Fishing World September 2019

THE images of dead fish strewn across the water makes any fisho’s blood boil. Sadly 2019 has had more than its share of fish kills, the worse taking place in the Murray Darling. Many other less notable occurrences around Australia. Worse still, more often than not, it’s a man made occurrence. Fish kills are usually the result of bad choices, greed or ignorance at a higher level. Environmentally the results are catastrophic and of course you and I are worse off with less fish to catch and a bleak future in these waterways. The much publicised Murray Darling fish kill created shock waves at the highest level of government and business. State and Federal Ministers’ jobs were threatened, while cotton farm directors were implicated in fraud charges which could result…

Any time you add the element of “sight” to fishing, the adrenaline factor ramps up. You need only ask a marlin guru who has his eyes peeled for hours waiting for a beak to appear in the spread. Hours of nothing instantly transformed into moments of heart-pounding excitement as the fish dances from lure to lure deciding which one it’ll eat. Guys catching GTs or doggies on surface say the “take” on surface is more addictive than the fight. I reckon if you asked the bream gurus they would say the same thing. Seeing a big blue-nosed brawler come hunting up behind the back of their topwater lure is every bit as exciting as the big game targets. Most competent bream anglers would say it’s their preferred method for catching…

FISH FACTS: CODS LOSE THEIR CODS ESTUARY cods (genus Epinephelus) are amongst my favourite fishes. These highly predatory tropical species ambush a variety of smaller prey with a “can do” attitude - often trying to eat something first and working out whether it will actually fit into their mouth later. Shy they are not, especially when it comes time to get inside a crab pot to plunder the bait (whether it is guarded by a big muddie or not!) But arguably the most interesting thing about estuary cods are the details of their sex lives. ● By Dr Ben Diggles ENVIRONMENT: JUST HOW GOOD ARE WE? THIS week’s inbox seems to have been full of horror stories about unsustainable fishing practices and ugly outcomes. The ABC ran an expose on…

THE WA fisheries department has launched “Operation Shadowedge” in Esperance, Houpetoun and Collie along the state’s southern coastlines. Its fisheries officers will be using aerial surveillance, long range cameras and drones to make sure commercial and recreational fishers stick to the rules covering fishing and harvesting activities. Recent surveillance actions have proved effective in identifying landing locations of commercial abalone catches and providing evidence of out of season marron fishing. The surveillance efforts are being supplemented by various education campaigns aimed at encouraging voluntary compliance and keeping everyone up-to-date on current fisheries rules and regulations. WA considers it has some of the world’s best fisheries and aquatic resources and that it’s vital that everyone continues to work together to protect them.…

FOR more than 60 years, GME has been active in the communication technology space. The company remains a family owned operation and is 100 per cent Australian owned. The GME journey started in 1959 as Standard Components Pty Ltd, founded by Edward Dunn. Originally, they specialised in TV tuner reconditioning before branching out into other aspects of TV services with their range of Kingray products in 1964. In 1972 Dunn partnered with a close friend, Phil Dulhunty, to form Greenwich Marine Electronics, better known today as GME. It was at this time they began to venture into the communications industry as a distributor of 27 MHz marine radios. Later in the decade they began their journey into the 27 MHz CB Market and began manufacturing their own designs at the…

NOTHING beats coming home after a good day on the water with fresh fish on ice in the esky. Given all the time and effort you put into catching your fish, it makes a lot of sense to ensure you get the most out of it. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy maximum benefits from the fish you take to feed the family. First up, ensure you humanely dispatch fish immediately on capture. A sharp blow to the head with a “donger” or “priest” is an effective technique for most species. Brain spiking, or iki jimi, is also very effective. Once the fish is dead, bleed it by cutting the throat and then get it on ice as soon as possible. Ensuring you have a good supply…