersandlures.com Hot Bite Fishing – 0427335343 JML - www.jmlaa.com Lazer Lures – www.lazerlures.com.au Nomad Design Tackle – www.nomaddesigntackle.com Tackle Club - www.tackleclub.com.au Southern Cross Lures – 0428 667 550 Sportys Fishing - www.sportyswarehouse.com.au Wilson Fishing - www.wilsonfishing.com
ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS FG Wizz – www.fgwizz.com.au
Boat Collar (07) 5441 3636 CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808 Iconic Boats Brisbane 0475 311 447 Marine Windows and Doors Brisbane (07) 3284 5088 Small Craft Electrics (mobile) 0408 063 064
MARINE MECHANICS
T&S Marine (07) 5546 2599
Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727
Coorparoo Marine (07) 3397 4141 Cunningham Marine Centre (07) 3284 8805
NORTH QUEENSLAND
FISHING GUIDES CENTRAL QUEENSLAND
TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Hooked On Hinchinbrook www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com
MARINE TRIMMERS
Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521
SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Affordable Boat Covers Gold Coast 0419 424 587 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Rays Canvas & Marine Caboolture (07) 5499 4911 Rowland Street Boat Trimmers Springwood (07) 3208 9511
HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION
BOAT HIRE // HOUSE
SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
Great family and fishing boats!
MINN REPAIRS & SERVICING
• 600km2 of sheltered waterways on the Gold Coast Broadwater. • Fantastic Fishing • Tackle Shop • Bait and Ice
NO LICENCE REQUIRED
NEW
TINNIE HIRE AVAILABLE
Lake Monduran Houseboat – www.lakem.com.au Moreton Bay Holidays Afloat - www.moretonbayholidaysafloat.com
BOAT MODIFICATION & REPAIRS
FIBREGLASS Brisbane South and Gold Coas t
0410 480 203
Salt-Away www.salt-away.com.au ASM Mobile Welding Brisbane 0409 624 402 Bluewater Windscreens Brisbane (07) 3382 7883
Fish Taxidermist www.fishtaxidermy.net.au or 0428 544 841
Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446
www.fgwizz.com.au
• Modifications • Detailing • Repairs JOE BONNICI
FISH TAXIDERMY
Capalaba Boat Centre 04011 728 379
CHECK IT OUT ONLINE
Repairs
MARINE OUTBOARD WRECKERS
Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944
Stones Corner Marine (07) 3397 9766
+ 07 5502 6200 + www.coomerahouseboats.com.au
Tinnie Tosser (07) 5498 7339
SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
allows braid tension adjustment
CALL FOR A DEAL
Spitfire Trailers (07) 0400 866 323T
North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748
MODIFIED DESIGN
ORDERS
Sea-Link Special Trailers (07) 3881 3568
Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402
Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029
Ideal for braids and leaders large and small.
Oceanic Boat Trailers (07) 5597 0577
TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND
GOLD COAST
Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928
GET THE ULTIMATE FG KNOT TOOL
MARINE TRAILERS
• All electric motor brands • Australia wide freight • Quick turn around • Authorised Minn Kota/Watersnake repairer Minn Repairs & Servicing Call Troy 0412 605 080 – W: minnrepairs.com minnrepairsservicing E: minnrepairs@gmail.com
The Islander Retreat, South Stradbroke Island 0420 967 557
FRASER ISLAND Apurla Island Retreat 0437 739 121 Cathedrals on Fraser (07) 4127 9177 Eurong Beach Resort 1800 111 808 Fraser Island Beach Houses 1800 626 230 Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364 Yidney Rocks (07) 4127 9167
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND
MARINE MECHANICS // MOBILE WYNUMM MANLY-BAYSIDE Wondall Rd Marine (07) 3396 5633
SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 50 words within a 5x2 ad size. $320 + GST for 6 months Email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au
Baffle Creek Holiday House 0419 624 833
COOKTOWN River of Gold Motel 4069 5222
MACKAY BEL AIR MOTEL, MACKAY - PLENTY OF ROOM FOR BOATS AND TRAILERS.............PH: 07 4957 3658 FRESHWATER Lake Boondooma Caravan Park (07) 4168 9694 Lake Cressbrook Regional Council 131 872 Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746 Yallakool Park and Kiosk on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746
This section in QLD Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching. 80
APRIL 2020
Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory CHARTER BOATS
NORTHERN NSW
N O W AVA IL A B L E
Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835
GOLD COAST
Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962
BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0414 293 034 Coastal Sports Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0412 691 929 Discovery Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0427 026 519 Fish The Deep Charters 0416 224 412 Hooker 1 Charters Gold Coast (07) 5528 6469 Paradise Fishing Charters 0403 531 428 RU4 Reel Tweed Heads 0449 903 366 Sea Probe Fishing Charters 0400 312 330 True Blue Fishing Gold Coast (07) 5510 9622
