Sean Thompson

Sean caught the fishing bug bad one very cold Canberra day 20 years ago when he was bored and picked up and read Angler's Almanac by the fireplace. Since then he has filled his mind with knowledge from fishing magazines, books, the internet, TAFE fishing courses, guiding fishing charters (estuaries, beach, bay and mountain lakes) and of course 'on water' experience. He and a group of mates formed a social fishing club and soon started to share what they learnt and caught online. Sean is the admin for Ontour Fishing Australia on Facebook, which is a page that shares information, reports and sponsor giveaways and welcomes all to the site. He plans to move into blogging on his new website when time allows.

Tailor time: new and old tailor rigs

Tailor Time

WHAT a relief. For a while there it didn’t look like we would be able to travel far from home at all and annual fishing expeditions to Fraser, Moreton and Stradbroke islands was under threat for many Queenslanders. Fortunately, that fear doesn’t look like it will be realised, provided we continue to keep this beast of a virus under control. So touch …

Read More »

Beach whiting tactics part two: technique and baits

beach whiting tactics fishing

IN all fishing styles it is often the small things we don’t realise we are doing wrong that cost us the most fish. This can all change when we learn from the good days on the water and think about why and how we got things right. Last month I covered what to do and not to do in relation …

Read More »

Beach whiting tactics part one: location and tackle

fishing beach whiting

DESPITE the generic name of summer whiting, I find March, April and May can be some of the best months to chase summer whiting on the beach, particularly on the Sunshine Coast and further north. While catching whiting from the beach can be relatively simple at times, anglers using the right bait, tackle and techniques will be the ones who …

Read More »

Bli Bli Barra Park – challenging and fun

bli bli barra park

FOR many years, my impression of the Bli Bli Barra Park, based simply on some false assumptions, was it was another ‘fish farm’ where the fish would just jump on the hooks. Where was the challenge and fun in that, I thought. I’d heard that about a barra farm up north where you can keep the fish you catch, so …

Read More »

Guide to catching prawns and crabs on foot

prawns and crabs on foot moreton bay

IT is that time again – time to hunt prawns and mud crabs. Nothing new about that over summertime, but this is prawning and crabbing with a difference – from the shore in Brisbane’s Moreton Bay. For our NSW readers, you would be familiar with the favourite summer pastime of chasing greasyback, eastern king and tiger prawns in the estuaries. …

Read More »

Safe boating essentials

boating essentials

GETTING out on the water in your own boat is one of life’s simple pleasures. It can be very pleasant on calm days and is even more enjoyable when you bring home a nice catch of fish. In some families, boating knowledge is passed down through the generations and as a result some young boaters are well prepared when they …

Read More »

4WDing and fishing tips for Fraser Island

tips for Fraser

REGULAR readers know I’m a frequent visitor to Fraser Island (K’gari) so this month I thought I would share a few tips for Fraser Island to get the most out of your stay, be it four-wheel-driving, fishing or sightseeing. 4WD tips First things first: you need a 4WD if you plan to get around the island. It is possible to …

Read More »

Techniques for wading the flats

wading

ESTUARY flats are top fishing locations for everyone from the beginner to the expert. Estuary flats can be defined as anything from exposed to semi-exposed low tide sand flats in rivers and creeks to exposed tidal flats on the calm or western sides of Queensland’s big sand islands. Structure Not all exposed sand or tidal flats attract good numbers of …

Read More »

Watersnake Shadow MK II electric motor review

watersnake shadow mk ii electric motor review

FISHING results, as many of us have come to appreciate, do not just depend on the luck of the draw. One key piece of equipment that can really change your results is an electric motor as a secondary motor on your boat or a stand-alone motor for your kayak. Recently I was fortunate enough to take ownership of a Watersnake …

Read More »

A beginner’s guide to catching black marlin

catching black marlin gold coast

Luckily though, a change in wind direction to the south had virtually overnight pushed the warmer, blue water back in. How, you might ask? In very simple terms, persistent northeasterlies move large amounts of warmer surface water towards the beach. This water then gets pushed or sucked back out to the left (in the southern hemisphere) and out to sea. …

Read More »