Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i Fishing World

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FISH FACTS: DOGTOOTH DATA Dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor) are not “true” tuna, instead being the largest of the bonitos. Because of this, they behave very differently to the “true” tropical tunas like yellowfin and skipjack. Their possession of a large bonito-type swimbladder allows dogtooth to hold station in high current areas and act as “ambush” predators… ● By Dr Ben Diggles ENVIRONMENT: BALANCE Can you be a passionate recreational fisher and a committed conservationist at the same time? Here at Fisho we think you can, as we’ve had an environment editor position for nearly thirty years and editors and publishers… ● By John Newbery…

I live on a canal on the Gold Coast. This artificial waterway has concrete walls and is about two kilometres from the main waterway, the Southport Broadwater. It is an interesting waterway and has a healthy population of marine life. This canal system is over 30 years old, and as such has had plenty of time to stabilise its marine plant life and bottom structure. This canal has a lot of floating pontoons, and most houses have boats. These form structure that fish can hide under and hunt their prey from. There are plenty of bream, mangrove jacks, flathead and mullet in this canal. I’ve been pleasantly surprised how good the fishing and crabbing is in this waterway. This canal sees significant tidal movement, mostly over a metre to 1.5…

WHEN I first started sportfishing in the 1970s leaders weren’t really a thing. It was all mono fishing line back then and we used a “trace” down to the hook if you needed something heavier than your mainline to protect against a fishes teeth, etc. All traces were joined to the mainline via a swivel or brass ring which these days sounds very agricultural and basic. I guess some people still fish that way with bait but bear in mind that a lot of modern gamefishing still relies on the use of mono mainline and heavy traces run to hooks or lures that are clipped to the mainline via a swivel. It’s a tried and tested technique that has stood the test of time and probably accounted for most IGFA…

The flathead would have to be one of the most popular and iconic fish species in Australia. That statement is sure to start an argument but let me explain. While the various species of ‘flatty’ may not have the status of barramundi in the north or snapper in the south, they are one of few species of recreational interest that occur in every state and territory of Australia (OK, with the obvious exception of the land locked ACT). What’s more they are relatively easy to catch using a range of techniques, have a unique appearance and are very tasty on the plate. What’s not to like? Of the dozens of different species of flathead, when it comes to their performance and popularity as a sportfish, the dusky flathead (Platycephalus fuscus)…

THE Sofala Carp Blitz, after being rescheduled due to flooding, attracted a good crowd with 182 anglers registering for the event on the bank of the Turon river at Sofala, NSW. Aimed at reducing the numbers of invasive pest species in the river the event also raises funds for Sofala CAS to purchase native fish to restock the Turon catchment via the NSW DPI Dollar for Dollar Native Fish Restocking Program which is funded by the Freshwater Recreational Fishing Trust from fishing licence fees. The Turon River is in excellent condition after experiencing impacts from the drought which saw the River ceasing to flow for many months with only the main refuge pools holding water resulting in fish kills along the length of the river. Once the river started to…

Fourteen years ago, the High Court confirmed traditional owners have exclusive access rights to intertidal waters over Aboriginal land, the Blue Mud Bay decision. That led to some areas, such as the Finniss River, becoming out of bounds completely to non-indigenous fishers. Others were split, such as on Melville Island where the northern half is closed to visiting anglers other than lodge guests. The Northern Land Council (NLC) will from January 2023 allow rec fishers to access remote Aboriginal waters under a new permit system; initially the permits will be free. The NLC has determined Darwin Harbour, Bynoe Harbour, the Daly River, Nhulunbuy, Port Keats and the McArthur River regions will remain permit free. Some areas still remain off limits as negotiations on access continue. The Amateur Fishermen’s Association of…

Trout were introduced to Australia in 1864 and have thrived in our streams and dams. There are divided opinions on the release of trout, but one thing is certain; they provide a source of recreational fishing and take angling pressure off native species. They’re great to eat if prepared correctly, and importantly, are a big money earner for the tackle industries and provide a massive amount of tourism dollars, especially in regional areas. Trout tend to prefer the cooler climates and are found around higher country areas from northern NSW down to Victoria, as well as Tasmania. They’re also found in some small streams and lakes in South Australia and Western Australia. They are relatively sensitive to water temperature, preferring temperatures between 6C and 20C, depending on species. For example,…