ALL YOUR FISHING MONTHLY GEAR
Wooli Fishing Charter (02) 6649 7100
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Ultimate Sportfishing Charters 0450 753 726
From
T-Shirts
MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201
$
Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters 0427 125 727
22 85
Dave Gaden’s Yamba • Deep Sea
REEL TIME FISHING CHARTERS
BRISBANE Big Cat Charters and Tom Cat Charters 0433 430 248 Frenzy Charters Brisbane (07) 3209 4576 John Gooding Outlaw Charters 0418 738 750 Moreton Island Fishing Charters 0413 128 056
SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 50 words within a 5x2 ad size. $320 + GST for 6 months Email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au
• 6am to 2pm $150pp • 3 boats – holds up to 30+ people • All fishing gear and bait is supplied • No fishing licence req. • Pickup from Yamba Marina or Iluka ferry wharf
Phone Cases From
Phone Dave today: www.fishingyamba.com.au 0428 231 962
$
29 45
Mugs
From
OPEN 7 DAYS
EASY PARKING
$
1 7 27
MARINA BOAT & TACKLE, YAMBA MARINA
YAMBA’S LARGEST TACKLE STORE Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956
• Chandlery • Boat Sales • Ice & Gas • Bait & Tackle • Trailers Sales & Parts • Charter Bookings Ph: 6646 1994 or 0428 231 962 Email: dave@gaden.com.au
Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958
Now Agents For
SUNSHINE COAST Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814
Clocks $
42 7 0
Carry Bags
Incredible Charters 1300 655 818 Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151
HERVEY BAY
From
Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170 Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109 Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402
Fully Guided Lure & Fly Fishing •
• Custom Sportsfishing Vessels • Quality Fishing Gear Supplied
Throw Pillows
Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868 Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671 Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012
Jump onto our website and place your order today!
20 3 3
BORN AND BRED LOCAL GUIDE
Rainbow Beach Fishing Charters 0439 775 070
Get your very own Fishing Monthly shirt, carry bag, stubby cooler, or neck scarf...
$
From
$
25 4 2
and lots more...
www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au
Andrew Chorley
0407 627 852
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND (Cont.) Bundaberg Fishing Charters 0429 017 217
MANY DESIGNS TO CHOOSE FROM ON A WIDE VARIETY OF PRODUCTS ALL MADE TO ORDER
Sport Fish 1770 (07) 4974 9686 Coral Coast Game Fishing 0447 347 437 Norval Reef Charters 1800 771 234 Iluka Fishing Charters Gladstone 0414 940 911 Kanimbla Charters Gladstone1800 677 202
TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Action Charters Mackay 0417 452 346 Cairns Charter Boat 0427 533 081 Cairns Fishing Charters 0427 400 027 Cairns Reef Charter Services 1800 119 044 Eclipse FNQ Weipa Charters 0488 058 668 Fairdinkum Fishing Charters Townsville (07) 4751 5324 Fish’s Fly & Sportsfishing Weipa (07) 4069 9957
wp.fishingmonthly.com.au
Fishing Charters Townsville 0403 386 722 JC’s Fishing Charters 0438 753 382 Roko Island Fishing Charters 0488 074 593
fishingmonthly.redbubble.com
Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0834 or email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2020
81
WHAT’S NEW BOATING HUMMINBIRD MEGA 1 360 IMAGING
RIVIERA 505 SUV
With Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging you’ll view fish and structure in a whole new way, with a scanning diameter of up to 250’ (76m) around your boat. The high-frequency beam of MEGA Imaging CHIRPs across the megahertz range reveals the world below in picturelike detail all the way around your boat. You can use it alongside multiple sonar and map technologies, and can also customize sweep speed, viewing area, display info, sonar zoom and colour palette. Range rings indicate the distance to the target, so you can cast directly to it, and mark the waypoint on your 360 Imaging screen. Humminbird MEGA Imaging is now built into select Minn Kota electric motors, for a crystal clear view with no cluttered wires or clamps, and a transducer that’s fully protected. Whether you’re trolling or using Spot-Lock, MEGA 360 Imaging is independently mounted, so your sonar picture remains unchanged as the trolling motor turns. To see underwater footage of structure vs how it appears on the MEGA 360 screen, look up ‘Fishing Monthly’ on YouTube. www.humminbird.com.au
