Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly | December 2017 by Fishing Monthly

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Loving land-based cod • Essential cod lure guide • Christmas gift ideas • DIY Lure making: Flat Doc • Holiday destination: Mornington Peninsula •

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December 2017, Vol. 13 No. 2

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

Portland 18 Warrnambool 18 Apollo Bay

Cobden 20

CENTRAL Geelong 22 Port Phillip West

Port Phillip North East

Port Phillip North

Mornington Peninsula

Western Port North

Western Port South

Phillip Island

EAST COAST Gippsland Lakes

Marlo 44 Lakes Entrance

McLoughlins Beach

Bemm River

NSW SOUTH COAST Bermagui 48 Eden 48 Mallacoota 49 Narooma 51 Merimbula 50

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 66 Robinvale 68 Yarrawonga 68

From the Editor’s Desk... With Murray cod season open again, we’ve made sure that there’s plenty of cod content in these pages. Cod fishing is definitely the flavour of the month amongst the trendy angler set, and the old stalwarts would be enjoying the yearly increase in stocks that sensible management practices (now synchronised between NSW and Victoria) are yielding. Well done to the anglers with the resolve to leave these mighty Aussie fish alone during their spawning period. You don’t need to be a gun angler to catch a spawning cod, and you don’t need them to be away from their nests for long to have a negative impact on fry survival. If you ignored common sense and still targeted them anyway, I’m sure that your fellow anglers gave it to you on social media. It’s not worth it in the long term. Speaking of social media,

The face you make when a $50,000 boat package is hanging in the balance! It’s nail-biting stuff at the BASS Pro Grand Final weigh-in. we know that it’s hard to circle a post on Facebook and leave it on the coffee table as a not-sosubtle suggestion regarding a potential Christmas gift, so we’ve given you the tools to do this inside. Our tackle arm, www. tacklejunkie.fish, has scoured the new releases and picked out a swag of new gear that needs to have your fingerprints all over it on December 25. Instructions for use: 1. Pick cool gear. 2. Circle with red Sharpie. 3. Leave on coffee table at home. 4. Give hints with decreasing subtleness as December progresses. 5. Add gear to collection on

December 25! And here’s a tip: if you give your partner a good present it’s more likely they’ll buy you something awesome. You can benefit from our experience there. You’re welcome. WINNING TECHNIQUES You’ll also notice a pile of tournament coverage in this issue. Spring is the season end for plenty of bream, bass and barra events, and Fishing Monthly has always been the first to bring you the gear that got the job done. Even if you are not a tournament angler and aren’t interested in the concept, I guarantee that what happens here will influence the gear

you’re using in future years. So why not stay a step ahead of the curve and master some of these techniques before they become mainstream? Early adopters in fishing often get a real head start in social fishing, and we all wouldn’t mind that. ABT’s motto is “Who Shares Wins”, and we love it when you use these guys’ generosity to your advantage. Finally, there is some great BARRA Tour content inside this issue. The BARRA Tour is run on the prime November moon in Queensland. It’s designed to take all of the guesswork out of the best dates and times to fish, to ensure that there’s maximum fish caught. We fished next to a rookie team from Bathurst for a whole event, and they caught their full limit and loved the experience. The moral of the story is that the best way to steepen the barra learning curve is to jump in and do it. We guarantee that you’ll enjoy it.

Jindabyne 69 Wangaratta 70 Shepparton 72 Ballarat 73 Eildon 74 Bonnie Doon

Eildon Rivers

Bendigo 76

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Stephen Taylor with a lovely pre-dawn Murray cod caught at 5:30am using a Koolabung Codwalker surface lure. A Robbie Alexander image.

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Cod Feature

For the love of land-based cod WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

It is not necessary to own a boat of any kind in order to access fantastic Murray cod fishing these days. Gone are the days where you needed a boat to take

fishing for Murray cod is done in rivers and creeks, this article will be focused mainly on such waterways. In saying this, most techniques will work equally as effectively in impoundments. Both bait fishing and lure fishing are very popular and

successful when land-based fishing for Murray cod. BAIT FISHING Bait anglers should try using baits such as bardi grubs, yabbies and cheese. With any of these three baits, the bigger the bait you use the more likely you will be to hook a larger Murray cod.

Bardi grubs Bardi grubs can be very expensive, ranging from $2 to $4 each. They are fantastic bait for Murray cod; however it is worth learning how to find them yourself. This alone is back breaking work for an old man like me. In my younger, fitter days I chipped thousands of bardi grubs. Bardi grubs are found in deep small sealed burrows underneath gum trees. Try find a large old gum tree, and then chip the top few inches of soil off, exposing the bare earth. Do not dig deep, there is no need and you will make an unnecessary mess. Chip the surface and look for a small hole around 1-2cm in

Pete Pimorski caught this lovely upland Murray cod in really clear water using a prototype Murray cod lure from Wildbait lures.

Catching Murray cod on bait from the bank has never been easier than it is today. The night this photo was taken about 10 cod were caught just fishing off the bank at the most popular swimming hole in Wangaratta, the North Beaches. The kids loved it! you to far away corners of lakes and rivers to find the elusive Murray cod in seldom fished pockets of the waterways. Murray cod stocking combined with improved habitat and far better management of our waterways has led to the amazing Murray cod fishing that we experience throughout the Murray Darling basin today. From large impoundments such as Lake Eildon to small anabranches of rivers and creeks, Murray cod have infiltrated most of our lowland waterways that have a permanent flow of water. As most land-based

Sandy Hector landed this magnificent 81cm Murray cod while casting a JD Superbug diving lure from the bank of a small river.

Shore-based fishing isn’t always shore-based when you’re Murray cod fishing in summer. Actually getting into the water and wading is a relief on those really hot days.

diameter with a brown lining around the sides. Lower a bardi grub puller (available at many tackle stores) down into the hole and lasso the bardi grub. You may try dozens of different trees before finally finding one with bardi grubs underneath it. As this is disturbing the soil, make sure that you are on private property with the permission of the landowner and always clean up your mess. Yabbies Yabbies are a tried and proved bait. As stated, the bigger the better. Murray

This Murray cod fell victim to a Bassman Codman spinnerbait being cast from the bank.

REMORA

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cod love a large food source. They do not like to leave the cover of their hide during daylight hours, so in order to entice them out, present them with a large yabby that is too good to refuse. No freshwater yabby could ever be too big for a hungry Murray cod. Cheese Cheese is a relatively new bait for Murray cod. While cheese itself has been around for many years, it wasn’t until the last decade or so that people started realising the potential of it as a Murray cod bait. There is a myth surrounding the use of cheese as bait. Some people say that it shouldn’t be used as it blocks the

Jeremy De Haan with a lovely dark Murray cod from clear water.

cod up, causing them to die. Some people also have this strange belief that it is illegal. Cheese is not an illegal bait, and with the amount of anglers catching Murray cod on cheese each summer in Wangaratta, there would be dead fish floating everywhere if the other stories were true. I have gutted Murray cod with gold balls in their stomachs. In fact, Murray cod are well known for this. If they can pass a golf ball, surely they can pass cheese too.

Cod Feature Mozzarella cheese is the best, as it has a texture a lot like rubber and is more likely to stay on the hook when you cast it out. Tasty cheese certainly catches cod, but often falls off the hook when casting. I cut my mozzarella cheese into small cubes about 1.5cm long and usually put 3

however I do find that they have a tendency to catch mainly smaller Murray cod. Fishing with baits With any bait, try find a nice deep hole with a large log. Rather than cast all the way to the other side, just lower the bait down beside the log, hard up against it. There’s every chance that the

lectures, those days have gone. Moving your bait regularly, even if it is in the same spot is all the rage these days. The Murray cod is more likely to strike the bait the moment it sinks a lot of the time. LURE FISHING The current boom in lure fishing is real, and it seems everyone is making lures these days! The three types of lures most commonly used for targeting Murray cod are deep-diving lures, spinnerbaits and surface lures. Diving lures Deep-diving lures are usually large, and take on the appearance of a fish swimming under water. Popular lures are large

Scott Turnbull with a lovely Murray cod caught casting a number two StumpJumper from the bank.

Landing a small Murray cod caught while casting a spinnerbait from the bank. or 4 cubes on the hook. You would be amazed at how many Murray cod I catch doing this! Scrub worms Large scrub worms are also a great Murray cod bait,

Murray cod will be sitting just underneath the log, and by doing so you will be putting the food in its face. We used to get told to stop reeling in our lines all the time. Forget those

After the sun sets, it’s a great time to bring out the surface lures.

number 1 StumpJumpers, Wilson Slickbacks and AC Invaders, but there are many others. One of my favourite deep-diving lures to use when land-based fishing for Murray cod is the large number 1 StumpJumper, with light green being my favourite colour. A stiff, firm rod is needed when casting and retrieving such large lures as they displace a lot of water. I simply cast the lure out, and real it in, paying particular attention to snags in the water. Log jams in the

middle of the river are great places to find Murray cod. A lot of the time, Murray cod will hit my lure within the first metre of the retrieve, as they are holding close to the banks under the tree roots. When passing my lure through snag-infested sections, I slow my retrieve right down to a crawl to aid it to float over the logs a little bit and also to keep it in the Murray cod’s face for longer. Spinnerbaits Spinnerbaits have exploded in popularity To page 10

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Cod Lure Feature

Goodoo gobbles – an essential cod lure guide FMG

Rupe Instagram: @rupeisfishing

If reader feedback is anything to go by, you all seemed to enjoy my little bass lolly basics ramblings a few months back, so much that the big wigs here at Fishing Monthly have asked me to pen something similar for everybody’s favourite time of the year – season opening for the mighty and powerful Murray cod. The undisputed heavyweight champion of the freshwater rivers that stretch across the majority of the Australian east coast and down into South Australia where the Murray River eventually meets the sea, the green beasts known for thousands of years as ‘goodoo’ remain close to, if not on top of the bucket lists of anglers all around the world. Tales of Jurassic Park-sized fish that would attack Murray River paddle boats and photos of your mate’s great uncle’s sisterin-law’s second cousin who used to live on the Vic/NSW border in eighteen-whenever holding a 400lb fish (that is most likely a goliath groper from up north) refuse to go away and will probably never stop. It’s safe to assume they’re not real, but it sure as hell keeps the imagination going and the trigger finger shaky on your casting arm as you wind that expensive swimbait that cost more than your dad’s first car past the best looking tree in the river!

