Friday 21 June 2013

Guest Blog - Black Bream Research!

Guest Blog - By Quy Van


Please meet Quy Van, here is little bit about him!

I am a very keen recreational angler who is a sucker for catching anything from a garfish, right up to southern bluefin tuna and marlin – fresh water, salt water, estuarine, big or small – I don’t discriminate! 
I have worked in the tackle industry for 6 or so years and over this time have seen many trends in recreational fishing come and go.  Due to my geographical location (south west Victoria, Warrnambool) I am living in a “poor man’s paradise”! There are many fishing options here, and I predominantly chase the charismatic estuary perch, bream and sea run trout. Although I started out as a nurse, my passion for recreational fisheries has lead me to do a degree in marine biology, with a focus on fisheries management and recreational fisheries. I have been very fortunate to have grown up along the stunning New Zealand coastline situated around the Bay of Plenty, and a father who lived and breathed fishing – for both survival and nowadays recreation.  I owe it to my father for his excellent guidance and introduction to fishing. From my first time catching a “sprat” (pilchard) which in turn was bait for a kingfish (in turn consumed by my family), it was on this very day I learnt about the food chain, the oceans bounty and how we should respect it. 
In return I am not doing this degree for money, but for the joy I got when I was first introduced to fishing.  I would love to see many parents share this very same experience I had with their children; enjoying what mother nature can provide us and learning to respect our resources – and hopefully one day, when I have a kid of my own, I can share this same experience. 

Not a bad day in 'the office':)
The research....
In this day and age, anglers are becoming increasingly aware of conservation and animal welfare, and for that (and other reasons) practicing catch and release on a myriad of species. In Victoria, Australia, there has been a boom in the recreational black bream fishery.  An incredibly slow growing species, they are a prized capture, and anglers target them year round.  They are found in many estuarine rivers and lakes whether it is in my home patch of Southwest Victoria, metropolitan Melbourne or the far east of Victoria. 
 
A nice setting for some research - the Glenelg River
Blood sampling a black bream
There are many bream-specific tournaments where catch and release is mandatory once weighed in live.  Being a very keen and passionate recreational angler, I have devoted my time into studying fisheries management and recreational fisheries, which has lead me to do a further “research” year focusing on the effects of this confinement of black bream. Many anglers, who chase black bream practice 'live holding' of bream in their aerated live wells / tanks fitted on boats.  

At the end of the fishing session, the fish are exposed to the air for photos / weighing and then released, often many kilometres where they were first caught. Many anglers believe bream are a hardy species that will survive the rigours of confinement, air exposure and the physical angling process, but can we be certain?
Recovery before release
With this in mind, my curiosity got the better of me and I instigated an assessment of the catch, hold, release process on black bream. Never would I have thought I would be fishing in the name of science but I liked the idea! After dealing with a lot of red tape and little nitty gritties with permits etc, I was ultimately granted permission from Deakin University and the Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries Victoria) to investigate the stress effects of confinement on bream. In order to achieve this, there are 2 phases of this project. Phase 1 (the fun bit!) was to obtain samples which involved fellow researcher Jesse Olle and I designing and manufacturing specific live holding cages.  We then travelled to the picturesque Glenelg River in South Western Victoria, set up our make shift 'lab' and set about the capture of a total of 144 bream, and obtained non lethal blood samples.

In the name of science...
With phase 1 of the study is now complete and with our blood samples back at Deakin University, we will soon be assessing the blood for certain important indicators (glucose, lactate, cortisol and total protein analysis). What we expect to see over a time span of 24 hours is that within the first 0 – 8 hours there will be some sort of stress response elicited, and over the 24 hour period the stress indicators will return to normal/close to normal levels thereafter. From this data generated, we can use it to advise bream anglers whether or not their handling practices are adequate for the survival of bream, or should methods be modified to better ensure the survival and welfare? As a majority of anglers are now exponents of catch and release, if fish don’t survive, then their well intended efforts of anglers could be in vain. 

Note - Ebb Tide Adventures is extremely proud to be associated with Quy Van - his passion and enthusiasm for recreational fishing and fish welfare is extremely refreshing!





Saturday 15 June 2013

New Release - Adhek Seahorse sinking swim bait

By John Cahill


New Product! Available exclusively at Ebb Tide Adventures Lure Locker!

Adheks deck-hand with a nice Bali GT on Seahorse
Fresh from the stable of Adhek Amerta is the Seahorse sinking swim / stick bait.  Legendary custom top water lure maker Adhek first started developing this swim bait approximately two years ago.  Whilst living in Bali in 2012, I was fortunate to see a number of prototype versions whilst I fished extensively with him.  This production version however absolutely shone through.  