When Riviera’s design team set out to create their newest addition to the SUV Collection, their objective was to make the best of both worlds even better. The result is the Riviera 505 SUV. The same pedigree of a single-level alfresco entertainer with bluewater ability but with the added dimension of the mezzanine: a dining and relaxing space offering privacy and protection from harsh sun and weather. The generous cockpit is low to the water to maximise action and adventure, whether you’re cruising or fishing on the reef. From bow to boarding platform, you’ll experience the handcrafted luxury and operational technology. There’s a full-beam master stateroom, private en suite and walk-in robe, and two guest staterooms with shared bathroom. Topping it off is the Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit navigation system and smooth and economical performance of twin Volvo Penta IPS turbo diesels with joystick control. www.rivieraaustralia.com
CHILL WITH BAR CRUSHER
The new Suzuki DF300B strikes the perfect balance between superior power and thrust, with excellent fuel-efficiency and reliability all in a lightweight design. It features Suzuki’s Dual Prop system – contra-rotating, 6-blade propeller design which provides blistering acceleration and extreme cornering grip. The proven 4.4L block gives tremendous torque, making it the largest displacement V6 on the market. It has been engineered to run on 91 RON fuel, features Suzuki’s Lean Burn technology and 10.5:1 compression ratio. The materials of the new DF300B gears are ultra-strong to withstand high loads, and provide additional strength and reliability. Not only does this configuration record high speeds under heavy loads, it also produces a strong reverse thrust, aiding in greater manoeuvrability. The Dual Louver System keeps the intake air free of moisture and close to ambient temperature for ultimate performance, and the dual injectors deliver both cooling and power. The new DF300B comes in either a 25” or 30” shaft length, can be paired with Suzuki’s Precision Control system, and is backed by a 3+3 year warranty. www.suzukimarine.com.au
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Aussie boat builder Bar Crusher has expanded its range of seating options with a new side-mount bolster seat with integrated tackle storage and slide-out 90L icebox. The stylish matte black framework is constructed from heavy-duty 32mm alloy tubing and accommodates three easilyaccessible tackle trays, with hassle-free bungee cord retention (as per the standard tackle storage seat boxes). Along with offering cool storage for food, drinks, bait, fish, and general dry storage for all sorts of gear, the split-lid icebox also provides additional seating, similar to Bar Crusher’s larger king/queen seat boxes. The icebox can be slid forward (towards the bunk) to maximise cockpit fishing space, while a strap point helps secure the icebox when underway. Fitted as standard with a range of features many other boat brands charge as extras, this latest personalisation option is available on both skipper and passenger sides, and suits all cuddy cabin (C Series) and hard top (HT Series) models from the 575 through to the 780. Check out Bar Crusher’s online boat builder to personalise your fishing weapon. www.barcrusher.com.au
BOAT POWERED BY 3 SEAWATER Energy Observer is the first vessel in the world to both generate and be powered by hydrogen, and is designed to test the efficiency of combining different renewable energies. The boat produces and stores hydrogen using seawater, solar panels (21kW peak), wind turbines (2 x 1kW), a traction kite and electric motors (2 x 41kW) of hydrogenation, lithium battery (106kWh), desalinisator, electrolyser, compressor, fuel cell (22kW), and 62kg of hydrogen. Another innovative project under development is a ferry that uses both sun and wave energy to produce hydrogen for propulsion. As renewable technology becomes more efficient, and fuel prices continue to climb, who knows what the boating world might look like in the decades to come? www.energy-observer.org
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SUZUKI LAUNCHES NEW DF300B
YANMAR 6LF SERIES
PRODUCT GUIDE
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Yanmar has announced the release of the 6LF and 6LT series of diesel engines. This advanced six-model line-up extends Yanmar’s portfolio of common rail diesel engines to encompass an output range from 40hp to 630hp. Enabling Yanmar to supply more compact, high performance solutions, the 478hp to 630hp 6LF and 6LT engines are ideal for leisure boats. The two series, consisting of the 3000rpm 6LF485, 6LF530 and 6LF550 engines and 2530rpm 6LT500, 6LT580 and 6LT640 engines, feature Yanmar’s next generation VC20 vessel control system for enhanced onboard comfort and an easier overall boating experience. The global emission-certified diesel engines also offer leading fuel economy and are compatible with a wide range of fuel types. Available as a complete package including engine, ZF transmission and VC20 vessel control system, the 6LF and 6LT are supplied with a full range of options. The 6LF and 6LT series will be available from Q3 2020. www.yanmarmarine.com
5 Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au
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boats & kayaks
In the skipper’s seat
Inside story...
