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June 2018, Vol. 13 No. 8

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

Portland 14 Warrnambool 16 Apollo Bay

Cobden 16

CENTRAL Geelong 18 Port Phillip West

Port Phillip North East

Port Phillip North

Mornington Peninsula

Western Port North

Western Port South

Phillip Island

EAST COAST Lakes Entrance

Marlo 28 Gippsland Lakes

Corner Inlet

NSW SOUTH COAST Bermagui 34 Eden 34 Mallacoota 35 Merimbula 37 Narooma 35

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 48 Robinvale 49

From the Editor’s Desk... It’s no secret that there are concerns about bluefin tuna stocks internationally. But recently there’s been a consideration by the Commonwealth Government that has many different bodies scratching their heads. The Commonwealth Government has threatened to take over management of Victoria’s tuna fishery and halve the recreational bag limit. However, it seems they have just gifted the commercial fishers in Port Lincoln an extra 500 tonnes without any consultation with the other states or recreational fishers. It seems odd that to protect an internationally endangered species to put more regulation in place for the recreational sector, yet increase quotas for the commercial sector. There’s no question that

in terms of fish stocks, that the recreational sector has far less of an impact than commercials – so what’s going on here? Currently, all of the allocation of tuna for Australia is given to the commercial sector in Port Lincoln. There’s questions that recreational anglers need to be asking. Firstly, why hasn’t the Commonwealth completed the recreational tuna survey that is has committed to nationally? This would provide a better context for decisions like these. Secondly, is the Commonwealth threatening to take over Victoria’s recreational tuna fishery management? In the past, recreational tuna fishing bag limits in Victoria have been managed by state fisheries, and tailored to Victoria’s unique fishery. What consultation with

the states was undertaken regarding how this allocation decision was made? Surely, if there was to be a international decision regarding the protection of a species, the bodies that previously governed the recreational and commercial take would be consulted first. Has the Commonwealth done any socio-economic analysis of the impact to the Glenelg Shire by halving the recreational tuna catch? Often when big decision like these are made, small communities are ignored. Is the Commonwealth aware of the jobs and investment that the tuna fishery currently supports in the Glenelg Shire? Small towns like the Glenelg Shire rely on visiting anglers to retain a healthy economy, and if tuna opportunities are diminished, who knows what lies ahead? This is a matter that needs to be approached with

scepticism by recreational anglers, because it just smells fishy. MELBOURNE BOAT SHOW Although we have a huge Melbourne Boat Show feature with a pile of boat tests in this issue, you may notice that we don’t have a stand at the Melbourne Boat Show this year. We do have a special gift for VFM readers wanting to subscribe at the show – call the office on 1800 228 244 and speak to Kym to find out what it is, and redeem the offer. We will be attending the show to cover the new product launches and news that it generates and we’ll probably see you there again next year. Until next month, keep warm and tight lines. There’s plenty of reading in this issue to keep you occupied.

Mildura 48 Jindabyne 50 Wangaratta 52 Shepparton 53 Ballarat 54 Eildon 56

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Luke Marchetti took this humungous cuttlefish off the Portsea Pier in the early morning. He thought he was snagged until the snag fought back! A Luke Marchetti image. TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 55 FIND THE DAIWA LOGO COMPETITION PAGE 15 Victorian and Tasmanian Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the last week of each preceding month (latest sale date 31st of the month).

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Exciting land-based snapper techniques

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Time for an epic sword fight

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Fishing Diary Angler: Jonah Yick Date: June 15th 2016

Location: Eaglehawk Neck, TAS Conditions: SW 10 kts, incoming tide

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SWORDFISH

It’s time for an epic swordfight PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

A few years ago if someone said you could catch a swordfish in daylight hours, you would have thought they were on the crazy pills, but that was quickly changed when anglers overseas started to catch these giants of the ocean with a bit of

board the boat with Julian Coyne and Richie Abela when we went to Mallacoota in search of a marlin bite. While we were there Richie said we needed to drop a bait for a sword. When the water we were fishing held no marlin, our plans changed and a bait was sent down. That trip changed our lives forever as the bait was eaten as soon as it hit the bottom by a swordfish that we later landed. Then

on our doorstep. From what we have learned so far, it seems that right now is the time to go and catch one. SAFETY FIRST While we have worldclass swordfish opportunities here, our only downside is that the good areas are

often run out to the shelf to check anglers for safety gear and licenses. LOCATIONS One thing that has become very apparent is that swordfish can, and do, cover a lot of ground in their endless hunt for food.

Tom Hall does battle with a 197kg sword off Lakes Entrance. regularity. It also gained momentum very quickly as anglers also realised that there were good numbers of swords feeding all day long down in the depths. Fast forward a few years and anglers have started to make a few attempts at catching swords, and catch them they certainly did. The lid was blown off in our own Victorian waters back in 2016 when Matt Porter landed the first one in Victoria. Funny thing was that after getting that fish Matt realised that he had in fact had bites and hooked several other swords before he landed this one. A week later I was fortunate enough to be on

to back it up we got two more the following day. This had our heads spinning, as we couldn’t believe it was possible to catch broadbill and multiples of them on a daily basis. Since that trip a lot of miles have been covered, things learned, techniques refined and tackle developed for catching these giants in our own Victorian waters. The other thing that has quickly become apparent is that not only are there numbers of fish in our waters but the size of some of the fish is gigantic. Even the average-size fish in Tasmania would rival any other swordfish location in the world and best of all it’s

This is what 197kg of sword looks like in the boat – take the time to get good pictures.

This is a belly flap bait for a sword. all long hauls from land, 60-90km runs offshore are fairly standard. Adding to this the ramps are not suitable in all conditions, so having a large enough boat and enough fuel capacity is paramount. Choosing calm weather patterns is also a must, and it also makes fishing for these fish much easier and more comfortable. Make sure all safety gear is well and truly up to scratch as the water police

Luckily for us, the coastline between Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota has kilometres of good areas to find swordfish. The key areas to search are along the outside edge of the continental shelf in anything from 300-600m of water, with kinks, canyons and any change in feature generally being prime areas. The other key factor to finding swordfish – just like any other gamefish is to find the bait – as these guys have

big appetites and will always be in areas of high food concentrations, which down deep is called a ‘scatter’ or ‘feed’ layer. This is made up of micro-organisms and small baitfish and squid. This in turn attracts bigger fish and squid, which then attract the swords. To find these key areas to fish you require a good sounder and a suitable deep water transducer. I run a Simrad EVO3 12” unit with a 1kw low chirp transducer. Not only does it read the bottom clearly at these depths, it also highlights the feed layer and where it’s thicker or more densely packed, which highlights

key spots to fish. A good sounder setup will also help to clearly mark any fish in the area. TACKLING UP People often ask me what swords fight like and while they can have incredible bursts of speed and perform some spectacular jumps, for the most part it’s like being hooked up to a 4WD in low gear. For this reason, some serious tackle is required to land them. When it comes to reel choices there are plenty to choose from. While any 50W game reel will do the job when filled with braid, due to their smaller size by the time the bait is down

RINCON

Like the California point break it was named for, the Rincon has a classic West Coast straight bridge, wrapping style lines and edgy curved temples.

GREEN MIRROR: Enhanced vision and contrast for fishing inshore and on flats. • Copper Base • 10% light transmission

JUNE 2018

OPTIMAL USE: • Sight fishing in full sun • High contrast

Near the end of the battle, Jules Coyne prepares to take the leader on a sword.

SWORDFISH on the bottom there isn’t a lot of line left on the reel. Most anglers prefer to use reels like the Tiagra 80W, Makaira 80W or the Penn 70VSX, as these hold loads of braid and the bigger spool diameter also means you get great line retrieval. The other super popular reel nowadays is the Talica 50, which has a large spool diameter and high retrieve speed in a compact overhead. Reels are filled with anything from 50-130lb braid with 80lb being the most popular. Attach a topshot; 50-100m allows a good bit of stretch in the system. Saying that, the great thing about this emerging fishery is that anglers are evolving and coming up with new ideas and theories,

Good quality lights attract those swords to your lures and baits once they’re down deep.

These are sounder shots of a Simrad showing the thick feed layer and also the marks of a swordfish holding just near it. so the length of topshots is creating a lot of discussions. When it comes to the rod, I recommend a soft tipped rod (to be able to see the bite) which folds away to a powerful butt section capable of comfortably fishing 12-16kg of drag. As for the guides, most anglers use rollers, but I love full fixed guides; they allow leader knots and wind-on leaders to pass through the guides easily and, best of all, the rod can sit in the holder waiting for a bite or even loaded up on a fish with the line able to pull at any angle without any worry of braid slipping between the roller and frame. My sword rods are 80 Fathoms custom sword rods and I’ve caught a bunch of fish and, more importantly, spent a lot of hours fighting fish. I prefer a bent butt system on the rod as they are made for up and down fights on heavy drag.

7699D in 12/0 and 14/0 is perfect in a squid. A lot of anglers are now going towards circles as they allow for a good release and are a great way to fish for swords, as the hardest part is often hooking them. The most important part of using circles is to make sure the bait is well clear of the hook. Move towards fish baits such as mackerel, small tuna or belly flap baits, that way it won’t foul up on the hook like a squid might. HARNESSES, GLOVES AND GAFFS If you don’t have a harness, definitely get one and make it a good one. Have it adjusted to the angler who is going to be on the rod before you hook up. As an added extra, you can also

upgrade the gimbal belt from the standard to the XL size, as the bigger size spreads the load better on heavy drag, making it more comfortable to fish over extended periods. Good tracing gloves are also important; with the heavier leader you can hold on when you get that sword in range. When you do, if you’re keeping it, make sure you have a few gaffs ready. Have at least one but preferably two fliers tied off. I also like a good fixed gaff that is small and ultra tough. GOING DOWN You’ve got the gear and the bait and you’re out over the shelf, now you need to get that bait down to the bottom hundreds of metres below. One thing’s for sure, To page 10

IT’S TERMINAL While you need to get a bit of stuff to chase swords, the upside is that it doesn’t require six rods and a million lures. What you will need, however, is a few lights to go on your rig. These are super important to your success – these lights will attract the swordfish to your bait in the darkness below. While there are loads of lights to choose from, Lindgren Pittman offer a bunch of colours; my favourite are the disco colours. These lights aren’t cheap but are fully water and pressure tested, so you know they are working properly 500m below you. Add to this a few small diamond lights, big rubber bands, wax thread, stitching needles and rigs. Most of our rigs are made up on 300lb leader, but some anglers use up to 600lb. Hook choice is a personal one. You should have a few hook options. It’s important to match the suitable hook to the bait. The Black Magic Big Game 9/0 and 10/0 are great hooks for belly flaps, while the Mustad

Swordfish are some of the most impressive fish in the ocean, so have fun with the battle. JUNE 2018

Snapper

Exciting land-based snapper fishing tactics VFM

Gerry Morsman

There’s just something about catching snapper off the land that leaves me wanting more! Maybe it’s the excitement of seeing a 13ft rod buckle over after an intense wait in that unforgiving weather with waves crashing over the rocks. It might be those intense moments when you think you’re surely going to lose your fish on a reefy ledge, or a wave picking your fish up in those last seconds of the fight and spilling your prize catch

over the rocks when all you can think is, ‘yep – that ones gone!’ only to see you’re still attached and more excited than ever to land the fish you worked so hard for. Whatever it is, I’ll definitely be doing it until I’m too old to be climbing down hills or lugging my gear down the beach. For now that’s all part of the adventure and part of what makes a land-based snapper so rewarding. Some of my greatest and worst fishing memories have been off the land ranging from some epic sprained ankles to witnessing some of the biggest snapper

Mark Keaveny with a 5kg snapper. As you can see in the background, the conditions are less than desirable.

Harry Bould with a 6.5kg snapper off Mornington. A nice big squid tentacle did the damage on this one.

I’ve ever seen being caught right in front of me. Most sane people would be reading this wondering why the hell anybody would want to do this. It sounds horrible, but I bloody love it! SAFETY! I can’t express enough how important this is, especially when fishing in these conditions on an uneven rocky surface. There are going to be waves crashing over the rocks and you never know when a rogue set of waves could come through and put you into the water. This has never happened to me and I’ve never seen it happen to anyone but I have definitely heard about it and it’s something I am very

wary of. Always fish with a mate and keep an eye out for each other at all times! I highly recommend wearing

obviously a good start. There is plenty of structure through this whole area. If you watch any fishing

shows or talk to your local tackle shops you would have heard at some stage that structure holds fish, so make sure to always look for this when choosing your location. The water would only be a couple of metres deep for around the first 15m out and there is a very steep drop-off that goes to around 6m at low tide. This drop-off is nearly like a wall in the water, so when there’s a huge westerly wind at Mornington, it will wash in a heap of food from all over the bay and my theory is that the food will hold up against this wall putting large snapper into a feeding frenzy. A westerly wind at Mornington is classed as an onshore wind. An onshore wind basically means that the wind is blowing directly towards the shoreline. The best times I have found have been at first light. I hate getting up that early but the snapper don’t mind (clearly

Running Sinker Slider rig Swivel Main leader

Catching snapper off the rocks is exciting business, regardless of the size.

6oz bomb sinker 5/0 octopus hook

Paternoster

Main leader

5/0 octopus hook

6oz bomb sinker

The author’s recommended rigs for land-based snapper fishing. 32

JUNE 2018

a PFD, a life jacket and suitable footwear. No fish is worth not coming home for. LOCATION There are so many factors to look at but probably the most important is your location. There are all sorts of different ways to target large land-based snapper. A couple of places are favourites and have worked consistently for many experienced and keen land-based anglers. My favourite location would have to be the Mornington rocks. This area holds the key features to holding large landbased snapper, but it’s also very weather-dependant if you want to catch them consistently. Mornington is a very popular area for boats targeting snapper, so you know they are going to be around somewhere, which is

A decent land-based red that was released and swam away.