Casting steeply diving hardbodied lures at snags can get you in the strike zone quickly, as Shaun Cubis found out.

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Sharp, strong trebles are a must. This 110cm model only stayed connected to Dayne Taylor’s lure by a single pin in the top lip. The good news is that despite being almost wiped from existence thanks to overfishing and environmental destruction during the late 1800s and early 1900s, Murray cod are really thriving as a species and it’s getting to the point where they’re nearly as accessible and easy to catch as they would have been all those years ago when numbers were strong and most fish would have never seen a lure. Lure fishing for cod can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people and none of them are wrong. There are so many weird contraptions out there that look horrible to some of us but have accounted for massive numbers of fish over the years. Have you ever seen an aeroplane spinner? What the hell is that? What fish in their right mind would find something so clunky and metallic appetising? Cod would. That’s who. A territorial species that is more of an opportunistic eater than a hunter gatherer who goes swimming for miles looking for tucker, the goodoo will eat almost anything that has even the slightest appeal if it’s close enough to its big bucket mouth. Having witnessed them eating small ducks, cormorants, lizards, frogs and even snakes, I know there is no bounds to their menu. With that in mind, let’s get to the topic of looking at some essential lures you should have with you the next time you go in search of green monsters. I’ll speak a little about each category and then give you a ‘Rupe’s six-pack’ of my go-to lures for those categories. Who doesn’t love lures and who doesn’t love six-packs? Whether it’s a sixer of Great Northern Original or a mix of lures, you’re onto a winner! TROLLING OR CASTING? As with most things fishing-related Down Under, we took our lead from the Americans. When lure fishing came into vogue, choices were limited. Looking back, designs like the Flatfish or Kwikfish seem uninspiring, but thankfully times have changed and, as always, Australian ingenuity kicked in and we began to produce some fantastic lures in every category. Trolling dominated the scene early, so lots of big-bibbed deep divers were thrust into the marketplace. Lures designed with cast and retrieve methods in mind soon followed and the fish quickly let everyone know what was strong enough and what crumbled under the immense pressure generated by a hulking cod.

Highlighted by the sheer volumes of lures coming out of a couple of hotspots in the Wagga/Riverina and New England regions of NSW, we were able to produce some absolute cracker lures which still catch fish today. The classics never die. To troll or to cast has been the subject of rigorous conversations around campfires and now in 2017, on Facebook forums, with everyone having an opinion on what’s right, and what’s not. As long as people are catching fish, I’m happy. But onto the lures.

HARDBODY DIVERS A lot of cod fishers will tell you they’re either a hardbody guy or a spinnerbait guy. To me, it’s nice to have favourites but you’re going to miss out on fish if you’re not equipped with more options than that. Hardbody diving lures provide a lot of things to the hopeful angler on the end of the rod that’s throwing them. When purchasing a new lure or deciding what to tie on the first thing I look at is the bib. Long bibs at a shallow angle will usually dive deeper when given enough line. Conversely, shorter bibs at a steeper angle will normally be shallow divers – great for rocky, snaggy holes in rivers. A lot can also be learned about the action of the lure from the width of the bib. A wide bib will give the tail of a lure a nice, slow, wide wobble (think swimming platypus). The narrow bibs give the lure a much higher cycle rate (think nervous baitfish) They’re available in an endless line of local and imported options these days in timber and plastic form and in every colour you could think of, and some you’d never think of yourself. Remember, these old lure whittlers have inhaled a lot of thinners over the years. RUPE’S HARDBODY DIVERS 6-PACK • AC Lures ‘Invader’ • Kuttafurra Lures ‘Mudhoney’ • Cutting Edge Lures ‘Tomahawk’ • Predatek ‘Boomerang’ • Basko Lures ‘Cudgee’ • Storm ‘Arashi Rattling Deep’

SPINNERBAITS Spinnerbaits are perhaps the most versatile thing you’re likely to find on the walls of your local tackle emporium. Spinnerbaits can be fished in any depth, at any speed and for just about any species. You only have to look at my good friend Stephen Worley’s recent article (NSWFM April issue 2017) on catching massive snapper with them to see just how ingenious they are as a fishcatching invention. The first guys to fish spinnerbaits here were using imported lures that proved to be incredibly successful at getting the bite, but weren’t up to the task of staying together during the intense and sometimes long battles they were having with big cod. Guys like Glen Casey from now world-renowned Bassman Spinnerbaits and a select group of other manufacturers went about devising a solution. Stronger hooks, stronger wires and better blades were the result and boy, have they brought some fish over the side since those early days. Today, you’ll find hundreds of colours and choices of willow blades, Colorado blades and combination blade setups. The most important thing to think about here is the amount of weight on the head of the spinnerbait. Getting the weight right for your situation is paramount. For smaller water, go for less weight. You’re probably casting it at snags and you don’t want to be throwing 6oz bombs all day. Your chiropractor will love you but your wallet won’t. If you’re planning on trolling them, grab a heavy rod and spinnerbait in the 2-6oz range, troll very slowly, and hang on tight. RUPE’S SPINNERBAIT 6-PACK • Bassman ‘Codman 4x4 5/8oz’ • DUO ‘Realis Spinnerbait 1.5oz’ • TT Lures ‘FroggerZ Snr 3/4oz’ • OSP ‘High Pitcher 1/2oz’ • Leavey Lures ‘T-Rex 1.25oz’ • Cod-X ‘Twin Spin’

A badge of honour amongst anglers, cod thumb is a proudly displayed sign you’ve had a good day chasing the green meanies.

Cod Lure Feature dominate the market, and as such, catch the most fish. Choose an appropriate weight and hook size when selecting a jig head. CHATTERBAITS Much like their bladed cod bait cousins, the chatterbait is an extremely versatile type of lure to have in your tackle box. However, to me they really come into their own when you need to fish deep water slowly and methodically in order to get that tough bite to happen. Fish ‘em like Nan cooks a roast – low and slow while you throw back a couple of coldies. RUPE’S CHATTERBAIT 6-PACK • Cod King ‘Natural bait series 2.5oz’ • Bassman ‘Mumbler Jaw Knocker’ • Nories ‘Hulachat’ • Imakatsu ‘Alive Chatter Monstro 120’ • Cod-X Lures ‘Chatterbait 5/8oz’ • ZMan ‘ChatterbaitZ’

RUPE’S SOFT PLASTIC 6-PACK • ZMan ‘SwimmerZ 6” model’ • Daiwa ‘Duckfin Liveshad 8” model’ • Westin ‘Shadteez 9” model’ • Zerek ‘Flat Shad Pro 9” model’ • Live Target ‘Trout 7.5 model” • Dynamic ‘FX Fury 8” model’

VIBES AND LIPLESS CRANKBAITS I’ve seen a lot more accidental captures of cod on vibes and lipless crankbaits than I have of fish being actually targeted with them. Anglers fishing 50-60mm lures for yellowbelly or redfin with light gear are all Trolling can be a very effective technique even after dark. Jason Price reeled this one in with some assistance from the skipper after the fish stubbornly buried its head in split boulders. in your local fishing emporium. It’s been around since 1938 and hasn’t been beaten in my eyes. To page 14

Spinnerbaits like this OSP High Pitcher have accounted for cod of all sizes from last year’s spawn to the true giants.

SOFT PLASTICS These type of lures didn’t get a lot of love until people started having a lot of success with them as the trailer attached to the back of their spinnerbait or chatterbait. It also helped a lot when manufacturers began selling upsized versions of old favourites. Lures up to 12” long are now commonplace and goodoo love to gobble ‘em up. Excelling in heavily weeded areas, soft plastics can offer you virtually snag free retrieve when rigged correctly. Paddle-tail presentations

of a sudden in the fight of their lives. There are more ‘cod-sized’ options on the market these days and surprise, surprise – they love to eat them too. It’s not the first type of lure I’d tie on but still a worthwhile addition to any tackle box. These are best worked around weedbeds, heavily timbered areas and around broken rock by hopping and dropping. RUPE’S VIBE AND LIPLESS CRANKBAIT 6-PACK • Samaki ‘Vibelicious 125mm’ • Harima ‘Mazzy Vib Forte 100mm’ • Storm ‘Arashi Vibe 70mm’ • DUO ‘Tide Vib Slim 140mm’ • Jackall ‘Doozer 85mm’ • Sebile ‘Flatt Shad 77mm’

SURFACE CRAWLERS This category was my first exposure to surface fishing for cod and at that point in my life easily the most exciting thing I’d ever done after dark. How the times have changed. No doubt built to mimic big insect life, distressed baby birds and the like, surface crawlers fall right into the lap of the opportunistic cod. If they can go through the drive-thru and grab a family meal for one, they will. Bibs will either be bent at an appropriate angle to create a walking action that throws a lot of water or built with two cup faces which produce more of a ‘clip-clop’ sound. I prefer the metal bibbed offerings both in terms of strength and sound, but that’s just my preference. On some models the lure body will be jointed, while others are one piece. This is nowhere near as important as the bib itself. If you need an idea of perfection when it comes to a surface lure bib, just pick up an Arbogast Jitterbug next time you’re

RUPE’S SURFACE CRAWLER 6-PACK • Arbogast ‘Jitterbug JB700’ • Water Stalker ‘Spook Walker 140mm’ • Mudeye Lures ‘Triple Paddler’ • Croaker Lures ‘Big Betty’ • Leavey Lures ‘Moth’ • Kingfisher ‘Mantis Articulated’

Two rough heads are better than one. Adam Townsend and Ryan Thompson put in a lot of time on the water over winter and it sure paid dividends.

