Shades Fishing News

By Monique Ebrington

THOUSANDS of Casey children and families will benefit from a $12,000 state grant for the introduction of recreational fishing days in Casey Fields Lake.

Local fishing guru Paul Worsteling is also urging budding anglers to make the most of some free fishing information.

The funding comes after a Brumby Government commitment to improve fishing opportunities in the City of Casey and is taken from recreational fishing licence revenue.

The local Futurefish Foundation will receive the funding to continue running projects such as family fishing days at Casey Fields Lake.

Last year over 1000 people attended a day in which all participating children received a fishing rod, reel, line, lure, bait and bucket to keep.

Directors of Futurefish, David Kramer and Mr Worsteling created the family fishing day after watching the progress of Casey Fields Lake.

“We’re locals and we saw a new lake that didn’t have any fish in it and we thought how about we get some fish in there and get the kids involved,” said Mr Kramer.

The City of Casey, in conjunction with Futurefish, released over 800 edible sized fish and a few ‘monsters’ into the lake last year, with 500 more to be released in early October. “You don’t have to travel far or go to a pier or own a boat to fish because there’s a great little lake full of fish right here in Cranbourne,” said Mr Kramer.

With the distinctive fluorescent pink and blue rods given out at the family day, Futurefish has seen hundreds of children returned to the lake to fish in their own time.

“We wanted to get kids off computers and get them out of the house and out fishing.

There’s a beautiful lake in Cranbourne that I reckon not a lot of people know about,” Mr Kramer said.

Anyone wanting a set of the Let’s Go Fishing cards can call 136 186 or send an email to go.fishing@dpi.vic.gov.au

Source: Star News Group

MURRAY cod season has closed and trout season is now open in Victoria.

However, NSW anglers have to wait another month for their trout season opening.

Rod Mackenzie reports that anglers fishing the Murray River are catching yellowbelly to 1.2kg at Swan Hill and Mildura in Victoria on yabbies, worms and bibless minnow lures. Carp are being caught at Mildura on surface poppers. The Wakool River has small numbers of yellowbelly to about 1kg being caught on bait.

Mick Hall at Eildon, in Victoria, says the Eildon Pondage is fishing well, with rainbow and brown trout being caught. Most fish are from 400g to 1kg, but a few bigger trout to 3kg are also being caught. Rainbow coloured Powerbait, maggots and locally-made dough are producing good results for bait fishers.

Fisheries Victoria released another 5000 mainly rainbow trout, weighing 200-250g, and 200 brown trout from 2-4kg during the week. This brings to 15,000 the number of trout released into the Pondage this year, with another 5000 still to come. Mick Rantall at Warrnambool, in Victoria, reports the Merri River is producing brown trout to 1.8kg on lures and worms. The hotspot is Lake Elingamite where brown trout to 2.5kg and redfin to 1.5kg are being caught consistently on lures and bait.

Best lures are Tassie Devil and Vibes, with mudeyes and minnows the preferred baits. Lake Bullen Merri is producing rainbow trout to 4kg on Stick Caddis pattern flies fished under a Glo Bug fly.

At Lake Purrumbete, in Victoria, redfin are consistent, and reasonable catches of brown trout to 3.5kg are being reported. Mudeye and minnow baits, and soft plastic and hard body lures, are producing results.

On the estuary scene, Mick says Victoria’s Fitzroy River has been producing bream and estuary perch to 34cm, but the Hopkins River is a better option for bream to 45cm and estuary perch to 38cm.

Most fish are being caught on cut mullet, brown shell, shrimp and some on lures. Levis Beach in Victoria has produced salmon to about 3kg on daylight on pilchard strips. Bream to 43cm are being caught on shrimp in the Aire River at Horden Vale.

The Barham River at Apollo Bay, Victoria, is producing bream to 37cm on spider crab and shrimp.

In Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay, off the Pt Lonsdale pier has been good for salmon to about 1kg on whitebait and metal lures. Snapper are building with reports of fish to 5kg being caught off Portsea, Mornington and Carrum. King George whiting to 40cm are taking mussel and fresh squid baits off St Leonards, Mt Eliza, Mornington and Safety Beach. Calamari squid are becoming more consistent in the Lonsdale Bight and off Portsea. Most are being caught on baited jigs.

In Victoria’s South Gippsland region, Western Port has calamari squid being caught from Flinders pier, Sandstone Island to Stony Pt and on the Tortoise Head Bank, where King George whiting to about 40cm are being caught on squid and mussel. Gummy sharks to 8kg and snapper to 4kg have been caught off Corinella. In the Gippsland Lakes, Hollands Landing has bream and mullet biting in The Straits and Toms Creek on prawn. The Mitchell River has been steady for bream in the Backwater, at Eagle Point and Grassy Bank on crab and prawn.

In the Tambo River, bream are biting at the mouth and Rough Road, and the Nicholson River has produced bream and mullet throughout the system.

Lakes Entrance has luderick, yelloweye mullet, tailor and silver trevally being caught on sandworm, weed and pilchard strips. Lake Tyers has bream to 30cm biting on peeled prawn in the arm.