Snapper never had a big night) and as much as I would love them to wait around like everyone else, they aren’t going to! It’s not all bad news, though, as another very productive time is late in the afternoon and going into just after dark. Although these times seem to be the most productive you always have

like Lang Lang or Temby Point near Jam Jerrup. There are huge mud flats around these areas and the snapper love to get up on them on the incoming tides and feed on mainly crabs. This doesn’t mean you have to use crabs as bait, because if a snapper sees a fresh pilchard or a nice strip of fresh squid

The author with a 3.5kg snapper. The bait – a squid head – was only in the water for about 15 seconds before the rod took off. a chance to catch them throughout the day. It’s not often the weather gods allow these perfect conditions, so large snapper will most likely take the opportunity to get themselves an easy feed in close. Don’t be afraid to wait it out, as you never know – you might still get your fish of a lifetime. Another place to target large land-based snapper is in the shallows at night. Some of the best areas for this are the shallows around the top end of Western Port

in front of it, I can almost guarantee it will eat it. If they are up on the flats they are up there for one reason only, and that is to feed. A great thing about these areas too is that you are in with a very good chance of catching gummy sharks or even the elusive prize mulloway. The most productive time to do this is at night. The later, the better I reckon! With the water being quite shallow, usually no more than 2m, the dark conditions allow

these aggressive feeding predators to sneak up on their prey, giving them a chance at a feed. One of the best things about hooking a big snapper in 2m or less of water is the fight! They don’t really have anywhere to go apart from straight ahead so hang on because I guarantee they will be pulling a fair bit of drag, and don’t we all love that sound! ROD When you go into a tackle shop and see the range of rods they have to offer it can be quite overwhelming! You will speak to 10 different people and get 10 different answers and generally none of them will be wrong. So here are a few simple things to look for when choosing a rod. It’s good to get a nice, long rod anywhere around that 12-13ft length. The reason for this is that it will allow for the best possible cast with a heavy sinker and a big bait and it will also sit nice and high, keeping your line out of the wash of the waves. The reason you want your rod to stay out of the waves crashing onto the rocks is that it minimises the chance of getting nicks in your line and it also decreases the amount your bait and sinker are being dragged out of position. Another thing we look for is a fair amount of strength through the middle section of the rod, which allows you to pull a fish away from a ledge or heave it up onto the rocks. While fishing the flats it’s not as important to have such a long fishing rod but it also doesn’t matter if you do, so buying a 12-13ft rod is a good option, as it’s much more universal. REEL Here’s an actual situation when size does matter. You will be putting a lot of strain on your gear, so something around the 10,000 size is ideal. Generally while retrieving, even when you

Safety is paramount – there are going to be waves crashing over the rocks and you never know when a rogue set of waves could come through and put you into the water.

This is why you need to use 10,000 sized reels! When fighting a 7.2kg snapper off the rocks you want to give yourself every chance. don’t have a fish on, you will be reeling in pretty hard to keep it away from the snags. You will most likely come across plenty of unwanted fish, like big stingrays or very hard fighting eagle rays, and if you are lucky enough a big shark like a bronze whaler. So yes, a bigger reel is a good option. There are also reels with long cast spools allowing you to get those extra few metres that we sometimes need. MAIN LINE Okay here we go – the big debate of whether we should be using monofilament or braid. The answer to this is to use what you feel comfortable with! Each line has their advantages and disadvantages, as does everything else. Mono is a lot more abrasion resistant (meaning it won’t break as easily when rubbing against something), so technically we should probably be using this when fishing around reef or structure, but there are ways to tackle that problem when using braid. Mono has stretch, which is good for not pulling hooks out of the fish’s mouth, and it’s a lot more forgiving. Braid is very well known for its ability to cast a lot further and, with its zero stretch, you are able to feel just about anything that is nibbling at your bait. I like braid, but whether I’m using braid or mono I use 30lb. MAIN LEADER/ SHOCK LEADER Your leader is just as important as everything else, so don’t cheap out on this! It’s what connects you to the fish. Don’t be fooled by how sharp some early season snapper teeth can be! I suggest using around

60-80lb main leader. I know 80lb seems extreme but if you hook a 20lb fish you want to give yourself every chance at landing it, if you’re pulling it up onto sharp rocks. The shock leader is vital when using braid, as this is what gives you that extra bit of stretch but more importantly that extra bit of abrasion resistance that

are in their feeding frenzy. This doesn’t mean you can put just anything on the hook. As you want the best possible chance, leave them with no choice but to attack your bait. We’ve all heard it before – because it’s so important – fresh is best! It’s as simple as that. If you have a chance of catching yourself some fresh bait then do it. If I saw green bread and white bread sitting next to each other I know what I would eating. While fishing in choppy, turbulent water it’s a good idea to use something nice and tough like squid or octopus. Rings or strips are the way to go. If you want to stick with the fish baits and want something tough, silver whiting will get the job done. A few other popular baits are pilchards, yakkas and couta. Many people get out there and catch snapper out of their boats and, don’t get me wrong, I love doing that as much as the next fisho, but if you have never been out there and caught snapper off the land then I suggest you chuck it on your fishing bucket list. I’m still chasing that elusive 20lb fish off the rocks and while I will probably never get it, I won’t give up! I’ve seen people do it and it’s generally the first thing we talk about after not seeing each other for a while. Though the conversation is always the same, it never gets old and

The author with another great red. braid doesn’t really have. I would recommend around 5m of 40lb leader. BAIT There are so many different baits to choose from when it comes to snapper fishing. They are a very opportunistic fish when feeding, so they will have a go at just about anything fishy while they

I will happily have the same chat every time I see them! This doesn’t just go for those big 20lb fish, it goes for any snapper an angler might get off of the land. There is just something about the fight and excitement of catching one of our most iconic fish that is so special. I know I will never get sick of it and I look forward to my next trip. JUNE 2018

WHAT’S NEW FISHING DAIWA RYOGA 1520

Dark in looks and big on style and swagger, the Daiwa Ryoga 1520 baitcaster sets a new standard in baitcaster power, performance and precision. An ultrastrong alloy frame and side plates are the foundation of the Ryoga, and provide an immoveable foundation for this stunning reel, regardless of what’s thrown at it. Integrating many of Daiwa’s most famous technologies, the Ryoga once again takes baitcaster design to the next level with Magseal, ATD, Hyper Mesh Gear System, Speed Shaft, Magforce Z and Zero Adjuster combining to deliver a level of refinement and power rarely seen in heavy-duty baitcasters. A G1 Duraluminium spool, swept handle, and clicking star drag further enhance performance and features, and combine with the new High Grip I Shape knobs to provide superior cranking power, balance and control. Flawless in design, stunning in looks and style, and unparalleled in performance and power, the new Ryoga 1520 is the pinnacle of heavy-duty baitcaster design and the ultimate big bait reel. www.daiwafishing.com.au

BLADE N TAILS ULTRALIGHT ELITE

The Live Fibre Blade N Tails Ultralight Elite redefines what Australian built quality is in a market full of imports. The Ultralight Elite uses K-Frame silicone guides to deliver smooth casting and high performance, whether that’s casting small bladed lures or jigging soft plastics in the trees or over the flats. The guides are strategically placed to increase casting distance and minimise friction or sharp angles. The rear end has been upgraded as well, with high performance EVA merged seamlessly into a comfort grip reel seat that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. The rear grip has been split to provide the perfect balance while in use. Rated at 4-8lb, the 7ft one-piece Ultralight Elite is ideal for fishing small blades for bream, flathead, golden perch and bass, as well as fishing lightly-weighted plastics for a host of estuary and freshwater species. www.wilsonfishing.com

ATOMIC TIMS PRAWN COLOUR

Prawns are a staple for feeding fish in all depths of water, and it makes sense that the Atomic Semi Hardz range adds a colour already present in the iconic Atomic Hardz range. Tims Prawn, a shrimp pattern, quickly became a go-to for anglers all over the country when it was introduced in the Hardz line-up, and now that popular natural colour is available in the full range of Atomic Semi Hardz Vibs in sizes 40, 50, 60, 75 and 110 as well as the Minnows in 40, 55 and 65mm models. Semi Hardz can be fished from the surface down to any water depth, making them usable in a wide range of conditions and for a huge range of species. Our ambassadors have already landed whiting and flathead as well as offshore favourites like snapper and pearl perch, and even coral trout. Semi Hardz are also very effective on mulloway. Tough rubber construction with wire running through the lure allows them to stand up to even the toughest adversary. Price: RRP $13.95 www.atomiclures.com.au 44

JUNE 2018

ZMAN BEANIEZ

PRODUCT GUIDE

With the weather cooling it’s perfect timing for the arrival of ZMan’s BeanieZ. Constructed from quick-drying 100% acrylic, these comfortable beanies feature four topseam knit construction and embodied ZMan ‘Z’, in a one size fits most cool weather headwear option. These beanies are a quality Richardson Sports product. Richardson Sports is a company who has served the team sports market both in the US and internationally since 1970, and its products are known for their quality and reliability. Today Richardson is recognised as a leader in the sports product industry, delivering performance-inspired headwear to millions of athletes around the world. It makes sense then that they should make headwear for the largest recreational sport in the world: fishing. The new ZMan beanies come in two shades, charcoal and grey, and are available now. Price: SRP $19.95 www.z-man.com.au

BLACK MAGIC FLIPPER JIGS

3 5

Black Magic has added the exciting slow pitch Flipper jig to their range. Their original design stands out with a dramatic spoon-like scoop on one side of the jig. They fall with a wide and sweeping side-to-side flutter and retrieve with a large darting action, giving them a strong visual presence which will be attractive to a wide range of species. Flipper Jigs come in four striking colour options with lumo spots or stripes. There are two strong hooks attached with Kevlar thread, and the available weights are 60g, 80g, 100g, 150g and 200g. Flipper Jigs are available now from Black Magic dealers nationwide. For more information, photos and videos, visit the Black Magic website or check them out on Facebook (www.facebook. com/blackmagictackle), or Instagram (@ blackmagictackle). www.blackmagictackle.com

MUSTAD XL JIG WALLET

Jig fishing anglers will love the Mustad XL Jig Wallet, a jig wallet designed to accommodate all of your jig fishing needs. The XL Jig Wallet contains storage pockets that are constructed from tough mesh to allow the jigs to breathe and dry, yet remain safe in transport and use. There are five extra large jig slots that will take jigs up to 30cm, 18 jig slots that will take jigs up to 20cm and 12 jig slots for smaller jigs up to 15cm. That’s a total of 35 jigs that can be carried in one handy wallet that is easy to store and transport. The XL Jig Wallet also features a large mesh pocket on the outside to store accessories such as assist hooks, leader and more. If you’re into fishing jigs and you’ve been having trouble storing them, then the Mustad XL Jig Wallet will give you the answer you’ve been looking for. www.wilsonfishing.com

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING EUREKA JELLY VIBES

Eureka Jelly Vibe lures are made from a durable soft material and feature a balanced internal weight system, for superior vibration and action on the drop and lift. Eureka Jelly Vibes also feature a multistrand wired through construction, a holographic head for added attraction and quality black nickel chemicallysharpened treble hooks. They are superb on mulloway, barramundi, mangrove jacks, flathead, bass, bream, redfin and more. The Eureka Jelly Vibes are available in two sizes, a 67mm model that weighs 7g and a 95mm version that weighs 20g, and both lures are available in four brilliant colours. www.jurofishing.com

SHIMANO TIAGRA ULTRA RODS

All serious gamefishers know that their gear needs to be up to the challenge of prolonged fights with exceptionally large fish. This is why the new Shimano Tiagra Ultra series are proving so popular, especially with increasing numbers of bluewater anglers using braid. Factory built, but with that custom rod style, the componentry on the Tiagra Ultra series is first class: braid friendly Alps RX guides, Winn foregrips for comfort and grip, and either detachable Pacific Bay Channel Lock straight carbon or curved butts depending on the model. The blanks all this wizardry sits on though is where the action begins: Biofibre High Pressure Carbon 300 blanks across five line classes from 10-15 to 24-37kg, with sweet, smooth parabolic actions. This is just what you need when fishing braided line for marlin, tuna, swordfish and sharks. Match one of these beauties up with a Talica overhead and enjoy all the advantages braided line brings to game fishing. www.shimanofish.com.au

ABU GARCIA REVO ALX

Based on high quality components and a lightweight design, the Abu Revo ALX incorporates new technology including the Salt Shield Concept bearing and AMGearing systems within the compact Revo design. SSC (Salt Shield Concept) bearing employs newly developed ball bearings coated with a water-repelling shield, which greatly reduces rotation noise caused by salt adhesion, improving operation and durability. SSC is applied to key HPCR (High performance corrosion-resistant) bearings to provide an increase in durability, smoothness, and corrosion resistance. The AMGearing System combines a precision-machined aluminium gear with Abu’s COG (Computer Optimized Gear) gear design, for the ultimate in smoothness and durability. The C6 carbon body and rotor provides significant weight reduction without sacrificing strength and durability. Revo ALX is equipped with the Rocket Line Management System, which is a combination of bail angle, spool lip design and slow oscillation that gives anglers the ability to cast further and manage line more effectively. There are six models, ranging from 2000 to 5000, for everything from bream on hardbodies to snapper on plastics. sizes. All models feature 7+1 bearings with super

smooth carbon drag systems, with drag force from 3-10kg. Price: SRP $299 www.abugarcia-fishing.com.au

REDINGTON MINNOW

The new Redington Minnow rod was designed and tuned to meet the needs of younger anglers and flyfishing novices. It’s built with enough power to throw a wide variety of flies, but the shorter 8’ length offers less swing weight to make it easier for casters of smaller stature to make effective stops at the end of their casting stroke. This 2-piece, 8’0” 5/6wt graphite rod has a medium action, attractive trim details and cosmetics, and alignment dots. The packaging design is kid and parent friendly with additional tips, techniques and games for kids to get started flyfishing. The Minnow rod is matched to a Crosswater 4/5/6 reel, which as lightweight construction that lessens the overall weight of package. It has a large arbor design for easier and quicker retrieve, and a durable design with an easy to change spool. It also has a strong disc drag system for great fish stopping power. The reel is pre-spooled with backing, RIO Mainstream WF fly line, and knotless leader. This combo comes complete with a Cordura rod tube and is backed by a 1-year warranty. www.jmgillies.com.au

LIVETARGET BAITBALL 11 SPINNER RIG

The LiveTarget BaitBall Spinner Rig is one of the latest LiveTarget lures to be released by Australian distributor EJ Todd. With three different wire-frame sizes, the LiveTarget BaitBall Spinner Rig is a versatile lure which can be fished at any depth. The three teaser bodies and willow blade create a vibration and flash which call in nearby predatory fish. When bass or cod see the BaitBall, they will strike the primary target body, which is strategically placed away from the teaser fish in the BaitBall. The LiveTarget BaitBall Spinner Rig is available now in six colours to match various water conditions. There are three sizes – small (11g), medium (14g) and large (21g). For more information head to the EJ Todd website, or for news, photos and videos check them out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ EJ.Todd.Australia) or Instagram (@ej_todd). www.ejtodd.com.au