Stacer have been making boats for over 40 years, and in that time have gained a reputation for building tough boats to suit Australian conditions. With over 70 models in the range, whether you are after a serious fishing rig, a family fun machine or a budget friendly tinny, Stacer has you covered.
Made for...
Stacer boats are designed to dominate all sorts of waterways. There are boats to suit offshore, in the bay and in freshwater fishing locations.
This month...
Editor Steve Morgan takes a ride in two different Stacer 519 Crossfire models. Check it out on page 92!
84 Taking the yak to Turkey Beach
Ron Hess takes a look at the kayak fishing opportunities in the Turkey Beach area near 1770!
86 The right yak for you
Justin Willmer explains some differences in kayaks and how to find the best one for your needs.
88 PFD knowledge
Wayne Kampe discusses the laws around PFDs, and why they’re important to have aboard.
90 Bar Crusher 615BR
Steve Morgan climbs aboard this ready-to-roll offshore rig, powered by a 150hp Suzuki 4-stroke!
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Bar Crusher 615BR with Suzuki 150HP 4-stroke - SC
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Main: Is there anything better than a brilliant day on Port Phillip Bay, a Bar Crusher and 150 Suzuki horses pushing you along? Above: The 615BR is Bar Crusher’s first foray into a multi-purpose craft, although Matt Urzia will always find a way to fish in it. At rest the Gen 2 hull’s ballast tank takes on hundreds of litres of water and sinks the chines deeper to offer improved stability at rest. “A lot of our customers want to go out or come home in rough conditions, and the Gen 2 hull lets them do that with maximum levels of comfort,” Pete explained. If you’re thinking that the 615BR lacks some of its siblings’ fishing chops, you’d be mistaken. The bow riding section has removable cushions and a drop-in deck infill that makes the whole for’ard section a flat casting
RPM........ Speed.(km/h)....... Economy.(km/L) 1000 ........................... 3 ............................ 4.0 2000........................... 7 ............................ 2.8 3000......................... 11 ............................ 1.9 3700 ......................... 34 ............................ 2.3 4000......................... 38 ............................ 2.1 5000......................... 53 ............................ 1.6 6000......................... 66 ............................ 1.2 APRIL 2020
retrieve these rigs, even if you’re boating alone. Packages with the 615BR start from high $60K, and as tested, this rig weighed in around the mid $80K mark. For more information, get in touch with your nearest Bar Crusher dealer. You can find where your local dealer is by visiting www.barcrusher.
SPECIFICATIONS
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It’s not often you get the head of a company to come out on a boat test, but Bar Crusher’s Peter Cleland showed up at the Launching Way ramp with their first foray into a multi-purpose boat in tow, the 615 BR (bow rider). When questioned about the genesis of the craft, Peter said they wanted to design a fishing weapon that the family could also go out on, to enjoy a bit of fun with some towsports. “We stand at a lot of boat shows talking to people, and this design came from that,” he said. Built on Bar Crusher’s well proven Gen 2 hull, it features a ‘delta flare’, which is like an old style planing plank on a glass boat that gets the boat onto the plane quickly. The chines are wider than their original hulls to deflect more water downwards and the passive water ballast system reduces buoyancy at rest, dropping the chines further into the water and improving stability. When the boat takes off, this water dumps out quickly and you’re not carrying the extra weight around.
