Shades Fishing News

Steve Cooper

MURRAY cod season opened on Monday and Rod Mackenzie reports anglers fishing along the Murray River from Swan Hill to Mildura did well.

Murray cod to 8kg were taken on bardi grubs, shrimp and lures. Good numbers of yellowbelly to 1kg were also caught. Lake Charm has redfin to 1kg being caught on small yabbies.

In the North East, Geoff Lacey reports that the Bundarra and Cobungra rivers near Anglers Rest are producing brown trout to 500g on worms, lures and nymphs.

The Lower Mitta Mitta River is producing good numbers of rainbow trout 900g on green rabbit fur nymphs, worms and lures.

Snowy Creek at Granite Flat has brown and rainbow trout to 400g taking bait.

In the Western District, Doug Lucas says that Lake Bullen Merri is slow with small numbers of rainbow trout to 1.8kg caught trolling and on Powerbait. Lake Purrumbete has brown trout to 3kg being caught from the shore at Hoses and Shag Rocks on gudgeon and minnow under a bubble float.

The Gellibrand and Carlisle rivers in the Otway Ranges are producing brown trout to 1kg on scrubworms, small bibbed minnows and flies.

Doug reports that the Lee Breakwater at Portland is fishing well for snapper to 8.5kg and gummy sharks to 17kg.

The harbour has silver trevally to 1.5kg and calamari squid. The Aire and Gellibrand River estuaries are slow for bream.

The Curdies River is producing bream to 46cm on the east side of the lake on greyback minnow and shrimp. Salmon to 1.2kg and snapper to 1.5kg are being caught from Princetown and Aire River on pilchards. Wild Dog Creek at Apollo Bay has also produced salmon to 3kg.

Brett Torossi at Frankston reports snapper from 2-7kg being caught from Mt Eliza to Chelsea in 13-15m of water, and along the Pt Richards Channel off Clifton Springs.

Average size is 2.5-4kg but some snapper are up to 7kg. Best baits are squid, silver whiting and pilchards. Land based anglers spinning with metal jigs have caught salmon up to 2kg from Mornington to the Patterson River.

King George whiting to 40cm are biting on fresh squid, pipi and mussel in 5m of water from Mornington to Mt Martha and off the entrance to Swan Bay. Calamari squid are going well in the Lonsdale Bight on baited jigs.

In South Gippsland, Western Port is producing snapper in 10m of water from Lysaughts to Crawfish Rock, Corinella and the Corals. Most fish are 2-3kg, but up to 8.2kg. Fresh squid, pilchards and silver whiting bait producing results.

In the Gippsland Lakes, bream are being caught at the mouths of the Tambo and Nicholson rivers on local prawn. Flathead are being caught from the boardwalk and bream off the jetties at Metung.

Hollands Landing has bream and luderick taking prawn at the boat ramp. Lakes Entrance has mullet, salmon, flathead and trevally. Lake Tyers is producing trevally, tailor, dusky flathead to 6kg on pilchard and bream on prawn. Soft plastic lures also doing well.

In East Gippsland, Marlo beaches are producing salmon, flathead, tailor and gummy sharks. The Marlo estuary has bream, luderick, mullet and estuary perch to 1.23kg being caught on sandworm and prawn.

Bemm River has bream biting on worm and peeled prawn at the river entrance.

At Mallacoota Inlet, bream are biting in the Top Lake on prawn and bass yabbies. Large flathead are biting near Goodwin Sands on soft plastics and the inlet has plenty of luderick.

Source : Weekly Times

The Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI) says snapper stocks have been dangerously over-fished from Bundaberg, in the south-east, to northern New South Wales, and seasonal closures must be introduced.

It says 760 tonnes of snapper was caught last year and the resource can only sustain 440 tonnes.

Dr Brigid Kerrigan says public meetings were held in the past two weeks with commercial and recreational fishers about ways of preserving snapper stocks.

She says recreational fishers caught more than 500 tonnes of snapper last year and they are unhappy about the possible introduction of long-term seasonal closures.

“Total closures over a year of upwards of four months for a period of 10 years to rebuild that stock,” she said.

Dr Kerrigan says decreasing bag limits or increasing size limits will not help rebuild or preserve snapper stocks and seasonal closures are the only option.

“We have very few tools that we can use to effectively reduce fishing pressure on snapper,” she said.

She says if seasonal closures are introduced snapper fishing will be banned for four months each year and the impact will be significant.

Source : ABC News

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

A MAN lost two litres of blood from a gash in his leg after an encounter with a shark off Darwin Harbour.

Geoff Johnson, 50, needed 30 stitches in his right leg after his run-in with the 1.8m reef shark.

