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10 28
www.westernangler.com.au
All correspondence and contributions to:

WESTERN ANGLER MAGAZINE

PO Box 7165
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Tel: (08) 9844 9706
Office open:
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MAJOR FEATURES
Phone: (08) 9844 9706
(Tuesdays 8-4/Thursdays 8-12)
10 CRITTERS OF THE CORAL
BEN KNAGGS loves to pit himself against the many species that
MANAGING EDITOR
hang around shallow coral. It can be tough on tackle, but there
Scott Coghlan are ways to turn the odds in your favour.
Mob: 0414 685 169 28 DIRK HARTOG EVOLUTION
scoghlan@westernangler.com.au
TIM FARNELL has noticed the changes at Dirk Hartog Island
FOUNDING PUBLISHER
over a decade of visits, but there is still extraordinary land-based
Ian Stagles fishing on offer for those prepared to make the effort.
42 THOSE TERRIFIC TUSKIES
FOUNDING EDITOR
Ross Cusack
BEN SVENSON is hooked on blackspot tuskfish and loves to
chase them in Shark Bay. They are a powerful opponent that
can be very hard to stop in shallow water.
ADVERTISING
Scott Coghlan 48 TESTING OUT TASSIE TROUT
Mob: 0414 685 169
SHANE MENSFORTH loves Tasmania and has enjoyed some
astounding trout fishing there in recent years. This article is full of
scoghlan@westernangler.com.au

information for anyone considering a fishing trip to the Apple Isle.

PRODUCTION MANAGER
Wayne Harrington 60 THE APPLE NEVER FALLS FAR
Mob: 0409 881 790
wayne@westernangler.com.au
PETER TUCKER has spent a lifetime showing other people how
and where to catch fish. Now his son has caught the fishing bug
DISTRIBUTION
and Tux couldn’t be prouder.
Ovato Retail Distribution 66 LOCKED, STOCKED AND DAM FISHING
WESTERN ANGLER MAGAZINE PAUL NOLAN explains how stocking a private dam with trout
is published quarterly: and marron can produce memorable experiences that go far
Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. beyond just the fishing.
Editorial guidelines are available. 86 ANGLAPRO A VERSATILE VESSEL
Contributions are welcome. The contents of this magazine are BARRY WISEMAN reports that family boating is on the rise in
copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or part without
written permission of the publisher.
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ADVERTISING CONDITIONS offering safety and security for all on board.
Advertising in the Western Angler is subject to the Publisher’s
approval and no responsibility is taken for any loss claimed as a
result of an advertisement not appearing according to instructions
92 BARON RISES LIKE THE PHOENIX
given. With the exception of special placements agreed by the
Publisher the positioning of an advertisement is at the Publisher’s
BARRY WISEMAN reminds us that in Greek mythology, the
discretion. phoenix bird rose from the ashes to be born again. He says that
Space booking made, for which no artwork is available at the
dates set out on the rate card, will be charged to the advertiser at
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42 48

COLUMNS 60
8 EDITORIAL
Despite the very best efforts of everyone on the Western
Angler team, there were some issues with late deliveries of
magazines this winter.
36 TACKLE MATT
Matt discovers that locally designed Razor Edge Swimson
soft plastics are proving to be a big winner on bream.
56 TACKLE AND TACTICS
With more and more restrictions on offshore fishing, Ando
has been checking out modern beach rods.
72 OFFROAD ANGLER
Yeagarup Beach is a popular fishing destination, but getting
there requires preparation and planning.
plus our regulars
20 NAUTICAL NEWS
76 SHORE ANGLES 34 McGLASHAN MOMENTS
Once introduced to the wider WA public by this magazine, 40 RECFISHWEST
Assassin rods are making a comeback. 54 WHAT’S NEW
78 KAYAK ANGLER 58 SUBSCRIPTIONS
When the demersals don’t bite, squid can save the day. Just 84 MAKING WAVES
don’t be too precious about a clean kayak. 98 TRAILER TRASHED
108 READERS’ PHOTOS
82 ADVENTURE MUM
Marlin fishing can be slow, but when it all comes together 111 JUNIOR COMPETITION
it’s a memorable experience.
100 HALF HITCH
Small boat fishing is one of Darryl’s favourite things and he
put his tinnie to good use on a recent trip north.
102 WHAT’S COOKING
Chef Dale turns Japanese with a tasty seafood dish – crispy
prawn and vegetable tempura.
104 JUNIOR ANGLER
Tim reflects on a happy childhood trying his luck at local
marinas. He says they remain a great place to hone skills.
106 DOWN TIME
Diving is back in Western Angler with a new column by Mike
Kane on spearfishing.
114 BACK LASH
Jamie was thrilled to discover yellowfin tuna making a big FRONT COVER: Tim Farnell with a Dirk
comeback to metro waters last summer. Hartog baldchin groper. See the story on
page 28. Picture: Mark Smith
8 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
WAngler gets late mail on delivery
W
E at Western Angler would like
to apologise to subscribers who
received the previous edition,
Winter 2022, extremely late.
A couple of weeks after the magazine
had been given to Australia Post to deliver,
we became aware that an unusually high
number of subscribers hadn’t received it.
We used social media and email to try to
find out just how significant the problem
was and soon became aware something
had gone amiss in the delivery process.
The company that labels the magazines
and supplies them to Australia Post
appeared to have done everything
correctly, but it became apparent almost
all the missing copies were in Perth’s
northern suburbs so it appeared some had
likely been lost by Australia Post.
More than a month later the odd magazine
was still being delivered to subscribers in
the metro area, seemingly confirming
it was a postal delay, and we ended up
sending out replacement copies to anyone
who hadn’t received it by the end of June.
If you are a current subscriber and did not
receive it, please call the office on 9844
9706 so we can get you a well overdue
copy.
We do our absolute best to get the
magazine to subscribers as early as
possible and, while this delay was out
of our control and we still don’t have an
answer as to what caused the problem, we
do apologise for the inconvenience.
When it comes to delivering the magazine
to subscribers, Western Angler has always
endeavoured to get it to those readers or
customers before it appears in news outlets
and tackle shops, but this hiccup highlights
the hurdles we now face.
Unfortunately, we can’t honestly promise
to get it to subscribers first in this post-
EDITORIAL
with Scott Coghlan
COVID world as the delivery process has
slowed significantly.
Once the magazine is printed, it is out of
our hands as it goes to a mailing company
to be prepared, and then ultimately is
provided to Australia Post for delivery.
Sadly, these two steps are now taking
longer than ever before, even though we
once again started printing locally when
we returned after COVID hit the world.
We will always try to get the magazine
to subscribers first as we value them
enormously, especially given how loyal
you all are, but we just ask that people
accept the challenge of doing so is
sometimes frustratingly impossible.
What we can promise is that we will
continue to work as hard as we can
to produce the highest quality fishing
magazine possible for WA fishos, which
we believe is one of the best in Australia.
The support for the magazine since
the global upheaval in 2020 has been
remarkable and the quarterly format has
been universally embraced by our readers,
even inspiring our friends at SA Angler
to do the same after more than 40 years.
Rest assured, subscribers will continue to
get a discount on the cover price, as well as
having the convenience of home delivery.
All subscribers are also eligible for the
subscription competition for each edition,
which in this issue is a great Vexed prize
pack, and we’ve had some very happy
winners over the last couple of years.
Subscribers are very much the life blood
of this magazine, and without them we
wouldn’t exist.
We thank all of you, past and present,
for your support, and trust that you’ll
continue to help a local publication keep
you informed on all things WA fishing.
If you don’t have a subscription and
would like one, feel free to call us or visit
our website, or even come at see us at our
stand at the Perth Boat Show.
We’ll have our usual fabulous showbag
deal at the Boat Show including 12-month
subscription, new fishing reel, WAngler
cap and Halco lure, so it’s the perfect
opportunity to treat yourself or surprise
a good friend!
l Scott Coghlan has been editing Western Angler
since 2004 and written for the magazine for
more than 20 years. A former journalist for The
Australian and Australian Associated Press, he
is a keen kayak and inshore fisher and writes the
fishing page for The West Australian and The
Sunday Times.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 9
10 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

Chasing
critters of
the coral
BEN KNAGGS reveals there is a lot of fun to be had fishing
around structure in shallow water in the top half of the State.
The nature of the beast means that not all battles will be won,
but he has some tips to help coax more fish away from their
homes without doing serious damage to your wallet.

HE coral bommie didn’t look all moment for my less-than-keyed-

T that special. Just a two-metre

round, mushroom-shaped lump
of coral reaching up from the seafloor
in perhaps three metres of water. I
probably wouldn’t have even noticed
it had the boat not drifted in close to
shore while I was head down re-rigging.
On a whim, I popped out a half-
hearted cast toward it before motoring
back out to deeper water. The 12cm
soft plastic stickbait touched down
along the shaded, slightly overhung
side of the coral and started its slow
descent through crystal clear water
toward the clearly discernible bottom.
But it never came close to making it.
In flash of lumo olive, the lure
disappeared as a fair lump of coral
trout shot out and back from the
bommie in the blink of an eye. It took a
in reflexes to realise what
had just happened, and
by then the fish had well
and truly claimed the
upper hand. My little
spin reel screamed
as I scrambled to put
some pressure on and
change the angle to keep the
line clear of the sharp coral.
In the end, it was only luck that saw
the leader scrape clear without slicing
through, with the boat’s drift away from
the bommie also coming to the rescue
by helping pull the fish clear of its
razor-sharp hidey hole.
Out in clearer water things shifted
in my favour, although with a badly-
shredded leader it was still touch and
go until the fish hit the net.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 11
12 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
All of this action must have
only taken place in just n Coral trout have to rank as the
20 or 30 seconds, but the primary target with this style of fishing,
white-knuckled excitement both for their eating qualities and for
of the whole encounter left the fun they provide.
me shaken. That’s what you
get messing with the critters
of the coral!
Chucking lures into the
harm’s way that is a coral
bommie, shallow reef ledge
or rock pile is a brutal form
of fishing. The species
that hang tight to this kind
of structure know exactly
where home is, and their
hit-and-run feeding strategy
means they’re often back in
the front door within the time
it takes to come up solid.
Losses can be high, and
more of the larger fish you’ll
hook will win the fight than
will be pulled clear and
come to the boat.
But boy is it fun! I guess
it’s the element of risk that
makes it so. Sometimes
it feels like tempting fate
casting lures (particularly
expensive lures!) tight in
amongst this sort of line-
shredding country, but
knowledge of just what around inshore bommies
sorts of fish are likely to n Soft plastics are the premier lure choice for this fishing, that are positioned near
live amongst those crags but vibes are right up there in the rankings too. This estuary river mouths or large
and crannies makes the cod backed up the theory by busting off on a vibe and then mudflats, and black jewfish
temptation too great to eating a plastic not 30 seconds later! love this country as well.
resist. If the patch of reef you’re
REEF EDGE RESIDENTS fishing happens to have a
deep overhang or cave, it’s
Wherever hard, tropical a sure bet that is inhabited
coral grows, it’s just a given by a resident Queensland
that the list of species likely groper, and these big boys
to hang around significant will totally pants you or
stands of the stuff is going pinch a hooked fish from
to be long. And just about time to time.
all of them are more than
happy to smack a lure that And all that is without
swims through their eye mentioning some of the
line. smaller bycatch species like
Spanish flag, Moses perch
Starting from the top of
and the ever-present and
the desirability list, it’s hard
over-zealous Charlie Court
to go past coral trout as a
cod, or occasional surprises
key target. In most places, a surprisingly regular catch encounters as well.
like smallmouth nannygai
flicking a lure along the on certain lures fishing this Cobia seem to have a and even little red emperor.
coral-encrusted edges and way too, and as you head fascination with coral lumps
overhangs is actually one farther down the coast into at times, even surprisingly This can be real lucky dip
of, if not THE best, ways to more temperate waters you far up into the shallows. I fishing at times where you
target these tasty and hard- can add the likes of pink think they actually rest up never really know what will
brawling fish. snapper, dhufish, baldchin, behind a bommie – I’ve be next to hook up … and
Making up the minor mulloway and so on. sounded them up on side may never know if you can’t
places is a big field Pelagic species too love scan looking like logs lying stop it from getting back to
including spangled to hang about this type of stationary on the seafloor, the reef!
emperor, rankin, estuary, hard-edge country, with the out of the current. An easy
GEAR FOR THE CORAL
malabar and a seemingly roll call of trevally species feed like a little soft plastic
never-ending list of other being foremost among hopping its way past is I don’t want to get bogged
cod species, mangrove them. Mackerel love to usually too much for them down in boring tackle talk,
jack, blue-lined emperor sit in the eddies behind to resist. but there are a few critical
(aka black snapper), large slabs of coral reef Up north and over the gear requirements that will
red-throat, chinaman fish, or bommies, seeming to border into the Northern help you succeed at this
fingermark and red bass, delight in snipping off lures, Territory, I’ve also seen style of fishing.
just for a start. Bluebone are and queenies are regular some epic big barra fishing First up, outfit. This is

n Dan Peart found that twitching
lures around the coral is just about
the most effective way of catching
coral trout regularly.
cast-and-retrieve fishing,
throwing lures which will be
fairly subtle in presentation.
When a hookup comes
though, some pulling power
is required to rip that fish
away from its coral edge
home.
So you need a stick that
can cast well enough,
feels nice and sensitive for
twitching those lures and
feeling those bites, but has
enough backbone to stick it
to a fish when the bite does
come.
I reckon PE2/9kg gear is
just about perfect, and there
are some really nice light
jigging rods on the market
these days that suit this
style of fishing really well.
Being designed for jigging,
these types of rods may not
provide particularly great
casting distance, but their
sensitivity in the hand and
fast action for a heap of low-
down pulling power more
than make up for such a
small compromise.
If you indulge in this style
of fishing for an extended
period of time, you’ll no
doubt get rolled on this gear
every so often by the odd
unstoppable fish.
However, try to resist
the temptation to upscale
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 13
opinion.
Fluoro is also tends to
be hard-skinned and hard
wearing which helps no end
in the kind of brutal fights
that invariably crop up
around the coral from time
to time.
Which brings us to the
subject of lure choice. You
can fish a bunch of different
lure types in this scenario,
depending on the makeup
and depth of the reef you’re
fishing, but soft plastics are
a clear first choice.
Plastics are super-effective
on an overwhelming
majority of the fish species
which reside on these
n Spangos love this inshore reefs, but also have
kind of country, and the added plus of being
it’s a rare day when relatively affordable.
they won’t make
an appearance by Lure losses are inevitable
grabbing a lure at
some stage.
your gear. Going much
heavier really hampers
lure presentation and bite
detection, so a good rule
to follow is to always fish as
light as you think you can
comfortably get away
with.
You’ll hook a
lot more fish
to begin
with,
and
have a hell of a lot more fun
wrestling them away from
the coral crags to boot.
Given the harsh territory
being fished, leader choice n Pelagic species
is pretty important. Leader
like Kent Kleinig’s
golden trevally
line has to be tough, and love to use the
this means fairly heavy coral edges as
leader is usually necessary. an ambush zone
Low visibility fluorocarbon to hunt small
leader is essential in my baitfish.
14 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
in this style of fishing –
occasionally to fish but
mostly to snags – so
a lure that is at least
a little expendable is
advantageous.
Vibes can be deadly for
this fishing, so it’s worth
keeping a few in the lure
box, but leave a few
hanging on the coral and
you’ll soon find them just too
damned uneconomical to
keep on the regular roster.
Likewise, twitching hard-
bodies around some of the
shallower coral country can
be a great tactic to tempt
any bigger residents into
a mistake, but the bank
balance won’t appreciate it.
Whatever lure type you
choose, realise that lure
weight is critical. You should
be chopping and changing
regularly during the day
fishing like this, matching
lure weight to changing
depth and tidal flow to
make sure your lure can get
down there but not so fast
that it looks unnatural and
unappealing.
Keeping this solidly front of
mind will get you more bites
and fewer snags.
WHERE TO LOOK/HOW
TO FISH
This style of fishing
typically takes place
through inshore waters,
anywhere from right up
in the shallows operating
in just a couple metres of
water, through to say 15
metres or so. Most of the
time we’re looking for heavy
coral country to find the
best action – areas like reef
edges, overhangs and big
coral bommies.
Anywhere a coral reef
residing fish might like to
set up home base or more
transient species may look
to hold station through a
tide and ambush baitfish.
There’s heaps of this
sort of country through
the northern parts of our
expansive State. There is
actually too much of this
ground in a lot of places,
which can make it hard for
the first timer to work out
what’s a really good area to
concentrate a lot of casts at
and what’s just average and
not worth spending time on.
So to begin with, focus on
patches of reef that have
significant features like
n You’ll scare up some
thumper blue-lined
emperor (aka black
snapper) fishing this
way. Dan Peart is the
angler.
cracks, ledges, shadowed
areas or tidal breaks.
Seeking out these prime
places is made easier when
the water is shallow or clear
enough to see what you’re
casting at, so starting up in
the shallows to get the hang
of this style of fishing is
probably a good move.
The downside to this is
that if you’re fishing a heavy
traffic location like my home
waters around Exmouth,
these shallow, easily
identifiable coral areas tend
to cop a bit of hammering
from spearfishos. You’ll
likely still see plenty
of action, it’s just that
encounters with quality fish
may be sporadic.
Out deeper where finding
the ground to target isn’t
so simple as throwing on a
pair of polarised glasses, n The down-current side of significant coral bommies or
the visual fun of seeing a reef systems often house cobia resting up out of the current,
fish shoot out and nail a lure as Matt Schaefer discovered.
disappears, but as a rule
the chance of better fish with the kind of accuracy against wind and current
increases as compensation. that rivals actually being and give you a stationary
Here, your eyes turn to the able to see the target with platform to make accurate
sounder for keys on where your own two eyes. casts and better work a
exactly to cast and work a And all while keeping the lure.
lure, and for this, side scan boat well away from the You can even program
sonar is a serious game reef itself so as not to spook a modern unit to slowly
changer. any fish holding there. It’s creep along a certain line
Tuned and used well, side seriously powerful fish- at casting distance from
scan sonar can allow you to finding tech for this type of the reef and cast your way
thoroughly map out a reef fishing. along it to really work the
in these shallow waters to A bow mount electric reef edge over thoroughly.
the point where it’s possible motor is a huge help too, You may notice I keep
to pinpoint the prime hidey not only for stealth but also mentioning reef edges in
holes and present a lure simply to hold position these ramblings. A mistake
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 15

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16 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
newcomers may make to
this fishing is to get too n In the top end of the State,
focussed on the sexy- twitching lures around the
looking structure they’re shallow, inshore reefs can turn
fishing and ending up
up some stud salty barra too, like
this one caught by Ross Lyon.
casting right on top of it.
Unless the bite is absolutely
on fire, the good fish will
very rarely be up on top of
the reef or bommie.
Instead, start off by
fishing the up-current face
of the structure where –
depending on tidal flow
– there will likely be a
pressure edge where the
flowing current hits the hard
stuff. Larger, feeding fish
will often sit here waiting to
nail baitfish and other prey
brought toward them by the
tide.
The down-current side
is also worth a throw as
resting fish (like cobia as
mentioned earlier) may hold particular side, give that n Bluebone
station there, and on the side a good bash before thrive around the
larger bits of reef it can then looking elsewhere. coral heads and
be productive to work down Any fishing that has an are a common
the side of the reef before element of white-knuckle catch on soft
moving on. action or a twinge of
plastics.
If you’re fishing during the chance is always going
middle of the day when the to be enjoyable, and
sun is high, think about the prospecting the shallow
angle of the sun and where coral with artificials has
it may be causing shadows both in spades.
to fall. Give it a crack next time
If that shadow is on one you’re in the north.
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 17

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18 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

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SEPTEMBER 2022

GET ALL THE GEAR TO GET OUT ON THE WATER!

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 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 19
PERTH’S BIG BOAT AND FISHING
SHOW IS ON THIS SEPTEMBER!
The Boating Industry Association of WA presents the 2022 Club Marine Perth Boat Show from
16th -18th September 2022 at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Club Marine Perth
Boat Show brings together everything related to boating and fishing, with huge displays of the
latest model trailerboats, jet skis, canoes and kayaks, engines, electronics, and navigation.

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The City Toyota Fishing Zone offers visitors a the dream!
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and buy. The Fishing Zone will feature the main Show. Launched in 2021 and proved to be one
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Fishing Stage. Special guest fishing presenters The Content Creator’s Area gives you the
will be on stage throughout the day discussing opportunity to meet your favourite creators,
a range of topics, plus demonstrating lures and see their boats, and get inspired by their
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Come along and check out all the latest
Boating Safety and Info hub! trailerboats, jet skis, kayaks and SUPs, engines,
The most important aspect of boating is fishing tackle, electronics and navigation,
safety, and this is the message coming from clothing and travel information. The Club Marine
the Maritime and Roads Information Hub at Perth Boat Show is held indoor inside Perth
the Show this year. The Maritime and Roads Convention and Exhibition Centre, making it easy
Information Hub is a convenient one-stop- to browse the latest products and decide on your
EN GEL AQ UATA N K shop for information about safe boating new boat!
F ISHIN G SH OW
including correct weight ratios for cars and
boat trailers, fishing regulations, national
approach for commercials vessels and
interpreting weather forecasts.
WIN A SEADOO SPARK!
Plenty to see and do!
Show visitors can also do their Skipper’s
Ticket Test at the Show this year (pre-
WESTERN ANGLERS registration essential). The Show will also
SCOTT CO GH LA N feature a new Dive Zone, Travel and Tourist
info, special guests, and a major prize
giveaway. Kids can test their skills at the
Kid’s Casting Competition and see if they can
win a prize!

TICKETS ONLINE
NOW!
TRAILERBOAT DISP LAYS
INS IDE P CE C

TICK ETS AVAILABLE FROM

PERTHBOATHSOW.COM.AU

Adult $20 Concession (pensioner & student) $16 Child (12 - 15 yrs) $10 Children under 12 yrs FREE
(Children admitted free when
accompanied by an adult!)
2 0 2 2 DATES & T I M E S LOCATION
Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
9:00am - 5:00pm 21 Mounts Bay Road, Perth WA 6000
NAUTICAL NEWS
20 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

CLUB MARINE PERTH BOAT SHOW

n There will be
something for all ages
at the Club Marine
Perth Boat Show.

RECOGNISED as WA’s major marine extravaganza, the Club Marine Perth Boat Show, returns to the Convention
and Exhibition Centre in September.
Hundreds of vessels of all configurations will be under the spotlights, along with many of their international and
Australian owner-builders and marine agencies.
No matter what your boating and fishing requirements, you are sure to find what suits among the large and
smaller vessels on display, marine engines, electronics, navigation, plus boating chandlery, fishing tackle,
kayaks, canoes and diving equipment.
The president of the Boating Industry Association of Western Australia, Sheryl Swarbrick, said with WA borders
now open she was looking forward to welcoming back interstate exhibitors to this year’s event.
“The country is getting back to normal following lockdowns and travel restrictions in recent years due to Covid,
and we are excited about what this new freedom will mean for this year’s boat show,” Sheryl said.
“Last year’s event was extremely successful for the industry, even though it was predominantly a local show. We
are predicting the event to grow significantly this year now that the borders are open, and people can travel to
WA for the show.”
“The Club Marine Perth Boat Show is always well supported by BIAWA members, and as such we have
introduced new display packages for exhibitors this year to help them make the most of their boat show
experience.”
Sheryl said the 2022 Club Marine Boat Show would include more attractions and activities for visitors to enjoy.
The dates for the show are September 16-18 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The most important aspect of boating is safety, and this will be the message from the Marine and Roads
Information Hub at the show.
This is a one-stop-shop for information about safe boating including correct weight ratios for cars and boat
trailers, fishing regulations, the national approach for commercial vessels and interpreting weather forecasts.
Patrons can also sit for their Recreational Skippers Ticket, however pre-registration is essential.
The theory exam takes place at the show while the practical exercise can be booked for a future date.
This year the show includes a new Dive Zone, travel and tourist information, and special guests as well as some
major prizes to be won.
For more information including opening times visit www.perthboatshow.com.au
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 21

IF it’s a fibreglass catamaran you’re looking

for check out the latest LeisureCat 7000
Gamefisher, one of Australia’s most popular
recreational and commercial craft, and built to
tackle rough waters.
LeisureCat Australia/Malaysia’s development
of a continuous wavebreaker between the
twin hulls has reduced that misting effect
on the rear deck, a trait of early catamaran
production.
With water being compressed through the
tunnel, the spray from the transom used to be
sucked in and over the rear deck of the early
cats.
So much so that some engine manufacturers
were reluctant to grant full warranty on their n The LeisureCat 7000 Gamefisher is a
motors because of the air intakes sucking in proven winner in WA conditions.
water mist.
Recognising the problem, LeisureCat of Henderson set about developing a hull with a continuous protrusion
underneath and between the pontoons.
This helped break up the airflow and the water going through the tunnel. In large seas the breaker also assists in
producing a softer ride. Outstanding stability and a huge deck area also make LeisureCat a favourite for families
and fishers alike, with many commercial abalone divers putting them to work in rough offshore conditions and
isolated areas off the south coast.
Space for diving gear and game fishing chairs makes them ideal for the professional sector. The LeisureCat 7000
Gamefisher has heaps of working space on the rear deck, plus a comfortable double berth and toilet for those
weekends away. The cabin is roomy with excellent vision forward and side windows providing ample airflow in hot
conditions. The boat show vessel is fitted with twin Suzuki 175hp motors and two 260-litre fuel tanks below deck,
so it has plenty of range for offshore island hopping. This high-speed planing hull is used extensively for police and
rescue personnel. With an overall length of 7.8m and 2.55m beam, its draught is less than half a metre.
Also on display is the LeisureCraft Camo, a 6m monohull vessel designed with a centre console configuration. The
boat can be bought as a base model, with owners adding their own fittings according to their budget. This stylish
craft has been designed for fishing offshore or up rivers. Anglers will appreciate the room to walk 360 degrees
around the vessel, plus there’s a raised foredeck/casting platform and it comes pre-wired for electronics. The hull is
foam-filled and has a below-deck fuel tank. There’s a wide range of extras that can be added such as T-top, rocket
launcher and baitboard, while the recommended power range is 90-140hp. The LeisureCraft 6000 Series Camo on
display will be fully fitted out, including a hard-top bimini, Garmin instrumentation and Suzuki outboard engine from
West Coast Suzuki at Henderson.