DECEMBER 2017

Holiday destination: Mornington Peninsula WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

There is no denying that Victorians are travelling anglers and as nice as it is to travel abroad with the family for a Christmas holiday, interstate and overseas trips can be costly.

as enjoyable without all the added costs. As anglers we always like to wet a line when we can and even more so when we’re on holidays. Without having to spend countless dollars on overseas or interstate holidays, Victoria itself has some amazing places worth exploring. The Mornington

and beaches along with plenty of fishing charter options to accommodate the entire family without paying an arm and a leg. The Mornington Peninsula can be easily overlooked as a holiday destination by some anglers, but it boasts some of the best and most consistent fishing to be had in Port Phillip Bay. In saying that, it is also only a 30-minute drive to Western Port, which is also an incredible area to go fishing. What’s more – and many people are totally unaware of this – there is also a good amount of freshwater opportunities on the Mornington Peninsula from lake fishing for redfin, estuary perch and trout in the Devils Bend Reservoir to trout fishing in some of

The boat moorings from Portsea through to Rye are good places to fish for calamari, whiting and garfish.

The author with a nice snapper taken out from Mornington. PLACES TO CAMP • Sorrento Foreshore Caravan Park Rosebud Foreshore Caravan Park Rye Foreshore Caravan Park (03) 5950 1011 www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Activities/ Camping/Sorrento-Foreshore-Camping • Tyrone Foreshore Caravan Park (03) 5985 3288 *You can also jump online and rent a house, apartment or homestay but expect to pay a pretty penny for this sort of accommodation.

Garfish can be caught from all the piers, jetties and from the rocks right around the coastline. the more hidden creeks on the southern side of the peninsula. BEACH FISHING The Mornington Peninsula is surrounded by beaches all capable of delivering some very impressive fish. On the southern side it is

up to 6oz of sinker weight. Mounted to that, try a reliable 6000 sized reel loaded with a minimum of 15lb braid. Often you can experience strong side wash during a westerly blow as well as some broken up seaweed and kelp, which can make fishing difficult if you’re using lighter tackle. Though there are a lot of beaches along this section of the coast, Portsea, Sorrento, St Andrews and Gunnamatta at Rye tend to be more favourable. The suitable rigs tend to be a paternoster rig with

two droppers each containing a bait holder size no. 6 for Australian salmon, and a no. 10 long shank for yellow-eye mullet and silver trevally. If you’re keen on fishing the high tides at night, rig up a fixed sinker rig or running sinker rig with snooded 6/0 octopus hooks for gummy sharks. If you’re more of a sportfishing angler, spinning the surf with metal slugs is very effective for salmon. Lures in a 25-35g weight range are heavy enough and this style of fishing will allow you to explore much more of the coast rather than just standing in the one location bait fishing for the day. On the northern side of the peninsula fishing from the

beaches in Port Phillip Bay is also very productive. You may want to hit the shore on first light before too many boats and swimmers are on the water, and you can catch King George whiting, silver trevally, salmon, garfish, flathead and calamari. The beaches on this side that fish their best at this time of the year tend to be around Portsea, Sorrento, Mount Martha and Mornington. PIER FISHING Pier fishing along the Mornington Peninsula is very popular in the summer months with over 10 piers and jetties to try your luck, and all produce good fish from time to time. Due to the large amount of holidaymakers that descend

CHARTER OPERATORS • Joe Farr Fishing Charters – Sorrento 0488 229 752 info@joefish.com.au • RIP Charters – Sorrento 0438 390 312 info@ripcharters.com.au • Relax Go Fishing – Mornington Peninsula 0428 986 381

Australian salmon are a common catch along the surf beaches. Bait fishing is the preferred method and they are also willing lure-takers. Most of the time, sneaking away for quick flick with a rod or jumping on a charter can be difficult and expensive, and while it is nice to go on a big holiday from time to time, often heading somewhere local can be just 38

DECEMBER 2017

Peninsula in Victoria’s south east is one of those locations that can make you feel like you’re in another country or state with its pristine golden sandy beaches, beautiful blue coloured water and freedom to explore the countless piers

predominately surf beaches requiring anglers to suit up with fairly heavy tackle to combat the raging surf swell at times. A sturdy 10-12ft surf rod in the 6-10kg range is more than suitable for casting

Australian salmon are frequent visitors to the Mornington Peninsula and can be caught using a range of techniques.

on the area throughout the Christmas period, fishing during the day is uneventful. Swimmers and boat traffic spook the fish, sending them into deeper water. Ideally, getting up and fishing first and last light is when you’ll see the most productive fishing action. Night time fishing is particularly productive for calamari and garfish from the Portsea Pier, Sorrento Pier, Blairgowrie, Rosebud and Rye piers in calmer conditions. You’ll require a range of coloured and size jigs depending on what they favour at the time. Black, white or the ones with a red foil belly colour are a good, safe bet.

the Mornington Peninsula. Boat ramps such as Sorrento, Rye, Mount Martha and Mornington are all wellmaintained and suitable for launching most watercraft. Rye Boat ramp is the only ramp that can see sand build-up at times if not dredged regularly. Out from Sorrento, you have plenty of options from drift fishing the Sorrento channel for flathead to drift fishing over the weedbeds along the northern side of the Sorrento Channel for calamari. Calamari can also be found right throughout the Mornington Peninsula from Portsea up to Mornington. If you’re boat is large enough, kingfish can be targeted in the rip, however

whiting haunts tend to be around Portsea in 5m of water off Point Franklin, Point King at Sorrento and in 5-6m of

launch time is a safe option. Anywhere along the Mornington Peninsula coastline where you can

If you’re keen for a swim in the nice weather, scallops can be collected in the Rye and Rosebud areas. get your car close enough to the beach has plenty of fish species worth catching. Flathead, calamari, garfish and whiting are the main targetable species but if you’re keen on travelling further, head out to the Rye Wreck where you can encounter snapper and gummy sharks if you’re suited up right.

Working the shallow weedbeds around the Mornington Peninsula can lead you to some nice-sized calamari.

Calamari are a more common catch early in the morning. The Portsea Pier is a great place to try your luck. If the weather is a little rough, casting metal slugs from the Portsea, Rosebud and Rye piers should see you encounter some nice salmon. If bait fishing is your preferred fishing method, providing you set up a paternoster rig from 15lb fluorocarbon leader with no. 6 long shank hooks, you can target whiting, silver trevally, leatherjacket and a host of

specialised techniques are required for live baiting and jigging. These fish are brutal and can be over 15kg. Australian salmon are also commonly caught and provide some exceptional light tackle sportsfishing around Portsea, Sorrento and the rip. Often they can be found busting up schools of bait on the surface. Motor up to the bubbling mass, cast metal slugs into them or

water along Blairgowrie, Rye and Rosebud. If you’re going to try your luck on them, fresh tenderised calamari strips, pipi and mussel baits will do the trick. Another tasty species that can only be caught from a boat is the scallop and there are plenty of them worth catching.

When schools of Australian salmon turn up, casting lures into the bubbling schools is a lot of fun. FRESHWATER FISHING If you’re keen to try your luck at some freshwater fishing then head up to the

LOCAL TACKLE SUPPLIES • Compleat Angler Rosebud 11 Boneo Rd, Rosebud (03) 5981 1994 • Fishhooked Bait and Tackle 2399 Point Nepean Rd, Rye (03) 5985 5444

The rocks at Mt Martha produce calamari, garfish, whiting, salmon and snapper. Care must be taken when fishing from this location. other small species from the Portsea, Sorrento and Rye Piers. Ideally a small 7ft rod rated 2-4kg with a size 2500 size reel and 6lb braid is more than ample for these styles of fishing. BOAT FISHING The boat fishing opportunities are endless along

troll around the school with 70-90mm diving hardbodies. King George whiting are also in their prime throughout summer and are readily available to catch in close along the coastline. Firstly you have to set up with a paternoster rig tied from 15lb fluorocarbon leader, and it’s best to hit them up early in the morning. The

Obviously you have to jump in the water to gather them and it can be as simple as putting on a mask and snorkel and free diving in 3-4m of water out from Rye. You will have to do your homework on where exactly to find them, but there are plenty on offer. KAYAK FISHING Kayak fishing is a very popular sport allowing anglers to still get out and about without the huge costs of owning a boat. It also allows anglers to access the inshore productive fishing grounds. With all the boat traffic during the summer months, heading out in the dark should be avoided, as this could be dangerous. During daylight savings a good 6am

Devils Bend Reservoir inland of Mouth Martha at Tuerong. The lake is full of redfin, brown and rainbow trout and estuary perch, which can all be caught using bait and lures. The lake is shallow in parts and quite weedy, making conventional fishing methods often difficult, but not entirely impossible. You’ll just have to work your way around the lake to find areas where the

weed is thinner. Despite the weed growth, lure fishing is effective with both hardbody lures and soft plastics. Hardbodies can be worked over the week and at times you will get snagged, but you can generally drag the lure through. Soft plastics on the other hand can be cast beyond the weed and brought back through it where a lot of the fish will be holding. Aside from Devils Bend, if you enjoy a bit of exploring, Main Creek near Cape Shank can see you catch brown trout to 600g. It’s a small creek flowing through farmland with the upper reaches only 2-3m wide in parts – good angling water for those keen on walking and casting lures into the shallow pools. This is just a snapshot of what the Mornington Peninsula has to offer; there is certainly a whole lot more. Unfortunately, it can’t all be done in a day, so scheduling a good few weeks of holiday should see you cover quite a few of the endless fishing opportunities.

