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23.01.2022 #6.1 of 40: UPGRADE 55.5cm. Lure Double Clutch. Nov 2017. A little larger specimen, caught during the ABT 2017 Grand Final Bream competition in Mallacoota. There were plenty of flatties around, this one went back to feed n' breed, the other smaller models ended up in the freezer. #6 of 40: Dusky flathead (Platycephalus fuscus). 42.5cm. Lure Zman Grub. Feb '17. I figure the chances of catching a larger flaty before the deadline likely so I held off posting this for a while. It's barely legal and pretty average for Mallacoota, still it's on the scoreboard. Fingers crossed for a larger model will come my way when next in Coota. - Released...this time!

21.01.2022 Upgrade #7.1 of 40. Brown trout (Salmo trutta). 50cm. 4lb. Fly: glow bug. May ‘18. Enjoyed a day out at Millbrook lakes with Phillip Weigal...so much to learn and now I’m hooked on fly. #7 of 40. Brown trout (Salmo trutta). 46cm. Fish Arrow Flash Huddle Tail. Mar '17. Fishing buddy Phil and myself decided to take a 1/2 day out chasing trout and redfin at Lake Toolondo. We were on our way to the Vic Bream event in Warrnambool. Thanks to 'Inland Fishing Charters' Trevor Holm...es we got onto some early morning trout by casting soft minnows around the timber. Glad to tick this one off the list, now keen to land a pinker variety. It didn't improve the Bream comp result but you can bet we'll be taking a detour again soon. -Released- See more

17.01.2022 #2 of 40. Blackfin Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri). 41.5cm, 1.24kg. Lure: Zman Grub. Feb '17. It was a boys weekend at the Bemm River Hobie fishing event. Grandpa, Max and Oscar were tucked up in bed whilst I was enjoying the pristine morning of the Day 2 competition. After a long cast over the flats I made the last hop and pause motion to the grub near the yak. From under the boat this brute bolted and hit the grub like a freight train. I eased off the drag and soaked up the excitement of coaxing her into the a net - glad to have 6lb spooled. To top it off I got to share a rare 'Big Bream Winning' moment with my Dad and two boys!

16.01.2022 #15. Snook (Sphyraena novaehollandiae). 49cm. Bait: Pilchard. Dec '17. Western Port. Happy to tick another from the list, a good day out with my mates Phil and Amy. The Snook can grow 1M+ so nothing to brag about here.

15.01.2022 #3 of 40. Silver Trevally (Pseudocaranx georgianus). 40cm. Lure: Jackall Squirel. Feb '17. This one was by-catch whilst I was chasing bream, its a decent size, and they always put up a good fight on light gear. When I felt those fast tail kicks I realised it wasn't a decent bream. Nonetheless, I am very happy to tick this one off the list. - released -

15.01.2022 #13. Zander (Sander lucioperca). 82cm. Lure: Big Soft Plastic. Sept '17 (Continued from #12) With day 2 of the Sweden trip now a memory I was eager to get back on the water and Henrick promised a secret spot to snag the 40cm+ trifecta. With boat in toe we turned off into a private drive which is usually a good sign and arrived at another beautiful lake. We used the same 'vertical fishing' technique and like the previous day we saw plenty of very shy fish on the sounder. Thi...s time they were Zander fish which I reckon look like a cross between Cod and Barra, they seem to have a think before they strike compared to the blind fury of the Pike. The Zander would give the lure a nudge and eyeball it for what seems like an eternity, whereas the Pike sits underneath and hones in on the silhouette and commits. Without luck during the morning, we tried a change of lake and I knew Henrick was worried, then at 5pm we got the one and only strike of the day... and I learnt that this thinking fish sure strikes hard and I landed this Zander- what a relief! We got off the water at 8pm and given I'd mentioned that the only take-away food I could find in Sweden was a kebab, upon our return Paul kindly opened up the clubhouse restaurant. He showed some Swedish hospitality by cooking up a delicious Swedish dish (it's name escapes me). Then dreading my all nighter that lay ahead I said goodbye to that pretty little part of the world. See more

14.01.2022 #4 of 40. European Carp (Cyprinus carpio). 65cm. Bait: worm&corn. March '17. This one will be memorable for the boys. We spent the morning cycling around the bush digging for worms, then we stopped at the shops to buy corn and cat food (burley). We arrived at the lake, Max was excited to quickly spot some carp under the bridge, near the surface. We hooked up off the bridge and the teamwork began. Ocky sprooked to pedestrians, an excited running commentary. Max played the fish whilst I got into position by balancing along a beam and over a flowerbed (as best a 40 y.o can). Without a net and 6lb line, the steep and reedy drop-off meant I ended up waist deep, scooping the fish out to the boys- they thought it was hilarious!

