Sean Thompson

Sean caught the fishing bug bad one very cold Canberra day 20 years ago when he was bored and picked up and read Angler's Almanac by the fireplace. Since then he has filled his mind with knowledge from fishing magazines, books, the internet, TAFE fishing courses, guiding fishing charters (estuaries, beach, bay and mountain lakes) and of course 'on water' experience. He and a group of mates formed a social fishing club and soon started to share what they learnt and caught online. Sean is the admin for Ontour Fishing Australia on Facebook, which is a page that shares information, reports and sponsor giveaways and welcomes all to the site. He plans to move into blogging on his new website when time allows.

Tips for catching mud crabs

crabs

Hi folks, well summer is upon us and with that comes seafood season! This means mud crabs, sand crabs and, as summer progressives, banana prawns in southeast Queensland. I’ll save the banana prawns and sand crabs for future articles, with the focus for now being on catching a haul of beautiful mud crabs. December crabs December is a great time …

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Boat prep basics and troubleshooting

boat

For many anglers with boats, their boating knowledge was passed down through the generations. boat Either their parents or grandparents taught them the basics of putting the boat on and off the trailer, getting it on the water and starting it safely. Yet for those like me, who grew up in a country town and with no boater in the …

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Should I stay or should I go – when to move

move

You’re out fishing and the bite shuts down or you’ve been fishing for a while in one spot but haven’t caught a fish. move So, the thought comes into your mind, “Should I stay or should I go?” In an angler’s head, that’s perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions. To be clear, I’m not talking about finishing up …

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Catching your own bait

bait

Hi folks, I’ll start with an apology for not having an article last month. I had major spinal surgery but have recovered enough to pen this piece. bait And though my fishing and prawning may be a couple of weeks away yet, I’ll be back at it better than ever very soon. Now back to this month. While considered old …

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Hot bass action at Somerset

somerset

As readers of my column would know, I am more often than not a saltwater angler. However, at the start of the new year I felt the need for a new challenge, as well as a change of location from my usual estuary, bay, beach and flats fishing exploits. Recently, I reflected on a great bait-fishing session for bass I’d …

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Fishing etiquette

etiquette

It’s been a few years since I wrote about fishing etiquette in this publication, but with an increasing amount of frustration on and around the water from the selfish actions of others, I thought it was time for a refresher and update on this topic. I understand many readers will be doing the right thing – however a few reminders …

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Schools of fun in Moreton Bay

schools

Well, school may be out but there are schools of fun to be had in Moreton Bay currently. Two of my favourite species to target in the bay were about in good numbers towards the back end of last year, in the form of schools of winter whiting and school mackerel. Even better, as we get further into January, schools …

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Mud crab tips

crab

In many areas along the Queensland and northern NSW coastline, December is an excellent time to start chasing mud crabs. If you’ve experienced some poor results, even after the rain in October and November, don’t despair too much. During this time, mud crabs in southeast Queensland moult and so are much harder to catch. Crabbers should also be aware of …

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Improving your fishing results

fishing

Planning and preparation are the key ingredients to success in life, and fishing is no different. The more down time you spend preparing your gear and planning your trip, the more success you will have. Planning Unfortunately, most of us are time limited and can’t go fishing as often as we might like. But this doesn’t stop us from being …

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Hot beach fishing action on K’gari trip

K'gari

Hi folks, I’m recently back from a 10-night trip to K’gari – previously called Fraser Island – and what a trip it was! In the 26 years of fishing the island, that was probably the best all-round fishing we’ve had on both the east and western sides of the island. This trip to K’gari was timed to coincide with a …

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