The Gunnell Rod Special Feature Inside

VOLUME186 PRICELESS
The Gunnell Rod Special Feature Inside
2
FRONT COVER: Jason Teelow shows the spoils of using the New Gunnell Rod
This magazine is published by
The Line Burner business of Port Douglas
& welcomes any Far Nth Qld contributions
including editorials & photographs.
PO Box 108, Port Douglas 4877
Queensland, Australia
Email:[email protected]
Website: www.fishingportdouglas.com.au
Phone: 0409 610 869
The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily
reflect the views of the magazine, the editors, or the
authors themselves. The magazine does not guarantee
accuracy, validity, honesty or politeness of content, and we
shall not be held responsible for the content of mentioned
websites. The content (photos, art, articles etc...) found
within are the property of the submitter and not our
magazine.
VALUED
CONTRIBUTORS
Michael Hart
Keith Graham
Jamie Beitzel
Damian Collete
Nautical Marine team
James Gould
Steve Adamson
Bruce Belcher
Jake Wyatt
Matt Koch
‘Sharky’ Shane Down
Lynton Heffer (Editor)
Features
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New Gunnell Rod Released
Port Douglas Slipway Drama
Dragon Lady Diary
Beach Offers Returns
Weipa Magic Continues
Mick’s Monthly Recipe
Nautical Marine Product Review
PORT DOUGLAS TIDE TABLE JUNE 2016
Tide times provided by courtesy of Maritime Safety Queensland. For more information, see the Official Tide Tables and Boating Safety Guide published by Maritime Queensland and the World Wide
Web at http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/qldtides. The tidal predictions for Port Douglas are supplied by the National Tidal Centre, Bureau of Meteorology, copyright reserved.
3
Slipway & Duckpond Dilemma
By Heff
On Monday 23rd May local marine stake holders
held a meeting with local council members and
the Executive Director of the North Region
Department of Natural Resources and Mines at
the local council chambers in Mossman to
discuss a resolution to the closing of the Port
Douglas Slipway by The Reef Marina several
weeks ago.
I sat in on the meeting as a keen local observer
and it quickly became very evident that the
closure of the slipway has already heavily
impacted the local marine industry and many of
its local businesses and employees. Many voiced
their genuine concerns and the closure of the
slipway has many concerning layers attached to
it.
It was brought up in the meeting that TRM (The
Reef Marina) apparently closed the slipway of its
own accord as they felt they had not been
operating to the required full environmental and
regulatory compliances after a routine
inspection by council.
One of the problems of the recent slipway
operation was the disposal or proper treatment
of the black water from working on the boats
whilst up on the slip. There are three possible
easy solutions to this problem however now that
the issue has come this far the respective
authorities have no option but to conduct the
necessary investigations and reporting. As we all
know this will most likely slow up the process of
reinstating the slipway.
In its current state TRM are in breach of their
lease agreement of the land to provide adequate
facilities for the local boating and commercial
fishing industry and the local council has
brought in the appropriate State Department to
hopefully resolve this urgent matter. In
everyone’s interest the slipway needs to be reopened ASAP.
It is unfathomable to think that a marine industry
the size as ours has no current slipway facility. As
outlined in the meeting some businesses are
finding their backs to the walls as a result of this
closure and there was a lot of disillusion and lack
of confidence expressed towards those
responsible. There would not be one local
business related to the marine or fishing and
boating industry who has not felt some impact
by the slipway closure. For example I’m
associated with the Dragon Lady Charter
business and currently we have one of our
vessels down on the slipway in Cairns because
the Port Douglas facility is closed. This has come
at an additional cost of relocation and daily travel
to complete the job over a few weeks. The extra
costs add up very quickly and this is not to
mention the loss of work and revenue for other
local businesses which would be normally part of
the process if it was slipped locally. This is just one
small snippet of a much larger picture and the
local economy is suffering as a result.
The Douglas Shire Council and State
Department have assured this matter has their
full attention and will be resolved shortly. We will
wait and see how long all this takes but in the
meantime everyday with the slipway closed is
costing the local economy and local businesses
heavily.
The next phase to this story will be the freehold
lease agreement for the water front
development by TRM. Council is assuring us they
will not be issuing a development permit that
jeopardises the many local businesses that rely
on our operational slipway or our commercial
fishing industry. This is the trade off for TRM to
acquire freehold of the land to develop a
commercial/ residential precinct which extends
beyond current land uses for their own
commercial benefit.
This whole issue will no doubt continue to be a
major topic on interest moving forward.
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CHARTERING
By ‘Sharky’ Shane Down
With the weather turning it on in the first
week of May I was down at Four Mile Beach
fishing at every opportunity I could. There
was one particular session which stood out
amongst the others which I will expand on
further.
It was a big sweeping tide and as usual I found
myself exploring the southern end of the
beach in the morning. There were batches of
jelly prawns right up in the shallows and they
were getting hammered by trevally and
queenfish from all directions. Upon closer
inspection the shallows were also inundated
with box jellyfish everywhere. It would have
been completely suicidal to enter the water
without any appropriate protection.
Not far away I spotted a shoal of garfish
which I successfully cast netted a few for live
bait. I decided to set up a running sinker rig
and use 40lb mono leader and place a live gar
next to the frenzy of jelly prawns in hope that
a barra or blue salmon might be in amongst
the commotion. Unfortunately after half a
dozen placements this did not entice a strike.
As it often happens when the fish are feeding
on the micro prawns they will have eyes for
absolutely nothing else.
With a change of plan I decided to head a bit
further north up the beach to Cowrie Point.
There were jelly prawns present here as well
but not quite as thick. I spotted a school of
what looked like to be good sized whiting
feeding on the prawns and out came the net.
In one quick foul swoop I netted 12 whiting,
eight of which were between 25cm-32cm
and that would become a sensational little
feed in itself. It is obviously a lot more fun to
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catch them with a rod and reel but the
temptation for a quick delicious score got the
better of me.
Still keeping an eye out for some bigger
action to launch my live garfish into I thought
I noticed a huge stingray shadow not far from
the shore. As I got closer silver flashing started
to appear and soon revealed a tight knit
school of trevally. Out went the live bait and it
didn’t take long for it to receive a whack.
After a good spirited fight I dragged onto the
beach a snazzy looking golden trevally just
over a kilo in size. That too would make for a
tasty fresh meal.
I quickly had a new bait back out in the same
vicinity and it wasn’t long before my rod had a
bend in it. This fish pulsated all over the place
and soon revealed itself to be a queenfish,
also around the kilo mark which I released.
Not long after this the surface action seemed
to pack up so I decided to plonk myself down
to relax and toss a live bait out a bit further. I
guess 20 minutes went by before I noticed
the rod tip starting to twitch. I was waiting in
anticipation for the rod to keel over but it kept
on twitching ever so slightly. I realised soon
enough that a crab was on the end enjoying
himself to my bait. I started to wind in the line
and found that there was a bit of weight on
the end. So I took my time slowly retrieving
the line hoping to keep the crab intact with
my bait. As it came into the shallows sure
enough there was a good sized mud crab still
feasting on the end of the line. Carefully I
grabbed the cast net and flung it over the end
of the line. I then dragged the net onto the
beach with the crab well and truly entrapped.
Picking up the mud crab I knew it was a
beauty and putting it on the tape it stretched
16.5cm across the shell. Just by the weight of
it I could tell it was packed full of juicy meat.
That will do me just nicely, so I packed up my
gear and trod off home with fresh whiting,
trevally and mud crab to prepare for a
delicious dinner.
It goes to show that if you consistently go
fishing something a bit different always
seems to happen which makes it just all the
worthwhile.
5
Dragon Lady Diary
By Steve Adamson
The start of May started in brilliant fashion with healthy numbers
of tourists around and the weather was so ever delightful. The
days were quite warm still hovering around 30 degrees which
you definitely don’t expect at this time of the year. Water
temperatures were also well above average with some pockets
of water on the reef registering 28 degrees which also is unheard
of for this time of year.
For whatever reason the warmer conditions didn’t deter the
fishing at all, in fact it went gang busters there for a period. For
the first week or so we enjoyed solid catches of big large mouth
nannygai with up to 20 or so of these fish coming back to docks
at times all at the higher end of the scale around the 7-10kg
mark. The 10kg fish are huge in statue and the lucky punters
who caught them will never forget the experience. The coral
trout remained at a steady pace during this patch and they were
accompanied by a mixture of red emperor, mangrove jack,
spangled emperor and stripeys. There was a couple of days in a
row where the spanish mackerel came on the bite in a very
positive way. Over the two boats, one bottom fishing and the
other trolling we would have secured close to 20 mackerel
combined and that was amongst catching other fish as well.
When the mackerel and bottom fish decide to all come on the
bite it is nothing short of happy days and happy clients on the
water. Strangely though this run of mackerel proved to be a flash
in the pan as they tapered off a bit for the remainder of the
month.
