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Young Jock Mac with a solid Golden perch that unexspectedly grabbed his lure.

One of the many joys associated with fishing comes from the unknown or surprise catches that happen along the way. On the Wakool last season my son Jock struggled some unknown beastie through several snags whilst fishing for golden perch. It was quite the surprise to see a long neck pop out from the murky water connected to a slime covered shell the size of a large dinner plate. Yep, it was a whopping great fresh water tortoise and its bedraggled appearance was only matched by its nauseous smell. 
In the ocean strange fishes and unknown beasties are common captures to those unfamiliar to these waters. Some of these are invited, like a large mulloway landed on light gear whilst fishing for whiting. Or like one lucky angler last season who hooked and landed a two meter long seven gilled shark  from the beach whilst fishing for salmon. These unexpected captures, while not all that common are welcomed with open arms.  However some are not so joyous as the ocean holds all sorts of innocent brightly coloured fishes, many of which are quite dangerous. Even the smallest fish can inflict serious pain to the unknowing angler. I remember fishing at Portland in southern Victoria when an angler fishing in thongs just up from me tried to place his foot on a wriggling fish to remove the hook. This is something you should not do with any fish, let alone a gurnard and before I could warn him he paid the painful price as one of its spikes pricked his toe. An hour later he had a foot the size of a football and a throbbing pain that wasn’t going to kill him but he wished it would.
Thankfully though, we do not have many surprises in our waters and those that turn up are generally quite harmless. On a recent trip chasing a few redfin my young bloke was once again fortunate enough to hook up to something of considerable size that this time was not a tortoise. Whilst casting his spinnerbait in a dam a thumping great golden perch took a liking to the lure and an epic battle followed as the large fish was fought to the bank. While it was not the fish he thought he might catch, it was a pleasant surprise and one his father is quite envious of. I guess sometimes fishing is a little like the lucky dip where you can never be sure what’s coming out next.

Bassman takes out one of the AFTA Trade Show awards.

Having recently been to the 2009 AFTA Trade Show at the Gold Coast, all I can say from an angling point of view is “wow.” A huge number of exhibitors showed off the latest trend in tackle and other fishing related products set to hit the stores in the coming months. In a three day exhibition that would leave your avid tackle rat drooling at the mouth, retailers were privy to inspect and get the full run down on everything from offshore game reels to small soft plastics and everything in between. The quality of our Australian made tackle speaks volumes with overseas interest from tackle giants like Japan suitably impressed with several new products. It’s amazing how well some of these smaller cottage industries have pushed Aussie ingenuity out into the angling world. Bassman, a commonly used spinnerbait in our local waters for Murray cod and Golden perch was just one to hit the big time and take out one of the prestigious AFTA trade show awards.

You really did need the full three days to inspect just a fraction of that available at any depth.  Around every corner lay new treasures, some with a different slant on last season’s hot products while others were totally new. A full array of rods from several leading companies were backed by the latest in spin and low profile baitcasters with Dave Hodge, Australia’s premier trick caster putting the new range of Quatam reels through their paces. In a freakish display he was able to hit cans and plastic bottles thrown mid flight with a casting plug. Soft plastics continue to have a huge influence on anglers and this was evident by the thousands of different makes and models hanging finely packed from the walls looking more like a confectionary shop than that of a tackle display. There seemed to be soft plastic treats for everything from Marlin to mullet with a vast array of different scents that included garlic and aniseed.    

 A few new angling essentials that we might see a bit more of in our general area were a range of upsized landing nets that would be suitable to deal with the largest of Murray cod. In testing we were able to lift a 75kg adult male in one of these nets with the only damage incurred being that of the lifters. There were also some very impressive large jointed shad styled lures that are sure to tempt the taste buds of our local cod and golden perch. And for those of us whose arms are no longer able to hold the newspaper far enough away to have a read, a great range of affordable bifocal sunglasses that cut the glare and make knot tying and reading just that little bit easier. The list of goodies goes on, but instead of me spoiling the surprise why not walk into your local  tackle shop and see what they have on order for the coming season? I can’t wait for next year’s show, it’s like being let loose in a giant tackle box full of fishing’s finest ideas. 

