26 Starlo's Plastic Futures
Steve Starling gazes deep into his crystal ball, and comes back with a few soft plastic predictions that will be coming to a waterway near you. One thing’s for sure, softies are here to stay.

34 Tassie Treasures
Mainlander Warren Steptoe crosses the Tasman and finds a wonderful fishing holiday experience waiting in Tasmania, with trout, bream and so much more.

40 NAFA on Victoria

42 Yummy Gummies
Westernport, on Victoria’s south-east coast, is home to one of the best year-round gummy shark fisheries in Australia. Local fisho Jarrod Day has spent a fair bit of time chasing them around this area, and shares a few expert tips that will definitely increase your catch.

46 Victoria's Bad Tempered Bities
They didn’t get the nickname blue dynamite for nothing! Expect some fireworks as we go mako fishing with Lee Rayner in the productive waters of Bass Strait.

50 Port Albert
The sleepy little town of Port Albert in South Gippsland is rich in history. More importantly, according to Brett Geddes, it’s also a fishing hotspot. From the estuary to the surf, and even offshore, there are a multitude of target species to keep anglers happy when they’re not soaking up the serenity.

56 NAFA on SA

57 Psycho Salmon
The Australian salmon is a sportfish without equal in the surf, and can be caught using a variety of techniques and tackle. At salmon hotspot Fowlers Bay, one of the most exciting is to wade the shallow fringing reefs, where the action can be fast and furious. Tag along with Steve Hunt and see how deadly this mobile approach can be as he and the boys land a few trophy salmon.

62 Flicksticks And Flathead
Shane Murton has been sneaking around on the flats armed with his light gear, and you’d be surprised by just how shallow he is prepared to fish. Chasing flatties on lures in very shallow water has increased both his fishing time and his catch, so maybe there is method to his madness!

66 Lure Lore
There’s a lot of lure designs, sizes and colours available for tropical fishing, and the choices can be bewildering. Dick Eussen argues the case for having a good selection of hard-bodied lures, and offers a few tips for putting together a tacklebox full that will catch fish in the tropics.

76 NAFA on snapper

78 Red Gold – Snapperin’ QLD Style
The snapper inhabiting reefs off the Gold Coast have got smarter over the years, but smart techniques mean it’s still possible to catch some quality snapper if you go about it the right way. David Green has been fishing these reefs for more than 20 years, and suggests leaving your massive snapper leads at home and employing a bit of finesse.

82 In Search Of… SA Snapper
If the idea of a snapper weighing in at 20 or even 30 old-fashioned pounds appeals to you, then head south to the home of the whoppers. Shane Murton steers us in the right direction, with times, locations and tactics to get you tight to a magnificent red monster.

86 Tackling Snapper – Broomsticks to Braid
Steve Cooper takes a look at some snapper history, particularly the incredible developments in the area of tackle. We’ve come a long way since the days of cane rods and big sidecasts.

90 Big Bad Shads
Snapper on soft plastics is a fishery that is still being developed in Australia, with many anglers right around the country experimenting and refining techniques that will bring a few reds to the boat. Lynn Bain reckons that a switch to bigger flickbait-style plastics combined with some innovative rigging could be just the ticket to improve your strike-rate.

94 NAFA on COD

96 A New Spin on Cod
Rod Mackenzie is at the cutting edge of Australian freshwater fishing, with his pioneering work on big cod well known to all anglers with an interest in this marvellous native fish. Join him for everything you need to know about using bladed lures to target the leviathans of our inland waterways.

100 Marvellous Mulwala Cod
Cod fishing is not all about 100 pounders — there are plenty of locations that offer the chance to tangle more regularly with some slightly more manageable models. When Steve Hunt visited Mulwala, he found the cod willing, and as a bonus plenty of yellowbelly that couldn’t resist his lure selection.

104 Images Of The Run-off
NAFA model shoot. The 2008 run-off was a corker in the Top End, and AJ was there with NAFA15 covergirl Kate Hockley to sample some of the great fishing and stunning scenery.

116 NAFA on Game Fishing

117 First Marlin
If you’re ready to join the marlin club but not sure where to start, then Glen Booth’s guide to catching your first is an essential read. Boothy reveals all the details of what to do and when to do it, and even gives tips on shouting the bar afterwards!

122 I want to catch a…
Just what it says on the packet. Glen Booth looks at a six pack of desirable gamefish, and how to go about catching them.

122    I want to catch a… Kingfish

124    I want to catch a… Mahi Mahi

126    I want to catch a… Shark

128    I want to catch a… Marlin

130    I want to catch a… Tuna

132    I want to catch a… Wahoo

133 Estuary blackfish
Blackfish (or luderick) are a challenging species, calling for finesse tackle and specialised techniques. Even though Steve Starling has caught a huge range of fish around the world, he maintains a soft spot for the humble blackfish — here he explains why.

