14 THE TABLET

High-speed spinning the rocks of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs in the late 60s and early 70s was a steep learning curve for diehard sportfishing adolescents as Kim Courtenay can attest.

 

24 ROCKY’S NET-FREE ZONE… PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

It’s been seven years since the Rockhampton net-free zone was declared. Since then, barramundi and king threadfin have gotten longer and more plentiful. John Boon reports.

 

32 FAIR CHASE?  CONFRONTING FISHING’S MODERN ETHICAL DILEMMAS

 Starlo lifts the lid on a lively can of worms represented by modern-day fishing technologies and trends, addressing the complex issue of “fairness” in our fast-evolving sport.

 

40 BACK TO BAITS

Sometimes, when you want to bring home a feed, or when you’re looking for that big fish to bite, Jamie Robley explains that a well-presented natural bait might just do the trick when a metal or plastic lure won’t work.

 

52 GUIDE TO GOOLWA

Located only an hour from Adelaide, Shane Murton describes how the small township of Goolwa offers an array of options in both the fresh and the salt.

 

63 FISHING TERRITORY

Our mega NT Fishing Section

 

64 MILLION DOLLAR FISH SEASON 8

Australia’s richest fishing competition continues to be a winner for the NT and Australia as a whole. By The Million Dollar Fish Team.

 

72 THE BIG BARRA TOURNAMENTS

The Barra Classic and the Barra Nationals have been held for 40 years and 27 years respectively. AJ looks back at the early years and reports on the latest events.

 

80 NT BILLFISH REPORT

Thanks to various factors, the number of billfish caught and released off Darwin, Dundee Beach and the Tiwi Islands continues its upward trend each year. Peter Dienhoff reports.

 

90 BIG BARRA BUILD-UP TACTICS

The Top End Build-up is acknowledged as one of the best times of year to target big barramundi. Craig ‘Lats’ Latimore reveals some of his secrets.

 

96 BEST PLAN IS OFTEN NO PLAN

A well-executed non-plan, with a mission just to have fun, did the trick for Team Angry Birds in the 2022 Secret Women’s Barra Challenge. AJ reports.

 

103 DUNDEE REEFIES

Dundee’s offshore waters offer a network of reef systems, artificial and natural, that combine to create fish-feeding zones within easy reach of boating anglers. All this is just a daytrip from Darwin, as Chris Errity reveals.

 

109 TOP END BARRA SERIES 2022

The Top End Barra Series entered its 12th year in 2022 as Top End anglers were on the downslope of COVID and returning to normality. Tim Bolch reports.

 

114 RUMBLING THUNDER

From the savannah plains of the Kimberley, across the Top End, to the rainforests of the east coast, nothing impacts the country with the drama and excitement of the Build-up. Kim Courtenay waxes lyrical.

 

120 HUNTING TIGERS

The Covid pandemic put a pause on AJ’s annual African fishing safaris, but this latest visit once again demonstrated that the African tigerfish is one of the world’s great sportfish.

 

130 MUDDYING THE SCENERY – TILAPIA PEST FISH

Invasive tilapia threaten our rivers, fish and our holiday experience.

Mariah Millington explains how we can all help to reduce the spread.

 

136 DIRTY WATER COD OPTIONS

If you have never chased big Murray cod on bait, then you are missing out on some very special fishing, not to mention snubbing a technique worthy of time. Rod ‘Codmac” Mackenzie goes through successful bait options.

 

140 TUMBY BAY & THE RED ROOF

As one of the most delightful coastal towns in Australia, Tumby Bay is home to three of South Australia’s icons: The Red Roof, Tumby Tom and King George whiting. AJ reckons it was a great location to do a NAFA Apparel Shoot.

 

PRODUCT AWARENESS

 

30        CARLTON UNITED BREWERY - GREAT NORTHERN ZERO

39        SHIMANO CURADO 200 DC

46        myCOOLMAN

49        HONDA – GREAT 4-STROKE PORTABILITY

50        STORMRIDER – THE NEW PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE FOR STORMS

70        NT POWERSPORTS

78        FISHING AND OUTDOOR WORLD

88        LOWRANCE – NEW HDS PRO®, ACTIVETARGET™ 2 AND ACTIVE IMAGING™ HD

89        SIMRAD – PLASTIC ODYSSEY REFITTED WITH ELECTRONICS FOR GLOBAL EXPEDITION

94        HELIFISH – EXPERIENCE AWESOME ADVENTURE FISHING

100      RHINO LININGS – THE ULTIMATE BOAT PROTECTION

107      ROD AND RIFLE TACKLEWORLD KATHERINE

133      JM GILLIES – REVOLUTIONARY NEW SALTWATER FLY ROD SERIES FROM SAGE

 

150      GOOD GEAR   

 

COLUMNS

12        AJ’s TAKE with Alex Julius

22        A FISHING LIFE with ‘Barra Dave’ Donald

48        LESSONS LEARNT with David ‘Greeny’ Green

60        FISHING OZ with Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling