All-NEW 4.3-inch fishfinder/chartplotter now with Hybrid Dual Imaging™ that combines Broadband Sounder™ with DownScan Imaging™ technology, built-in GPS antenna and support for high-definition mapping.
Bream (includes all bream species + tarwhine)
Sponsor: Daiwa
Prize: $320 prize pack containing the following items:
Deck yourself out in lightweight, soft and comfortable UPF 50 broad-spectrum sun protective fishing apparel. Bigfish shirts, hats, buffs & jumpers look and feel great and their range is completely designed, printed, manufactured and distributed in Australia.
Gummy Shark (includes both gummy and school sharks)
Sponsor: STA-BIL Marine and 303 Protectants and Cleaners
Prize: $356 prize pack containing the following items:
Golden/Silver Perch (includes both golden and silver perch)
Sponsor: Lower Murray Lure Fishing Club
Prize: $100 prize pack
The Lower Murray Lure Fishing Club is a not for profit Lure fishing association that encourages freshwater fishing for people of all ages. They have an emphasis on fishing education, safe boating and healthy competition as well as having a great respect for the river.
Squid (includes all squid species)
Sponsor: Bosch Blue Power Tools
Prize: >$100 Bosch Blue power tool selected at random
Whiting (includes all whiting except KGW)
Sponsor: Seamaster Fishing Supplies
Prize: $100 prize pack containing the following items:
Prizes: $6,000 in fishing prizes and loads of lucky angler draw prizes including a $4,000 Native Watercraft Kayak.
Description:
FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE COUNTRY CLUB (11th March)
Full briefing will occur at the Tuross Head Country Club at 8pm.
At this briefing, angler bags and Tournament shirts can be collected from 6-8pm.
Late entries may not receive their shirt until after the competition.
Several lucky angler draws will occur between 7–9pm.
The restaurant is open from 6pm, bookings are advisable or sausage sandwich type meals can be purchased down stairs in the briefing area. A Courtesy Bus will operate from 6 pm Friday, 4pm Saturday & 3pm Sunday. Please phone 4473 8186 to book the bus and/or reserve your table.
Angler Key Tags can be collected from the Boatshed Café from 6:30am onwards each morning (Coffee & Breakfast will be available for sale, at this time). These Tags must be produced when measuring a fish at any official station or clearly visible in the photograph on the brag mat supplied.
Angler Key Tags must be returned to the Boatshed Café no later than 10 minutes after the close of each day’s competition hours. Failure to do so will result in a 20% penalty per each 30 minutes late.
Fishing competition hours will be 7am–5pm Saturday and 7am–3pm Sunday.
Photographed fish can be verified and recorded on Saturday until 5pm at the Boatshed Café or 6pm at the Tuross Head Country Club, and Sunday until 3pm at the Boatshed Café or 3:30pm at the Tuross Head Country Club. Verification will close at 3:45pm sharp on Sunday at the Country Club.
Any flathead over 70cm and/or any bream over 40cm or a tagged fish caught must be measured, recorded & verified by a Tournament marshals. Once the fish is landed, call the marshals on 0417 280 580. No fish in this category will be measured 15 minutes after close of fishing. Any fish over this size, not sighted and measured by officials, will not be considered eligible.
Fish under these limits should be photographed clearly, showing overall length with Angler Key Tag on the brag mat supplied. Flathead are measured to the tip of the tail; bream are measured to the fork of the tail.
The boundaries for this event are the Tuross River and its tributaries. The eastern boundary is as detailed on the map supplied. Fishing outside this boundary will result in disqualification. Official competition measuring stations are boats on the lake, which will come to you once we receive your call. If mobile is not operable, proceed directly to the Boatshed Café, without causing undue stress to the fish. Dead fish will not be considered under any circumstances. Coila Lake is not included in the Tuross River system.
All fish must comply with NSW fishing regulations to be eligible for measuring.
Lure and fly fishing only. Bait & burley are NOT permitted. This is a catch & release tournament. All fish must be released in healthy condition to be eligible. It is the angler’s responsibility to ensure the survival of the fish. Again, dead fish are not eligible.
