Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i Fishing World

1 ENVIRONMENT NEWS: DEEP CYCLES BY JOHN NEWBERY DURING major drought events the estuary fishing along the NSW coast goes very quiet. Species such as bream and luderick seem almost to disappear. It takes several months of solid rain to get things back to normal. Some old anglers used to say “drought on the land, drought in the water”, while others with even more years under their belts theorised that fluctuations in fish numbers were part of long... 2 FISH FACTS: ALBACORE HEATING UP BY DR BEN DIGGLES THERE has been a lot written about the likely downsides of global warming, including such things as more extreme weather events, coral bleaching events and of course rising sea levels. But there are also some potential upsides that need to be considered…

CANALS are man-made channels providing water front living for hundreds of Gold Coast residents. When they first appeared last century some predicted the canals would have a detrimental effect on the environment. Concerns centred on a range of issues including pollution and siltation. At the time, Fishing World editor Ron Calcutt examined this emerging phenomena and speculated on the long term impact of these waterways. He was cautiously optimistic about the impact on fish numbers and time has proven him right. That was 30 years ago… Canal estates are now popular right around the country. Part of the charm is the idea you can moor your luxury cruiser at your jetty and catch fish right at your doorstep. The reality is that canals reflect the range of living standards from…

SHIMANO’S new range of tackle storage solutions feature plenty of different options from small terminals wallets right up to backpacks and tackle bags. I’ve been using the Lure Wallet now for a couple of months for storing larger plastics and it’s been a very handy case for trekking down onto the rocks or when bigger plastics are required on the boat. There are nine sleeves for carrying plastics plus a few zip up sections on the inside of the cover which could carry a bunch of different items. However if you like to carry as many packs of plastics as I do there isn’t much room left for stashing jigheads or anything bulky in the zip up sections. Half of the sleeves come segmented and will fit two packs of…

MULLOWAY are an intoxicating species. I don’t know of any other southern fish that draws the same cult following as mulloway. They’re a stunning fish straight from the water; especially the clean silver-sided fish caught from a beach, but it’s their unpredictability and ghost-like behaviour that makes them so addictive. They’re often fickle in their movement and cunning in their feeding behaviour. They’re hard to find with any regularity, and the bigger fish can be as sly as a fox. So why would anyone want to dedicate so much time to a species that offers no guarantee? It’s the thrill of the chase. When you finally glimpse that silver flank in the suds after hours spent pitching baits in the surf, it’s such a sweet feeling. I think it’s safe…

THE Keg is a ginormous mountain of a man who can pulse fear into the young from 10m away. Get him to hold any decent bass and it looks like a tiny fish by comparison. However, all is not as it seems. The Keg speaks with a country twang. He pronounces bass as “baass” and cod as “cord”, he sounds for all the world, a redneck with a capital K. Looks however, are deceiving. Judge this book by its cover and you’ll be missing out on a whole lot of good stuff. Firstly, the Keg is a university ecology graduate who can name any frog from its call. I hear a call and wonder if it’s a frog or a toad, the Keg labels it by is scientific name. Secondly,…

NSW Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott recently announced a 12-month trial of mandatory life jackets for rock fishers in Sydney’s Randwick area, as the government prepares to introduce legislation designed to increase safety along the state’s coastline. The legislation enables other locations to be included after the 12-month trial. Randwick Local Government Area (LGA) has the highest rate of rock fishing drownings in NSW, with Little Bay and Cape Banks some of the most dangerous locations. Enforcement officers from Randwick Council, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Primary Industries and the NSW Police Force will warn rock fishers not wearing a life jacket about the rules after December 1st this year. There will be a 12-month grace period before the law is enforced with a $100 fine. “Rock…

MANAGING and looking after some of our most popular angling targets is often somewhat overlooked by the broader fishing community. However, the NSW Research Angler Program, headed up by Dr Julian Hughes and ANSA NSW’s Stan Konstantaras and Chris Anagnostou have formed an alliance to gather crucial data on our most sought after species. The jewfish or mulloway tagging program started several years ago, and with an army of recreational anglers state wide it was not long before jewfish from 65cm to over 150cm were swimming around with an allocated number awaiting recapture. To date the program has tagged about 2000 jewfish and a notable 120 recaptures reported, some travelling incredible distances of over 100km. This data has not only provided growth rate, survival and travel movements, but helps to…

RECFISHWEST has expressed concerns about the overfishing of yellowfin whiting from the commercial sector in the iconic Mandurah estuary system of Peel Harvey. Commercial whiting catches have significantly increased in the Western Australian system since an agreed threshold was reached with the community in 2011. Traditionally yellowfin whiting made up only a small component of the commercial catch – approximately 5-8t – in what has traditionally been a commercial mullet and blue swimmer crab fishery. A Recfishwest spokesperson said the community were involved in the negotiation and accepted the current catch threshold for this species, and that this was done in good faith and as a measure to protect the high level of fishing enjoyment a healthy stock provides. “It’s disappointing that commercial catches of Yellowfin Whiting have been allowed…

THE sealed road gave way to dirt and for the next two hours we climbed before descending several hundred metres towards the river. The first sight of the river revealed a narrow, yet deep stretch of water bordered by steep dry hills. It was the same steep country we traversed for another hour before finding our camp beside a long fishy-looking pool. Finding productive fishing spots these days often takes great effort and long journeys and it was a relief when we finally made camp with enough light left to set up, ready tackle and have a quick fish. Morgan and Anton from Coleman set up the tents while the rest of us readied tackle. The boys from Berkley had a range of gear from Berkley, Abu Garcia, Spiderwire, Pflueger…

