Shades Fishing News

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!

Last Sunday saw a number of members of the Federal Hotel Fishing Club gather at Burrendong Dam, but not for a fishing trip as most would expect.

On this occasion the keen fishos were gathered for just the opposite reason, as it was time for the first release of fingerlings in the 2009 stocking program for the club.

With 3000 Murray Cod fingerlings received in excellent condition from our friends at Uarah Fisheries and boats at the ready, members of the Fishing Club proceeded to distribute the fingerlings at Burrendong in spots where lots of cover will give the young fish a greater chance of survival.

With a bit of luck a fair percentage will survive and grow to provide some great fishing at Burrendong in the future.

These cod are just the beginning of the restocking program carried out by the Federal Hotel Fishing Club, with a large shipment of Golden Perch fingerlings expected in February or March.

With the amount of fishing pressure being put on Burrendong at the moment, only a small minority of people coming from across the west to enjoy fishing at the dam are practicing catch and release.

I only hope that the efforts of the fishing club and fisheries department will be able to maintain stocks at the dam, to keep it’s reputation up as one of the best fisheries in the west.

The Federal Hotel Fishing Club raises its funds for this program through raffles and a joker draw held at the Federal Hotel every Thursday night.

So all those who love fishing come along and help support the club in their efforts to maintain fish stocks in the local area, as it is a very big job and we need all the community support we can get.

If our children and grandchildren are to enjoy fishing in the Wellington district as we have, then this restocking program is our best chance.

So with this program and perhaps a little education , I think the future of recreational fishing in the Wellington district is looking bright.

I know that the members of the club will keep up the hard work to carry out the program and hopefully we will enjoy many more years of great fishing at Burrendong and in the Macquarie.
Source: Wellington Times

The Yamaha Great Inland Fishing Festival will be held this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Copeton Dam with organisers looking forward to another successful festival.

Great Inland Fishing Festival Committee Publicity Officer, Brett McInnes is very happy with the way the way things are shaping up.

“The Dam has been fishing well, more water is going in then out at the moment and cod season opens before the start of the competition this year, so we could not have asked for better”, Mr McInnes said.

“Nominations so far have been strong and anglers are encouraged to sign up so they can get on the water early Friday morning with the competition officially commencing at 7am”.

“Committee members will be at the Copeton State Park on Thursday afternoon so people are able to sign on, set their camp up and are ready to go the next day”.

Competition is sure to be strong with over 700 anglers expected to be vying for in excess of $20,000 in cash and prizes with the champion angler throughout the competition walking away with $1000 in cash and prizes and the champion club getting a $1000 worth of fingerlings to bolster their local water ways.

” The Festival Committee also places a strong emphasis on junior participation with secret length prizes on offer over each day of the competition in the junior category” said Mr McInnes.

“On top of that Fishing Tackle Australia have also kindly donated a rod and reel combination for the first 100 juniors to sign on”.

Friday December 5 is day one of competition and is sponsored by Copeton State Park with flag boats and bank stations operating between 7am and 7pm.

Day two of the competition is sponsored by Sapphire City Steel & Pipe and again fish can be measured over the 12-hour period between 7am and 7pm.

The final day of the competition is sponsored by awhimaway.com.au with the action finishing up at 11am to allow points to be tallied for the lunchtime presentation on the lawn area in front of the Copeton State Park Kiosk.

“A huge crowd traditionally likes to hang around for the presentation and the drawing of the fisherman’s dream raffle which includes the boat and trailer combo as the main prize”, Mr McInnes said.

Murray cod is always viewed as the trophy catch in this competition, but prize categories also exist for golden perch, catfish and silver perch.

“Some people target a particular species whilst others are happy just to try their luck and enjoy a long weekend at the dam”, Mr McInnes said.

The catch and release competition is in its 10th year and is a major draw card for Inverell and the surrounding region. There has been massive growth in the number of participants each year as the reputation of the festival grows with many people seeing the festival as a great opportunity for a family weekend away.

If anyone is wanting any last minute information they can contact competition organiser, Mr Darrel Kachel on phone 0427 221 057 or Committee President, Mr Ray O’Neill on phone 02 6722 2831. Nominations can also be completed before Friday at the Northern Foreshores Reserve, Roy Parsons Marine, Inverell Wreckers and Tourism Inverell.

Source : Inverell Times

The redfin, or English perch, was introduced to Australia from Europe about 1860 and has since become widespread throughout much of New South Wales and Victoria, and inhabits our local impoundment Lake Burrendong and the Macquarie River.

Redfin are popular with some anglers because of their eating qualities. They are also voracious predators of other fish and invertebrates, and can destroy recreational fisheries in enclosed waters by building up large numbers of stunted fish, eliminating other species and devastating native fish populations by carrying the EHN virus.

This disease is unique to Australia and can cause mass mortality in juvenile redfin during the summer months.

A number of native species, including silver perch, Murray cod, mountain galaxias and particularly Macquarie perch, are highly susceptible to the disease, and EHN virus may be one factor responsible for the decline in various native species in the past couple of decades.

