Shades Fishing News

Recreational fishing groups, individual anglers, councils and other organisations are being encouraged
to apply for grants to improve recreational fishing. Last year alone more than $10 million was spent on
big and small projects across the State, including:
• building artificial reefs in estuaries
• stocking of freshwater native fish and trout and mulloway and prawns in estuaries
• research on key fish species and fishing methods
• fish aggregating devices (FADs)
• Fisheries Officers
• Fishcare volunteers
• fishing clinics, fishing platforms and fish cleaning tables.
Money raised from the sale of the recreational fishing licence fee is placed into two trusts - one for
saltwater and the other for freshwater - and must be spent on projects to improve recreational fishing in
NSW. Expenditure from these trusts is overseen by committees of expert fishers on behalf of the
recreational fishing community. Funds are available for new programs that will benefit recreational
fishing in 2008/09 and beyond.
Applications for 2008/2009 funding close on Monday, 7 April 2008. The Trust Expenditure
committees will meet soon thereafter to consider the applications. Funding applications must benefit
recreational fishing. Contributing funding and in-kind support, such as voluntary labour, is encouraged.
To obtain an application package or for assistance with applications contact DPI on (02) 9527 8411 or
email recreational.fishingtrust [AT] dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Local orchardists are not the only group benefiting from the recent rainfall with reports of ‘cricket score’ catches of fish being landed at local angling spots.

However whether your score is in the double figures, or a duck, depends on the species you are angling for.

Lake Canobolas is proving popular with those with young children with catches of Redfin, with the occasional Yellowbelly, being recorded.

“Lake Canobolas has been fishing extremely well this year.” Said Andrew Pulbrook from Canobolas Marine.

“Around the region, in places like Lake Burrendong, and Lake Windemere it has been the best fishing for 20 years.”

Native fish have reacted well to the fresh falls of water in the catchments, encouraging the fish to feed and breed and hopefully make their way into the local streams.

Unfortunately the effect of the drought has meant that the creeks in the region are not enjoying the resurgence in fish stocks.

“The effects of the drought and the effluent going to the mine has meant that the streams have been badly hit by the drought and it will take a year or so for trout numbers to increase.” Said the President of the Orange Trout Acclimatisation Society, Reg Harris.

“We have been releasing Trout fingerlings in Lake Canobolas and Gosling Creek but it will be at least a year before they are a decent size.” Mr Harris said. “If we release into the streams at the moment they will simply die.”

Not all the local dams are enjoying the abundance of water and fish though. Carcoar Dam is at only 10% of capacity, due to the releases of water to Cadia mine and properties on the Belubula River, the masses of large Redfin caught in the past are now nothing but a memory.

“At Carcoar they used to bring in Redfin up to half a metre in length,” Mr Pulbrook said. “But now they are adapting to the low water levels and not biting.”

The cold snaps are also affecting the techniques employed by local anglers.

“Fish are like us, ” Said Mr Pulbrook. “When it’s cold they like to be where it is warm and vica versa. Anglers need to adapt their techniques to suit the conditions.”

Source: Central Western Daily

AS IF cane toads aren’t enough, an aggressive, fast-breeding invasive fish species is muscling its way into the waterways of northern Australia.

The Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), introduced into Australia as an aquarium fish, has spent the past 30 years entrenching itself in waterways throughout Queensland and Western Australia, researchers say.

While they may look beautiful in a tank, in the wild tilapia compete with native fish, out-breeding and out-eating them.

“In one case, nine tilapia went into a pond system,” says Invasive Animals Co-operative Research Centre chief operating officer Andreas Glanznig.

“When they poisoned it several years later, the only thing living in there were tilapia - and they dragged out 13 tonnes.”

From cane toads and rabbits to foxes, cats and buffalo, many introduced species have made Australia home, kicking out locals in the process.

“The number of exotic fish that have invaded Australian waters has jumped from 22 in 1990 to at least 34 today,” Mr Glanznig says.

“All but one of these newcomers originated from the aquarium trade. (People) should not dump unwanted invasive aquarium fish that can have a huge impact on aquatic ecosystems and wildlife.”

Australia’s experience with carp has already demonstrated just how devastating a problem introduced fish can become.

While not an aquarium species, the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one Australia’s most infamous freshwater fish invaders.

Introduced into Australia in the early 1900s for food and recreational fishing, extensive flooding has seen carp escape from farm dams and move into the waterways, including the extensive Murray-Darling river system.

“Carp create conditions that aren’t as conducive to native fish and therefore numbers (of native fish) fall,” Mr Glanznig says.

He believes this demonstrates the need to control the tilapia before they become the “carp of the north”.

Efforts to eradicate tilapia are being made more difficult by the actions of unthinking locals.