14.01.2022 #9 of 40. Barracouta (Thyrsites atun). 51cm. Bait: Pilchard. July '17. The highlight of this little trip was not this Western Port Couta, also known as a 'Snoek'. We landed a dozen or so of these and both Oscar and Max had a fun time hooking onto a few. They can grow up to 1.4m but this one and his mates are destined for Snapper bait. It seems teeth was the theme of the day...When Phil baited up a 1/4 Pilchard on a 5/0 hook, he didn't expect to snag the dirty fighting 2m 7Gill shark. The lucky hook set was just under the bottom jaw which kept the leader away from teeth. It fought hard and smart by circling the boat and the anchor rope. Eventually, it was next to the boat, we cut the leader to set it free and the excitement was over. I'm sure the Shark adventure was a hit story for the boys first day back at school today (term 3).

14.01.2022 #10 of 40. Eastern Australian salmon (Arripis trutta). 40cm. Bait: Pilchard. July '17. A few weekends ago there was some ugly weather conditions and I figured the only option was to chase salmon off the beach. When it comes to surf fishing I’m a novice but thanks to google I learnt that on a high tide, with berley, a twisted paternoster rig and pilchards, I may just snag a 40cm model off Gunnamatta Beach. I also learnt there are actually three types of Australian salmon, an... Eastern, Western and Northern, non of them are of the salmonid family, they are simply salmon-like in shape. Anyway, leaving the boys at home this time, my fellow obsessed fishing buddy Phil headed out. We arrived to see Bass Strait taking its fury out on the beach. The pounding waves had sculpted steep slopes to the foaming waters’ edge we were in for a workout! For the next 3 hours we enjoyed playing chicken with the sea. We’d run down the slope as far as we dare, then, dwarfed by a wall of water we’d unleash the cast and scurry back up the slope to safety. There was a face-plant or two and yes we got swamped a couple of times, but as as you can see this 40cm reward made it all worthwhile - who said fishing wasn’t a sport?! See more

13.01.2022 #14 of 40. Pink Snapper (Pagrus Auratus). 72.5cm. Bait: Pilchard. Nov '17. Port Phillip Bay. Sometimes I do luv my job! One of these times was getting to host three groups of customers on three Snapper Sessions with Reel Time Fishing Charters. A big day out (5am-8:30pm) and by far the best session was 5am which ended up being solo session with Matt Cini. Conditions weren't great (Northerly winds) yet Matt and Marco managed to put us onto fish throughout the day.

10.01.2022 #1.1of40. Hybrid Bream. 43cm, 1.13kg. Lure: Squidgy Wriggler. Mallacoota. May ‘18. This one helped push us into 6th place out of the 63 anglers in the Vic Bream Comp. We got onto them not down deep which is usual for Winter but on the flats. With 3lb leader, the runs from this Bream were cringe-worthy adding to the fun. #1of40. Yellowfin Bream (Acanthopagrus australis). 41.5cm, 1.04kg. Lure: O.S.P Dunk. Mallacoota. Feb '17. We spotted this fish roaming the edge of a sandba...nk in just a few feet of water. We both raced for a sight cast and seconds later it had three options (the 3rd being ignore both lures). Phillip Hulsmann had nicely pitched a surface lure, I thought for sure it'd rise. Instead the fish briefly hesitated as it sensed a twitch from my deep diver lure, the rest is now a fond memory. An awesome fish to kick off Forty40fish! -released- See more