He hooked the shark while out fishing with his partner, Jacky Lamb.

Mr Johnson, of Wanguri, reeled in the fish and tried to grab it by the tail so he could free the hook from its mouth about 3pm on Sunday.

But the shark fought back, biting Mr Johnson on his right knee.

The fishing hook then became stuck in his leg, and as the shark thrashed around, the hook ripped a huge gash in the his leg.

“I just pulled it on board and thrashed around a little bit and the hook sliced my leg,” he said.

“The hook did more damage than the shark.”

Mr Johnson said blood started gushing out of the huge gash below his knee.

“I told Jacky to cut the rope on the anchor,” he said.

“There was blood going everywhere.”

“I reckon I would have lost litres.”

“I had to lay down and Jacky had to drive the boat back in.”

Ms Lamb said she was shocked by the sight of Mr Johnson’s blood.

“It looked like somebody had been murdered,” she said.

It took the couple about 45 minutes to make it back to shore.

They arrived at the Darwin Trailer Boat Club and onlookers watched in amazement as Mr Johnson ran to shore with a blood-soaked towel wrapped around his leg.

Ken O’Brien and Chris Young, who had just come in from their own fishing trip, ran to Mr Johnson’s aid.

A female employee from the Trailer Boat Club also came and gave first aid.

Mr O’Brien and Mr Young then put the wounded fishermen in the back of Mr O’Brien’s car and drove him to Royal Darwin Hospital where doctors stitched up his leg.

Mr Johnson said he wanted to thank the people who had come to his aid in the true Territory way - by buying them a beer.

“They did a great job,” he said.

Source : NT News

Recreational fishers will be required to comply with reduced bag limits, a boat limit for high-risk fish and keep a recreational fishers’ logbook as part of a revised package of recreational fishing rules effective from January.

Fisheries Minister Norman Moore today unveiled the revised recreational fishing regulations to manage finfish species under pressure on WA’s coast.

Increased size requirements and new possession limits of 10kg of fillets at the Abrolhos Islands fish protection area are also part of the package.

Mr Moore deferred a decision regarding a previous proposal to impose seasonal bans on fishing for those species which have come under increased pressure.

“Research shows dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper are over-fished in the West Coast bioregion, between north of Kalbarri to east of Augusta,” he said.

“The West Coast bioregion has a number of fish species that live on or near the ocean floor.

These demersal (bottom-dwelling) species – considered an indicator species for other bottom-dwelling fish – are under increased pressure as our population grows.”

Mr Moore said he found a strong case to reduce fishing pressure after considering management options made public by the previous government.

“However, I am concerned that the previously proposed closed seasons for recreational fishing may not be the most effective approach,” he said.

“I have approved the workable elements in the previous management package as an interim measure, while I consider further action.

“The revised recreational fishing rules will still include reductions in daily bag and boat limits and an increase in the minimum legal size for pink snapper.”

The modified regulations will take effect at the same time as the new commercial fishing sector arrangements.

Details of the new recreational fishing management changes are at http://www.fish.wa.gov.au

Source : The West Australian

RAPID BAY - Rapid Bay’s long awaited new $3.9 million jetty is emerging from the waters of Gulf St Vincent.

About one-third of the pylon works are now complete, with construction expected to be finished by the end of the year.

The project director, Rob Jenkins, said the jetty’s completion date would depend on the weather.

“We’ve made terrific progress to date but do need the weather to do the right thing as we move toward construction of the deeper water section.

“This is complex work and it is difficult enough without the rough weather that can impact this part of South Australia,” he said.

“Hopefully we get calm conditions and everything is finished by the end of the year.”

Based on progress to date, Mr Jenkins estimates that, either way, the jetty should be completed then or thereabouts.

Rated as one of the country’s top fishing and diving spots, access to most of the damaged existing jetty was closed in December 2004.

The Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) announced plans to build a new structure in September 2006, after the local community rallied for the jetty’s future.

The new 240-metre long jetty will feature solar lighting as well as stairs and platforms for divers, who are attracted to the spot for the rich diversity of marine life supported by the old jetty, including the rare Leafy Seadragon

Glenice Galbraith of the Friends of Rapid Bay Jetty said the completion of the jetty by Christmas would be an extra bonus for the district.

“I can’t imagine the scope the jetty could create,” she said.

“I hope it will create extra jobs because that’s what this has all been about, but we will all have something to enjoy too.

“It has been slowly but surely coming along…I’ve been getting more and more excited as each pylon goes up.”

Between now and the end of the year, work will continue on assembling pylons and crossheads onshore before they are lifted by crane and hammered into place using a 12 tonne piling hammer.