Moving into the second week we experienced a bit of windy
weather and had a few days off but soon found ourselves busy
once the weather eased off. Leading into and then following the
Carnivale weekend the town was obviously busy as we didn’t
have enough seats at times to cater for the amount of people
wanting to go fishing. The weather stayed around the 15-20
knot mark (outside of the nasty couple of days over the carnivale
weekend) and quite often found ourselves fishing up in the
shallows for a bit of protection. We were able to source
reasonable numbers of coral trout and the usual suspects were
up and about including stripeys, spangled emperor, moses perch
and sweetlip. The day or so around the full moon proved to be
the slowest for the month.
As we normally do we opted to have the Sunday off to enjoy the
Seafood Day at the marina but the heavy rain put pay to that as it
was cancelled. However from what I can gather is that the
organisers had changed the format and the day was not going to
be a scratch on what has been delivered in the past years. A lot of
the activity was going to shifted away from the marina and down
to the parklands. The Sunday event has always been a big focus
on the fishing industry down at the marina for the past 20 odd
years and has been an absolute success. To find out that they
were going to steer away from a proven successful formula was
at the very least extremely disappointing to hear. Hopefully the
organisers have the vision to re-visit what has been the best day
of the Carnivale considered by many.
Following this charters remained very steady for the remainder
of the month. It took several days for the rain to dissipate and
flat, calm seas to return. Generally speaking the mornings were
a lot quieter and the afternoons fired up with the fall of the tide.
There wasn’t a great deal of run in the tide and it was a mixed
bag of fish returning back to the docks with some cracking coral
trout being the pick of the bunch, along with a smattering of
spangled emperor, trevally, stripies, red throat emperor and
some fairly solid small mouth nannygai.
All in all it was a good month for us and from all accounts it
sounds like things will only get busier from this point on.
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Port Douglas
SCOTT’S MECHANICAL
& MARINE SERVICING
A Cool Change
By Julian Weimer
As our FNQ winter progresses and
temperatures 'plummet,' estuary target
species begin to shift. Our northern waters
are known for our mangrove jack, barra,
queenfish etc and in an ideal world these fish
would feed aggressively all year round.
Unfortunately though, this is not the case and
as the water temperature cools, these fish can
become lethargic and make way for your
bread and butter winter species. These
species include; grunter, bream, flathead and
whiting. These fish are not only excellent
table fish but on light gear make for great
fun.
While whiting and bream fishing on lure is a
big hit down south, I personally find using
bait a far more productive and more
importantly, relaxed method. Whiting don't
tend to actively feed on lure up here either
and I don't believe they are really worth the
extra effort. A conventional running rig with a
bean sinker and long shanked hook is always
a relaxing and easy way to spend an
afternoon fishing with mates. These fish are
by no means sports fish like barra or
queenfish but on light tackle they can put a
bit of hurt on the angler. These fish often feed
in large numbers so once you get onto a few,
you can be in for a hot bite. I generally fish
close to the estuary mouth on an area with a
bit of current sweeping over the flats, where
these fish are hunting for small crustaceans
and bait fish. When targeting these species
bycatch is often common with fish such as
blue salmon, sickle fish, tarpon, dart and
trevalley picking up the stray bait. As far as
baits and rigs go, a small bean sinker above
the swivel with roughly forty centimetres of
leader attached to a small hook of
preference. I use a light sinker as I like my bait
to slowly drift across the sand flat and
naturally follow the currents flow while still
keeping in contact with the bottom. I
generally find prawn the more productive
bait however, small mullet strips, cut up
herring and pippies will work a treat.
Flathead will actively feed on bait but I find
lure fishing for them a much more
exhilarating way to do it. Up here flathead
can reach well over eighty centimetres in
length and unlike bream and whiting, they
have no trouble peeling off a bit of line.
Flathead are generally pretty easy to read,
look for a sandbar at low tide with bait and
more often than not while strolling along the
sandbar you will see the flathead lies where
the tide has receded and they've followed it
back. Lures such as divers, vibes, soft plastics
and even surface lures all work but I have
found the soft plastics and vibes to be the
pick of the bunch. Keeping in contact with
the bottom is the key and also not using too
heavy of gear. Remembering you want the
fish to look realistic and not like a rock
plummeting to the bottom. These lures are
excellent as you can fish them at any depth
and speed and they can be retrieved in a
number of different ways. A slow roll or just a
simple double hop off the bottom is always a
favourite retrieval method but every day is
different and while one day a slow roll works,
the next day they might hit a faster moving
lure, it pays to always experiment.
This aspect of fishing might not be the most
exciting in comparison to barra or jack
fishing, but while the systems are quiet and
the reef is too windy, it's an excellent way to
enjoy an afternoon's session fishing.
