YAK FISHER MAGAZINE #53 (AUTUMN EDITION)

Issue #52 summer edition of Sport Fishing Australia (Incorporating YAK Fisher) is out in stores now, just in time for the onset of seasonal change. The Sport Fishing Australia section features many top articles from seasoned sport fishing journalists such as Jason Metcalf, Shane Mensforth, Brent Hodges, Roderick Walmsley, Nigel Webster, Lee Brake, Daniel Kent just to name a few.

YAK Fisher Kayaking Magazine has Yak news, Tournament results, dedicated Kayak test rundowns and also features many articles by industry stalwarts covering new products / innovations / gear reviews. The summer Issue includes 1770, Surf Launching & Beaching, DIY Getting Noticed, Offshore Game Fishing, Yak reviews, Sterling Silver and much, much more.

Available at all good newsagents or by subscription,

http://www.afn.com.au/cms/details.asp?NewsID=114

DAIWA-HOBIE ABT RND 8 FORSTER REPORT

After a FFC hiatus in 2010, the Forster round of the Daiwa-Hobie ABT series (Along with the Minn Kota Mega Bream) were again recognised as the two forefront and opening tournaments of the returning Forster Fishing Carnival. With a massive marquee providing a backdrop for the various area of the fishing competition, including the ABT weigh in stage, the scene was more than adequately set for a great kayak fishing tournament round. With support from companies/brands like Berkley and the products and cash prizes available to triumphant anglers the stakes were high (And the oyster racks nigh!).

The turnout was as expected quite high with 55 anglers assembling there tournament kit on the shores of the marina. The early morning shotgun start was delayed slightly due to the prevailing light but once underway was a sight to behold. Stories of a tough pre fish governed either a change in direction or a steadfast approach. With game plans and nous at the ready, beginning the search for a spirited bag of Bream would take many deep into the realms of Wallis lake and the system proper.

Many elements seemed to be against us from the start, mainly the tidal influence and the raging currents. Being a netted system and with the event run on a low tide during our scheduled tournament times made the going a little tougher, rendering many previously visited flats low on water and some virtually unfishable. The same can't be said for the many racks that abound though, Bream filled these tackle destructive underwater voids and ventured out only if the presentation was just right.

Being a combined bag two day event the pressure was on to perform straight off the bat, by the end of day one almost half the field failed to secure a legal tip length Bream (25cm to the tip measurement). Many undersize Bream were reported, termed 'Squeakers' these fish were in abundance and plagued the flats along with the racks. Day two brought windier conditions making drifting the racks in some areas a hull scratching affair. Some anglers told of losing multiple lures to racks and underwater obstacles whilst others had dream runs that shot them up the leader board.

Ian Seeto switched from boat to kayak and took out the $100 Boss Hogg with a 850gm Bream. Detailing the top three, In third place was previous winner Stewart Dunn with 6/2.57kg ($400, Atomic Pack). Jason Meech took a well deserved second with 6/2.61kg ($600, Berkley Pack). Luke Kay took 6/2.73kg and walked away a thousand dollars richer ($1100, Daiwa Pack), taking first place and the event win.. Courtesy of Hobie every entrant that didn't feature in the top three went into the draw to win a brand new Hobie Outback. Bill Woods was announced as a worthy recipient and cheers rang out throughout the tent, Bill is a regular on the kayak tournament scene and rarely fails to make an appearance.

1 Luke Kay Kayak 3 1.51 3 1.22 6 2.73 $1,100
2 Jason Meech Kayak 3 1.42 3 1.19 6 2.61 $600
3 Stewart Dunn Kayak 3 1.4 3 1.17 6 2.57 $400
4 Dave Hedge Kayak 3 1.38 3 1.05 6 2.43 $300
5 Nicholas Meredith Kayak 3 1.38 3 1.02 6 2.4 $250
6 Jason Lambert Pro 3 1.06 3 1.25 6 2.31 $200
7 Chris Burbidge Kayak 3 1.2 3 1.04 6 2.24 $175
8 Ian Seeto Kayak 2 0.66 3 1.51 0.85 5 2.17 $150 + $100 Boss Hog (0.85kg)
9 Greg Lewis Kayak 3 1.16 2 0.91 5 2.07 $150
10 Bob Boss Kayak 3 1.12 3 0.88 6 2 $100

For the events full tournament results and wrap up, please click here.

From a personal point of view I found the fishing extremely tough going over the two days. I lost count of how many 'Squeakers' I nailed, light gear and the pulling weight of a foul hooked Bream had me thinking I was out of the donut van on more than one occasion. Being confident fishing cockle bed flats my spot of choice failed to produce during my pre fish but I dropped a legal or two. Venturing back on day one found the opposing flats firing with an hour to go, not enough time to stick around and make the most of it. Day two I searched unfamiliar water in search of similar flats and ended up returning, dropping a good Bream and failing to rid some sort of Flathead curse.

It's the experience you gain on the water that makes you a better fisherman off the water, be that a favourable result or not. Money just can't buy that sort of stuff, even if you spend hundreds on tackle and don't get to test it. It was my fourth visit to Forster and it basically mirrored my previous efforts, still I will return (With more newfound respect). A great waterway, a great tournament and all round a great weekend fishing with friends. Congratulations to the winners and also well done to the visiting Canadian Tim Allard for weighing in a fish in his first Bream tournament in Australia.

Bring on those giant Marlo Blacks...

DAIWA-HOBIE ABT RND 8 FORSTER 12-13/3/11

March signals the return to the paddocks, the big bruisers and the fast tidal sweep. The Forster ABT event will be run on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th, a combined tournament bag of 6kg+ over two days is more than possible (1kg Bream on tap). It will not matter if you fish racks, edge bites, flats, drop offs or other system structure the chance of tangling with an epic fish and shooting up the leaderboard is yours for the taking, all you have to do is enter. An event that has to be seen to be belived, can we top a record field of 57? (Set at Bemm River 2011).

• March
  12-13th R8- Forster 3 GF spots 2 Day Event
  26-27th R9- Albany (WA ST) 5 GF spots 2 Day Event
  
  
• April
  2-3rd R10- Marlo ( VIC ST) 5 GF spots 2 Day Event
  
  
• May
  8th R11- Clarence 3 GF spots 1 Day Event – Sunday
  
  
• June
  11-12th R12- Narrabeen Lakes 3 GF spots 2 Day Event
  
  
• July
  2-3rd R13- Redcliffe (QLD ST) 5 GF spots 2 Day Event
  
  
• August
  13-14th R14- St Georges Basin (NSW ST) 5 GF spots 2 Day Event
  
  
• September
  17-18th R15- Westlakes 3 GF spots 2 Day Event
  
  
• October
  29-30th Hobie GF (Port Macquarie) 2 Day Event
  

For more information, please click here

SQUIDGY SOUTHERN BREAM SERIES - ROUND TWO

A win and two donuts, better than we predicted...

The Clyde River round of the 2011 SSBS tournament series was held on Sunday the 27th February in mixed conditions. The weather was quite surreal as it changed from rainy and overcast to muggy and hot, far from the predicted 30 degrees a local assured me of (Yes Moi Moi, you). Another great field turned out with numerous boats and 20 kayakers, all ready to take on the stubbornness that only Nelligen’s fishery could produce. I had some demons that needed exorcising here and promised myself I wouldn’t rest till it was all said and buried. There is never a clear winner at the Clyde round, just scrappers and bleeders battling it out on a very level playing field.

