Fish Species Guide

ABOUT nine years ago while fishing for tuna out on the Iluka breakwall, my youngest son Mischa and I met a bloke by the name of Ted McLean, who had just moved from Victoria to Ashby (a small village west of Iluka) with his lovely partner Lexie. During that first meeting I was naturally guarded about where the best spots to fish …

SINCE their first-hand carved 80mm timber Boomerang lures were revealed to the angling world 37 years ago, the team at Predatek (formerly Downunder) Lures has earned an enviable reputation for developing outstandingly effective lure designs. During the industry-wide sales slump of the initial Covid lockdowns in early 2020, the design team used this downtime wisely and turned their skills to …

A WEEKEND with a good weather window is rare these days to say the least, and with Bernie putting out the feelers to see if anyone was fishing out of Rainbow, a plan was put in place to make it happen. Pete and Zac Rimmer, with deckie Ian, were taking Dilligaf up, so Helaine and commodore Rob jumped on with …

THE winter months in The Great Sandy Strait produces some nice arrow squid. Targeting arrows is a great way to enjoy a day on the water with the family and an awesome way to put some food on the dinner table. This is a simple style of fishing – all you need is light gear such as a 7’ 2-4kg …

THE colder weather is here. Eventually flat seas arrived, and cooler water temperatures that ease the metabolism of the prowling sharks means much more relaxed fishing. We’re still losing a few fish to sharks, but it has well and truly dropped off. Surface feeding has dropped off too, so we turn our eyes deeper. With the use of modern electronics, …

AT this time of the year I probably should be saying get the flathead and snapper gear out but to tell you the truth it’s been a real mixed bag lately. So in saying that I’ve had to use pretty much every trick in the book to put my clients onto fish. This means that no matter whether we’ve been …

WITH the cooler waters the mackerel and tuna are almost gone, so methods will have to change, as these are no longer easy to find. This is the time where the main target species becomes the hard-hitting, head-thumping snapper. These fish certainly know how to fight, especially when they hit the 80cm mark, which ideally should be returned after a …

WITH the Cape’s wet season finishing abruptly after a last burst of heavy rain at the end of April, the southeast trade winds took over from the northerly flow and were soon pumping at 20 knots or better by mid-May. This time of year is known in the north as ‘the run-off’, signified by the typically tannin stained waters pushing …

JULY fishing on the Gold Coast features typical winter species including good flathead, big bream, arrow and tiger squid, tailor, flounder, tuskfish and snapper just to name a few. Live yabbies, whitebait, and vibe lures all work well. Last year we saw many school mackerel take up residence for two months in the Broadwater, so let’s hope history repeats. squid …

UNFORTUNATELY, or fortunately, Murray cod can be the fish of a thousand casts. Cracking a pattern without experience can be a tough thing to work out. This is where I hope to impart a bit of knowledge to make it a little easier, but I am by no means an expert. Like most anglers that chase these elusive fish, I …