CENTRE consoles make great

fishing boats and Chivers
n The Albacore 640
Centre Console is an
Marine will be displaying the upgrade on the earlier
new Stessco Albacore 640. 620.
It comes with a Yamaha
on the transom and is a
fishing machine, offering full
360-degree walk around for
anglers, plenty of rod storage
plus padded gunwales.
The 640 is an upgrade on the
company’s earlier 620 Centre
Console.
If provides room for two people
at the helm on the double
flipback bench seat from
Relaxyn, plus curved seating at
the bow.
There’s cavernous room under the seats for tackle boxes and extra clothing, plus camping gear if you intend to
overnight in a sheltered bay along our vast coastline.
Up front is the bow mounting for an electric motor for those stealth fishing trips up the creek or even inshore work.
Other features include a walk-through transom for divers, plus a heavy-duty ladder.
A live bait tank is located beneath the transom walk-through.
The soft-top bimini on the T-top casts shade across the helm, which comes with a big dash to easily accommodate
twin flush-mounted sounder/GPS combo instruments.
Chivers will have a range of Stessco vessels under lights, plus a selection of Yamaha engines.
NAUTICAL NEWS
22 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

CLUB MARINE PERTH BOAT SHOW

MANY local boaters will remember the Baron hull
that could be seen at ramps all around the State n Baron hulls are back with
40 years ago. the Oryx Baron Outrider
V2000 SS.
Given a total revamp, the Oryx Baron Outrider
V2000 LS is just one of the new models back on
the local scene.
Built in South Africa, the Oryx Baron range is
being imported by Wangara company Big Five
Marine, headed up by long-time marine specialist
Alan Briggs.
The V2000 LS is the 6.5m version, with the LS
standing for ‘long shelf’, referring to the side
pockets which run the full length of the cockpit
from the cabin bulkhead to the transom.
The same vessel also comes in the short shelf
(SS) version, with the pockets running from the
transom to the back of the fibreglass seat boxes.
This vessel also comes with three hatches across the transom for storage and live-bait well, while the LS model
substitutes one of the hatches to create a walk-through transom giving bathers and divers access to the stainless-
steel fold-up ladder.
Oryx is the name of the manufacturer and is also a South Africa antelope which brought itself back from extinction,
hence the Baron Outrider after Alan approached the original owner of the mould to rebuild the vessels.
The new beefed-up versions feature a total rebuild with no wood used to safeguard against rotting, plus extra glass
fibre has been added, the sub-frame strengthened, and foam filled, making the boats heavier and tougher.
The flared bow and full-length strakes are still very evident and do a great job in throwing the spray well away.
The Baron Outsider LS on display at the Perth Boat Show has been optioned up with the Lone Star power anchor
winch, spotlight on the bow, extended awning over the rear deck and much more.
Its drive-on trailer comes with an extended drawbar to suit beach launching and the big tides in northern waters.
Both the LS and SS models come with large fuel tanks, giving them plenty of range, especially when fitted with the
Mercury 150hp as is on display at the boat show.
Tank capacity can be extended up to 400 litres if required when ordering.

NEW to the Revival range of fibreglass

vessels is the largest of the fleet, the n The Revival R640 HT
Revival 640 Hard Top X-Series, giving
X-Series is an offshore
fishing weapon.
you all the fruit for offshore fishing and
family boating.
The HT follows the successful launch
of the soft top model and it will be on
display at the Midway Marine stand at
the Exhibition Centre pavilion.
The show vessel comes with the optional
silver and black hull and is sporting a
250hp Mercury engine plus top-of-range
Simrad electronics with the NSS16 Evo3
on the dash.
It comes with a standard 600W
transducer and a 1kW mate to chase
those monsters of the deep.
A toilet and full-length bunks make it
ideal for those few days away at Rottnest Island and the 2.48m beam and 21-degree deadrise manage the offshore
conditions very well.
Fuel capacity is 200 litres and the rig weighs in at 2500kg.
The Revival R640 HT X-Series has its luxury finish for family outings, however in a matter of minutes can be
converted for serious offshore work.
The 640 is the current flagship of the Revival fleet but the word is Victorian owner/builder Sam Catanese has
something new in the pipeline for next year. He’s not a builder to rest on his laurels.
Revival models start from the 520, the ever popular 525 which proved to be an Aussie favourite, through to the 530,
580 and 590, available in cuddy, runabout and bowrider configurations.
Rockingham’s Midway Marine is a Mercury dealership with engines in stock.
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 23

THE Haines Signature is one of Australia’s

most popular recreational boats and has been
around for ages.
Haines’ trailerable fibreglass vessels are
developed and constructed by hand in its
Queensland factory to an extremely high
standard.
Oceanique Marine of Ocean Reef, the local
dealer, is headed up by long-time marine
identity Coby Mansfield and his wife, Marshae.
Now exclusive dealers for Haines Signature in
the West, Oceanique will have three models in
the spotlight at the boat show.
The largest, the Haines Signature 680F, comes
with an aerodynamic solid hard top with rocket
launchers on the sturdy bar work/grab rails and
has a length of just over 6.7m plus that magic n The Haines Signature 640SF
2.5m beam. is built for the serious angler.
For more than 60 years the brand has been
creating boats for anglers and families to enjoy and while the 680F is a dedicated offshore fishing boat, the spacious
cabin up front makes it a good allrounder.
With a deadrise ranging from 21-33 degrees, the vessel is rated to a maximum of 250hp and has a boat/motor/trailer
towing weight of around 2.6 tonne, including 370 litres of fuel. It’s registered to carry nine people.
If you’re looking for something a little smaller check out the Haines Signature 640F, again a blue water performer
with fuel capacity of 226 litres which is more than the previous model.
New too is the dash layout, capable of accommodating 16-inch GPS/sounder screens.
There are many options customers can add to the 640F, including the hard-top roof like the model on show.
The transom door is handy for bathers and divers and all the deck hardware is deluxe.
For the hardcore fisho, check out the same-sized vessel, but in the centre console configuration.
Haines Signature says the 640 Sports Fisher is the most anticipated vessel it has ever built.
The company says it bridges the gap between the flagship 788SF and one of the best-selling models, the 543SF.
This new vessel has a huge 300-litre fuel capacity, loads of rod storage, insulated kill tank, casting platform up front
and an elevated transom for spotting what’s below.
Check out the Haines Signature range and make a point of talking to Coby from Oceanique about your needs.

AMONG the international players,

New Zealand aluminium plate boat
n The Senator
860 Hard Top is
building Senator has four of its
another great Kiwi
popular hard-top fishing vessels on
boat.
display at the Sports Marine Boat
Centre stand.
The Senator RH770 will be joined by
its smaller siblings, the RH690, 650
and 580.
Offering good protection from
the elements, excellent visibility, a
spacious cockpit and user-friendly
layout, the Senator range has built a
reputation for good stability in NZ’s
rough waters and should suit local
buyers.
The pontoon design of the hull
deflects the spray downwards and
away to avoid getting wet in tough
conditions and the company takes pride in offering the true length of the vessel, rather than including overhangs
such as marlin boards and bowsprits in the actual size.
All Senator boats are built to survey standards, offering good head room in the cabins and spacious rear decks for
all fishing and diving activities.
Senator’s supply times are generally from six to 12 months but all four models on display at the show will be
available for purchase. Company owner Grant Simmonds will be at the Sports Marine stand to talk to customers.
The Bunbury dealer is also an agent for the Extreme brand of plate aluminium vessels from NZ.
Several boats from its Game King series will be on show, including the 645, 695 and 745 GK.
Still on aluminium, talk to Greg Collett from Sports Marine about the latest on offer from Australia’s Sailfish range of
catamarans from New South Wales.
NAUTICAL NEWS
24 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

CLUB MARINE PERTH BOAT SHOW

WESTERN Angler ’s legendary annual subscription
showbags will be available at the Club Marine Perth Boat
Show.
These special Boat Show showbags again sold out last year
and are limited in numbers, so it is first in, best dressed.
Offering awesome value for money, each version of the
showbag this year will be worth well over $200.
This year’s showbag is available in three options. The Mega
Pack includes a 12-month Western Angler subscription
(value $45), a quality spinning reel from the Jarvis Walker
stable (mixed types and sizes up to $200 in value), cap
($35), quality Halco offshore lure ($20) and a Ikipik fish spike
($25), a total of up to $325 worth. This showbag is $130. If
you’d prefer to just get the 12-month subscription, spinning
reel and a Halco lure, the cost is $110.
The selection of spinning reels includes a mix of Quantum Reliance and Rovex Big Boss III threadlines. We also
have a showbag including a Jarvis Walker Odyssey 30 overhead, subscription and Halco lure for $100. Of course,
you’ll also get Western Angler delivered to your door every three months. Come and see us at the Western Angler
stand at the Fishing Zone, where we will be able to accept cash or EFTPOS payments. This year you can pre-order
your showbag by calling Western Angler on 9844 9706, but you must attend the show to collect it, as we won’t be
holding or delivering.
There will be other subscription offers at our stand, which will be adjacent to the Fishing Super Stage in the
expanded Fishing Zone. A number of our popular team members will be in attendance, with editor Scott Coghlan
and writers Andrew Jarvis and Glenn Edwards manning the stand. Scott will also be one of the regular presenters
on the Engel Aquatank Fishing Stage and will be joined by WAngler columnists Jamie Chester, Curtis Waterman and
Dale Sniffen.
Over the three days our experts will talk about some of their favourite spots and will also be offering tips on all
matter of fishing-related topics on stage, including demonstrations on lures and fishing techniques, travel info and
advice. With the backdrop of the Aquatank full of barra, Chef Dale will be taking show patrons through both his
cleaning and cooking process, with his filleting demos followed by a chance to taste the finished product.
The Fishing Zone will be a huge part of the show, with Angler’s Fishing World expanding its display this year and
including displays from leading tackle brands within its area. It will have more than 400 square metres of stand
space, with leading brands like Halco Tackle, Vexed, Ocean’s Legacy, Madfish and Richter Lures joining it.
As always, the AFW will have plenty of great advice as well as heaps of specials on their entire range at the show.

IN the market for a new rigid

n The Sirocco FG-
inflatable? Check out the latest
630 RIB Hard Top is
Sirocco FG-630 RIB HT (hard top). a versatile boat.
Offering a deep-vee fibreglass
hull and Hypalon multi-chambered
tubes, this vessel is popular in
Europe, combining performance
and comfort plus an exhilarating
ride. The FG-630 is designed with
cruising and family comfort in mind,
with practical seating, day bed infill
in the bow section, and a sturdy
fibreglass T-top throwing protection
over much of the vessel, plus there
is a ski pole on the transom for
towing the ankle biters in a sea
biscuit. The self-bailing cockpit has
a non-skid deck.
The Sirocco RIB, with its fine entry GPR hull and side pontoons, offers a soft ride in all sea conditions, the air
cushions taking much of the impact from the water. The helm seating easily accommodates two people, with more
bench seating aft plus in the bow. The seating here converts into a day bed for those lazy afternoons at Rottnest
Island.
Being a centre console makes it ideal for fishing too. The Hypalon is tough, although care must be taken when
handling sharp objects such as hooks and gaffs, but there is no reason a Cockburn Sound pink snapper could not
be hauled over the side in these very capable craft. A step on the bow assists boarding or alighting at the jetty or
beach.
Sirocco Marine is a Honda dealership and the 630 can accommodate a maximum 150 horsepower connected to a
100-litre fuel tank. Towing is a breeze, with the whole rig coming in a tad over 1100 kilos.
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 25

WESTERN Australia is renowned

for its custom-built plate aluminium
vessels and a company steeped in
history in building both recreational
and commercial vessels is
Westerberg Marine, based at
Albany on the south coast.
Among the boats on display this
year is the Westerberg Wildcat, a
7.2m plate boat built specifically for
Kalbarri-based professional surfer
Ry Craike.
Ry is also a professional fisherman,
but when he’s not working he loves
nothing more than to get away from
it all and head offshore to some of
his favourite surfing locations.
The Wildcat comes with heaps of n The Westerberg Wildcat will
deck space for carrying boards and be among the models on show
camping equipment, plus there’s a this year.
couple of bunks up front.
With twin Mercury 200hp motors on the transom and Simrad electronics on the dash, Ry is planning to reveal the
name of his vessel at the Perth Boat Show.
The boat show will also see the wraps come off Westerberg’s own company promotion project, the construction of its
new hire boat.
The new Westerberg 565 Runabout will operate out the company headquarters at Princess Royal Drive on the Albany
waterfront, adjacent to the local marina.
Powered by the popular commercial model Mercury 150hp Seapro outboard motor, the vessel is equipped with
Simrad electronics and comes on a Westerberg aluminium trailer.
Instead of towing your vessel to Albany at a time of rising fuel prices, speak to the guys at Westerberg about hiring
their latest runabout.
If you talk kindly to boss Rhys Jones, he may even pass on a couple of waypoints if you’re lucky.

Call in and see us

at Stand #11 at
the Club Marine 43 Hurrell Way, Rockingham
W: www.midwaymarine.net.au
Perth Boat Show E: midwaymarine.net.au
Ph: (08) 9527 6963
NAUTICAL NEWS
26 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

CLUB MARINE PERTH BOAT SHOW

THE global pandemic is still having a massive
n Yamaha owners will be able to share their stories
effect on the supply of outboard motors of all on the Motor Life Passion website.
brands.
There’s a huge shortage of electronic chips and
wiring harnesses for all manufacturers, with local
marine dealers taking whatever size motors they
can get their hands on.
The ever-popular 150hp range may take up to 12
months before delivery.
The delay in receiving motors is frustrating all
stakeholders, boat builders, dealerships and of
course the customer.
When it comes to worldwide distribution of marine
engines, Australia’s needs are small fry compared
to America, Europe, Africa and Canada.
In a bid to keep the boating public aware of its
efforts, Yamaha Motor Australia has launched
a new blog-style web page called Motor Life
Passion.
The name is a combination of three elements that cover what Yamaha does, namely provide a wide range of
products for work, play, and to make everyday tasks easier and more enjoyable.
Motor Life Passion features the stories of people, places and lifestyles touched by Yamaha.
With regular editorial and video content from customers, dealers and staff around the world at www.yamaha-
motor.com.au, Yamaha is hoping people will share their Motor Life Passion stories with others on the new blog web
page.
According to Yamaha Australia spokesman Chris Dobie, who heads the project, everyday millions of lives around
the world are connected to Yamaha in some way.
“We wish to share some of these amazing stories,” he said.

for..
ealer www.oceaniquemarine.com.au
WA D
Wangara, wa
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 27

r e t h a n
... mo n d e r !
just a t e

Telephone: 0499 887 072 • 20 Mews Road, South Fremantle • www.siroccomarineperth.com.au

RIGIDINTELLIGENTBOATS
28 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
IRK Hartog Island
D has always held a
special place in my
angling calendar every
year.
As a youngster I watched
the likes of Rex Hunt, Bushy
and Starlo catching monster
tailor, snapper and baldchin
groper on remote cliff tops
at DHI, and I just had to get
there.
Many years later I was
fortunate enough to be
invited by fellow WAngler
crew members, Ian Moore
and Mark Smith, on one of
their sacred DHI trips.
To say this was a
dream come true was an
understatement.
Earlier this year, and a
decade on from that first
adventure, I once again
joined Smithy on my eighth
trip to DHI, which was a
time to reflect on not only
on how the fishing has
changed, but also how the
island itself has altered over
those years.
Our usual crew were
unable to make the trip
in June, so Smithy and I
decided we would make the
trip with just the two of us.
This required a fair bit of
extra planning, as if we
forgot any important gear
we would not have the
safety net of the other guys,
so plenty of text messages
were flying around the week
prior to departure.
People who have
done trips with me will
understand that fishing
tackle takes absolute
priority over anything else,
even including food and
drink.
Having to minimise
my gear was a stressful
time, although it felt like I
managed to pack half a
tackle store of gear into
Smithy’s Colorado and
custom-built trailer.
The weather forecast a
few days out was looking
ominous and with heavy
rain looming and an email
from the Shark Bay Ranger
suggesting there was a
possibility of the track being
closed before we arrive, we
made the hasty decision to
do an overnight run up after
work.
It’s amazing how quick a
long drive can go when you
talk tackle and techniques
the whole way, and we
rolled out swags next to the
Shark Bay salt ponds at
around 5am for a quick kip.
We awoke to light rain
around 7am and after a
quick coffee we pushed
through to Shelter Bay.
The day was grey and light
rain settled in.
We still had a day to kill
and spent it tying leaders
and drinking coffee, which
is an important part of our
fishing trips these days.
It was during a coffee
break that I noticed one of
our precious cargo of long-
life milk had worn a hole
in the base and emptied
its contents into the food
container in the trailer.
No worries I thought, we
had eight litres. However,
upon checking the rest we
were in trouble and no milk
means no coffee, a big
problem for coffee lovers.
We solved the milk crisis
by syphoning the milk into
as many empty plastic
water bottles as we could
muster!
That crisis averted we
decided to head out to
Steep Point, as despite
visiting the area numerous
times, Smithy had never
been to the most western
point of Australia.
We arrived and so did
the rain. It belted down for
a solid hour and when we
drove back to camp the
track had turned into a river.
It was clear it was going to
be a tough start to the trip.
That night we braved the
conditions when it cleared
around 8pm, but had a rude
awakening of a rain front TIM FARNELL has noticed the
around 3am that had us changes at Dirk Hartog Island
scrambling into the car for a
over a decade of visits, but
there is still extraordinary land-
rough night.
based fishing on offer for those
Dawn came and after
packing wet sleeping gear
and downing a coffee, the prepared to make the effort.
barge rounded the southern
end of the island on time,
and our spirits lifted.
Kieran Wardle from DHI and finally our real trip could a well-equipped family
runs a good ship, and begin! camping area, complete
although he wasn’t driving The homestead is a lot with camp kitchen and
the barge on this trip, different these days than bathroom amenities, not to
the new skipper pulled it was 10 years ago, when mention a bar.
the barge into the beach most visitors were angling It is a perfect location for a
perfectly. parties who travelled up family camping holiday off
Smithy guided the the island and only eight the beaten track, without too
Colorado and trailer on vehicles were allowed on much roughing it.
with no hassle. The quick the island at any one time. We much prefer the
10-minute trip across Kieran Wardle has a done isolated ledges of the west
Shelter Bay went smoothly a fantastic job setting up coast, so headed north
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 29

The evolution
of Dirk Hartog

n Long casts with an

Assassin rod paid off
for the author with
this solid spango.

along the well-worn track.

We crossed through the
fence that now crosses
the island, which was
put in place to assist in
eradicating feral cats
and the island is indeed
returning to what it was
back in 1616, when Dirk
Hartog nailed his famous
plate to a post at Turtle Bay
at the northern tip.
30 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
After a solid few hours
taking it easy with the trailer
in tow we arrived at our
favourite west coast ledge.
We were relived to get
here after a full-on 36 hours,
but the huge swell was not
inviting at all.
We ignored it while we set
up our camp which was to
be home for the next six
days.
A well-earned beer was
enjoyed whilst the rods
were unpacked and gear
sorted.
We hastily trekked to our
usual pelagic spinning
platform, knowing full well
the swell was going to make
it challenging.
We managed to have a
few casts with no joy and
with the swell showing no
signs of dropping we bailed
on the spinning and headed
to a hidden little spot
around from camp that had
been good to us previously.
Out came the demersal
gear and some mullet fillets
to see what we could find.
I was pretty keen to
test run a prototype 3m
Assassin Rock’n’Mole rod,
but this session was a
letdown with only one small
baldie caught, which at
least was size and became
dinner that night.
We settled on an early
night after a tasty feed of
baldie wraps for dinner.
An early rise revealed the
swell was still cranking,
but we were keen to hit
some of our spots close to
camp, after gathering some
fresh crabs for bait to give
ourselves the best chance.
Over the years we have
found that three legs and
half the body of a rock crab
is dynamite baldchin bait
when threaded onto a good
quality 6/0 hook.
We fished hard all day and
persisted with the swell,
but it was again tough and
it was looking like the swell
had shut the fishing down
for the time being.
It was time to change tack
so the next day we headed
to the east coast to escape
the swell and get some
phone reception.
We threw lures at high tide
for hours for little result.
This was intriguing as the
east side had been good
n Over the years the author
has caught some big tailor
at DHI, although the metre
fish continues to elude him.
n Mark Smith with a nice
spangled emperor that
took some stopping in
shallow water.
for us over the years, with
lots of fun on tailor, trevally,
blue-lined emperor, pinkies,
giant herring and other
species.
Over the past few trips
I have seen a definite
decline in east coast
action, which may just be
a seasonal thing, but it is a
little concerning.
We decided to head back
west and hit a secluded
little beach we call Ash’s,
after Ashley Van Viersen
who on my first trip did very
well there.
It’s an awesome location
at the bottom of a high
cliff, with a flat reef top at
the water’s edge and pure
white sand up to the base
of the cliffs.
For two tragic beach
fishers, this spot is close to
as good as it gets.
We fished long rods with
168-224 gram (6-8oz)
grapnels, and paternoster
rigs with single 6/0s.
We have found that small
pieces of octopus or mullet
fillet are very effective on
this section of beach.
Casting past the huge
shore break is challenging,
but with high-quality
Assassin surf rods we easily
put our rigs into clear water.
Finally we got into some
fish, managing a couple of
quality spangled emperor
and two pink snapper in an
hour or so.
We have found over
the years that we get a
small bite window on the
demersals at Dirk Hartog,
and it is time to move on
after three or four fish are
landed.
After a tough couple of
days, our confidence in DHI
fishing was returning!
The swell appeared to be
dropping by the hour, so
we headed north of camp
to fish some of our secret
tailor holes, which is by far
my favourite form of fishing
over there as I continue my
search for the magic metre
tailor.
I can’t seem to break that
87cm mark!
Strangely all our spots
were devoid of tailor and we
didn’t land a single fish for
the whole trip.
I believe this was due to
our decision to visit in June,
as opposed to earlier in the
year.
As we headed past our
usual haunts it was clear