For these reasons, redfin are considered a serious pest in NSW. It can be recognised by its pattern of six or more tapering bands on the sides of the body and red pelvic, anal and caudal fins.

It has a humped back behind the head, and a large mouth. It grows up to 60cm in length and 10.4kg in weight, but is more common at 30-45cm.

Redfin is usually found in still, slow flowing freshwaters as it feeds on crustaceans, worms, molluscs, insect larvae and smaller fish.

Anglers at Lake Burrendong have been using a variety of methods to catch redfin of late, including bobbing, surface popping, and both trolling and casting lures.

The NSW DPI has the following suggestions on how anglers can help:

o Large redfin are good sport and eating fish and there are no bag or size limits on them. Please keep all redfin you catch and don’t release them into our waterways or dams.

o Don’t transfer redfin between waterways or introduce them into farm dams. New populations of redfin can quickly build up to large numbers, leading to stunted fish and can quickly replace other recreational species.

o Don’t use live redfin (or any other live finfish) as bait in freshwater - it’s illegal and carries a high risk of infesting new areas with redfin.

o Obtain a permit to stock fish - and buy fingerlings from a registered hatchery to prevent contamination with unwanted species.

o Prevent unwanted hitchhikers - check, clean and dry boats and gear between waterways. Ensuring your boat and trailer are free of weed before re-launching can help avoid the possibility of spreading redfin eggs and juveniles.

o Assist efforts to restore our rivers by taking part in a RiverCare or LandCare project or by conserving and restoring riparian vegetation on your own land.

o Take part in native fish restocking programs with your local angling group.

For more information go to www.dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Splitrock fishing

There are some very dense weed beds at Splitty at the moment, and anglers stripping lipless crank baits and minnows on the edges are scoring some big yellowbelly.

Keepit

Trolling methods still continue to yield good catches of yellowbelly for many anglers. Rotating through a variety of lure colours, including both fluros and natural patterns has made it easier to find what the flavour of the day is for resident natives.

Burrendong

With the Federal Hotel’s Wellington Fishing Club fishing competition just around the corner, some big catches of redfin were reported this week. Some anglers bagged between 20 and 30 fish averaging around 30cm in length. Locating schools and bobbing worms and yabbies has been a very successful method.

Macquarie River

Shrimp activity has increased incredibly in the last few weeks, with our local river’s food chain well and truly in working order. Weed bed edges are proving to be a great spot to cast for some fighting fit golden perch, and the odd silver perch.

Glenbawn

Australian bass in Lake Glenbawn have fired up over the past week, with some 45cm plus fish proving hard to stop for many visiting the dam. Kokoda Wee Wop’s, Chubby’s, and Alex Ritmo Tango hard bodies are all taking fish on the points and edges.

Source: Dubbo Daily Liberal

Steve Cooper

THE biggest event on the anglers’ calendar this summer is the opening of Murray cod season in Victoria and NSW on Monday, December 1.

In terms of publicity and public involvement, the Murray cod opening has developed into a more anticipated event than the trout opening.

Cod stocks in Victoria’s northern rivers and lakes have gone from boiled sweets to chocolates.

The fishery is testament to the determination of Fisheries biologists in Victoria and NSW to renew Murray cod.

In many waters, the species has been brought back from the brink of extinction to a dominance it held when white settlers arrived.

Almost three months after cod season closed, most native fish anglers are starting to think about where they will be heading.

Some anglers will take the first week of December off work to chase cod because early season fishing can be excellent.

If you are planning a cod trip, now is a good time to find where the cod are, and which rivers and impoundments hold enough water, so you can decide where to go.

Long-term stocking in Lake Eildon in Victoria has seen hundreds of thousands of Murray cod released and anglers trolling large bibbed minnows down deep in the Delatite Arm can do well. Cod in excess of 25kg have been caught in this water.

Victoria’s Kerang Lakes have been stocked with cod. Lakes Boga, Charm and Kangaroo, and Middle Lake don’t hold monsters, but they do have legal size cod.

Victorian rivers to try include the lower Goulburn, Broken River (Benalla to Shepparton) and the Loddon River, above and below Bridgewater.

The Campaspe River from Elmore to Echuca has cod but is a small boat or bank fishing option.

Along the Murray River, there are many opportunities.

The Mitta Arm at Lake Hume (classed as Victorian water) and Lake Mulwala at Yarrawonga (classed as NSW water) produce good results.

Lake Mulwala is generally regarded as the most productive cod fishery in Australia in terms of numbers of cod caught.

Gunbower Creek, near Cohuna, produces cod as does another anabranch, the Little Murray River near Swan Hill.

The Murray River upstream of Swan Hill to Pental Island is a consistent stretch of water.

Alternatively, the Wakool River at Kyalite or the Edward River upstream of Kyalite fish well for cod early in the season.

Other places along the Murray worth trying are Boundary Bend and further downstream from Euston Weir to Wemen.

The Murrumbidgee River at Balranald, Maude and Hay has earned a reputation for producing good numbers of Murray cod early in the season.