Last month, officers from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries found tilapia they believe had been illegally released in the

Gulf region.

“Most tilapia infestations are caused by people moving fish between waterways,” Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries biologist Malcolm Pearce says.

“Once established in a waterway, they are almost impossible to eradicate,” he said.

“If the spread of the fish isn’t controlled, tilapia could significantly affect our commercial and recreational fisheries.”

Source: Adelaide Now

The Murray River may have a reasonable flow after summer rain but some of the wetlands in the basin are struggling after years of drought.

Scientists are facing a new challenge as a native plant takes over one of the major waterways, upstream of Echuca on the Victoria-New South Wales border.

Not only is it strangling the system, but it is spreading to adjoining wetlands and is now threatening to play havoc with the river flow.

It is called Barmah Lake and not only is it surrounded by the biggest area of river red gums in Australia, it is also a major wetland in the Murray-Darling Basin and a crucial breeding site for thousands of native water birds.

But after years of drought the most common native here is what’s called the giant rush - it is a reed-like plant that is taking over.

Keith Ward, an ecologist working with the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, says it has taken over at least 70 per cent of the lake system and some adjoining wetlands over the last number of years.

“It’s actually starting to dominate a lot of the wetlands,” he said.

“Now these systems are very rich in flora and also a number of waterbirds that feed amongst it.

“The threat is once it’s dominated by giant rush, it dominates to the exclusion of just about all other plants and there is a lot of waterbirds that can no longer feed in those type of areas.”

Fast growing

Wading through the lake, the water is still shallow - about knee deep - but that is exactly the conditions this weed-like native loves.

The rushes now surround the outskirts of the wetlands and have spread right across the system.

Even on the flood plains where there is no water, they are about two metres in height and scientists are having trouble keeping up.

Mr Ward said the problem is that it grows very quickly.

“We’ve been monitoring growth rates of 11 millimetres per day,” he said.

Scientists are also trying to establish which fish have survived the drought conditions here in the lake.

They are using what is called electro fishing, sending a charge into the water, temporarily stunning the fish, and bringing them to the surface.

Big job ahead

Zeb Tonkin, a member of the team from Arthur Rylah Institute based in Melbourne, says a majority of these habitats have dried up.

“It’s come down to a few key refuge pools where these species are hanging out and waiting for some water to come down. We’ve been able to identify these,” he said.

The challenge now is to try and create a balance and find a way of slowing its spread.

They have trialled a system of burning the clumps of rushes on the flood plains.

But Mr Ward, who has been working in this wetland for almost 20 years, acknowledges they have a big job ahead.

“It can attain a height of three metres in its adult form so you need very deep floods to get rid of it when it’s an adult,” he said.

“Already it’s half adult size so if we don’t get flooding this winter, it’s going to be there for good.”

Source: ABC News

FOUR poachers have been ordered to pay thousands of dollars compensation for the loss of native fish.

The order, delivered in the Sunshine Magistrates Court yesterday, is a first for Victoria.

A husband and wife and two other men were charged with offences over the threatened Murray cod, Australia’s largest freshwater fish, and golden perch after a 2007 surveillance operation by fisheries officers.

Investigators found the four had laid 30 set-lines baited with live perch to catch cod and two long-lines with 41 hooks baited with yabbies to catch perch.

Prosecutor Ian Parks told the court Murray cod had significant economic, cultural, recreational and environmental value.

Thanh Quach, 55, Van Le, 50, and husband and wife Nhuan Nguyen, 46, and Khoe Dang, 40, were stopped at the lake near Benalla on May 18 last year.

They had seven cod and 57 perch. Five cod were over 75 centimetres long (the limit is one fish over that length) while the perch catch limit was exceeded by 17 and one was under the minimum length.

Mr Parks estimated the conservative replacement value of the cod at $11,340.

Each defendant pleaded guilty to charges that included unauthorised use of commercial fishing equipment.

In ordering each to pay $3738 compensation and the forfeiture of two boats, Magistrate Noreen Toohey said the “community is serious about this sort of offending”.

Quach, of St Albans, who has a prior conviction, was fined $1500 while Le, of Footscray, and Nguyen and Dang, of Braybrook, were fined $500. They were also convicted and ordered to pay a total of $3256 costs.

Source: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au

Kayla Maskell

The crowd was big and so were the fish.

This year’s Team River Rats catch and release fishing contest resulted in plenty of records being set.

The third annual event, held along the Goulburn River from Raftery Rd to Jordan’s Bend at the weekend, attracted more than 180 entrants.

Organiser Nick Brown said he was pleased to see more competitors, including people from out of town, juniors and families.

“We had about 40 junior entrants and 40 out-of-towners which included people from Melbourne, Bendigo, Yarrawonga and the Gold Coast,” he said.

