Friday, June 28, 2013

Win An Awesome Whispbar 4 Rod Roof Rack Kit


Want to win a great 4 Rod Roof Rack Kit to fit your Wispbar or P-Bar Roof Racks valued at $219?

With a sturdy construction and fully lockable, the soft rubber holds rods gently but firmly and means precious fishing gear will not be damaged nor will you have any lines to untangle when you get there.

And guess what? These handy devices will serve you in a different way when the weather gets a bit too chilly for fishing. They can also be used to carry your skis and snow boards to the ski slopes and carry on the fun!

Whispbar is available from all leading roof rack outlets.The Whispbar roof racks are super adaptable. The innovative Smartfoot system adapts and transfers simply to virtually any vehicle, making it easy and inexpensive to fit to a different car.

For more information visit the Whispbar Website.

For your chance to win this great prize, simply send an email to win@fishmax.com.au and tell us in 25 words or less, why you would like these great fishing roof racks. Entries close 31 July 2013.

New Stacker 309 Stinga a Beauty

Fast becoming a favourite best Australian tinnie design, the 309 Stinga by Stacer was developed to create a budget friendly first boat option for up-and-coming boaties and fisherman looking for a light and practical boat.
Measuring in at 3.21m in length and weighing 70kg, this Aussie fishing tinnie is easy to  load onto a 4WD or camper trailer.
The Stacer 309 Stinga can easily carry a load of three passengers and with tough 2mm bottomsides this little beauty is ready for everyday fishing and a little more.
The 309 Stinga includes all the essentials for a first time boat owner including awide beam and high sides which makes it easy and safe to handle no matter your experience.
With front and rear bench seats complete with flotation the Stinga has the basics covered with plenty of room for your fishing gear and with a power rating up to 15hp there is plenty of power behind this little tinnie.
With a variety of extras available you can option up your 309 Stinga to suit your boating needs including rod holders, a painted hull, transducer bracket, vinyl wrap and bow rails.
‘You can’t beat a good old Aussie tinnie and there’s no better option than the 309 Stinga if you’re looking for an easy reliable option,’ Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson told us.
The 309 Stinga is available as a Stacer ‘Ready 2 Go’ package complete with boat, motor and trailer and comes with a 3 year limited factory warranty.
For more information on the 309 Stinga and the entire Stacer range visit the website www.stacer.com.au

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Fishing Quote by Steven Wright

Steven Wright
“There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.”
― Steven Wright

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Fantastic Sushimi Kingfish Recipe

Delicious Sashimi Kingfish by Richard Ousby
Is this the best Sashimi Kingfish recipe you've tried? This great Kingfish sashimi recipe is from Electrolux Australian Young Chef 2011, Richard Ousby. Richard is now sous-chef at Quay Sydney - rated number 48 in the World’s Best 50 Restaurants. 

sashimi kingfish, romesco cauliflower, pickled Jerusalem artichokes, wild herbs, charred onion dressing

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Skills needed: 
Serves: 4-6

kingfish
allow 100g-180g per person depending upon dish size
bunch small red radishes

romesco cauliflower puree:
Ingredients
1 cauliflower
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
40ml olive oil
handful of picked spinach baby and italian parsley (the leaves picked from the stems) 
250ml water

method
finely chop the cauliflower keeping a couple of the florets for garnish. In a small pot sweat the shallots and garlic in some olive oil and add the cauliflower and water placing a tight fittin g lid on to keep the moisture in, cooking until almost tender. Then add the spinach and parsley cooking for a further 4 minutes. Remove from the stove and puree the hot mixture in a blender and blend on high till very smooth making sure there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper to taste then pour the mixture into a small bowl and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes. You can store this in the fridge until required for up to 3 days. 

pickled Jerusalem artichokes:
ingredients
150 ml cider vinegar
1 tbls white sugar 
1 teaspoon salt
500g Jerusalem artichokes 

method
in a small blow, mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Thinly slice the Artichokes, place in a container or bowl and dress immediately with the vinegar mix to prevent them going brown. Seal and store in the fridge till required.

charred onion dressing 
Ingredients
1 half bunch of green shallots
200ml EVO
50ml cider vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, pepper

method
on a grill or bbq, char the shallots till black. Once cooled place in a blender on low speed with the vinegar, EVO and lemon juice making sure that you leave some texture in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in a airtight container in the fridge until required. When using the dressing fold through some finely chopped chives just before serving


to assemble 
thinly slice the king fish into ½ cm slices and some small radishes on a mandolin or as finely as you can. In a small bowl, dress the radishes and cauliflower florets with a little salt and olive oil and toss lightly with your hands to make sure the dressing has covered all of the ingredients evenly. On the plate smear some of the puree. Remove the artichokes from the pickling liqueur, pat them dry with kitchen paper then dress with a little olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle ½ of the artichokes on the side of the plate. Arrange the kingfish on top, then the radishes, cauliflower and the rest of the artichokes and finish with wild herbs on top. Finish with the charred onion dressing and serve

chef tips:
• fresh is best. Make the sashimi the day you catch the kingfish. If buying sashimi fish make sure you purchase it on the day you are using it from a good fish monger. 
• other fresh fish can be subtitled for the kingfish such as salmon or mackeral
• pickled vegetables can be made in advance and are great to have in the fridge as they are great with grilled meats of in salads.