REESE TARP CLIPS

Quick and easy, the Reese Tarp Clips are designed to create a handy anchor point anywhere along the edge of a tarp. There is nothing worse than trying to secure a tarp when the eyelet is broken. The Reese Tarp Clips eliminate this issue. The handy tarp clips provide a vise-like grip on the material to supply additional attachment points. Quick and easy to tighten and release, the Reese Tarp Clips are ideal for tarps, canopies, awnings, tents, covers and much more. Made with high impact resistant material the tarp clips are heavy duty and crack resistant. Sold in a handy 4-pack, the Reese Tarp Clips come in a handy reusable container. They are available for purchase from Repco stores nation-wide. Reese has been producing a quality range of vehicle accessories since 1952. Full of features, the quality designs are safe and reliable for everyday use. Price: SRP $9.99 reeseproducts.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JUNE 2018

WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED

PRODUCT GUIDE

Halco Madeye soft plastics tick all the boxes

The author’s biggest bream in quite some time was caught on the Madeye Flutter Shrimp in coffee’d shrimp colour. Australian lure company Halco began manufacturing lures in Western Australia back in 1950. Their range of products includes iconic lures like the RMG Scorpion, Halco Laser Pro, Twisty and many more. There would have to be a Halco lure in most keen anglers’ tackle boxes. After many years of being at the forefront of hardbody lure design, Halco have branched out into the soft plastic side of things with their purchase of Madeye soft plastics. As you would expect, the company has expanded and developed this budding range with the same vigour and quality that defines their hardbody lure ranges. They have six styles in the Madeye range, and I grabbed four of them to test out for the magazines. MADEYE SOFT PLASTICS 101 The range of Madeye Plastics covers the full spectrum of soft plastics fishing from finesse styles for bream and whiting through to deep water jigging with larger offerings. The six styles of plastics are the Paddle Prawn, Flick Stick, Octoskirt, Flutter Shrimp, Whippy Worm and Mad Craw.

These days most anglers expect their soft plastics to have substantial longevity, and Halco has achieved this with their Rubber Stretch Technology (RST). The copolymer material that the plastics are made from has up to five times the durability of a regular soft plastic, and it is also incredibly buoyant. The advantage to the angler with this is that pickers are less likely to destroy your plastic before your target species has a chance to have a crack at it, and if pickers do attack the plastic they are less likely to render it unusable. The buoyancy also adds to the natural look of the lure; it sinks in a realistic manner, and at rest it sits upright and has a natural movement to attract predators. Mad Craw The Mad Craw is a lifelike yabby imitation that is 2” long. The attention to detail in this plastic is second to none, right down to the fold in the tail of the yabby. The Mad Craw comes in four colours, of which I grabbed three – the Jelly Prawn, Salt and Pepper, and Marron. My first intention was to use these lures to target bream. These fish love what

The Madeye Paddle Prawn has a sensational action and the flathead loved them.

JUNE 2018

Flounder are a welcome by-catch. This one took a Paddle Prawn in the raw prawn colour.

many people would call a creature bait, and the Mad Craw fits into this category. During my testing, the bream definitely took a liking to the Mad Craw. The various legs and claws provide plenty of movement, and most of the bream caught grabbed them as the lure was dropping. I guess they had to, because if their prey did reach the bottom there was every chance a flathead would grab it before the bream had a second chance. No complaints here, but you will note in the images that the flathead didn’t mess about. On a side note, it is really surprising just how buoyant these plastics are. I would normally use a 1/24oz jighead in the areas we fished, and had to up it to a 1/16oz or 1/12oz jighead depending on the current. Also, I found that a small drop of super glue on the grub keeper helps reduce the plastic slipping down the hook. As well as chasing bream, I can also see me using these lures chasing trout in the lakes and the rivers. What trout can resist a yabby if it’s on offer? Flutter Shrimp The next plastic I tested was the Flutter Shrimp. This small prawn imitation is pretty much the opposite of the Mad Craw in that it has a simple design – a traditional prawn profile with a small curly tail. It is available in five colours and is 2.5” long. I grabbed the Jelly Prawn and Coffee’d Shrimp colours. When the plastics arrived I was most excited to see the Flutter Shrimp, because small curly tail plastics have been the undoing of many species of fish, especially the bream I wanted to target with it. I was a little surprised by the smaller profile the Flutter Shrimp had (I had pictured something a little less finesse), but was stoked with the colours I had chosen. They were spot on. Like the Mad Claw I used slightly heavier jigheads and targeted bream around man-made structure and across the flats. I was met with instant success, and was immediately wondering why I hadn’t gone to this lure first. While hopping it across an open area with structure nearby, I scored the biggest bream I have caught in some time. It went nearly 40cm to the tip, which is a solid fish for the area. Both colours were effective and, unlike the Mad Craw, super glue wasn’t a necessity when rigging them. The plastic still slips, but mainly due to a fish grabbing it, rather than it moving by itself. Paddle Prawn When it comes to the Paddle Prawn,

The unexpected bonus when fishing the Mad Craw was how much the flathead loved them. There is a marron-colored Mad Craw in there.

PRODUCT GUIDE there is a lot going on. It is available in four sizes (3, 4, 5 and 7”) and has up to seven colours, depending on the size. The profile of the plastic is a prawn-style head with legs and feelers attached to a body that tapers back to a paddle tail. The wrist of the tail is thin, maximising the action. I chose to use the 4” version, and picked the Ivy Flash, Jelly Prawn and Raw Prawn colours to test.

WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED

Flick Stick The Flick Stick is the most traditional of the profiles in the Madeye range. It has a largish body that tapers to a long tail. Available in three sizes (3, 5 and 8”), it is a baitfish imitation and comes in up to seven colours depending on the size of the lure. The model I tested was the 5” version. The beauty of a plastic with this profile,

Double hook-ups are always welcome. Nicholas Willett showing off a couple of nice fish caught during the fishing challenge.

to make excuses, but given slightly better wind conditions, I am pretty confident the challenge would have been achieved. The results are a great testament to how well the Madeye plastics work. My final word Testing the Halco Madeye Soft Plastics has been great fun. Overall, each had the correct attributes to be successful and this was proven during the fishing challenge. Traditionally plastics made of tougher material tend to be a problematic to rig, but I didn’t find this to be the case with the Madeyes. A dab of glue on the Mad Craw was my only thing out of the ordinary, and the longevity of the plastics themselves was great, with only the paddle tail of the Paddle Prawn going a couple of times. I would love to see a few more natural

Some solid bream came to the author’s Madeye party! The Paddle Prawn was the surprise packet of the plastics tested. You cannot understand how much movement this plastic has until you rig it and get it into the water. The tail has a very strong movement, as you would expect, but it is the body roll that is awesome. The vibration this plastic produces can be felt

is that with its streamlined design is it gets into the strike zone faster and stays there better during a retrieve. The trade-off for this is that the angler needs to impart the action to the lure. This is the case with the Flick Stick, however with the suppleness of the tail there is some movement, which can’t hurt the effectiveness of the lure. A

The jelly prawn coloured Mad Craw was the downfall of this bream. testing the Madeyes. The challenge was this: five hours on our favourite waterway to catch a fish on each Madeye plastic and each colour tested, making it 10 overall. We picked favourable tides and had a crack. In total, three species and 19 fish were caught in the five hours, and we managed to get fish on all bar two of the plastics. Not

colours in the range, as my preference with most of my fishing is to use natural colours, but I am sure that will be in Halco’s plans, as I believe the Madeye plastics are well and truly here to stay. To find your nearest stockist and more about the Halco Madeye soft plastics, go to www.halcotackle.com. They are well worth trying. - Peter Jung

The author generally prefers natural colours when fishing for flathead. However when fish like this take your jelly prawn coloured Paddle Prawn, you can’t help but smile. with every movement of the fishing rod and wind of the reel. During testing the target species was flathead, and it was no surprise that they took a liking to the Paddle Prawn. Fished on a 3/8oz jighead, you can use a hop or slow lift retrieve. It was extremely effective during the slow movement periods of the tide, when the action of the lure really came to the fore. When there was a lot of flow, the buoyancy and action of the lure means it grabs too much water, moving the plastic more than you would like. A simple adjustment to your retrieve helps keep it in the zone and catching fish. All three colours were effective, but I need to make special mention about the Raw Prawn colour. It looks fairly plain in the packet, but the clear UV belly provides added appeal, and if the fishing is tough I believe that UV makes a difference.

jerk shad shape is a proven fish catcher, and the team at Halco have done a good job with the Flick Stick. I used the raw prawn and ivy flash colours during testing, and both proved to be big fish catchers. The majority of the better quality flathead fell to them. The Fishing Challenge It’s always fun to get to test lures for the magazines, but it’s not always easy to find new ways in which to do it. Most of us tend to have favourite species or types of fishing we prefer. Certainly in my case, chasing flathead and our other estuarybased species is what I love. My friends and I tend to have reasonable success, and have a lot of fun doing it. Given the fact that we know how to consistently catch fish in our local waterways, I decided to set a high bar for myself and friend Nicholas Willett while

The Flick Stick is the most traditional of the Madeye plastics tested. It proved to be the big fish catcher, with plenty of flathead over 50cm hitting the deck for the author.

JUNE 2018

Howarth homes in on the Goldy

STORM

The 2018 Costa BREAM Series has returned to the spiritual home of tournament bream fishing – the Gold Coast – for the Ecogear BREAM Qualifier and has seen the coming of age of bream young gun James Howarth with his first tournament victory with 10/10 fish for 5.5kg. On day one Howarth took the long journey to Raby Bay canals. “I really wasn’t confident in the canals of the Gold Coast, so I took the hour-long journey up to the less-pressured waters of Raby Bay and targeted fish around the pontoons and boat hulls with a mix of Ecogear SX40 and Cranka Crabs,” said Howarth. Once in location Howarth would use a two-pronged approach to extract the most fish from each location. On the boat hulls and expansive pontoons he would target fish with an Ecogear SX40 in bluegill making long parallel casts to the structure before starting an aggressive retrieve along the structure with the intent of keeping the lure away from the smaller

The champion James Howarth and his spoils of victory. fluttered to the bottom or as it just came in contact with the bottom. While his day one limit of 2.46kg kept him in touch of the leader, he knew he would need to find bigger fish on

area. With the water being a dirtier Howarth changed his key crankbait to a Zipbait Khamsin Tiny DR in a chrome finish to grab the attention of the fish in the area.

pontoons with cleaner water and wind pushing on them. From there it’s just about triggering the big bites and an erratic aggressive retrieve gets them to bite,” said Howarth.

DUFFRODS BIG BAG The Duffrods Big Bag went to tournament winner James Howarth with his tournamentwinning 3.04kg day two bag. The key bait for his big bag was a Zipbait Khamsin Tiny DR.

Howarth’s plan of attack was a carbon copy of his day one approach – using his aggressive and erratic retrieve on his crankbait and mixing it up with the slower presentation of the Bream Prawn and Cranka Crab on the poles and vertical structure. With his limit in the boat by 8.30, he was able to focus the rest of his session on upgrading his bag. “The key for me on the Gold Coast is to find the

This change in location paid dividends and saw Howarth take the Duffrods big bag with a 3.04kg limit. “I really had a great weekend catching up with all the other anglers. I need to thank everyone who helped me out: Lowrance Electronics, Northside Marine, my work and Minn Repairs and Servicing who came out on Friday night to fix my wiring issues,” said Howard.

WINNING TACKLE James Howarth proudly holds two of his Gold Coast winning bream.

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 62

JUNE 2018

bream that plague the canals and tempting one of the bigger fish. His tackle of choice for this presentation was a Nordic Stage matched with a Daiwa Ingis spooled with 8lb Daiwa J Braid and 6lb Yamatoyo FC leader. Once Howarth felt he had extracted all that he could from his crankbait presentation, his attention would then turn to the poles and anchor structures. For these areas Howarth used a combination of lightly weighted Ecogearaqua Bream Prawns and Cranka Crabs. His aim with these lures was to cast his lure tight to the structure before allowing it to slowly float down the side of the structure with most of his fish intercepting the lure as it

day two if he was going to step it up and take the victory. With this in mind Howarth opted to stay closer to the start/ finish area and targeted similar structure in the Jumpinpin

Rod: Nordic Stage Reel: Daiwa Ignis Line: 8lb Daiwa J-Braid Leader: 6lb Yamatoyo fluorocarbon Lure: Ecogear SX40 in bluegill colour, Zipbait Khamsin Tiny DR, Ecogearaqua Bream Prawns and Cranka Crabs

TOP 10 BOATERS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler James Howarth Wally Fahey Denis Metzdorf Steve Morgan John Siggs Chris Britton Todd Riches Aaron Sharpe Michael Thompson Kristoffer Hickson

Total Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 9/10

Total Weight (kg) 5.50 5.13 5.01 4.89 4.74 4.68 4.57 4.38 4.24 4.01

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

Fahey finds them upriver Wally Fahey has continued his strong form in his maiden season as a boater on the Costa BREAM Series taking out second place with 10/10 fish for 5.13kg. In contrast to Howarth, Fahey headed upriver to the area around the casino to start his session fishing pontoons

and bridges in a milk run of spots throughout the area. When targeting the pontoons Fay used a combination of Ecogearaqua Bream Prawns in salt and pepper colour and Gulp Crabbies in camo rigged on 1/40oz TT Hidden Weight jigheads. To cast his plastic tight into the cover Fahey used a

DAIWA J-BRAID BIG BREAM Walley Fahey secured the Daiwa J-Braid Big Bream Prize at the Ecogear-presented event with the SA local value adding his event winning for his 1kg+ kicker fish caught on day one.

