Shades Fishing News

Future fish forecast: No ’scaling’ back on research

Teaching fish to fear predators, controlling invasive fish species and restoring the threatened jungle perch in the wild are among the first tasks to be undertaken at Bribie Island’s latest addition to the aquatic research fraternity.

Opened today, the Sustainable Fisheries Research Facility at Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries’ (QPIF) Bribie Island Research Centre (BIRC) will focus on freshwater fisheries research that will compliment innovative aquaculture projects already underway at the centre.

Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland, Tim Mulherin said the location of the new multi-million dollar facility would allow collaboration between aquaculture and wild fisheries research in south-east Queensland.

“BIRC’s status as one of the state’s elite aquatic research centres is boosted by the capa bilities of this new facility,” Mr Mulherin said.

“It will encourage scientists to share expertise between the two areas.

“The capabilities of this new facility will help us achieve our goals of sustainably managed fisheries and productive aquaculture industries.

“The gross value of production for aquaculture in Queensland is forecast at $85 million this year, which shows there is already huge demand for the growth of the industry,” he said.

Mr Mulherin said scientists at the Sustainable Fisheries Research Facility were also investigating habitat management, maintaining native species in the wild and ways of eradicating pest fish species.

“The freshwater fisheries research group, relocating from QPIF’s Southern Fisheries Centre to BIRC, will continue to focus on the control of pest fish, including carp and tilapia.

“These pest fish pose a significant threat to our native fish and their fisheries and the challenge of eradicating pest fish requires smart, technical approaches.

“Using judas fish to attract spawning aggregations of carp into large traps and automated feeding hoppers to attract carp into giant traps in warmer months is showing good promise.

“Scientists will also trial the techniques that have been successful with carp on tilapia, one of the world’s worst invasive fish,” Mr Mulherin said.

Animal science general manager Dr Greg Robbins said the work by QPIF scientists regarding fresh water fisheries will help to restore and maintain natural biodiversity in Queensland’s inland waterways.

“This work needs the combined efforts of aquaculture scientists and fisheries specialists.

“The co-location of QPIF aquaculture and fisheries scientists together at the Bribie facility will greatly assist this collaboration.

Dr Robbins said hatchery reared native fish often suffer the highest mortality rates shortly after being released into their natura l habitat.

“To help overcome this, collaborative studies within the facility will look at ’stranger danger’ lessons for young fish, where scientists teach juvenile native fish to fear and avoid predators,” he said.

“Scientists are teaching Murray cod, eel tail catfish and silver perch fingerlings to be wary of spangled perch, golden perch and larger Murray cod.

“If successful, the ’stranger danger’ program could help rebuild native populations of fish in the wild.

“Another BIRC project aims to reintroduce jungle perch in their traditional habitats in south-east Queensland and restore this popular angling fish to its former glory,” he said.

Dr Robbins said jungle perch breed in saltwater, but migrate as juveniles into freshwater to mature, and adults also return to freshwater after spawning.

“But high culverts, dams and weirs have blocked some migration routes back into freshwater, which has led to the fish disappearing from so many areas,” he said.

For more information on aquaculture and fisheries research in Queensland, go to the QPIF website at www.dpi.qld.gov.au or call the Business Information Centre on 13 25 23

Rod Mackenzie at Codmac Fishing Lures last newsletter just stated that they have a special on over Easter with spinnerbaits, and have dropped the price.

Probably won’t last long, so now looks like the time to pick up your favourite

Personally, I’m going for the White codmac lure this coming Easter. Looks like just the ticket for a large murray cod!

here’s hoping I get to give it a good wurl at the Murray Monsters Fishing trip!

A great new look to Rod Mackenzie’s new tackle shop, with some awesome fishing lures, and he has added a news feed which I will be checking out regularly for fishing tips and tricks in trying to catch those big murray cod and other Australian natives.

The shop is interesting as it allows you to write reviews for fishing lure products he has for sale, and the customer area is quite nifty with lots of small features. I can now for instance register my interest in out of stock items and be informed automatically when they are back in stock. He also now has a newsletter.

The fishing photos as well are a great browse, I don’t know how he does it consistently bringing in large murray cod on his fishing expeditions!

