Shades Fishing News

The Rod Mackenzie “Cod Mac” fishing site has yet another interesting article on a recent fish rescue at Merran Creek near Swan Hill. Seventy seven Murray cod - some up to 1.2 metres long - as well as golden and silver perch have so far been rescued, the DPI and locals blaming water levels in the creek.

It was great to read local property owners were the ones to raise the alarm, but it would be even better that fisheries themselves were making sure they were looking out for these situations, and if underfunded making people aware that something needs to be done about the situation that is leaving them short staffed, and our native fish in peril.

Local fisherman and conservationists will be very pleased to know that Nagambie Angling Club members were part of the restocking of native fish into the Goulburn River and Nagambie Lakes system recently.

The anglers released some of the fingerlings at Kirwan’s Bridge on Sunday 15 March and also took part in a Fisheries Victoria project of releasing golden perch and Murray cod hatchlings into the Goulburn River on Wednesday 18 March.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Seymour Labor MP Ben Hardman, was present at the release of the 230,000 small fish and joined the Angling Club’s secretary Wally Cubbin and Fisheries Victoria’s Russell Strongarm in releasing some of the fish from a small boat on the Goulburn River at Mitchelton. Bruce Wilson, from Fisheries Victoria, delivered the hatchlings in their fish tanks from a hatchery near Narrandera to the river site.

“The release of the fish signals a welcome return of the stocking of native fish,” Mr Hardman said.

“In total, more than 250,000 perch and Murray cod will be released this year into the Lakes region, including Lake Nagambie, Goulburn Weir and the adjoining Goulburn River and backwaters.”

“With fishing in the Lakes on the increase and thanks to the hard work of the Nagambie Angling Club, stocking has resumed in this area for the first time in fifteen years. Similar numbers of fish to those introduced today will be released into these waters for another four years.”

Mr Hardman added, “The Nagambie Lakes area is close to large population centres and provides good access to all types of anglers. It is hoped that the many waters of Nagambie Lakes will become the focus of fishers in central Victoria over the coming years.”

As he joined the Club members in the day’s fish release, Mr Hardman surveyed the unsurfaced boat ramp, which, they explained, is not very satisfactory. They have wanted a proper boat ramp at the Mitchelton bridge area for years, and asked Mr Hardman to note their request for an upgrade.

Close to one million native fish will be stocked into Victorian rivers and lakess over the next couple of months. Nearly 400,000 trout will also be released, with the aim of enhancing recreational fishing venues for the benefit of the community. The majority of native fish to be stocked are Murray cod and perch, which are both very popular species for angling. Other native species to be stocked into selected waters are trout, cod and silver perch.

Thanks was extended to the Nagambie Angling Club members for their assistance with the local project. Hopefully, in years to come, many of the hatchlings will survive to provide good fishing for the members.

The releases are in line with the Fisheries Management Plan, which gives Nagambie Lakes the potential to offer fantastic recreational fishing opportunities to fishers in the future.

Source : The Euroa Gazette

THE Murray cod fishery in the Murray River is thriving if the numbers of undersize cod being caught and released by anglers is any gauge.

Rod Mackenzie reports the small cod are proving a nuisance to anglers. One of the largest concentrations of undersize cod appears to be at Swan Hill.

Most of the small cod are being caught on bardi grub, cheese and shrimp.

Yellowbelly to 2kg are also being caught and these are taking shrimp and worm cocktails. The Wakool River near Kyalite has better numbers of legal cod and yellowbelly. White Spinnerbait lures are doing well.

Mick Hall reports Lake Eildon is producing good catches of yellowbelly to 2.8kg and redfin to 1.4kg on yabbie tails and scrubworms fished bobbin style among the dead trees. Eildon Pondage has plenty of rainbow trout to 1.4kg and these are being caught on Powerbait.

In the west, Doug Lucas at Colac says anglers are taking advantage of the new boat launching facility at Lake Purrumbete to catch brown trout to 3.2kg and rainbow trout to 1.8kg.

Mudeyes fished under a bubble float or trolled behind a Ford Fender attractors doing well. Downrigger trolling at 10-15m deep is the most productive method.

