Hooked Up 142 March 2024 Our cover story this month is all about how to catch broadbill swordfish! It’s not for everybody but it’s the pinnacle of game fishing and a bucket list species for many anglers. Tasmanian author Jonah Yick has caught many so he’s a great angler to learn from. We then shift our focus to a much smaller fish, and with very easy to understand instructions and diagrams we clearly show how to tie a King George whiting rig. It’s simple but many get it wrong. It’s then time to leave the deep south and head way up to the tropics of the Great Barrier Reef where Colby Lesko has ..read more

Hooked Up 143 April 2024 The April edition has started rolling out into stores so grab one FREE from your local when it arrives. Sammy Leys takes the helm for our cover story and provides some invaluable information on chasing big duskies in Autumn as the weather cools. It’s a great piece any keen angler chasing big duskies will appreciate. Lee Rayner heads north for the barra run-off where he chases down some quality fish on the might Roper River using a swag of different lures. Colby Lesko takes us to the cool and pristine alpine waters of the Swampy Plains River, a river that he believes ho ..read more

How To Catch School Bluefin Tuna If someone had said to you 15 years ago that you would be able to catch loads of southern bluefin tuna during summer, you’d have thought they were crazy. These days, however, the run of summer tuna along the Victorian coastline is nothing short of amazing, and every year it just gets better and better. When it started years back, the summer bite was confined to locations such as Portland and Port Fairy. Then as the years passed the tuna showed up in little pockets all along the coastline, to the point where there are now days during summer and autumn when the f ..read more

Hooked Up 141 Feb 2024 Our cover story is all about topwater whiting, where to find them and how to catch them using surface lures. We then move further north where we provide some great tips on how to troll for Spanish Mackerel and get the big fish. It’s then back south and out into the deep where we let you know how to catch blue eye trevalla using electric reels. Then for this month’s gear talk we look at choosing overhead outfits and let you know the differences between the 3 major styles when it comes to light tackle game rods and reels. We have the lowdown on 5 all-new Japanese made reel ..read more

Daiwa Bait Junkie 2.95″ Flick- Review Flick baits were once the king of fish imitations but have lost the limelight to the classic paddle tail over recent years, so I was interested to see a new take on this profile. The Flick Minnow features a shovel tail design, which is its most notable feature. Rather than dual forks on the tail, one side is a spoon-like design that adds a subtle yet effective dimension to its movement in the water. Crafted from Bait Junkie’s Elastomax material, durability is outstanding, withstanding various testing conditions and multiple fish without showing signs of we ..read more

Glowbite Jack Flash and Grumpy Fish The new Glowbite jigs out of New Zealand are certainly the most advanced I have ever seen. They feature water-activated flashing lights, rattle chambers and scent-dispersing cavities. It’s a lot of tech packed into your normal metal jigs. I was sent two styles from what’s a fairly extensive range for a new and small company – a kabura jig as well as a slow-pitch jig. Both styles are extremely popular and will catch a range of fish species. I tested these jigs in far north Queensland where a range of pelagic and bottom species are found. The Jack Flash is sha ..read more

When it comes to filleting and boning knives, precision and sharpness are the name of the game. As an avid angler and knife enthussiast, I’ve had my fair share of experiences with various blades, but recently, I had the pleasure of putting Swibo Knives to the test. In this review, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on two of their offerings: the 20cm filleting knife and the shorter 15cm boning knife. First impressions matter, and Swibo Knives certainly knows how to make a statement. Upon opening the package, I was immediately struck by the razor-sharp edge of both knives. It’s evident that Swibo take ..read more

Hooked Up 140 Jan 2024 We kick off the new year with some summer classics. First up it’s all about using Active Target to catch big impoundment barra. It’s then off to Summer School to get the lowdown on the run of school bluefin tuna off the south coast. It’s then over to Port Welshpool to provide a guide on this epic location. We cover Murray cod and review the new Megabass Spine X ..read more

How To Catch Cobia Cobia are a widespread species across the northern Australian coast year-round – they fight hard, eat lures or baits and are often caught by anglers. Cobia – also known as black kingfish – grow in excess of 40kg but are more commonly caught around 10 to 15kg in size. At this size the fish put up a great fight and are fine for the table. The larger cobia over 20kg are exceptional fighters and seem to never give up, but these large trophy fish are not as good to eat and should be released. There is a massive range of techniques and tactics you can use to target and catch cobia ..read more

Hooked Up 138 November 2023 In this issue we cover the Melbourne snapper season, how to catch cobia, big southern calamari and a guide on braided lines ..read more