Recipe: courtesy of Richard, Ousby, Electrolux Australian Young Chef 2011. Pic courtesy of Dec Creatives Photography

Saturday, June 22, 2013

A must for every fisho

I can't believe we haven't seen this before.



Doesn't every fisherman want a fishing reel toilet roll holder?

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Catch and Release Canuck Style

This video just in from our Canadian correspondent. Take a look at how the canucks practice catch and release with a particular Northern Style :)



Here in Oz we've seen fish on the line taken by bigger fish, sharks and even crocks, but I've never seen a whale take a fish from a line before. 

Monday, June 17, 2013

All About Bream Fishing Australia

Heaps of Australian fisherman love their Bream fishing, and it's just about the best time of the year for Bream fishing in Australia so we thought it was worth taking another look at the basics .

 Back in the day, Bream fishing was all about throwing out a chunck of  mullet gut or fillet out in the water but now soft plastics are the terminal tackle of choice for bream. 

When selecting an outfit to chase bream make sure you go as light as possible. Graphite rods are the better choice as they are more responsive, lighter and have better control. The line rating on the rod is very important a rod between 1-4kg and around 7’ to 7’6” in length is the way to go as this will give you the distance in the cast that you need and still retain all the feel as well.

Reel choice is also very important, a reel size between 1000-3000 sizes is ample. The Shimano reels are ideal as they have a tapered spool lip this is a great aid when casting as the line feeds off the spool a lot easier giving you a longer cast.

When choosing the line for your reel, braid is the better choice as it has next to no stretch, this gives you better bite detection resulting in a better hook-up rate and more fish. The size of the braid is also very important the lighter the better, anything 4lb or under is the go. The lighter the line you use the more natural the presentation and the better it will perform.

Leader choice is vital, as any line just won’t do the job. Good quality fluorocarbon is paramount to fishing for Bream, as it is next to invisible in the water, because it does not reflect light and this is very important as Bream are a very spooky fish.

Soft plastics like the Berkley Gulp 2” shrimp, curl tail grubs, 3” minnow patterns and Berkley Powerbait 3” minnows are a good start when looking for the right lure. When selecting the jigheads to suit, the Tackle Tactics hidden weight system is the go, as the weight of the jighead is inside the lure making it look more natural. Weight selection will vary depending on where you go fishing, the current flow and the depth of the water, anything from 1/40th of an ounce to 1/16th of an ounce will do the job but the lighter you can fish the better results you will get.  

When it comes to lure action you are the driver, so what you do with your rod tip will be replicated at the lure. Using the plastics a couple of quick whips of the rod tip and then letting the lure sink again works really well on the open grounds, where as if fishing around structure small little hops works better as you can keep the lure in the strike zone longer.

And if using hard bodies lures like the Sebile Crankster, Atomic Hardz, EcoGear SX40 and the Shimano Lure Project lures all work really well. These lures have their own inbuilt action, so working them is very easy, a couple of quick winds to get the lure down to the bottom and then just a slow wind keeping the lure on or near the bottom.

Bait fishing for Bream is not as simple as it used to be. Bait selection is something that should be very high on your priority list when fishing for Bream, the fresher the better and if you can get small live baits then that is better again. Baits like live prawns and hardy heads are perfect for Bream. But if you can’t get live bait then good quality frozen bait will also work.

There are a number of different rigs that you can use for Bream, the most popular being the running ball rig, but you will find a floating rig and also a paternoster will also work well in deeper water. As with any type of fishing try and limit the amount of weight that you use the lighter the better.