Shepparton’s Mark Irwin caught the biggest Murray cod, which measured a record 92cm. The biggest yellow-belly was caught by Stuart Hamilton of Shepparton at 51cm.

Mr Brown said about 35 oversized fish were caught during the two-day event including Jemma Maher’s 43cm golden perch, which won the under-13s junior section.

Source: Shepparton News

TIRED of catching tiddlers from the jetty? It’s time to head off the Yorke Peninsula, says BRAD CROUCH
SORE arms, sore shoulders, a touch of sunburn - pure bliss.

After days spent on jetties, beaches and rocks casting lines and waiting ages for a nibble, spending a day hauling in creatures of the deep was a great adrenalin buzz - even if it was hard work on the arms.

The place was the bottom of the Yorke Peninsula, and after days of limited success fishing from the shore we decided to take a day charter trip with Mark Graham, of Farout Fishing Charters.

The name sums it up - Mark heads a fair way out to chase big fish, far from most boaties who hug the coast.

In winter he is based out of Marion Bay, but in summer his boat is moored at Pondalowie Bay, a magnificent beach in the Innes National Park.

The 7.6m vessel is surveyed to carry nine passengers, but Mark takes a maximum of six to ensure everyone has plenty of room.

Rods, tackle and bait are supplied, as is local knowledge for half-day or full-day tours. Heading out from the little shack village at “Pondie” we tried a couple of spots not too far offshore, soon hauling in a few nannygai and a snapper to get the day off to a good start. Then it was time to relax for an hour or so as Mark put his foot down and headed to the far side of remote Wedge Island, with its eroded cliffs, sheltered sandy beach and attendant pyramidical islets.

This is in deep water - more than 70m - and our lines seemed to take forever to reach the bottom. Once they did the fun began almost immediately. Big, hungry fish were attacking the baits of squid and pilchards, and putting up a heck of a fight once hooked.

The main haul was large, tasty nannygai, an orange fish with big eyes and plenty of fight.

A few snapper were also caught, as were a haul of swallowtail and a couple of barracouta. Mark took us to a few different spots as the day wore on, and each time those on board were grateful to sit back and have a breather. This was a different experience to sitting around hoping for an occasional bite. This was about catching fish, and more often than not the bites were coming thick and fast within seconds of the line reaching the seabed.

By early afternoon we had reached our quota of nannygai and were content to sit back and enjoy the hour-long cruise back to Pondalowie Bay, looking forward to a cold drink, a shoulder-rub and tales of a great day on the water.

But back at the Corny Point Caravan Park there was also the little matter of scaling and gutting this seafood feast before finally relaxing. If your arms aren’t tired enough from the fishing, the cleaning will finish the job.

DESTINATION

Marion Bay is at the bottom of Yorke Peninsula, a little over three hours drive from Adelaide. Farout Fishing Charters are on 88544175, 0427120040, or at www.faroutfishingcharters. websyte.com.au.

Source: Adelaide Now

The NSW Government’s fish stocking program has reached new heights with a record 776,500 Murray cod released into freshwater dams across western NSW this year, the Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald announced today.

“This is great news for inland anglers who can look forward to catching the highly prized Murray cod when they reach legal length in about two to three years,” he said.

“The Murray cod have all been bred at NSW Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Fisheries Centre at Narrandera and were released into selected waterways during the past months.

“This year’s stocking beats the previous record set in 2005/06 by 107,500 fish and is a credit to the hard working staff at the Fisheries Centre’s hatchery.”

Murray cod are widespread throughout the Murray-Darling Basin - ranging through Queensland, NSW, into Victoria and South Australia.

The Iemma Government, through DPI, has provided more than $1 million for native and salmonid stocking programs this year, and the Recreational Fishing Trusts has contributed more than $500,000 to this year’s program.

NSW DPI Senior Fisheries Manager Cameron Westaway said the Trust matches funds from angling clubs and community groups to enable the purchase of native fingerlings from registered private hatcheries for stocking in approved sites.

“This year a further 136,300 Murray cod fingerlings will be stocked under the Dollar-for- Dollar program,” Mr Westaway said.

“This is another example of fishers’ licence fees working for them.”

Minister Macdonald said funds raised from the sale of the recreational fishing licence are placed into two Trusts, one for saltwater and the other for freshwater.

“Expenditure from both of these Recreational Fishing Trusts is overseen by expert panels on behalf of the recreational fishing community. Trust funds can only be spent on projects that improve recreational fishing,” Mr Macdonald said.

“Fishing is one of our State’s most popular pastimes, with more than one million anglers participating each year. The spin-off benefits to regional economies, in terms of tourism and employment, cannot be overstated.”