10.01.2022 #12 Pike (Esox lucius). 83cm. Lure: Big Soft Plastic (Westin). Sept '17 (Continued from #11) With day 1 of my Sweden fishing adventure done, I rolled into @Wiredaholm around midnight, the 2 hr trip took 4hr because the rest stops were just so inviting. The manager Paul waited up for me at reception, he is a friendly bloke and I learnt I'd arrived during the off season at his family's Summer Golf retreat and this is why I was to be their only guest. The cabins were clean and ...comfortable and although I couldn't see at the time, they were snugged into a picturesque setting on a small lake. In the cabin I found the fridge stocked ready for breakfast with cereal, a plate of meats, cheese and bread. I awoke (kidneys intact :-) and had a shower then made lunch from the breakfast stash and then looked at the time, whoops it was 3am!... so I went back to bed and this time awoke to Henrick (the guide) knocking on my cabin's door, it was 7am and I'd slept through the alarm. By 7:15 we were on our way to the lake, and by 8:00am I was being educated on 'vertical fishing' for Pike . This technique involves a skilled 'fish sounder' operator (Henrick) who spotted the Pike down deep and literally lines the center of the boat above the fish. I then drop the lure just above the pike, which looks up and strikes the lure, and that's how I landed both my first Pike (76cm) and second Pike (83cm). We fished hard all day and Henrick was disappointed we could not entice a 1m+ pike and seemed genuinely surprised the fishing was so slow. Again happy days for me, I ticked off another 40cm+...and left the 1m+ model is saved for the next trip. See more

08.01.2022 Ben Thompson from Victoria won the Atomic Big Bream $100 purse for the largest bream caught over the two days of Atomic round 2 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series... 9 tournament, held at Bemm River in Victoria over the weekend. Ben’s fish was hauled aboard his Hobie kayak at the mouth of Bemm River where it enters the Sydenham Inlet estuary and weighed a solid 1.24kg. #daiwaaustralia #Atomiclures #LowranceANZ #BerkleyFishingAustraliaNewZealand #StrikeProAustralasia #JMLAnglersAlliance #mortgagecorp #prolureaustralia #ttlures #powerpole #ABTFishing #rhinorack #HobiePolarizedSunglasses See more

07.01.2022 #11. Redfin, Redy or Perch (Perca fluviatilis). 42cm. Lure: Soft Plastic (4 inch motor-oil paddle-tail). Yes it's true I travelled to the other side of the world to catch Redys for a day. Landing in Gothenburg at night and then driving for 4hrs across Sweden on the right (yes wrong) side of the road with a hangover from Octoberfest was always going to suck.. and it did! Four power-naps and a few hallucinations later I arrived at in Kalbar at 1:30am and at 7am I met with Eri...k my first Fishing in Sweden guide and we arrived at the ramp. I asked Erik the name of the lake and was surprised to hear it was an estuary! After more talk we agreed that their Perch and our Redfin were the same fish species and I learnt the brackish water in that area was the reason for 45cm+ fish being the norm. The areas we fished were shallow (1-2m), rocky outcrops, nice and weedy, perfect for Perch and it felt like we were the only people fishing in Sweden on that sunny day. I used a green soft plastic paddle tail as recommended and caught a 42cm, a 40cm and another 4-5 around the 38cm mark. Erik said it was unusually quiet, I know now that means I am a mostly unlucky fisho or this is a favourite saying of fishing charters, he expected to catch 50 or more Perch that day. I do have to mention the 'one that got away' and yes I am blaming the net that disappeared earlier that day. Just saying, that the big Redy I dropped beside the boat could have been pictured below, even Erik was excited when he saw the size (45+he reckoned). I was happy though, I asked for a 40+ and that's what I got... and I know there's still a 45cm+ for next time! (Continued #12) See more

05.01.2022 #16 of 40. Tailor (Pomatomas saltatrix). Size: 42.5cm. Lure: OSP Bent Minnow. April '18. Marlo. Victoria. Clearly the year has started off slowly on the fishing front. This Tailor was by-catch during the recent Vic Bream Classic event and fell for a surface minow-style lure. My team mate Phil found a good spot at the event and we got our 10 of 10 sized bream which placed us 14th out of 53. Although not the win we had hoped for, it was a win for the Forty40Fish challenge. We o...ften catch Tailor during an event, usually it means we are retrieving too fast. With their razor sharp teeth and strong jaws, they desroy plastics and 'nip' through line to steal our lures. Usually we catch smaller models so this one and another of similar size was a bit of fun. Google says the largest recorded Tailor died aged 11 years old at the Aquarium of WA, it was just over 1M, this one would be about 4 y.o. See more