n A sportfishing icon around the globe, big
bonefish are a relatively common catch on
bait at Dirk Hartog Island.
n Dirk Hartog Island at sunrise.
to see that 4WD traffic was
getting heavier in some
locations.
With huge holes in some
spots and four or five
side detours in others, it
was concerning to see to
these tracks being chewed
up by less experienced
offroaders.
We headed back for
another session at Ash’s
Beach while the swell was
down and it was on from
the very first cast, when my
octopus bait was slammed
within seconds of landing.
The fish did its best
to stitch me up on the
reef edge, but I soon
overpowered it and my
PB spangled emperor of
around 4.5kg slid up the
beach.
Next cast was something
that would make a feather
chucker lose his breakfast
in the form a 90cm bonefish
which ate my bait on a 6/0
hook.
Even on a 4.5m rod and
23kg braid it went hard, and
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
we normally seem to catch
at least one bone every trip
to DHI.
Smithy and I managed
a few more spanglies and
some pinkies before we
pulled stumps just before
dark to beat the impending
mozzie invasion.
Back at camp that night
we continued to note
the dropping swell and
low wind, deciding that
the elements were finally
turning in our favour.
We planned to hit some
lower ledges the next day
as we knew we had to
make the most of these
conditions.
Next morning we were up
before sunrise and trekking
north an hour or so from
camp, eventually finding
ourselves perched on a
rock platform about 4m
above water level, with a
coral garden below covered
in urchins.
Baldies love urchins and
31
it’s a perfect spot to sight
cast at cruising fish.
We set up our 3m brute
sticks and rigged up with
small ball sinkers running
straight to our 6/0 hooks
attached to 6m of 36kg
leader, essential when
fishing close quarters
around reef.
Within minutes I noticed
some shadows ghosting
through a small channel in
the reef and sure enough
seconds later I was on
solid.
These fish fight dirty and
it really put my Assassin
rod to the test, but in short
time I had a baldie around
3.5kg at my feet and Smithy
handlined it in with the
safety of that heavy leader.
Next cast I was on again
and this time a hefty
spangled emperor had
joined the party.
By this time Smithy had
changed to a float rig
without much success and
when I hooked my second
baldie I was starting to feel
a little guilty.
With three nice fish in the
esky we decided to move
on again and fish a spot
dubbed The Garden, which
Smithy discovered on an
earlier trip and had done
very well at previously.
Another shallow coral
garden lay in front of me
and I started off casting a
CID Shiverstick around to
see what was at home.
A big dark shape in
the form of a solid GT
smashed my lure in a wave
and promptly set about
dragging 50m of line off me
real quick.
After a few minutes I
thought I had its measure
but unfortunately the hooks
pulled.
Meanwhile Smithy was
ready for redemption and
baited up with fresh mullet
strips.
After a quiet start he was
soon into a big spangled
emperor, which are never
easy to keep away from
structure and this fish kept
Smithy on his toes.
He proceeded to pull
another three in short
succession and I managed
just the one.
It was a great morning
32 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
and we headed back to the
car for a quick bite, before
heading south to a spot
we have fished previously
called Rob’s Recess or the
Colosseum.
This location is awe
inspiring, very deep and
slightly dangerous in
anything but a small swell.
While this spot had
previously produced rankin
cod, pink snapper, estuary
cod and baldies, it was
dead as a door nail and we
didn’t raise anything more
than a spanish flag.
Our last stop was a high
rock, with a low platform
below and big sandy hole
right in front.
We were just going for
a look, but we’re fishing
tragics and with conditions
so good we had to stop and
have a cast.
The fish were on straight
away and we nailed a
couple of large baldchin in
quick succession, enjoying
a bit of catch and release
on some smaller models
and also picking up a sand
snapper, which for some
reason show up at this spot
every year. Content with the
day’s bag, we headed for
n The author with
a nice Dirk Hartog
pinkie.
camp and a cold beer.
That night the swell
cranked up and we awoke
to a raging sea once again.
We had plans for our last
day to chase some pelagics
on ballooning gear, but the
swell was going to make it a
challenge.
DHI is famed for its land-
based pelagic fishing and it
was a memorable start.
I managed to get my first
balloon out easily enough
and just 20m off the cliff a
big mackie leapt and ate
my gardie in mid-air right in
front of me!
How it missed the hooks
was beyond me and
although spectacular it was
very frustrating.
I launched again and this
time hooked up, managing
to get the mackie to the
base of the cliff, but the
building swell swept it
straight into the rocks below
and we lost it.
The macks were around
but the swell made it
impossible to land them
– there are usually plenty
of fish at Dirk Hartog but
the island loves to make it
challenging.
Next morning we packed
up camp at a leisurely pace
and headed for the bottom
beach to await the barge
the following day.
We checked out the
blowholes near the
homestead for something
different on the way down
and noted several 4WD
tourists there as well.
Bumping into tourists
rather than angling crew
is something we are still
getting used to.
The island is steeped in
history and boasts beautiful
coastline, so I certainly
can’t blame people for
wanting to visit this fantastic
location.
The DHI crew run a
fantastic homestead and
camping experience,
although we feel that the
island has lost some of
its remoteness and sense
of isolation we crave as
anglers.
The fishing? Well if you put
the work in, it is still very
good.
You do need to do some
exploring and find some
less pressured spots, as it
still has some hidden gems
awaiting to be discovered.
We will be back to Dirk
Hartog Island, and the
search for the 1m tailor will
continue…

Explore Dirk Hartog

Surrounded by a diverse range of underwater
eco-systems, Dirk Hartog Island is a fisherman’s
dream! The island has a huge range of fish from
schools of whiting through to pelagics and a variety
of bottom dwelling species.
If variety is your thing, the island hosts some of
Australia’s best land based fishing with anything
from soft sandy beaches to more extreme rugged
cliffs on the Western side of the island.
For the boaties the location allows for a short trip
to access a range of reefs surrounding the island.
Have you caught your fish of a lifetime yet?

PHONE (08) 9948 1211

www.dirkhartogisland.com.au
escape@dirkhartogisland.com.au
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 33

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34 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

“An Exmouth black marlin

kicks up its heels just
before it scored a satellite
tag. Hopefully we can
understand them better
and ultimately discover
their spawning grounds
so we can better look after
them.”
– Al McGlashan

Al McGlashan is recognised worldwide for his underwater content.

Check him out on Instagram @almcglashan and YouTube.
Al has a selection of fishing prints available for purchase at www.almcglashan.com
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 35
36 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
Locally-made plastics work swimmingly
M
ANY companies release product
under the guise of being new and
innovative.
Often though, they actually hark back to
previous products that faded from view.
That’s why it is truly refreshing to see
products in the market that are actually
new and it’s an even greater thing to see a
local company creating products for WA
anglers.
Razor Edge Lures is that company and it
really needs no introduction.
Its range of lures has claimed a
disproportionately large amount of bream
tournament wins and seem to feature in
almost every freshwater angler’s arsenal.
The range of product is continually
growing and now features hard bodies,
soft baits, jigheads, tackle storage, tools
and more.
Recently, owner Chris McCredden
released some new colours in his Swimson
soft bait line up and I was lucky enough to
get my hands on some to test out.
The Swimson is a 65mm paddle tail
soft bait.
Its profile is a broad representative of
the many types of baitfish that inhabit our
local dams, rivers, estuaries and oceans.
The soft bait features realistic detailing
in the eyes, mouth and gills.
As you move back, a dorsal fin adds to its
realism, and this is mirrored by a smaller
fin on the underbelly.
The dorsal fin is actually split into two
sides, allowing for better snag resistance
and provides a perfect slot for the hook
point when rigging the lure weedlessly.
The underbelly also has a slot which
assists with presenting the lure weedlessly
and also doubles as a fantastic area to fill
www.razoredgelures.com
TACKLE MATT
with Matt McCarthy
@bay_to_bluewater
Bay to Bluewater
with scent when the bite is tough.
At the very rear of the bait is a large,
oversized paddle-shaped tail which
provides the strong swimming action.
Swimson now comes in eight different
colours with the addition of Smoke Haze,
Purple Haze and Venom UV.
Smoke and Purple Haze represent a
natural baitfish with a glittered white/grey
body and subtle purple/blue tones towards
the dorsal.
Venom UV is a standout, quite literally.
A vibrant chartreuse body is
complimented by purple glitter flecks
along the top of the bait.
Each packet contains eight baits laid out
in a clamshell case to help prevent any
kinks or twists.
razoredgelures@gmail.com
The material is RES7.5, but for you and
I that basically means super stretchy and
durable.
In my testing of Swimson I didn’t lose
any tails to fish, despite the relentless
onslaught of raspy-mouthed herring and
needle-toothed tailor.
When rigging the Swimson I have two
preferred methods.
My initial preference is a Razor Edge
Tournament Series jighead in Green UV,
which is a more traditional style set up
with good hook exposure.
I use it this way when I’m fishing in
relatively unobstructed water where
snagging isn’t really an issue.
The hookups are great even when the fish
are tentative.
On the flip side if I find myself in heavy
structure the Razor Edge Snag-Less
jigheads are far more effective (and
economical).
Again the Green UV is my personal
favourite.
For those unsure, weedless (or Snag-
Less) rigging is a way to help prevent the
hook from fouling up on any structure
below, and sometimes above, the surface.
The hook point is snuggly hidden in the
top of the lure and as the fish bites it pushes
down on the lure revealing the hook.
Rigging the Swimson weedless is easier
than most thanks to the split dorsal and
belly flap.
The tail action of the lure is very strong,
even at slower retrieval speeds.
The oversized tail kicks hard and on the
correct outfit you can even feel it through
the rod tip.
Interestingly, using the Razor Edge
jigheads with the round head doubles
down on the action of the lure.
The tail maintains its strong kick with an
added side-to-side body roll which really
brings the lure to life.
Techniques to get the lure working are
very simple and by far the most effective
is a slow roll.
Simply cast out, let the lure sink to the
desired depth and begin slowly winding it
in – the lure takes care of the rest.
Alternatively you can throw in a few hops
by lifting the rod tip.
The Swimson is a very beginner friendly
lure.
During a recent getaway to Augusta I had
some time to get out on the Blackwood
River.
It wasn’t a full blown fishing trip but my
other half was keen to see what I spend so
much of my life doing.
She had never targeted bream before, let
alone on lures.
So I rigged her up a Snag-Less Purple
Haze Swimson and we set off to get her
first bream.

n This Blackwood bream really wanted the Razor Edge Swimson.
With a strong wind and dark clouds
looming ominously, I made a quick stop at
a usually productive flat and after a crash
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The wind continued to strengthen, but it
didn’t seem to bother the bream and within
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37
a handful of casts fish started hitting the
decks.
I was throwing the new Venom UV as the
water was very tannin and dirty from rain.
Every cast was getting attention and no
more than five minutes later there was an
excited yelp from the back of the boat –
she was on!
A healthy Blackwood bream came
swinging over the side followed by a
procession of high fives.
Over the next hour new PBs were set and
consecutively broken as she caught fish
into the mid-30s.
Sideways rain pelted down but you
couldn’t wipe the smiles from our faces.
And it wouldn’t be an initiation into
bream fishing without losing a big fish
boat side to drive the desire for next time.
Almost all of the fish were caught on the
Swimson, with success on almost every
colour in the range.
A few may also have been taken on
the even newer Grubson … but that’s
something for another time!
l Matt McCarthy caught his first fish at the age
of three and it immediately turned into a lifelong
addiction. Whether it’s casting lures at bream or
extracting big angry reef fish, he just can’t get
enough of it!
38 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

THESE GOOD TACKLE STORES:

BUNBURY
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40 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
W n Make sure you fish with
HETHER you’re
a seasoned rock
fisher or considering
giving fishing off the stones a
crack for the first time, there
are risks.
This is particularly true in
poor weather conditions and
times of high swell.
Even experienced rock
fishers can get caught out by
so-called ‘rogue’ waves if
not fully aware and prepared.
Take Recfishwest safe fishing
ambassador and famed rock
fishing Youtuber, Chris Dixon,
for example.
Chris is all too aware that
while the adrenaline rush of
hooking up to a rampaging
kingie or blue groper off rock
platforms can be addictive, the
risk can outweigh the reward
in the worst possible outcome
if you’re not careful.
Rewind a decade to a
21-year-old Chris fishing off
the rocks with his brother,
Aron, confident his skills
would keep him safe from
dangerous waves.
On a summer’s day, he was
fishing Southern Ocean ledge
and was gaffing a sizable
groper for Aron, standing well
above where any previous
waves had reached that day.
“Out of nowhere, I looked to
my left and watched a wall of
white water washing along the
rock towards me. I dropped the
gaff in my hand and turned and
dug my fingers into a crack
near my feet, getting as low
as I could. The water washed
right over me for what felt
like minutes. Once the water
receded, I was left right where
I had been but was completely
soaked,” said Chris, who lost
thousands of dollars of fishing
gear.
Thankfully, this was a narrow
escape for Chris, but looking
back now, he realises how
lucky he was.
“I had no life jacket on and
I’m certain I wouldn’t have
been able to get out of where
I was or make it far enough
swimming to reach safety.
We were a few hours of four-
wheel-driving from the nearest
highway and far from any
AVOIDING THE MANY
help should we have needed
it. If I had gone in that day, I
am certain I wouldn’t be here
now,” said Chris.
Thankfully, there are some
simple ways you can prevent
yourself from ending up in
a similar position by paying
close attention to your
surroundings before dropping
a line off the rocks.
“That day made me stop
and think about my close-call
with a so-called ‘freak wave’
and the things that caused it.
I re-checked the weather for
the day and swell was the
same size at 1.5m all day,
so seemingly nothing to be
concerned about,” he said.
“There was, however, a
swell direction shift from
south-west to south-east and
a swell period change from
14 seconds out to 18 seconds.
I had no idea what that meant
and how it could affect my
rock fishing, but with a bit of
research and talking to others I
am confident I had figured out
the cause of ‘freak’, ‘king’ or
‘rogue’ waves. Whatever you
call them, I don’t think they
are unpredictable.”
Here are Chris’s tips on how
to be one step ahead of the
rogue waves.
SPOTTING WAVE
DIRECTION CHANGES
“Firstly, direction changes –
with rock fishing your waves
go back and forth in a rhythm.
If you sit and watch a spot
before fishing, you’ll see how
most waves do almost the
same thing and then a set
will come through and be a
little larger, nothing out of the
ordinary.
“The most common swell
direction for the southern part
of the WA coast from Shark
Bay to Esperance is south-
west. This is what I call the
dominant swell direction, and
this can change frequently.
When big high-pressure cells
sit in the Great Australian
Bight during summer, the
swell can be flattened by the
easterly winds and then the
waves can come from the east
along the south coast. Up to
2.5m easterly swells can be
seen each summer and this is
a dangerous swell if you’re
fishing on rocks facing into it.
“Winter storms or cold
fronts can produce southerly
or even west-north-westerly
swells. On days where the
swell direction changes you
can have a pattern of waves
come through with no issues
and then one wave will
come from the direction it’s
changing to. It’s those waves
that will bounce off the rocks
differently. It can cause the
following few waves to pick
up in size and come much
a friend and follow the
safety tips for rock fishing.
higher up the rocks than they
would have otherwise.
“This is what I would call a
freak wave. These conditions
I find normally come a day
before a storm (often the calm
before a storm) or during
summer as sustained winds
change the swell direction.”
UNDERSTANDING
SWELL PERIOD AND
TIMING
“The next important factor
you need to understand is
swell period. There are two
parts to this.
“Put simply, it’s the time
between each wave. For
example, a 12-second period
has 12 seconds between each
wave. The larger the number
in seconds, the more force the
wave has.
“A 12-second wave two
metres high has half the energy
of an 18-second wave also two
metres high. The shorter the
swell period, the taller a wave
stands up, but it doesn’t have
much water behind it moving
so it has less energy to push
up the rocks.
“However, a larger swell
period of 16-20 seconds like
we encounter before storms
can be moving a lot more
water with a lot more force.
Even though the swell is the
same size, a longer period
wave can push much farther

DANGERS OF ROCK FISHING
n Personal
floatation devices
(PFDs) are strongly
recommended for rock
fishing.
up the rocks. I won’t fish any
day with an increase in swell
period or a swell period over
16 seconds in a location that
faces into the swell to avoid
these dangerous waves.
“With that extra information
I can now better predict what
the swell is going to be doing
and how it will affect my day’s
fishing. I can then choose a
location to fish that will be
safer in the conditions.”
SAFETY TIPS
Chris also recommends
keeping a logbook and
recording conditions each
time you fish if you’re serious
about fishing from the rocks
on a regular basis.
Here are more important
steps you should take to reduce
the risks while rock fishing.
Tell someone your plans
It is always smart to let a
responsible person know
where you will be fishing
and what time you plan on
returning. Never fish alone,
fishing with a friend or family
will allow you to look out for
each other and help each other
in an emergency and it’s also
great fun!
Know the conditions
Make sure you are aware of
the local weather, swell and
tidal conditions before going
fishing. Once at a fishing
location, take some time to
observe the current conditions,
they may be different to those
predicted or may be changing.
To check conditions visit,
www.bom.gov.au
Footwear
Wear shoes with non-slip
soles to prevent slipping on
wet rocks and light shoes that
will not weigh you down in
water. Steel-cap work boots
may provide good grip and
protection to your feet but will
weigh you down in the water.
Wear a lifejacket
Recfishwest runs the Free
Loan Lifejacket Scheme,
where local outlets loan
lifejackets free of charge to the
public. There are currently 23
locations around WA ranging
from Esperance to Quobba.
Compact and comfortable
to wear, the Crewsaver
Crewfit 165 Lifejacket is
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
n A lucky escape as a huge
wave washes onto rock
fishermen on the south
coast.
our recommendation for
rock fishers. Chris is also a
strong advocate for wearing
a personal floatation device,
regardless of your experience
level.
“I also wear a PFD (personal
floatation device) at all times
when rock fishing as I believe
it will greatly improve my
chances of surviving if I do
get caught out one day. This
can also be applied with
notoriously risky areas such
as Quobba, Steep Point or
Dirk Hartog Island,” he said.
Clothing
Try to wear light clothing
as this will make it easier
to swim if you are washed
41
in. Jumpers and thick cotton
clothing become very heavy
when wet, which impedes
swimming and can be difficult
to take off quickly.
Know how to swim
There are many fishing
situations where you might
be required to swim during
the course of your fishing
activities, either for recreation
or in an emergency. If you
fish, you should know how to
swim for your own safety. If
you are a poor swimmer, it is
best to wear a PFD and always
have an experienced swimmer
with you.
Black rock
Keep clear of the black rock
at all times. The constant
fresh and salt water on the
rocks causes black algae that
covers the surface, making it
dangerously slippery. If there
are rock anchor points drilled
into the rocks, make sure you
tie yourself onto them using
suitable rope and a harness.
Shark sightings
Before fishing, check out the
SharkSmartWA app or website
to stay up to date with current
alerts, warnings and the latest
reported sightings. The app
and website provide beach
users with near ‘real time’
information on shark activity.
BEN (Beach emergency
numbers) signs
In an emergency situation,
please dial 000 and quote
the unique code and location
information on the nearest
BEN sign. These signs are
primarily located at beach
access points and use a coding
system which helps to improve
emergency response times.
Remember, if you’re not an
experienced fisher, don’t put
your life on the line by fishing
off the rocks! Keep the sand
between your toes.
For more safe fishing
information and tips visit
Recfishwest’s Fish and Survive
website, www.fishandsurvive.
com.au
- JARRAD LAWFORD
RECFISHWEST
COMMUNICATIONS
COORDINATOR
42 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
VIE Black and I were

E trying our luck at a

remote location in
Shark Bay. We’d walked

Terrific
three kilometres or so
in search of blackspot
tuskfish, or bluebone as
many people call them.
The ground looked great
for these hard-pulling

tuskies well
shallow water bruisers, but
the tide was lower than we
expected.
That was disheartening but
having walked that far we
were determined to try our

worth the
luck.
Within a few minutes I had
pulled a reasonable 45cm
tuskie from the shallows.
About 20 minutes later
Evie’s Shimano outfit was

trouble
almost pulled out of her
hands by a much better fish
which had grabbed a sand
crab fished on a 5/0 circle
hook.
With sheer power, the
tuskie barrelled straight for
some rocks in front of us
and soon had her buried in
the structure, around 30m
from shore.
Not wanting to lose the fish
and with the lowish tide, I
decided to wade out to see
if I could free it and got Evie
to open the bail to release
any pressure.
When I got there I was
able to follow her mainline
to where the fish had
wedged itself under a rock.
I reached in and grabbed
the leader, but then I still
had to get the fish out and it
wasn’t coming easily.
It was an almighty close- BEN SVENSON reckons that when it comes to
quarters battle by hand, shallow water fishing opponents in the northern half
but eventually I was able
to bring the fish out by
of the State, they don’t come much tougher or more
maintaining my pressure desirable than blackspot tuskfish of Shark Bay. He
on it. offers his tips for conquering big bad bluebone.
All of the sudden I was
looking at a beautiful big Ben Svenson Fishing
turquoise-coloured tuskfish,
the reward for persistence
and a real team effort for
Evie and I.
It was an amazing catch
neither of us will ever forget. ankles multiple times as male as they mature. The blackspot tuskfish
Blackspot tuskfish are one they can be impossible to If you find a big male there can be identified by a black
of the most sought-after stop in rough terrain. will normally be females spot on the top of its back
fish in our northern parts In my eyes there are not close by as a dominant and as they reach maturity
and are a prized catch many fish that can compare male will be there to protect they have an extremely
anywhere north of Shark to the way a blackspot its clan. pronounced chin.
Bay. tuskfish tears line off a Tuskfish can reach nearly These fish are absolutely
However, they don’t spool with such ease in a metre long and weigh in incredible to look at, with
come easy and can be shallow water. excess of 14 kilos. striking blue and green
very elusive at times. This They’re also a fascinating However, they’re most colouration, the latter more
species has also left me fish, starting life as a female commonly encountered at a prevalent in younger fish.
with my pants around my and transitioning into a big much smaller size. Blackspot tuskfish are
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 43
n Sometimes you need to do the legwork to
find the fish. Below, Evie Black and Emma
Fitzgerald with a nice brace of tuskies.

made of muscle and have

very pronounced tusks
on their jaw and massive
pectoral fins for power.
This enables them to feed
on creatures like crabs,
prawns, crayfish and sea
urchins in extremely heavy
currents.
To catch tuskies, you first
have to find where they
feed.
44 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
When in the Shark Bay
region, where we usually n A thumping tuskie for the author
target them, everything will and Maddi Miller.
look very fishable.
However, I’ve found that
big limestone ledges and
rocks hold the greatest
numbers of better quality
tuskfish.
This is normally due to an
abundance of crabs and
oysters that can be found
on these rocks.
It is very common to see
huge tuskfish grazing their
way along the shoreline,
searching for urchins, crabs
and oysters.
This is often in less than a
foot of water and sometimes
features packs of multiple
fish.
If you throw in some strong
current, this is will be a
prime location to find a
tuskfish.
Another habitat these
fish love to inhabit is weed
beds, normally next to a
deep channel.
It seems that the more
water flow over a weed bed
the more likely there is a 6/0 Black Magic KLT hooks
tuskfish loitering nearby. n Boat fishing for as not only are they sharp,
Sometimes they will be tuskies can be very they are very durable.
just sitting facing into the rewarding. Evie Black I have had other brands
current in the weed beds. with a nice fish. straighten on me, so hook
The last type of habitat strength is vital as these fish
I would say to look for will stretch them to the limit.
tuskfish is around coral I usually fish a running
reefs. sinker rig to eliminate
Tuskfish love to patrol getting snagged up
these areas and can frequently and will also opt
sometimes be there in big for a floating bait if there’s
numbers. not too much current.
The gnarlier the reef is the As already mentioned, you
better it will be for tuskfish, need at least three metres
but not your fishing gear. of leader with fluorocarbon
These fish like to travel being preferred.
from hole to hole on the reef As tuskfish normally live
systems and once again around ground that is
current is key. diabolical on your terminal
They will be most likely tackle expect a bit of
sitting on the ends of the heartbreak and a few tackle
reef, facing into the current losses before you land the
waiting for a meal to pass big one.
by. When it comes to what
Once you have found bait to use for tuskfish you
tuskies you need a plan to cannot go past rock crabs
catch them. and they can smell them
Light gear can be a lot from a mile away.
of fun in shallow water for If you manage to get a few
many species, but leave it of these crustaceans out of
at home if chasing tuskies the rock your chances of
as even smallish ones have encountering tuskfish will
surprising power. 50kg fluorocarbon leader. drag of the Saragosa, gives multiply.
I personally run a Shimano The Saragosa is for pure me all the power I need to There are two techniques
Saragosa 14000 on a stopping power, not line stop massive blackspot for capturing these crabs,
Shimano Anthem rod rated capacity, while the rod has tuskfish. the first is a crab hook and
to 24kg, spooled with 36kg plenty of backbone. The hooks I tend to use some gloves same as when
braid and three metres of This outfit, with the smooth when going for tuskfish are you’re mud crabbing.

