40 The Changing Face of Tournaments
John Mondora reveals modern fishing tournaments are more about what’s best for the fishery, rather than the greatest weight of dead fish on the scales.

44 Nimble and Quick!
Long-time mangrove jack aficionado, Dave Donald, takes a detailed look at jacks and how to catch them.

48 Kangaroo Island Options
Shane Murton points out there are so many great fishing options at Kangaroo Island it’s difficult to decide where to fish next!

54 Wild Water Payara
Col Roberts chases this tough sportfish in the extreme and often dangerous conditions of Brazil’s Urariquera River.

86 Spawners
Fiction with Steve Starling.

96 Whitsundays Model Pictorial

109 Catching the Cover Shot
Dick Eussen was lucky enough to get a geurnsey on the NAFA 2005 Good Gear model shoot… and quickly discovered the world of modelling and photography was a lot of hard work!

166 Proserpine Fishing Pictorial
The NAFA model shoot also involved a bit of fishing. AJ had his cameras ready and recorded what went on.

173 Sussing Out Sooties
Although sooty grunter are enthusiastic when it comes to smacking lures and flies, Ken Stien says a flexible approach may occasionally be required to maintain the catch rate.

196 The Lure of the Cod
Steve Cooper delves into the Australian folklore surrounding one of the country’s top angling targets — the Murray cod.

201 FSI — Fishing For Clues
Lyn Bain says a little FSI — Fish Stomach Investigation — can provide valuable clues to solving many angling mysteries.

204 Moon Barra
Fiction with Phill Heitmann.

234 The Japanese Love Their Fishing!
Japanese anglers are extremely keen anglers and many are travelling the world to satisfy their piscatorial passion. Dave Donald has enjoyed their company for years.

237 Memories
Fiction with Jackson Baraz.

242 Trout in the Drought
Despite low and erratic rainfall, Ben Knaggs reveals a viable trout fishery within 15 minutes’ drive of Adelaide’s CBD.

266 Southern River Encounter
Fiction with Peter G. Hill.

325 Fiske Adventure
Kim Bain visits the home of Mustad fish hooks in Norway and fishes several different Nordic environments.

330 Shimano at the Lodge
AJ attends Shimano’s new season tackle launch at Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge

384 Bendoroda Bass
Warren Steptoe battles big, boisterous black bass at Bendoroda.

388 Cartoon
Bret Currie

473 Tackle Storage Systems

474 Good Gear

20 NAFA ON FLATHEAD

22 NSW Duskies
Dusky flathead are easily accessible right along the NSW Coast. Alistair McGlashan offers a few tips to consistently catch them.

25 Tactical Flathead
David Green shares some basic tactics to improve flathead catch rates.

30 SA Lizards — Worth the Effort
Shane Murton shows there are plenty of big lizards in SA waters that are happy to take a lure or fly from anglers who put in the effort.

34 Garden State Flathead
Geoff Wilson says the key to catching big flathead in Victoria is to stick to the shallows.

59 NAFA ON SOFT PLASTICS

60 Chewie Jewie Jubes
Steve Starling provides all the necessary clues you need to join the jewie-on-rubber club.

65 One Perfect Day
Sometimes things fall into place and it just rains fish! Bushy and a couple of mates combine a new technique with a couple of ounces of luck.

68 Soft Plastics — What’s New on the Menu?
Kim Bain looks at new products on the overseas soft plastics scene and their possible applications here.

74 Softies in the Tropics
Amazing new styles, materials and colours have had a major impact on tropical lure fishing with soft plastics. Dick Eussen takes closer look.

78 Breaming for Dummies
Natalie Grima says concentrating on a few basic skills and approaches will yield results for newcomers targeting bream with soft plastics.

81 Coming the Raw Prawn
Roger Sinclair is big fan of fishing rubber prawns for creek mouth barra and other species.

112 NAFA ON FISHING COASTAL QUEENSLAND

114 Charter Fishing the Queensland Coast
Steve Starling examines the charter fishing options along Queensland’s extensive coastline.