Source: Weekly Times Now

THE old rule of thumb for Murray cod was that the fish were best sought when the water temperature was up, and this meant summer.

Many anglers, working on the theory that you wouldn’t catch cod in winter, put away their fishing tackle and went chasing trout in lakes or bream or salmon in the surf.

The reality is that while you may not catch as many Murray cod in winter, those that you do hook will be bigger.

The critical issue for Murray cod is not so much water temperature as water levels. Cod come on the bite better when the water level is rising.

The best fishing often happens the day before the rise reaches the stretch of river being fished.

This fact was brought home to me again this week when Murray River cod guru Rod Mackenzie emailed me a picture of his latest catch, a cod of about 35kg caught near Mildura.

He isn’t the only angler doing well. Others have been taking reasonable numbers of large cod near Robinvale.

About three years ago, I was involved in a cod session on the Murray River near Wentworth. More than a dozen cod to about 30kg were caught, and there were no fish under 12kg.

The fishing was slow, given the time spent on the water, but it takes only one big cod to make a trip worthwhile.

At this time of year, many big cod are caught close to where small creeks and drains flow into the river.

The Murray cod doesn’t move at a great rate of knots and is an ambush predator.

Big cod take cover in snags and submerged timber, below overhanging trees or along rockbars. The fish hover almost motionless as they wait for a meal to swim past.

When this happens, cod open their mouths and inhale their victims. Known as implosion feeding, on still days or nights you will sometimes hear the “boofing” sound, like a shotgun firing, when a big cod’s gills slap shut as it exhales water inhaled with the unfortunate meal.

Winter cod are best sought with lures, either trolled or cast. Slow-trolling big lures or wide-body lures and working spinnerbaits or mumblers through snags are all productive methods.

An 8kg baitcaster outfit spooled with 15kg breaking strain braid will cover most lure applications. When rigging it is important to use a hard-wearing leader material of about 24kg breaking strain.

LURES

Many anglers have taken to working spinnerbaits and the similar mumbler lures.

The method is to cast the lure into a likely snag and retrieve it slowly through or alongside the timber.

The advantage of this type of lure is that you are less likely to hang up on timber. If you do, tighten the line and pull it as if you were loading a bow, and then let it go.

The subsequent shockwave down the braid will sometimes push the lure free.

A few successful trolling lures include the Stumpjumper, Halco Poltergeist and Predatek Boomerang.

When trolling lures, it is important to keep them close to the riverbed. Work braid lines of about 15kg and a nylon leader to act as a shock absorber to stop the hooks pulling out when you get a strike.

Trolling success comes by working lures close to snags. A benefit of braid lines is that you can feel when your lure is bouncing over submerged logs.

To avoid snagging, free spool quickly to allow the lure to rise, and then put the reel back in gear and the lure will dive down again.

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

Source : Herald Sun

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/LinkView/AB18E51729632395CA257457000789FB626A406A2AB2C9ABCA256EA700811FBF

“The current Fisheries Regulations 1998 are due to expire in March 2009 and must be remade before then. Fisheries Victoria is leading this process and has undertaken a review of the existing regulations. It is proposed that a large proportion of the existing regulations will be retained in the new Fisheries Regulations 2008, but a series of additional changes are proposed. The new regulations have been drafted to improve their clarity and effectiveness.”

To summarise:

Golden perch (yellowbelly) in lakes & impoundments
CURRENT : 30 cm
PROPOSED : 30 cm

Bag Limit CURRENT 10 / PROPOSED 5

Murray cod
CURRENT : 50 cm
PROPOSED : 60 cm

Bag Limit
CURRENT :
2 (of which no more than one may equal or exceed 75 cm)

PROPOSED :
2 (of which no fish may equal or exceed 100cm)

I really encourage people to provide feedback on these proposed amendments! :
Link To Feedback Form PDF

IVAN Dosen hadn’t been out fishing for quite some time, but come Thursday he decided to head out onto the bay for some fresh air and, hopefully, a lip-smacking feed of fish.

The Bell Park man certainly did all of that, taking his bag limit of three large snapper, the biggest 8kg.

These were all caught in about eight metres of water in front of the Mountain View Quarries from 12.30pm onward.

Dosen, who used pilchards and squid for bait, also caught two gummy shark.

Peninsula whiting

WHITING are still a proposition around the Bellarine Peninsula.

Among those to catch them last week were Jim Robinson and Wayne Gibson, of the Bellarine Light Game and Sportfishing Club.

They took combined bag-limit catches offshore from the St Leonards Yacht Club in about three metres of water on Wednesday evening using pipis and pilchard fillets for bait.

Robinson also reports that his brother, Russell, and his son, Luke, 7, fished the Barwon at Breakwater where they caught several carp to 3kg or so using corn kernels for bait.

Justin Burns took daughter Aisha, 4, fishing on the Barwon at Highton, near the Shannon Ave bridge.

Burns caught carp to 4.5kg or thereabouts; Aisha caught one of 2kg.