Scott Watkinson
0417 281 806
Servicing
The Douglas Shire
[email protected]
Lic No MVTC 1388907
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Phone
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ABN: 34 069 005 438 003
7
Fish Tagging Program
By Heff
Outlined below are some of the recent
fascinating re-captures of fish nationwide as
supplied by the NSW Fish Tagging Program.
Gold Coast Sailfish
A sailfish released by Gold Coast Game
Fishing Club boat Mojo whilst fishing east of
Surfers Paradise, QLD, on December 27th
2015 has recently been recaptured. The
sailfish was re-caught by anglers aboard
Hooked Up approximately 9 nautical miles
from its release location, after 90 days at
liberty. The sailfish was originally released at
an estimated 25kg and recaptured and rereleased at an estimated 35kg and 210cm
lower jaw fork length. It was also the first
billfish for both release and recapture anglers,
making this recapture all the more exciting for
those involved.
South Australia to the Gold Coast
A kingfish released off Port Augusta, SA, on
November 25th 2013, by Adelaide GFC boat
Like a Boss has recently been recaptured off
the Gold Coast, QLD, after having spent 866
days at liberty. The kingfish had swum at least
1600 nautical miles (3087km) following
around the south and east coast of Australia
and grew from 121cm to 127cm (16.25kg).
This is the seventh South Australian kingfish
to be recaptured on the east coast of Australia
and the furthest north that any of them have
been recaptured. Interestingly, the second
furthest swim north was also released on Like
a Boss, having been released off Port Augusta
on October 21st 2013, and recaptured and rereleased 387 days later off Coffs Harbour,
NSW.
Big Banana Blues
NSW experienced some great blue marlin
fishing throughout March with boats tagging
multiple fish in a day's fishing. Broken Bay
GFC boat Big Banana experienced this first
hand during a short trip to Port Stephens,
releasing 5 from 9 blue marlin over two days
fishing. One of these blue marlin caught on
March 25th, 2016, happened to be previously
tagged 13 days prior by Lake Macquarie GFC
boat Compton whilst fishing the Newcastle
GFC East Coast Classic Tournament. The
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recaptured blue marlin was originally released
11 nautical miles from its recapture location
and was re-released by Big Banana in
excellent condition. This fish marks the third
blue marlin recapture for the year which is
exciting considering the relatively low
recapture rate for the species.
Black Marlin Recaps
Over 15 black marlin have been reported
recaptured as part of the 2015/16 season,
with DPI still chasing up the original release
information on some of these fish. Two
interesting recaptures highlighting the black
marlin movements south, along the east coast
of Australia during summer, are written
below.
A black marlin released off Port Stephens by
Sydney GFC boat Tantrum on January 24th
2016, has been reported as recaptured by
Bermagui BGAC boat Gamechaser whilst
fishing off Tathra, NSW. The estimated 50kg
black marlin traveled a straight line distance
of 276 nautical miles during its 49 days at
liberty and was re-released in excellent
condition by the crew on Gamechaser.
Land based anglers have not missed out on
the action either with good numbers of black
marlin having been caught off iconic rock
ledges such as the Tubes, Jervis Bay. One black
marlin taken off the Tubes was a recaptured
fish which was originally released off Fraser
Island last November. Sunshine Coast GFC
boat Old Salty Dog originally released the
juvenile black marlin of approximately 7kg on
November 12th 2015, off Rooney's Point,
Fraser Island. The small fish was released in
excellent condition, only to be recaptured 128
days later and 638 nautical miles south, off
the Tubes. The fish was recaptured by keen
land based angler Jason Stanley and after
brief tussle the fish was captured in excellent
condition and was weighed at 14kg, having
roughly doubled in size throughout its journey
south. This is the second land based billfish
recapture to have been reported to the
program and is the furthest south a juvenile
black marlin of this size has been recaptured
in Australia.
FISHING PORT DOUGLAS
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8
Weipa Continued to Spellbind
By Jake Wyatt
PORT DOUGLAS
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Ph: 0409 610 869
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Bistro
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Well we are finally coming to the end of our
stint here in Weipa after 12 weeks of fishing
bliss, and what a stint it has been. To visit a
new area and experience mind blowing
fishing on all fronts has been easily one of
the best trips I’ve ever done. From the rivers
to the bluewater on the coast it has been
nothing short of brilliant. Our clients who
have flown in from all over Australia couldn’t
get enough and are all returning next year.
We’ve done previous trips fishing for Barra
on the east coast at locations such as
Lockhart River and Princess Charlotte Bay
with pretty good results but the barra fishing
over in here The Gulf is at a completely whole
new level - streets ahead in fact. It has been
nothing but sensational with many, many
memorable catches. The size and condition
of the fish up here are also fantastic. There’s
no sight better than seeing big silver chrome
fish dance all over the water and then have
the opportunity to have a picture taken with
one after a memorable fight.