There are three main prize categories. Longest Flathead, Longest Bream and Longest Total Bag (4 fish = 2 flathead & 2 bream).
In the event of a tie for Longest Fish, the fish recorded at the earliest time will be the winner. This will be the time recorded by an official at the time of measuring.
In the event of a tie in the Longest Total Bag category, the person with the longest overall single fish will be the winner.
Biggest two flathead & biggest two bream is your target on both days. Maximum two fish of each species will be recorded for each entrant per day.
Tuross River system has various speed regulations. Please be aware of these rules and follow them accordingly. Maritime authorities are aware of the Tournament taking place and may be present over the duration of the competition. It is the responsibility of each competitor to hold a valid NSW Recreational Fishing Licence, if required. All NSW Maritime boating regulations must be adhered to.
ALL ENTRANTS must adhere to the new life jacket regulations. Be warned… Maritime officials will be present on the water.
The Competition Co-ordinator’s decision is final. All protests must be lodged to the committee one hour prior to the competition closing. Protests lodged after this will not be considered.
NOTE: The Boatshed Café will take phone orders, so your food is ready when you arrive at the deck. Menu is supplied in your Angler Bag. They also have a good range of tackle & marine products. Phone your orders through on 4473 8127.
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER AT THE TUROSS HEAD COUNTRY CLUB
Your entry fee includes The Competition Halfway Dinner at the Tuross Head Country Club starting at 6pm.
During the dinner, the halfway leader board will be up and running along with Fishing Club promotions & lucky angler draws. With cash and prizes up for grabs, we suggest all entrants be present for this draw. There will be other giveaways throughout the night, along with your chance to win some great prizes.
SUNDAY PRESENTATION AT THE COUNTRY CLUB BARBEQUE AREA
Presentation will be held at 4pm, downstairs in the BBQ area on Sunday afternoon roast beef / Lamb rolls will be on sale during presentation. All prizes will be awarded at this time, along with raffle and many giveaways.
We look forward to another great fishing weekend in Tuross Head. Happy Fishing!
On a recent trip to Western Australia’s south west I was lucky enough to experience one of those fish-of-a-lifetime encounters with a Giant Herring close to 1m in length.
It all started when I picked up my new kayak from Perth Airport the day before our trip down south. Some serious research went into choosing the right yak that would be suitable to a variety of conditions. The vessel not only needed to fit into my budget of less than $1,000 but it also needed to be a purpose-built fishing platform suitable to fishing a variety of Western Australia’s fresh and saltwater waterways as well as Perth’s inshore waters. After filtering through the various brands, shapes and models I had my heart set on the Dream Kayaks Angler’s Dream 3 which is a 4m Fishing Kayak that comes fully rigged with loads of extras. At the time of purchasing the guys at Dream Kayaks did not have a shop front where the kayaks could be viewed. The only way to get one was to purchase online and pick up from a warehouse at Perth International Airport, which seemed like a leap of faith at the time. This particular model really did tickle my fancy far more than anything else within my budget so I bit the bullet and got one. Needless to say I couldn’t be happier with my new rig that is comparable, if not better in my opinion, than kayaks twice the price.
After packing all of the camping gear into the 4×4 and strapping the yak to the roof, my wife, two golden retrievers and I hit the road and headed south. Our first destination was Walpole, a small town on the south coast of WA about 5 hours drive from Perth and an hour and a half drive west of Albany. The Walpole region is a renowned fishing hot spot that offers anglers two adjoining inlets to fish, Walpole inlet to the north and Nornalup inlet to the south. The town of Walpole itself is situated at the northern end of Walpole inlet. The two waterways are actually joined by a narrow neck of water about 1km long and 200m across. Considering we were booked to camp at the Rest Point Holiday Village on the western side of this neck of water it made sense to focus my fishing efforts in this narrow stretch of water for a couple of days.