n Travelling to remote spots really
increases the chances of catching
a big tuskfish, as Cindy Zhou
experienced.
You use the hook to coax
them into the open, out of
the tight gaps in the rocks,
and then pounce on them.
The second option is to
put a bucket in the gaps
of some rocks, with bait in
the bottom to the lure them
into it.
Leave the bucket for 30
minutes and come back.
If you can’t get rock crabs
then sand crabs are a good
substitute.
They’re not as durable
as their rock counterparts,
however will still fit the
purpose in luring a big
tuskfish.
They both can be rigged
up using the same method.
I normally remove two legs
and a claw and thread them
on to a hook.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
If you’re threading a rock
crab claw on be sure to
thread through the joint of
the claw as the shell can be
almost impenetrable.
However if I think a big
tuskfish is lurking in the
shadows I will throw out a
whole crab with the hook
through its abdomen to
entice it.
This normally results in the
45
rod being bent in half and
me having a shocked look
on my face wondering how
I got snapped off on such
heavy gear.
You’ve heard me say
current is key for tuskfish,
which makes tides
extremely important and
something you should
consider.
I find the bigger the tide
the more the fish will bite,
but don’t think that you
need a high tide.
I’ve caught many tuskfish
on a low tide that is pushing
hard over some structure or
near rocks.
Sometimes I’ve caught
them in less than a metre of
water.
It’s also important to
know that every spot fishes
differently.
Some areas will fire on
higher tides and others on
lower tides.
There are some other dos
and don’ts that will help for
catching tuskies.
Do cast upcurrent of the
structure so you can coax a
big tuskfish away from the
snags.
Don’t cast right on the
structure as you require at
least a few metres to be
able to put the brakes on
this fish.
It’s imperative that you
lure this fish away from the
reef or rock to give you a
fighting chance of landing
it.
If you see a massive
tuskfish, or green lantern
as I like to call them, do not
cast at them.
These fish are extremely
skittish and will flee quicker
than they came into your
vision.
If you do see a big
tuskfish, cast around six
metres in front of the path
you think it’s taking and just
wait it out.
Even if it swims past your
bait, wait it out as they do
come back.
Tuskfish can do a few laps
normally before engulfing
your crab.
When you thread your
crab onto the hook make
sure the barb is exposed
and not embedded inside
the crustacean’s limb.
If you’ve hooked a
tuskfish and noticed you’ve
46 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
got chafing on line and
leader, do change out the n Not a blackspot, but Evie Black
damaged line straight away with a pretty bluespotted tuskfish.
as a potential 10kg tuskfish
will not hold on damaged
line.
If you’re fishing on a boat
and you’re approaching
potential ground, figure out
your drift before putting the
anchor down.
Then with the minimum
amount of noise drop the
anchor upcurrent of the
spot.
Stealth is imperative with
these fish.
When the boat is
positioned nicely, I highly
recommend using berley for
these fish to lure them out of
structure.
If berleying from the boat,
make sure you have it in a
mesh bag as you don’t want
to be feeding the tuskfish.
A good way to do it is put
your crab baits in the berley
bag as this will definitely
draw the fish closer to your
boat.
Every five minutes or so
give it a tug on the side of
the boat to release a little drive the boat over the
more berley. structure and lever the fish
out.
Another really effective
berley is prawn offal. When you’re hooked up
to a tuskfish make sure you
Next time you have a
keep the fish clear of your
family occasion and you’re
anchor rope.
eating those beautiful
crustaceans keep all the It may pay dividends
heads and shells. to have your mate lift the
anchor up during the heat
Put them in a stocking and
of the battle.
hang them over the side of
the vessel you’re in when That’s one of the big things
fishing for tuskies. about tuskies, hooking
them is really only half the
When fishing from a boat
battle and each success is
the same rules as shore
extremely well earned.
fishing apply, don’t cast into
the structure. I love fishing for them in
shallow water.
Cast on the outside by a
metre or two to give you a They look good, taste
split second to stop one of magnificent and pull like
these monsters before it trains, so I reckon they are
can run to home. a great angling package,
and then there’s the
You also want to check
beautiful locations where
the tightness of your drag
you get to fish for them
before casting.
such as Shark Bay.
I recommend having
Hopefully this article gives
nearly full drag or just below
readers the inspiration
the breaking strain of the
and confidence to hunt
line.
these beasts successfully
You really don’t want to and enjoy that exhilarating
lose a good fish because it rush of being absolutely
has buried you in the reef dominated by one of these
so a pre-check on your amazing blue-and-green
drag will go a long way to slobs. Even if you can’t
landing you a dream fish. stop a big one, you’ll
However if you’ve used a have a world of fun trying,
long leader like I mentioned and when you do it’ll be
earlier sometimes you can incredibly satisfying. n Liam Campbell with a solid bluebone.
 At Tackle World we’ll helpANGLER
WESTERN you SPRING 2022 47
Tackle Fishing, Tackle Boating, Tackle Snorkelling,

TACKLE
ANYTHING!
48 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
T’S often said that

I Tasmania has the best

Testing out
trout fishery in the world.
Now that’s a huge call, and
one that some may dispute,
but as far as I’m concerned
at least, it is pretty close to

the elusive
the mark. I have chased
trout in the US, Europe,
Scandinavia and New
Zealand, all of which have
been enjoyable in their own
way.

Tassie trout
However, as far as
affordability, accessibility
and high-quality fishing are
concerned, I’m yet to come
across anywhere that can
match good old Tassie.
The fact that I’ve visited the
place every year since 2011
pretty much sums up the
way I feel about the Apple
Isle.
There’s no doubt I’ve been
fortunate to make many
good fishing friends in
Tasmania, some of whom
are professional trout
guides, and others simply
like-minded folk who enjoy
nothing better than showing
off what their State has to
offer.
I’ve done the fly/drive
thing on several occasions,
I’ve taken my own vehicle
on the ferry, and I’ve done
a motorhome trip that
was probably the most
enjoyable visit of all. There’s
plenty to see and do in
Tassie, regardless of how
you travel, and, of course,
there are trout in just about
every waterway that will
sustain them.
Although I prefer fly to
other trout fishing methods,
it’s possible to catch them
on traditional bait and
spinning tackle in many
locations. There are many
‘fly only’ waters around SHANE MENSFORTH is a regular visitor to
the state, but there are
also lakes, rivers and
Tasmania, and in this piece he passes on a
impoundments where heap of information for anyone keen to sample
those with less specialised some top-notch trout fishing in a truly beautiful
equipment have an location.
excellent chance of hooking
a brown, rainbow or tiger
trout, as well as Atlantic
salmon on some occasions. itself. I’ve made some which involves catching a peak season and book well
I thought it would be useful mistakes along the way, but plane into either Hobart or in advance, airfares are
to provide some information I’ve also filed away plenty Launceston, then picking relatively cheap.
to assist those who may be of useful hints and tips I’m up a hire car and using GETTING AROUND
considering a trout fishing happy to pass on. local accommodation in the Getting to Tassie is pretty
trip to Tasmania. Being a GETTING THERE areas you intend to fish. straightforward and won’t
regular visitor, I’ve gradually As mentioned, there are Qantas, Jetstar and cost an arm and a leg,
built up a knowledge base several options to consider Virgin all operate regular but there are traps for the
pertaining to travel, access, when planning a Tasmanian flights to and from Hobart inexperienced, especially
timing, accommodation fishing holiday. By far the or Launceston. If you are when it comes to car rental.
and, of course, the fishing most popular is fly/drive, prepared to travel out of When COVID became a
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 49
here – stick to the big name
companies like Hertz,
Europcar, Avis, Budget
and Thrifty, and avoid the
‘sub agents’ that will book
for you and tack on their
own commission. I got
caught out badly last year
by ignoring that, and ended
up paying three times
what I should have when
forced into a ‘stand-by’
situation with a dodgy sub
agent. Book your car well in
advance with a reputable
company, pay your deposit
and you should have no
issues.
Seeing and fishing
Tasmania via motorhome
is a wonderful, albeit
relatively expensive, way
to go. There’s so much
wilderness to visit, most of
which is more accessible
than you’d imagine, and
the freedom offered by a
decent motorhome is hard
to match.
Wife Merrilyn and I took
up this option back in 2017,
collecting our vehicle in
Hobart and dropping it off
in Launceston 12 days later.
We spent a few nights in
caravan parks, but chose to
camp ‘off grid’ for much of
our stay, which essentially
opened up a whole new
range of possibilities and
options.
I’d never driven a
motorhome before and
will admit to being a little
daunted by its bulk, but
after an hour behind the
wheel I felt completely at
ease.
We did all the tourist
locations, from Port Arthur
in the south to the Tamar
Valley in the north, as well
as fishing a heap of rivers,
lakes, and a couple of
private waters in between.
n The Macquarie River is typical of
Tassie’s larger waterways. Right,
the author with a 12kg Atlantic
salmon. Definitely a ‘right time/right
place’ catch!

huge issue throughout

2021, many of the
car hire companies
sold off the bulk of
their fleets and only
now are hire car levels
returning to normal. It
pays to spend some time
on the ‘net looking for
rental deals, but I offer one
important piece of advice
50 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
I can tell you that, if I had a
spare $150k lying around, a
motorhome would be at the
top of the shopping list!
WHERE, WHEN AND
HOW?
The next things to
consider, of course, are
where you plan to fish, and
whether you intend to go
it alone or operate with the
help of an experienced
guide. Despite having
fished around much of
Tassie on many occasions
now I still opt to be guided,
at least most of the time.
I can say unequivocally
that I wouldn’t have caught
anywhere near the quantity
or quality of trout I’ve
managed without local
guidance.
Sure, you can pull up
beside a waterway with
public access and have
a chance of hooking a
fish or two, but hiring
a professional guide
increases your chances of
quality trout manyfold.
The guides provide
invaluable local knowledge,
fly fishing instruction if
required, and will also keep
you safe and comfortable in
areas you’re unfamiliar with.
TGALT is Tassie’s
professional trout guiding
organisation, also
representing several
private fisheries and
lodges dedicated to
accommodating visiting
anglers.
I’ve had plenty of
experience with TGALT
members, all of whom have
helped me no end over the
last decade, and I can’t
recommend them highly
enough. Their prices are
reasonable for the quality
n Adam Chapman and
a superb mouse-caught
brownie.
of service provided, and
tapping into their knowledge
base will invariably result
in a better all-round fishing
experience.
Most will provide transport
and a hearty lunch as
well to make life easier for
visiting anglers.
It pays, of course, to know
when to go. Tassie’s public
waters are subject to annual
closed seasons to protect
spawning trout, but private
fisheries are generally open
year-round. You’ll need a
licence to fish public, but n Stuart Gray took this magnificent rainbow on a weighted nymph.
not to fish private, and rates
are very reasonable. www.ifs.tas.gov.au October through until April
Because spawning runs is generally regarded as
At the time of writing a
48-hour licence cost $23, a vary slightly, the brown best chance for surface
fishing enthusiasts, with
weekly fishing permit cost trout season closes on the
$38.50, and a 28-day permit Sunday nearest to April 30 both terrestrial and aquatic
and opens again on the insect life at its most active.
cost $60. Kids under 17 can
fish for free, and there are first Saturday of August. Insect ‘hatches’ often trigger
Rainbow waters close on frantic surface feeding
concessional permits for
pensioners. You can find the Sunday nearest to sessions, offering skilful
the complete licence fee May 31 and reopen on the casters the opportunity to
structure by logging onto Saturday nearest to October replicate local insect life
1. There are quite a few with artificial flies.
public lakes and some This is what many consider
rivers that remain open all the purest form of fly fishing,
year and, as mentioned, and I can tell you it’s about
most of Tassie’s private as challenging as it gets.
fisheries can be fished Fishing sub-surface with
without seasonal restriction. wet flies and nymphs is
I’d suggest logging onto usually the best alternative
the Inland Fisheries website when the weather cools
(mentioned above) for down and the trout are
further information on any feeding deeper in the water.
rules and regulations you Blind casting wets, or
may be unsure about. ‘flogging’ as it’s often
If you are keen to sample referred to by the purists,
some of Tasmania’s best can still be a lot of fun. I
dry fly fishing, the warmer quite enjoy the take of a
months are definitely prime decent trout on a Woolly
time. The period from Bugger or leech pattern;

n Little brownies in skinny water are a heap of fun on four-weight
tackle.
it’s the uncertainty of
whether the fish might be
500g or 5kg that keeps
you interested during a
sustained blind casting
session.
One form of fly fishing
I’ve only picked up on
recently involves casting
and slowly retrieving mouse
imitations after dark; in fact
this is the most exciting
trout fishing I’ve ever tried
and something that’s now
hooked me forever.
I was introduced to
‘mousing’ by an ex-student
of mine, Adam Chapman,
who moved to Tassie about
11 years ago and now loves
his trout as much as he
used to love catching big
snapper and surf salmon.
Adam was consistently
sending me pictures of big
brown trout hooked after
dark on mouse flies and
Muddler Minnows – to the
point where I couldn’t take
it any longer and simply
had to jump on a plane and
go fishing with him. There
are several impoundments
and rivers in Tassie that
offer exciting night-time fly
fishing, and it seems Adam
has tried most of them.
He showed me some
pictures of the flies he was
using, and I immediately set
about having a few made.
Good mate, Pip Clement, is
among the country’s best
fly tiers, most often creating
saltwater flies that can only
be described as stunning.
At first Pip was a bit
reticent when I asked him
to knock me up some
trout flies, but I eventually
managed to twist his arm,
and the resultant creations
were certainly worth waiting
for.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 51
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skills – which I certainly
don’t possess – so I made
sure to put in plenty of
practice before jetting off to
join Adam in Tassie.
These flies are bulky and
about as aerodynamic as
a skein of knitting wool, but
for the most part at least I
managed to get them out
far enough, often enough,
to catch the night feeders.
And when three kilos of
brown trout decides to
tackle a fleeing ‘mouse’, the
resultant explosion is often
enough to scare the pants
off you, especially on a still,
moonless and otherwise
silent night.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO
TAKE?
Depending on when you
visit, how you want to fish
and where you intend to
go, it’s wise to sit down and
pre-plan as many facets
of your Tasmanian trout
experience as possible.
Generally speaking those
opting for the guided fishing
alternative need not worry
about tackle as much as
anglers going solo.
Reputable trout guides
will often provide loan
rods, reels and flies if
52 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
required (usually by prior
arrangement), but you’ll
obviously need to cover all
bases if you choose to do
things on your own.
A decent six-weight fly rod
with weight forward floating
line will suffice in most river
and lake situations, but on
some of the smaller waters
a four-weight will be a
handy inclusion.
A selection of leader
strengths will be required
and, of course, you’ll need
to carry a range of flies to
suit the water you plan to
fish. I’m certainly no expert
on fly choice, invariably
relying on a guide to point
me in the right direction, but
you’ll be on the right track if
you arrive with a selection
of wets (leeches, Woolly n Fishing Bronte
Buggers and nymphs) in Lagoon in the snow
various colours, weights – in November!
and sizes.
Dry fly choice is much
handy for walking around
more diverse, of course,
swampy lake margins and
and I would advise
contacting a local tackle
TGALT along reedy river banks.
A fishing vest, small
store in your intended
fishing area for up-to-date
MEMBERS landing net, polarised
information on fly selection.
Dry flies generally aren’t
AND sunnies, hat and maybe a
decent head torch for night
fishing would round out the
that expensive and carrying
the right ones to cover most
CONTACTS list of handy accessories.
possibilities is certainly a And if you opt to knock a
must. fish or two on the head for a
feed, include a pocket knife
As far as lure fishing is
for gutting and gilling.
concerned, the possibilities
are endless. You’ll need To summarise, here’s a
an ultra-light rod capable list of things you should
of throwing small lures, strongly consider while
a 1000-size threadline planning your Tasmanian
spooled with 2-3kg braid, a trout fishing adventure:
box of shallow and deeper • Hire a TGALT-affiliated
HE Trout Guides and Lodges of Tasmania fishing guide to maximise
running minnows, and a
heap of soft plastics to
cover all bases. Both brown
and rainbow trout love
T is a professional association catering for
trout anglers of all ages and persuasions.
Its members all carry the necessary accreditation
your chances of successful
fishing.
• Read as much as you
and insurance, as well as a plethora of combined
softies, either unweighted can before finalising your
knowledge. They work closely with Biosecurity
or rigged on super-light jig plans. Fishing magazines
Tasmania to protect the state’s fishery and
heads, so be sure to pack and the internet will provide
environment. Originally formed in 1979, TGALT plays
a decent selection of styles, plenty of useful information.
an extremely significant role in Tassie trout fishing,
sizes and colours. and members can be relied upon to enhance any • Contact a local tackle
Tasmania’s climate visitor’s fishing experience. store in the area you intend
dictates that you’ll need to fish and explain what you
I’ve fished with quite a few of TGALT’s longest hope to achieve. Most of the
to be well equipped with
serving members, including Ken Orr (Orrsome Tassie guys behind the counter will
clothing to handle the
Trout) and Roger Butler (Red Tag Trout Tours), both offer cutting edge advice,
traditional ‘four seasons
of whom who have put me onto spectacular fishing particularly on tackle
in one day’ situation. This
in many locations. I have also fished and stayed in
is particularly significant selection.
several of TGALT’s affiliated lodges, such as 28 Gates
if you’re planning to fish • Book hire cars, guides
and Currawong Lakes.
higher altitudes, even in and accommodation well
summer. I’ve experienced Log onto www.troutguidestasmania.com.au for a full in advance, especially if
snow on Little Pine Lagoon list of members, lodges and ancillary information. you intend to visit in peak
in late February, returning season.
to our accommodation waders, wherever and waders, made in Hobart, • Spend some time on the
by midday for fear of whenever you fish, as the and recommend them as Tasmanian Inland Fisheries
developing hypothermia water is generally cold. I the best I’ve ever fished in. website to familiarise
due to unsuitable clothing! recently grabbed a pair of Fly N Dry also makes neo yourself with the relevant
You’ll also need decent Fly N Dry neoprene chest thigh boots, which are very rules and regulations.
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 53

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WHAT’S NEW
54 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

HALCO TB55
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the Tilsan Bass range
has a been staple on the
Australian fishing scene,
with the timber lures
originally created by Til
Martinello catching many
great fish.
However, production issues with timber have led to Halco switching to plastic production to ensure more
consistency in lure performance. The new TB55 offers controlled buoyancy and a much wider range of colour
options for anglers to choose from. The TB55 is 55mm long and weighs 7.5 grams, featuring Mustad size 6 Black
Nickel trebles. Neutrally buoyant in fresh water, its action is best described as a bit of a hybrid between a crank
bait and jerkbait, and it is designed to be cast or trolled. The lure runs at about 3m when cast and can make 5m
on the troll with light braid and fluorocarbon leaders. Don’t let the original name fool you as the TB55 is a versatile
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versions that would be impossible to produce in timber. Some feature Invisi Glo technology that makes lures glow
in the dark, while others feature UV reactivity.
Available from all good tackle shops or check them out online at www.halcotackle.com

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Thicker external walls, through wire and an
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these cavities gives the perfect balance for the perfect retrieve.
When cast, the V-Swim sinks with an incredible dying flutter that looks just like a wounded baitfish and predators
cannot resist. On retrieve the V-Swim has an amazing side to side sway when retrieved with the classic rod sweep
retrieve and a tighter, more controlled sway when a straight retrieve is used. The V-Swim is also designed to
be trolled at up to eight knots, providing a sub-surface trolling lure that will allow anglers to effectively fish while
searching for new ground or bait schools to cast to.
Ideal for coral reef species such as coral trout, trevally and mackerel, the V-Swim will also be incredible on more
southern species such as yellowtail kingfish, tailor and salmon. Coming in four sizes that include 90mm and 22g,
120mm and 50g, 150mm and 85g and a massive 190mm that weighs 180g, the V-Swim has an option and a
brilliant colour range of 10 to ensure you can target any species. Make no mistake, the V-Swim’s versatility means
this may well be the only lure you use all day wherever you are fishing!
Available from all good tackle shops or check them out online at www.wilsonfishing.com.au

SEPHIA CLINCH FLASH

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THE new series of Shimano Sephia Clinch
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the rattling sound makes the Sephia Clinch Flash Boost Rattle highly effective in low-light conditions and heavily-
pressured areas.
The Sephia Clinch Flash Boost Rattle series is available in a 2.5 and 3.0 size with Keimura (UV) and Glow
patterns, with two models now featuring Shimano’s ultra-realistic Scale Boost holographic pattern technology.
Available from all good tackle shops or check them out online at www.shimanofish.com.au
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 55

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Multi-piece rods offer
hope amid the gloom
I
HAVE something I need to get off my
chest. Whether you would see yourself
as primarily a shore or boat fisho I
believe we all are getting royally done
over when it comes to our ongoing access
to wild fish stocks.
Our entitlement to take a quantity of fish
is steadily being taken away, sometimes
our so-called fishery managers are behind
it, for no good scientific reason that I can
see. Other times groups who say they
represent us are happy to give our ‘right’
to fish stocks away.
I’ll cite examples over the past year or
so plus others still pending, which I am
sure will not fall in our favour once again.
In July 2021 the trip limit was changed
to 10kg of demersal and 10kg of pelagic
fillets. This was all sold to us as supposedly
being for 12 months or until our State
borders re-opened after Covid lockdowns.
At the time of writing, there had been
no news on any review or reversal of
that knee-jerk imposition, so it looks like
we’re stuck with it, although I’d love to
be wrong on that.
The humble herring. Remember when
through no fault of anyone, environmental
conditions impacted herring stocks and so
recreational fishers got a 60 per cent cut to
daily bag limits imposed in 2015 to help
the stock recover?
It worked, the mighty herring made a
stellar comeback to pre-crash healthy
levels. Good old Mother Nature at her
best.
Later this year, herring bag limits will
return to 20, but I’d argue there was never
a clear-cut case that 30 was going to be a
problem.
Then there’s the contentious West Coast
Demersal Finfish review, which revolves
around some arbitrary line drawn in the
sand a bunch of years ago about where
‘perfect world’ stock recovery would be
at a point in time.
That meant recreational fishers were no
doubt looking at a further reduction to our
demersal fish take.
No mention I’ve seen of how the
commercial sector would contribute
further to the recovery but maybe that’ll
all come out in the wash once we local
boat anglers have a bold new set of tighter
rules inflicted on us.
I have a lot of trouble seeing how we
will be able to lose anything of our two
demersal fish daily bag limit and honestly
say that it’s still worthwhile going out for
a fish.
The south coast is low-hanging fruit in
terms of fishing bag limits at the moment
as the human population there is pretty low
TACKLE & TACTICS
with Peter Anderton
and fish stocks are very healthy.
Daily bag limits reflect just that, they’re
generous and I would say even make it
worthwhile in terms of heading south to
target a fish.
Do it now while you still can, because I
reckon that once the decision on the marine
park on the south coast is announced
access to those wonderful southern fish
stocks will be cut back to some degree.
I would be surprised if there was’nt
some pain for recreational fishers in that
particular pipeline.
So, what’s all that go to do with this
column on Tackle and Tactics?
Well, I was going to go into a song and
dance about how much less value for our
money our RFBL (Recreational Fishing remember some of the ones that I played
from Boat Licence) has become, with with.
value for money measured in access to fish All of them had some great features that
stocks and what we can catch and keep. were simply not so common way back
But there’s no point. It seems licence fees when I was buying these sorts of rods.
constantly go up, while our entitlement to Those that caught my eyes featured full
eat a fish goes down. graphite blank construction, but heavier
I look forward to the licence fee going wall thickness that adds greatly to inherent
down in line with the percentage reduction strength.
in bag and trip limits. As if! They also had good butt length. Casting
Shore fishing, on the other hand, is free rods, be they for boat or shore, need a
and that’s why I found myself looking at decent length between the actual butt of
a stand of shore fishing rods in a tackle the rod and the reel seat.
shop recently. If you increase the distance between your
I haven’t had a need to look seriously power arm – whichever hand you use to
at 3.5-4m casting rods for a long time hold the rod at the reel handle – and the
as we have a whole bunch of great rods other (fulcrum) hand, you will generate
that fill our needs just fine, but I was very so much more casting power than with a
impressed with what is on offer these days. rod which is shorter between the butt and
I grabbed some out of the rack, gave them the reel seat.
a safe trial flex, the obligatory hand-knock It’s a very simple thing about the
on the butt to test for crispness, and looked mechanics or the physics of the action of
closely at material, guides, butt length casting a fishing rod.
and so on. Try it for yourself, grab hold of a 30cm
I had to take some snaps to help me ruler and make a casting action; note how
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 57
58 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

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60 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
E all have fishing