136 The Kings of Sydney
Since fish traps were banned in NSW, the kingfish has made a great comeback. Alastair McGlashan loves his kingfishing, and these days getting onto a few is getting easier. Schools can be found anywhere from offshore to right up in Sydney Harbour, so grab your sportfishing gear and let’s go find them with Al.

142 East Timor
Working for NT Fisheries, Chris Errity gets to see some interesting parts of the world. He has recently been to East Timor to investigate the tourism potential of the area, and he reports plenty of pelagic potential — despite getting dusted up by the local dogtooth.

145 Knock Knock Wahoo’s There?
The area around Bermuda is a sportfishing paradise, with one of the main attractions being the seasonal runs of wahoo that produce some seriously big fish. Kim Bain had the chance to visit Bermuda with a bag full of jigging gear, and try out a few Aussie techniques that worked a treat on the local razor gang.

148 Serious About Squid
Every fisho knows the value of fresh squid as bait, and how tasty it is to eat. Catching these tasty cephalopods isn’t rocket science, but still needs a bit of preparation and thought. Let’s go squidding (and cuttlefishing) with Steve Cooper to see how an expert does it.

152 Mackerel Are A Kingfish
In the last NAFA, John Mondora gave us the benefit of his years of barra obsession with an incisive how-to on trolling up big barra. It’s not all barra fishing for Mondora though, in his spare time he likes to relax by catching monster macks! Join him for a masterclass as he reveals the best mackerel lure in the world.

156 Going Skinny
Dave Donald reckons sightfishing is about as good as it gets, and fills you in on everything you need to know to hook ‘em up in skinny water. Read this and you’ll see why he loves stalking the flats.

164 The Monduran Crawl
Lake Monduran has a reputation for producing great barra, and for having some of the most extreme timber you’ll find in an impoundment. As Dave Magner discovered, sometimes a change in technique is required here to change a dud day out into a blinder. Crawling has never been so rewarding.

168 Capricornia Cays
Untouched tropical islands surrounded by white beaches and clear seas, fish aplenty, and no hordes of tourists — Dave Rae has found such a place, and best of all it’s just off the Queensland coast at the Capricornia Cays. It’s the perfect location for an adventurous family trip that won’t break the bank.

174 NAFA on the NT

178 Bigmouth Strikes Again
Chris Errity is often to be found hanging around the mouth of the Mary River during the run-off season, and there’s only one thing that attracts him — the metre-plus barra that come through the area at that time of year. His guide to catching a Mary monster is essential reading for anyone who wants to make their metrey dream into a reality.

184 Mack Addict
Jigging for all sorts of predatory sportfish is a growth area, and the Northern Territory is no different. Jump on board with addicted jigger Peter Zeroni and jig up some trophy Spanish mackerel offshore from Darwin. All the tips and tactics that you’ll need to get into some thrilling metal madness.

192  Taking it to the Bank
Extended trips around the Top End are becoming more popular, allowing anglers to experience the relatively untouched fishing further away from population centres. Dave Krantz joined a trip out to the remote Flat Top Banks to sample some of the incredible reef fishing on offer.

207 Mary Monsters
Andrew ‘ET’ Ettingshausen managed to sneak in a couple of days chasing a metrey during the 2008 run-off, and Chris Errity was there to see it all — he even managed a few casts himself.

210 Daly River – The Early Days
AJ reminisces about his early days fishing the iconic Daly, with some unforgettable characters and amusing incidents.

215 NAFA competition winners announced

216 Double Whammy
The Classic Nitro Boys swept all before them in 2008, winning the Barra Nationals and then backing up to take the Barra Classic too, for a rare and noteworthy double win.

220 Shark Bay Escape
Kim Courtenay first visited Shark Bay more than 30 years ago, and when he went back recently he fell in love all over again. Join Kim for a quick tour — the fishing is only the beginning.

229 Cockle Corner
Fishos in Broome live by the tides, with huge changes in water level occurring daily. When the biggest tides come around, Kim Courtenay launches his trusty kayak and heads straight for Cockle Corner.

237 Knife sharpening
Dick Eussen tests out the Nirey knife sharpener.

240 Cooking
The Thermos Shuttle Chef reviewed by Dick Eussen, along with a tasty, no-fuss recipe idea.

242 10 4WD Wishes
When Dick Eussen nominates the 10 things that he considers essential kit for going bush in his 4WD, start taking notes. An essential list for any offroading enthusiast, whether you’re heading to Cape York or the Blue Mountains.

247 Evolution - The Development of the Modern Sportfishing Boat
Warren Steptoe takes a look back at Aussie boat development over the last three decades, and also has a few ideas about where we might be headed in the future.

258 Stacer Barra Pro
The new Stacer Barra Pro range, put through their paces by Warren Steptoe.

264 Evinrude Celebrates 100 Years
It’s hard to believe that Evinrude is 100 years old, but they’re definitely not resting on their laurels. AJ has a look under the hood of the awesome new E-TEC 300hp, as well as some of the other new outboards from Evinrude.

269 Good Gear
All the best tackle in NAFA’s Good Gear section.