Daiwa Sol UL701 matched with a Sol 2000 spooled with 6lb Evo8 Tournament Braid and 4lb Sunline FC Rock. While the pontoons allowed Fahey to fill his limit early, he knew there would be larger fish holding tight to the bridge pylons. When targeting the fast flowing waters of the bridge pylons Fahey opted for the ever popular Cranka Crab heavy in olive colour, Fay would cast his crab tight to the structure before allowing it to drift down into the eddies. For this presentation Fahey used a Daiwa Zero

BREAM SERIES

701ULXS matched with a Sol 2000 spooled with 6lb Evo8 Tournament Braid and 4lb Sunline FC Rock. While he was able to get the bites around the bridges it proved to be a hard challenge extracting the better fish. While on day one Fahey was able to extract those better fish, on day two he was unable to seal the deal and missed that one key upgrade to clinch the win, but with his experience as a boater growing, it won’t take long for Fahey to put it all together and take his maiden ABT victory.

Ecogear SX40LC

Walley Fahey lead on day one of the event but was overtaken on the final day to finish second.

Pontoon

Quick retrieve with regular twitches and jerks of lure.

Thompson tames the Bay Popular angler Mick Thompson has taken victory in the Non-Boater division Ecogear Bream Qualifier with 3.67kg and in the process reached his goal of making the 2018 BREAM Grand Final. Thompson was paired with Aaron Sharp and Steve Eldred, which played to his bay fishing strengths, “I love fishing the shallow stuff, so I had the perfect draw for the tournament,” said Thompson. On both days Thompson fished shallow broken weed and rubble areas in 3-6ft of water. In

these areas he would make long wind-assisted casts throwing his Atomic Crank 38 Deep in ghost gill brown as far as possible before dragging and bouncing his lure through the weed and broken, reefy bottom. With lots of fish only biting the lure tentatively, his key adjustment was to hold off striking on the fish and slowly winding fish onto the lure. While the big bream that the bay is known for didn’t show their heads, his slight adjustment meant Thompson had a consistent tournament catching over 20 fish each day and managed to fill his limit by 9:30 each day.

To land all his fish Thompson used a 13 Fishing Omen Black 7ft 1-3kg rod matched with a Daiwa Certate 2506 spooled with 8lb J Braid and 6lb Sunline Bream Special FC. When asked after the event, Thompson explained that his aim was to qualify for the 2018 Grand Final, “All I wanted to do was to come here and qualify for the Grand Final; to finish first is unbelievable,” explained Thompson. On stage he was also very quick to thank the people that have helped him get into tournament fishing, “Everything I know about bream fishing has come

from Grayson Fong – we fish together a lot trying to perfect a lot of different techniques. I also have to thank both Aaron and Steve for all the little things I picked up off them over the weekend,” said Thompson. With the Ecogear round of the Costa BREAM Series run and won attention now turns to the West Coast Qualifier and Hawkesbury River Qualifier. For information on this or any other ABT event near you head to abt.org.au.

Mick Thompson was a popular victor, claiming the non-boater title at the Ecogear-presented event.

TOP 10 NON BOATERS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler Michael Thompson Paul Langley Grayson Fong Mark Saric Tyson Hayes Khoi Pham Louie Wardini Colin Wilson Rodney O’Sullivan Cristian Bermudez

Total Fish 10/10 8/10 8/10 8/10 7/10 7/10 7/10 6/10 7/10 6/10

Total Weight (kg) 3.67 3.34 3.10 3.09 2.93 2.81 2.64 2.55 2.53 2.42

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

The boys cashed in for Hobie Bonus bucks. JUNE 2018

LURE, FLY & OUTDOORS EXPO

2018 Australian Lure Expo – Don’t miss out! Whack the dates in the diary, on your phone or up on the wall in the shed – you’ll want to make sure you’re making the trip to be at Queensland’s Ipswich Showgrounds on 16 and 17 June for the 2018 Australian Lure, Fly and Outdoors Expo (or as it’s fondly known – The Lure Show!) It started seven years ago as a celebration of Australian lures and lure making, and has rapidly grown to an event which satisfies all anglers whether fresh or saltwater focused. Unlike every boat show you’ve ever been to that leaves you wondering ‘where’s the tackle?’, The

Lure Show will completely satisfy your need to add to your tackle collection. It’s two days of non-stop fishing focused action. With Australia’s biggest collection of lure makers under one roof, the expertise on offer is unparalleled. Carving, painting, lure swimming demonstrations and general lure making advice is as thick on the ground as the tackle bargains. Everyone is selling. The Lure Show turns the Ipswich Showgrounds into the biggest, most diverse tackle store around. You are guaranteed to find things that you didn’t know you can’t live without

You won’t want to miss the lure demonstrations at the casting tank. Here you will find the actual lure makers giving guidance on how their lures have been designed to swim and how to get the most out of them. The presenter’s hub is where you’ll be able to pick the brains of some of most knowledgeable anglers around including Jake Newmarch (Newmarch’s Fishin Mission), Liam Fitzpatrick (JML Pro Staffer) and Brendan Goulding (Fish and Whipz). You’re likely following them on Facebook, watching their YouTube videos or checking out their tweets – now is your chance

to meet them face to face and talk all things fishing! Got some old wooden Australian lures lying in the garage that need a new home? Bring these to the show, as you won’t find a hungrier pack of collectors anywhere in this wide brown land! These guys are also keen to help you sort your own collection out and are more than happy to help with identifying any lures you’re not quite sure about. Love an artistic lure or new design? The Lure Show Award entries are always a crowd favourite and are a brilliant showcase of the craftsmanship, creative talent and skill of our local

lure makers. They seem to get better and better every year. When is the last time you paid $10 to get into a show? Combine this with free parking and you get in and out of The Lure Show for less than half the price of any boat show on the East Coast! Tickets are available online now. Group discounts available for fishing clubs, get in touch at www.lureshow. com.au. Don’t forget to ‘like’ The Lure Show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ AustralianLureExpo and stay up to date with all the 2018 show news. – Australian Lure, Fly and Outdoors Expo

DETAILS When: Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June, 2018 Where: Ipswich Showgrounds, Ipswich Time: 9:30am-3pm (Saturday), 9am3pm (Sunday) www.lureshow.com.au Tickets: Adults $10, Kids Under 16 enter free (when accompanied by an adult). Pre-purchase tickets online to avoid the lines.

EXHIBITOR LIST Stand No. Exhibitor 53 AC Lures 80 AFN Fishing & Outdoors 73 Allfly Outfitters 93 Balista Lures 84 Barrambah Lures 200a Bass Cat 57 Bass to Barra 86 Bassman Spinnerbaits 89 Beardy’s Lures 45 Bills Boxes 40 BRA Lures 140 Brisbane Yamaha 112 Bush’n’Beach Fishing Magazine 82 C-Map / Navico 50 C&S Horsey Lures 19 Caino Lures 12 Charlton’s Fishing 64

JUNE 2018

Stand No. Exhibitor 5 Chilton Tackle Co. 40 Cod Hound Lures 81 Cod King Lures 83 Cross Fire Lures 6 D& S Lures 22 Dave’s Lures 13 Dynamite Lures 14 Farm Creek Lures 60 FFSAQ 37 FG Wizz 96 Fish King 36 Fishing Unlimited 58 GLO-X Powerless Illumination 64 Humminbird / Minn Kota Ipswich United Sportsfishing Club 44 4 Jollip Lures 1 Jungle Lures

Stand No. Exhibitor 18 Kneller Lures 77 Kuttafurra Lures 78 Lively Lures 17 Lobby Lures 16 Loolah Lures 30 Lure Collectors Precinct 21 Mac Lures 61 Mad Dog Lures 43 MB Custom Lures 39 Mencho’s Lures 42 Mick Molnar Marine Art 51 Morry Kneebone Lures 2 Muggo’s Lures 89 Ninja Bibs 89 Ninja Lures 200b Northside Marine 15 One Cast Lures

Stand No. Exhibitor 38 Predator Lures 70 Queensland Fishing Monthly 56 RodZilla Adventure Tackle 65 Sandfly Lures 52 SEQ Fly Fishers 75 Shads Lures 57 Smak Lures 69 Sommerset Fishing Tackle 41 Southern Cross Lures 8 Thug Lures 54 Tonic Eyewear 20 Tricky’s Lures 55 Variety Fly Fishing Competition 81 Waterstalker Lures 3 Whiptale Lures 76 Yak Hunters 39 Zoomy Lures

BUY & SELL LURES TACKLE BARGAINS FREE ONSITE PARKING TICKETS Adults $10 Kids U16 FREE

www.lureshow.com.au AUSTRALIAN LURE EXPO

JUNE 2018

BAIT & TACKLE

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FISH TAXIDERMY

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883 JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100

WEST COAST

Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

Nautical Marine (03) 5984 1666

Portland Bait & Tackle (03) 5523 5213 Compleat Angler Portland (03) 5521 1844

Neptune’s Treasures 0419 643 654

Melbourne Marine Centre (03) 9703 2003 Regal Marine (03) 9874 4624

CENTRAL

SCREEN PRINTING

Streaker Marine (03) 9729 8288 Triple M Marine (03) 9465 8787

Logan Specialised Screen Printing (07) 5546 4107

Warragul Marine (03) 5623 6250 Wes Frost Marine (03) 5976 4622

BOAT TRAILER

EAST COAST

For all your fishing tackle needs

CENTRAL

Inverloch Marine (03) 5674 1502

FRESHWATER

Vic Marine & Trailer Warehouse 0412 264 450

Boats and More Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

BOAT HIRE

Boats and More Echuca (03) 5482 1992 Eades Xtreme Marine Echuca (03) 5482 2333

Lake Eildon Houseboats (03) 9397 6977

MARINE ACCESSORIES

Best Brands – Great Advice

Boab Boat Hire Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

PROVEN WORLD LEADING

ANCHOR DESIGNS

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This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

$320 + GST for 6 months Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

This section in V&TFM Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching. 66

JUNE 2018

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

Rip Charters Fishing Trips, Sorrento (03) 5984 3664 Saltwater Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 4888 Off The Hook Fishing Charters 0419 554 916

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$320 + GST for 6 months Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au CHARTER BOATS WEST COAST Portland Fishing Charters, Portland (03) 5523 3020

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Blue Magic Fishing Charters, Rowville (03) 9759 5301 Geelong Charters & Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107 Katrina Louise Charters, Cheltenham 0402 828 140

CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES

Kestrel Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 1783

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au JUNE 2018

Victorian Tide Times

2018 2018 Local Time

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA POINT – 144° VICTORIA LAT LONSDALE 38° 18’ LONG 37’

JANUARY Time m MAY Time

Time 0416 0027 1046 0626 MO 1645 TU 1321 1858 0022 0112 0534 0710 TU 1157 1408 WE1757 1941 0124 0152 0645 0750 WE 1304 1448 TH1902 2019 0220 0229 0746 0829 TH 1405 1524 FR2001 2056 0313 0303 0842 0905 FR 1500 1557 SA2056 2131 0401 0338 0934 0942 1554 SA 1630 SU2147 2208

11 22

33 44

55 66

m 0.81 1.48 1.32 0.39 0.26 1.65 0.66 1.51 1.50 0.79 0.33 1.35 1.71 0.20 0.64 1.61 1.51 0.73 0.31 1.40 1.73 0.14 0.64 1.69 1.51 0.64 0.31 1.46 1.72 0.10 0.64 1.74 1.49 0.55 0.33 1.50 1.70 0.11 0.64 1.75 1.47 0.47 0.36 1.52 1.65 0.15 0.66

Time 0033 0533 0545 1245 TU 1152 1817 WE1813

16 16

18’ of High LONG 144° TimesLAT and38° Heights and Low37’ Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JUNE JULY Time m Time m Time m Time m

m 1.38 0.43 0.83 1.64 1.22 0.78 0.38

Time 0102 0117 0621 0719 TH 1246 1423 FR 1849 1953 0201 0156 0730 0759 FR 1352 1458 SA 1952 2030 0255 0233 0830 0836 SA 1451 1530 SU 2046 2108 0343 0310 0923 0912 SU 1546 1601 MO 2137 2145 0427 0347 1013 0946 MO 1639 1635 TU 2223 2220 0508 0426 1059 1018 1730 TU 1710 WE 2305 2256

0123 1.43 17 22 0035 0.79 1.48 170649 0624 1.24 0.33 1246 WE 1336 TH1904 1907 0206 0124 0742 0713 TH 1336 1424 FR1949 1954 0244 0211 0825 0800 FR 1422 1511 SA2030 2040 0318 0256 0905 0849 SA 1505 1556 SU2107 2126 0352 0342 0942 0938 1545 SU 1642 MO2141 2213

18 18 19 19

20 20 21 21

1.74 0.34 0.74 1.48 1.52 0.72 0.26 1.27 1.81 0.31 0.70 1.53 1.55 0.66 0.23 1.31 1.83 0.30 0.67 1.57 1.56 0.59 0.23 1.35 1.81 0.30 0.65 1.59 1.56 0.54 0.26 1.38 1.76 0.31 0.63

33 44

m 1.52 1.47 0.72 0.37 1.37 1.73 0.20 0.75 1.59 1.47 0.62 0.37 1.44 1.73 0.18 0.73 1.65 1.47 0.50 0.39 1.50 1.71 0.18 0.72 1.69 1.46 0.40 0.42 1.54 1.69 0.21 0.71 1.69 1.44 0.32 0.46 1.55 1.65 0.27 0.71 1.66 1.41 0.27 0.50 1.53 1.62 0.34 0.70

Time 0131 0055 0715 0645 FR 1311 1405 SA 1927 1930 0213 0147 0802 0739 SA 1402 1455 SU 2011 2020 0250 0239 0843 0832 SU 1448 1543 MO 2048 2111 0326 0330 0919 0924 MO 1531 1630 TU 2124 2201 0400 0422 0954 1015 TU 1613 1715 WE 2159 2253 0434 0519 1028 1103 1653 WE 1802 TH 2236 2345

16 16 17 17 18 18

19 19 20 20 21 21

m 1.38 1.52 0.73 0.25 1.23 1.82 0.39 0.76 1.44 1.56 0.65 0.23 1.30 1.84 0.37 0.70 1.50 1.59 0.56 0.25 1.37 1.83 0.36 0.64 1.54 1.58 0.48 0.30 1.43 1.79 0.36 0.60 1.57 1.56 0.41 0.38 1.47 1.74 0.37 0.56 1.57 1.52 0.34 0.48 1.50 1.67 0.40 0.54

FR MO

SA TU

SU WE

MO TH

66 TU

m 0.75 1.43 1.30 0.40 0.34 1.68 0.76 1.44 1.45 0.67 0.41 1.36 1.69 0.33 0.73 1.51 1.45 0.55 0.44 1.45 1.68 0.31 0.70 1.57 1.44 0.43 0.47 1.53 1.66 0.30 0.67 1.61 1.43 0.33 0.51 1.59 1.64 0.32 0.65 1.62 1.41 0.26 0.57 1.61 1.60 0.36 0.62

