Species

Barra season is back

barra

It was a long three months, though I’m pleased to announce that the wait is finally over. As of February 1, you can legally catch a saltwater barra and keep it, if you wish. Seeing as it’s the reopening of barra season, we will look through some tips and techniques to get a few more of those chrome superstars on …

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Year-round guide for jewfish

jewies

Back in January 1992, I was competing in a fishing competition held at Brunswick Heads. jewfish After the final weigh-in, a tall soft-spoken man by the name of Ron Collins approached me and asked if I would be interested in writing a monthly column about the fishing activity on the far north coast of NSW for his fishing paper, an …

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Top tips to catch fish in Tin Can Bay

fish

G’day crew – happy new year and hello 2025, let’s hope it’s a good one for everyone. fish I hope you had a lovely Christmas and were able to spend a bunch of time with the people who mean the most to you over the break. Now, I missed the January issue because we were so flat out with the …

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Superb Stradbroke Island sortie

Island

Many fishos dream of having a trip of camping, fishing, crabbing and perhaps enjoying a beverage. Well, after many years of trying to align a trip with my two closest friends, it finally happened. While it was originally going to be only three of us, it quickly turned to five, with a friend’s brother coming along and another friend wanting …

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Bass fishing in summer

bass

The warm weather is upon us and for a lot of anglers this signals the heating up of the Australian bass bite, along with quality by-catch species including golden perch and saratoga. For many, the holiday period also creates the opportunity to explore new waterways, the chance to target bass for the first time or perhaps land a new personal …

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Snapper tagging insights in NSW

tagging

Did you know snapper is now on the recommended species list for the Game Fish Tagging Program? They even have a special tag type designed just for their unique body shape! To qualify for tagging, snapper must measure over 60cm total length. Since 2014, recreational anglers along the NSW east coast have tagged over 1,850 snapper, with 115 recaptures reported …

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2024 Gold Coast Flathead Classic a reel success

Flathead

The 2024 Gold Coast Flathead Classic reeled in a fantastic few days of fishing, fun and fierce competition, all blessed by near-perfect weather. Anglers hit the water with enthusiasm and, as the final day wrapped up, the weather held long enough for a full day of fishing and an exciting evening of presentations before a dramatic turn, with wind and …

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What we can do about shark numbers in Queensland

shark

Recent news items indicate that Australia has one of the highest numbers of shark attacks in the world. Environmentalists however state that sharks are endangered in Australian waters. These two statements are, to a large extent, contradictory. How can we have one of the highest number of attacks with so few sharks? One explanation is that the statement that sharks …

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Guide to catching red emperor

red emperor

Well, it’s been a bit of a wait but we are finally getting some of the very nice weather patterns that winter is known for. Unfortunately, between work and family commitments, I haven’t had the opportunity to head wide for a proper offshore mission, but the boat is set up and ready for when the chance does pop its head …

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Tailor time on beaches

tailor

A cold westerly wind, chilly mornings and evenings and long rods lined up along the beach signal my favourite time of year. It’s peak beach-fishing time in Queensland off the open surf beaches from Tweed Heads to K’gari. For beginners to experienced anglers, tailor are a popular species for a multitude of reasons. Including that they are can be found …

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