Innehållsförteckning för February 2021 från Fishing World

EVERY so often technology comes along and revolutionises the way we fish. For the most part it's the gear we use; the rods, reels & line. Graphite rods, high-tech reels and in more recent years, braided lines, have made the job of casting and catching a more simplified process. We're now able to land bigger and faster fish with less effort and less cost. And no one is complaining! It's difficult to predict which direction fishing tackle is moving and whether we'll see any "game changing" technology evolve in coming years. One thing's for certain, much of the advancements we're seeing are more in the “accessories” area. Gear such as marine electronics and drone technology is advancing at a rapid rate. Just like the fishing gear evolution, we can now…

The CSIRO has provided the first ever global estimate for microplastics on the world’s seafloor, suggesting there are 14 million tonnes …. double the amount of plastic pollution estimated to be on the surface. Its researchers believe millions of tonnes of plastic enter the marine environment annually with quantities estimated to increase in coming years despite what we now know of its impacts on marine ecosystems, wildlife and human health. Meanwhile, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) continue to remove ghost nets, gillnets and FADs from Australian waters. Recent successes up north include a three tonne ghost net from north of Melville Island, a second from northwest of Darwin with a potential span of two kilometres, a foreign drifting FAD from northwest of Bathurst…

FISH INC. EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS THE popular Fish Inc. Egilicious range of squid jigs has expanded to include new 2.0 and 2.5 sizes, ideal for fishing the slack tide and shallow water. Egilicious is constructed from high quality materials, designed with a buoyant “tail up” design to increase the hook up rate while minimising snagging. Fitted with quality Owner squid jig hooks, that are finer than standard hooks, allows the hooks to be straightened under pressure to retrieve the jig when snagged. Hooks can be bent back into position to continue fishing. Additional strike triggers include realistic 3D eyes and feather fins, along with a unique range of tested and proven colours. Egilicious 2.0 and 2.5 are available in 8 colours with a SRP of $11.95. More info at tackletactics.com.au…

Summer in the south is both an exciting and trying time of year for keen fishos. We have some exceptional fishing and a wide variety of species on offer at this time of year, but the fickle summer weather and busy holiday period can make accessing these summer options challenging, to say the least. Summer often sees heightened activity on and around the water, long queues at the boat ramp and breezy conditions, but by getting on the water early and beating the masses, you can still experience some first-rate fishing, and you’ll often be home cleaning a feed of fish before the crowds even venture out their front door. “Schools of small to medium sized samson fish are active around our offshore reef systems during the warmer months too.”…

SEND YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS AND A DESCRIPTION OF YOUR CATCH TO PICTURES@ FISHO.COM.AU FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN. Each month we will select five lucky winners for our Grin & Win section. Grin & Win winners will each receive a cool Shimano cap and Squidgy DVD! E-mail your entry and contact details to: pictures@fisho.com.au Please include your name and age and details of your catch. Also provide a postal address so winners can receive their prize. Good luck! Visit the Shimano Junior Anglers’ website at www.shimanofish.com.au…

Whilst I love the thrill and challenge of chasing a diverse range of species, my fishing pursuits have taken a turn in recent times towards a more one dimensional approach. With family and work commitments building in momentum, the fishing windows have been reduced and a change in priorities have occurred as a result. The decision of where and what to focus my efforts has largely been influenced by one particular species, the yellowtail kingfish. Now, the term “kingfish fever” certainly won’t be found in any medical dictionary but it very well exists and those bitten by the bug will whole-heartedly understand. This addiction stems from the sole characteristics of kingfish as they well and truly deliver on each and every front with everything you want from a recreational target.…

The East Australian Current starts to run south along the NSW and Queensland coast in early summer and brings large numbers of pelagic game fish with it. At this time of year the water temperature increases to over 25 degrees and big schools of slimy mackerel and pilchards hold on many of the inshore reefs. These large bait schools attract a wide variety of predators including black and striped marlin, Wahoo in the north, dolphin fish and a variety of tuna. Game fishing is always dictated by water temperature and prevailing currents. As the current swirls its way south along the continental shelf it creates enormous twisting eddy currents that push close inshore. If the wind is from the south east the blue water is pushed in close to the…

