NT Fishing Report
With Alex Julius 18 August 2011
If you’re a tackle junky, then your Nirvana could only be the annual Australian Fishing Tackle Show.
Held specifically for the tackle industry each year at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, that’s exactly where I am writing this column right now.
As an industry-only show, it is not open to the general public; only to wholesalers and retailers of fishing tackle.
As has been the case for the last several years, many of the stands at this show have much of interest to NT anglers.
Tackle for barramundi fishing is always massive at the show, and stands like Shimano, Pure Fishing, Rapala, JM Gillies, Jarvis Walker and L Wilson literally brim with rods, reels, lures and line that are targeted specifically at the barra-fishing market. Plus there’s a plethora of gear for tropical blue water sportfishing.
Each year there are category awards for best-of-show new tackle products.
This year, the best new reel is ABU Revo MGX Pure Fishing. This is a baitcaster so has Top End barra stamped all over it.
A delightful piece of equipment, when you pick it up, the first thing you notice is how light it is – only 154gm. The reason for this super light weight is the following combination of materials: the side plates are made of
C6 carbon, the body frame is magnesium, the main gear is aircraft-grade alloy and the handle is pure carbon fibre.
With a 7.1:1 gear ratio and the “Infinispool” feature which basically incorporates specially-offset bearings that not not rattle and thus revolve freer and faster.
The reel is made in China and I asked about this. Apparently it is built to ISO Global Quality Assurance Standard, which is the highest rating possible.
Let’s face it, there is some truly-high-quality equipment coming out of China nowadays, and the little ABU Revo MGX is truly special. It will retail at $450-$500 and is worth every cent of it.
In the best-rod category, it was no surprise that a G.Loomis rod won.
G.Loomis fans would be aware of the GL2 blanks which have been around for nearly 20 years.
Always regarded as tough and dependable, this latest range is also incredibly light and sensitive.
Shimano Australia, which distributes G.Loomis, developed a range specifically for Australian fishing conditions.
There will be 22 GL2 rods in the range, and the winner at the Tackle Show was the G.Loomis GL2 8500 ESP which is a gossamer-lightweight threadline rod targeted at at fish like bream and whiting.
I took it outside for a cast will a little plug and just gazed with awe as it sailed into the distance.
Okay, this rod may not be suited to typical Top End applications, but remember that there are 22 rods in the range, including some beaut spin sticks and awesome baitcasters. Unbelievably, it will retail for under $250.
In the fishing line category, at last there appears to be a real breakthrough in line development rather than just a new “braid”.
Berkley’s winning Nanofil is simply awesome. This line has won every tackle show award that it has been entered into.
Basically, it’s the result of “Unified Filament Technology”, and thus is perfectly round and actually feels like good, old monofilament when you run your fingers along it.
However, it retains all of the qualities braid line: incredible strength whilst being super thin, no stretch so it is highly sensitive, and with great abrasion resistance. At this stage, it is only available in line strengths up to 12lb.
It was no surprise that best new hard-body lure is the amazing Killalure 2 Deadly which was designed by master barra guide, Lance Butler. With this lure, you get a shallow swimmer and a popper all in one.
That’s right, pop it on the surface then wind to watch it dive and swim seductively. How could you not have a couple of these lures in your tackle box?
Speaking of tackle boxes, Plano smashed them again, this time with its new 787 Guide Series box. See one of these and you’ll just have to have one…I certainly do, and I love it.
I must mention the winner of the best clothing section: none other than our own Joshua Ker and his Big Fish Graphics company.
Josh’s factory is in Winnellie and from there he churns out more than 15,000 polyester fishing shirts – all colourful with catchy designs. Big Fish Graphics do the shirts for over 40 tournaments around the country.
The best new reel at the Australian Fishing Tackle Show was the awesome ABU Revo MGX from Pure Fishing.
Best new rod came from the revamped Shimano G.Loomis GL2 range.
Darwin’s Joshua Ker of Big Fish Graphics won the best clothing award for the second year running.
Plano’s new 787 Guide Series tackle box surpised no one when it won the award for best new tackle storage.