January through to April is a good time to target kingfish around The Rip. They are challenging to catch and there are plenty on offer. DECEMBER 2017

Perfect

All I want for Christmas FMG

Nicole Penfold nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

Here it is – our bumper 2017 Christmas Gift Guide! We have hand-picked these products from all the great releases we’ve seen over the past 12 months or so, and have included prices to work with different budgets. There’s something here for everyone, whether you’re buying a present or you want to let your loved ones know what to buy for you. My only regret is that I couldn’t include big ticket items like kayaks, seeing as they don’t fit under the tree and require a lot of wrapping paper. However, every product that didn’t make the Christmas Gift Guide is at www.tacklejunkie.fish, so be sure to head there if you want more inspiration!

ACCESSORIES

First cab off the rank is the ZMan Bait BinderZ wallet (SRP$16.95). I love ZMans, but anyone who uses them knows that their supercharged plastic doesn’t play well with other soft plastics. I found this out the hard way, after one of my Jackall Masks got melted to death. With a ZMan Bait BinderZ case you’ll keep your ZMans safely away from other soft baits, in a way that makes it easy to find the model and colour you’re after in seconds. Bait BinderZ feature nickelplated, corrosion-resistant rings that have been spaced to fit the reinforced, pre-punched holes in the bottom of standard size

Bait BinderZ are constructed from 500-denier nylon for durability, and feature a carry handle for easy transport. They will hold 10-15 packets of ZMan plastics. You can check them out at www.zman.com.au.

BLACK MAGIC LEADER FEEDER

If you know an offshore angler who could do with some organising, here’s the perfect present: the Black Magic Leader Feeder (SRP$35), which is back by popular demand. This quality leader dispenser holds up to five spools of monofilament

DECEMBER 2017

The last cool accessory I want to mention is the waterproof Hard Korr Unilight (SRP$29). This small, versatile light has an inbuilt magnet and a strong, long lasting elastic strap that attaches to grab rails, tackle boxes, wheel wells,

CHASEBAITS ULTIMATE SQUID

Chasebaits Ultimate Squid (SRP$19.99), whose first in-water swimming video went viral within minutes. It’s that lifelike! The best feature is the delicately moulded wings on either side of the mantle, which have a rolling, rippling action, exactly like a real squid. Other features include realistic 3D custom squid eyes, supple tentacles and a potent squid scent for maximum attraction. You can work the Ultimate Squid in a variety of ways – twitching, jigging or just adding it to a dropper rig to waft naturally in the current. In field testing the Ultimate Squid has been smashing snapper and other reef fish, even after its tentacles have been bitten off. If you buy it for someone (or get one of your kids to), be sure to whip out your phone on Christmas Day to show the recipient one of the Chasebaits Squid YouTube videos. If you’d rather buy some plastics with a range of smaller sizes and colours, the brand new Squidgies Bio-Tough range (from

take them off. The series is manufactured in Japan, and has taken the most reliable lure shapes from the original Squidgies range and redeveloped the design to improve their already great fish-catching ability. The range consists of the Bio Tough Wriggler (100mm and 120mm), Fish (80mm and 100mm) and Flick Bait (75mm and 100mm). This provides anglers with a range of baits to suit a variety of estuary and freshwater applications. There are

or fluorocarbon leader. You can use other leader brands in it besides Black Magic, but because the Leader Feeder has been designed

for Black Magic leader, those spools are a perfect fit and the line comes off very smoothly and easily. The Leader Feeder is convenient to use, minimises tangles, features high quality stainless-steel feed holes

tent poles, awnings, camper trailers, and more. It weighs only 85g but pumps out up to 100 lumens of light, and there’s also an orange light option to both reduce bugs and help your night vision. The Unilight is IP66 waterproof and can be powered with either 3 x AAA batteries or Korr’s specially designed rechargeable lithium battery. The battery life is 4-6 hours on the high setting and 80-90 hours on the low setting. Like other Hard Korr lights it’s built tough with high quality materials, and is backed by a 2-year Australian warranty. Keep one in your tackle box, tinny, garage or with your camping gear, and you’ll have instant light wherever you need it.

six UV-enhanced colours, ranging from bloodworm for bream right through to pink glitz for flathead. As you’d expect, the actions are great too, both when twitched through the water column and at rest in

SQUIDGIES BIO-TOUGH

SRP$12.95) is the go. Instead of being made of traditional plastic, they feature a synthetic bioplastic that is highly durable, stretchy and more environmentally friendly. And unlike some other bio baits, they won’t dry out and turn into concrete on your hook if you forget to

GOING SOFT

A couple of packs of plastics is an affordable if not exactly mind-blowing gift – unless it’s something totally new and different. That’s exactly what you get with the

LIVE TARGET SWIMBAITS

award-winning Live Target Swimbaits (from SRP$23). There’s a number of species in the series, including mullet, sardine, perch, and trout. Each one has been fitted with an oscillator that generates a side-to-side tail swing action. The finish is very realistic, and there’s also a hook guard built into the dorsal fin of each swimbait, so you can throw them into some gnarly cover! Sizes range from 4.5” to 7.5”, depending on the model. You can see all the species at www.ejtodd.com.au.

STRIKE PRO TRUEGLIDE GUPPIE

HARD KORR UNILIGHT

ZMAN BAIT BINDERZ

ZMan packets. This means you can store your ZMans in their original packs, which means no double handling opening sleeves to get packets out, or leaving loose packets where they can blow away.

and a clear pocket so you can label your choice of line weights. It’s strong and durable, and can be clipped onto your tackle bag for maximum convenience. You can find more details at www.blackmagictackle.com.

low current conditions. And when a fish is caught, the bait’s Dura Stretch properties keep it in top condition and ready to be deployed again. These baits are also verified to be 50% biodegradable within the first three years. Other great new soft baits making a splash are the

There’s one more lure I want to mention which isn’t actually a soft plastic, but a hybrid glide bait. It’s called the Strike Pro TrueGlide Guppie (SRP$44), and it’s set to be a hit with anglers chasing mulloway, barra, threadfin salmon and more. This 5.3” (13.5cm) glide bait is manufactured with paint or glitter on the inside shell of the bait, in addition to paint on the outside, to create a 3D effect. This procedure also prolongs the colour of the lure. The Guppie has 3D eyes and a compact shape to maximize hookup rates, and its convex body shaping from the top to the belly exposes the hook points for better hook sets. The body profiling also adds extra flash and belly roll. The most interesting feature though is the interchangeable soft plastic tails. A spring screw at the rear of the lure lets you modify the bait simply by screwing on or off one of the optional tail types. A paddle tail and grub tail are included, and replacement

tails are also available separately. For more info visit www.jurofishing.com.

LIGHT READING

We’ve found a great new book for yakkers: the second edition of the Paddler’s Guide to New South Wales (SRP$44.95), available from the Aquayak online store at www.aquayak.com. The expert advice and guides

Ideas

easier-to-use trip locator maps, fishing information and recommended places to eat, drink and stay the night. There’s also expert equipment advice regarding kayaks, canoes, stand up paddleboards, fishing and transport. If you’re in Victoria or Queensland, there are

maps, historical information and local points of interest, expert equipment advice regarding kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards, preparation advice, and over 150 full-colour photos.