120 Fishing the Barrier Reef
Steve Starling speaks about fishing one of the most significant natural wonders of the world – Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

126 Gold Coast Guided Fishing
David Green covers the Gold Coast’s extensive charter fishing operations.

130 Brisbane and Moreton Bay
Warren Steptoe says Brisbane has some sensation fishing right on its doorstep.

133 Noosa Coastal Fishing
Peta Walter provides a snapshot of the fishing in and around the heart of one of Australia’s premier tourist destinations.

135 Hervey Bay and Bundaberg
Hervey Bay may be the gateway to World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, but as Leeann Payne points out, the recreational fishing here is also a major attraction.

137 Gladstone and Yeppoon
Bill Bowtell looks at charter operators on the Capricorn Coast.

139 Proserpine and Whitsundays
Andy Thomsen profiles this magnificent part of Queensland.

140 Marvellous Mackay
Ken Stien sings the praises of Mackay.

142 Townsville
Troy Jones looks at the fishing options in and around one of the most challenging and rewarding trophy fish locations on the east coast.

144 Cairns to Innisfail
John Mondora provides an overview of this geographically small, yet hugely productive, part of the coast.

149 Port Douglas
Perhaps the least publicised and most underrated fishing grounds in the region, Dick Eussen uncovers Port Douglas and the Daintree Coast.

152 Cooktown
Dick Eussen profiles an attractive and exotic destination for adventurous anglers.

153 Cape York and Torres Strait
Steve Starling covers this large, remote section of Queensland.

154 Weipa
Dave Donald reveals why Weipa has a reputation for being Queensland’s best fishing location.

155 Normanton and Karumba
John Mondora focuses on Normanton and Karumba in the south eastern corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

158 Queensland Charter Directory
A comprehensive list of fishing charters/guides right around the Queensland coast.

179 NAFA ON BAIT

180 A Bit About Bait
In this era of greater emphasis on lure fishing, many people have forgotten about bait, but for some offshore species it is the only way to go. Glen Booth says catching it can also be a lot of fun.

186 Shore Thing
Leeann Payne reveals there’s a host of bait fishing options and quality catches available for shore-based anglers.

192 The Fishing Party
Kevin Collins talks about the political party that puts anglers’ interests first.

193 Bait Gathering Basics
Peter Horrobin shows gathering your own bait is often the key to better fishing.

207 NAFA ON THE WEST

208 Fishing the WA Coast
From the monsoon-fed torrents of the Kimberley to the desert-backed beaches of the Great Australian Bight, Col Roberts shows the West Australian coast is known for its exciting sportfishing and stunning scenery.

216 Goodbye Rowley Shoals
The fabulous Rowley Shoals remains one of Australia’s last great sportfishing frontiers, but with moves to ban recreational fishing there, Lex Silvester asks, for how long?

224 Perth Hot Spots
Fishing around Perth isn’t what it once was, but Mike Roennfeldt shows the city on the Swan still offers plenty of great fishing opportunities.

229 Exmouth Billfish Snapshot
Jeni Lerch reveals a range of billfish species can be caught without too much effort along the Exmouth coast.

245 NAFA ON FLY

246 Early-season Tassie Trouting
Peter Morse says a good fly selection, local advice, a willingness to try different techniques and some luck with the weather can provide excellent fly fishing for high-country Tassie trout at the start of the season.

250 Fly Fishing Hinchinbrook
When it comes to fly fishing, there’s always plenty to learn. Ken Stien says an extended charter with a good fly fishing guide is a great way to increase the knowledge base.

253 Sticking it to Them
Micah Adams suggests a heavy-handed alternative to the generally-accepted method of fighting big fish on light drags might be one way of upping the fly fishing capture-to-hookup ratio.

257 The Queensland Tuna on Fly Circuit
Gavin Platz believes a unique series of fly fishing events on the southeast Queensland coast is stimulating further interest in the use of the long wand in the salt.

260 Fly Rod Mack Tactics
When it comes to chasing large pelagics on fly rods, Peter Morse says Spanish mackerel are second only to the rather rarefied air of the billfish fraternity.

273 NAFA ON BOATS
With Warren Steptoe

274 Choices, Choices
Warren Steptoe looks at the fibreglass versus aluminium hull and the 2 stroke versus 4 stroke outboard debate and reaches some interesting conclusions.