I’ve been a bit slack with updates on this site, it’s been a busy start to the year and busy fishing season for me, both in some salt water fishing up the south coast of Australia as well as the standard freshwater fishing for murray cod and yellowbelly. I’m also heading up to Queensland to hunt some barra as well.

chat soon!

Kingston Lures ‘Joffa’ was kind enough to send me some of these lightening skirts to try, and I must say, they are the goods! Easy to change skirts while fishing with a great presence in the water, the thinner strands and the way they come out from the holding ring give bigger and better body to the lure.

You can get them at Kingston Lures and LureSkirts.com.au

Joffa kindly gave a good background to these skirts, and they are something that I am definitely going to be using in the future.

These Skirts first came out in late 2005 and continue to get more popular among anglers. These are also called “Perfect Skirts” by some vendors such as Strike King, and these same skirts are used on several other popular brands of lures.

These have good action and lots of wiggle in the water. There’s a good amount of shimmy, squiggle and breathing pulse the skirt displays on the retrieve. When paused, such as when a jig rests on bottom, the strands spring open like unfurling a picnic blanket, presenting the jig trailer in the middle.
This Skirt style has 70 silicone strands (each 2-1/2″ long) that all billow backward. It has a light, airy, “full yet sparse” look. The strands are locked permanently in place by a small rubber center hub that creates a perfect “umbrella” profile. Because the strands are locked in place, the different colors (fixed in five strand increments) do not move out of place or get mixed into each other. So if a skirt has different back, side and belly colors, the colors are permanently locked in position.

The skirt looks square cut in the back, but when used on a jig or spinnerbait, the end of the skirt tips often come together when pulled through the water, into a point like the tapered tip of an artist’s paintbrush. Because the “bloom” or bend where the strands come off the hub puffs out so much, it constantly flexes backward, making the strands wriggle actively. It’s a very lively action skirt, and due to its sparse billowy appearance, it is ideal for clear water. There is a lot more see-through effect on this skirt style, which breaks it up more and blends more naturally into the background.

The Easy Hub Skirt goes nicely on a hidden head spinnerbait since fish get a great glimpse of the baitfish-shaped body hidden beneath the billowy skirt. This skirt lets fish more clearly view the attractive fish-shaped hidden weight belly.

On a swimming jig or any clear water or finesse type jig with a soft plastic trailer, the sparseness of the Easy Hub Skirt style really shows off the soft trailer body underneath, letting fish get a good peek-a-boo glimpse of the full trailer shape beneath the billowing skirt.

Jeremy Beasley, photographer from Canberra, the man behind the great fishing site Murray Monsters has released his personal photography site, jeremybeasley.com.au and what an example of this fellas work it is!

Jeremy will be putting up some of his fishing photos as some stage speaking to the man himself, and I can’t wait, the effort that he has put into getting some of Australias premiere fishing related sites off the ground earns him a special mention here, well worth looking out for if you need photography work done!

The new 2009 Go Fishing in Victoria calendar is available now free of charge as part of the Brumby Government’s commitment to fishing in Victoria.

Minister Responsible for Fisheries Joe Helper said the theme of the 2009 Go Fishing in Victoria calendar is fish friendly farming.

“Each month has its own colour illustration depicting how farmers and the community can help fish and their habitats by protecting the environment in and around waterways while fishing in adjacent rivers and lakes,” Mr Helper said.

“Activities carried out by the community ranges from calling Fisheries Victoria’s 13 FISH (13 3474) reporting service if they suspect illegal fishing to fencing off stock and using fertilisers responsibly.

“The calendar also lists important fishing dates in 2009 such as closed seasons for species such as trout, Murray cod and blackfish, and important farming dates such key agricultural field days.”

The illustrated calendar also highlights fun events for new and experienced recreational fishers, including details of Family Fishing Festivals at each of the five Premier Lakes next year.

The 2009 Family Fishing Festivals will be held at Eildon Pondage (April 18), Lake Hyland, Churchill (May 2), Kennington Reservoir, Bendigo (August 9), Lillydale Lake (September 19) and Jubilee Lake, Daylesford (October 18).

Mr Helper said access at the Premier Lakes is being developed by the Brumby Government to make fishing more appealing to people of all ages and abilities.

“These lakes offer great fishing as well as facilities such as toilets, barbecues, picnic tables and playground equipment to help make the fishing experience more enjoyable for the whole family,” Mr Helper said.