They used bread for bait.

Western District

DOUG Lucas, of Colac, and friend Bob Casper fished the Aire River on Thursday, finding the mouth wide open and the estuary tidal.

They found the bream easily enough, but most were small.

It took the capture of perhaps 100 fish before they had their combined bag limit that included fish to 42cm.

The bait used was local shrimp.

Lucas mentions that anglers have been startled to see dead and dying chinook salmon around the edge of Lake Bullen Merri.

He said chinook salmon die in considerable numbers in their fourth year, giving rise to concern among those who may not be expecting it.

Port Albert

MARK Cameron, of the Petrel Angling Club, reports members journeyed to Port Albert, in South Gippsland, at the weekend to contest the Northern Suburbs Concrete Trophy.

The heaviest fish, a 2.14kg flathead, was caught by Dennis Cockerel.

Max Clayton was runner-up with another of 505 grams, and the heaviest bag of fish (flathead), 2.59kg, was taken by Cameron.

Flyfishing

THE Bellarine Fly Fishing Association is running a series of flyfishing seminars for those who would like to learn more about the enjoyable art.

They will be held at Shannon Park, Newtown, at 7.30-9pm on Tuesday June 3 and 10.

A casting session will also be held at 2-4pm on Saturday, June 14.

The $40 cost of the seminar includes a publication that introduces the angler to flyfishing lakes.

For more details, call Tony on 5255 5724 or 0409 545 929. Portland

BOB McPherson reports there are still plenty of albacore and southern bluefin tuna coming into the cleaning tables whenever the weather permits anglers offshore.

Brett Murray has been among the successful operators, bringing in a dozen or so albacore and his bag limit of bluefin tuna to 24kg.

Source: Geelong Advertiser

Water officials are urging people to ensure they do not help the spread of an imported fish that is attacking native species in the Wimmera.

The tiny mosquito fish, or gambusia, is from central America and breeds well in poor quality and stagnant water.

Wimmera Catchment Management Authority spokesman Mark Toomey says the fish is already found along the Wimmera River, but can be spread by mistake.

“They’re transported by people a little bit, so people inadvertently who have caught other fish or animals to use as fishing bait, may have inadvertently spread them to other areas in the Wimmera the past.”

Source: ABC News

Deborah Morris

FORMER prime minister Malcolm Fraser is offering a local fisherman up to $400 for a day’s fishing in Western Port.

The keen angler has taken the unusual step of taking out a private ad (right) to find the right man for the job.

Mr Fraser, who lives in Red Hill, has stipulated that his guide must be either an “ex or retired fisherman” who has his own seaworthy boat. And he is prepared to pay $350-$400 a day for a “successful operation”.

The prime minister of Australia from 1975-83 lists fishing as his hobby on the Federal Government’s website and is an experienced fly fisherman, according to VR Fish executive director Christopher Collins. “I’ve run into Malcolm a couple of times in Tasmania, fly fishing for trout,” said the head of Victoria’s peak recreational fishing body.

Westernport and Peninsula Fishing Charters charges $200 an hour, with a minimum of four hours for an exclusive charter. For that, you get bait, tackle, rods and a meal on an 11.5m boat, with a skipper and a deckhand to clean the fish, owner Michelle Gray said.

Whiting, gummy shark and elephant fish are all biting at the moment.

Stony Point fishermen were all for the idea of being Mr Fraser’s fishing buddy.

“For $400 a day, I’d go fishing with the Queen,” Francis ‘Captain Salty’ Wood said. His son, Gary, said he would even throw in sandwiches for that price.

But what if you don’t catch anything? Do you still earn your $400 if you come home empty-handed?

“It doesn’t work that way,” Mr Collins said. “A successful operation is if the boat doesn’t sink.”

Mr Fraser did not respond to the Leader’s request for an interview.

Source : Mornington Peninsula Reader

Lisa Habermann

FISHERMEN on Rye pier are fearful but defiant after louts threw an elderly man off the Rye pier.

“It is terrible that they do this to the older people,” said Gaetano Apa, who regularly fishes on the pier with his wife Dominica.

Mr Apa, who lives in Lalor but has a house in Tootgarook, said he had heard about the fisherman who was thrown off the pier on March 11 by a group of boys.

“They tried to do it to me too, on another day,” Mr Apa said.

“They come up and say, ‘Do you have fish? Can you swim?’

“One young boy about 12 years old kept asking me these questions. He then went to a group of older boys and they all came back.

“He walked behind me and tried to push me in. I waved my fishing rod at him and scared him away.

“I can’t swim. If they pushed me in, I would be a dead man.”

Another fisherman, who asked not to be named, said he saw the man being pushed into the water.

“I know him as Giovanni,” he said.

“Three boys pushed him in and two women rescued him. It is not good. He is a good man.”

Mr Apa said he had not seen the elderly fisherman back at the pier since the attack.

Rye police are aware of the attack, but were unavailable for comment by Leader’s deadline.

The fishermen have called for police to step up their patrols on the pier.

Source : The Mornington Peninsula Leader

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