Doug reports Princetown beach has gummy sharks to 10kg and snapper to 1.4kg, with a steady run of 500-800g salmon at Clifton Beach. Southern bluefin tuna to 35kg and albacore dominate the catch off Portland.

Yellowtail kingfish to 10kg are being caught on the reefs at Killarney. The Fitzroy River is steady for bream to about 34cm but the Hopkins River at Warrnambool is quiet for mainly small bream.

Bream averaging 32-36cm are being caught on crab and minnow in the Curdies River. Anglers motoring to Cape Otway are catching gummy sharks to 20kg. Off Apollo Bay, flathead to 2kg are being taken in 20-30m of water, pinkies are on the inshore reefs and King George whiting to about 1kg are being caught out from Skenes Creek.

In Port Phillip Bay, snapper to 5.5kg are being caught in Corio Bay inner harbour offshore from the wheat silos and in the outer harbour from Point Lillias to Point Richards. Pilchard, garfish and squid baits working.

Salmon to 2kg are schooling off Black Rock and being caught trolling or spinning lures, or flicking unweighted baits.

Calamari squid are being caught along the inshore reefs from Frankston to Mornington pier.

Western Port has King George whiting from 32cm to 46cm being caught along the Middle Spit and Tortoise Head Bank on pipi, squid and mussel.

Snapper to 3kg are being caught off Corinella, along with pinkies, salmon and silver trevally. The bay’s annual run of elephant fish is underway with elephants to 3kg being caught in many areas of the bay including Corinella to Rhyll on pilchard and squid baits.

In the Gippsland Lakes, Hollands Landing is producing flathead and bream near the boat ramp on local prawn and soft plastic lures. In the Mitchell River, garfish are biting near the butter factory and bream are being caught at the Cut and the mouth on prawn and Vibe lures.

The Tambo and Nicholson Rivers have flathead and bream being caught on prawn and soft plastic lures. Lakes Entrance has salmon and small numbers of King George Whiting.

At Lake Tyers, luderick are biting between the jetty and tavern, and the Glasshouse area is producing flathead and bream on prawn and lures.

The estuary at Marlo has estuary perch and bream taking prawn baits. Sandworm and prawn baits are best for luderick and bream at Bemm River.

At Mallacoota Inlet, bream are biting in the Bottom Lake on prawn and metal lures. Flathead are taking soft plastics and live mullet, garfish are in good numbers and taking prawn with luderick and tailor being caught on weed and metal lures respectively.

Source : Weekly Times Now

A project designed to improve the passage and movement of fish throughout the state’s river systems has entered into its final stage.

Coordinated by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), funded by the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and supported by local councils, the initiative involves a field audit of road crossings and on-ground works to help fish move freely in their natural habitat.

NSW DPI Conservation Manager, Michelle Fifield, said the venture was significant in size and scope and had the potential to improve native fish populations and biodiversity of river systems across inland NSW.

“This particular project encompasses six CMAs including the Central West, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Border Rivers Gwydir, Western and Lower Murray Darling,” she said.

“It will complement and finalise works that have already been completed in coastal catchments as well as the Namoi and Murray.

“Importantly this project will complete the fish passage audit across NSW.”

The purpose of the audit is to identify road crossing barriers that can stop fish from freely moving upstream or downstream as per their normal lifecycle.

Any structure that prevents fish from freely accessing the stream can affect their breeding and survival.

“These improved ‘pedestrian crossings’ of the fish world will ensure safe passage for native species including Silver Perch, Golden Perch and Murray Cod,” Ms Fifield said.

“This particular project meets an overarching objective of the Murray Darling Basin Native Fish Strategy to identify key threats to native fish populations and rehabilitate native fish communities in the Basin.”

There are four on-ground works underway as part of the project, with sites located on the Bundella Creek, Molong Creek, Castlereagh River and Billabong Creek.

Further information about fish friendly road crossings can be found on the NSW DPI web site at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/habitat/rehabilitating/road-crossings

Media note: Photos of on-ground work sites are available.

Media contact: Rebecca Bowman 6391 3785 or 0438247 571