For all your latest Bream gear, you can't go past BCF

Friday, June 14, 2013

Honda Australia Outboard Motors on Sale - Honda Boat Show Special

Honda Australia has announced that its  is offering a sea of savings on its Honda marine outboard engines this boat show season. It's also offering 5.99 per cent finance cross the entire range. This offer is available from Honda Marine dealers right around Australia during the boat show season.
Honda Australia marine manager Robert Johnson said recently that the boat show season was prime time to encourage more people to get into boating.
"For those new to boating, as well as experienced boaters, this season's savings and the low comparison interest rate bring premium Honda outboards within easy reach of more people," Mr Johnson said.
"With exclusive Honda technologies such as BLAST delivering powerful hole-shot performance, ECOmo lean burn fuel control system contributing to excellent fuel economy, and VTEC delivering incredible top-end speed, Honda owners know they have the edge out on the water.
"Exceptional performance, combined with unequalled reliability and backed by a five-year warranty, ensures every Honda outboard delivers value that far exceeds its price tag."
From lightweight portable outboards for tenders and canoes, mid-range outboards for tinnies and smaller fibreglass boats right up to high-horsepower engines for ski/wake and offshore fishing boats, Honda's technologically-advanced engine range covers the full spectrum.
Available only to retail customers, full terms and conditions are available at Honda Marine dealerships.
Visit www.honda.com.au to locate your nearest Honda Marine dealer.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Limited Edition State of Origin Lures from Rapala

Rapala VMC Australia in partnership with the State Of Origin and Grays Online are auctioning off a NSW and QLD Rapala Giant Lure autographed by the 2013 State of Origin team coaches, Laurie Daley and Mal Meninga.

Show support for your State of Origin team with this novelty size 75cm Rapala Original lure, in state team colours and also support the great work by the Men Of League Foundation. Built to scale, this collectable lure comes fitted with treble hooks, a swimming lip and is packed in a genuine, oversized Rapala lure box. 

ALL proceeds of this auction will be donated to the Men Of League Foundation which supports members of the rugby league community who have fallen on hard times. The charity's vision was to build a Foundation that provides practical assistance with everything from medical operations, rehabilitation and nursing equipment to welfare support, grants and scholarships. 

Learn more about the Men Of League Foundation from www.menofleague.com

For your chance to own these extremely limited edition, autographed State Of Origin Giant Rapala Lures, visit here and place your bid. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

How to Deep Water Jig

Deep Water jigging of the Australian coast can be very rewarding, but it's hard work and if you're not doing it quite right, you can spend all day with not much to show for it.

Take a look at this great Australian deep water jigging video from BCF for a few tips and tricks.


Monday, June 10, 2013

Trolling Cod Fishing Video

Take a look at this great clip of Rod Mackenzie as he  goes on search for a big Cod within the Murray river for Shimano. Rod shows how simple  trolling can a make a big difference when fishing Murray cod.


Friday, June 7, 2013

Cooking Barra Fillets Made Easy


We're always looking for easy great tasting fish recipes, and here is another great Aussie fish recipe from Annette Sym's "Symply Too Good To Be True" series. Annette's been kind enough to let us reproduce some of these great Australian fish recipes  from book 6 - she's even given us copies of her cookbook to give away, so read on to find out how you could win one of these great books.


BARRAMUNDI
1 teaspoon crushed ginger (in jar)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (in jar)
4 x 125g boneless barramundi fillets
cooking spray

DRESSING
⅓ cup 97% fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Pad Thai paste
½ teaspoon red curry paste
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

BURGER
4 x 50g multigrain bread rolls
4 cups mixed salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber etc)
80g sliced avocado (optional)

SERVES: 4

To cook fish: Rub ginger and garlic over top side of fish fillets. Spray over top of fillets with cooking spray then place coated side down into a non-stick frypan that has been generously coated with cooking spray. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Spray fish with cooking spray before turning to cook other side for a further 3-4 minutes. If fish fillets are thick they may require further time to cook. To know when fish is cooked through, check if the inside of the fish is white. If you see pink, this means the fish is not cooked through.

To make dressing: In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, Pad Thai Paste, red curry paste and lemon juice.

To assemble burger: Cut bread rolls in half and place under griller until toasted and browned. Place salad on base of buns then top with fish. Pour a quarter of dressing over the top of each piece of fish. Divide avocado into 4 servings and place on each piece of fish then place remaining bread lid on top.

Variation:
Omit avocado to lower fat count by 4.5g. Replace fish with 4 x 100g slices firm tofu or 4 x 100g of skinless chicken breast.

Not suitable to be frozen.

New Zealand is a brown trout Mecca, and the country has a new king trout to worship.
Evan Johnson, of Timaru, New Zealand, was fishing the Upper Waitaki hydro canals when he landed a 39.7-pound female brown trout setting the New Zealand record. Officials believe it could be the biggest female brown trout caught in the world.
The canals are big-fish battlegrounds. With 37 and 38-pound rainbows being landed from there in recent years. According to the Timaru Herald, Johnson caught the fish on Monday, October 22 using a Tasmanian Devil lure. The fish was so big that it broke his fishing net when he tried to land it. -Brian McClintock