The first session was an arvo session along the eastern edge of the neck, fishing the small rocky points adjacent to sand/gravel substrate. This trip was the maiden voyage in the new Angler’s Dream 3 and produced a few nice herring and undersized snapper on plastics. The yak was a pleasure to fish out of but unfortunately lure fishing was made difficult with the occurrence of snotty slime weed almost every cast no matter where you fished. Although I had managed about ten fish in a few hours it was certainly nothing to write home about and after chatting with a couple of other fishos in the camp ground I was starting to think the blanket covering of weed throughout the inlets was going to jeopardise the whole trip.
The next morning I ventured out just after first light for another session, this time along the western edge of the neck and down into the sand flats in the north west of Nornalup inlet. I spent the first couple of hours throwing Squidgy Wrigglers and Z-Man Grubs along the rocky edges and down along the sand flats in search of bream and Flathead. Both of these species seemed to be pretty well shut down but the plague proportions of undersized snapper and the occasional herring provided endless entertainment. At this point I was thirsty for some real action and was starting get over catching tiddlers. As I made my way back into the neck and towards the cap ground I came across some good gravelly ground adjacent to a rocky point on the western edge. Unlike everywhere else this patch of ground had little to no slimy snot weed. I decided to mix it up and start throwing hard bodies instead of plastics, and it became apparent that Jackall Chubbies were more than twice as effective than any plastic I had used that morning. Almost instantly I was getting hit left, right and center by juvenile King George Whiting and snapper, herring and a couple of bream. It was starting to get late In the morning, about 9:30am, and it was time to start heading back.
It was one of those occasions where you really wanted to stay but you knew you’d better leave otherwise you’d be in the dog house with the better half. Anyway I decided to push my luck and have a few more casts when SMACK! I finally came connected to a decent fish. It felt like a decent flatty and started to moving right and back towards the yak. Moments later as the fish rose to the surface I got a visual and could not believe what was unfolding – I was connected to a fish that I honestly never thought I would encounter – a Giant Herring, and a big one at that. The fish’s dorsal and tail fins broke the surface about 6-7m away from the yak and up until this point it was a pretty casual fight. However, things changed dramatically as soon as the fish saw the yak. The next 5 minutes or so entailed a series of excruciatingly fast runs that saw the poor little 1000 Shimano Rarenium Ci4 reel with only 4lb braid cop a serious flogging.
About 100m away there was a boat passing by, heading south towards Nornalup inlet. I gave a frantic wave signaling it to come over. All I could think of was that I needed a net to land this fish and this was my only chance to get one. After a quick briefing with the guy in the boat he was generous enough to pass me his landing net and sit back waiting until I landed the fish – what a legend. Over the next 10-15 minutes there were several moments where I thought the fish was going to spool me, but as luck would have it I was fishing from a kayak and was able to put just enough pressure on the fish to enable it to tow me around, gaining line at every chance. The fish showed relentlessness equivalent to that of a tuna or even more so. It just wouldn’t give up and every time it neared the yak it would tear off another 10-30m of line. After a total 20-minute battle I was able to slip the net under the speedster and get a close up look at it.
It truly was a magnificent looking fish and I can remember a distinct odor coming from its slimy flanks. By this stage the generous boatie and his two kids were pulled up alongside the kayak and were kind enough to take a few photos. I wish I had taken more time to admire the Giant Herring in all it’s glory, but my thoughts were focused on getting it back in the water as quick as possible. The fish was buggered from a drawn-out fight but after a quick swim it regained it’s energy and powered off to fight another day. At nearly 1m in length (it looks much smaller in the photos) it has to be up there with one of my most memorable captures and pound for pound one of the best fighting fish I’ve ever done battle with. Given the rarity and unpredictability of Giant Herring as a target species, and considering it was caught on 4lb Sunline braid and 6lb Yamamoto leader it’s fair to say that this was a true fish of a lifetime and a fish I’ll never forget.
Unfortunately this was to be my last session in Walpole for the trip. As it turns out the National Sparks and Wildfires unit thought it would be a good idea to begin back burning from the edge of the campground right throughout the National Park. The intense smoke and heavy traffic of fire trucks and support vehicles was a complete turn-off to our peaceful campsite. The owners of the park were furious considering it was peak holiday season and only 1 week before Christmas, but there was nothing they could do. We didn’t think too fondly of the situation so we decided to leave 4 days early and headed north to Busselton to continue our adventure.