W memories from our

The apple
childhood days,
often associated usually
with Dad or uncles, or both.
I certainly remember my
dear dad’s stories and he
was as keen an angler as
you could ever find. He
fished from an early age

never
and would relate his stories
with his dad and uncles in
the late 1930s, spending
evenings on the banks of
the Yarra River catching
eels.
They would attach bells on

falls far
the end of their split cane
rods to alert them to the
bite while they the adults
enjoyed the odd long neck
or three while sprawled on
the river bank.
I tell my kids of my first
fishing memory with my
dear dad hauling in what
I thought was a 50-foot
gummy shark off the
Chelsea Pier. Of course I
did not know the imperial
measurements at such a
tender age (at four years
of age everything was big)
and the memory is as vivid
now as it was at the time in
the early 1960s.
I grew up and fished
and fished and fished
until I turned into a fishing
guide – managing to turn
my vocation into one big
vacation!
My days growing up in
seaside Melbourne are
a far cry from where I
have raised my own little
mites. The Kimberley, and
particularly Broome and
Freshwater Cove, have
much more than eels and PETER TUCKER has a fishing bug that has been
gummy sharks on offer, passed down from generation to generation in the
offering a unique fishing
family. The Kimberley guide has a teenage son who
is the latest to fall under fishing’s spell and he’s in
environment that is as good
a place as anywhere in the
world to serve your rod and the right place to live the tackle rat dream.
reel apprenticeship.
My youngest child, Jack,
has become quite the
enthusiast. In fact, Jack has He has come of age with seven-day gig. COVID had trevally. He mastered the
become a fishing tragic, his passion for anything prevented the other booked basics of popper fishing
he does not recognise this fishing and his results guest from entering WA, quickly and was locked and
but all around him do. In in recent captures are which was lucky for Jack loaded, always being very
today’s age of digital and testimony to this. and Michiyo. prepared when stopping at
social media, it is second His only visit to Kuri Bay The week was a blinder, the fringing reefs, current
nature for kids to indulge in July of 2021 was the with the three lads fishing lines or sandy inlets which
in a world of fast-paced catalyst. My wife, Michiyo, together for a good part abound at Kuri Bay.
communication and and Jack were able to join of the week. Jack fell in Northern bluefin tuna were
connectivity and they do guide Leyton Cook and I, love with popper fishing running hot during the week
get bored quickly, so it is along with regular client and slayed many species and although poppers were
refreshing to go on this and friend Jon Bloch, including coral trout, grey initially presented, Jack
journey of antithesis with his 10-year-old son Ben mackerel, and decent soon took advice and was
Jack. and his mate Charlie on a gold-spot and golden hurling out 56-gram lead-
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 61

n A big run of mackerel tuna

in Roebuck Bay was a great
opportunity for young Jack.
Right, Jack with a Kuri Bay
longtail.

heads or 84g slices and

had his arm bent daily. He
told me he boated over six
in two days, not bad for his
first crack.
Jack returned to Broome
an inspired young man and
now wants to spend every
spare hour fishing. Our town
has some great fishing and
if you put the hours in you
can get excellent results,
and he does not miss an
opportunity. Not so long
62 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
ago a great run of mackerel
tuna entered Roebuck Bay
and Jack was keen to get
amongst the tuna action
again. On several trips as
far out from Entrance Point
as we dared in our little
4m dinghy, Jack and his
brother, Kei, smashed the
speedy bullets on small
slices on light tackle. A
popper was presented a
couple of times without
success. Bait schools were
thick and the trick was to
match the hatch, as they
say.
As his passion grew,
one box that had not
been ticked was the most
iconic of Kimberley fish,
barramundi. It was decided
that an overnighter to the
majestic Fitzroy River may
be just what Dad and son
need. We chose to fish
Telegraph Pool as it was
producing some good
fish, however on arrival
you could not swing a cat
between all the camps so
we moved down to Langiis,
which to our surprise was
empty of other fishing
groups bar one. With camp
set up in oven heat we
launched the dinghy and
started the familiar troll over
the snags. It was not long
before the action started
and at evening’s end Jack
had hooked and landed his
first barramundi, a healthy
fish at 92cm that fell to a
minnow lure. We ventured
back out after dark, Jack
keen to get some action
on his popper and he was
not disappointed, landing
a feisty fish in the 60s and
dropping a much bigger
one.
Broome now boasts a new
jetty at Town Beach, which
is a 10-minute bike ride
from our home. Jack has
now become what used
to be known as a jetty rat,
although his reward for
effort has been light on he
has landed a few dozen
pikey bream and scats
on bait and some nice
little brassy trevally on his
popper.
To further add to his
enthusiasm around fishing,
on a very recent trip on
Roebuck Bay with another
young gun, Olly Farrant, I
introduced Jack to one of
my old baitcaster combos in
the form of a Daiwa Interline
n Every young
Kimberley angler wants
a barramundi, and Jack
Tucker ticked that box
on the Fitzroy River.
n Any fish is a good catch
for keen young anglers.
Jack loved a holiday
in Perth, fishing at the
Cottesloe Groyne.
rod with a Curado 201 E7
reel. It is an outfit I love
using for myself and Jack
was keen to have a crack
at this unusual rod. He was
not familiar with overheads
as up until that day all
Jack’s experiences had
been threadline reels and
spin sticks. Not long into
a troll over some outlying
rocks on the eastern side
of the bay, Jack with his
chosen soft plastic was onto
a solid barra. He enjoyed
the feel of the Interline
and the smoothness of the
overhead so much that he
sheepishly asked if I had
any more of these outfits.
I obliged and he now has
an Interline in his arsenal
of a growing kit, fitted with
a brand spanking new
Shimano SLX 150 baitcaster
which he bought with the
“Cash for Can” money he
has been collecting.
Recently we left the humid
climes of Broome for a two-
week stint in Perth, basing
ourselves in the western
suburbs. Cottesloe Beach
was only six minutes away
and Jack was keen as
mustard to fish where ever
he could. Armed with some
local knowledge passed
onto us from Perth mates
and also the very helpful
staff at Compleat Angler
in Nedlands the Cottesloe
groyne became Jack’s late-
afternoon haunt.
The memories flooded
back of my time fishing
with Dad off jetties and
rock walls, and Jack’s
enthusiasm was infectious.
I found myself looking
forward to our evening
forays catching tarwhine,
tailor and the odd herring,
Having regaled him with
tales of freshwater fishing in
the rivers of Victoria’s Great
Divide, Jack was curious
as to the trout fishery
around Perth and once he’d
researched on his phone he
was itching to catch a trout.
Another wonderful father-
son journey found us
around Dwellingup, walking
the banks of the Murray
River around the Lane Pool
area with spinning gear. To
make it even more special
all the lures used, from
Celtas to Tassie Devils,
were my father’s. We had
no luck on the day but Jack
did not mind at all.
Like me, he enjoyed the
challenge of the walk, as
well as trying a style of
fishing totally new to him,
and the precious father-son
time.
When we returned to
Broome it was back to

n A magnificent
Roebuck Bay
barra for Jack
Tucker.
outings to local beaches,
catching mostly mid-
range queenies on small
lead-head jigs and slices
(Interline his rod of choice).
There’s been more forays
to the jetty on his bike, trips
out into Roebuck Bay and
the anticipation of getting
back up to Kuri Bay when
my guiding season starts.
Jack has become a
very keen and competent
angler indeed. We now find
ourselves in conversations
at the verandah table,
talking of his next fishing
adventure while he is
practising his knots. From
Bimini twists to Albrights,
spider hitches and locking
bloods, he has mastered
them all.
One of the most noticeable
attributes I have observed
fishing with this kid is his
attitude to fish conservation.
Jack himself is not too big
on bringing home a feed
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 63
and I am often challenged
when a suggestion is made
that a catch would be
good in the pan! What a
different approach to fishing
compared to my childhood
days when everything
ended up in the hessian
sack whether you wanted to
keep it or not!
I find myself reflecting of
days gone by and yes I
do miss them, don’t we all,
however to witness Jack’s
caring attitude to the fish
stocks and the general
environment I know that
sportfishing is in good
hands in the future The
bond between father and
son can only be enhanced n Jack emulates his dad by trying his luck with trout on the
by sharing the love of Murray River.
fishing and I have no doubt
that I learnt a lot more about
Jack as an adolescent
through our shared
experiences.
It is true, the apple never
falls far from the tree.
n Having learned to fly fish, Jack nailed this solid golden trevally
n Jack is a keen jetty rat. in Broome.
64 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 65

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66 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

Locked,
stocked
and dam
fishing
PAUL NOLAN set out to stock a friend’s
dam with trout and marron and discovered
that the dream became a rewarding reality
that in fact exceeded his expectations.

HERE wouldn’t be too many readers of these pages who

T hadn’t dreamed of owning their own regional plot of land

complete with a private lake bristling with large trout and
delicious marron.
Yours and yours alone to go fish whenever you want with
guaranteed success.
But the sobering reality for anyone who has explored this
idea further is the huge costs and work involved with owning a
regional property.
It’s not really a one-weekend-a-month kind of thing, it’s a full-
time job.
There’s vegetation to be cleared, firebreaks to maintain,
fencing, painting, repairing, security, animals … the list goes on
and on and then comes the small issue of expense.
If you want a trout lake then you’ll need a property in the cooler
climate of the South-West, and that means big bucks.
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 67

n The author releases trout into his mate’s

dam. In the main photo, setting up the auto
feeder. Preparing a private trout dam is a
little more complicated than you might think.
68 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
So, if you do the math,
you’ll probably end up on
a plane to New Zealand
or Tasmania to get your
annual trout fix.
But there is another option
– your mate’s place.
They say everyone in Perth
is connected by only a few
degrees of separation and
chances are you or your
mate will know someone
who already owns a
regional property with a
suitable lake or dam.
Chances are the said
lake is not delivering to its
full fishing potential and a
friendly chat over a beer
with an offer to turn their
lake into a magnificent trout
fishery might be an offer to
good to refuse.
Now a key understanding
in this deal is you will have
to do all the work and
cover all the costs whilst
the owner and their friends
can fish your hard work
whenever they want and
also tell you when you can
and cannot visit.
This may sound like a bad
deal, but trust me when you
don’t have to pay for the
property or do any of the
maintenance you are miles n Clockwise from top left:
in front. Paul Nolan with a solid trout; a
Effectively you have nice brace of well-conditioned
realised your dream rainbows; Micky ‘Iceman’
without taking on any of the Halleen with a big trout from a
pains of regional property very small boat; and it’s not all
ownership, plus there’s a about the fishing. Stocking a
few sneaky tricks you can dam has proven to be a great
use to keep most of the fish social experience for the author
to yourself (more on that and his mates.
later).
One key point to
remember is that trout need
cold water.
They start to die above
21C, so you need to be in
the lower South-West or
have a deep enough dam,
something around 4-5m,
that has a temperature
inversion layer.
If you don’t then you’ll
need to stock your lake
every autumn with new
trout as they will die off in
summer.
So with this in mind I
started a search for my very
own trout lake a few years
ago.
It didn’t take long to
discover that the father
of one of my cricketing
mates owns a regional his neglected lake into a the property came up with enthusiasm for my next
property and he was keen thriving fishing attraction. a shopping list of jobs and fishing project.
as mustard for me to turn A quick weekend trip to I came back buzzing with Now I am pretty lucky

as I have done post-grad
studies in aquaculture,
but if you want to give this
stuff a go it isn’t hard to
learn and there’s heaps of
excellent reading material
on the subject.
My recommendation is
to start on the Fisheries
website, it has plenty of
great fish farming tips and
links, but just make sure
you are referencing relevant
material for our climate.
The first step in setting
up your own trout lake is to
check the water quality is
suitable and establish some
aquatic reeds and plants.
Aquatic plants are
great at nutrient removal
and maintaining healthy
ecosystems and it’s
important to do this first
as they can be hard to
establish.
I also added submerged
substrate into the lake
(logs and structures) to
create a better underwater
environment and protection.
The next step is to set up
an auto-feeder.
I got mine online, it’s solar
powered and has a 60-litre
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 69
pellet hopper so it can go
for months without any
attention.
Then stock your trout!
There are a few places
you can get them from
but I go to Golden Ponds
in Baldivis as the staff are
super helpful and they have
trout all year round, plus DENMARK, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
they have other species
to choose from like silver Phone 0428 940 915
perch. www.greatsouthernflyfishing.com.au
Trout have excellent food
conversion ratios and grow
really fast so if you get your
conditions right they should
put on around a kilo a year.
You can go harder than
this with higher feeding
rates but I wouldn’t
recommend it as you risk
polluting the lake.
Fishing stocked trout may
sound a little contrived but Guided salt and freshwater
when the feeder comes on fly and sport fishing
and you see the trout erupt
it’s quite magical and sends
you running for the rod
every time.
Now the glorious thing
about this sort of venture
is great ideas often build
great momentum and
when the rest of my cricket
70 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
n For better or worse, this is the fate
of all stocked trout in the dam. They
don’t survive summer and they are
not wasted.
team heard about the idea
everyone wanted to get on
board with the project.
Suddenly I was loaded
up with extra funds and
support.
No need to stock trout
fingerlings anymore, let’s
put them straight in at a
kilo! (This by the way is a
better idea than it sounds
as it reduces bird loss as
bigger fish are harder to
predate.)
Momentum continues to
grow and we now have
annual cricket team wind-
ups at the lake with tagged
trout fishing competitions,
axe throwing, camping,
marron races, whisky
appreciation, forest golf
(much harder than it
sounds) and delicious
rotisserie meats cooked
over open campfires –
definitely the greatest
fishing weekend of the year!
We’ve been doing this now
for about five years and
every year is better than the
last.
In fact spots in the cricket
team are hot property for no
other reason than the epic
team gatherings.
Andrew, or ‘Parz’ as he
is known, is our friendly
property owner and he
always insists on coming,
initially because he
probably wanted to keep an
eye on us but now he loves
the events as much as we
do.
He is the guest of honour
at all events and no one can
fish the lake until he lands
the first trout.
It’s been a great win-win
relationship and it’s nice
to hear Parz say we have
rejuvenated his property
and made it more enjoyable
for others.
Now a few tips to keep in
mind.
Firstly don’t advertise the
location of your trout lake.
For some reason
poaching fish and marron
is considered fair game in
Australia.
Maybe it’s our convict
heritage or maybe we are
just complete a-holes, but
I struggle to understand
why the average person
wouldn’t steal your TV but
has no issues with sneaking
onto a farm to help
themselves to someone’s
fish and marron.
Secondly, a clever trick
you will learn is that pellet n Chasing marron with scoop nets is great fun for kids.
fed trout prefer to eat
pellets. you are not there. We also have a fly-fishing
So well-fed trout can Thirdly, set some fishing first rule, which means fly
be very hard to catch rules on size and take limits fishers get first dibs before
using traditional methods and laminate this for all who everyone else can descend
and watching big trout visit to see. on the lake with more
continually snub your lure is We also put a ban on practical methods.
quite frustrating. marron traps and if I find Finally remember you are
The trick is to turn the any they go straight in the a guest on the property and
feeder off two weeks prior campfire. the owner has the rights to
to your fishing weekend, It’s far more fun and everything you stock into
that way the fish are sustainable watching kids their dam.
starving when you arrive running around at night Remain respectful and
and will smash everything with torches trying to catch understand you are getting
presented. a feed with scoop nets a great deal and if you put
This little fact also works in rather than some set-and- in the effort you too can
your favour in stopping the forget traps that just wipe enjoy your very own private
trout getting fished out while everything out. fishing lake.
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 71

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72 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
n The forest meets the sand on
the drive into Yeagarup Beach.
Yeagarup challenge has rich rewards
EAGARUP is a beautiful part of
Y
our South-West coastline and also
happens to offer some excellent
fishing opportunities.
We are blessed to have such a rare
combination of tall karri forest trees and
bushland that opens up into vast rolling
sand dunes stretching across a large
section of coastline until you reach the
stunning beach.
Here the Warren River weaves its way
down towards the sea, which can present
a unique crossing challenge to complete
the loop of Callcup Hill on the other side.
It is a challenging but rewarding
adventure to have for avid and keen
offroaders and fishing enthusiasts alike.
For many of the 4WD community,
Yeagarup is a call to summon them to try
and conquer the area, which has quite a
reputation due to its difficulty and beauty.
I believe it should be on every four-
wheel-driver’s bucket list to visit and take
in this amazing part of our coastline.
The first challenge is getting there!
It is roughly 12km south-west from
Pemberton to the turnoff from Vasse
Highway.
Using Ritter Road as the entry you
progress from bitumen roads with
impressive tall green karri trees either
side as you continue towards the national
park area and it then turns into a red gravel
road before you reach the entry.
This is where you let the tyres down
before heading further with the Leaning
Marri campsite in the same vicinity, just
near the splendid view of Lake Yeagarup,
backing onto this camping area.
If you’re coming from Perth metro, it
is over 350km so give yourself roughly
around four hours to reach this point.
Yeagarup is part of the D’Entrecasteaux
National Park and as such you will need
OFFROAD ANGLER
with Ben Hebbard
a National Park pass, which can be
purchased in various forms for different
costs by visiting DBCA online.
Single entry is approximately $15 per
standard vehicle, but check the DBCA
website for more information.
Also, there is no camping allowed on
the beach so you have limited options if
planning an overnight stay.
There is Leaning Marri with its facilities,
but it isn’t bookable and costs apply so
make sure you consider this when you go.
Keep in mind also that this is before the
remarkable dune system, so if you want
to use this location as your base you need
to be aware that if you want to reach the
beach and return you’ll have to tackle the
dunes twice.
One alternative is Yeagarup Huts, which
can be booked and is located on the south
side of the dune system.
Costs apply, however it does avoid extra
dune climbs to get to your campsite.
From the air down area, you will start
weaving through a mostly single vehicle
track towards the start of dune systems.
From the entry area to the dune it will
take roughly 40 minutes to reach the
beach.
Yeagarup is a four-wheel-drive only
location with at least low-range 4WD
required.
Suitable tyres and aftermarket add-ons
such as a snorkel (water crossing), raised
suspension, diff lockers and so on will
make your adventure easier although I’ve
seen stock fourbies make it too.
Make sure you bring your recovery gear
with you as well as you never know what
you’ll need.
Many offroaders wish to tackle the
Yeagarup dunes then visit or cross the
Warren River and climb Callcup Hill, but
I would recommend doing this only if you
have experience with sand driving.
If you aren’t experienced, it would be
preferable to go with a group which has
experienced individuals able to assist you
with making correct decisions with PSI
levels, best track/s to take, areas to avoid
and the like.
Depending on your vehicle, tyres,
weather and other factors the PSI of your
vehicle may be different; for example
I know from my many trips there what
pressure I should have for what area and
where to go to make sure I make it (13-15
usually, sometimes 10).
Your first challenge is presented when the
backdrop of karri trees and bushland ends
and the track immediately opens up to the
stunning white rolling dunes. The initial
hill is about 50m high and a reasonably
steep angle provides a good test to see if
you’ll be able to manage the harder issues
that you’ll face farther in.
When ascending or descending a dune
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74 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

n The reward for conquering

the track into Yeagarup Beach is
endless surf fishing opportunities.

system, always go straight in line with
the dune itself and don’t steer left or right
as this can cause you to slide. I’ve seen
vehicles tip doing this.
If you find this is happening, stop,
straighten your vehicle and head straight
down with the dune.
On busy days the dune hill entry can be
chopped up by other drivers attempting the
climb. This can make your task difficult
as it results in bouncing of your vehicle,
which means losing traction on each of
those occasions and isn’t helpful.
Selecting the right straight run beforehand
is the best course of action as you have a
wide area to utilise in the climb, with
a section to be able to gather some
momentum and help maintain constant
contact with the surface.
Once you’re at the top you’ll be presented
with a breathtaking view of the dunes and
off into the distance to your destination,
Yeagarup Beach.
The whole dune system is surrounded by
greenery that the sand continues its slow
march to take over.
From this part the dune is rather firm, and
there are markers to help show you the
pathway down towards the beach.
These markers have been put in place
with red reflectors on one side and white
on the other to help keep you on track.
It is an exceptionally amazing dune
system to view and driving across it is a
remarkable experience.
After you get through the dune system,
making sure to stay within the markers,
it will eventually place you on a single
vehicle track system mostly used as both
entry and exit. Remember to watch for
oncoming vehicles.
This track takes you through a variety
n Casting a bait at sunset on
Yeagarup Beach.
of terrain as you work your way down
towards your next major point of note as
you get closer to the beach.
The track then suddenly opens to a wide
sand dune with a long steep descent.
At this junction you need to consider
how well you managed the first dune, as
you’ll later have to climb this one, that is
about approximately 200-300m long with
a reasonable angle.
Be cautious as the cost of recovery is
very expensive.
After this section, there are a few more
short little sand hills and twists before you
hit the beach.
As you come over the hill and see the
beach in front of you, the entry/exit point
can be soft due to heavy vehicular use, so
I recommend making an early decision
about which direction to go.
Once past the entry point the beach is
quite wide and rather firm regardless of
time of the tide, which means you can turn
later on firmer sand if you want to.
When you have a moment, stop and take
Pictures: Joshua Brennan
in the surroundings. Yeagarup Beach is
beautiful, with the stunning aqua blue
sea, rolling waves, deep gutters and the
marvellous stretch of white sandy beach
at the end of an epic journey in.
It is great for fishing and it usually
produces good herring, tailor and salmon.
Yeagarup is particularly popular during
salmon season with the schools passing
through regularly.
There are some great gutters, so pick one
and settle in for a fish.
It’s no wonder it is a favourite with
offroad adventurers, like me, who are also
looking to find a great spot to fish.
l Ben Hebbard is an avid 4x4 and fishing
enthusiast, devoting a lot of his time to pursuing
these passions and trying to engage others through
social media. He has a young son who has also
taken to both passions and loves joining the trips.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 75

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76 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
Technology advancements put a
URF casting is just as subject to
S
SHORE ANGLES
technology advancements as any
other genre of angling. This is
especially so when it comes to casting
rods.
After all, casting distance is perhaps more
important in surf fishing than in any other
angling discipline.
I’ve mentioned numerous times in Shore
Angles about the methods and equipment
utilised by South African surf casters.
What’s interesting is that in South Africa
there has been a gradual move away
from overhead or multiplier reels loaded
with monofilament main lines, towards
spinning reels with braid main lines.
But it’s not just a case of screwing a
braid loaded spinning reel onto the old
beach rod.
Getting the most potential out of braid in
the surf requires the application of a whole
system of components.
A recent trip away with fishing buddy
Tim Farnell gave me a chance to see these
components and methods in action.
Tim works in the wholesale tackle
industry and is a surf caster at heart.
He is also involved in the importation
of Assassin products into WA from South
Africa.
Assassin should need no introduction to
WA surf casters but a quick history lesson
with Mark Smith
for those unfamiliar with the brand might
help paint the picture.
Flash back to the August/September
1999 edition of Western Angler and Ross
Cusack introduces Barry Rebeck from
South Africa in his feature titled Rock and
Beach Revelations.
Barry introduced Ross to the long casting
potential of Assassin graphite rods coupled
with skilful use of an overhead reel to
reach a tailor well out of normal casting
range at Rottnest Island.
In the 23 years that have followed
Assassin has continued to push the
boundaries of surf rod design and function.
In its home country on the other side of
the Indian Ocean, a steady evolution saw
the brand grow from what was primarily
long surf casting rods to a range that
now includes lure casting rods and even
heavier, shorter offerings suitable for boat
fishing applications.
Unfortunately for Aussie shore anglers
much of this product development went
un-noticed for a couple of decades because
importing into Australia was a hit-and-
miss affair.
Fast forward to today and Assassin
is well and truly back on the scene in
Australia and particularly in WA thanks
to the relationship Tim has fostered with
Assassin South Africa.
And for those WA shore anglers who
might still have a ’90s edition Assassin
Surf Master in their quiver, the newest surf
casting offerings from the brand bear little
resemblance to those old classics.
I must admit I was a bit bamboozled
when Tim started explaining the range
to me.
The vast number of rods available is
courtesy of numerous models found within
various families of products.