APPAREL

Samaki have made fantastic fishing shirts over the years, featuring a wide SAMAKI SALTY DOG TEE

PADDLER’S GUIDE

contained in the first edition have been revised, updated and enhanced for this new book, and a massive 140 paddling destinations have been included. Other improvements include 1 Attomic PRINT.pdf

a new Jack Attack II shirt (SRP$89.95). These shirts are available from a child’s size 2 right through to 5XL for the big boys, so there’s a size to fit everyone in the family. Like all Bigfish UPF50 shirts, they feature BFMaxFlow fabric – a high performance, moisturewicking material that is not only soft to feel, but durable, breathable and cool. For more info head to www. bigfishgear.com. And if you need a new pair of sunnies, you will not find a better range than Costa (SRP$269-$349). These premium fishing

Paddler’s Guide books for those states too, and they’re priced at $35 each. Both books include at least 65 paddling trips (with descriptions, maps and GPS coordinates), locator 31/08/2017 3:03:53trip PM

range of species, including barra, mangrove jack, mulloway, snapper, mudcrab and Murray cod. Now they have branched out into T-shirts, and the first design to be released is the Salty

Dog Tee (SRP$39.95), which represents all tough old sea dogs, standing at the helm of a rocking boat, waiting for that bite. The quality cotton fabric used in this shirt is soft to the touch and very comfortable. The highdensity printing enhances the artwork, and the regular fit shape suits all body types. It comes in navy/yellow and black/white, and sizes range from S-3XL. You can see the full range of apparel at www. samaki.com.au. Another great fishing apparel company is Bigfish Gear, and they have released

BIGFISH JACK ATTACK II

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DECEMBER 2017

WHAT’S NEW FISHING ZEREK FLAT SHAD PRO

Taking in the revolutionary design features of the original Flat Shad, the Flat Shad Pro comes with a series of innovations to make these lures even more amazing. The Flat Shad Pro is a softer TPE material. This softer material allows the lure to swim at slower speeds with lighter weight jigheads. The weedless worm hook has been constructed with a little less weight, as the softer material does not need as much weight to get the lure drifting through the water column attractively. There is also a stinger attachment loop moulded into the hook’s lead belly weight, which is prefect for attaching a belly stinger hook or tying a longer assist style hook to. You can also attach a small blade to provide extra flash. Available in the 7, 5, 4.5 and 3.5” versions and 5 colours, the Flat Shad Pro make an already unbelievably successful lure even more successful. www.wilsonfishing.com

VIKING PROFISH 35

The Profish 35 is a compact fishing kayak designed with lure fishing in mind. The shorter 3.5m length offers excellent manoeuvrability while hull shape delivers great load capacity and stability. This is a kayak for juniors and adults alike, and the large central storage well offers ample room for tackle and other essential gear. The removable lid provides security and easy access, and also makes an excellent mounting surface for electronics. The flush rod holders are within comfortable reach for larger and smaller paddlers, and the rear well offers ample storage for both fresh and salt water anglers. Users can expect great stability, even when fully loaded. Large central well storage and lid Perfect rear storage well for easy access 4 x flush mount rod holders Paddle holder 2 x The Viking Profish 35 comes in four colors: Kiwi (green and black), Lava (red and black), Storm (white and black) and Daybreak (blue, white and yellow). www.vikingkayak.com.au

NEMO DAGGER 2-PERSON TENT

Now that spring has finally sprung, we can all rejoice that Australia’s glorious camping season is now open! Introducing the Nemo Dagger, a two-person tent built for ultra-light backpacking, that also offers interior dimensions that rival anything else on the market in this category. Thanks to the higher positioned pole hubs the Dagger has more interior space than any other on the market, thankfully making cabin fever a problem of the past. The Dagger’s trapezoidal fly design creates an additional 2.1 square-metre area on each side for storing gear outside of your sleeping quarters, making for a more comfortable night sleep amongst the stars. Camp in sheer comfort in the season ahead with the freshest and most innovative outdoor equipment on the planet. The Nemo Dagger will be your true camp companion this season and many more to come. Price: RRP $699.95 www.paddypallin.com.au 78

DECEMBER 2017

PRODUCT GUIDE

SAMAKI SALTWATER 4 BARRA SHIRT Samaki’s Saltwater Barra long sleeve shirt brings you one of Australia’s most iconic fish species. Her almighty beauty is so prominent you’ll want to take a moment to admire each and every scale as she launches from the depths to attack the Samaki Vibelicious. With that elusive island in the background, stunning weather, copious amounts of bait and detailed rockery the Saltwater Barra is every angler’s dream come true. The lightweight fabric is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting you from the harsh sunrays with our UV50+ resistant technology, the soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body plus has the added feature of being breathable keeping you cool and dry. Saltwater Barra shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes from a size 2 through to a 5XL allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water. Price: RRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

DAIWA TOURNAMENT 5 ISO 6000 Daiwa has created the ultimate compact size surf spin reel with the release of the new Tournament ISO 6000. These little beauties are rugged yet refined, which is what makes an absolutely perfect modern surf or rock fishing reel for the modern surf or rock angler. Daiwa’s technologically advanced hybrid material, Zaion, is the basis for the rocksolid frame. Zaion is light, strong and resists corrosion, and far exceeds the strength of traditional reel body materials such as magnesium and alloy in a strength per unit weight comparison. Because of this, the ISO 6000 will be able to handle the harsh punishment that surf and rock fishing is well known for, meaning that these machines will last you many fishing session and hopefully, trophy fish. If you’re a serious rock or surf angler, you’d be mad not to add this incredibly modern and hardy reel to your kit. www.daiwafishing.com.au

GAMAKATSU SABIKI RIGS

Gamakatsu has introduced three new versions of is popular sabiki rigs, which let you catch a whole school of live bait at once. Each hook is rigged with an extremely durable, high grade latex attractant. This mimics small bait and prawns as the angler twitches and jerks to tempt the most wary baitfish. These sabikis are especially hot for catching slimies and yakkas, and can also be used for herring and mullet. Every component of the rig is top-ofthe-line, and hand assembled for maximum durability so you can use them over and over. The S150 model (size 3-9) has a UV-coated hook which mimics the ‘glow’ of plankton, prawns and squid in the dark depths. The SS203 model (size 3-9) is designed to naturally absorb sunshine and mimic the organic bioluminescent process and glow in deep, dark water. The S523 (size 5-8) is fitted with a UV glow bead as an added bait-luring addition to its lifelike pink shrimp jacket. Price: from SRP $10.95 www.gamakatsu.com.au

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

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING BALISTA SMOKE 65

RAPALA R-TYPE SPIN

AQUAYAK OUTRIGGER KIT

There is one thing we all have in common; we need to keep food cold. Whether it is the ice in our coolers when camping, fishing or just at a family BBQ, or the freezer in your home. There now exists a product that is the first of its kind to give you the block or volume needed to hold cold longer. Introducing the Kooler Kube. The Kooler Kube was developed to be used in combination with KoolerGel to give you the ultimate cooling source, and it can be used with or without ice. The temperatures can range from 0º to -30º Celsius depending on the freezer, and will freeze down much lower but, average domestic freezers are -16 to -24. It’s also reusable and refreezable and can last for years. Keep your food colder for longer with Kooler Kube! www.koolergel.com.au

The fear of ending up in the water rather than staying on top of the water is a big reason why many people shy away from using a kayak. You can go a long way to avoiding this by adding a Aquayak Outrigger kit to your kayak. It is simple to install and can be used on all types of kayaks, and will put an end to the fear of falling off your kayak while out on the water. Once the kit is attached it will make your kayak much more stable and safer for people of all ages to get out on the water, and see how much fun getting out in a kayak can be. The Outrigger kit will even allow you to stand up in some kayaks, which will make for a much more enjoyable fishing experience. This kit is reasonabley priced, and can be delivered to your door. For more information, specs and photos, visit the Aquayak website or look them up on Facebook. Price: RRP $245 www.aquayak.com

ZEST SHOVELHEAD JIGS

VALLEY HILL JUNGLE RAPPER

There are hundreds of deep diving hardbodied lures on the market, but not one of them is anything like the new Smoke 65. The team at Balista Lures found that the action on other deep diving hardbodied lures was either too wide and slow, or too tight and fast. They spent three years meticulously refining the action to have a specific combination of action and roll. A lure with a rolling action mimics a baitfish more closely and hence makes a huge difference in fish catching ability. The Smoke 65 also features their revolutionary LED technology, which is a water activated flashing red LED. This technology has been proven to be noticeably effective in dirty water, low light conditions and after dark. Other features include an internal rattle, UV paints, proven colour patterns and BKK ultra sharp and tough trebles. They are proven to be highly effective on mangrove jacks, barramundi, bass, golden perch, Murray cod, redfin, flathead and many more. www.balista.com.au

KOOLER KUBE

The superb new Shovelhead Jigs are a magnificent jig for jigging shallower water, when smaller baitfish are being targeted, and when a more finesse approach is needed. The Shovelhead Jig features one side that is scalloped out and an opposite side that is rounded, which makes this jig really move and flutter through the water. The Shovelhead Jig is 160mm long and weighs 125g, and it is rigged with the weight at the tail, which helps the jig get down. It also features a holographic finish on one side and a mirror finish on the opposite. The Shovelhead Jig is available in four natural baitfish colours. It comes pre-rigged with quality Mustad Assist hooks that feature 200lb Kevlar heat shrunk with quality split rings and solid rings. These lures are outstanding on kingfish, amberjack, samsonfish and reef species. www.jurofishing.com

Recently we saw the release of the new concept Rapala R-Type Saltwater Spinning Reel. Rapala engineers have developed the R-Type spinning reel for hard-core saltwater anglers, with large drags, large capacities and quality componentry, guaranteed not to let you down when that trophy fish latches on and goes hell for leather. Rapala R-Type reels feature a full alloy body and rotor, ported ‘braid ready’ alloy spool with shielded drag, high drag output, CNC screw into gear handle arm, infinite anti reverse, six stainless steel bearings, left/right hand wind, and Ti line roller. The R-Type reels have everything to ensure you get the most out of each reel. All models feature a 4.9:1 gear ratio and deep spools and are available in 5500, 6500 and 7500 sizes with drag ratings of 7.7kg, 16.8kg and a whopping 17.75kg respectively. Rapala have an R-Type reel to suit every kind of hard-core saltwater angler. www.rapala.com.au