Situated between Kingston and the mouth of the Murray River is the Younghasband Peninsula. Part of the Coorong national park and wetlands system, as a tourist destination, this stretch of coastline has plenty to offer. Kingston itself is the home of the Big Lobster and has a thriving crayfish industry that is a major draw card for those of us that enjoy the culinary delights of a Cray or two. Kingston is a very popular destination for holidaymakers over the summer months and with all that’s on offer, it’s little wonder. With safe beaches, excellent fishing and plenty of history and culture, there is always something to see and do for the family. For the serious fisho however, other delights nearby include pristine white sandy beaches that provide vehicle access to some truly first class beach fishing. Yes, you heard right: Vehicle access. Once you leave the cotton wool state of Victoria you are actually allowed to commute with nature and driving on the beach opens up endless miles of opportunity to the avid surf fisho. Kingston is the gateway to some of the best surf fishing around and the opportunity to purvey the deep holes and gutters from the seat of a 4wd is indeed a luxury. This is especially true for those of us that are getting a little long in the tooth to be trudging through heavy sand, laden with all the gear required for a good session on the beach. As you leave Kingston towards Salt Creek, well-marked tracks along the Princes Highway provide access to the beach. The 28, 32 and 42-mile crossings are popular entry points as is the Tea Tree Crossing at Salt creek. Overnight camping is available along the beach, these areas are clearly marked with a post and number. You will require a permit to camp at these locations at a cost of four dollars a night. Permits are available at Kingston and a number of places including the Roadhouse at Salt Creek.  Bait and some fishing tackle is also available including hooks, sinkers and swivels. Available target species along this section of coastline are numerous, when you talk South Australia however; Mulloway and snapper are on the mind of most anglers. There’s something about these two quality fish that keep drawing you back repeatedly for that one moment of glory. With good captures of both taken throughout the season it’s little wonder it’s a popular destination, very few places can boast both species in good size and numbers. Sharks are also a common capture with plenty of bronze whalers turning up as the weather warms. 
Kingston is the gateway to the surf and the ideal spot from which to base that family holiday. With something for everyone it is a seaside retreat with plenty to see and do.
   
 

While there’s no doubt my kids love their fishing they also love time spent round the glow of a riverside campfire with their dad. There is much to talk about and just as importantly much to do. The chance to cook and eat a variety of food is a treat in itself. Be it toasting a few marshmallows over the naked flames or cooking a full blown camp oven, it’s a great learning experience and something that will be remembered latter in life. Enjoy these times and think ourselves lucky we have the opportunity to experience these kinds of things with our children first hand. And remember theres a lot more to fishing than simply catching fish.

 Away go the big lures and heavy artillery as the cod season is now officially closed until the 1st of December. For the next three months, the angling bug will have to be appeased targeting the rivers lesser giants like golden perch redfin and even the odd carp or two. Light spin tackle and smaller lures are best suited to this style of angling where sensitivity is most often the key to success.  As the weather warms, we can expect to see the river explode back to life. Shrimp will quickly multiply and smaller fish of all species will feed ravenously in the warming waters. Spring is a time of plenty for both angler and fish alike. Small cod will be amongst those on the chew and short of not fishing the river, it is near on impossible to avoid their attention at some stage. Bait anglers will have the most problems as these smaller scavengers inhale almost anything that fits in their gobs. All cod that swallow your baits, hooks included should have the line snipped close to the mouth before being released. Murray cod stand a far better chance of survival than those that are deep probed by all manner of hook removing devices. If these tools were tested on the manufacturers before being released onto the market you would be hard pressed to find one.    
We all understand that the next few months are the prime breeding season for Murray cod and I’m sure most anglers will do their best to avoid them. Small lures, soft plastics and blades will most often be overlooked by large brooding fish. And while they are certainly territorial, if they were to chase and hit every small creature that invaded their space they would most certainly have a nervous breakdown. With six billion shrimp and small bait fish on the move, a large protective cod would be more inclined to hunt away more substantial threats like carp and other larger fishes that might predate upon their eggs. Most of these smaller lures are fitted with light gauged trebles that will straighten with minimal fuss if you load up on a cod and drop your thumb on the spool. I would think in most cases a larger fish would hardly take note of the whole incident. If you are hard lined about the whole affair, then spring is also a great time of the year to fish the beaches and estuaries as these waters too spring to life with the coming warm season.

Wooey is the winner of the Codmac Almost Fishing Legend prize pack valued at $200- Well done on a great yarn.

Thanks to all those who shared their stories on Almost Fishing Legends amongst them were some yery good yarns. But there can only be one winner and this season it goes to Wooey. Im sure you will agree he deserves the prize as much as any. Just to relive his tale of woe and understand what a trip from hell can be like just read on.

 Hi guys a little trip i had that went wrong decided to take a monday off work for a fish left home at 530am so as to get on the water nice and early. Got to the river and proceeded to back boat in through a cutting in the bank got the boat in then realised it was a bit to steep to get the ute back up after countless attempts i decided it would be better to reverse the ute back further to get a run up in doing this i left the drivers door open so i could look to make sure i didnt hit the side of the bank which wasnt a good idea because the corner of the door got wedged into the bank and i couldnt go forwards or back. Digging in the hard clay for an hour with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers didnt help to get the door out so i started walking to find a farmer (which i found after 2 Km of walking) who towed us out. after all this and still wanting to fish we decided to take the 45min drive to a ramp which i knew i could put in easily. we managed to get the boat in without any troubles and were heading of down the river when i realised i left something in the ute. Back to the boat ramp and we could not find the ute keys anywhere. we searched the boat and tipped all our gear upside down for no reward and made sure they were not locked in the ute. i figured they must of fell out of my pocket when i got into the boat so in to the water i went up to my waste in water sifting through the mud with my hands and feet after half an hour or so i found the keys in the mud on the bottom of the river got them out and the central locking still worked so we decided it would probly be in our best interest to head for home FISHLESS