“The Family Fishing Festivals teach children skills that will enable them to fish more successfully on future trips to premier lakes and other Victorian waters.”

The calendars and Family Fishing events are part of the Brumby Government’s $3.2 million Go Fishing in Victoria initiative which aims to increase participation in fishing by improving facilities and promoting angling as a fun and healthy outdoor activity for the entire family.

To obtain a free copy of the calendar visit your nearest DPI office, send an email to go.fishing@dpi.vic.gov.au which includes your postal address, or call the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

For more information about the Go Fishing in Victoria initiative visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/gofishing

(Ed. Note : The 2009 Calendar is not available for download from the DPI site, you must email or ring the customer service centre )

Source : Candy Broad MLC

Steve Cooper

MANY anglers keep a journal or diary of their fishing. A diary gives the angler a history of what happened, an opportunity to reflect, and hopefully a crystal ball into the future.

Most of us believe that history, at least when it comes to fish movements, will repeat.

If you are not right, then at least you can say you were guessing with some authority.

Moreover, when someone says the fishing isn’t as good as it was 20 years ago, you can turn to your diary and make an assessment based on the written word, rather than a badly chaffed memory.

Don’t be surprised if you find the fishing has improved.

When I began keeping a fishing diary, there was a tendency to write more than necessary. After a few years, the trips become shorter, at least in words. The flowery prose gave way to factual information.

To that end, the diarists among us keep notes and list the factors we think are important - things like tide, wind, barometer, bait used and, always, moon phase.

Saltwater anglers can become obsessed by the moon.

Some prefer the new moon for snapper, and the full moon for bream and gummy sharks.

In the freshwater, anglers appear more interested in barometer readings, especially in lakes but also on rivers where native species like Murray cod are being sought.

I believe fish react to outside influences, and that the same rules do not necessarily apply to all waters, or the same fish wherever they are caught.

Sometimes, though, you come across a recurring sequence that seems to indicate when and where certain species will come on the chew.

Time and tide are considerations for thinking salt-water anglers, and the overriding influence on tide is the moon.

Therefore, whether you think moon phases or tides, you are still thinking in lunar terms.

Even many freshwater anglers will fish only when the moon is down, or on the dark side.

Lunar cycles play an important role on the habits of fish; defining that role is difficult.

Next to the sea, the moon is the strongest primeval urge in us.

Science has proven that some living organisms respond to the moon’s phases.

The feeding cycle of oysters is influenced by lunar change, and fiddler crabs change colour according to the moon.

Theorising about fishing is easy, but as most anglers probably realise, fish are not always predictable. It’s what keeps us coming back.

Most anglers have reasons as to why fish bite better at certain times on certain baits.

But for all the theory, fish don’t always co-operate and coming up with a logical answer why fish don’t do what they are supposed to do is the hard part.

Anglers regarded as experts by their peers don’t always know the real reasons behind a hot bite, or lack of bites.

Experts are those anglers who have just experienced a hot bite and caught plenty.

The fact that any fish were caught could have been either a stroke of luck or pure genius.

The big question lies in discovering why and when fish can be expected to bite.

In the late 1960s, John Alden Knight’s Solunar Tables became available in Australia.

Knight believed there were major and minor periods of activity when fish were more likely to feed, and this was due to the moon: its phase and proximity to the Earth and the position of the sun at the same time.

It was a complicated theory but one I followed through with regularity for a few years by keeping a diary of my fishing with the relevant lunar notes.

There was some merit in Knight’s predictions.

Melbourne computer guru Tim Smith has come up with a similar theory and put out a small booklet called Tim Smith’s Solar & Lunar Fishing and Hunting Times 2009.

If you are into moon phases and fish predictions, and want to maintain a diary, then the Anglers Journal & Almanac, which contains Tim’s lunar predictions as well as other information including tide charts and journal entry pages, is worth a look.

Anglers Journal & Almanac is published by the Australian Fishing Network, RRP: $24.99.

* Steve Cooper can be heard on the Casting Off program on Radio Sport927 between 4.30am and 6.30am on Saturdays.

Source : Weekly Times

The boys at Rapid Release have put out another DVD to follow up their first ‘Cod Almighty’, aptly named ‘Cod Almighty 2′, you can view the trailer and purchase here.