And certainly not to be the dismissed the
fishing for mangrove jack and also sooty
grunter and saratoga in the brackish waters
has been bloody awesome. Fishing in often
very tight waters you have to be on your toes
preventing horse size fish from taking you
back into the bricks of the mangroves. Lock,
load and crank became the order of the day
on numerous occasions.
On one of our most recent trips we recently
had the company of a local legend in the
Cairns and Port Douglas barra scene, Terry
Holman and it proved to be a great trip.
Proceedings started off reasonably steady
with numbers of barra in the twenties, then
the thirties and soon it was in the forties per
session. It was full on fishin’ as they say. Once
again the size was overall great with minimal
fish being undersized. Seafood and barra
laksa, tempura barra and barramundi tacos
were flowing every day. Fishing Heaven!
We also headed offshore to try our luck with
soft plastics and it didn't take long at all. We
had giant schools of golden trevally
swimming around the back of the boat like
pets and they became the easiest of pickings
as you could imagine. Literally all you had to
do was waggle your soft plastic just below
the boat and they would fight like tooth and
nail to be the one to inhale it - amazing stuff!
Reef St
Four Mile
Port Douglas
Ph: 4099 3655
Blue Ribbon Event
Heavy Tackle Tournament
Nov 9th - 13th 2016
FormulaOneFishing
Ph: 0498 272 611
Details: portdouglasmarlinchallenge.com
9
We had triple hook ups of massive
fingermark from off the bottom and they
made us become quite creative around the
deck trying to curb their enthusiasm. I tell
you there is no shortage of big fingermark in
these neck of the woods and they are
certainly one of the best delicacies to serve
up on the plate. Also accompanying the
fingermark off these rubbly patches were big
hard fighting cod and as many trout and
nannygai you could poke a stick at.
On the surface and flicking lures around we
caught plenty of queenfish well over the
metre mark and they always put on one of
the best aerial displays in the fishing
kingdom. The hollering and cheering by the
punters as they cartwheel across the ocean is
Is what makes for the best of times on the
water.
Not to finish there the cobia were around in
numbers and once again proved to be
awesome white knuckling action on the
light spin outfits. These fish go like the
clappers and will test any gear and the angler
himself. And last but not least the football
field size schools of long tail tuna provided
endless amounts of fun and you could have
caught as many as you wanted. As you
panned your eyes across the ocean you
could see everywhere pockets of water
erupting into a wild frenzy with bait fish and
tuna leaping frantically in all directions. This
sort of scene never stopped and was there
from the moment you started fishing till you
stopped - an incredible sight! Literally it was
a plethora of fish on all accounts and it
doesn’t get any better.
All our trips experienced a similar outcome
and after spending almost 3 months up here
in the remote Far North on The Gulf, it truly is
a special place and a hard one to leave. From
the beautiful sunrises, to the sometimes
crazy wind and rain squalls and not to
mention the unbelievable fishing and
associated wildlife including monster crocs,
it does not matter how you do it, but
checking this place out is a must. The overall
fishing would easily be one of the best
locations in Australia.
If you feel that this is something you want to
do, feel free to get in contact with me to
possibly book a trip of a lifetime for next year
or even just to have a chat about the area.
You will not regret it.
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The Place to Relax on the Port Douglas Marina
10
KIDS
FISHING
CLINIC
SATURDAY 9TH JULY 2016
Starts 7:30am and runs to 12 noon.
Must check-in and have name confirmed with
Bransfords staff at Jetty on arrival (next to Toilet
Block).
Ages 8 14 years old, younger children can still
participate if Parent/Guardian remains in
attendance and supervise at all times.
Cost is $20.00 per child.
Parent/Guardian must complete one form for each
child.
BBQ Sausage sizzle at end of fishing 12 noon,
parents welcome to attend.
Presentation of prizes and goodie bag at 12:30pm
GO TO www.bransfords.com.au
for your entry form
The Port Douglas Florist
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Floral Design
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Mossman
& Cairns
Ph: 07 4099 5503
"The aim of the Kids Fishing Clinic is to encourage local kids to take up fishing as a hobby
and recreational activity, with the supervision and assistance of fishing professionals to
"show them the ropes". Held once a year for 22 years, on the last Saturday of the
June/July school holidays at the Palm Cove Jetty, it has been reported as the largest
amateur fishing event for kids in Australia with 178 kids for the 2015 event and 172 for
the 2014 event. The kids get helpful advice from local fishing professionals and Bransfords
staff, with catch and/or achievement prizes awarded across a range of categories. After
fishing activities conclude (from 6:30am to around 11:30am), an awards ceremony is held
together with a sausage sizzle, and a "goody-bag" is given to all registered participants".