Japanese Tackle Giant Valley Hill consistently produces some of the world’s best bass lures, and the Jungle Rapper is no exception. With a nice profile and seven enticing colour combinations, the Jungle Rapper has only been available in Australia for a short time, however it has already been the undoing of many big bass. Ideal for casting in any situation, the Jungle Rapper emits a popping sound along the surface which bass simply can’t resist. In addition, the left and right wings ensure a good level of casting and retrieval control in windy and choppy conditions. Even at rest, bass have been known to hit a Jungle Rapper out of curiosity. Measuring 70mm and weighing in at 11g, and with all the quality and durability we have come to expect from Valley Hill, the Jungle Rapper is a must-have for all serious freshwater anglers. For more information on the Valley Hill range, visit the Dogtooth website. www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au DECEMBER 2017

Rockhampton Net Free Zone turns it on I planned on doing part two of my app review this month but time pressures and the fact a much better story came along put that idea to rest. I plan to finish the review next month. Speaking of planning – put a marker in your diary to be in Rockhampton for the opening of the barra season. If you are coming from interstate, make sure to drop in to see Bill Sawynok at Infofish and Stephen Pill and the boys at Barra Jacks – they will set you right on how to hook up with a monster. This month I will talk about the bounty

much and I am inclined to agree with them. This seems to be the crux of the negative argument. This ignores completely what the good folk at Rockhampton Regional Council have been aiming for. First and foremost, the plan for the Rockhampton fishery is to create an iconic location where fishers can come and catch big fish. Barramundi aren’t a species that you can catch consistently without some fishing skills, so if you want to catch them, they are there if you put the work in to learn how. That has been the core of the tourism plan – attract fishers who love that big fish experience. That

Bounty and as a result we downgraded the forecast for the event from 400-600 barra to 200-400 barra. As a worker handling the scores at the event, it was probably a good thing that the dirty water eventuated; even though fishers were forced into a smaller area, they still managed 485 barra for the event. Given that almost all the fish from the Garmin Rockhampton Rumble Barra were caught in the centre of town, the fishing has been hot up that way. Many of the fishers that failed to make inroads on the scoreboard were fishers that have performed well in the town region, so the chances were that without the muddy

ROCKY BARRA BOUNTY LINKS crystal-bowl.com.au/rocky-barra-bounty-live-monitoring/ crystal-bowl.com.au/rockhampton-barramundi-live-monitoring/ crystal-bowl.com.au/rockhampton-king-threadfin-live-monitoring/ *The live scoreboard is up at rockybarrabounty.com/scoreboard. experience and how the results should have you thinking of Rockhampton as a key destination if you’re looking for some great fishing memories. In the interests of transparency all our key data is online in an easierto-understand graphical form, and it’s all accurate to the last 24 hours. You can get the data on the Crystal Bowl website. The Rocky Barra Bounty Facebook page is also up. THE NET FREE ZONE AND BARRA BOUNTY 2017 I want to address the

is the yardstick I am using to assess the Bounty and fishing through the year. With that in mind, Rockhampton Regional Council endorsed a voluntary code of practice for fishing in the area, for fishers to voluntarily limit their take of barra and king threadfin to two of each between 60cm and 1m. Rockhampton collectively has taken a long-term view that maintaining the fishery in as good a condition as possible is vital so that visitors have the maximum opportunity to catch big fish

water we may well have exceeded the 600 prediction. In other words, anglers left more than a few fish for visitors come February. TROPHY FISH In an analysis of Facebook post traffic over the years – it’s trophy fish that have dominated the traffic. Big fish equal social love. With that in mind there was plenty of social love to be had for our fishers in 2017. On the barra side of the ledger there were 14 big fish – twice the number that have been caught in the best bounty before this (2013).

Catch mix for barramundi 2015-2017. negative types head on. I am not an advocate for NFZs but I’m also sick of partisan, stupid politics that conveniently ignores reality. Looking through the comments on the Barra Bounty page there were several comments from commercial fishers and others who seemed to expend a lot of energy finding that one golden stat that proved that the Net Free Zone doesn’t work. On that front Queensland Fisheries reported in September that the fishing experience for the average fisher hadn’t improved 82

DECEMBER 2017

and have a good time on the water. To me – that is a pretty progressive view, one I think other councils will adopt as they realise the value of fishing to their locals. Now with that in mind – how do the bounty figures stack up with that plan? CONDITIONS AT THE BOUNTY IN 2017 For the second year running the conditions were less than ideal with a run of fresh water immediately before the event making the river unfishable in town down well past Nerimbera. That section has always been a prime producer in the

The best of the lot was a 1.33m beast that was pulled out in the first hour. The fisher involved, Lou Moore, said he wasn’t even trying. The story goes he we just swimming the lure in the current while helping his mate out, he put his rod in the rod holder and it went off like a rocket. Maybe I should try that more often. On the king threadfin side of the ledger the news was even better. I was reduced to tears by how many trophy fish there were – having watched the decline in the king threadfin fishery in Brisbane, it showed what can be done. All up there were 48

Gavin Gaw with a 1.32m threadfin. king threadfin over 1m – a whopping 24% of the catch. The battle for the biggest thready was intense with the lead changed every few hours. Evan Thompson nailed it on the last day with a 1.32m snorter. The year-

to-date proportion of trophy fish is around 16%, so no matter how you want to look at it, Rockhampton is as good as it gets right now for trophy fish. CATCH MIX One of the markers

had a good spawning this year but it seems that few of those fish have survived. The reasons are unknown at this stage, but it’s not due to any factors caused by people. The catch mix for the bounty has changed a

Figure 2: barramundi catch across the tide day one and two combined. of how the fishery has improved is the proportion of legal fish. There are two main factors that influence this criterion. The first is the fact that less legal fish are being taken out (no nets) and secondly recruits (new barra) from a few years back are reaching maturity. There is a third factor that influences it as well – recent recruitment has been less than successful. This is one we are still ironing out as to what is going on; we

lot in the last three years and now looks close to ideal for visitors to come and experience that ‘big barra feeling’. When it comes to king threadfin, the news is even better – so long as you know how to catch them. We had a couple of king specialists from Brisbane visit this year and even though they had spent next to no time on the Fitzroy previously, they managed to bag a trophy fish each, with one – Lochie Reed

Catch rates for barramundi in the Fitzroy.

– catching the most fish for the event and taking out the Other Species category on the first attempt. AVERAGE LENGTH If the catch mix isn’t clear enough for you, then the next chart will be. Both barramundi and king threadfin catches were on average the largest they have ever been. This is

the recruitment hasn’t been as strong and that’s the period when the most effective fishers have an impact. Figure 1 shows there was reasonable recruitment from 2013-2015, which would have topped up the stocks. This year and last year have not been successful; Last year it was due to poor spawning and this year, even

fish into the system. Overall, the catch rates are down slightly. On the other hand, the catch rate for legal fish is heading into the best of times territory. The legal catch rate of one fish per fisher per day based on annual monitoring is the highest it has ever been. We end the year with 1,456

Fig.1 Barramundi Recruitment in the Fitzroy. the clearest indicator that the nets being removed has had a positive effect as big fish are exactly what the commercial fishers target. While it could be argued that the removal of some of the fishing area distorted the results, the fact this is also true for the annual catch monitoring puts that one to bed. You can verify that via the Crystal Bowl website. For the record, the annual average length is 659mm – 30mm short of the 689mm registered in the Bounty. CATCH RATES The last-ditch effort in the debate over whether or not taking the nets out has had an effect is in catch rates. The figure being used there is the overall catch rates, which are down. By some twist of logic, the nets have supposedly had no effect on catch rates for recreational fishers. I am somewhat in agreement with that statement. A fishery is a balancing equation – fish-in verses fish-out. Wherever there is conflict it’s almost always on the fish-out side of the equation but the fish-in part is equally important. To a degree the fish-in and fish-out equation has been balanced in Rockhampton after a boom from 2007-2009. There are still fish from that period in the system. In recent times however,

though there was a successful spawning, recruits don’t seem to have survived. For this reason, we can expect that the catch rates would be slightly down due to mortality overriding new

barra reported (with some still to process yet) which makes this the best year in the last three for number of fish reported. This year’s bounty was the third best on record for

Lou Moore with his 1.33m barra. legal fish, only bettered by be some absolute horses on 2012 and 2013. In the case of to Rockhampton. While offer for visitors when the king threadfin, the legal catch I won’t hand out maps of season opens in February. I rate was only bettered by where to catch them – again, wouldn’t leave out the king 2015 and many fishers were check in with Bill on what experience, either – they take running the other direction parts of the river are fishing a bit to work out but there are when they found the king well when you visit – I can some great lures made these because only the top 30 tell you that the tide is pretty days that are custom-made places were guaranteed a spot important. If you follow the for threadies. in the Bounty next year, so Bounty online, you will see a We always do our best barra were in high demand. lot more but here is a taste. not to cherry-pick evidence, ONE MORE THING – The chart (Fig. 2) below which means using multiple HAVE SOME CANDY shows the catch across the pieces of evidence where I have a Christmas gift tide. As you can see the early possible. When you look at for those thinking of heading morning low is pretty sweet the catch mix, catch rates

Catch mix for king threadfin 2015-2017.

The daily catch rates for barramundi and king threadfin.