The Seahorse on charter


The lures outstanding success has shown them to have a worthy place in the sinking swim / stick bait market and with their arrival on Australian shores via the Lure Locker - please let us tell you all about them!




Another Seahorse GT victim




Specs
In February - this lure dominated for Andy!
The Adhek Bali Seahorse is at this time only available in one size and is designed specifically for big GT's in fast or deep water.  At 250mm in length and 180 grams in weight un-rigged, it is made of super durable hardwood mahogany. 1.5mm stainless through-wire construction and Owner belly swivels complete the robust construction. 
The Seahorse is specifically weighted to sink slightly tail first and fast! 
Recommended rigging is with 2 x 5/0 or 6/0 trebles.



This somewhat peculiarly shaped lure requires absolutely no angler input other than once cast, wait a few seconds for it to sink to the desired depth, then a start a slow to medium retrieve with a low rod tip - that's all that's required.  It is actually that simple to make it swim seductively side to side, a great lure to go to when things are tough. 




Craig Spicer with a nice GT on Seahorse
 Extra action can be imparted with a methodical light beating of the rod tip, but is not essential. This lure is dynamite on the slow surface action days. 

In the strong currents so common in Bali (and many other GT hot spots worldwide), a lure that get's well below the surface commotion that you can stay in contact with can be vital for success - enter this lure, it gets eaten!  Cast, pause, wind; perfect.  


Andy again!

Ebb Tide Adventures Lure Locker is the first to have this new lure on offer and in five exciting colors.  Check them all here!


The range available

Sunday 2 June 2013

Adhek Penipen Stickbaits - a short review

by Mark Harris

I have been using the Adhek Penipen sticks in various sizes for about four years now, and it has become one of the limited number of lures that I never leave home without.  They have a great record of catching quality fish all around the world, and now that they are reliably available in Australia at attractive prices via The Lure Locker, it seems like a good time to publish a review.

Grumpy black GT on a Medium Penipen
These lures are manufactured in Bali by Adhek Amertha, a legendary name in GT fishing circles, and a man who has been hand-making lures for more years that he would care to admit.  As with all Adhek stickbaits and poppers, Penipens are made from tough mahogany, through wired with 1.5 mm stainless wire, and the belly swivels are one of the best available anywhere - made by Owner in Japan. The lure comes in four sizes:
  • Long Penipen - 150 grams - 26 cm long, rigging advice: 2 x Gamakatsu Recorder 6/0 or 7/0 trebles.
  • Medium Penipen - 125 grams, 24 cm long, rigging advice: 2 x 5/0 or 4/0 trebles.
  • Short Penipen - 100 grams, 20 cm long, rigging advice: 2 x 4/0 or 3/0 trebles.
  • Baby Penipen - 30 grams,14 cm long, rigging advice: 2 x 1/0 trebles.
Note: all hook sizes based on Owner hooks unless otherwise stated.

     While the Long and Medium Penipen models have made their name as GT lures, the smaller versions obviously have other uses. The Short Penipen is definitely an interesting size to try for large tuna and kingfish, and is also the right size and profile for host of larger reef predators.

    Very solid GT on a Medium Penipen
    Baby Penipen is a relatively new addition to the stable and is definitely an under-exposed lure. I have had success with this pure on a 20 to 30 lb set up, inducing strikes from Oman's legendary monster bream, plus queenfish and other desirable top water species. In Australia, I can see a multitude of uses for this lure including tropical reef predators, queenfish, tailor, smaller tuna etc.

    Omani Bream caught on a Baby Penipen
    One huge advantage of the Penipen range is that they are all easy-to-work. Whilst some rudimentary stick-bait skills are required, there is certainly none of the rod voodoo which is associated with some lures out there on the market.

    There are a number of different retrieves which can be used, but the lure was designed for medium paced sweep. Just work it laterally and towards you, always leaving a little slack in the line before you pull, and the lure will swim with a very enticing tail kick. You can also work it with a twitch and pause. I think because of the head design, you can use this lure successfully in water which might be considered too choppy for many floating sticks - a big advantage. Those not familiar with techniques for working surface stick baits will soon catch-on with this lure, while it is also a favourite of many more experienced top-water anglers.

    GT on Long Penipen
    So what are the downsides?  Surprisingly few really with this lure. I would say the key one is that it is not the best casting lure you will ever use. It is by no means bad in this respect, but it is not the best either. This is undoubtedly due to the relatively heavy front end. The upside of that of course is that it holds the water well.

    Could this be the best mid-priced lure of its nature out there? It probably is in my view.

    My friends at The Lure Locker now have this relatively under-exposed lure readily available in Australia at very keen prices. Why not visit that site and see for yourself?

    Finally, just to show that I really do like them, here are a few of my own Penipens :)



    If you have questions at all about what I have written, please feel free to post them here. Cheers, Mark.