The gang take on some mighty Murray Cod in this their second foray in video of some of the biggest catches I have seen. With great tips and full of knowledge, both these DVD videos are a must have for any keen Murray Cod fisherman, chasing the legend.

It’s fast paced action coupled with insider education that brings you up to speed for the day you hook onto that monster your always chasing. Some of the biggest fish caught on film, don’t miss out.

A man caught with thousands of Bass yabbies - a prized species investigators suspect is being targeted in organised crime poaching - has received a prison sentence and been fined and forced to forfeit his expensive boat.

Bach Nguyen, 39, was arrested and charged after taking 3823 yabbies in a wetland area of Western Port Bay. He pleaded guilty in the Frankston Magistrates Court to six charges.

Nguyen and others were targeted during a Victorian Fisheries operation between 2006 and this year in a crackdown on environmental crime recognised by the Australian Crime Commission as a growth area for organised crime gangs.

Prosecutor Ben Carroll yesterday told a court that Fisheries officers who raided Nguyen’s Tecoma home in January found equipment and items to support the take, storage and distribution of large quantities of live Bass yabbies.

Mr Carroll said a search found numerous aquarium air pumps, air hoses and air stones, 20 litre plastic water containers, food containers, tubs and old bait pumps.

He told Frankston Magistrates Court that Nguyen claimed the reason he caught the yabbies in one day was because the “tide went out and his boat got stuck so he just kept taking them”.

Nguyen said sometimes friends paid him for petrol, food and accommodation in exchange for yabbies and admitted he could sell them but only to pay for petrol for his next fishing trip.

He pleaded guilty to six charges that included three of taking fish for sale without authority and using commercial equipment to take more than the catch limit.

Magistrate Ross Betts said jail was warranted for such serious offences and that others had to be deterred. Nguyen was sentenced to six months’ jail, suspended for two years, fined $2000 and had his boat and equipment taken.

Source : The Age

Anglers have found a few golden perch and redfin on the move despite the inclement weather.

Small catches of golden perch were reported on lure from Yerrabi Pondage, Lake Ginninderra, Lake Burley Griffin and the Molonglo River. Best lures were bibless minnows, small deep divers and spinnerbaits.

A few fat pre-spawning redfin were reported on bait and lure in Burley Griffin.

Best locations were around the Acton ferry terminal and the rowing regatta assembly area on Lady Denman Drive. One angler, who fishes several times a week, said his best catch was six fish in an hour using soft plastics.

A few golden perch were caught in Burrinjuck Reservoir on bait. Best locations were in deep water against a rocky shoreline in the lower reaches of the Murrumbidgee Arm. Live yabbies and shrimps were the top baits.

Blowing in the wind

Gale force winds made fishing almost impossible in the mountain lakes for several days this week but after the big blow settled a few fish were taken on the troll and on bait in Jindabyne and Eucumbene.

The favoured location in Jindabyne was Creel Bay where some large browns were caught on flatfish behind Cowbells and Ford fenders. A shore-based angler caught three Atlantic salmon in a session.

There were some smallish rainbows caught on bardi grubs near Old Adaminaby but fishing generally was slow in Lake Eucumbene. The water level has risen markedly in recent weeks and although it is covering new ground it hasn’t yet reached the grass growth on the banks. Fish should start feeding along the shoreline when the water level reaches the grass.

Flying high casting call

The first of the free pre-season fly casting classes staged by the Canberra Anglers Association on the lawns in front of Old Parliament House last Sunday attracted a surprising number of casters, despite the awful weather.

The second of the classes will be held on Sunday from 10am until 12 noon.

Persistence pays off

Ten consecutive weekends of bad-weather at the coast have disillusioned many anglers but the more persistent found good fish in the estuaries.

One group working small hard-bodied lures caught good bream, estuary perch and bass and the occasional tailor in surprisingly warm 17 degree water. Another group did well with similar lures on bream and two flathead. Both groups fished well upstream and concentrated on the entrances to the smaller creeks branching off the main river arms.

Tip of the week

Take advantage of the free fly casting classes and get ready for the trout season opening on October 4.

Bryan Pratt is a Canberra-based ecologist

Source : Canberra Times