Time 0521 0131 1139 1750 FR 0725 MO 1437 2004 0045 0227 0638 1246 SA 0819 TU 1525 1857 2058 0132 0321 0730 1343 SU 0912 WE 1610 1945 2150 0215 0415 0810 1431 MO 1000 TH 1654 2025 2241 0253 0515 0846 1047 TU 1516 FR 1736 2103 2330 0330 0616 0922 1132 1559 WE 1818 SA 2141

16 16 17 17 18 18

19 19 20 20

21 21

m m 0.80 1.56 1.18 0.24 0.55 1.80 0.64 1.32 1.60 0.72 0.26 1.24 1.80 0.53 0.56 1.39 1.61 0.62 0.32 1.34 1.78 0.50 0.49 1.45 1.59 0.52 0.40 1.44 1.73 0.47 0.45 1.50 1.55 0.42 0.49 1.53 1.67 0.46 0.43 1.54 1.51 0.33 0.59 1.59 1.60 0.46

Time 0109 0229 0559 1238 SU0827 1828 WE 1511 2101 0101 0308 0654 1335 MO0900 TH 1544 1919 2135 0146 0347 0740 1426 TU0933 FR 1616 2004 2209 0227 0429 0822 1511 WE1009 SA 1649 2045 2242 0303 0512 0901 1047 TH 1550 SU 1724 2121 2317 0337 0600 0939 1129 1627 FR 1801 MO 2157 2356

11 22 33

m 1.47 1.44 0.49 0.43 1.50 1.64 0.49 0.62 1.52 1.46 0.39 0.46 1.59 1.64 0.48 0.57 1.55 1.46 0.31 0.50 1.66 1.62 0.48 0.53 1.56 1.46 0.26 0.55 1.68 1.59 0.49 0.49 1.55 1.46 0.25 0.61 1.67 1.55 0.52 0.45 1.52 1.45 0.26 0.68 1.64 1.51 0.55 0.42

m Time m 0540 0.59 0313 1219 1.64 1.42 1807 0.34 0.66 MO0857 TH 1544 1.72 2131 0.35 0030 1.43 0406 0624 1.63 0.47 1311 0.41 1.54 TU0943 FR 1624 1854 1.68 0.63 2218 0.32 0115 1.48 0500 0705 1.59 0.37 1358 0.49 1.65 WE1026 SA 1702 1937 1.62 0.60 2301 0.32 0157 1.52 0553 0746 1.53 0.29 1443 0.57 1.72 TH1107 SU 1742 2019 1.55 0.58 2344 0.35 0238 1.54 0645 0829 1.47 0.23 1148 1526 0.66 1.75 FR1821 MO 2100 1.47 0.58

16 16 17 17

18 18

19 19

20 20

0317 1.54 0026 0.39 21 0912 0.21 21SA0739 1.42 1609 1.74

0.74 TU 1231 2143 1.40 0.58 1905 0359 0.44 1.53 0110 0956 1.37 0.22 0833 1653 0.82 1.70 SU 1319 WE 2226 0.60 1954 1.33

0415 1.73 1.44 22 0426 0626 0430 1.60 1.53 0507 1.61 1.38 22 0508 770447 77 0545 1026 1142 1016 0.40 0.40 221017 1152 1026 0.49 0.33 1052 0.25 0.56 22 1102 1734 1646 1.51 1626 1.40 1820 1.49 TH SU MO WE

0437 7 0531 1033 7 1104 WE 1714

1.60 1.40 0.23 0.63 1.60 1755 1.56 SA 2245 0.41 2344 0.59

0411 1.44 1.48 0407 0.43 1.55 70656 22 22 0016 1015 0.75 0.29 22 0959 1.47 0.27 22 7 0718 1215 SA 1701 1.59 TH 1640 1.63

0459 0542 0522 1.59 1.48 0553 1.54 1.35 0039 0451 1.69 1.40 880531 88 0622 1115 1051 1222 23 1115 0.44 0.42 1128 0.26 0.62 23 1138 0738 1050 0.35 0.45 23 MO 1740 1.48 TU 1705 1.40 TH 1911 1.43 FR 1817

0513 8 0623 1113 1147 TH 1756

1.56 1.39 0.22 0.70 1.56 1834 1.52 SU 2322 0.47

0443 0.45 1.54 0445 0.40 1.44 0441 0.49 1.50 23 0103 80041 230201 1037 1.44 0.22 1049 1.43 0.33 23 1040 1.35 0.26 8 0930 0817 0759 FR 1721 1.63 SU 1736 1.53 MO 1739 1.63

0532 0618 0134 0624 1.57 1.43 0010 0.51 0.69 0531 1.63 1.35 99 0025 990614 1124 1202 0659 24 0844 1205 0.40 0.52 0646 1.47 1.33 24 1216 1124 0.33 0.51 24 TU 1837 1.43 WE 1746 1.40 FR 1300 0.29 SA 1905

0546 9 0024 1149 0722 FR 1837

0519 0.48 1.52 0521 0.38 1.38 0528 0.52 1.45 24 0154 90134 240303 1116 1.43 0.21 1124 1.44 0.38 24 1126 1.35 0.33 9 1029 0915 0908 SA 1804 1.60 MO 1814 1.46 TU 1830 1.56

0104 0036 0606 0232 0617 0.41 1.30 0048 1.53 0.62 0054 0.60 0.66 10 0735 0655 1159 100006 25 10 0946 1200 1.56 0.58 25 0741 0.36 1.40 10 0750 1.39 1.34 25 0658 1340 0.34 1257 1248 0.33 1831 1.39

0620 10 0110 1225 0829 1917

0600 0.37 1.32 0623 0.52 1.40 0558 0.49 1.49 100239 250413 25 0250 1200 1.48 0.45 25 1215 1.37 0.42 1157 1.44 0.22 10 1125 1014 1020 1857 1.40 1930 1.49 1851 1.55

0121 0332 0039 0.52 0.74 0153 0.50 0.61 0145 0.68 0.62 11 260005 11 0147 110050 0737 0816 0642 1047 0713 1.48 1.27 26 0857 1.49 1.40 11 0901 1.31 1.38 26 0744 1333 0.35 1423 0.38 1344 1236 0.32

0036 11 0204 0656 0938

0026 0.34 0.73 0051 0.50 0.67 0022 0.50 0.59 110354 260515 26 0350 0645 1.54 1.26 26 0732 1.42 1.35 0640 1.46 1.44 11 1111 1129 1215

0430 0301 0.58 0.57 0244 0.76 0.56 0129 0.62 0.74 0213 120134 270049 12 0237 12 1144 1006 1.44 1.45 12 1012 1.24 1.46 27 0841 0819 1.39 1.26 27 0820 0904 0722 1656 1514 0.81 1515 0.91 1336 0.74

0115 12 0308 1047 0734

0112 0.31 0.77 0200 0.47 0.67 0107 0.48 0.65 27 0449 120510 270609 1204 1230 1257 0741 1.61 1.22 27 0857 1.47 1.34 0730 1.49 1.39 12

0407 0.66 0.52 0346 0.82 0.48 0227 0.72 0.71 0522 0318 130224 280138 13 0337 13 1111 1.39 1.52 13 1118 1.19 1.56 28 0953 0934 1.32 1.30 28 1235 1001 0907 0809 1629 0.84 1630 0.91 1443 0.80 1755

0159 13 0417 1153 0819 1704

0019 0045 0208 1.49 0.79 0319 1.35 0.63 0159 0.45 0.70 28 0543 13 28 0616 0653 1250 0849 0.28 1.19 28 1015 0.44 1.38 0830 1.53 1.33 13 1325 1.68 1333 1.52 1816 0.85

0505 0.74 0.47 0332 0.80 0.64 0450 0.84 0.39 0000 290234 140322 14 0452 1210 1.34 1.59 14 1046 1.26 1.39 29 1218 1.17 1.67 29 0610 14 1107 0959 0904 TU 1735 0.83 MO 1600 0.83 TH 1738 0.88 FR 1319

0250 14 0525 1252 0915 SA 1810

0121 0130 0319 1.56 0.77 0433 1.41 0.55 0304 1.35 0.72 29 0016 0715 0731 0630 14 29 1007 0.27 1.22 29 1125 0.43 1.46 0950 0.43 1.30 14 TU 1415 1.72 WE 1408 1.56 SU 1330 1.57

0437 0.84 0.54 0554 0.80 0.42 0549 1.32 0.31 0045 150432 300343 15 0042 1150 1.22 1.51 30 1300 1.31 1.66 15 1314 0.81 1.76 30 0653 15 0611 1055 1012 TU 1716 0.82 WE 1829 0.81 FR 1837 0.82 SA 1358

0357 15 0032 0627 1025 SU 1346

0218 0213 0440 1.61 0.69 0428 1.39 0.69 0535 1.47 0.46 30 0103 0808 0806 0713 15 30 1118 0.29 1.30 30 1116 0.42 1.32 15 1228 0.44 1.56 WE 1500 1.74 TH 1441 1.58 MO 1405 1.61

1702 1.61 MO2236 2244 0.22 0.68

TU 1739 1.55 2322 2319 0.31 0.70

WE 1818 1.50 2358 0.73

1730 1.70 TU2214 2300 0.34 0.62

WE 1819 1.63 2247 2352 0.38 0.62

TH 1913 1.56 2325 0.43

WE TH 1903 1.44 TH FR 1300 0.63 1938 1.38 2009 1.51

TH FR 1243 0.66 FR SA 1402 0.74 2039 1923 1954 1.34 1.40 2106 1.38 1.47

SU1317 0.30 SA1420 0.37 FR SA 2202 1.37 1.45 2050 1.32 1.37 2138 2022

MO1406 0.28 SU1513 0.40 SU SA 2258 1.37 1.44 2148 1.31 1.37 2237 2130

SU 1611 0.41 MO 1504 0.27 2349 1.39 1.44 2247 1.34 1.39 2336 2244

MO 1714 0.41 TU 1615 2344 1.43 2357 0035 0502 0638 1130 1345 TH 1735 WE 1913

31 31

0.27 1.44 1.46 0.79 0.38 1.32 1.71 0.24 0.78

1747 1.57 TH 2345 2331 0.42 0.70

FR 1827 1.53

SA 1211 0.70 2000 1911 1.38 1.48

SA SU 1301 0.78 2052 2000 1.32 1.45

SU MO 1403 0.86 2146 2055 1.29 1.42

TU 1515 0.43 MO 2154 1.27 1.42 2245

WE 1618 0.45 TU 2256 1.28 1.44 2345

WE 1730 0.45 2357 1.48

TH 1212 1.19 1834 0.43

1.56 1.47 0.29 0.58 1.51 1850 1.61 FR 2314 0.45

TH SU

Time 0440 0127 1118 0733 1718 1432 2007 0038 0207 0604 0812 1237 1504 1838 2046 0138 0246 0715 0847 1345 1537 1942 2123 0230 0326 0815 0920 1445 1610 2036 2159 0317 0405 0906 0953 1538 1644 2123 2233 0400 0446 0952 1027 1628 1718 2206 2307

Local Time APRIL Time Time AUGUST m

1.53 0.53 0.26 1.45 0.70 SA 1242 1.50 2354 1939 0.50 1.54

1.49 0.53 0.24 1.45 0.80 SU 1336 1.47 2030 1.48

0.57 0.52 1.44 1.47 0.88 SU 1438 0.24 MO 2000 2123 1.43 1.44

0.65 0.51 1.39 1.50 0.92 MO TU 1547 0.26 2104 2216 1.39 1.41 0.48 0.72 1.55 1.33 0.92 WE TU 1441 0.29 2310 1.37 1.40 2217

0.45 0.76 1.60 1.30 0.89 TH 1553 0.33 WE 2331 1.39 1.40 0.43 1.64 1844 0.85

1.42 0.41 1.67 1928 0.80

1.51 0.55 0.25 1.40 1.50 1235 0.79 MO 2359 1.48 0.53 1919 1.45 0.51 0.29 1.43 1.44 SA 1331 0.86 TU 2011 1.44

0.59 0.46 1.38 1.48 1300 0.92 0.34 SU 1438 WE 2000 1.43 1.37 2109 0.41 0.66 1.55 1.31 1339 0.94 0.40 TH 1551 MO 2215 2048 1.43 1.32 0.35 0.73 1.63 1.24 0.46 FR TU 1422 0.90 2327 2144 1.46 1.27

0.29 0.79 1.71 1.19 0.51 WE 1516 0.82 2245 1.26 1.51 0.82 0.25 1.16 0.55 TH 1627 1.76 1908 2348 0.73 1.28

0.70 SU 1217 2220 1.53 0.47 1902

MO 1304 0.79 2300 1.46 0.50 1949

TU 1359 0.87 2341 1.39 0.54 2039

SU 1502 0.92 WE 2133 1.35

1240 0.93 0.25 MO TH 1614 1943 1.33 1.49 2230

1327 0.90 0.31 FR TU 1720 2326 2045 1.33 1.43

SA 1423 0.39 WE 2155 1.39

TH 1536 0.46 1904 2305 0.79 1.38

FR 1703 0.50 1946 0.73

1.46 TU 1845 2232 0.58

WE 1306 0.82 2309 1.42 0.63 1935

TH 1407 0.88 2346 1.39 0.68 2037

TU1521 0.89 FR 2150 1.39

TH 1417 0.87 2310 1.27 0.62 2050

FR 1530 0.89 2358 1.25 0.65 2152

WE1646 0.86 SA 2255 1.26

1238 0.84 0.51 SU 1312 0.80 0.52 WE1639 TH1751 SA 1947 1.42 1.34 2033 1.29 1.44 2309 2353

1325 0.74 0.59 MO 1421 0.72 0.61 SU TH1750 FR1842 2045 1.31 2137 1.42

MO FR 1423 0.65 1853 2148 0.63 1.30

SA 1537 0.69 1949 2248 0.51 1.33

SU 1702 0.69 2042 2343 0.42 1.37

0011 1.42 1.42 31 0147 0751 0551 0.42 0.61 1439 1.63 TU 1231 1.40 SA 2025 1823 0.67 0.50

CopyrightCommonwealth Commonwealth of of Australia Australia 2016, 2016, Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology Copyright Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Timesare areininlocal localstandard standardtime time (UTC (UTC +10:00) +10:00) or or daylight daylight savings savings time Times time (UTC (UTC +11:00) +11:00) when whenin ineffect effect New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon

TU SA 1543 0.67 1923 2239 0.63 1.43

SU 1701 0.69 2000 2335 0.55 1.45

MO 1806 0.68 2033 0.49

31 0253 0841

1.51 0.46 FR 1515 1.59 2107 0.43

Last LastQuarter Quarter

Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. 68

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boats & kayaks proudly presents...