June Line Burner Predictor
James Beitzel’s
RIVER, COAST
and REEF
Call 4090 7638
Outlined below are some hot dates to keep
in mind for the coming month around the
Port Douglas region. Adverse weather
conditions and your choice of locations
may affect your outcome.
Friday 3rd June 74% rating
8.45am-11.45am
Saturday 4th June 89% rating
9.45am-12.45pm
Sunday 5th June 95% rating
10.45am-1.45pm
Monday 6th June 91% rating
11.45am-2.45pm
Tuesday 7th June 77% rating
12.45am-3.45pm
Sunday 19th June 85% rating
9.30am-12.30pm & 4.00pm-6.00pm
Monday 20th June 95% rating
10.30am-1.30pm & 4.50pm-6.50pm
Tuesday 21st June 93% rating
11.20am-2.20pm
Wednesday 22nd June 83% rating
12.15pm-3.15pm & 7.00am-9.00am
Thursday 23rd June 72% rating
12.30pm-3.30pm
Cooktown
Port Douglas
Phone: (07) 4098 5761
Cnr Captain Cook Highway &
Port Douglas Rd, Pt Douglas QLD 4877
Email: [email protected]
OPENING HOURS:
DAILY
MON–SUN: 7AM - 8PM
FULL RANGE OF GROCERIES
• LOCAL BREAD • DELICATESSEN
• FRESH FRUIT & VEGIES • FREEZER
• DAIRY • FRESH MEAT • BAIT & ICE
Phone: (07) 4069 5633
29 Helen St, Cooktown, QLD 4895
Email: [email protected]
OPENING HOURS:
MON–FRI: 8AM - 7PM
SAT: 8AM - 6PM
SUN: 8AM - 5PM
11
Reel Cooking
with Mojo’s
Mick Hart
Garlic Prawns Calzone
Ingredients
1/2 kg of green Tiger Prawn (off the Santiego)
1/2 kg pizza dough (lots of good recipes on Google)
2 cups of grated mozzarella
4 whole bulbs of garlic
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Wrap garlic in foil and roast in the oven for 30min.
Once cooked remove from oven and turn heat up to
max.
Meanwhile peel and de-vien prawns. Lightly sauté
prawns in a splash of oil until just cooked, cool and
season with sea salt and pepper.
Divide dough into 4 and roll out into 6" circles.
Place prawns on one side of the dough, cut the top off
the garlic and squeeze out pulp onto prawns, top with
cheese.
Carefully fold over
dough and pleat the
edges.
Place on a baking
tray and bake for 510min on the hottest
setting.
0419 015 262
12
The Gunnell Rod - a Local Invention
By Heff
A wholly owned and operated local
company, distributing wholesale dry,
chilled and frozen grocery items direct
to the kitchens of leading restaurants,
cafes, hotels and sports &
entertainment venues.
Proudly Servicing
Port Douglas,
Mossman, Cairns
and District
Phone 4035 3911
River - Reef - Game
Ph: 0409 610 869
www.fishingportdouglas.com.au
Mens Style Cuts
from $20
Keith Lawrence
It has been several years in the making but a
local inventor of the Gunnell Rod has finally
released his new and exciting fishing product
to the world wide market. The Gunnell Rod
will be sold and marketed by the legendary
Alvey Reel company who has been a
household name in the fishing industry since
the 1920’s. The Gunnell Rod will appeal to
many an angler and will certainly be a hit for
those fishing on the Great Barrier Reef or any
deep sea fishing for that matter. With the
significant backing of Alvey Reels the future
for this exciting new product looks very bright.
There has been tinkering with this product for
a few years now and there’s been several
modifications along the way. The local
inventor is a very passionate angler and a very
good one at that. He saw a gap in the market
and was hell bent on filling that void. Now it is
ready to take its place in the fishing market.
Recently field tested on the Port Douglas
charter boat, Dragon Lady Charters, the
Gunnell Rod was put through its paces and
came through with shining colours and
fantastic results. Fish that were claimed by the
Gunnell Rod on this day included red emperor,
coral and bar cheek trout, spangled emperor,
green jobfish, cobia and host of other reef
species. Over 40 fish were boated in 5hrs of
fishing. Skipper Steve of Dragon Lady was
certainly impressed and has already put in a
pre-order for several because he believes that
it will be beneficial to a variety of anglers for
quite a few different reasons.
The main feature of the Gunnell Rod is that is
will fit any mid to large sized over head reel.