Before I go any further I must say that as a system I detest this place, it’s not that its a bad location (Far from it) for a tournament it’s just my general fishing experiences here have been rather poor. It’s a very up and down system and it should be noted that many moons ago it was an ABT fishing arena but was removed from their calendars due to its poor bag limit showing (Guessing that last part). The facilities in the area are great, the township of Nelligen quite pleasant, the bloody Jewfish iconic but when it comes to Bream fishing the Nelligen end just plain bites. Can you tell that I got served up a big fat donut at this round, making it a hat trick at this venue and putting me well on the way to half a dozen Krispy Kremes? (Or do I need more passion?). Just remember though, I’m not suggesting the SSBS follow the ABT lead here... Not at all.

Thankfully it was fun day on the water but the exercise in both my legs and patience were probably overextended. Met a few new people and caught up with ‘The Massive’ crew out in full force, minus master Patwah. Good old Craig Coughlan took out the Nelligen round (Well deserved) followed by Andrew Death and Rob Chambers. Stu somehow managed a fish on his way back to the beach while both Jason and I shared similar stories of lost fish and bloody Estuary Perch. More than once I had my ‘Pants pulled down’ by finicky Bream that would hit hard, even returning to nip and run (Brand new lure, straight out the pack). For some reason I just couldn’t find a hook set all day, the only patch of Bream I could of possibly managed a fish from was right near the end of a 18km round trip from start to finish (Lessons learned, don’t explore and stick with what you know).

My example of the day comes from a wayward cast into an elongated snag pile in a foot of water. As the lure sailed over a branch miles to high off the water it tea bagged into the drink and was hit hard on a light drag. All I could mutter was ‘Oh no’ as this Bream took my Khamsin deeper into the tree, swimming under branches and by now lying on its side. My braid resembled a spider’s web and just as I positioned the kayak in a way that would allow some kind of lateral thinking on how to reclaim at least some of the braid back the Bream swam out past me. With no pressure on I quickly gathered up my now limp line and peered in the water, great its a bream and legal too.

I reached for the net and noticed my Nitro rod bent in half stuck in-between the rear rod holder and a rather large tree branch. Expecting two snaps now I somehow managed to free my rod from its barky grip and returned my attention to this trouble causing bastard fish, which in the end simply smiled, opened its mouth and swam away. It didn’t change my day as I was sincerely humbled by this fish (And that’s an understatement) and was feeling both ends of the spectrum (Devastated and delighted). On one hand it would have been an average start to compiling a bag (By legal I mean maybe 28cm tip?) and I blew it, but on the other it was still early enough to do something about it. Oh Big Island must be just around that corner, perhaps I will just meander a couple more kilometres along the banks and hope to god the tide stops ripping through... Oh dear oh dear.

My original life plan for February was take a trip to Tasmania, catch up with Claire’s family and fish the St. Helens round of the ABT. As I drove home I pondered their leader board and felt quite jealous of the blue nosed bruisers that they had to of been catching. One could only imagine that these two events, in different locations (On the same day) would bring about such strikingly similar results. Congratulations to the Basin Lure and Fly crew for another great round. Great result again Craig and congratulations for taking out a round close to home; good to see you back on a kayak and doing so well.

For full tournament results, please click here.

LIBERALS/NATIONAL COALITION FISHING POLICY

The Liberals/Nationals coalition have released their policy on Marine Parks and Recreational Fishing, in the lead up to the NSW state elections on 26 March 2011.

You can read the policy at http://nsw.nationals.org.au/images/stories/pdf/marine%20parks%20policy.pdf

In the latest newsletter from Fishing World (http://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/coalition-fisheries-plan-reveals-commonsense-policy), Fisheries shadow minister Duncan Gay is said to have promised that the coalition will re-form a stand-alone fisheries department and add a parliamentary secretary to look after the recreational fisheries sector, invest more money in commercial buy-outs and form advisory committees with elected rather than appointed angler representatives.

According to the policy, the coalition will:

• Maintain the existing six marine parks and a moratorium on the creation of new marine parks and fishing closures, pending the outcome of an independent scientific audit.
  
• Subject to the results of the scientific independent audit; expand the current Habitat Protection Zones within existing marine parks.
  