SPECIAL EDITION

106 Bar Crusher 575C versus 615C 108 Sportsman 19 Island Reef with 115hp Yamaha 110 Custom Stacer Outlaw 449 with Mercury 60hp 112 Cruise Craft Explorer 595 114 Revival 590 Cruiser with Mercury 150hp 4-stroke 116 Haines Hunter 585R with Yamaha F200 4-stroke 118 Clark 520 Legend SC with 115 Suzuki 4-stroke 120 Whittley CR2800

JUNE 2018

WHAT’S NEW BOATING HAINES SIGNATURE 1 545F

RAYMARINE LIGHTHOUSE 3.4

The new 545F from Haines Signature Boats is aimed squarely at anglers and families. Measuring 5.45m in length and 2.13m across the beam, the 545F gives you the space to move around freely thanks to its huge open floor plan and a high freeboard for added safety, particularly when it comes to family boating. The open half cab features windows and bunk cushions with storage underneath, a split dash with walk-through windscreen for easy access to the anchor and a helm console that has room for gauges, controls and state-of-theart electronics up to 12”. Extra-wide side pockets, a live bait tank and glovebox means there’s plenty of storage space. A 100L fuel tank, four stainless steel rod holders, transom door and a sports steering wheel are just some of the standard inclusions, with plenty of options available. The 545F is rated to 90–150hp and has a soft and stable ride, and it’s available on a single axle trailer to make towing and launching a breeze. Price: from $49,990 BMT drive away www.signatureboats.com

Raymarine has announced LightHouse version 3.4, the latest free update to the LightHouse 3 operating system. Axiom users can now stream entertainment from Netflix and Spotify, as well as access Theyr’s GRIBview precision global weather service app. LightHouse 3.4 also adds Bluetooth audio output. Connect Axiom’s Bluetooth to your marine stereo system or Bluetooth enabled speakers and enjoy digital audio from your streamed movies and music. Other features include: Vessel Alarm History and Management; Chartplotter ‘Find Nearest’ Hot-Spotting (use a long-press anywhere on the chart and trigger the ‘Find Nearest’ menu to see points of interest); Chart Tide Mode for tides and currents; fuel management tools; and Network Dimming for MFDs and instruments (one command dims the entire helm). LightHouse 3.4 is available free at the Raymarine website, or via your MFD’s built-in Wi-Fi if you’re in wireless range. Certain features are available only on Axiom and Axiom Pro. www.raymarine.com

LOWRANCE CASHBACK PROMO

MERCURY’S 6-YEAR 5 WARRANTY

Lowrance has announced its latest promotion in Australia and New Zealand. Up until 31 July 2018, Lowrance is offering up to $500 cash back on each SKU across the entire HDS Carbon range. The Lowrance HDS Carbon adds a highperformance dual-core processor, multi-touch SolarMAX HD screen, dual channel CHIRP and Network Dual Sounder to the proven features that have made HDS multifunction displays the choice of anglers at all levels. The HDS Carbon series includes 16”, 12”, 9” and 7” models. Anglers in the market for a want-it-all integrated system need a processor that can smoothly drive the high-tech capabilities of HDS Carbon, like StructureScan 3D with SideScan and DownScan Imaging, new FishReveal, dual channel CHIRP sonar, StructureMap and Broadband Radar support. HDS Carbon takes processing power to a new level with a dual-core processor that allows anglers to switch between applications and simultaneously view independent sonar feeds with ease. www.lowrance.com

SNAP-LOC ROD HOLDER

The Snap-Loc Rod Holder is a unique, onestep, instant strike Rod Holder that’s ideal for general light to medium trolling and bait fishing. It’s versatile and adaptable to any boat or fishing situation. The Universal Rail and Deck Mount Rod Holder offer many different mounting possibilities. When you place the rod, either spin or baitcast, into the holder, it pushes the front lever down and locks the rear lever over the top of the rod butt. The weight of the rod is sufficient to firmly lock the rod. Any additional downward weight, even the drag of a sinker or lure, locks the rod more securely in place. Key features include: additional security lock fitted; most combos can be locked on foregrip or rear grip; clip-in insert allows use of very small diameter rod butts; overhead reel stays upright; heavy-duty vertical and horizontal adjustments; heavy-duty lift and rotate lock for total flexibility and precise rod direction control. The rod holder can be quickly removed and fitted to another mount, and its slip-resistant universal rail clamp fits 1 1/4’ (32mm), 1’ (26mm), 3/4’ (23mm), and 1’ square (26mm). It features stainless steel components and is UV, salt and oil resistant. www.jmgillies.com.au 70

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For 2018 Mercury has announced an extended 6-year warranty for all recreational outboards. This covers everything from the lightest 2.5hp model all the way through to 350hp Verado outboards. To be eligible, simply have your Mercury engine serviced at an Authorised Service Centre at the recommended servicing intervals and you’re covered by an additional 3-year factorybacked warranty, which is on top of the first three years of coverage. The warranty is non-declining, meaning that the coverage is the same on the last day as it is on the first. The warranty is also fully transferable, meaning that if the outboard is sold during the warranty period, the second (or any subsequent) owner also gets to enjoy the peace of mind of the 3+3 = 6 year factorybacked warranty. Mercury’s new 3+3 = 6 year warranty automatically applies for new outboards purchased in 2018. The warranty applies to all Verado, FourStroke, OptiMax and TwoStroke outboard engines. www.mercurymarine.com.au

SIMRAD SPECIAL OFFER

PRODUCT GUIDE

Simrad has announced its latest deal in Australia, offering a pair of Apex Mako Sunglasses (polycarbonate), valued at RRP$199, with the purchase of any NSS evo3 multifunction display. Next generation Simrad NSS evo3 multifunction displays feature new SolarMAX HD screens, Dual Channel CHIRP sounder compatibility and an expanded keypad, plus a host of premium features. The NSS evo3 series include 16, 12, 9 and 7” models. An easy-to-use interface, and support for full operation via touchscreen or keypad ensures trouble-free operation in all weather conditions and while the boat is in motion. Mako sunglasses produce leading, fashionforward fishing frames catering to those who not only need effective sunglasses but also want to look good wearing them. The Apex is made of tough, warp-resistant TR90 nylon composite material, delivering a light and comfortable feel. The fit reduces fogging, while rubber inserts in the nose and on the arms reduce slippage. The offer is available until July 31, 2018. www.simrad-yachting/mako

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SPECIAL EDITION

MELBOURNE BOAT SHOW FEATURE

Bar Crusher 575C vs 615C, which is best for you? *Manipulated image

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and want a cheaper (by around $10K) rig that’s a little easier to launch, store and handle by yourself, then the 575 may be the rig for you. If you like to travel more to fish and do it with a couple of mates and want a bigger tank that translates to more range, then the 615 will offer all of these benefits, and it’s

DIFFERENCE TABLE Main: Definitely not the natural environment for a pair of tough-as-nails Bar Crushers, but even a thoroughbred needs a little bit of quiet paddock time, right? Above: All Bar Crusher hulls feature their unique water ballast system that fills while the craft is at rest and empties quickly as the boat takes off, giving the best of both worlds – stability and performance with minimal beam. through its water ballast system. Both of these boats feature Bar Crusher’s Gen 2 hull design with incorporated water ballast system. Overall, the Bar Crusher hulls are a little narrower than most hulls for their length, which explains their sea legs. At rest, the water ballast fills up and sinks the

chines deeper in the water, giving the hull greater stability. When you take off, the water virtually instantly runs out the back of the cavity, vented through the anchor well. It’s a neat system that’s stood the test of time. “The length beam equation in a bit of a dark

Feature 575C Length: 5.75m Beam: 2.15m Material: 4mm bottom/3mm sides Trailer: Single axle for local trips BMT weight: 1360kg Internal gunwale height: 730mm Height on trailer: 2.15m Horsepower: 115hp Price: from mid-$50K Top Speed: 62km/h@6,000rpm Best economy: 2.6km/L@4,400rpm Theoretical range: 280km Price: from mid-$50K that are options on most other brands. “These boats come with a bait board, boarding ladder, through transom door, bilge pump, twin batteries, live bait tank, hard top roof,

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We recently had the opportunity to test a couple of Bar Crushers out on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne; the 5.75m and 6.15m Cabin versions that are incredibly popular rigs in the Bar Crusher range. Instead of presenting a couple of very similar boat tests, we thought it’d be a great opportunity to look at the similarities and differences in these two rigs to help you make the decision about which one is the best for your fishing and boating needs. And although there’s only a legal snapper-anda-half difference in length between these boats, it equates to a lot more than you’d think by the time the boats are on a trailer and ready to fish. BAR CRUSHER 101 Bar Crusher is a Melbourne-made boat that’s famous for its build quality, finish and stability at rest

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

clears and a rocket launcher,” said Matt, “You only need to choose your electronics like sounder, radio and maybe an anchor winch to complete the package.” WHAT DO WE RECKON? After looking at the differences between these two rigs, there’s a couple of conclusions that

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art that I think we’ve got pretty much right for both these hulls,” said Bar Crusher’s Sales Manager, Matt Urzia, who is much more comfortable 10ft above the water off the back of a wave than he is in front of a camera. Matt also outlines the standard feature list in these boats, which includes many

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we’ve come to. Firstly, these rigs’ standard inclusions are, indeed, very generous and the fact that they’re matched with locally made Easytow trailers means that Bar Crusher will ensure that the cradle is suitable for the hull. Urzia also says that if you want a single axle or twin axle on either rig, that’s legal and achievable. So, you’d opt for a twin axle if you’re doing a lot of highway miles; or, a single if you need manoeuvrability or use your boat locally most of the time. We’re particularly impressed with the cleverness of the fold-down hard top and windscreen that allows you to fit these boats in most garages. If you usually fish with one to two anglers, locally,

615C 6.15m 2.25m 4mm bottom/4mm sides twin axle for longer trips 1500kg 780mm 2.20m 140hp (max. 150hp) from mid-$60K 60km/h@6,000rpm 2.7km/L@3800rpm 370km from mid-$60K price tag justifies the extra abilities. It’s a simple conclusion and definitely stands up to the ‘boat ramp test’, which is the nautical version of the ‘pub test’. Whichever you choose, you’ll enjoy the features and never break these Aussiebuilt tanks of boats. Make sure that you watch the video review of this comparison on the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel - you can do it on your smartphone by scanning the QR code hereby. For more information, visit www.barcrusher.com. au or talk to the guys at the Melbourne Boat Show. They’ll have everything you need at both of these places to help decide which is the best Bar Crusher for you in their range.

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You’d also think that the 140hp was faster than the 115hp? Wrong again. The 575 was a little bit faster than the 615 at WOT, even if slightly less economical.

Although both models can be fitted on single or twin-axle Easytow trailers, there’s a good case for twin axle for long trips and a single axle for local journeys. Single axles can also be manoeuvred around easily in a tight garage.

You’d think that the extra 25hp on the 615 would make it less efficient, right? Wrong. The 140hp Suzuki delivered marginally better fuel economy than the 115hp on the 575.

Erected, the folding hard rooftop offers rod storage and shade. The 575 folds down to 2.15m while the 615 is 2.20m high when folded down.

Both the windscreen and the folding hard rooftop fold down on both models and there’s ample space to flush mount electronics of your choice.

Both models feature an enclosed cabin with bunks for overnight comfort. The 615’s wider beam gives it a little more space.

Bait boards are options on most boats on the market. On the Bar Crushers in this size range, they are standard.

Plumbed livewells and transom doors are also Bar Crusher Standard. Take this into account when comparing boats of different brands. JUNE 2018

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Sportsman 19 Island Reef with 115hp Yamaha - SC

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for fishing offshore in less than perfect weather. The console is easy to walk around and has all-round grab-rails for your mates. The helm is offset to the port side and there’s a flush mounted 7” Simrad as standard. All other switches are available and

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Admit it – you’ve all dreamed about it – heading off into the sunrise in a slick, fibreglass American fishing boat. The boat’s landing softly into the small swell, your rod racks are loaded with premium gear and there’s a dozen live baits happily swimming around in the livewell, blissfully unaware of their impending fate. Then you wake up and the alarm is telling you it’s time to go to work instead of the ramp. Brisbane’s Northside Marine is doing its very best to help you achieve this dream. Stalwart salesman Bill Hull recently talked to FM about how the Sportsman dealership came to be. “Like everyone, I had the dream of selling this kind of boat, but it wasn’t

PERFORMANCE

Main: There’s no denying that the Sportsman hulls look good on the water – clean lines and an upswept bow make the 19 Island Reef a rig that’ll turn heads on the water and at the ramp. Above: With the hammers down on the 115hp Yamaha, it’s definitely hold onto your hats time. boats on order – plenty of which were pre-sold to keen anglers in the Brisbane area. The Island Reef 19 is a great all-round boat to cross over between inshore and offshore waters. Taking it out

SPECIFICATIONS Length.........................................................5.8m Beam...........................................................2.3m Capacity.......................................... Six persons Fuel............................................................. 113L Max hp.......................................................... 115 until recently that things fell into place,” Bill said. Sportsman is a brand that is only six years old in the USA, but is growing in leaps and bounds. It was a perfect match for Northside, who are meticulous in their preparation of boats to deliver to their customers. At the time of the test, there were 16 Sportsman 108

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complete with straps to lock it in. A couple of non-skid SeaDek pads are at the helm as well – good looking and practical. There’s a livewell in the starboard transom corner and the entire deck is self-draining. I imagine this would be an easy boat

on a nasty test day in Moreton Bay, it demonstrated an ability to drive soft and dry at the right combination of speed and trim. It’s simple and effective as a fishing platform and is guaranteed to turn heads both at the ramp and on the water. Let’s look at a few of the features. Packages from Northside for this model

start at $60k, which include a Yamaha 115, Twin Axle trailer and a 7” Simrad. We didn’t have the metering available to do the economy figures, but there is data available for a Yamaha 90hp, which will display very similar economy figures. Delivering 2.6km/L at 4000rpm, the 90 would give a theoretical range of over 250km – ample for nearly every weekend trip you’ll ever do. With the rough conditions, we didn’t get a top speed reading on the 115, however it was spinning an identical alloy 19” propeller, so you can add a couple of km/h for the extra few revs. From the upswept bow back, there’s a raised casting deck with dry, under-deck storage for anchors and other bulky items. It’s a one-person deal, so it’d be

a great spot to throw casts at pelagic or reef edges while the other angler is at the helm. The rest of the floor is low and eminently suitable

RPM Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L) 1000.............................. 6...............................4 2000............................ 10............................2.5 3000............................ 17............................1.6 4000............................ 39............................2.5 5000............................ 52............................2.3 6000............................ 67............................1.8 *Supplied figures are for 90hp Yamaha with 19” alloy prop. easy to reach. There’s also dry storage underneath the console for your valuables. The helm seating is flexible, with a removable backrest and space for a cooler underneath –

The variable deadrise and upswept bow mean that you have the best chance of a dry ride with the correct trim and attitude.

to keep clean, with not too many corners to get the blood and guts stuck in. The battery sits in an under-deck compartment. Of course, you can go crazy on the options list on this boat and add anything from factory T-Tops to cushion packages for the bow, but just as it is, there’s so much scope for fun fishing all over Australia that your head will be swimming with options. For more information, contact Cameron Bow at Sportsman Boats AustralAsia on 0413 119 051, or you can check out the Australian Sportsman website at www. sportsmanboats.com.au. Make sure you also watch the video test of this boat to see it in action – there’s a QR code to scan hereby or you can search for it on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel.

