16 MACKAY NET FREE ZONE
Lee Brake unlocks the secrets of Mackay’s net free piscatorial playground.

22 EXMOUTH GULF
Ben Knaggs states the case for WA’s remote north-west as the nation’s premier sportfishing destination.

28 CAPE YORK TRAILER BOAT
How about tackling a 30 day, 1200 nautical mile epic adventure from Port Douglas, around the top of Cape York to Weipa, in a 6m trailer boat? Andy Broughton explains how it’s done.

36 THE BIG COD FACTORY
John Cahill provides a definitive guide to tackling Lake Copeton, which he believes to be the mega cod capital of New South Wales.

42 REAL RIVER BASSING
Jamie Robley gets down to the business of targeting wild bass in the rivers and streams of the east coast of Australia.

48 FISHING AND FINDING ISOLATED STRUCTURE
Wonky holes, fern beds and isolated wrecks… John Boon tells us why searching for and fishing such odd places can provide some memorable fishing experiences.

57 FISHING TERRITORY
Our mega NT Fishing Section.

60 THE WET SEASON WINDOW
Chris Errity suggests that there is great barra and bluewater fishing available in the Top End between bouts of monsoonal rain during the northern wet season.  

68 MILLION DOLLAR WET SEASON FISHING
Alex Julius assesses the impact of the Million Dollar Fish campaign and confirms that it has been an unequivocal success.

74 SECRET WOMENS BUSINESS BARRA CHALLENGE
Alex Julius was on hand to cover the 11th annual SWB Barra Challenge and came away with tales of tough fishing but strong camaraderie.

80 COBOURG SESSIONS
AJ recounts his recent sojourn to the luxurious, remote, Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge where he encounters fast-paced barra fishing in the creeks and backbreaking bedlam on the bluewater.

86 THE RIG
Long time NAFA writer and jigger Peter Zeroni reports on the excitement Darwinians have been enjoying while fishing the biggest FAD to ever grace their watery backyard.

94 2017 TOP END BARRA SERIES
Ross Abraham summarises the 2017 Top End Barra Series which covers 6 different but popular barra fishing destinations in the Top End over 6 different weekends throughout the year.

100 DUNDEE BILLFISH BONANZA
Territory anglers are reaping a billfish bonanza off Dundee and, as the fishing gets better, anglers believe there is more to come. Stewie Martin reports.

108 DRONING… UPS AND DOWNS!
It’s a brave new world we live in, as Alex Julius discovers when he ventures onto the water with a drone.

116 A HELIFISH ASSIGNMENT
As the Top End Build-up hit its moisture-laden, sweat-pouring straps, the NAFA team went on a tough assignment: combining the regular NAFA Good Gear Model Shoot with a day’s heli-fishing with the company called that very name: Helifish. Alex Julius snaps away.

130 SUSSING OUT OUR SOUTHERN ESTUARIES
Starlo spills the beans on reading temperate tidal estuaries and offers sage advice that will definitely lift your catch rates.

138 LURE CASTERS GUIDE TO THE EUCUMBENE RIVER
The Eucumbene River is a fly and lure only trout fishery. Jarrod Day provides an insight into the tactics required to target spawn run trout that migrate from Lake Eucumbene into the river.

144 FISH OF A LIFETIME
Alpha predators, a monster mack and close encounters in a kayak… Kim Courtenay delivers a cracking yarn about unexpected toothy encounters in waters off Broome WA.

150 FISHING BY THE MOON
David Green waxes and wanes over the lunar cycle and how it influences tidal movement and thus corresponds to the breeding and feeding patterns of many fish species, both predator and prey.

156 BARRA’S BIG COUSIN
Could Murchison Falls, Uganda, be the last bastion of the world’s biggest freshwater fish, the Nile Perch? AJ went to check it out and came back with a YES answer.

166 A FISHERMAN’S WORLD
Al McGlashan continues to amaze with stunning images captured by his camera lens from both above and below the water’s surface.

174 GOOD GEAR

NAFA ON BOATS

178 NEW QUINTREX OUTBACK EXPLORERS RAISE THE BAR
Alex Julius hitches a ride in the new Quintrex Explorer range and explains why they have raised the bar in aluminium car-toppers.

188 OCEANMASTER 741 VORTEX
Powered by the Evinrude G2 300, this big Ocean Master centre-console is purpose built for serious offshore fishing adventure, combining amazing comfort at speed with exceptional seaworthiness. Alex Julius reviews this impressive bucket list rig.

193 BOATING NEWS

BOATING PRODUCT AWARENESS

182 BIA Boat Shows continue to be winners.
184 SIMRAD Bigger Displays and Radar Compatibility add to the Award-Winning GO Series.
186 LOWRANCE The new Lowrance® easy-to-use Hook2 Fishfinder/Chartplotter series.
187 TOHATSU Tohatsu’s new 15 and 20hp four-stroke outboards.
192 HONDA MARINE Honda Marine HCT excellence award winner announced.
195 YAMAHA Yamaha’s F90 four stroke is filling the niche.

PRODUCT AWARENESS
58 FISHING AND OUTDOOR WORLD
66 NT RECREATIONAL FISHING UNIT
78 BE SMART – BE CROCWISE
91 ROD AND RIFLE TACKLE WORLD KATHERINE
115 CORROBORREE PARK TAVERN
128 MUSTAD BIG EYE BUCKTAIL JIGS
173 GILLIES SAURY HARD-BODY LURE
177 SHIMANO CURADO 200K

COLUMNS
12 AJ’s TAKE with Alex Julius
14 LESSONS LEARNT with David ‘Greeny’ Green
54 FISHING OZ with Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling
126 THE THINKING ANGLER with Jason Wilhelm