282 Yamaha
284 GS Marine Hydracraft Xtreme
286 Mercury
288 Interphase Sonar
292 Absorber Power
294 Suzuki
296 Cruise Craft Explorer 625
298 Mr T’s Tinnies
300 Makocraft
301 John Crawford Marine
304 Honda Marine
306 Logan River Marine
308 Sea Ray
310 Southern Star
312 Territory Marine
314 Hooker Dories
316 Stabi-Craft
318 Seafarer Boats
320 Pursuit Boats
322 Club Marine
323 Good Boat Gear


341 NAFA ON 4WD

342 Understanding Your 4WD
Dick Eussen shows there’s much to know in order to drive safely in the bush.

346 Trayon Campers

350 Eye To The Future
The Toyota Fraser Island Fishing Classic just gets better and better. Alex Julius was there for NAFA.

355 There’s No Desert With This Sahara
Alex Julius looks back on an action-packed year with his Toyota LC100 V8 LandCruiser Sahara.

358 Light Up
As Dick Eussen highlights, specialised driving and fog lights can provide added safety in situations where the risk of animal impact in poor light is high.

362 The Battery
We turn the key and immediately expect cars and boats to start, but without the right battery for the job and some basic maintenance, Dick Eussen points out it could be a long walk — or swim!

366 AC Delco Batteries

371 Bush Cooking
Lyn Bain looks at ways of making camp cooking more enjoyable.

379 Cobb

380 Outdoor Showers
Dick Eussen says keeping clean while camping has never been easier.


395 NAFA ON THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

396 The Lure of the Top End
Steve Starling shares his thoughts on the magnetic appeal the Northern Territory exerts over so many southern anglers.

400 It’s the Vibe!
When a full-time fishing writer like Warren Steptoe returns to the Northern Territory time and again, you know the fishing is something extra special.

404 North For the Winter
Croweater, Shane Mensforth, is another frequent Northern Territory visitor, and is always keen to escape the cold south.

408 Never, Never Say Never
In this Northern Territory snapshot, Steve Cooper looks at what makes the Top End so special to him.

412 Why I Fish the Territory
Former Territorian, Col Roberts, outlines the reasons why the Top End is such a great fishing spot and why he re-visits the place at every opportunity.

416 Double Tagged
Michael Phelan reveals fisheries researchers from the Northern Territory and Queensland are working on a radical approach to fish tagging to provide greater management information.

421 Around the Territory – Arnhemland
Alex Julius

427 Around the Territory – Borroloola
Alex Julius

435 Around the Territory — Kakadu
Alex Julius

435 Darwin Day Trips
As Chris Errity points out, there can’t be too many cities in the world where you can experience such outstanding quality and variety of fishing on a day trip.

444 Ginger Palmer’s Barra Camp
Fiction with Denver Marchant.

452 Fishing North Australia
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of this fantastic fishing television series.

463 NAFA ON FISHING CLOTHING

464 Getting Any Bites?
The end result of bites from sandflies and mosquitoes can range from mildly annoying to potentially fatal. Peter Whelan’s article is a must-read for anyone who spends any time in environments where these insects are found.

470 NAFA Clothing Good Gear

PRODUCT AWARENESS

28 Plano Tackle Boxes and Bags
38 Shimano Reels and Rods
52 Mustad Accessories
64 Squidgy Soft Plastics
73 Pro Angler
77 Frogley Offshore
90 G.Loomis Rods
164 Jarvis Walker/Penn
176 Shakespeare Rods and Reels
185 Fuji Rod Building Kits
190 Mustad MT Point Hooks
200 StrikeBack Fish and Lure Retriever
222 Halco Lures
233 Maxima Line
240 Classic Lures’ F18
241 Scotty Downriggers
256 Redington
264 BogaGrip
270 The Book of Lures
288 Interphase Sonar
290 Eagle Sounders
302 Lowrance Sounders
329 AussieJumper Lures
344 Belco Land and Sea Boat Camper
355 Toyota
364 Waeco
372 Engel
468 Skoot