In the meantime, the State Government is reminding fishers and divers that the existing jetty is closed.

Source : Victor Harbour The Times

Fishermen and conservationists remain divided over looming fishing bans for five of WA’s popular fish species, with the Fisheries Minister due to announce today whether he will back away from the controversial reform package.

The previous government introduced measures this year to protect key fish stocks from overfishing, including bans due to take effect by October 15 on anglers taking pink snapper, dhufish, crimson or red snapper, baldchin groper and breaksea cod, but drafting of the regulations was not finished before the State election.

WA Fishing Industry Council chief executive Graeme Stewart said commercial fishermen had been banned from fishing in the metropolitan zone since late last year and subject to increased restrictions in other areas in order to maintain the sustainability of WA fisheries. “We would be disappointed if (the recreational bans) didn’t go ahead because it was part of the entire package that each fishery reduce their catch by half and if you don’t do that you are wasting your time,” he said.

The Wilderness Society WA has also warned urgent action is needed to protect the iconic species dubbed the “vulnerable five” while recreational fishing groups have claimed annual bans of up to four months over the popular summer fishing period would be too harsh.

JODIE THOMSON

Source: The West Australian

YELLOWBELLY are biting along the Murray River but anglers are being annoyed by Murray cod, which are out of season and must be returned.

Rod Mackenzie reports yellowbelly to 2kg are being caught on worms, shrimp, small yabbies and spinnerbaits.

The hot spot is Wemen, but catches are coming from Pental Island, near Swan Hill, and Belsars Island, near Robinvale.

Redfin are on the bite in the channels between Lake Charm and Kerang Lake.

In the North East, Geoff Lacey reports Pretty Valley Creek and the east Kiewa River are fishing well for brown trout to 450g taking worm and lures.

Mt Beauty Pondage is excellent with many rainbow trout falling for worms under a bubble float and lures.

The Kiewa River, from Mt Beauty to Mongans Bridge, is flowing clear and icy cold, with lots of wild brown trout and rainbow trout in the system.

Many trout to 650g are being caught.

Lake Catani at Mt Buffalo has good numbers of brown trout, and most are being caught on small lures, weighted wet flies and nymphs.

The upper Mitta Mitta River, from Sunnyside to Taylors Crossing, is producing brown and rainbow trout on worms and lures.

The Cobungra River has brown trout taking drifted worms and the Victoria River is holding good numbers of large trout.

Lower Mitta Mitta River near Eskdale has good numbers of brown trout and Snowy Creek continues to fish well with unweighted worms producing trout.

Eildon Pondage has good numbers of rainbow trout, with a brown trout mixed in. They are up to 3.5kg and taking Tassie Devil lures and Powerbait.

In the Western District, Doug Lucas reports that Lake Bullen Merri is producing brown trout to 4.9kg and rainbow trout to 1.5kg.

Trolling orange Lofty lures are working well, as is shore-based fishing with gudgeon under a bubble float.

In the southwest estuaries, the Curdies River has sparked up with bream to 47cm caught on shrimp and vibe lures.

Gellibrand River has estuary perch to 38cm taking hard bodied lures and a few bream downstream of the bridge.

At Aire River bream to 42cm are being caught on shrimp near the Ford River inflow.

Salmon are running again along many surf beaches including Princetown, Peterborough and the Aire, with most fish 700 to 900g.

Apollo Bay also has smaller salmon albeit smaller with most fish to 700g.

The harbour is producing King George whiting to 700g and silver trevally.

Anglers venturing down to cape Otway are catching gummy sharks to 12kg.

Brett Torossi, at Billfisher Tackle, reports Port Phillip Bay snapper are still slow with a smattering of reports of reds to 6kg coming from Carrum, Clifton Springs and Pt Richards.

Most snapper are being caught on pilchard and squid.

Calamari squid to 2kg are taking jigs in the Lonsdale Bight and off Portsea.

In Western Port, King George whiting to 38cm are taking squid in Coronet Bay.

Warneet jetty is producing snook on lures. Anglers fishing off Lysaughts have caught snapper to 7.4kg.

Snapper to 8kg are being caught in the Western Entrance, with smaller snapper to 2kg biting off Tankerton, Hastings and Long Reef.

Ian Page at Lake Tyers in the Gippsland Lakes reports the water has been running hot for bream to about 38cm on hard bodied lures and local prawn.

Flathead numbers are building and most of those being caught are up to 40cm and taking soft plastic lures.

At Bemm River, the lake is producing quality bream to 45cm and luderick to 2kg on sandworms and local prawn.

Source : Weekly Times Now

Flathead have made Swan River fishing more interesting with increased numbers, with Fremantle and Claremont yielding good numbers.