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150hp Suzuki displayed the economy that they’re known for, delivering 2.3km/L at 3,700rpm and 34km/h. Drop the hammers and she got up to 66km/h at 6,000rpm at nearly half the economy, 1.2km/L. This rig demonstrably likes cruising economically at the lower end of the planing speeds.
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deck. You can easily add a bow-mounted trolling motor to make this a boat that can easily sneak around any part of the country to cast lures in. The rear cockpit is similarly transformable. Pull out the ski pole and add a bait board to turn this into a classic snapper rig – complete with the windlass up front to pull the anchor for you. Importantly, there’s familyfriendly shade, places to sit, and the ability to get in and out of this boat while on the water, which is all that most of us need to have a good time. Well, maybe that, and a donut to tow the kids around on. We particularly like the generous dash space in Bar Crushers that allow flush mounting of electronics, and that these are viewable from the cockpit easily. With the
addition of the soft top, bow cover and clears you get a pseudo-cabin style feel and ride for when conditions get a little nasty. Performance-wise, the
Length...................................................... 6.15m Beam........................................................2.25m Bottom.sheet ............................................4mm Side.sheets................................................4mm Fuel ............................................................ 140L Min.HP ......................................................... 115 Max.HP ........................................................ 150 Height.on.trailer ...................................... 2.15m Fuel ............................................................ 140L Finally, Bar Crushers supplied from the factory are matched with Victorian built EasyTow trailers and, coupled with their BarCatch system, it’s a foolproof as possible to launch and
com.au or contact AMC Boats, 3491 Pacific Highway Slacks Creek on 3808 7333. You can also email them on sales@amcboats.com.au or check out their website www. amcboats.com.au.
Suzukis are notoriously economical. This 150hp and 6m+ boat delivered 2.3km/L at 34km/h and 3,700rpm, and a 66km/h top end speed.
Inset and above: The Bar Crusher team is always looking at clever ways of using space. The under seat tackle storage here is just one of their additions.
Top: The bait board is simple with a removable Teflon insert. You can swap it out for a ski pole for the watersports days. Above: There’s always plenty of space on a Bar Crusher helm for all of your electronics, so size isn’t an issue.
Bar Crusher’s solution to a rear bench is solid and reliable. It’s simple to deploy and has a smooth finish while stowed.
There is a distinct separation between the front deck and the anchor well, and hopefully no salt water makes its way into your cocktails.
With a bow area covered and locked down, the cockpit is quite sheltered. There are plenty of places to hang onto, which your passengers will appreciate.
If you’re headed off for a weekend of camping there’s plenty of space under the bow cover to stow camping gear.
All of these deck cushions remove to turn the 615 into a fishing platform. Leave the cushions in and remove the centre infill and it’s a lounge.
The 140L fuel tank gives a theoretical range at best economy of over 250km.
Add a bow-mounted electric motor here to really take advantage of the for’ard casting deck.
The slide-in transom door is as simple is it gets.
Designed by anglers, the additions such as the duckboard-mounted berley pot keeps the mess out back where it should be.
All this bait tank needs to work is a functioning water pump. It self levels and drains straight onto the duckboard. APRIL 2020
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A tale of two Stacers: 519 Crossfire models - SC
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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au
Coffs Harbour’s Thwaites Marine is a new and proud Stacer/Evinrude dealer. With a history in big boat and inboard servicing, the team have combined their indoor showroom with a range of Evinrude-powered Stacers that are set up for boating in their local area. Ben Thwaites had a great idea for their boat test: he organised their shop boat (a centre console Crossfire 519 fitted with a 115hp Evinrude HO outboard) and a customer boat that they’d recently
for ducking out before or after work for a quick fish or dive, and it’s an ideal configuration for this part of the world. They have added an aftermarket T-top to provide some shade, and there’s very little in the way of accessories. It’s just a big, open work space with a standard elevated front casting deck. In fact, I think that this boat would benefit from a lean seat or some other form of support. The 115 is a powerful engine and it would be nice to be able to brace yourself for the inevitable acceleration. Talking about the power plant, the Evinrude 115HO G2 E-Tec has the same amazing low and mid range torque that
Top: Here are the two test boats – both Stacer Crossfire 519s with 115hp Evinrude G2 E-Tecs. One is Thwaites Marine’s staff boat that they use for fishing offshore. The other belongs to a customer, Luke Strange, who set his side console version up for calmer water activities, from snorkelling and fishing through to tubing. Above: From the gunwales down, these hulls are identical. They both feature Stacer’s Revolution hull, which is a remarkably soft riding and open water capable base upon which to design a build to suit your needs.