Tackling up for cod isn’t difficult. Most bait fishers prefer 6-8kg threadline outfits.

To rig up, use a running sinker to a No. 2-4 straight hook or a 6/0 Suicide pattern. A leader of a minimum 15kg breaking strain should be used in case you hook into a big cod, which will wear through lighter leader material.

Best cod baits include bardi grubs, shrimp, yabbies and scrubworms. Cheese baits also do well.

Lure trollers tend to use baitcaster outfits, with a large difference between the rod rating and the line used.

The popular rod is rated for about 6kg but the reel will be spooled with 15kg breaking strain braid to stand the wear and tear of timber.

When using an outfit configured this way, set your drag on the reel to suit the rod, not the line - otherwise you may end up the owner of a two-piece rod.

The same outfit can be used for casting lures into snags.

When you attach your lure, use a loop knot as clips or snaps have a nasty habit of opening up at inopportune times - like when you are hooked up.

As a rule of thumb, the most productive early season lures are in bright or fluoro colours.

Successful cod lures include Stumpjumpers, Mongs, Halco Poltergeists and Scorpions, AC Invaders and Oargee, and spinnerbaits and mumblers like those produced by Bassman.

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

Source : Weekly Times Now

BATHURST yesterday struck a devastating blow against invasive feral fish species when 400 recreational anglers hauled more than 80 carp and redfin from the Macquarie River.

Groups including as many as eight family members fished for just over six hours, landing redfin as small as two grams to whopping carp that tipped the scales at 6.75 kilograms.

NSW Fisheries’ Education officer Brett Smith was amazed that the initiative of the Bathurst RSL Fishing Club, staging only its second annual BCF Carp Blitz, has rid the Macquarie River of so many “rabbits of the river” in only a few hours.

Mr Smith congratulated the members of the fishing club for being among the first in NSW to cotton onto the Fishers for Fish Habitat project that aims to improve the native fish habitat on waterways across the state.

The fishing club collected gold coin donations to be matched dollar for dollar to buy quality native murray cod, yellowbelly and silver perch to stock local waterways.

“This has been an amazing day for Bathurst because of the large number of fish of breeding potential that were removed from the river,” Mr Smith said.

“When you calculate that just one of the carp that have achieved between two and six kilograms has a capacity to on breed, producing as many as 50,000 more carp, this is a huge environmental impact for the good of the river, water quality and native fish habitat.

David Roberts, 34, caught one of the last fish before the 2pm weigh-in, hooking a massive 6.75 kilogram carp from a spot he occupied with friends just up from the Denison Bridge.

Source : Western Advocate

The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is currently undertaking research involving freshwater fish movements in many waterways throughout NSW, including the Macquarie River.

Anglers are urged to check all fish that they catch for a tag or microchip to assist with research that is vital to our fisheries’ future.

NSW anglers who catch a tagged fish in their region are asked to freecall 1800 185 027 to report the date of the catch, tag number, place of catch, length and species of fish.

Anglers will be posted the details of the original tagging location and rewarded with a 75-millimetre ‘Oar-Gee’ plow lure, which is a Murray Cod specialist.

Species to be tagged include native fish such as Murray cod, silver perch, golden perch, Australian bass, catfish, mullet and bony bream, and introduced fish such as European carp, goldfish and red-fin.

The participation of anglers has greatly contributed to the success of a study on the migration patterns of fish along the Murray-Darling River system, and it is hoped that anglers will keep up the good work.

NSW DPI researchers have found that the study of tagged fish and the reporting of anglers along the Murray-Darling River system has proved to be very valuable.

Studies from fish tagging is providing vital information on the movement patterns of native fish, which will help manage their populations.

It will also provide important biological information on introduced species, which can be used to develop better methods for their control.

Freshwater fish ecologists with the NSW DPI, together with their counterparts from the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, have tagged fish along many of the major rivers within the Murray-Darling Basin with microchip tags similar to those used to tag pets.

Automated tracking stations which record the movement of fish through fish-ways are being progressively installed along the Murray River, and unlike previous tagging studies that relied on recapturing the fish, the tracking stations automatically record the location of the fish as they swim through the fish-way.

Fish have also been externally tagged with yellow tags that can be easily recognised by anglers.

Contact details to report the re-capture of tagged fish are printed on each tag.

During peak fishing periods, scientists have been receiving more than 100 tag returns in a week.

Receiving so many responses can slow down the processing of tag replies, but anglers can rest assured that all reported captures will receive a response.

Since the tagging of fish began in 2001 more than 10,000 fish have been tagged and released into the main channel of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.

A further 500 fish have been tagged in the Shoalhaven catchment.

This large scale tagging of fish will be ongoing in numerous rivers within NSW for a number of years.

Anglers who clean their catch may also find a microchip in the shoulder of these species.

Each microchip contains a unique number and fish can be identified if anglers are able to return the tag.

Initial results showed that some fish have moved more than 500 kilometres along the Murray River in as little as three months and as far as 1700 kilometres over two years.

Source: Dubbo Daily Liberal