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Under the front casting deck there are a couple of dry hatches – one for the anchor and the other for your bulky gear.

The Yamaha F115 fitted on Northside Marine’s Sportsmans are factory fitted but are still backed by Yamaha Australia for a full local warranty.

That 16° of transom deadrise takes the sting out of landing on windy days.

The stainless steel bar that wraps around the console is handy for the driver and passengers alike. There’s extra storage under the front seat.

The seat back is removable and you can fit a cooler under the seat framing. Vertical rod storage is provided on each side of the console.

A 7” Simrad comes standard with the boat and is covered by a full, local warranty.

Top Left: You can sit a couple more people comfortably on each side of the outboard and the space underneath is also available. The battery is under the floor hatch. Top Right: The rear starboard seat hides a built-in livewell with horizontal divider. Above: Supplied on a hydraulic braked, twin axle I-beam trailer, the Sportsman rig is safe and 100% Australian compliant. JUNE 2018

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Custom Stacer Outlaw 449 with Mercury 60hp

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valve caps. With packages starting from around $27,000, the Outlaw is a neat little boat. Turn it into the weapon that MMC has done and it’s a touch under $50,000 to drive away.

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

If there’s one thing Andrew Stephen and his team from Melbourne Marine Centre are good at, it’s attention to detail. Every time we test a boat from MMC, it’s impeccably presented and fine-tuned. They’re the same with their customers, which is why they have a growing band of loyal Melbourne customers. And when they set up their demo boats, there’s always a laundry list of options fitted that turns a good boat into a head-turning rig. We saw it previously with the Stacer Crossfire affectionately named Hodor (watch the video review on our YouTube channel) and here’s a smaller version made up on the Stacer Outlaw 449 hull. SPECIFICATIONS Length Overall... 4.85m Beam.................. 2.12m Hull Weight........ 370kg Transom............... 3mm Fuel........................ 50L Max hp................. 60hp The boys have turned an entry-level $26K package into an all-singing, all-dancing $50K rig with features that rival much bigger boats. Fitted with a 60hp Mercury 4-stroke, the rig yields great fuel economy of up to 3km/L, but let’s face it – you’re not buying a rig like 110

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anyway,” Andrew said. “We just help them check the boxes.” You can talk to the Melbourne Marine Centre staff more at their showroom and you can visit them online on www.melbournemarine.

PERFORMANCE

Main: Striking both on and off the water, Andrew Stephen and his Melbourne Marine Centre team are always kicking goals with their shop demo boats. And don’t think there’s no market for them – they sell plenty of mega-optioned rigs like this! Above: There’s no denying that the wrap adds that wow factor – no matter what angle the boat is viewed from. this to travel cheaply. You’re buying it because you want your quality time on the water to be a pleasure to experience. In that light, let’s run through some of the options that are in this little pocket rocket. From the bow, there’s a Stress Free anchor winch and MotorGuide Xi5 electric motor, which will keep you in place whether you want to be tied to the bottom or not. Under the front casting deck there’s plenty of space and it’s split between a livewell and open storage, as well as the batteries for the trolling motor. There’s also a Fusion waterproof speaker mounted adjacent to the livewell. I’m unsure how this will go with constant saltwater spray and immersion, however time will tell. Step back again and

there’s a rod box on the port side and a well-designed console on the starboard and a pair of helm seats with armrests to complement them. Telwater’s rotomolded consoles keep getting better. This one can flush mount large electronics and there’s clever use of space in the console storage areas, especially in the the one under the windscreen. The console boasts an array of tech with a Garmin fishfinder, Fusion sound gear and Mercury Vessel View to give you your engine stats. Fishing in the dark? No worries – there’s a removable headlight, underwater transom lights and underrail LED light bars to make life easy when the sun goes down. The whole package is vinyl wrapped with a

MMC design that matched Andrew’s company vehicle perfectly – even the

RPM......Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L) 840............................6........................ 6.0 1000..........................6........................ 4.6 2000........................ 10........................ 4.3 3000........................ 13........................ 2.2 4000........................ 27........................ 2.5 4500........................ 35........................ 3.0 5000........................ 39........................ 2.7 When asked if these kitted out rigs are popular. “Absolutely! We never have a problem selling our demo boats because our customers usually aspire to this level of accessories

com.au. Make sure you like them on Facebook as well on the Melbourne Marine Centre page. And if you want to watch this boat in action, scan the QR code hereby on your smartphone to see the full video review.

With the 4-stroke, fifth generation 60hp Mercury behind it, the rig delivered best economy of 3km/L at 4500rpm and 35km/h with 50L of underfloor fuel – that gives a theoretical range of around 150km.

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The rig measures in at about 6m, which means that it’ll fit in nearly all garages and a single axle means that you can manoeuvre it around.

The shaped transom deadrise is a real Telwater trait. You can also see that there’s properly strained livewell inlets and the standpipes drain back to the ocean.

Everyone needs a set of these in their boat – anything from grown men to squid are mesmerised by them.

I’m a fan of simple rod lockers – they let you bundle rods while travelling, although this one will be made longer by cutting out the end of the box to get longer rods in. Nowadays, there aren’t too many people who would put together a rig like this without a bowmounted electric motor. A stealthy approach and the ability to help position while drifting are core to many modern techniques. There’s no wasted space up and under the raised front casting deck.

We loved the armrests on the helm seats. And we also liked that all accessories are flush mounted and not hanging out the side on RAM mounts.

Above left: Is the Stressfree anchor winch an overkill? Not if you anchor up and bait fish a lot. Once you’ve had one you’ll never be without one again. Above right: The rear livewell is more of a bait well, but is plumbed just like the big unit up front.

Every pimped-up boat needs a set of headlights, right? They are remarkably practical while driving at night.

The fifth generation Mercury 60hp 4-stroke works with all SmartCraft gauges, including the flash VesselView 4 at the dash. Peak economy of 3km/L is also up there. You can’t see it in this pic, but there’s plenty of storage under the windscreen in a dedicated box! JUNE 2018

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Main: At full cry, the Cruise Craft 595 looks, sounds and feels great. It’s what you’d expect from a premium Australian boat builder. And Cruise Craft have a sound relationship with Yamaha – the F200 is an ideal power plant for the type of fishing you’d do in this rig, delivering just under 1.9km/L at cruising speed. Above: Although the test day on Port Phillip Bay was glamorous, the rough water ability and quietness of the Cruise Craft hull is legendary. We can report that it goes well on flat water! the maximum 200hp. At over 2t on the trailer, it’s not a light rig, however the F200 delivered maximum economy of 1.8km/L at 3600rpm and a comfortable cruising speed of 40km/h. Want to drive this rig flat out? No worries, it’ll give you a smooth 77km/h at 5900 rpm and 1km/L, so ease up on the throttle if you want less pain at the bowser. From bow to stern, the

Length.......................................................5.95m Length Overall..........................................6.35m Length on trailer.........................................7.5m Height with targa.....................................3.22m Height with screen..................................2.43m Tow weight............................................. 2100kg Beam.........................................................2.44m Transom deadrise........................................ 20° Transom height..............................................XL Max hp......................................................200hp Recommended hp................................... 175hp Capacity.......................................... Six persons Fuel............................................................. 190L JUNE 2018

store your boat undercover in an area with limited height. Want to know more about this rig? You can see it at the Melbourne Boat Show or you can watch the video review on YouTube on the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube

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If you’re a fan of Fishing Monthly boat tests, you may remember the test that Streaker Marine’s Sean Savage and I did on the $200,000 Cruise Craft 685HT. Powered by a 300hp Yamaha, it’s a dreamboat for plenty of anglers out there, and Sean has seen plenty of them roll out the door ever since. This time, we’re taking one of the smaller Cruise Craft models for a spin – the 585EX with a 200hp Yamaha. Built in Brisbane to exacting standards and factory fitted with motors and trailers, Cruise Craft boats have a reputation for quality and a price tag to match. Incidentally, the Cruise Craft factory also makes the Streaker boat brand now in Brisbane. This test is for Streaker Marine. It’s a small world in the boating industry. The 595EX (Explorer) is the third smallest and third largest fishing boat in the Cruise Craft range. Designed to run a 175hp outboard, the test boat was fitted with

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water up and it carries its beam a long way forward. That gives it the ability to stay on the plane at slower speeds, which helps while driving in rough water. When looking at the differences between the base

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build and design quality is obvious and the boat rides quietly on the water. At the helm, there’s ample space for whatever suite of electronics you want to fit to be flush mounted. The helm seating is comfortable and designed to store coolers underneath. I’m a particular fan of the soft top fitted with a slide out sunshade, especially in northern climates where it’s virtually mandatory to fish undercover. The test boat was also fitted with clip-in carpet, which makes life easier at the wash-down stage, especially if you’ve had a busy day on the fish. Sean Savage has sold plenty of Cruise Craft packages and rates the 595EX as “The best bang for buck in the Cruise Craft range.” “And the resale value of these rigs is also amazing. The fact that everything is plush and factory-fitted means that there’s ultimate

confidence from both the dealers and the customers that everything is done right. We love selling them,” Savage continued. “What I also like about the hull design is that it was made from scratch from the

RPM................... km/h.................... km/L 700............................5........................ 1.7 1000..........................7........................ 2.5 2000........................ 15........................ 1.9 3000........................ 24........................ 1.6 3600........................ 40........................ 1.8 4000........................ 45........................ 1.7 5000........................ 61........................ 1.3 5900........................ 77........................ 1.0 *As tested with a 17” S/S propeller model price (packages start from low $90K) and the test boat ($111,850), a lot of the cost is made up of the stainless steel, factory-fitted folding Targa top. Erected, the boat’s height tops out at 3.22m, but folded down you can fit it into a garage with a 2.45m clearance. That’s important if you need to

channel, or by scanning the QR code on the page hereby with your smartphone. Or, of course, you can chat with Sean and the guys from Streaker Marine. Their contacts are on www. streakermarine.com.au. While you’re at it, like them on Facebook on the Streaker Marine page.

At wide-open throttle, like all boats, the economy drops. If you want to go 77km/h at 5900rpm, the fuel calculations become easy – you get 1km/L burned.

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The 595 is supplied from the factory on an Australian built Easytow trailer with twin axles. Indeed, the whole boat/motor/trailer is factory rigged for the best in quality control.

There’s plenty of cockpit space and removable carpet to aid cleaning after a big day on the water.

Here’s the rear bench seat deployed. The mechanism is strong and neat to pack away.

You can store a few rods or gaffs in the side pocket as well as tackle in the bottom section.

This model comes with a sliding, lockable cabin door for privacy and security.

Now there’s a helm that’ll hold all the electronics you’ll want to put into a $100K+ boat. Cruise Craft cabins are always a combination of style and practicality. This one takes an optional toilet for a weekend away.

The 20° of deadrise at the transom and a 2.44m beam combine to offer good ride and stability at rest.

Cruise Craft’s bait stations have evolved over the years to this design, and it’s removable for family days.

The slide out shade option on the targa top is wonderfully practical and you can keep your excess rods out of the way above it.

The Stressfree electric anchor winch is bordering on a standard inclusion rather than an option. Once you’ve had one, you’ll never go back.