At the time of writing this article my number of sessions in the Dream Kayaks Angler’s Dream 3 still remains relatively few. However I can honestly say from a fishing perspective it certainly lived up t all of my expectations. Previously I had fished from other quality yaks but the Angler’s Dream surpassed those as a fishing platform. It is very stable, has plenty of storage including a large rectangular compartment conveniently located between your legs, it has a sturdy and easy to use rudder system, ample rod storage, drainage bungs and a super comfy adjustable seat. Aside form that the blue camouflage colour I chose also makes it look like a serious fishos kayak. I did notice that Dream Kayaks have a stack of RailBlaza accessories available on their website. I’ve got my eye on a camera boom and kayak trolley for now but the list of gadgets to trick your yak is endless.
The new kayak and this latest adventure down south have certainly rekindled my passion for this style of fishing, so be sure to keep an eye out for future kayak fishing articles on the website!
Location:Tallowa Dam, NSW (located inland from Nowra)
Where: Tallowa Dam wall campsite
Entry Cost: $50
Description:
Return: 100% Return after costs Target Species: Australian Bass Bycatch Species: Carp Weigh in: Photo Catch Card Fishing Method: Lure & Fly Kayak: Any Kayak including tandem allowed, Peddle and Paddle only NO electric motors. Boat: No Boats Accomodation: Camping(Free)
GOLDEN BASS Sponsor: Compleat Angler and Camping World Nowra Golden Bass award $200 Gift Voucher BIG BASS SPONSOR: BASSMAN SPINNERBAITS $150 Prize BIGGEST CARP (KILL) Sponsor: Mixed sponsor Bag 1st: 50% + $200 SAX SCENT Prize 2nd: 20% + Sponsor 3rd: 15% + Sponsor 4th: 10% + $100 HARDCORE SPINNERBAITS Prize 5th: 5% + Sponsor
A massive thanks to everyone who competed in our December National, State and Kids Australian Fishing Tournaments and congratulations to everyone who won prizes!
As always there were some fantastic captures among the 250+ fish submitted and some new faces on the leaderboard at the end of the month which was great to see.
Over $12,000 in cash and prizes was awarded to the winners and the same is up for grabs again this month. The tournaments wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors, so we ask that next time you’re buying new gear make sure it’s from one of the brands seen featured in the images below.
If you still haven’t joined we invite you to get involved and start competing in this month’s tournaments. You can start competing any day of the month.
Where: Eden Amateur Fishing Club clubhouse, Quarantine Bay
Entry Cost: $40 Open, $20 Ladies, $5 Junior
Description:
Since 1979 the Eden Amateur Fishing Club Inc. has conducted a fishing competition in March commencing on the first Saturday of the month.
This competition has grown to where in 2016 it will be worth $40,000 in prizes and draws. Competitors from across Australia travel to the area to fish this great comp.
You may enter before or on any day of the comp at the EAFC clubhouse, Quarantine Bay between 7am and 7pm. Friday 6th there will be a briefing for all anglers commencing at 5.30pm – a free BBQ will be supplied. Competition commences at 6am on Saturday 7th March and ceases at 12 noon on Saturday 14th March.
Fish may be weighed in 3 hours after entering the competition. In the event of an equal weight fish, the first recorded fish will win the prize. Heaviest of each species listed, uncleaned, to be awarded the winning prize.
There is a free BBQ supplied prior to the presentations.
The competition is divided into 4 sections
OPEN – anyone may enter- entry fee $40. Major prize is a boat, trailer and motor package. 24 species are targeted with the top weight for each species receiving a $400 prize.
LADIES – only ladies may enter – entry fee $20. 16 species are targeted with the top weight in each species receiving a prize of $200.
BOYS and GIRLS SECTIONS – for children under 16 years of age – entry fee $5. 15 species targeted. All winners receive a trophy and a $50 voucher to be spent at Eden Outdoors and Marine.