NATIONAL Australia Fishing Annual
NAFA #28
Catch up on additional NAFA Magazine Editions in Back Issues
ON THE COVER:
Front Cover: The Top End's Dry Season offers as good a climate as you'll find anywhere is the world. As NAFA Good Gear Model, Aquila Elle Bergstrom discovered to her delight, it truly is a magic time of year. (Photo Alex Julius)
Back Cover: Not a bad spot for an evening beverage: Bonnie Keogh and James Peter soak up the atmosphere on the beach in front of Crab Claw Resort west of Darwin. (Photo: Alex Julius)
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Product Awareness - Fishing
Product Awareness - Boating
Product Awareness - Outdoor
Table of Contents - NAFA Fishing Magazine
12 AJ’s TAKE
16 RHUMBA IN SUMBA!
Starlo and Jo visit a little-known Indonesian jewel and discover a fishing paradise that is also home to a five-star plus resort.
28 BLUE BAY BALLISTICS
With big tides, mud fl ats, and blue water within paddling distance of the beach, Broome is a yak fi sher’s paradise. Kim Courtenay explains.
36 MURRAY COD ‘SOUND’ ADVICE
According to Rod Mackenzie, sound is something to which many anglers pay little creed, yet it is such a critical factor in fishing.
40 FISHING THE BACK-BREAKERS
Eight fi shing days, over a 100 back-breaking GTs and more than 10 different lure-crunching species - Dean Silvester explains why the Great Barrier Reef is a much-sought-after destination.
46 AUSSIE SALMON: TOP TO BOTTOM
Australian salmon are the mainstay of southern beach anglers, but light-tackle bay anglers have plenty of fun with these acrobatic performers. Jarrod Day reports.
53 FISHING THE TERRITORY
54 THE ROCK IN SHOAL BAY
The iconic Rock in Shoal Bay is practically on the doorstep of Darwin’s northern suburbs. Chris Errity says it is quite amazing as it is surely one of the Top End’s best big barra haunts.
60 BETTING ON THE BLUEWATER QUINELLA
It doesn’t happen all the time but, with the right tackle and tactics, Peter Zeroni reckons a Darwin offshore jigging session will often yield a winning quinella of the Top End’s favourite pelagic and reef fish species.
69 A DUNDEE EXPLORER
It had been a few years since AJ had fished the rich reef and sport fish grounds out from Dundee Beach, a long overdue trip which was addressed late in 2014.
78 MAINTAINING THE GREAT TERRITORY LIFESTYLE WHILE DEVELOPING THE NORTH
Striking the balance between maintaining the Territory’s great lifestyle and developing the North will be a nation building exercise that will deliver benefits to all of Australia.
86 TOP END BARRA SERIES 2014
The Top End Barra Series in 2014 was spread out to enable the best fishing times at six different locations. Report by Glenn Dinwoodie & Ross Abraham.
98 COOKTOWN: ANGLING NIRVANA 16
Fishing in a pristine environment where the fi sh are big, plentiful and close at hand, Nick Stock unearths the angling Nirvana available at Cooktown in far north Queensland.
107 THE ROCK HOPPER
The rock hopper is a special breed of angler. Phil Atkinson visits Point Perpendicular, and shares his thoughts on what makes these anglers tick.
112 A RIGHT ROYAL BITE
King George whiting might not be the biggest or hardest fighting fish in the sea, but they are fun to catch and make for a right, royal feast. By Steve Cooper.
116 ON TIGER SAFARI
In this second-annual African Tigerfishing Safari, Roxsean “Rocky” Edwards recounts an adventure and an experience that exceeded her best expectations.
126 DRY SEASON BLISS
NAFA Good Gear Model – Aquila Elle Bergstrom – laps up the Top End’s Dry Season. Regular pictorial feature by Alex Julius.
140 MUNMORAH ROCKS
Jamie Robley explains why rock hoppers and beach anglers who live in the State of NSW are blessed.
148 EURO TRIP
What happens when crash-hot barramundi guide, Jason Bettles, is let loose on a couple of pristine, well-managed European waterways? It would seem that he showed the locals how to do it.
156 NSW INTERCLUB TOURNAMENT CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Australia’s premier game fishing competition has a proud history dating back more than 50 years. NSW Fishing Association Life Member, John McIntyre, recalls those halcyon days.
BOATING
163 JUST ONE BOAT
Boat choice usually comes down to what your boat is going to be used for. However, no boat will suit all needs; sometimes you need a second option. Warren Steptoe explains.
170 SAVAGE LAUNCHES INTO NEW ERA
A multi-million dollar investment in design and marketing is giving added vigour to Australia’s oldest boat brand: Savage. Review by Steve Cooper.
175 QUINTREX‘S NEW TRIDENT HARD TOP 690 & 650
2014 was a big year for Quintrex with the release of the 690 and 650 Trident Hard Tops, together with design changes to the existing range of 610, 650 and 690 models.
178 BOATING NEWS
BOATING PRODUCT AWARENESS
168 GOFREE: Navico Goes Mobile
174 Lowrance Portable Power Pack
179 Yamaha: Marine Technician of the Year
181 Honda’s New BF80 and BF100 Ready to Go
184 Design Your Own Evinrude E-TEC G2
186 Watersnake GPSMART Electric Trolling Motor
PRODUCT AWARENESS
68 Katherine Rod & Rifle Tackleworld
74 Darwin Barra Fishing Tours
82 Crab Claw Island Resort
84 Department of Business: Gove Sport Fishing Charters
94 NT Fisheries: Fluctuations in Barramundi Abundance
NEW COLUMNS
14 FISHING OZ with Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling
26 LESSONS LEARNT with David “Greeny” Green
34 THE THINKING ANGLER with Jason Wilhelm
Table of Contents - NAFA's Outdoors, 4x4 Travel & Camping
6 WILD PLACES
8 EXPLORE QUEENSLAND’S OUTBACK NATIONAL PARKS
Queensland’s Outback national parks offer unrivalled adventure experiences as well as opportunities to relax and soak up the tranquillity of the bush. The options are many.
16 ON THE TOW
New regular caravan and camper trailer touring column by Steve Cooper.
18 LIFE ON THE ROAD
Living on the road in a caravan is about more than hunting and fishing. Scoop enjoys researching history for heroes and rascals, and there are plenty of them.
28 BEATING AROUND THE BUSH
New regular outback and nature column by Neil Schultz.
29 YOUR TOP END AGENDA
As part of an ongoing series of what we reckon you should include on your agenda of things to do and see in the Top End, we begin this issue with four bucket list beauties: Mataranka, Yellow Water Billabong, Crocodylus Park and the Darwin Waterfront Precinct.
38 DOWN THE BARREL
New regular guns and hunting column by Rod Harrison.
44 ATV ACCESSORIES
Due to the noise factor, the ATV has little in common with hunters; however, Dick Eussen explains how a quad bike can get you into places, either on a day or overnight trip, that would take days on foot.
50 Camp & Fish THE SAVANNAH WAY
The Savannah Way from Cairns to Broome is the ultimate wilderness escape for fishing and camping, and one of the most adventurous drives on earth. Dick Eussen explains how to do it.
56 OUTDOORS ESSENTIALS
PRODUCT AWARENESS
22 Toyota HiLux Dual-cab Black Edition
26 Palmerston 4WD Spares
39 Outback and Beyond
40 Yamaha Viking ROHVs
48 Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R