The average length of barramundi and king threadfin exceeded the average length of fish for the last 10 years.

with the catch declining as the tide rises. Look for those sorts of tides and know you can pack up mid-morning. That leaves plenty of time to take the family to the beach. STOP READING, START PACKING The objectives of the local council to create a fishery that will attract fishers to try their hand for big fish are well and truly on track. If the end of this season is anything to go by, there will

for legal fish and additional trophy fish that came out this year, the fishing was as good as it has ever been for big fish. Just remember when you head to Rockhampton, this is a catch and release fishery that is being carefully managed so that everyone can have the best experience possible. Come, have a great time, catch some big fish and go home with a lifetime of memories. Leave the fillets in the water. DECEMBER 2017

Rookies rule at Kinchant THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

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The rookies drew first blood on the 2017 Zerek BARRA Tour with Brett Turner and Dean Jackson claiming a comprehensive win in the opening round of the series, the Mustad Kinchant Dam Evening Event. Armed with the Zerek lures they received in the Rookie Pack at the event briefing, Team Flattop Fishing caught their limit on a Zerek Fish Trap fishing just wide of a flooded hump. “We fished a little deeper than most of the other teams in the area at the start of the session and as the night wore on we moved in closer to the shallows,” explained Jackson. Late in the session the pair would cast tight up into the shallows landing their lures in about 3ft of water. They would then burn it back fast to keep it above the weed and it was on the burn that the fish would bite – a fast and fun technique that delivered Team Flattop Fishing two fish over a metre, a 78.01kg limit and a 21kg winning margin.

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Team Flattop Fishing hit the ground running in round one claiming the Mustad Kinchant Dam win with a 78kg limit. Their tournamentwinning tackle comprised of baitcaster outfits spooled with 40 and 50lb PE mainline and 50 and 60lb fluorocarbon leader.

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Team Flattop Fishing (Brett Turner and Dean Jackson) picked up the Zerek Big Barra prize at Kinchant with the pair’s prize winning fish measuring 124cm. Tempted by the black jack coloured Zerek Fish Trap they received in their briefing kit, the fish found sanctuary in the weed before sufficient rod pressure extracted it and into the waiting net. – ABT

Plenty of chunky barra graced the Zerek Measure Mat.

On The Move move to second Team On The Move (Glen Smith and Nicholle Smith) finished second at Kinchant with the pair fishing a weed point on the lake to catch their fish. Unlike most teams who fish out from a weed point and cast towards it, Smith and Smith anchored on a weed point and cast out into the deep.

Using a combination of 4” Yum and Shads paddle-tail soft plastics rigged on 1/4oz jigheads, the pair would cast out, sink their lure down then retrieve it back to the boat with the plastic just touching the top of the weed as it came through the water column. “The 1/4oz jighead was just the right weight so it would just tickle the top of

the weed as we slow rolled the plastic back to the boat. If the lure did foul up on the weed at all, we’d rip it clear; it was often just after the rip that the fish would eat it,” explained Glen Smith. The pair caught their fish at 8pm and a total of 12 fish for session. “The fishing was actionpacked at times; we would

have jumped off over a dozen fish, we got dusted by a few big fish, and there was one stage where we caught three fish in three casts,” explained Glen. The kicker fish in their bag was their last fish for the session – a metre fish that Nicholle caught at 11.45pm, and a fish that welcomed her to the metre barra club.

RESULTS

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 86

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Place

Team

Angler 1

Angler 2

Fish

TW (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Flattop Fishing On The Move FishTec/EJ Todd Venom Lowrance Jackall Fishing Monthly Mustad Triton Boats/Edge Rods Mad Keen

Brett Turner Glen Smith Craig Griffiths Troy Dixon Peter Price Ash Sims Steve Morgan Jeremy Cornelius Rick Napier Shane Fahl

Dean Jackson Nicholle Smith Karim DeRidder Robert Payne Greg Thomas Dan Curry James Reid Lochie Reed Dustin Sippel Corey Fahl

5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5 4/5

78.01 57.09 53.41 51.87 50.35 49.29 41.41 38.85 34.57 32.36

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Barratrauma bag out for round two win Peter Laine and Zac Hunt showed their hand as a team to watch on the 2017 Zerek BARRA Tour with the pair catching a 5/5, 45.94kg limit to claim top honours at the Lucky Craft Teemburra Evening Event. Fishing a spot they located in the pre-fish, the pair used a two prong approach with Zac throwing small jerkbaits on a lighter outfit and Peter throwing a Stiffy Boney Bream on a heavier outfit. This approach allowed them to pick the small fish as they came through and still have a bigger fish lure in the water when the big fish bit. Zac’s outfit was an Edge Rods Black Widow 705 rod that he paired with a fast retrieve baitcaster. “The rod is ideal for jerkbaiting while the fast reel allows you to gather in line quickly when you need to,” explained Zac. Peter’s big fish setup was a step up with a 20-65lb

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Presente A Tour R2 d by Luc ky Craft

Edge Rod and Megabass Black Jungle reel – the perfect combination for muscling big fish, including the kicker fish in their limit, a barra that ate his Boney Bream in behind a tree that many fish were holding on and moving past. “That thing went stupid when I set the hook and it powered off towards the point. I loaded up on it and I eventually got it back to the boat and into the net,” explained Peter. That fish measured 126cm and was the anchor for their maiden win on the Zerek BARRA Tour. With a win to their name on only their second year on tour Laine and Hunt were now primed for the northern leg of the Zerek BARRA Tour. Peter Faust would host the next two rounds and had the potential to deliver the biggest and best fishing of the tour. Laine and Hunt were to find out very soon just how true that was.

ZEREK BIG BARRA Team Barratrauma value-added their event winnings at Teemburra with the pair securing the Zerek Big Barra prize for their 126cm/32.6kg fish. The first fish in the team’s limit, Laine caught the standout fish on a well-used Stiffy Boney Bream weighted to suspend and presented with an Edge Rods rod and Megabass Black Jungle reel. – ABT

Team Barratrauma secured the win and the Big Barra prize at the second round at Teemburra Dam.

Back on track 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour champions Griffiths and DeRidder returned to the podium in round two at Teemburra with the barra guns fishing the eastern side of the dam, targeting fish on a little point that dropped off into deeper water. While the pair fished one location, they had a variety of lures that they used including Madness silicon vibes, hand poured swimbaits, and Squidgy Slick Rigs. The retrieve for the vibes involved big hops, with fish regularly eating the lure on the drop. Their approach paid off with the pair with ten fishing hitting the deck by 10.30pm. “It was a consistent bite throughout the session and was much better than what we and I’m sure many anglers were expecting from Teemburra”, explained DeRidder. The rod selection Griffiths used included an Edge Rods 666 Black Widow and a 705 Black Widow. DeRidder used a 6’8, 10-25lb Palms Molla rod matched with a Daiwa Zillion Type R for his smaller plastics and hardbodies, and a Dobyns

Champion 795 SB swimbait rod matched to a Shimano 300 Tranx loaded with 80lb braid for his larger plastics. “The Dobyns swimbait rod is perfect for what we do. It’s just under 8 foot long so you can really swing those big baits out there yet it’s light to use so you’re not tiring yourself from throwing lures hour after hour, I can use this all night long and not suffer for doing it. Matched to one of the new Shimano Tranx 300 reels, the outfit is very well balanced and a dream to fish with. When it come to leader I like to run 80lb Sunline FC for my heavier baits, I find it heavy enough for what we do and as long as you don’t go too hard on the fish they’re not going to chew through it”, explained DeRidder. A slow start to the tour by Griffith’s and DeRidders usual ultra high standards the next two events at Peter Faust had the potential to offer much for the barra duo. “We’ve done very well at Faust over the years and we’re always confident that we can catch them there. What we can’t control is what the others teams catch, so we’re just going to go there focused on catching the biggest fish we can”, explained Griffiths.

Griffiths and DeRidder with their rewards for their 2nd place at Teemburra.

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Team Barratrauma FishTec/EJ Todd Tree Huggers Jackall Mad Keen Lews Toray The Likely Lads Zerek Triton Boats/Edge Rods Lowrance

Angler 1 Peter Laine Craig Griffiths Mick Weick Ash Sims Shane Fahl Mick Thompson Geoff Newby Luke Mulcahy Rick Napier Peter Price

Angler 2 Zac Hunt Karim DeRidder Brendan Barnett Dan Curry Corey Fahl Tony Thorley Phil Lyons Michael Detenon Dustin Sippel Greg Thomas

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 2/5 4/5 5/5 1/5

TW (kg) 45.94 40.69 27.03 24.84 20.95 19.56 18.52 17.60 17.04 16.38

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au DECEMBER 2017

Clark Fishmaster 430 SC with Suzuki 40hp - SC

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Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Lake Eildon is Victoria’s inland freshwater playground. It is home to a flotilla of houseboats, has multiple accommodation options and is an angler’s paradise with Victorian Fisheries stocking a huge amount of native fish into it in recent years. It was also the perfect venue to put the Clark Fishmaster 430 side console through its paces with the team from Boats and More. We have done a number of Clark tests for Boats and More in the past, but this was the first test on a boat from the Fishmaster range. Aimed firmly at the estuary, lake and river markets, it’s also available in tiller steer or centre console configurations. The test boat was a side console and the boat was matched with a Suzuki 40hp 4-stroke outboard. THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE FISHMASTER Any boat aimed at the lake, river and estuary markets must have a few things in my opinion. First

and foremost is fishing space. The Fishmaster has a reasonably large forward casting deck that incorporates some underfloor storage and a plumbed livewell. The deck is large enough to comfortably cast lures from and could be used by two people if need be. If bait fishing is your go, both seats on the lower deck swivel and there is enough room between the rear storage for you to be comfortable. You can easily put your feet up with fishing rods placed in the rear holders and enjoy a morning soaking a bait. Apart from the storage in the front deck, there are also a couple of side pockets for the items you need to get your hands on in a hurry and some space under the console. There is certainly enough storage to keep your fishing areas clear of obstacles while you are on the water. Second on my list of must-haves is the ability to mount electronics, in the form of sounders and gauges or an electric motor on the bow. The side console of the Fishmaster isn’t huge, but is well planned out. Not only does the driver have ample room to drive the boat comfortably, there are