On the single axle Stacer-built trailers these hulls will tow identically, and you don’t need a tank to tow them, either. Both are capably pulled by family cars. finished fitting out. This was the same hull and motor but with a side console layout. One is a dedicated offshore fishing and diving boat while the other has fishing, tubing, diving and family good times in mind. Let’s see which one would suit your type of boating best. CENTRE CONSOLE Thwaites Marine set up the centre console rig for owner and staff use. The team use it
we have come to expect from the remaining 2-stroke player in the market. Also fitted with power steering and auto trimming, this boat takes ‘ease of use’ to a whole new level. “For us, this is a great sea boat,” said Rob Thwaites. “We are able to launch it at some pretty ordinary ramps and the rig is light enough to manoeuvre the single axle trailer to where it needs to be.” Cavorting around the
harbour on a lumpy day allowed us to experience just how soft riding these hulls are. “This hull rides really well with a flared bow and moderate deadrise,” Rob said.
And we wholeheartedly agree. Hitting the first few lumps I was bracing for a rough ride, but as the test wore on, I found myself more and more impressed with the ability of the Crossfire hull to take the edge of the rough water. It’s one of the smoothest riding aluminium hulls that I’ve been in. Period! By the end of the test day, I found myself trying to land this hull rough. It is possible, but you need to travel at speeds you usually wouldn’t in any sort of a sea, and you had to get the hull landing flat on one of the hull sheets. It takes some doing. The take-home message is that, driven sensibly, you’ll have the softest ride you can in an aluminium hull – and
SPECIFICATIONS Length.(max) .... 5.37m Beam................. 2.24m Top.Sheet............ 3mm Bottom.Sheet ..... 4mm Max.hp ................... 115 Capacity ......5 persons Hull.Weight ........535kg I daresay better than many larger aluminium boats, regardless of the brand. “When you buy a Stacer boat/motor and Evinrude package, you get a full 5-year warranty on all of these components,” Rob said. This adds to the peace of mind when buying a matching package from one dealer.
SIDE CONSOLE The Stacer Crossfire side console is a new boat to Luke Strange, a Coffs roofer who spent months deliberating whether to go for a tinnie or the bigger Crossfire. Ultimately, he went the bigger boat and doesn’t regret the decision at all. Luke’s fit-out is fairly standard for a Crossfire. His has a side console, and the front casting deck is built in the shape of a standard bowrider. You can sit several people up there to enjoy the day on the water, or you can drop in an infill to use it as a fully functional casting deck for some serious fishing. “It’s been a great experience putting this boat
PERFORMANCE RPM........................ km/h.......................... km/L 650 ................................5.............................. 7.1 1000 ..............................7..............................4.9 2000 ............................ 11..............................1.6 3000 ............................37..............................3.1 3300 ............................41..............................3.4 4000 ............................50..............................2.8 92
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The main difference in driving is that you’re standing upright in the centre console and seated in the side console. The centre console needs a lean seat to take your weight in the nasty stuff but otherwise is a pleasure to ride in.
together,” Luke said. “It took me three or four months to finally work out what was the best way to go. I wanted an all rounder – something to fish, dive, snorkel and use for tow sports, and I particularly liked the fact that the hull and trailer are built just up the road.” Stacer makes its own trailers, and the single-axle aluminium I-Beam that Luke’s rig is cradled on is made in the same complex as the hull. However, it seems as though Luke’s real passion is for the E-Tec on the back of this boat. “The hole shot is amazing,” he said. “It’s less thirsty than 2-strokes of the past but it’s just as economical as slower
The author braced for the first impact and was surprised at the quality of the ride inside a lumpy Coffs Harbour. The best way to experience it for yourself is to go out on a test ride.