Try near the Police Academy in Maylands for bream.

Sand whiting to 30cm were a treat for boat fishers close to shore at City Beach and Hillarys, Simon Darthwaite and Brendan Earle catching good numbers off Mindarie.

Good size skippy were caught around Mindarie and the Five Fathom Bank. Garfish and herring made for good targets at marinas, heaps of small garfish around Fremantle rock walls.

Reasonable numbers of pink snapper have been nabbed from Cockburn Sound, which will close to fishing on October 1.

Some squid around, but numbers are decreasing with warmer waters.

Busselton

Busselton is supporting large numbers of squid and crabbing is a popular pastime, drop netting from both boats and the Jetty productive. Herring are another Jetty species on tap, early morning and just before dusk best.

King george whiting fishing is best in good conditions. In good weather larger boats have found good jewfish towards Naturaliste Reef and off the west coast, one weighing 23kg and another 24kg. Shore anglers have landed some excellent tailor near Dunsborough.

Albany

Weather governs what you can do in Albany. Reasonable mixed bags have resulted from deep sea outings, pink and red snapper and the odd jewfish featuring and the odd queen snapper, breaksea cod and samson fish. Leatherjackets remain a problem.

The story is similar for waters from Walpole to Bremer Bay. Shore fishing is a tad quiet, small herring and skippy are biting with fair numbers of sand whiting.

Salmon are a possibility east of town at Cheynes Beach, Bluff Creek and Bremer.

Be careful where you choose to 4WD and rock fish. Salmon spots around Albany yield the occasional fish, Gull Rock, Nannarup and Little Beach turning up the odd salmon.

The Harbours are working for king george, squid and the odd snook, near Frenchman’s Bay and Seal Rock best.

Two Peoples Bay launching is hampered by weed with Wilson Inlet offering salmon, pink snapper and king george among them.

Albany region rivers hold quite cool waters and are fishing slowly because of that, although those near-Albany Kalgan and King are performing better for bream and school mulloway.

Source: Perth Now

Steve Cooper

PORT Phillip Bay snapper reports are starting to filter through.

The first reports of snapper usually come from anglers fishing offshore from Barwon Heads or Torquay in Bass Strait, which are already happening.

Next are reports of small numbers of snapper off Portsea and Sorrento, which is also happening.

Then follows a trickle of snapper from Mornington to Black Rock. During the past few weeks snapper to 9kg, with most 3-5kg, have been caught along this stretch of Port Phillip Bay.

Not many fish, but enough to send a spark of hope into the heart of a red-blooded snapper aficionado.

The optimum time is usually from mid-October.

Seasoned hands don’t need to be told what they need for snapper fishing, but newcomers to boating and snapper always have plenty of questions.

The most common questions usually focus on the desirability of spending extra dollars on technology in the form of a sonar (depth sounder) and Global Positioning System or GPS.

Will you catch more snapper with a sonar and GPS? The answer is yes - most of the time, perhaps.

Sounders are great value because not only do they reveal any fish that happen to be about your area, they also show the terrain, depth of water and most have water-temperature gauges.

The transducer signal is cone-shaped and most show a 2m diameter window in 7m of water.

It is a narrow window, and because no arches show on your sounder does not necessarily mean there is no snapper.

GPS units offer a sure-fire way to specific marks or way-points where you may have previously caught snapper. They are also the best way to mark the spot you happen to be fishing.

Most anglers will buy units that combine sounder and GPS in one.

In recent years I have used many different makes and models, including Garmin and Lowrance. I now use a Navman 6570, which has been renamed Northstar 657.

Apart from the name change, the only other discernible difference is the buttons have gone from blue to grey.

In price terms, it is a mid-range unit and features things such as maps, tides (based on location) and moon phases.

As with most combination units, this one allows you to have the sounder and GPS on at the same time.

The value of a GPS is manyfold. These units have removed the need for triangulation - sighting up three fixed objects on land to find a mark.

And the map facility shows you where you are on the bay, which can be seriously handy in the middle of the night or in a fog.

GPS technology works by receiving signals from satellites that are then interpreted by the GPS to give you a position calculated as latitude and longitude on the water. This is a measure of distance, not time.

In that regard, one degree equals 60 nautical miles or 111km; one minute equals one nautical mile; and one second equals one-60th of a nautical mile.

As for accuracy, if you can get within casting distance of a mark, you are close enough.

If you are still unsure, start sounding around until you find fish or the terrain you seek.

While GPS units have taken off among snapper enthusiasts, the reality of the technology is that the way-points should only be used as a starting point.

They are not a guarantee for success because snapper tend to move about as they graze the seabed.

Source: Herald Sun