PRESIDENTIAL TREATMENT! WITH the introduction of the President XT baitcast reel, Pflueger says it’s providing anglers with a durable reel that will last a lifetime and doesn’t break the bank. The latest release features several key upgrades. The Sideplates have been constructed of durable C30 carbon and the the XT features a magnetic braking system. The magnetic braking system is externally adjustable and easily adapts to the lightest presentations. Nine stainless steel ball bearings make this one of the smoothest reels on the market. Anglers will find the President XT reel equipped with slip resistant rubber cork knobs, which help when conditions take a turn for the worse and the fight has just begun. The 210gm President XT retrieves 77.5 cm of line per crank of the aluminium handle. $149…

Mackerel Madness! Keegan Gill, 14, caught this nice Spanish mackerel on a long range trip to Swains Reef with his pop aboard the Iron Joy. Well done Keegan a fantastic Shimano prize pack is on its way out to you! Each month we will select a Pic of the Month Major Prize Winner as well as FIVE other lucky winners for our Grin & Win section. Pic of the Month winners receive ALL of the great prizes you see here, while Grin & Win kids will each receive a cool Shimano cap and Squidgy DVD (right)! E-mail your entry and contact details to: pictures@fisho.com.au or post it to: Shimano Pic of the Month, Fishing World, GPO Box 606 Sydney NSW, 2001 Please include your name and age and details of your…

FIFTEEN years have passed since the NSW government introduced commercial fishing license buyouts in various estuary systems along the East Coast, including Sydney’s Botany Bay. These measures seem to have helped ease pressure on local species and have given a boost to the sea grasses. Before the buy-outs occurred, as many as 90 commercial vessels operated out of Botany Bay. That’s hard to fathom without having witnessed the lights of up to half that fleet zig-zagging across the bay most evenings; a sight that used to drop the shoulders of many eager pre-dawn anglers. Fishos are now reaping the benefits of the rec haven and while catches may still be a far cry from what they once were, there is welcome evidence of improvement. We go on paying for it…

FISHING World writer Paul Lennon recently ticked off a bucket list item with a genuine metre-long flathead in his home waters of Port Stephens on the NSW Mid North Coast. The huge lizard came in at 1015mm on the brag mat and was caught at night with a live yellowtail in 12m of water. “It wasn’t the way I wanted as it was caught fishing for mulloway in 12m of water on a live bait but I’ll still take it,” Lennon said. Regular Fisho readers will know that Lennon has been chasing a metre flatty for a long time on soft plastics and is a genuine big flatty expert with heaps of fish over 95cm and a previous best of 98cm. The big flathead was released back into the water…

THE World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has come under fire after an ABC Four Corners report exposed WWF charges a large fee to use its Panda conservation logo as an endorsement of responsible practise and sustainability. It was revealed in secret documents leaked to the ABC that Tassal, Tasmania’s largest salmon producer, will pay the WWF about $250,000 each year over the next three years to use the WWF Panda logo and another $250,000 to use the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) label, which Tassal’s competitors believe gives it a huge commercial advantage. ABC’s Caro Meldrum-Hanna questioned how consumers can have confidence in Tassal’s product if the company paid for the WWF endorsement. WWF Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman denied this payment compromised trust and maintained the WWF is the benchmark of conservation…

NSW DPI (Fisheries) has reportedly seized over 112kg of processed Southern Bluefin Tuna cut from two fish weighing over 75kg each from an Illawarra seafood retailer. The manager potentially faces charges of buying a threatened species and failing to obtain fish records, while the recreational fisherman who caught the fish faces charges for selling an endangered species to the shop. The fish were valued domestically at about $2,000 each. Fisheries has been conducting investigations into black-marketing of Albacore and Yellowfin Tuna as well as SBTs to other Illawarra seafood outlets. SBTs have a rec fishing possession limit and daily bag limit of one fish per person in NSW.…

NS BLACKHOLE rods are based in Korea and distributed in Australia by E J Todd. The range is extensive and takes in everything from heavy popper rods to bream sticks in a wide range of models and price ranges. The NS Avenger rod series feature fast action rod builds and genuine Fuji componentry. All rod blanks feature NS Blackhole’s exclusive WXW (Wide X-Wrapping) carbon cloth and deep D joint rod joins for the best connection between tip and butt sections without any flat spots. Fuji tangle free K guides and Fuji VSS and ACS reel seats come standard. High grade cork around the handle and winch fitting with EVA butts. There are six spin models in the range designed exclusively for Australian conditions. These range from ultra-light finesse bream to…

TO describe GT luring as a cult doesn’t quite do justice to the unique brand of fanaticism its disciples display. A true GT zealot will travel to the edge of nowhere to feed their addiction to this brutal form of fishing, and once you’ve seen a properly big GT charge down and annihilate a big surface lure, it’s pretty easy to understand why. Big, mean, surface lure crunching giant trevally and wilderness waters go hand in hand. If you want to experience the eye-popping, adrenaline boosting, muscle stretching form of fishing that is surface luring for heavyweight geets, there’s almost no choice than to head for wild waters where nature still makes the rules. One such place is the North-West coast of Western Australia. This is a near untouched coast…

NORMALLY, heading off in a kayak without a paddle would be a bad idea. The thought struck me as I was driving to a nearby boat ramp to do this on-water review. Halfway there I realised the kayak tied to the roof racks hadn’t come with a paddle and I’d forgotten to grab one from home. The good news was the ‘yak was set up with an electric motor. So, no paddle required, at least as long as nothing went wrong. The review kayak was a Scout by Aquayak, an Australian manufacturer fairly new to the scene and judging by its website one producing quality ‘yaks at affordable prices. In a market brimming with high-end paddle craft loaded with features, I’d describe the Scout as an entry level boat that…