Left: The side console version compacts all of the driving and traveling seating positions down at the stern, leaving a massive front deck for leisure activities. This rig will eventually be fitted with a bow-mounted trolling motor. Middle: With Evinrude now having a major stake in Telwater (manufacturers of Stacer boats), it was a given that there would be some kick-ass boat/motor/trailer deals in the Stacer/Evinrude space. The 3-cylinder G2 E-Tec was launched in 2019 and suits lots of Australian boats. Right: Apart from a lack of places to hang onto, the ride of the Thwaites shop Stacer Crossfire was great. We can see why Coffs locals are keen to get into these boats. There’s plenty of space, along with the ability to traverse some sketchy water to get to where you need to go.
Here’s the centre console deck layout – a simple flat floor with a raised bow casting deck. The enclosed anchor well really keeps the ground gear hidden, and gives the owner a mountain of casting space all around the boat.
There are a couple of different seat mounting bases on the side console, allowing the skipper to balance weight if needed. The team found that the rear mounts offered a great compromise between hole shot and ride. Up front, that’s the standard Crossfire bow arrangement. Luke opted for an infill as well, to make the front casting deck full sized when he’s fishing. At other times, the default position is a front-lounge shape.
four-strokes. It really is the best of both worlds.” PERFORMANCE Not surprisingly, both rigs displayed near-identical performance numbers. Between 3,000-3,500rpm was the most economical range, with the Evinrude delivering a frugal 3.4km/L. It was a little lumpy to get wide open throttle figures. Apart from the ride, the speed out of the hole is the most impressive aspect of this rig. The power steering and automatic trim make the experience more like driving a car than an old, cable steer boat. We really did find ourselves with smiles on the dials when it came to running around in these boats and taking the video and photos we needed for the boat tests. To view the full boat test video, head to the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube Channel (or by scanning the QR code hereby). You can also find more information at www. thwaitesmarine.com.au, or to keep abreast of what they have in store you can follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/ thwaitesmarine) or Instagram (@thwaites_marine). Package prices as tested were just under $50,000 for the centre console and around $53,000 for the side console with the extras as tested. Get in one – you’ll be as surprised as we were! APRIL 2020
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Lots of useable space is a feature of this great boat, so fitting in lots of gear shouldn’t be a problem. Stacer’s standard dash holds all of your electronics and digital gauges. There’s no doubt that this rig has turned plenty of heads at the local Coffs ramps.
There really are plenty of configurations for the side console rig. Like this, it’s easy for an angler up front and one down the back, but if you remove the infill, there’s a lot of lounging space and the seat can swivel around to add to the area.
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Transom v transom: the centre console is more clean and open with a full transom, while Luke has optioned his transom up with a bait board and a transom door. 94
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Both rigs have long side pockets to make your fishing gear easily accessible.
You’ll love the efficiency and mid-range torque of the Evinrude G2. Both boats were fitted with the power steering models, which make the steering wheel as light as the one in your tow vehicle.
SL22 HT OB
Boat, motor, trailer package from $110,990*
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www.whittleyboats.com.au Conveniently located at The Boat Works Factory 8 & 9 | Boat Works Drive, Coomera | 03 8339 1800 * Price includes; optional hard top with full length screen, standard boat package (refer to website for standard equipment list), pre delivery charges, Queensland registrations, safety equipment, on water hand over, available ex Whittley Gold Coast Sales Coomera & is subject to change without notice.
A POWERFUL PACKAGE 40-60HP FOURSTROKE PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY
• SmartCraft Technology – Keeps you informed about your engine’s performance • The Most Intuitive Tiller – Feature packed for unmatched comfort and usability • Troll Control – Dial in precise troll control speeds on all Tiller models in 10RPM increments
PROVEN RELIABILITY
• EFI Reliable Turnkey Starting – Starts first time and every time • 3 + 3 = 6 Year Warranty – For real peace of mind • 18 amp Alternator – Built to handle the demands of marine electronics
POWERFUL PERFORMANCE
• High Displacement – For power and efficiency • Command Thrust Gearcase – For improved acceleration and maneuverability The Mercury 40-60hp FourStroke range ticks all the boxes, so see your nearest Mercury dealer to find out more. www.mercurymarine.com.au