new spin on surf casting trends
Assassin has structured its rod portfolio
to cover entry, mid and high range price
points.
Each price point has several models
covering options for rod length and casting
weights.
Tim literally scratches the surface of
the complete range with the models he
imports, but rest assured there’s something
available here for virtually every shore-
based application.
Starting at the entry level we have the
Sabre family.
Sabre rods are characterised by a deep
green colour and feature economical
guides and reel seat to help keep the
overall cost down.
There’s nothing entry level about the
feel and casting performance of the Sabre
rods and the graphite blanks feel lively
and powerful.
I’ve been using a 4.2m Sabre Surf Cast
for the last year or so and it’s racking up
a decent number of captures.
So far the stainless-steel guides have
survived fine and still have their rings
intact, while the bindings are holding up
pretty well given the harsh conditions the
rod gets exposed to.
The Bluefish Special range of surf casting
rods feature ultra-slim high-modulus
graphite blanks.
The overall quality and attention to detail
steps up with the Bluefish range and the
additional power and crispness of the
blanks is evident when casting, providing
more distance from less casting effort.
The well-known Beachmaster Zero range
has really put the modern Assassin rods on
the map in WA.
Built with the toughness of a Mack truck,
they feature Fuji guides and tough yet
light graphite.
These rods can take the knocks whilst
still maintaining their lightness and
remaining very crisp.
These rods are designed for 168-224 gram
(6-8oz) cast weights, so are extremely well
suited to WA conditions.
The Horizon Zero range represents the
pinnacle of surf casting technology and
couples high-end Fuji SIC guides and
reel seats with Assassin’s latest graphite
technology labelled NRT, or Nano Resin
Tech.
NRT allows Assassin to create rods
with incredible strength but unbelievable
lightness.
Quality control also goes up to the highest
level to ensure the bindings and epoxy are
completed to the highest accuracy.
These rods also look the part and are
finished with some high quality paint jobs,
with each colour representing a different
rod rating.
These rods need to be cast to experience
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
n Spangled emperor pull hard but Tim
Farnell’s Assassin Horizon with 23kg
braid was able to pull harder.
the unbelievable distance that can
achieved.
As I’ve already alluded to, South African
surf casters today are tending towards
using spinning reels with braided lines and
the Assassin range has evolved to reflect
this change in approach.
Many South African surf casters have
come from an overhead reel surf casting
background so their casting styles are
very smooth and powerful, generating
exceptional tip speed and swinging the rod
through a long range of motion.
Using a spinning reel and braid with such
a powerful casting style presents some
challenges.
Releasing the line with your index finger
becomes impractical due to the huge
forces generated and the potential for braid
to cut into the casting finger.
Assassin has responded to this by
incorporating bionic fingers on their
spinning reel models.
In practice, the bionic finger replaces the
human finger and one can cast without
holding back for fear of finger cuts.
In fact, a quick look on YouTube will
show South African surf casters using
a similar casting technique with their
spinning reels and braid as they formerly
used with overhead reels and monofilament
lines.
Apart from the obvious benefits of braided
line like bite sensitivity and additional
casting distance, there are a couple of
77
other advantages Tim demonstrated on our
recent adventure on Dirk Hartog Island.
Pulling snagged rigs free can be a lot
easier with braid and the overall line and
knot strength of the braid to mono leader
connection is definitely superior.
When fishing monofilament with a
monofilament casting leader we are
limited with our choice of mono-to-mono
knots.
I favour the albright knot but it’s
definitely the weakest part of the system
when pulling really hard and always the
first thing to break.
A back-to-back uni knot is bulky and
inefficient for casting through the guides
and still doesn’t compare in strength to
the braid to mono knots Tim was using.
For heavy surf casting with his Assassin
rods Tim favours 23kg braid with 27-36kg
mono casting leader joined by a PR knot.
This provides a super smooth join for
casting and almost unbelievable strength.
I’m talking about enough strength to
regularly straighten 6/0 hooks when
pulling off snags.
Tim suggested PR and FG knots both
offer similar strength and streamlined
profiles for casting through the guides.
Tim’s casting leaders are typically long
enough to have a few wraps around the
reel spool, meaning it’s the casting leader
that’s wrapped around the bionic finger
during the cast. According to Tim this
causes no issues.
Tim has experimented with braid casting
leaders constructed from braid in the 55-
70kg breaking strain range and joined to
the braid main line via a back-to-back
uni knot.
His experience with this system is
that the zero-stretch effect makes it
impossible for sinkers to hold bottom in
heavy conditions, so he’s returned to a
generous length of mono casting leader
for the rougher days and will continue
experimenting on the better days.
Watching Tim apply these methods to
his surfcasting has given me reason to
consider upgrading my aging quiver of
overhead surf casting rods.
While I’ll probably not move completely
away from overhead surf casting there is
definitely room for a new long casting
spinning/braid combo in the collection.
Time to get the wallet out!
l Mark Smith comes from a background of
fishing and being around the water having, been
introduced to shore angling by his father. When
he’s not fishing or writing about fishing, he’s
at Abernethy Owens Optometrists in Fremantle,
taking care of people’s eyes and their glasses.
78 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
A break in the weather
provided nice change
A KAYAK ANGLER
FTER many weekends of winter
storms I was looking forward to
chasing some demersals from my
kayak.
The weather was not perfect but at least
there was no wind to distract from the
brilliant full arc of a rainbow lining the
horizon.
Although we could see heavy rain
falling in nearby locations, the overcast
conditions gave promise of decent fishing
after the sun fully rose.
The tide, time of year, recent storms and
some freshly caught local bait also gave
us reason to feel the stars were aligning
for a hot demersal bite.
One of the charms of fishing is its
unpredictability though and so it was for
this trip.
Several hours later with barely a touch,
my companions had resorted to chasing
skippy with some success.
These are fun fish, but as I bobbed in the
swell, looking at the big black blotches
covering my kayak from previous trips,
another idea entered my mind.
A very messy and tasty idea that is just
perfect for kayak fishing – squid!
To access many of my favourite demersal
spots from the launch spots you need to
cross shallow areas covered in seagrass,
and this day was no exception.
The overcast conditions meant it was
hard to visually distinguish between a
weedy and sandy bottom in the 3-6m water
depth, and squid prefer weed.
Luckily I had marked many weedy spots
on my GPS from both Google Earth co-
ordinates and during previous trips when
it was sunny.
Casting out a purple 3.5 squid jig, I let it
sink by counting until I expected it to be
close to the bottom.
I gave it a couple of big jerks before
letting it sink again, winding in the slack.
The first cast proved to be a winner, and
these twitches were all it took to convince
a good sized squid that the jig was dinner.
I love that feeling you get when you
think you’re snagged on weed, only for it
to move with a strong pulsation.
The squid came to the kayak and
promptly sprayed a fresh layer of black
ink on my once yellow Hobie.
And so started a bumper session on the
squid, turning a mediocre demersal outing
into something special.
The overcast conditions made the squid
less wary and through a combination of
trolling, casting and drifting it only took
30 minutes of fun to fool five large metro
winter squid.
Although the squid bag limit’s 15, five
with Paul Tuckwell
large squid is plenty to feed a family of
four for a couple of meals. And we just
love eating squid – moreso than most
other seafood.
Squid and kayaking are a perfect
combination.
For the kayak fisher wishing to venture
beyond rivers and estuaries, it offers a
productive transition into ocean conditions
while staying fairly close to shore.
Kayaks with pedals or a drift chute can
also move at a perfect speed (around half
a knot) to tempt cephalopods, where in
windy conditions a boat may struggle with
excessive drift speed.
It is also easy to maintain position over
the productive weedy spots rather than
drifting aimlessly over barren patches.
Given how a kayak can be launched
almost anywhere, you may only have a
50m paddle to a good spot whereas a boat
has to travel a long distance there from the
nearest ramp.
In metro areas I generally fish in areas
which feature lots of seagrass and a water
depth from 3-5 metres.
A size 3.0-3.5 jig seems to be about right,
sinking slowly enough to fool the squid
while still staying at the right depth.
Finding these weedy areas is simple these
days with the aid of satellite imagery such
as Google Maps.
Maintaining the jig close to the bottom
is necessary and if you aren’t occasionally
snagging the weedy bottom you aren’t
fishing deep enough.
When that happens, ensure that you
remove any weed stuck to the jig prongs
or the squid will be less likely to attack it.
Drifting with the wind or slowly trolling
works well.
I also like using my pedal kayak to hover
over a weedy spot, casting and retrieving
n If you don’t want to get your
yak dirty then squid fishing
probably isn’t for you!
with big lifts of the rod, then letting the
jig sink again.
Keep a range of bright and natural
colours on hand, and don’t be scared to
switch jigs if one is not getting results.
Glow-in-the-dark jigs can also be
effective in low light or night conditions,
which squid love.
Deeper water can also be very productive
and is worth trying if the shallows are not
giving results (particularly on bright days).
In low light conditions, squid can also be
active in very shallow water less than 1m
deep and are fun chasing with jigs having
a slower sink rate.
Several different species of squid are
found all along the WA coast, including
inside sheltered estuaries and harbours,
so techniques will vary depending on the
location.
I particularly like the abundant and huge
coral-dwelling Abrolhos Islands tiger
squid, some of which have managed to
accurately shoot ink into my face from
several metres away.
If you like to keep your kayak and clothes
clean and pretty, squid fishing is not for
you!
These days, I think most anglers care
about sustainable fishing.
With an average life span of one to two
years, and with a high reproduction and
low natural mortality rate according to
scientific studies, I feel less guilty keeping
one for the table compared to a 20-year-
old fish.
Several international scientific studies

indicate that squid and other cephalopods
are bucking the trend and increasing in
numbers as other predatory species decline
and warmer oceans make conditions more
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WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
favourable. That said, please stick to the
bag limits and leave some squid in the
water for others to share.
Squid will always be an important part
109 GARLING STREET
O’CONNOR
79
of the marine food chain, hence any squid
you choose to not eat would make great
fresh bait for many other species, ranging
from herring and whiting to huge samson
fish and mulloway.
I love using whole squid heads as bait,
but it is always a difficult choice between
eating them or converting them to a
snapper.
When cleaning squid there is very little
waste – the tube, tentacles and wings are
all equally good to eat.
Lots of fancy squid gear exists, but as
there is a limit to how much you can carry
in a kayak, I just use my lighter 3-6kg
snapper outfit if that’s what’s on board.
Regular breaming gear is also fine and I
caught my personal best squid using my
daughter’s $20 pink rod.
Squid really don’t care what tackle you
are using, though it is advisable to change
to a lighter leader than you would use for
snapper or the squid may get spooked.
Around 4-5kg fluorocarbon leader is
a perfect compromise that means you
rarely lose snagged jigs, but still catch
lots of squid.
If the squid do seem a bit cautious,
sometimes using a commercially available
scent, or simply rubbing a bit of bait over
the jig, will convince them to touch the jig
rather than just follow it.
Although kayaking is a really good way
to catch squid, it can be a little messy no
matter how careful you are.
Squid ink will stain your kayak hull and
anything else in reach of their menacing
80 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
n Southern calamari are n Paul takes a range
great fun to catch and of different coloured
taste fantastic. jigs when chasing
squid.

blasts of ink, but that is part prime condition while finishing

of the fun.
It is almost impossible
to remove these stains
completely, so embrace those
black blotches as a badge of
honour to show the world how
successful you are.
I tend to take a large snaplock
bag to contain the messy squid
and a small fabric cool bag
with ice bricks to keep them in
the session.
Next time your planned
demersal session trip isn’t
turning out how you expected,
don’t head straight back to the
launch spot.
A quick session on squid
on the way home could be
the highlight of the day and
provide your family with some
yummy sustainable seafood.

l Paul Tuckwell is a keen kayak angler with a strange penchant for eating
raw fish. His dad bought him a fishing rod on the day he was born and he
hasn’t looked back since. He does a lot of light tackle estuary and inshore
fishing from a kayak and is an administrator on the Yakfishwest website.

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takeaway food including local fish & chips
and hand-made burgers.

DAY TRIPS & EXTENDED CHARTERS

including the Monte Bellos
We supply:
• Fishing gear, bait and ice
• Lunch, water, tea & coffee
• Transport to and from accommodation
• Fish cleaning and filleting
www.cheynesbeachcaravanpark.com.au
Ph: 9846 1247
E: cheynes_cp@westnet.com.au
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 81

2 Egmont Road, Henderson Western Australia 6166 (cnr Sparks Road) • Phone (08) 9437 6477
sales@westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au • www.westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au
82 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
Persistence pays when Exmouth
marlin finally decide to strike
T
HERE’S nothing like the thrill of
line peeling off your reel and seeing
a marlin bust through the surface,
ADVENTURE MUM
flying through the air with incredible
power, speed and grace.
It’s adrenaline-fuelling stuff, with all
hands on deck pulling in teasers, lines
and outriggers as the skipper is on the
helm, poised ready to push forwards,
turn the boat and outmanoeuvre the fish’s
next play.
The fight can be anything from a split-
second strike to a full-blown battle and it’s
incredibility exciting, but the lead-up to a
strike can be anything but.
Trolling for days without as much as
a look can be challenging for adults, so
when our kids wanted to join the fun I
wasn’t sure how they would handle the with Emma George
boredom let alone being able to control a
fish that was bigger than them.
I was in my thirties before I landed marlin and day five was nasty, as the wind
my first marlin in Exmouth, a sports and swell was up in stark contrast to our
fishing hotspot due to its favourable previous days’ fishing.
ocean currents and close proximity to the Ashley and I thought this was going to
Continental Shelf. be our rest day but the kids dragged us
At the time I had my two young children out again saying that this was definitely
on board; our baby was sleeping in the the day.
front cabin with the two-year-old happy The boat rocked in the swell and the After the frenzy of activity it was just
to watch on from the front seat. water was completely different with Cooper fighting the fish, and I hoped he
Sometimes fishing was easier when the threatening grey skies and wind choppy would be able to bring it alongside the boat
kids were younger, but the challenge came seas. despite the poor conditions.
later as they wanted to wind in fish that we The kids had been alternating who was Within about 20 minutes Ashley traced
assumed were beyond their capabilities. on strike and this time it was Cooper, the juvenile black marlin, removing the
Game fishing is an expensive sport that sitting poised in his harness and rod bucket hook from its mouth, and we watched it
requires time and diligence in preparation waiting patiently, when finally the reel actively swam away.
as well as the purchase of suitable rods, howled into action. Cooper was beside himself. He was
reels, line and lures, not to mention a boat We all jumped to attention, Cooper excited, exhausted and had finally been
with the associated running expenses. grabbed the rod and Ashley helped him rewarded for his patience and willingness
Once you are set up, the costs decrease set the hook as Bailey and I scrambled to to keep trolling until he finally caught the
but you still need to be able to put the bring in the teasers, other rods and clear fish he was chasing.
hours in, trolling the same areas again and the deck. Bailey was left in hope that he too would
again, waiting for a strike which may take I jumped back behind the wheel, easing catch something as he was now on strike
one hour or days, depending on your luck. the throttle and trying to keep the fish as we left the 250m line for a shallower
On a game fishing trip to Exmouth our behind the boat. depth, away from the building swell.
two youngest anglers were intent on
catching their first marlin. n A spectacular jump
At nine and 12-years-old, Bailey and with Emma’s son,
Cooper had watched their older brother Cooper, on the rod.
and parents land marlin and knew that
it can be a slow, fickle and sometimes
downright boring process.
With marlin on their minds, they were
unperturbed, trolling all day from one area
to the next, a scattering of tuna and mahi
mahi keeping their interest up but after
extremely slow fishing I was ready to go
snorkelling by day three.
I was almost voted off the boat with
the boys reminding me I was on a game
fishing trip not a sightseeing one.
We hadn’t had one decent hit and day
four was just as uneventful as the first
three, and I was wondering when we could
give up on the marlin idea.
It was just about out last chance to catch a

The anticipation was high and only 30
minutes later we had our second strike
of the day.
Jerk Minnow
Paddle Tail
› Customised Colours
› Brilliant Action
› Hand Poured
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 83
n Emma’s husband, Bailey used the harness and controlled
Ashley, and son Bailey the fish by slowly leaning back and
with an Exmouth winding in line as he moved forwards.
marlin. It took time as the fish executed a few
jumps and short runs, interrupting his
rhythm and taking more line, but Bailey
kept working at it until the fish was beside
the boat.
The marlin was brought inside for a quick
photo prior to a successful release.
Research has since shown that marlin
and gamefish recover better when left
in the water, so we no longer bring them
onboard, preferring to take a photo beside
the boat prior to release.
Sometimes it’s not the number of fish
you catch but the experience which makes
fishing so memorable.
Marlin are a big fish but with good gear
and technique, kids are quite capable of
landing something that is two or three
times their size.
The art of patience and the reward
of finally catching what you set out to
achieve made our trip so memorable and
even though I love catching fish myself,
it brings me even more joy to watch the
kids land that dream fish.
l Emma George set 16 world records in women’s pole
vault and has represented Australia at the Olympics,
Ashley helped Bailey initially as the fish
World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
A former journalist for The West Australian, Emma
dwarfed him, and he needed support until has been writing for fishing and 4WD magazines for
the initial frenzy of activity was over. the past 20 years.
We’re Back !
Buzz’n Frog
Tiddler
rib n
u te
d
t
d i s i l s og
w W
No by shin
Fi
84 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
MAKING WAVES...
Paddlecraft
guru won’t
lead you up
the creek ITH barely 10
W English summers
to my name, my
elder brother and I talked
about building our own
Canadian canoe, using
wooden slats covered with
canvas. We bought the
timber and that’s as far as
it got. Heading across the
sea on an ocean-going liner
was our next adventure
as the family migrated to
Australia in the late 1950s.
The closest I got to
canoeing was heading out
from the beach at Glenelg
in Adelaide with a school
mate whose dad built him a
12-foot bondwood paddle
ski which we used as a
platform from which we
would snorkel the offshore
reef.
Had I met a bloke like
Richard Lushey when
younger I’m sure I would
have been paddling that
home-made canoe and
when I walked into the
Myaree Paddlesports
Megastore (now re-located
to O’Connor), the years and
memories came flooding
back.
To top it all, hanging on
one wall was the skeleton
timber frame of what could
have been the Wiseman
brothers’ canoe. Next to it,
an old bondwood canoe
complete with slat timber
BARRY WISEMAN catches up with
Richard Lushey from Paddlesports
Megastore in Perth. Roto-moulded plastic,
fibreglass, inflatable rubber – whatever
you want, there’s a kayak or canoe to suit,
and Richard is the man to talk to.
flooring that had competed out canoeing the Swan
in the internationally- River on a Sunday morning
recognised Avon Descent, is blissful,” said this vintage
donated to Richard as a paddler.
museum piece. Next to it, Within minutes of talking
an early fibreglass canoe to Richard you realise he
plus a plastic wave ski knows his business. For
completed the gallery of some it’s a competitive
yesteryear in paddle craft. sport, for others a fitness For a novice like me, he
Whether it be chasing the regime, however for many, showed me a range of
’silence’ of nature or the kayaking is a form of boats that would suit my
‘crashing’ of white-water relaxation- taking in nature years and lack of agility.
rapids, Richard has done it at its best. There’s the Canadian
during the past 35 years.
He’s paddled the huge
rivers and lakes of America,
Europe and New Zealand
and he says tackling
the rapids of Nepal was
like nothing else. He’s
competed in the Avon
Descent and paddled the
Blackwood River heading
to the mouth at Augusta.
Heading east, there’s terrific
water at Walpole. However,
he says there’s nothing like
traversing the quiet turns,
bends and peaceful bays of
our very own Swan River.
“Albany is an incredibly
beautiful location too for
its harbours and bays.
However, taking the family

canoe, designed to take a with the Eskimos. Again, a
couple of paddlers, deep beamy vessel with sharp
and beamy with heaps of entry.
space. Then there was “Don’t expect to go too
the type that we associate fast in this type of boat,
but you’d be happy in this.
Then of course, since you
are a fisher, there is the
Perception Pescador Pilot
(featured in the previous
edition of Western Angler).
This has a beam of nearly
one metre and is very
stable. The fishing kayaks
are fitted with a high seat,
giving the angler the
advantage to cast plus the
stability to stand up,” he
pointed out.
“Added railings can
accommodate sounders
and other instruments plus
a live catch bin is secured
n Equipment galore. Note to the deck behind the
the museum pieces on the
seat. The drive is either
wall in the background. by mechanical propeller
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
RICHARD LUSHEY
n Paddlesports Megastore’s
Richard Lushey says the
Perception Pescador Pilot is
a popular fishing kayak.
or fins. We found the prop
drive is becoming extremely
popular and you can even
hook it up to an electric
motor, but you must be
aware of the depth of water
under the vessel. You use
the pedals like on a bicycle,
leaving the hands free.”
To match Paddlesports’
broad range of kayaks and
canoes, they stock many
paddles to suit various
applications, ranging
in price from $50 up to
$1000 for the latest and
lightest carbon graphite
type. There’s a standard
single version made from
American timber but these
days they have been largely
replaced by the alloy-
shafted type that come
with super-strong plastic or
curved carbon blades.
Richard then reached
85
into a large storage
rack and took out a very
futuristic, slim-line double
paddle, which is made
in Finland and used by
experienced ocean-going
kayakers. Named Inuksuk,
or Greenland paddle, it is
made from carbon fibre and
has long, narrow blades
for high-speed ocean
kayak racing, offering less
resistance when entering
the water.
The original timber design
dates back 600 years.
“While we don’t have a
high demand for this type
of paddle, we include it in
our stock because there
are those kayakers who
do require high speed,”
Richard said.
When I called into the
Paddlesports Megastore
they were two weeks away
from moving into new
premises. On display that
day were more than 50
types and styles of paddle
craft, from roto-moulded
polyethylene kayaks,
streamlined fibreglass
canoes, inflatable rubber
kayaks and even tiny
paddle skis weighing just
7kg to suit the ankle biters
weighing up to 90kg. Plus,
a large amount of safety
equipment, UV resistant
clothing and fittings for all
type of add-on gadgets.
“We have simply outgrown
these premises,” Richard
explained.
The demand for leisure,
sport and fishing kayaks
is growing so much the
company has moved to a
new showroom and is now
found at 109 Garling Street
in O’Connor.
Most of Paddlesports’
stock comes from the
United States, with some
coming from China.
“Kayak fishing is massive
in America due to their
considerable number
of rivers and lakes. It’s
growing in Europe too plus
it has taken off in Australia
during the past 10 years,”
Richard said.
Interestingly, while Richard
loves the water and is a
mad keen paddler, he’s not
much into fishing!
86 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
HILE international

W borders were
closed, Australians
were spending their tourist BOAT REVIEW
dollars to have fun at home Anglapro Freedom Sports 624 Elite
and boating was a big
winner, albeit Covid usually
meant you had to wait a bit
longer to get your new toy.
Australian boat
manufacturers have been
working flat out to keep up
with demand, but they too
are frustrated getting resin
or aluminium supplies.
Marine dealers like
Greg Collett from the
Sportsmarine Boat Centre
at Bunbury have been
grabbing whatever vessels
they can because they
know someone out there
will want that boat. Not all
dealers have the backing
to do that, however Greg
has decades of experience
and contacts in the industry
and his policy is to have

Anglapro
as many vessels on hand
as possible to provide a
choice to buyers.
The Anglapro Freedom
Sports 624 Elite is so new
the manufacturer was still

a versatile
waiting to post their demo
photographs on its website
at the time when I had mine
in the camera. The paint
on the 624 was hardly dry

vessel
when we launched at the
Bunbury ramp on what
was the first sunny day for
months.
Ocean conditions
made it tough going for
photography, so we sought
shelter in calmer waters for
our camera shoot and this
was a good opportunity
to sit back and relax in a
vessel designed for just BARRY WISEMAN reports that family
that. Relaxing with the boating is on the rise in Australia with the
family in a broad-beamed latest model from Brisbane-based Anglapro
boat with safety a top
priority. There was no need
offering safety and security for all on board.
for high-speed runs and
leaping from wave crests.
Today was about spending
time on the water. One thing 6.3m. Being a bowrider that back home. to be safe and of course
was missing though – the means every centimetre is To get up front in the 624, they are in full view of
ankle biters. taken up for family use. the windscreen is split and the skipper and co-pilot.
The Anglapro 624 is a After a leisurely trip up the there’s a door fitted to the Padded coamings supply
bowrider configuration river, estuary or anchored in helm bulkhead. For the sake comfortable protection to
and is ideal for families a bay at Rottnest, the infill of the photos in this article, your back for those seated
with tackers as it offers cushion is slotted into place we left the infill cushion in up front, plus there are grab
excellent, safe seating in up front, and you can have place to show the storage rails port and starboard.
the bow of the vessel and a nap on what converts space in the bow when it The anchor well up front
within sight of mum and the front seating in the bow is being used. When the is deep and there’s easy
dad. Grandparents can section into a sun bed. A cushion is stored you have access by kneeling on the
sit on the lounge across temporary cover over the normal bench seating in the bench seat cushion and of
the transom. The vessel is front on a warm summer forward section. course heaps of storage
rated to carry six people night makes for overnight There’s plenty of depth in space under the seats
and has an overall length of camping instead of heading the interior for youngsters themselves.