Cruise Craft’s Yamahas are factory fitted in Brisbane for the best in quality control. JUNE 2018

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Clark 520 Legend SC with 115 Suzuki 4-stroke - SC

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SPECIFICATIONS Overall Length... 5.38m Beam.................. 1.35m Depth................. 1.06m Hull weight........ 560kg Min hp.................. 70hp Max hp................115hp Bottom and sides.3mm Max people............. Six offers a greater range of opportunities for fishing and recreational boating. FIRST IMPRESSION The 520 Legend really gives the feeling of being bigger than it is. The cockpit area is wide and open, with high gunwales and grab rails. The skipper’s seat and console are roomy, with the console providing a reasonable amount of space for gauges and switches as well as room to 118

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The Clarke 520 Legend was launched at the 2017 Melbourne Boat Show and has proven to be a very popular addition to their range. We have wanted to test one for a while, but sales have been so strong that it has taken us up until now to find one available to review. Boats and More in Shepparton and Echuca will again have a good range of Clark Boats at this year’s show, with the 520 Legend the headline act. This is the largest of the Clark boats we have tested for the magazines, as the majority of boats tested in the past have been focused on fishing in our estuaries, lakes and rivers. The 520 Legend

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3.6km/L of fuel burned – that’s nearly 400km out of the boat’s 110L fuel tank and plenty for any day’s fishing! At the end of the test, Mark Frost volunteered to have a ski behind the boat (the outside temperature was nice,

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dual axle trailer provides better highway towing. It was also set up to be launched and retrieved by one person if necessary, and on the day we drove the boat on and off the trailer with ease. Always tell your dealer

PERFORMANCE

Main: The Clark 520 Legend SC was a pleasure to drive. It really shows what a well-matched hull and outboard can offer. Above: Aimed first and foremost at the sportfishing market, Mark Frost shows here how stable a platform the boat is for casting lures. mount a good-sized sounder. The forward casting deck is also a good size and has a huge amount of storage beneath it. If there were a single word to describe it, that word would be ‘uncluttered.’ This space and a solid hull design are the base of what proved to be a very nice boat to test. VERSATILITY EQUALS OPTIONS The Legend is definitely targeted at the sportfishing market. The large forward casting deck, option to put an electric motor on the bow and excellent stability at rest all make it a great platform to cast lures from. Add to that a livewell and plenty of storage for your gear, and you have a boat where 2-3 anglers can comfortably terrorise all the fish in a location like Lake Mulwala, where we did this test. From a fishing perspective, the additional option with the higher gunwales and width of the hull mean fishing bays and even open waters is possible in the right weather. The bait board, rod holders, cockpit space and live bait tank at the stern of the boat make

soaking a bait or swimming a livey feasible. From a family perspective, fishing is not the only option. The bait board is removable and can be replaced with a ski pole, so you can spend a few hours fishing and then tow the kids around on a tube or water ski, depending on their age. To swap the board and pole is simple and takes less than a couple of minutes. Towing an adult is also no issue, depending on the motor you match with the hull. RIDE AND PERFORMANCE The test boat had a Suzuki 115hp 4-stroke outboard on the back of it, which is the maximum horsepower for the 520. Simon from Boats and More explained to me that they had sold a number of packages with a 90hp and they had performed well, but running the maximum horsepower opens up the full range of options of the hull. He also mentioned that you could upgrade the 3mm bottom sheet to 4mm plate and increase the rating to 150hp. Driving this boat is an absolute pleasure. The

transition from at rest to on the plane and full power was smooth and effortless. Minimal trim was required to get to the sweet spot for maximum output and steering. Sharp cornering and turning at speed were done easily. It really shows what a wellmatched hull and outboard offer. The maximum speed achieved during testing was 66km/h, with the most economical cruising range at 3500 revs. At this rpm the package achieved 37km/h at

RPM......Speed (km/h)............Economy (km/L) Idle (850)...................3.................................. 3.4 1000..........................7.................................. 4.5 2000........................ 11.................................. 2.6 3000........................ 16.................................. 1.7 4000........................ 42.................................. 2.8 5000........................ 54.................................. 2.0 WOT (6000)............. 66.................................. 1.7 but the water temperature had a little chill to it). Within five minutes we went from fishing to skiing, and again the motor and hull did this easily. LAUNCH AND RETRIEVE Boats and More had the 520 Legend set up on a dual axle Alloy Series Dunbier trailer. A dual axle trailer is not a necessity for this hull, however – keeping in mind that a person buying this package is likely to be doing a fair bit of travelling – the

The versatility of the 520 means you can fish in the morning and ski in the afternoon.

what your needs will be when it comes to towing, launching and retrieving. They will know the best option, like in this case; a slightly upgraded trailer provides hassle-free travel and makes it easy to get your boat on and off the water. CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF It’s hard not to be impressed by the Clark 520 Legend SC. It’s a combination of multiple use options: it’s family-friendly, fishingfriendly, ski-friendly, tows well and is a fabulous boat to drive with good economy. If I was going to ask anything, I would like to see some fishing rod storage, as most anglers tend to have multiple rods. Some storage out of the way would make the Legend even better than it already is. As tested, the 520 came in at $52,490. The starting price is $36,990 with a smaller outboard. You can contact the team at Boats and More via their website www. boatsandmore.com.au, or drop in to their Shepparton or Echuca stores. Ask them for a test drive – you will enjoy the experience.

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The Clark package was on a Dunbier Alloy Series trailer. This trailer upgrade offers great towing and an easy launch and retrieve.

The transition of power of the 115hp Suzuki was smooth and effortless.

The forward casting deck has a huge amount of storage, as well as a large livewell.

There are two side pockets to store all those things you need to get your hands on quickly.

A great feature of the Clark 520 Legend is that the bait board can be removed if not in use, or replaced with a ski pole for a bit of family fun. The nose of the 520 has a self-draining anchor well and a plate to install an electric motor.

The cockpit of the 520 has plenty of space and multiple seating positions.

There is a live bait tank in the transom if live bait fishing is something you enjoy.

The console is large enough to hold all your switches and gauges, and to mount a reasonably sized sounder. JUNE 2018

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Whittley CR2800 – the adventure begins - SC

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Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

The Whittley CR2800 is the largest Australian-made towable boat in its class. At Fishing Monthly we usually take no longer than a day to test a boat, but with the CR2800 we decided to go about it in a slightly different way. Beautiful Lake Eildon in central Victoria was the venue for the test, and the idea was to spend a couple of days using the boat, as we would expect a consumer

boats for many years, and here is his advice. Vehicle The car you tow with can make all the difference. Alan uses a 200 series LandCruiser for all his larger boat towing, and says it has been the best option for the business over the years. However, these days there’s a number of other cars that are suitable. Trailer set-up All Whittley Cruiser models come on a custom Mackay trailer, and in the case of the 2800 it’s a dual-axle trailer with electric brakes. Electric brakes are an essential

SPECIFICATIONS Overall length ��9.0m Length on trailer �� 10.10m Height on trailer ��3.30m Width on trailer ��2.49m Fuel capacity ��200L Water capacity ��100L Dry towing weight �� approx. 3.35 ton Standard engine �� Volvo Penta V6-280hp DPS Max hp ��380hp Max people ��9 to do. Stay on board as we explore everything that Eildon and the CR2800 has to offer. TOWING I can imagine that people would have concerns about towing a boat this big, and fair enough too. The size of the boat is daunting, however being under 3.5 ton and having a 2.5m beam means all you have to worry about is having the correct set-up and vehicle, not whether you need lights, signage and permits any time you want to go somewhere. Alan Whittley and his family have been towing these 120

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component of safe towing with a boat this size. The Mackay is also a drive on, drive off trailer; winching this boat by hand would not be ideal. We had no difficulty driving it on and off, it’s just a matter of taking your time. The supplied trailer made that easier. Think long Alan’s biggest tip for towing the 2800 was to ‘think long’. It is a big boat and you need to give yourself room to turn or turn around. You should also give yourself a little extra space from vehicles in front. Although the trailer

Main: The CR2800 is a compact luxury cruiser with a sleek modern design and look. Above: Alan Whittley can be very proud of their flagship boat the CR2800. has assisted breaking, you still have over three ton behind you, so stopping on a dime is not going to happen. LAUNCH AND RETRIEVE As with the towing, some care and a little practice is required when getting the 2800 on and off the water. It is by no means difficult, however. We launched at the Jerusalem Creek ramp at Lake Eildon, and at around 64% capacity this ramp is safe but not very steep. Other than needing to have the vehicle in the water (there were plenty of smaller craft needing to do the same), getting the boat on and off the trailer was a simple two-person job. Once off the trailer, front bow thrusters assist with maneuverability. Who would have thought it could be so hassle-free? A CRUISER WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS Whittley Marine has been at the forefront of building cruisers since their inception, and the CR2800 is the

culmination of many years of boat-building experience. This boat combines a sleek, modern look with a clever use of space, and because the designers understand what boaters want, they provide features and options to fulfil those needs. And feature packed it is. Above the deck Ladders are situated at the

front and rear of the craft. The forward ladder is optional to provide assistance getting to and from the shore if you are parked on the bank, and the rear ladder gives easy access into and out of the water. Complementing this is full walk-around side decks with rails at the bow of the boat, and a large marlin board with rails at the rear. The

rails provide some peace of mind for anyone who’s not accustomed to scampering around a vessel. Above the cabin there is a pack rack for additional storage of larger items, and it’s a great place for any towable products or inflatables to keep them out of the way. Marlin board The marlin board was most probably the most used area of the boat over the couple of days we were at Eildon. We cooked meals on the BBQ, we cast lures and soaked baits from it, and with the weather as good as it was on the first day, we spent plenty of time swimming from the back of it. The addition of the bait station adds to the fishing component. It has some rod storage and keeps the bait preparation out of the main cabin and away from your food and living area. Rear cabin The rear cabin is a wonderful space to sit, relax and enjoy your surroundings.

First light at Jerusalem Creek, Lake Eildon. Time to go and explore.

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MELBOURNE BOAT SHOW FEATURE The seating is comfortable and has a couple of table options. The main dining table is stored in the roof of the cabin, which is a fantastic solution for an item that would be very difficult to store otherwise. There is plenty of storage under all the seating and throughout the cabin area, keeping it clear to be the social space it is meant to be. The lounge and table come together to create a double bed. Full clears can be put in place to keep insects at bay or to keep the weather out. Galley and amenities If the rear cabin and marlin board are the social areas of the boat, then the galley provides the practical component of spending time on the boat. There is a food preparation area with a sink, a two burner mentholated spirits stove and a fridge. There is an esky under the skipper’s seat for drinks, so the fridge can be used for food items. Cooking utensils also have a place to be stored as well as cutlery etc. The remaining space at the back of the skipper’s seat

Picture yourself waking up to this. The CR2800 is all about experiencing moments like this. As far as our weekend was concerned, it kept five blokes looking and smelling sharp? Forward cabin The haven that is the forward cabin has a true sense of luxury. The area has multiple configurations from a seated area with a table to a large bed. There is a lockable door for privacy for people to get changed or simply for someone to chill out and have some quiet time. Practical things like storage under the seating and a hanging closet for your

for the driver, which is positioned so everything is at your fingertips. The throttle is comfortably positioned and the skipper has great visibility through the cabin windows. Both side windows open to assist with airflow. You can also pop your head through the electric sunroof if you need to see more while launching or manoeuvring in tight spaces. The truly impressive feature is the new dash configuration. Housing a 16” Garmin screen, part of

etc.). The menu includes the fuel management system, links to the Fusion sound system and the main screen can be customised to the

the motor and with the design of the CR2800 (all of the Whittley Cruisers for that matter) they have used this space to the max. The comfort and functionality of the rear lounge area is a clear testament of this. Secondly only having the leg of the motor at the rear (not a big outboard) means the transom area is free of obstruction, so it can be used to cook on the BBQ, ski or swim from the back and it also provides an obstacle free fishing platform. From a performance perspective, you get a lot of motor for your money and fuel economy that is comparable with any outboard motor. What we found over

LASTING IMPRESSION The CR2800 is the flagship vessel of the Whittley fleet of boats. It is also a significant investment. This investment translates into a boat that offers a vehicle to explore this great country of ours both on land and from the water. The weekend at Eildon was not my first experience with the CR2800, my extended family in South Australia own one and I have spent a little bit of time with them over the years. They have travelled much of the East coast of Australia with the Whittley in tow. It has offered many years of memorable experiences and many more to come. Ultimately that is what

Sneaking around casting lures for natives is not the primary function of the 2800. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

Lake Eildon is the home of many houseboats. We brought our own for the weekend. has a bar in it storing glasses and on this trip a nice bottle of single malt whiskey. This was to be the reward if you caught a Murray cod over the weekend. Unfortunately it went untouched. Opposite the galley is a stand up shower and toilet with a privacy door. From a family perspective this offers privacy and the ability to clean up after a days activities.

clothing ensure that the space is kept clear and tidy. There are plenty of windows for natural light during the day and a hatch that can open to allow airflow. Overall it is a well-planned space that like the rest of the boat begs to be used. Helm/Skippers seat The hub of the CR2800 is the driver seating area. There is an oversized seat

the Whittley Pulse system. The Pulse system is a fully integrated digital switching system that at the touch of your finger, controls everything electronic in the boat from the lights and wipers to letting you know you are low on fuel. It has a number of modes that allow the user to set their craft up for what they want to use it for (cruise, tow, entertainment

users needs. Other things housed on the dash are the Garmin VHF radio, the Zipwake automatic trim system (no more manual trimming), the battery management system and just to the side of it the toggle for the bow thrusters. All in all a well thought out helm, that any skipper would be happy to in whether it is a short or long trip. VOLVO PENTA V6 280HP WITH DUO PROP SYSTEM Not surprisingly the Volvo Penta V6 motor in the CR2800 came up in conversation a number of times during our time at Eildon. From a useable space perspective there are a number of advantages of an inboard motor. First and foremost is that your cabin and deck spaces are above

the couple of days was that for what is a very powerful motor it also had a great deal of finesse about it. And no I haven’t gone crazy. The Duo Prop system provides an immense amount of grip to the water resulting in excellent trust, acceleration and top end speeds. However it also allows for lower planing speeds, which means you can cruise around all day with great fuel economy. Definitely something that you would want if you plan to be on the water for an extended period of time. The motor is also beautifully quiet. One final observation about the inboard motor set up is that lowers the centre of gravity of the boat. This improves the stability at rest and the performance of the hull underway.

this boat is all about. It can be towed from A to B with no hassles, launching and retrieving is hassle free with a bit of practice and the fit out offers plenty of comfort and sophistication. Spending time on this boat for whatever reason is something you are bound to enjoy and something you will want to invite your friends to come along for the ride. Available from just under $206,000, the CR2800 comes with many standard inclusions. Go to www. whitleymarinegroup.com. au and click on the Cruiser 2800 link. There is a build a boat option that has all the information, inclusions and optional extras that are available. This boat is well worth experiencing for yourself and has left a lasting impression on me.

This is what experiencing the lake from the water is all about. Finding a quiet nook, sidle up to the bank and cook some breakfast. JUNE 2018

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A NEW ERA in FourStroke

The All New Mercury V-8 & V-6 175-300hp FourStroke Range The new era of revolutionary Mercury FourStrokes deliver unprecedented performance, reliability and efficiency, never before imagined in an outboard. Mercuryâ€™s advanced design and engineering delivers best in class performance, with superior torque and faster acceleration in a smooth, compact, quiet and fuel-efficient package. With features previously not seen in an outboard including Advanced Range Optimisation (ARO), Transient Spark Technology, Adaptive Speed Control and Idle-Charge battery-management. The all new range of Mercury V-8 4.6L and V-6 3.4L 175-300hp are the only choice when considering high horsepower outboards. All round excellence. A performer in every situation.

mercurymarine.com.au