• Commit to removing pressure on fish stocks and marine environment through a $16 million, 4-year commitment for a commercial fisherman buyout policy. We will continue our commitment for a voluntary buy out of commercial fishers where it represents the most appropriate means of reducing excessive pressure on the natural environment subject to the wise and sustainable supply of seafood to consumers.
  
• Ensure the conservation needs of the grey nurse shark are met well into the future.
  
• Implement recovery/preventative measures for any identified problems or potential threats including initiatives like seasonal closures, gear restrictions, tougher bag limits where needed and/or protection zones for identified species.
  
• Immediately commission an independent scientific audit of the effectiveness of existing zoning arrangements in meeting domestic and international commitments to the conservation of marine biodiversity.
  

As part of the scientific audit we will initiate a comprehensive trial of environmentally friendly recreational fishing techniques in areas under review. We will address the problem of aggregation of fishing effort caused by Labor's current zoning arrangements within marine parks. The audit will examine which lead agency (Fisheries or the Department of Environment and Climate Change) is the most appropriate to manage Marine Parks. Local Community Social and Economic Impact Statements will include the audit into the design/effectiveness of Marine Parks.

Follow the scientific audit with site and species specific assessments of local environments to identify real and/or perceived threats from fishing and other sources. Ensure that the NSW Liberals & Nationals Marine Parks Policy will be in accord with future fisheries reforms and greater integration with urban planning, including issues surrounding agricultural land use and water run-off from urban areas. Create a new joint Recreational and Commercial Fishing Advisory Committee including stakeholders from the fishing industries.

Part of the NSW Liberals & Nationals action plan is to restore accountability to government by giving people a say on issues that affect their lives. A NSW Liberals & Nationals Government would audit the current management of NSW Fishing Trust funds, including the process by which trust funds are allocated, in order to ensure this money is being used in the most effective and appropriate manner and the process of allocating funds is a democratic one.

Improve the awareness of anglers of zoning arrangements so fines are not handed out to unsuspecting people drifting into restricted areas. This may include simplifying zoning arrangements and better markings of restricted areas. Review the current system of inspection by Fisheries compliance staff with a view to improving the NSW Government’s commitment to greater public compliance with rules and regulations governing sustainable conservation of aquatic systems.

Shooters and Fishers Party announce position statements:
The Shooters and Fishers Party has released four Position Statement and Action Plans on its website http://www.shootersandfishers.org.au/.

Titled ‘Safeguarding the Environment’, ‘Natural Resources’, ‘Fair Recreational Access’ and ‘Society and Service Delivery’, the papers cover many issues related to recreational fisheries management, regulation and access and includes points:

We will encourage the new Government to immediately legislate to create a Statutory Authority for recreational fishers. We will aim to have the Government establish a single authority responsible for management of fisheries and marine parks. Merging Fisheries NSW and Marine Parks as one Authority – Fisheries NSW, to eliminate conflict and improve customer service for rec. fishers in this state.

We will strive to open Marine Parks to sustainable recreational fishing, using evidence based management programs. We will pursue ongoing Government funding of recreational fishing advisory bodies. We will work to improve recreational fishing opportunities, through the implementation of sustainable utilisation programs, such as catch-and-release, and breed-and-release programs for Native Fish Species.

We recognise the impact that invasive species like European Carp have on our inland native fisheries and we commit to implementing a carp bow-fishing program through Game Council NSW to help reduce the impact of this pest on our native fish species. We will ensure the important work done by the Gaden and Ebor trout hatcheries receives on-going funding so that they can continue to provide trout fishing opportunities in NSW.

Recreational fishing can at times be associated with risk to personal safety. We will establish on-going funding of community fishing safety education programs and expansion of the 'Angel Rings' placement program at key areas along the NSW coastline. We will ensure that Government maintains proper public access to all inland and estuarine waters for the benefit of recreational fishers. We know it is important to have safe, good quality boating facilities. That is why will advocate for more and improved boat ramp facilities, across NSW.

(Excerpts taken from http://www.freshwateranglers.com.au/)