However, the Anglapro
624 is more than a family
boat and its size provides
the opportunity to take it
well offshore as a fishing
machine. The bow section
offers fishing space plus the
rear cockpit converts this
party boat into a bluewater
performer. The rear lounge
base has great storage
within, or it can be removed
completely to bring
craypots on board, or fish
up to three people at the
n The new Freedom Sports 624 Elite Bowrider from Anglapro is hot out
of the Brisbane factory. There is plenty of deck space for storage under
the console.
rear. There’s a substantial
bait board at the rear plus
a plumbed bait tank on the
starboard rear quarter. A
walk-through transom door
is fitted on the port side,
with a robust dive ladder
fixed to the marlin board.
For picnics the bait board
doubles as a table for
preparing lunch or a cuppa
and it is large enough to
accommodate a portable
stove or barbecue if you’re
boiling up a fresh cray or a
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 87
NUTS & BOLTS
MODEL: Anglapro Freedom Sports 624 Elite Bowrider
OVERALL LENGTH: 6.3m
BEAM: 2.48m
POWER: Yamaha 150hp (175hp max)
FUEL: 145L
MANUFACTURER: Anglapro;
www.anglapro.com.au
AGENT: Sports Marine Boat Centre;
57 Strickland Street, Bunbury;
Ph: (08) 9721 4390; greg@sportsmarine.com.au;
www.sportsmarine.com.au
PRICING: From $89,775 including offshore safety gear
88 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

n The Anglapro 624’s low profile

on the trailer makes for easy
towing.

feed of blue manna crabs

on the Mandurah estuary.
The skipper and co-pilot
have pedestal bucket seats
fitted with bolster cushions
that lift to support the back
if necessary.
Polymer has been used
to construct a moulded
dashboard for the skipper.
On the passenger side
there’s a deep shelf for car
keys, a lock-up glove box
and recessed drink holders.
The automotive-style
layout looks stylish and
avoids cutting holes in the
aluminium. Also the plastic
is much easier to work
with if the owner decides
to change electronics or
engine gauges.
The review vessel was
fitted with a Lowrance
Hook 5 fish finder and
chartplotter, however
there’s space for a larger
unit.
It is teamed up with a
Yamaha 150hp four-stroke
motor, but ocean conditions
and speed restrictions
prevented us getting to
WOT.
On all Anglapro vessels
built using 3mm aluminium
or thicker, a five-year
warranty applies. The hull
on the 624 bowrider is
made from 4mm material,
with 3mm on the top.
That theme is paramount
in the design, starting off
with a heavy-duty keel, from
which there are a series of
ribs or ‘frames’ which form
n The bait board can be substituted with a tow
pole for family skiing outings.
the skeleton of the hull.
Depending on the length
of the hull, the frames are
spaced from between
250 and 300mm and are
designed to minimise hull
flex and give that rigid
support.
This in turn, provides a
softer and more responsive
feel to the performance of
the vessel.
Anglapro says quite often
manufacturers will space
the ribs out farther to save
build time and material
costs, which has a dramatic
detrimental effect to on-
water performance. In the
case of Anglapro boats any
bulkheads are then welded
to the ribs of its vessels to
give a solid structure for the
floor and for improved hull
integrity. The bulkheads
also become the foundation
for internal fixtures such as
seats, fuel tanks, consoles
and storage to be securely
fixed into the boat.
Larger models with
transom pods such as the
624 come with complex
support structures to cater
for more horsepower. Once
the skeleton of each vessel
is ready, bottom and side
sheets of alloy are welded
to the frames and of course
the top side decks add
strength and stiffness to the
build.
Anglapro says it keeps
its hulls simple by design,
however all must achieve
four main results: plane
easily with minimal hole shot
effort; corner comfortably;
offer stability at rest; and
be comfortable underway
n The dive ladder
leads to the transom
door.
through choppy seas.
The company prides
itself on building boats for
Australian conditions, giving
the customer a safe and
pleasurable craft.
As previously mentioned,
we could not make high-
speed runs this day due to
the ocean conditions, but
we certainly gave the vessel
the stability test. Space
onboard was plentiful.
The ride was comfortable,
although my only gripe
was when sitting, as the
windscreen could be a
bit higher. It seems to be
fashionable these days for
the driver to be looking over
the top of the screen. Other
major Australian brands
also fit screens that are
lower than your eye line.
At speed you need to be
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 89

nd see us!
Call in a

This year at the Club Marine Perth Boat Show we will have an all-new model being launched to market from Sea Jay
Boats, plus a new size in one of the most popular models being debuted, plus lots of new-sized boats you haven’t
seen and some of our best-selling models. Come and see our team from September 16-18 at the Perth Convention
Centre and check out our range of Anglapro, Assassin, Cruise Craft, Extreme, Sea Jay and Senator Boats on display.

SENATOR New Zealand built Senator Boats are built to survey standards with
unparalleled buoyancy with pressure tested and sealed buoyancy
chambers. These great riding boats feature marine grade alloy plate,
plenty of deck space backed by a 5-year hull warranty. The model range
includes hard top, cuddy cabin, centre console, and inshore open boats.
This year we will feature four different models, including a RH770 which
will be the Australian debut for the model.

CRUISE CRAFT
Cruise Craft boats are renowned for their build quality, design excellence
and innovation. Building hard top cabin, soft top cuddy and centre
consoles model boats there is a Cruise Craft to suit your needs. The
Nichols family have been building boats since 1946, and are still a family
run operation to this day. The foam filled timber free hulls carry a 7-year
warranty. This year we will display two models, the Explorer 568 and the
popular 720HT.

EXTREME New Zealand’s most awarded aluminium boat builder is Extreme Boats,
where innovation, build integrity and performance meet, creating a high-
quality product backed by a 5-year hull warranty. These boats feature self-
flooding keels, a huge amount of reserve buoyancy from the underfloor air
tight chambers and exceptional welding quality. An extensive model range
features hard top, soft top, walk around and centre consoles. This family
owned and operated business has been building boats for over 20 years,
from a small shed operation to producing more than 300 boats per year.
This year we will have four different models on display.

SEA JAY Sea Jay Boats are a family owned and operated company based in
Bundaberg Queensland, who have been building aluminium boats for
over 25 years. The name carries a great reputation for strength, quality
workmanship and customization. With a huge model range consisting
of car toppers, open tiller steer dinghy’s, centre and side consoles,
runabouts, bow riders, centre cabin walkarounds, cabin and hardtop cabin
models. This year we will be showcasing a brand-new model, a 5.2m
cuddy cabin which is the Australian launch of this boat! Plus, a brand-new
size in the Ranger Sports model line-up, one of their most popular models!

ANGLAPRO Anglapro boats are built tough, by fishermen, for fishermen, building boats
that suit Australian conditions, their operations are based in Narangba
Queensland. Featuring fully welded bottom and side sheets and an
internal keel system, and they are backed by a 5-year hull warranty on all
3mm and above constructed boats. Anglapro have an extensive model
line-up consisting of car toppers and open tiller steer dinghy’s, side and
centre consoles, runabout, bowrider and cuddy cabin boats. Another
quality Australian built boat that represents great quality and fantastic
value for money.

57 Strickland Street, Bunbury WA Phone (08) 9721 4390 www.sportsmarine.com.au

90 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

n The automotive-style dash

saves drilling holes into the
main aluminium body.

PROS & CONS

n The bow seating converts into
a sunlounge.
wearing your sunglasses
or you end up with watery
eyes. If any spray or green
water comes over the front,
you cop it in the face and
the girls complain about
their hair being all over the
place.
A mate of mine bought a
new boat recently from one
of the largest manufacturers
in Australia and has had
all sorts of problems trying
to get a taller windscreen
fitted. He was told to fit
plastic clears instead. His
has a curved perspex
screen with aluminium
trim and he cannot get
a replacement around
PROS:
• Bowrider design caters for the whole family.
• Large and safe interior.
• Low profile on the road.
• Forward seating converts to sunbed.
• Rear lounge can be removed for fishing outings.
• Solid dive ladder.
CONS:
• A higher windscreen to provide more protection,
a common issue for some boaters these days.
150mm higher. He was told is parked undercover the
by the manufacturer the plastic deteriorates after a
screens are imported and few years.
that’s the size you get! With the Yamaha 150hp
He, like many of us, on the transom including

Turn fishing
prefers to sit behind the
screen for protection.
His option was to order a
custom one at a ridiculous
price. I think buyers should
the stainless prop, the
review boat was balanced
and sat well on the water.
The 624 Freedom Sports
can take up to 175hp and

into catching. have the choice of having

a high or low screen fitted
to their new production
vessel. Having said that, on
the day in question, Greg
did not have a problem with
his hat while at the wheel,
although we were not going
fast. I have lost so many
hats to the sea during boat
reviews, that I don’t bother
wearing them now, much
to the displeasure of my
dermatologist during my
annual skin inspection when
he tells me off, plus I don’t
use enough sunblock on my
face.
It’s a personal thing
I suppose regarding
windscreen height.
One day Sounder Workshops Certainly, with our climate
most local buyers would
john@fremantleboatschool.com.au be fitting a canopy for
sun protection so a set of
clears would fix the issue.
www.howtouseafishfinder.com However, they are not
cheap and unless your rig
the transom is rated to a
maximum of 245kg. Under
the deck there’s a 145-litre
fuel tank as well as basic
flotation.
The battery is housed on
a shelf in the transom hatch
behind the rear lounge
and the baitboard can be
replaced with a towing
pole, which is standard
equipment, for skiing or
pulling a sea biscuit.
The Anglapro 624
Freedom Sports Elite
Bowrider is a large family
fun boat suitable for picnics
plus offshore fishing
adventures. Although high
on the water, it has a low
profile on its galvanised
tandem trailer and is well
suited for towing long
distances.
It is now the largest in
the Freedom Sports Elite
range and offers safety and
security on the water.
 We have you Covered
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 91

3.2 NOMAD From Roof Toppers

To Hard Toppers 670 TROJAN HT

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For more information visit
www.seajayboats.com.au
92 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
HE Baron Sportsman

T was a common sight

at boat ramps across
Australia 40 years ago and BOAT REVIEW
they’re still around today. Baron Outrider LS
However, like the phoenix
rising from the ashes, they

Baron rises
have returned with a total
revamp thanks to long-time
Perth marine specialist Alan
Briggs from Big Five Marine
at Wangara.

like the
Alan left school in
Zimbabwe at an early age
and got an apprenticeship
with a boat builder.
Later moving to Australia,
he has been on the Perth

phoenix
boating scene for decades.
Having known the late
owner of Baron Craft
in South Africa, Alan
approached his widow with
a view to resurrecting the
vessels, which she was
happy to do.
The 6.5m Baron Outrider
series, plus the larger Orca
range, are now made by
a South African company
called Oryx, named after
the African antelope which
brought itself back from
near extinction by learning
to live in almost desert
surroundings.
The Orca boats are 7.5m
in length and are rated to
carry 300hp on the transom.
For this review, we were
on the 6.5m Baron Outrider
V2000 LS which comes
with a 2.4m beam, and a
transom rating to 200hp.
The vessel is optioned up
with a Lone Star anchor BARY WISEMAN Reminds us that in
winch on the bow, plus Greek mythology, the phoenix bird rose
LED spotlight fitted to the from the ashes to be born again. After
stainless steel safety railing. trialling the Outrider V2000 LS, he says
The soft top has an in real life, and in our time, the Baron hull
extended awning over from yesteryear has been reborn.
the rear deck, deluxe
Relaxn seating with bolster
cushions, and for the fisher
a top quality and practical
baitboard which doubles as types of boat maintenance boats, Alan says the builder GPS combo was located
a table during those family and repairs, plus fitting will do everything possible on the dash shelf directly in
picnics. chandlery. to meet the owner’s needs. front of the skipper.
A soft roll-up canvas door While the Oryx vessels are Realising the amount of This left a good two-
leads to the twin bunks up production craft, by talking electronics now available thirds of the dash face still
front, with an infill cushion to Alan owners can request to boaters, the dash on the available for other flush-
soon converting it into a whatever and wherever they V2000 LS is big. mounted instruments or a
double bed. require to suit their needs. On this vessel the Mercury lockable glove box for your
There’s heaps of storage For the rock lobster fisher engine management valuables.
under the bunks plus room for instance the review gauge, switch panel, and Step-down entry into the
for a chemical toilet. vessel had a dedicated anchor winch switch were cabin was on the port side
Families may opt for factory-built mounting for a located to the right, with and the dash shelf here
that addition and with cray winch, with pot hauler a Fusion sound head unit was fitted with a recessed
Big Five Marine being a gunwale mountings on the fitted on the lower left. cool drink holder for the
major marine servicing opposite side. The latest cradle-mounted passenger, leaving no room
centre it specialises in all Unlike a lot of production Simrad Evo NSS12 sounder/ for the usual positioning of
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 93

n The Baron Outrider V2000 LS is the product of a major revamp

of the old hull. The extended awning shades much of the rear
deck.

NUTS & BOLTS

MODEL: Baron Outrider LS (Long Shelf)
OVERALL LENGTH: 6.5m
BEAM: 2.4m
DRY WEIGHT: Hull only – 1050kg
POWER: Mercury 150hp four-stroke
FUEL: 400 litres
MANUFACTURER: Oryx Boats, South Africa
AGENT: Big Five Marine;
1/85 Achievement Way, Wangara;
Alan Briggs – 0447 691 566;
www.bigfivemarine.com.au
PRICING: $129,050 drive away, including EPIRB,
fire extinguisher and safety gear,
plus 400 litres of fuel

n A quality bait station and door through the transom.
the glovebox.
The throttle controls for the
Mercury were neatly flush
mounted into the right-side
cabin wall.
The model Outrider LS
refers to Long Shelf, or the
length of the side pockets in
the cockpit.
In this case the shelves
ran the full length from
the transom to the cabin
bulkhead.
Its brother, the SS model,
comes with short shelves,
stretching from the transom
to the back of the fibreglass
seat boxes.
In place of the seat boxes
on the LS version, the
swivel bucket seats are
mounted on stainless steel
frames allowing for stowing
ice boxes or tackle kits on
the deck.
We had two Dometic ice
boxes safely secured to
the steel framework, one
for food and drinks and the
other for the catch of the
day.
The steel seating frames
are all the rage these days,
allowing for greater use of
deck space.
Surfers can put their
boards full length in the
cockpit, divers can store
scuba cylinders, and at
the end of the day come
wash-down time the deck
is easier to keep clean and
tidy.
The side walls of the cabin
had deep shelving plus a
recess lower down the port
side for the EPIRB or fire
extinguisher.
The Outrider LS also
features a distinctive
design along the transom
compared to the SS model.
It has two storage hatches/
live bait tanks, plus a
transom door on the port
side – a must for bathers,
spearfishers and divers.
That opening leads to the
marlin board and folding
stainless steel ladder.
The SS model has three
hatches along the transom
for those who are happy
to sit their bum on the
aft quarter and swing
themselves across to the
marlin board. Extra storage
versus walk-through.
I prefer the walk-through
transom.
In fact, when I boarded
the vessel, I stepped from
the jetty onto the full-width
marlin board aft, past the
Mercury 150hp and into the
cockpit via the door on the
port side. Easy.
The Baron Outrider comes
94 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
with an inside gunwale
height of 750mm which is
an excellent safety factor,
especially with children on
board.
However, it does mean a
big drop for the less agile of
us as we get older.
The choice of using the
marlin board at the rear and
entering the vessel via the
rear door makes it simple.
The same when you return
to the jetty after a day on
the water.
The Mercury motor has
a clean and simple fit-up
when installed, requiring
just one main umbilical
cord, so the marlin board
is left clean with no cable
litter.
The Baron’s rear platform
comes with storage hatches
with good-sized lids to
access the rear pod to fit
the motor and sounder
transducers, plus there was n Greater deck space
a stainless berley bucket with removable ice
and folding ladder. boxes.
A courtesy light also
illuminates this area at when traversing the holders, two drink holders with a removable cutting
night. transom area. plus two knife racks welded board, but the whole thing
The deluxe baitboard The stainless railing to it. can be removed if need be.
comes in handy too, around the back and sides It’s a good-looking thing However, I would imagine
providing hang-on support of the board had four rod and very usable and comes it would stay there much of

n y o u 'r e c a s t in g a line,
wh e
few,
trying to catch a
s w e a r a l if e ja cket -
Alway
's t h e r ig h t t h in g to do!
it

upgrade your Partner:

lifejacket today

n The Lone Star
anchoring system
with spotlight for night
action.
the time and its solid build
offers a means of support in
rough waters.
Two large hatches along
the transom wall can be
plumbed or used as dry
storage for tackle and
mooring ropes, etc.
The refuelling cap is also
found at the transom near
the door and outside the
cockpit area.
Below the waterline at the
rear, a multi-coloured light
was installed just above
the keel for night fishing for
squid or baitfish.
Rod holders and recessed
mooring cleats were fixed to
the gunwales.
The 12-inch Simrad on
the review vessel was
hooked up to a 1kW TM265
transducer which gave
accurate readings of the
bottom during our sea trials
off Hillarys Boat Harbour.
The Mercury 150hp motor
can deliver a top speed
of 39 knots on this Baron
Outrider, not that I reached
those figures while at the
wheel.
We had a stiff north-
easterly prior to a storm
the following day so I was
content to get the feel of the
boat doing a leisurely 20
knots, which according to
Alan is somewhere around
the sweet spot.
Customer feedback he is
getting seems to favour the
26-knot zone for easy and
safe cruising.
With any new boat I am
happy to play it cautiously
so I can get the feel of the
craft.
One thing for certain, the
Baron Outrider is a heavy
vessel.
There was a good winter
swell off Hillarys which the
Baron took effortlessly in its
stride.
The flared bow did exactly
what it’s designed to do
and kept the tinted screen
and clears dry during our
time on the water.
On the review boat the
underfloor kill tank had
been sacrificed for a large
400-litre fuel tank.
A good combination with
the Merc 150hp, plus you
have the twin ice boxes
for your refreshments
and catch. These can be
upgraded to fridges.
The deck wash was in
the port side pocket and
drainage via three stainless
grills along the base of the
transom.
Dual bilge pumps work
automatically, one in the
hull and the other in the rear
pod.
Alan is a tall guy but there
was still plenty of head
space for him under the soft
top bimini.
As we were heading out
this winter’s day, the clears
above the screen and
the sides gave us good
protection.
The vessel comes with a
galvanised tandem-axle
trailer fitted with electric
brakes and skids for drive-
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 95
PROS & CONS
PROS:
• Total upgrade on earlier Baron hulls.
• Hand-laid glass fibre and beefed-up sub frame.
• Foam-filled level flotation.
• 400-litre fuel tank.
• Lone Star anchor winch included.
• EPIRB and safety gear.
• Quality fittings and Dometic ice boxes
(can be upgraded to fridges).
• Flared bow and full-length strakes.
• Awning extension.
• Five-year structural warranty.
• Drawbar extension.
CONS:
• Front screens made from tinted perspex instead
of glass.
on retrieval. Marine’s package, the boat
On the road, a bow bra leaves its premises with a
is fitted to guard against full tank of fuel and in the
stone damage plus there case of the review vessel,
is an extended drawbar for that’s 400 litres.
launching off the beach or The Baron Outrider V2000
in northern waters where SS has plenty of room to
the tides dictate your easily fish three of four
boating schedules. people in the rear cockpit or
Oryx Boats offers a five- pull rock lobster pots, plus
year structural warranty on it comes with some serious
its craft, the fibreglass hulls quality extras.
being hand laid and coming The flared bow and solid
with level flotation. planing hull certainly
As part of Big Five delivered on the day.
www.eastkimberleycharters.com.au
eastkimberleycharters@outlook.com
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Charters
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6.6m GS Marine vessel, with remote fishing
owner and operator, Brad trip of a lifetime,
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Australia
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Kununurra WA
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SUPPLY | INTALL | SERVICE | REPAIR | USED OUTBOARDS

PHONE: 0447 691 566
www.bigfivemarine.com.au
Unit 1 / 85 Achievement Way, Wangara

Big Five Marine was established in 2009 and we are proud to have grown the business into a full
supply, modify and installation centre. We are dedicated to making boating the best experience for
you and your family. When it comes to servicing your boat our service team is built of highly skilled
and certified technicians trained to service any make or model.
98 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
Trailer
trashed
for a new
modelHAVE always done what
I I believed to be the best
maintenance practices
including washing it with
fresh water after every
trip, plus hitting the rollers
every few trips with CRC or
similar.
The trailer, and boat,
also received an annual
check from my mechanic
before my yearly trip to
our northern waters and
the latest one revealed it
needed a new set of brake
callipers and rotors, and I
was told they would need to
be replaced before I could
make another long trip.
The cold reality dawned
on me that I needed a new
boat trailer or risk failure
along the way.
This brought to mind an
incident which took place
on the way to the Mackerel
Islands last year for our
annual Western Angler
Seafari.
I came across one
member of our party about
70km south of Nanutarra
that had just suffered
the misfortune of having
his trailer undergo a
catastrophic failure.
By the grace of God his
car and boat both went
to the left of the road and
neither was damaged
badly, but the same could
not be said for his trailer.
It could have been so
much worse and it is
something that everybody
who witnessed the
aftermath will never forget.
The unfortunate owner
ANDREW ‘KORG’ JARVIS
realised his original trailer
was on its last legs, so
he went looking for a
replacement.
had only just purchased
the boat and even had
the trailer checked before
hitting the road.
n The tradesmen at Westerberg
Marine hard at work.
I didn’t want anything like
that to happen to me, so n The stainless steel brake
I settled on buying a new components mounted on the
trailer. axle before fitting.
Having made that
decision, the first choice
was whether go for another
galvanised one or a custom
aluminium replacement.
I tried pricing up a factory
galvanised trailer and
truthfully found it very hard.
I don’t know if I went
about it the wrong way,
but I like a bit of good
customer service and at
the time of writing I had not
received a price from even
one supplier despite my
inquiries.
My next move was a chat
to Rhys Jones, proprietor
of Westerberg Marine in
Albany, about an aluminium
trailer.
I have been exposed to
Westerberg boats and
trailers through the Western
Angler Bandit project
boat and had also seen a Rhys also made it clear dual axle manual hydraulic
magnificent trailer they had they could build a trailer to brake trailers, especially
built for local businessman any specifications, which as my Barcrusher was a
Paul Lawson’s new boat. got me thinking what I really bit narrower than a normal
I was impressed by the wanted from my trailer. Westerberg hull.
quality of their work and My shortlist came down to It was easy to make the
during discussions with strength without too much decision and I shook his
Rhys I was surprised to find weight gain, increased hand straight away.
that Westerberg actually longevity and beach You will see hereabout
offered a standard range launching capability. a list of what comes as
of trailers from a 1.7-tonne I discussed this with Rhys, standard fitment on these
single axle with manual who was confident he trailers, and it’s probably
hydraulic brakes through could give me all of this by a lot more than you would
to 4.5-tonne dual axle with slightly modifying the plans think goes into them.
electric hydraulic brakes. of one of their two-tonne Westerberg Marine use