04.01.2022 #17 of 40. Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii). 55cm. Lure: Spinnerbait. Nov ‘19. Not a massive specimen but it has been far too long between posts and I don’t want fb to shut the page down- so here it is. This pic is from the Cod Classic in Cobram, myself and team mate Phil landed 5 legal Cod over the 2 days and each legal scored a ticket in the draw - pretty good we reckon being new to Cod luring. Perhaps it was beginners luck but Phil landed a Minn Kota electric motor in the draw prize too -awesome! So although the fish pictured is 1/2 the size we wanted, (yes I’ve had words with he who robbed 2cm), the result was good.

03.01.2022 #8.1 of 40. Rainbow Trout. (Onchorynchus mykiss). 55cm. 4.5-5lb. Fly: Green Magoo. June '18. I took the opportunity to dash up to Millbrook Lakes for an afternoon over the Queens birthday long weekend. The day was calm with patchy cloud cover and about 12 degrees. Whilst retrieving a green Magoo fly dead slow on my new 5wt Orvis fly rod this beauty smashed it. The aereal display the red sash showed it was a decent rainbow and was ready to fight. A few exciting runs and abo...ut 10 minutes later it was close enough to net..Ilearnt that my net is far too small - what a great problem to have! #8 of 40. Rainbow (Steelhead) trout. (Oncorynchus mykiss). 41.5cm. Lure: Double Clutch 80mm. July '17. After two chilly days on my Aunt & Uncle's boat trolling Lake Bullen Merri with the boys, we finally scored this silvery looking trout in the last minutes. As I wound up the lines to head home it struck, clearly it was as shocked as I was judging from its aerial display. Being so silver, it took a bit to decide between Rainbow trout or Atlantic salmon. I learnt the brackish water of the lake simply made it more silver, just like an ocean going trout (Steelhead- same species). Both Max and Oscar were troopers, they complained little and were instead entertained by the smaller Chinook salmon...and had fun chasing the baitfish minnow around the live well being in a boat. We got a visit from FBP (Fishing Buddy Phil) who easily out-fished us in his own boat landing 2x52cm Chinooks and a massive 44cm Redfin- impressive but HOW RUDE! I reckon it was his stealthy electric motor or maybe he is just a better fisho...nah! ;-). What it means is yet another lake trip is on the cards to tick a few more 40's off the list.

02.01.2022 #5 of 40. Barramundi (Lates calcarifer). 80cm. Lure: Classic Barra 120mm. May '17. This one was the biggest of my 10 on our customer reward weekend and landed in the last 30 minutes of our trip. We were guided by D.N.A Barra Charters on the Alligator River, Kakadu National Park, NT. It was a tuff bite, the fish were full of Mullet and shut down. Still a fun trip with good company, heaps of croc's (and croc stories)...and a wash with plenty of tinnies!

02.01.2022 Fishing-In-Sweden - background for post #11, #12, #13 For most, fishing in Sweden conjures up images of old men, rugged up and hovered with anticipation over a perfect little ice circle, on a frozen lake, with miniature rod in one hand and flask clutched in the other . My memory of Sweden in late September was far from this, I saw pristine lakes that mirrored the red, yellow and orange colours of leaves from trees that lined the banks. I saw little townships with tidy houses... and friendly people that seem an orderly bunch. Winding through the tree lined landscape were the well maintained roads with moose warning signs and thankfully many rest bays. So why Sweden? Well after hours of googling EU countries, the informative website 'Fishing-in-Sweden' (Fishing in Sweden) stood out. Then the exceptional service from Michael along with that promise of 3 types of fish over 40cm drew me in. I decided to commit an extra 3 days on top of the upcoming business trip I had to Germany in September. Before I knew it that Germany business trip had arrived and I was hosting 19 customers on a 10 day customer agronomy tour across Germany. You can imagine that after 10 days of Pork Knuckles, washed down with many steins and capped off with a final night at Octoberfest....I was exhausted! Yet still excited to get to Sweden and catch the promised #11, #12 and #13 fish over 40cm! See more