PERFORMANCE RPM......... Speed (km/h).....Economy (L/hour) Idle (750)................... 1.2............................. 0.4 1000.......................... 4.0............................. 0.7 2000........................... 7.2............................. 1.9 3000.......................... 9.6............................. 4.3 4000......................... 27.4............................. 5.6 5000........................ 39.1............................10.6 WOT (5600)............. 44.5............................13.8 102

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Main: Lake Eildon in Central Victoria was the perfect place to put the 430 Fishmaster through its paces. It was a stunning day to be on the water. Above: The white Suzuki 40hp 4-stroke was a little different as far as looks go, but as you would expect with all Suzuki outboards, it performed well. also enough flat surfaces to mount any switches and gauges and plenty of room for a medium to large sounder. Although the test boat wasn’t fitted with a bow mount electric motor bracket, this is an available option. If your intention is to fish casting lures, this would be a must for me. Lastly and just as important as the previous points, a small boat should be easily launched and retrieved by one person. The 430 Fishmaster was matched to a Dunbier trailer that was ideal for exactly that. You can easily drive it on and off or it can be winched by one person, depending on your preference. The other plus of having a boat this size is that the family sedan will comfortably tow it with a minimum of fuss. RIDE AND PERFORMANCE I have to say, of all

the Clark boats that I have tested, the Fishmaster was the best to drive so far. The handling was good at low and high speeds and it dealt with any chop we had on the testing day with ease. It had good stability at rest. I was very comfortable standing on the forward casting deck taking photos for another test and after we finished it was great platform to fish from.

SUZUKI 40HP 4-STROKE The Clark 430 Fishmaster is rated to a 50hp motor. For testing and pricing reasons the crew from Boats and More fitted it out with a 40hp 4-Stroke from Suzuki and a white one at that. The white Suzuki certainly was a point of difference, but the colour really was the only change to what is a proven motor. It got the Fishmaster up to a very nippy 44km/h and with the Lean Burn technology that Suzuki incorporates into their motors, it provides a good balance between economy and output. You could comfortably run around at between 3000 and 4000 revs all day and know that you will have enough fuel in the tank to get home. FINAL THOUGHTS The Clark Fishmaster 430 is a great mediumsized sportsfishing boat. You could add as many bells and whistles as your needs require and have a boat that will last you many years. I think I would opt for a

50hp outboard, as I firmly believe this would maximise the performance of the boat, particularly if you intend to have 3-4 people in it. As I said on the testing day, “that’s enough photos and videos – let’s get out and have a fish.” I think that is the reaction you want to have if you buy a fishing boat – you should want to use it. SPECIFICATIONS Hull Length........ 4.38m Beam.................. 2.00m Depth................. 0.85m Bottom............3.00mm Sides...............3.00mm Weight (hull only).303kg Min hp.................. 30hp Max hp................. 50hp Max people........... Four You can find out more about the Fishmaster 430 and the Clark range of boats by going to the Boats and More website www.boatsandmore. com.au or give their Shepparton and Echuca stores a call.

The Fishmaster got up to a very respectable 44km/h at WOT.

The Lean Burn technology incorporated in Suzuki outboards ensures that users get a motor that provides maximum economy and output.

The layout of the console in the Fishmaster was well thought-out with plenty of legroom for the driver and ample space on the console to install electronics.

Comfortable seats are always nice to have in a boat and the Fishmaster definitely had that. The author could definitely see himself soaking a bait with his feet up out of the back of the boat.

An anchor well comes standard on the Fishmaster. An option with the boat is to add an electric motor bracket. This is a must as far the author is concerned.

You can easily tow the Fishmaster with a medium-sized family sedan. It came on a Dunbier trailer and was easily launched and retrieved by one person if required.

The casting deck has enough storage under it to keep your fishing space clear of clutter.

A couple of side pockets provide handy storage for those items you need to get hands on in a hurry.

The front casting deck provides plenty of fishing space and is large enough for two anglers to fish from.

Standard in the Clark Fishmaster range of boats is a livewell. This is handy if you are looking to upgrade your fish or if you want to release your fish at the end of a session.

Painted inside and out, the Fishmaster 430 SC looked great on the water.

The rear decks have storage for batteries, a fuel tank and room for a bit more gear.

A classic hull configuration provides great ride and handling at any speed. DECEMBER 2017

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Whittley Sea Legend 20 with 200hp Volvo Penta - SC

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Length on trailer......7.5m Height on trailer......2.2m Width on trailer.......2.4m Beam........................2.4m Deadrise at transom.23° Fuel........................... 150L Dry tow weight... 1,980kg Max HP..................200HP

Main: Taking the Whittley SL20 for an afternoon around Queenscliff sure was a lot of fun. There hasn’t been a Whittley/Volvo Penta inboard combination we’ve tested that hasn’t been a whole lot of fun to drive. Above: The SL20 tested is pretty easy on the eye and will turn heads at any boat ramp in the country. It also corners like it’s on rails. Actually, it wasn’t that much of a stretch – we rocked up the day after Whittley’s on water event at the Queenscliff Marina – a lovely little clear-water berth

right by the entrance of Port Phillip Bay. Whittley are well known for taking their boats to the people. Their marketing includes shopping centre

DECEMBER 2017

displays and on water events, as well as the more traditional boat shows and Alan Whittley’s theory for this is simple: Whittleys are family friendly, so they need to get the boats to where the families are. That said, this is a serious fishing boat with some creature comforts more than a Whittley cruiser that you can fish out of. Priced to impress (the rig is under $80,000, ready to fish), the SL20 is a great entry point to the Sea Legend range and entirely capable of taking you tuna fishing one day and whiting fishing the next. There hasn’t been a Volvo/Whittley combo I’ve tested yet that isn’t fun to drive. Even though this hull is only rated to 200HP and is fitted with the SX iteration stern drive with a single prop (and not the water-gripping

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s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

There’s five lengths of the Whittley Sea Legend available and the Sea Legend (SL) 20 is the smallest of them. And as most Whittley SLs are purchased with an inboard rather then outboard option, Alan Whittley organised us an SL20 with a 200HP Volvo Penta inboard to test.

duo-prop option) it still packs a punch when you drop the throttle and drives around likes a sports car. Like all Whittleys, the finish is great. The cabin is lined and spacious, the decks have folded non-slip where not covered with custom SeaDek and the seat bases are designed for maximum practicality. This rig has a pair of ice boxes stashed under the seats with half-cut list to allow in situ access. There’s a sliding, lockable door for cabin privacy and security. At the helm, the dash is well laid out and there’s room to flush mount a sounder or multi function display. Of course, the question

Steve Morgan

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to hold some of your extra gear and the optional bait board confines the messy stuff to one area. Under the deck, there’s a kill box to keep your catch in great shape. PERFORMANCE 36 knots at 5,600RPM No fuel metering available Packaged on a twin axle Mackay trailer with electric brakes, Whittley definitely haven’t taken the cheaper option when putting together the cradle for this hull. Overall, if you’re looking to get into a fishing Whittley, the SL 20 seems the natural

With the canvas canopy for shade and the rocket launchers to help your rods out of the way, two anglers can fish around each other with ease. Both items are standard features on the SL20. most anglers ask when faced with fishing out of an inboard-powered boat is that of cockpit room. You’ll be glad to know that the incursion of the engine bay into the cockpit is minimal and the design of the transom allows easy entry from either side. There’s ample side pockets

place to start. In addition to watching the video of the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel (by scanning the QR code hereby), you can take a virtual tour of this boat by visiting the Whittley website (www.whittleymarinegroup. com.au) – it’s pretty impressive. You can also find your nearest dealer.

Top: The 23° of deadrise at the transom makes the Sea Legend hull soft-landing in rougher waters. Above: If you’re converting from an outboard to an inboard, you need to get used to using your trim gauge and not just looking back when you’re trimming up to load the trailer.

Spring-style trim tabs are standard on the SL20 package. That bait board at the transom is the only optional extra on this package. Everything else is standard – and the rig comes in at under $80,000.

The router SeaDek floor inserts are standard, too.

The helm is comfortable and the dash well laid out. It can hold bigger than the 7” Garmin in the test boat.

Ample side pockets and an underfloor kill tank make this a practical fishing machine.

Enough room here to hold half-a-dozen of your favourites.

Top Left: The bait board drains via a pipe over the transom and is easy to remove if its not needed. Top Right: Practical patterns in the SeaDek like rulers are fairly common in modern glass boats. Left: We liked the easy access to the cranking battery and isolation switch. Right: To get best use of the seat bases, Whittley custom-cut their ice box lids to enable access while they are half-hidden under the seats.

Whittley supply this rig on a twinaxle, electric brake trailer. They could get away with hydraulic, but opted for the safer path.

The bow is well set-up for anchoring and retrieval. DECEMBER 2017

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