Media Note: Photos are available

Media contact: Lyndall Derrig 0400 462 447

Source: NSW DPI

With X-Mass out of the way, the tourists moved into town and it seemed every water skier from Sunbury to Bunbury was here trying to see who could make the most noise with their doof doof boats and throw out the biggest waves.

With the skiers came a dedicated band of fishermen also. Those who persisted came up trumps with fish of varying sizes. The lure fishing brigade produced remarkably better results than the bait boys.

The boys from Bendigo, Hromenko, Stevens, Miles, Scoble, Harrison, Blow & Co spent countless hours searching the lake and turned up plenty of fish over the 70cm mark. Peter Hromenko toped the table with a beautiful fish of 105cm taking a liking to his Bassman spinnerbait. Roger Miles was part of this crew and he managed a magnificent fish off the surface measuring in at 95cms.

Mr. Lowrance, Dave Silva had many guests staying with him over the holiday period and they fished hard every day trolling up plenty of fish. The pick of these was caught by “Andre the Giant”; big Grant Noonan coming in at 97cm. Lure of choice here was a purple / black Oar Gee.

The run of big fish continued when Mulwala gun, Dan Hawkins trolled up a 93cm Cod on a Bassman once again.

Keen Echuca lure test pilot Winton Brown made a day trip over to fish the top end of the lake and was rewarded with several top fish. The pick of his haul came in at 96cms.
As per usual, local George Jovanovic spent countless hours towing big deep diving lures around. Again he was rewarded with 2 nice cod of over a meter. Until I have a yak to George I won’t have much more info regarding his captures.

All these big fish mentioned were released so well done to all concerned.

As I was penning this report, I received another story from Mulwala’s new boom football recruit Joe Lineham with a story about the on that got away. After numerous attempts to land a big green fella only with a set of lip grips, Joe’s leader gave with him watching a fish estimated around the meter mark swim away.

Mr. Oar-Gee lures, Wayne Lennon made a day trip down from Wagga with a super keen young angler Zac Manning to hopefully put him onto a fish. Zac had a great afternoon out picking up a couple of fish on the troll with 57cm being his new PB.

Personally, I had one afternoon / evening session for the month with the little butcher from Finley, Paul Hetherington and Anthony Pavlou from L. Wilson & Co tackle. Paul opened the account with a nice 48cm Yella on an Outlaw Spinnerbait. Anthony followed up with a Cod on a Bassman mumbler then a fish on one of his new personally designed lures, soon to be released on the market. I was lucky enough to tangle with another four cod with 2 of these being taken from the surface. The best of these came in a touch over legal size but all in all, seven fish in a couple of hours made for some great fun.

Fishing below the weir is proving very hard for all lure fisherman with this being proven in the recent Golden $$$ fishing Challenge. Wagga boys Graeme Clark & Jim Taylor took home the big $$ with their 3 quality yella’s for the day. Gravo & Billy Bob from Deniliquin came home in second place while event favorite Joe Lineham and partner Will Smith finished a disappointing 3rd in their favorite piece of water.

The next month or so should see the lake continue to fish well with most deeper part of the lake producing fish. The river hasn’t seemed to fire yet but as per usual plenty of undersize fish will be about for the bait fishermen.

Coming up over the weekend of 19th & 20th April is the local Yarrawonga / Mulwala Angling Clubs yearly competition. A great weekend is assured for all who attend. For more info call Mal @ Mal’s Tackle Box on 0357 431711.

If you do come across a god fish around the Yarrawonga / Mulwala area, I’m keen to hear about it and will try and report it in future editions. Send all reports to codclassic [AT] aapt.net.au

As this report is being sent, I’ve had reports that a couple of boys from Wagga have landed 24 fish between them in the last 24hrs casting various styles of lures in the lake.

Also – Final Reminder – Lowrance Da$h 4 Ca$h this weekend, $10000+ Cash Prizes, still plenty of places available. Enq Ph 0357 441667

Tony Bennet

CodClassic Tournament Director
2008 Yamaha Cod Classic
Mulwala Football Netball Club

New life is being breathed into the Murray-Darling river system, with the return of some long-lost natives.

The waters of the Darling are flowing into the Murray for the first time in over a decade and a quarter of a million fish have been released to reverse the recent decline in numbers.

250,000 Murray cod and Golden perch were hatched especially, with the conditions just right to give them their best shot at survival.

School children helped with the release, which was the largest fish release ever.

Native fish numbers in the Murray-Darling were down 90 per cent last year from over-fishing and introduced carp.

Envionmentalist Jamie Durie is excited about the initiative.

‘For everyone here that relies upon the health of the Murray-Darling this is going to affect thousands of Australians so it’s a really important day.’

Source Sky News Online