n The author’s old trailer was really
showing its age after seven years.
Transtyle rubber torsion
axles manufactured in
Melbourne.
These provide a significant
improvement to ride quality
in comparison to the
conventional spring axles
because both sides operate
independently of each
other.
Rubber elastomer springs
also help to smooth out the
ride by absorbing lot of the
bumps, hence it is also a
quieter drive.
They are maintenance
free and there are no leaf
springs to rust.
The best way of explaining
how this system works is
that four natural rubber
cords within the main
structure of the axle beam
surround the steel torsion
bar.
The wheel/hub spindle is
attached to a lever, called
the torsion arm assembly.
This assembly is
n K o r g ’s K r u s h e r
sitting pretty on her
flash new trailer.
NUTS & BOLTS
• 176mm I-beam frame
• Single axle (two wheel) disc brakes
• 100mm x 50mm channel V droppers
• Manual hydraulic brake system
• Dual torsion axles
• Stainles steel drive on auto catch
• Stainless steel hubs, rotors and callipers
• Three-speed hand winch
• Spare wheel and holder
• Heavy duty jockey wheel
• LED tail and clearance lights
• Dove tail rear entry (drive on)
• Nylon magna strip skids
• Alloy rims and load-rated tyres
• 12-month registration
comprised of the torsion
arm and bar, and spindle.
When load is applied to
the trailer, the torsion arm
assembly pivots around
the torsion bar, causing
a rolling or compressive
resistance in the rubber
cords inside the axle beam.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
Theses axles are fitted
with 10-inch stainless
steel rotors, and hubs and
calipers that are also from
the Transtyle stable.
Once the basic frame was
constructed, Rhys got my
boat and trailer into the
workshop and started doing
99
the final measurements
to make sure the draw
bar would be as long as
practical, and the rear of
the trailer would be as low
as feasible.
Both would be critical
when it comes time to do
beach launches.
His time spent on this task
certainly showed in the final
job as it all came together
perfectly in an awesome
new trailer.
What this process has
taught me is that we
generally don’t put nearly
enough thought into our
trailers when we purchase a
boat, and in general.
We are so focused on the
boat and what we are going
to do in it that we forget
about the importance of
transporting, launching and
retrieving.
This may be simple if you
live in the metro area and
you launch from a boat
ramp that is close to home.
But more and more
people are traveling greater
distances to fish and
you may end up wanting
to launch off the beach
somewhere in regional WA.
I know the Editorial
Coghlan wishes he had
thought more about beach
launching when fitting out
the Westerberg Bandit
project boat as, while its
trailer is fantastic in every
way, it is problematic for
beach launching due to the
addition of a Boat Catch.
These days he does the
odd beach launch and at
times when you can’t get
the rear of the trailer into
deep enough water, such
as at low tide, the Boat
Catch (which works great at
ramps) actually catches on
the back of the trailer and
prevents the Bandit from
simply sliding on as it would
otherwise.
If you are looking at a
new boat, you would be
very wise to consider a
bit of thought about the
trailer early in the project,
because at the end of the
day you are the only one
that knows what the boat
and trailer will be used for.
A big thank you to Rhys
and his team at Westerberg
Marine for the great job on
the trailer and making the
whole process painless.
100 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
The trusty tinnie makes for
some brilliant memories
’VE been lucky enough to fish out of
I a wide range of different boats over
the years.
From the tiny 3.2m vee-nosed punt with
that we lugged around Oz atop our camper
trailer a number of years ago to big, well-
equipped 20m charter boats, and pretty
much every size trailerboat in between.
In many ways the size of the boat you’re
fishing out of can have a direct relationship
with how enjoyable a particular capture
might be.
I remember watching the iconic fishing
show Big Fish Small Boats in the early
days as a teenager and marvelling at some
of the remarkable captures taken out of
small boats on the east coast.
Catching a memorable fish out of any
boat is a fantastic experience, but there’s
certainly something extra special about
catching good quality fish out of a small
boat that you’re skippering yourself.
And even though I’ve never been a kayak
fisherman, I can certainly relate to the
buzz that these guys get when landing a
big pink snapper or metre-long queenie
from their yaks.
I’ve had some days I’ll never forget,
fishing out of small tinnies and have spent
a fair period of time fishing out of them
over the last 15 years or so.
To be honest nothing pleases me more
these days than landing respectable fish
out of a small boat.
It’s even better when you’re camping
close by and able to enjoy another
magnificent sunrise or sunset somewhere
along the coast or on an isolated river
somewhere.
My partner, Bev, and I started out with a
little 340 Quintrex Traveller, 9.8 Tohatsu
outboard and a set of ‘tinnie wheels’ that
we carried on our camper trailer and this
rig served us well for many years.
I’ll never forget catching big longtail
tuna out of it in the Gulf of Carpentaria
near the tip of Cape York, or fishing for
barra out of it on the Roper River in the
Territory when most of the crocs we saw
were bigger than the boat!
After switching to a small offroad
caravan a few years ago, we also decided
to upgrade the tinnie to a Stacer 369
Seasprite and 15hp Yamaha outboard.
Complete with a back-saving Custom
Boat Loader and collapsible Mangrove
Jack ali’ trailer, the slightly bigger rig
offers just that little bit of extra comfort,
safety and seaworthiness that enables us
to fish and explore a little farther afield.
We love nothing better than getting away
in our van with the tinnie on the roof of the
four-wheel-drive to some of the fantastic
places along the coast that WA has to offer.
HALF HITCH
with Darryl Hitchen
This year’s trip in May was to Warroora
Station along the Ningaloo Coast just
south of Coral Bay, and then to Nanga
Resort, situated on one of the inner gulfs
in Shark Bay.
We’d decided to have a look at Warroora
after hearing so much about it over the
years but never quite getting there, and
booked into the Sandy Point campground
for 10 days.
It turned out to be a cracking spot;
reasonably sheltered campsites with a
lovely protected beach to swim, and not
too crowded.
It was also dog-friendly and allowed
fires, so it pretty much ticked all the boxes
for us!
It also looked to be perfect tinnie
territory with the fringing reef stopping
the Indian Ocean swells rolling into the
bay, providing both user-friendly boating
conditions and a safe anchorage.
The only downside was the sanctuary
zone immediately in front of the camp that
didn’t allow fishing out of boats, but you
didn’t have to travel very far to get out of
the protected area.
Access to the outside of the Ningaloo
Reef was via a reasonably-sized opening a
couple of kilometres north of Sandy Point.
Whilst it was easy to navigate when the
swell was down I’d give it a miss in any
sort of dodgy weather.
Bev and I ventured out on a couple of
occasions in favourable conditions and
trolled along the 10-15 metre dropoff
immediately behind the main reef.
Unfortunately the first couple of mackerel
we hooked were taken by sharks almost
instantly and then a quick bottom fish in
slightly deeper water produced the same
result.
Deciding to head back inside the reef to
avoid the dreaded grey overcoat brigade
and the pointless loss of fish, we found
some promising looking country in around
five metres of water that I thought might
hold squid.
Sure enough a few drifts later we had
half-a-dozen tiger squid on board as well
as a couple of sizable chinaman cod that
took unweighted mulies cast away from
the boat.
We spent the rest of our stay at Sandy
Point walking along and swimming at the
beach, or heading out in the tinnie inside
the reef when conditions allowed.
Early morning sessions generally
produced a feed of squid with the odd
decent spangled emperor showing up.
Often late in the day we’d take the boat
across the bay just inside the fringing reef
and enjoy some magnificent snorkelling
amongst the huge array of different
coloured corals and the myriad of marine
life.
If the inside of Ningaloo Reef provides
prime tinnie territory then the Shark Bay
area takes things to a whole new level.
Consisting of hundreds of kilometres of
sheltered bays, rocky headlands, shallow
weed banks and deeper channels, the area
provides countless options for the dinghy
angler.
A complete lack of swell due to the
protection offered by the nature of the
coastline is a huge bonus, and if the wind is
not blowing the waters of Henri Freycinet
Harbour and Denham Sound often provide
ideal boating conditions.
The sheltered waters of Shark Bay

n Darryl reckons there’s nothing like catching a good fish, like this Shark Bay
mulloway, from the tinnie.
are justifiably famous for their prolific
population of pink snapper, but there’s
also plenty of other fish for anglers to
target including blue-lined emperor (black
snapper), bluebone, mulloway, yellowfin
whiting, tailor, bream and estuary cod.
Most of our previous trips to Shark Bay
had involved camping at Tamala Station,
but unfortunately it has been closed for
the last couple of years as the station
negotiates with the relevant authorities
and local indigenous groups to renew the
camping licence.
This year we headed to Nanga Resort,
which is situated about 50km south of
Denham. To be honest it’s nothing like a
resort but more akin to an old-fashioned,
run-down caravan park that just happens to
be situated on a prime piece of real estate
within spitting distance of the fish-rich
waters of Henri Freycinet Harbour.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
The harbour is an interesting place to
fish as there’s very little prominent reef
structure to be found, with most of the
fish schooling up in the deeper holes and
channels that are found throughout the
bay.
I’d managed to find a reasonably
productive patch only 5-6km from camp
on our last trip to Nanga, and was keen to
check it out again this time.
It’s simple, easy and relaxing fishing for
Bev and I from the tinnie.
Just sound around to find the schools of
fish on the sounder over the rubbly bottom,
then drift through the area with 4/0 or 5/0
paternoster rigs, and with a floating mulie
drifting behind the boat as well.
The first couple of times we fished the
area our biggest problem was getting
through the plethora of undersized pinkies
101
n The campsite at Warroora
Station is beautiful.
that ravaged our baits.
We managed a few keepers to take home
including some nice black snapper and
the biggest school mackerel I’d ever seen,
but the larger pinkies were proving hard
to find.
The last morning of the trip saw Bev and
I back in the same area for one more crack
at the fish and for whatever reason the
bigger fish had decided to come out to play.
We had several pinkies around 55-65cm
and a brace of blacks already in the esky
when I hooked something substantially
bigger.
A couple of powerful runs followed and
before too long a flash of silver indicated
that it was a sizable fish and thankfully
not a shark.
Bev managed to net the fish but needed
a hand to lift the 12-kilo mulloway onto
the deck.
Although a 12kg mulloway isn’t a
particularly spectacular fish and I’ve
caught plenty of bigger ones over the years,
it’s a capture that I’ll always remember in
the years to come.
Big fish, small boat, you betcha!
l Darryl Hitchen was one of the pioneers of
sportfishing in WA and has been throwing lures
from boats almost all his life. He’s written for
Modern Fishing and ran his own guided fishing
business in the North-West for several years
before returning to Perth.
102 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

Crispy prawn
& vegetable
Located on the banks of the Kalgan River,
a renowned fishing spot, Monty’s Leap
tempura
Y spring recipe takes me back to Japan for
produces a range of premium coastal wines
which are a perfect match for seafood.
M the unmistakable taste of crispy tempura
battered prawns with vegetables. The
secrets of a good light tempura batter include
incorporating ice cubes while making the batter and
not over beating it, as a few lumps are okay. You
need to use the batter straight away, having at least
750ml of vegetable oil. Fry in small batches, to avoid
overcrowding, and use good kitchen paper to absorb
excess oil. Then serve at once! I’ll also explain how to
make ponzu dipping sauce, usually served with any
fried foods. Simply serve as a share plate with the
tempura vegetables on the side.

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WHAT’S COOKING

with Dale Sniffen


INGREDIENTS
500gm large Skull Island prawns,
peeled but leave the tail intact
8 pieces of Kent pumpkin, skin on,
2mm thick/3cm long
1 red onion, cut into eight large pieces
1 broccolini, cut into thirds
750ml vegetable oil (or grape seed oil)
Tempura batter
METHOD
Heat 750ml vegetable oil in a deep
heavy-based saucepan to 180C.
Lightly dust prawns and vegetables in
tempura batter, just a thin coat. Gently
lower into the hot oil and cook until
batter is crisp and golden (about two
minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon
and drain on paper towel, then do the
same for the prepared vegetables.
Serve at once with a good squeeze
of wasabi mayo on the side with the
ponzu dipping sauce.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
TEMPURA BATTER INGREDIENTS
30g potato starch or corn starch
150g weak low protein flour,
plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
Ice cubes
200ml ice cold water
100ml ice cold sparkling water
or soda water
1 medium egg, chilled and
lightly beaten
METHOD
To make tempura batter, sift into a
large mixing bowl. Make a well in the
middle then slowly whisk in egg and
enough water and sparkling water,
along with a few ice cubes, and whisk
until the batter is the consistency of
runny cream. The colder the batter
the crispier the tempura will be.
103
PONZU DIPPING SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
175ml sushi soy sauce
50g fresh navel orange juice
40g fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp honey or brown sugar
METHOD
Just whisk together then set aside. It
should have an inviting sweet, sour
salty flavour.
l Dale Sniffen is a freelance chef based
in Perth with a passion for kayak fishing,
fly fishing and cooking seafood. He appears
on 6PR’s Boat, Dive and Fishing show on
Saturday mornings. He has his own website,
www.chefdale.com
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes
Serves: 4
104 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
Marina angling is a lucky dip
JUNIOR ANGLER
with Tim Farnell
IKE most junior
L anglers in the Perth
metro area, I spent a
lot of my younger years at
my local marina fishing for
all kinds of bread and butter
species.
Ocean Reef Marina was
my local, and most Saturday
mornings I would pedal my
bike down at 4am to target,
tailor, herring, whiting or
the elusive blue mackerel or
bonito.
There is no better or safe
place to fish as a junior angler,
especially if your mum or dad
have little fishing experience.
Starting in the north there is
Two Rocks marina, Mindarie,
Hillarys, Fremantle Fishing
Boat Harbour and Mandurah.
Most of these locations have
a safe jetty to fish from, or at
the least have some very stable
and flat rocks that can be
fished safely and comfortably
by junior anglers.
The range of species you
can expect to encounter in our
marinas is surprisingly big!
You might catch tailor,
herring, yellowtail, tarwhine,
black bream, flathead, skippy,
flounder, mullet, juvenile pink
snapper, whiting, squid, blue
swimmer crabs, mulloway
and even big samson fish.
I have also heard of
mangrove jacks occasionally
being caught locally from
rock walls.
Tackle can be a simple as
you like, but I would suggest
a light-weight 2.1m rod, rated
at 2-5kg, with either 5-6kg
mono or 7kg braid loaded
onto a 2000 or 3000 size reel.
Don’t forget a bucket for
your catch, and an old rag to
n The Farnell boys with a big marina sambo. You never know
what will show up.
wipe your hands and to handle
spiky fish.
Rigs can also be kept
very simple, with either
premade three-hook sabiki
or baitchaser rigs with size
8 hooks, or a simple running
sinker set up of a size 8 long
shank hook on a 30cm light
trace to a small swivel and a
ball sinker.
Bait can also be very simple
and cut up pieces of prawn or
squid are ideal, but small is
the key here.
It should be no bigger than
your small fingernail as this
will ensure your hook point
is clear of the bait and allow
smaller fish to take your
offering.
It’s important to keep your
line as tight as possible as
there are a lot of smaller, timid fun, and gave me my first
species in marinas and you
need to pay full attention for
the smallest of bites.
As you will most likely catch
a number of small pinkies
inside metro marinas it’s
important to handle these fish
with extra care, and release
them unharmed and in good
condition, as they play an
important part in the stock
levels for the future.
Berley is important for all
forms of fishing, and marinas
are no different.
Premade berley is ideal,
squeezed into a floating or
slow sinking berley cage and
topped up every cast to ensure
any fish nearby will soon be
in your casting zone.
Don’t forget that rag I
mentioned earlier to clean
your hands and keep this
sticky mess off your rod grips.
Lures can also be used to
good effect and marinas are a
perfect place to start your lure
fishing career as I did many
years ago.
My first ever lure was a
20gm Halco gold Twisty.
I first used it at Ocean
Reef one morning after a
productive bait fishing session
for herring, and thought it was
a perfect time to try and catch
a herring on my lure.
Well I didn’t hook any
herring, but instead had solid
blue mackerel zooming in
smashing my lure at my feet.
These little speedsters still
show up and are a lot of
experience with a high-speed
fish.
My new local marina is Two
Rocks and my boys and I will
often go down on a Saturday
morning or arvo and have a
flick around.
We catch a lot of herring
and small snapper, and the
occasional chopper tailor
keeps things interesting.
Another species we
encounter quite regularly is
samson fish.
I have targeted metro marina
sambos for years, and found
winter time is best as they
prowl the marina for mullet
schools.
We have had them follow
our hooked fish before and
what a sight it is seeing a huge
mouth erupt out of the water
trying to eat our herring!
During bad weather I will go
down and specifically target
them with live baits.
A live herring, mullet or
tailor is ideal, and the key is
to stay in one area and wait for
the fish to find you.
I use a 9/0 Black Magic live
bait hook, as these are strong
and sharp.
You need to fish heavy gear,
so 36kg braid, 70kg leader and
a solid GT-style rod and reel
is required to muscle these
fish clear of jetties or moored
boats.
We have encountered them
up to 36 kilos.
Farther south, Fremantle
Fishing Boat Harbour fishes
similar to Two Rocks, but
with the added advantage of
being close to both the Swan
River and Cockburn Sound.
River species such as
bream, flathead, tarwhine and
flounder are more common
here.
Squid are a fantastic land-
based option there as well, and
squidders do very well here at
night, mostly on smaller 2.5 or
3.0 size jigs.
More care is required by
junior anglers here after dark.
When the salmon hit Perth
in a big way they sometimes
herd up baitfish here also,
and some spectacular scenes
have been witnessed, with
big salmon turning the calm
marina water into a washing
machine.
If the weather isn’t fantastic,
or the swell and wind is up,
but you’re itching for a fish,
I would suggest checking out
your local marina.
Not only will you have a
ball on a number of common
species, you may also
encounter something a big
larger.
l Tim Farnell is one of WA’s best
shore fishermen and also an expert
when it comes to mulloway fishing.
He’s been fishing since he was a kid
and works in the tackle trade. He is
also the father of two keen junior
anglers.
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 105
 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
A lifetime’s spearfishing knowledge
106
collected from all corners of WA
S this is my first article for Western
A
Angler I thought best to detail a
little of my background that led
me to spearfishing, and how the sport has
captivated me.
In future columns I plan to dive into more
specific areas of equipment, target species,
destinations and so on, obviously all from
a spearfishing perspective.
As a co-owner of Spear West in Osborne
Park I will also touch on new equipment
and ranges when they come on the market.
As with most spearfishers the ocean has
always been an integral part of my life.
I had a childhood of surfing and beach
fishing at any opportunity.
Through my teens I fished with the
Offshore Angling Club and we spent many
weekends up and down the coast, although
largely we fished from Two Rocks.
Throughout these times we would also
scuba dive for crays and I continued to
line fish (mainly demersals) throughout
that period.
It was in my mid ’30s that I found myself
watching some spearfishing videos of guys
shooting mackerel on breath hold and
immediately wanted some of the action.
Unsure of how to get involved I took the
DOWN TIME
with Mike Kane
first step of doing a freediving course with
Apnea Australia.
A freediving course is a very good
way to learn in a short space of time all
aspects of freediving safety, physiology
and an insight into what you are actually
capable of.
At Spearwest we have two freediving
instructors running courses from our store
independently and for anyone planning to
enter the sport I cannot recommend them
enough.
With a Stage A freediving certificate
I joined a local spearfishing club (WA
Undersea Club) and from there I met other
local spearfishers.
The club has monthly meetings and these
normally have a theme or presentation for
the members, offering a great chance to
socialise and interact with like-minded
people.
From here, members can share details
with each other and organise trips.
It was here that I found you could learn a
heap of different techniques and methods
of spearfishing and hunting from other
divers.
I was fortunate to have the opportunity
to dive with a variety of people and learn
from many.
A big part of the appeal of spearfishing,
for me, is that it allows you to really be
part of the ocean and its life.
When spearing you are so captivated by
the fish and their behaviour that it becomes
your only focus.
In time you find you learn to read certain
fish behaviours and then in turn try to

understand how to best refine your hunting
technique.
When you dive with certain people
who naturally have all the above traits
For the best gear and advice, head into Spear West
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022
n Mike Kane is a co-owner of
Spearwest, a locally-owned
and operated store in Osborne
Park.
it becomes very apparent just how much
their relaxed presence in the water allows
them to hunt certain species with regular
success.
107
With a few dedicated spearfishing
friends we try and travel as far as we can
on the weather windows that line up with
work and commitments.
And sometimes when it doesn’t and the
weather is not that good we go anyway!
My favourite fish to hunt is spanish
mackerel.
In future articles I will detail the
techniques and methods we use to
successfully target spaniards, along with
some of WA’s other iconic fish.
My spearing trips are normally to the
northern part of the state, particularly in
the cooler months.
Winter is prime time to visit these
areas and at the time of writing I had just
returned from Shark Bay, a place I cannot
wait to get back to.
Now that you know a little about me and
my spearfishing journey, I look forward to
sharing a whole lot more of my expertise
in future columns.
If there are any topics or questions
that Western Angler readers would like
discussed, please email sales@spearwest.
com.au and I will try to tackle these in
future columns.
l Mike Kane is a co-owner of Spearwest, a locally
owned and operated store in Osborne Park. Mike
regularly dives the North west out of his Tidal 24
and enjoys island trips between the Abrolhos and
Montebello Islands.
Phone 0411 063 351
2/1 Baden St, Osborne Park
www.spearwest.com.au
108 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

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JUNIOR ANGLERS COMPETITION JARRAH’S

S
CHHIM
AM AN
PIO O
FIRST N
MACKIE
MY family and
I were trolling a
Halco Laser Pro
at the Muiron
Islands, off
Exmouth. The
lure was liquid
lime in colour,
our all-time
favourite, and
had brand new
single hooks on
it. We had been
trolling for a
while and I was
LYRIC’S SURPRISE about to give up
ONE weekend my dad, brother and I went fishing out of when I heard a
Bunbury in our tinnie. We were using squid for bait and faint zzzzzzzzz
were around two kilometres offshore. We had been out and the rod tip
for about an hour or so when I felt a hit from something. It was shaking
kept biting, but it took about seven tries to hook it because ferociously as the fish ran with such speed and power. I
I was using 6/0 circle hooks which would usually be too yelled “we are on” but as Mum and Dad couldn’t hear the
big for a fish like a king george whiting. There was not reel they didn’t believe me! Eventually they looked up at
enough head-shakes for it to be snapper and it wasn’t the shaking rod and slowed the boat as I started winding,
fighting hard enough to be a dhufish. I was really surprised just hoping that the fish would stay connected to the lure.
to see it was a KG when I pulled it into the boat. And even As the fish got closer I got a glimpse of silver and blue and
more surprised when it measured 53cm, my PB whiting by then I saw the fish. It was a mackie and while it wasn’t a
far! My mum made us fish tacos that night, they are my monster it put up a great fight. I was using 23kg braid and
favourite, so it was a good day. it was my first mackie!
Lyric Mather (8), BUNBURY Jarrah Blankenstein (11), EXMOUTH

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Good luck and good fishing.
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From next page.
We didn’t catch anything
during the brief troll we did
there at the time but it was
definitely put in the memory
banks to explore at a later time.
And two weeks later, as the
weather warmed up, that place
switched on.
Multiple spanish mackerel
and a heap of yellowfin tuna
– not all big ones but at least
half a dozen around the 20-kilo
mark.
If you’ve never hooked a
yellowfin that size in shallow
water let me assure you they
go hard and fast and, unlike a
spaniard, they keep going long
after you’d think they’d have
given up.
Again, all off Perth and in
an area I’m sure many people
were driving past most days for
bigger and better things.
That location ended up
shutting down as winter hit
and the bait dispersed.
But it wasn’t where the metro
yellowfin story ended for us.
I’m very lucky to be mates
with some very keen and very
savvy anglers and it wasn’t long
before one of them discovered
another place where even more
yellowfin were hanging out.
It was in an entirely different
sort of place too, so that just
makes me think that these mid-
sized yellowfin really were
everywhere this year.
Which is rather weird because
I heard very few reports about
them outside my own circle
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 113
n Some of the stomach
contents of the yellowfin
tuna being caught this year
were rather strange.
of mates. In this day and age
of social media glory maybe
people are wising up that it’s
sometimes best to just keep
your mouth shut.
I’m talking about it here only
because at this point those l Jamie Chester is an experienced angler and has a
fish are unlikely to be there science degree from the University of WA, majoring in
anymore.
marine biology and zoology. He has written many features
and columns for WAngler.
But next summer they
hopefully, will turn up again.
If you find some bait next
time you are out then putting
in some time pulling lures
through the area may just bring
you some metro yellowfin tuna
action.
It certainly worked for us
this year.
Even if the area is not one
where you would expect them
to be.
They pull hard and one fish
will feed you and your family
for quite some time.
You can’t cook them the same
as you would white-fleshed
fish but elsewhere in the world,
such as Hawaii, they are a
staple table fish.
As long as they are chilled
immediately they come up a
treat.
And, sure, they are still not
the sickle-finned giants that
used to be far more common
but they grow quickly and the
presence of 20-kilo fish is a
nice sign for the future.
Especially given the fact that
we are soon, most likely, going
to be far more restricted in our
demersal fishing activities.
114 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

Metro yellowfin are an unexpected find

BACK LASH

with Jamie Chester

OMETHING I’ve often considered

S writing a column about is why it is

we don’t see yellowfin tuna in metro
waters anymore.
I mean they’ve still turned up occasionally
over the last 15 years but not in the same
numbers or with the same frequency that
they used to be encountered.
I remember in the ‘90s, when ‘cubing’
was a thing, that some of my mates
consistently caught them at certain spots
– to the extent that they would actively
target them. Big ones up to about 40 kilos
were not uncommon.
My mate Chris Zencich did a lot of
marlin trolling behind Rottnest Island in
those years and consistently caught them
out wide on lures too.
And it hasn’t just been a metro thing
either. The big sickle-finned beasts that
would hang around ‘secret’ spots in Shark
Bay or that would climb on marlin lures
at the Abrolhos have become conspicuous
by their absence.
But then I realised that the story was
probably quite simple. The big species
of tuna have been so heavily fished
commercially on a global scale that of
course they aren’t around in the same
numbers anymore.
That’s the sad reality of it. Perth was
probably never a particular hotspot for
them but there were just more of them
around everywhere and, with the numbers
so thinned out, they were simply not
turning up here anymore. But this year
this seems to have changed.
I’ve heard of and seen more yellowfin
tuna caught metro in the past six months
than I have in the previous decade.
I actually may have seen the first signs
of this a couple of years ago when a mate
trolled up several off Scarborough.
They weren’t big ones (maybe five
kilos) and it wasn’t anything too unusual
really. He was actually out there because
I’d caught a few spanish mackerel in the
area so those little yellowfin were just a
consolation prize, albeit a good one by
metro standards.
But from the start of 2022 things seemed
to kick off in regards to the presence of
yellowfin tuna off Perth.
It started at the beginning of the year
when another mate got some intel from
one of his mates that they had encountered
big schools of yellowfin to around 20 kilos
out wide while trolling for marlin.
They were considered a bit of a nuisance
at the time as they kept hitting the big
skirts so frequently that they had to move
away from them.
My mate, of course, thought that that
was the sort of nuisance he would like to
have in his life, so on the next fine day he
headed out to the mark and, in one of those
rare examples of a plan actually coming
together, had a great day out wide catching
a number of them.
It culminated with him getting one on a
n While not exactly the sickle-
finned beasts of yore, many of
the fish encountered this year
were very respectable 20-kilo
specimens.
cast stickbait in a crashing surface strike
and when he rang me that night he was
legitimately stoked.
Strangely enough when he cleaned the
fish they were full of tiny pufferfish and
leatherjackets.
Elsewhere in the world 20-kilo yellowfin
are nothing too special, but I guess we are
very starved for pelagics off Perth so a day
like that is one to remember.
But it was a long way offshore so it
wasn’t exactly a convenient trip, and
besides, yellowfin tuna can move a long
way very quickly and it wasn’t somewhere
you’d like to go just to find they weren’t
there anymore.
But then one afternoon a few weeks later
we came across some big bait schools
while snapper fishing in only 15 metres of
water and there was something very fishy
about the area.
Continued on previous page
WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022 115
116 WESTERN ANGLER SPRING 2022

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