Anglers nowadays love their over head reels
and they can easily use them in conjunction
with the Gunnell Rod. High speed reels are just
the ticket to get your prized catch into the
boat in the shortest possible time. The Gunnell
Rod can be loaded and cranked to retrieve line
considerably quicker than any other means
whether it be by rod or by hand. Taming big
fish and having them land on the deck in quick
succession is just one of the obvious benefits
of the Gunnell Rod.
From a personal or even charter point of view
where clients can be problematic at times
we’ve listed a variety of reasons why the
FUEL • OIL • SEAFOOD • BAIT • ICE
Dickson Inlet, Port St, Port Douglas
Phone 4099 6792
Gunnell Rod will be an asset to any boat.
Why have a Gunnell Rod?
- the apparatus is basically bullet proof of any
malfunction or breakage. No more broken
rods.
- as the unit is compact and sits in the gunnell
of your boat, it seriously de-clutters your deck
space and maximises your fishing area.
- the gunnell rod is perfect for anyone
including kids, the elderly and the
inexperienced. It is a very simple way of fishing
requiring very little effort or any special
technique. You can even leave the Gunnell
Rod in the holder and let the reel catch the fish
if you want. The unit also has a holding handle
and can rotate to help control and follow fish
movement through the water.
- deep sea pro fisherman will love the Gunnell
Rod being more compact and having the
ability crank fish up from the depths at high
speed with a suitable reel.
- game fisherman will find the Gunnell Rod
ultra convenient for trolling teaser systems or
trolling lures for bait or mackerel which
require the use of a paravane. The system is
also ideal to be used as a down rigging outfit.
There are many reasons why the Gunnell Rod
will find its way onto a lot of fishing boats and
we believe this product will be an absolute
winner. Get behind this great Local Product
and you can view it at:
www.alvey.com.au/gunnell
13
14
Great Products Keep Rolling Out
By Lachie O’Hanlon @ Nautical Marine Sales
New on the shelves this month is the Nomad Madscad 115, an
absolute weapon of a lure! For those who aren't familiar with the
Nomad brand here is a little background on the company. Nomad was
started as a fishing charter company quite a while back and specialises
in targeting large sportfish, namely reef species and Giant Trevally.
Over time the company grew with its success in finding big fish for its
customers and they started doing extended Coral Sea charters to
distant and remote locations. With a high demand they entered a
niche market of the tackle trade with the company stocking high end
lures and equipment suited to the toughest sportfish. One of the
biggest developments they have had is their own range of Nomad
branded lures which are designed and constructed on the expert
advice of their guide and skippers. We absolutely love the new
Nomad Madscad 115 sinking stickbaits for quite a lot of reasons. First
of all they look amazing! All Madscads are finished with a wicked
paint job and there are even miniature Coral Trout and Banana Fusilier
patterns which work a treat on the reef. We stock a range of fully
rigged Madscads in store in our favourite colour patterns to suit our
local reef top and GT fishing. All are rigged with Nomads brand of
super sharp and strong 3/0 sized BKK single lure hooks and split rings
which have stood the test of time on their own charter boats.
Weighing in at 42 grams they are designed to get down to the fish
and sink right down under the bait schools where the predators are
waiting to ambush slow and sick baitfish. The Madscad has been
based on a fusilier/herring shape which at 115mm perfectly imitates
our common reef bait fish. The attention to detail in design is second
to none with the smallest features making these lures swim incredibly.
A pair of small stabilising fins are present at the rear of the Madscad to
keep it tracking upright and straight at all times. They are made from a
very tough Heavy Duty ABS plastic to resist toothy critters like big
Dogtooth Tuna, Coral Trout and Spanish Mackerel and are also foam
filled inside in case something should break through the outside shell.
Small sinking stickbaits like this are perfect for chasing reef and
pelagic fish especially when the weather is slightly on the rough and
bumpy side as they get down under the surface and to the fish which
generally hold deeper in these conditions. They are best sunk down
and then retrieved by twitching them back with an erratic action the
fish can't resist. Check out what the hype is all about at Nautical
Marine soon!