Well known TV fishing show presenter Michael Guest recently updated his boat with a brand new 7600 Yellowfin Centre Console. The 7600 replaces the 7000 Centre Cab, which Guesty made solid use of with a long list of good captures up and down the coast while filming the last season. As Guesty explains, the new boat holds true to its promise as an all-rounder with serious fishing credentials. Firstly, it’s a centre console and that means more fishing space. It’s also a bigger boat and, according to Guesty, a versatile one! “It’s a longer boat with more fishing space. I wanted the electric motor casting area at the front. And it’s the best of both worlds. We can go marlin fishing one day and be in two foot of water…

As serious fishos, many of us are boat owners. I’ve been a boatie all my life and spent a lot of time on the water from small estuaries and creeks to 40 miles offshore. My first boating experience was in an old De Haviland car topper that my father had when I was a young bloke. That was back in the 60’s when there were very few rules and no one to check or enforce them. Life jackets, flares and safety equipment were optional, drinking alcohol was, at times, mandatory and most boat owners probably never even had a boat license. The figures show that boating fatalities back in the 50’s to 70’s were common so the rules changed and some regulation was enforced. Back then I was a young…

THE blue drummer or bluefish (Girella cyanea) is reasonably common on Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands and is a close relative of the luderick and the rock blackfish. It’s protected in NSW and very occasionally one turns up as a by-catch species off the ocean rocks. Local folklore has it that Bluefish Point on Sydney’s northern beaches was named because of the big catches of bluefish taken there up to about the 1930’s, but the anglers involved are long gone and whenever we print these second hand anecdotal reports they’re questioned by skeptical readers. So, it’s interesting to think about this quote from the Australian Museum’s then curator of fishes J. Douglas Ogilby’s “The Edible Fishes and Crustaceans of NSW”, published in 1893 and quoted in Julian Pepperell’s historical study…

AN 81-year-old midnight snapper caught off the coast of Western Australia has taken the title of the oldest tropical reef fish recorded anywhere in the world. The fish was found at the Rowley Shoals—about 300km west of Broome — and was part of a study that has revised what we know about the longevity of tropical fish. The research identified 11 individual fish that were more than 60 years old, including a 79-year-old red bass also caught at the Rowley Shoals. Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Fish Biologist Dr Brett Taylor, who led the study, said the midnight snapper beat the previous record holder by two decades.…

The Bellinger Valley is located on the Mid North Coast of NSW, approximately halfway between Sydney and Brisbane and it is a region filled with accessible bass-filled waters. The township of Bellingen is located on the banks of the Bellinger River, which flows from headwaters at the eastern foot of the Great Dividing Range, down through the township of Bellingen, all the way to Urunga, where it meets the ocean. Therefore, bass fish opportunities range from skinny, crystal clear waters, more turbid freshwater, and brackish zones. Bellingen is a derivation of the Gumbaynggir word “Billingen”, which may mean clear water or winding river. It was named in 1841 and by 1842, cedar getters and sheep farmers were in the area. Conflict was common in the early years as the indigenous…

CHOOSING a boat is made a whole lot easier when you make a repeat purchase. That’s what happened earlier this year when I decided to sell the Fishing World Bar Crusher. The 535XS rear console had served me well over the past few years. It delivered on its promise as a true “all-rounder” – an overused claim which, in this case, was an accurate description. It was a versatile rig and it wasn’t an easy decision to put it up for sale. And while the boat was still going strong, the temptation of a new model was too great. Bar Crusher updated its 535XS centre console a year or so earlier and I checked it out at the Sydney Boat Show in 2019. The obvious change was the new console…

FROM humble beginnings in 1945, a big dream for two entrepreneurs quickly flourished into a big reality with Quintrex quickly establishing itself as one of Australia’s most sought-after aluminium boat brands. Today, as it celebrates its diamond anniversary, with the brand clocking over to its 75th year of production, Quintrex is as popular as ever. “We are proud to say that there wouldn’t be a boatie in Australia who doesn’t recognise the Quintrex name and that’s because of the quality of product we have continued to produce over the last 75-years,” said Telwater GM Sam Heyes. “Throughout the 75-years of manufacturing, innovation has been at the core of our business, with a dedicated Research and Development team underpinning the evolution of our product line. This is to ensure we are…