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EVERY now and then I come across a boat with a fit and finish so fine it’s akin to a luxury car. This was exactly the case when I hit Moreton Bay in the McLay 651 CrossXover Hardtop, which is interesting as this boat is marketed as a hard-core fishing weapon. Leading up to this boat test, McLay’s reputation for …

WINTER has well and truly kicked in, with cold mornings and nippy wind, but it has been a pretty successful cold season so far, with plenty of fish caught inshore, offshore and in fresh water. Offshore anglers who fish light are enjoying good snapper fishing on small drop-offs using 3”-4” soft plastics on light 1/6oz and 1/4oz jig heads, which …

SATELLITE technology will be used to help protect Queensland’s fishing industry under final vessel tracking guidelines released recently. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said vessel tracking would provide critical information to assist with on-water compliance, validating logbook data to improve the accuracy of information and assist with monitoring the sustainability of fish stocks. “The new Vessel …

A CLONTARF recreational fisher who sold crabs unlawfully has been convicted and fined $12,000 in the Redcliffe Magistrates’ Court. During sentencing, the Magistrate commented that the offending was commercially motivated and had a detrimental effect on recreational and commercial fishers. Referring to the fisher’s history of fisheries offences, the Magistrate said the court penalty should send a clear message to …

FISHING restrictions are in place around all prawn farms in the Logan River region. Because fishing near these farms could introduce serious diseases, line fishing is prohibited within 100m of prawn farm water intake and outlet channels and all fishing is prohibited in drainage channels surrounding these prawn farms. Crab pots, cast nets and yabby pumps can be used in …

THE Atomic Hardz range is one of the most comprehensive hard-body lure line-ups ever developed. It began with the Crank 38, which quickly became the go-to lure for estuary anglers chasing bream and flathead. From there the range rapidly expanded to include multiple models such as the Shiner in both barra and bass lure sizes. Today there are over 28 …

THE land-based longtail tuna and mackerel season came to a grinding halt mid-May after a couple of days of howling westerly wind followed by large 3-4m swells that lasted for several days. Sure, you may still be in with a chance of a land-based longtail tuna off the walls and headlands during June, however I would take a good supply …

BUSH ‘n Beach has brought Nautilus Marine Insurance on board to expand the fine print and provide readers with clear, easy-to-understand and helpful tips on protecting their boating assets. The scenario In a previous column, we explained how you could be entitled to claim a rebate on your boat insurance premium if you advised your insurer in advance that you …

SEA-TAGS wristbands are man overboard alarm systems that continuously send a signal to smartphones equipped with it’s own app. When a Sea-Tags device is submerged in water, the communication is lost and all smartphones currently monitoring the wristband will trigger an alarm and save the GPS position at the time of the incident. It is also possible to configure the …

A MACKAY recreational fisher was fined $4000 for possessing 15 excess spanish mackerel and $1500 for obstructing a Fisheries officer, with the fish being forfeited to the State. On August 1, 2017 QBFP officers conducted a patrol at the Mackay Marina where they inspected a recreational fishing vessel with three people on board. The vessel’s owner was deemed to be …