Another new and interesting lure from the guys at Nomad is the
Salmo Slider glide bait. This is the first time I have ever had anything to
do with a glide bait style lure and I must say I'm impressed! One of our
juniors, Dylan, mentioned similar designs to me a while ago and even
makes his own timber versions of these odd looking lures and catches
plenty on them too! They are a lure with a quite unique body shape
and action and certainly look like a wounded baitfish when worked
with the right retrieve. Originating in Europe they are built to the
highest standards and finished beautifully. Each batch of lures is tank
tested to ensure they swim straight out of the packet. I can't wait to
try them around the marina pylons and causeways when the Barra are
feeding on larger Mud Herring in particular. They should work equally
as good on the reef top for Coral Tout and other reef species. At 12cm
long and featuring a big deep body shape it is a fairly large lure suited
to fish with a big mouth and appetite. Its sinking nature lets you drop
it into structure vertically before working it back. A straight retrieve
causes the Salmo Slider to wobble tightly whilst a jerk and twitch gets
it to almost dart at 90 degrees to its initial position. The Salmo Slider is
certainly a lure that the fish won't have seen before!
Chandlery & Electronics - Fishing Tackle & Rod Hire - Charts & Books - Tour Bookings - Marine Insurance - Yacht Brokering
Nomad
Madscad
Stickbaits
2 for $45!!
Javelin 50 Cray Guns
Slashed to $175!!
UGLY STIK
Kids Tackle Rat Combo's
Just $44.95
New Range of
Tonic Glass Polarized
Get ready For Winter
Sunglasses!
and beat the cold!
All $239
Ocean Hunter 3mm
Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows Camouflage Wetsuit
Long Sleeve Fishing Shirts
90mm and 110mm a crazy 2 for $35!!
ENCODA Live Shrimp
Any 2 for $60!!
$119.95
Monthly Specials
Andrew & Jane McNeil - Shop 2, 30 Wharf Street - PO Box 727, Port Douglas
Ph: (07) 4099 6508 Mob: 0400 721 110 E: [email protected]
Monthly Specials
15
More Crocodile Trivia
Upon further research about crocs (Crocodilia), I'll quote some information from an American author,
named Lynne Kelly. Her book is titled; “Crocodile. Evolution's Greatest Survivor.”
Kelly describes crocs' teeth as theodont dentition, which means the root of the tooth is fixed firmly
into the socket of the jawbone. Crocs replace their teeth throughout their lifetime and are conical and
hollow. In the hollow spot below each tooth a new one is growing. As soon as the outer tooth falls out
a new one is there to take its place.
In my time on the river I have seen three large males that were edentate (lacking teeth). Upon
checking with authorities, they expressed doubts and suggested that something was amiss with their
diets. As we are in a farming district, we can assume that some of our practices could be at fault and
we'll need to address it, eventually.
Kelly says, “ The crocodilian heart has a partitioned ventricle. One side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs, the other
pumps it around the body. When the croc submerges, it can't get fresh air into its lungs but redirects blood to the vital
organs, mainly to the brain and heart where it is most needed.”
Crocs can shunt blood into their gut without oxygenating it. This non-oxygenated blood is high in carbon dioxide which
develops high acidity to better digest its prey, breaking down bone horns and feathers.
Crocs don't chew their food; they just rip it off and swallow it. The “chewing” is done in the stomach which is divided
into two chambers. The first chamber is like a bird's gizzard which contains rocks and aids in breaking down their food.
Crocs' skin is composed of scales made from keratin, which is the same protein as hooves and horns. These bumpy
scales act like solar panels, which absorb heat from the sun. The heat is slowly radiated back into the croc's body after
the sun has gone down. So, in winter, the croc basks all day then slinks back into the water at night as the air
temperature falls quickly and the croc remains warm throughout the night.
Crocs have sensitive skin along its armour plating. They
have sensory pits which grow along their jaws and
body, called Dermal Pressure Receptors. These small
black speckles are filled with nerve fibres and can feel
the slightest disturbance in surface water, which allows
them to detect prey and danger, even in total darkness.
See you next month.
Many Thanks to Bruce and the team for taking my
Mum and myself on a recent tour of the Daintree
River. We saw 3 big crocs, 2 baby crocs no longer
than 20cm, numerous kingfishers and 2 different
snakes - great value for an hour’s cruise - Heff
Ph: 0412 329 568
LEADING RESIDENTIAL HOME
BUILDER IN PORT DOUGLAS
Ph: 0427 379 802
www.imagebankaustralia.com.au
Local Bragging Board
Brodie Francis caught
this ripper Barramund
i
fishing up the local inl
et in Port Douglas.
It measured 1m on the
nose!
y
ught this hand
portfishing ca on Inlet
S
as
gl
ou
D
t
Por
the Dicks
Fingermark on
Ken Whiton (pictured left) & Bryan McManus both recently
put the new Gunnell Rod through its paces and came up
trumps with a big haul of Nannygai - Thumbs Up they reckon !
Dragon Lady Char
ters experienced
a
big run on the Na
nnygai in early M
ay
nster
Eats Mo an
r
te
s
n
o
m
M
V Norse
on the M