Q CAN YOU ADD PLASTICS TO SPINNERBAITS? James E-mail A Most certainly! This is known as adding a trailer and I firmly believe this increases a spinnerbaits appeal to fish in most situations. Simply place the plastic on the hook and snug into place on the keeper or a small dab of super glue to hold in place. Choose a plastic that has good movement like a curl tail or t-tail and a size and colour that matches the spinnerbait. The added plastic is great for placing scent on and leaving the silicon spinnerbait skirts unscented allowing them to have maximum movement in the water. Another advantage is they can be rigged with a stinger hook to catch those short striking or smaller fish, check online as there are many…

AUSTRALIA is a vast continent with endless destinations to explore. It would take several lifetimes (and a sizeable budget) to reach all corners of this country and fish its productive waters. It’s a good problem to have! We’re spoilt for choice in Australia; spoilt for species and spoilt for opportunities to explore new places. Thankfully, technology has made reaching these places easier than ever. To be honest, in the past, I didn’t care much for in-car navigation tools. I have a decent sense of direction and with some prior planning, some Google Earth research and a good old fashioned map, I would take off and, more often than not, reach my destination. That all changed recently when I began exploring some new inland waters chasing natives and trout around NSW.…

How great is fishing! There isn’t another sport in the world that you can spend a lifetime pursuing and never feel like you’ve scratched the surface in knowing everything. Even right down to our most humble species, exciting new developments pop up which opens a whole new understanding of fish behaviour. At times, these new discoveries shatter our pre-conceived ideas about how fish live and eat. There’s probably no better example to prove what I’m saying than the humble whiting. It’s fair to say we’ve historically thought of them as a forage species, timid in their behaviour and best caught on worms, prawns and nippers. While chasing bream on small surface poppers, some switched-on fishos on the south coast of NSW discovered whiting absolutely go crazy for surface lures. This…

The WA Auditor General’s Office has highlighted a “weakness” in the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) approach to commercial fishing regulation that could lead to increased risk of illegal fishing. The Office is basically concerned that in small communities fisheries officers are raising their families alongside of the families of the commercial fishers they’re supposed to be monitoring, and that can be an understandably tricky situation. The AG’s Office suggested there were a couple of serious deficiencies: a lack of targeting high-risk areas for compliance and not tracking the effectiveness of monitoring and enforcement activities. In response, and while “seeking to do better,” it appears that DPIRD believes its performance in the commercial regulatory area is “sufficient.”…

BONE FOCUS AUSSIE COLOURS THE Australian Bone Focus colours have arrived and they are an exciting bunch of colours designed to tempt Aussie fish. There are six new colours that will be our ongoing colour range and they include CP (carp), FE (Femur), FAB (Fat Betty), PL (Pearl), SK (Skeleton) and MC (Murray Cod). The Focus has a well-earned reputation as a producer of great glide-bait fishing, winning biggest fish of the day honours at the Lake Mulwala Cod Nationals, catching Andrew Hart from HLS his first metre-plus cod, dominating flathead catches over the flats and finding their way into plenty of barra mouths in the impoundments and rivers. It’s the 130mm size that makes this lure such a well-accepted lure. This size allows anglers to use lighter tackle that…

Every region has a go-to table fish – a fish that can be found with consistency in that area and offers great eating. In the north it’s golden snapper, in the east pearl perch and pink snapper rate pretty highly, over west it’s dhufish, around Tassie it’s the delectable trumpeter, and here in South Oz it’s red snapper. Our red snapper offers the whitest, sweetest flesh, and is without a doubt the first choice when it’s time for a seafood feast in our household. Also called Bight redfish or locally called nannygai, they aren’t to be confused with the smaller nannygai of the east. Our red snapper are akin to a nannygai on steroids, often exceeding 60cm in length and nudging 4kg in weight. A standard red snapper will be…

LAST weekend my six year old grandson, Cruz, reminded me of the term “Donkey” as a description of big stuff. We were hanging out in the garden when he said, “Da, do you know what a big mud crab is called”? “What”, was my reply. “A donkey,” he told me. As it turns out, he gone along on a crabbing expedition with his friend, and the friend’s dad had enlightened him when a big buck was lifted onboard. Funnily enough, I grew up with a similar wording, but I hadn’t heard it in years. During my late adolescence, my mate Mr Spiney coined the term “Fat Boys” for any large specimen and we still use it to this day … “Donkeys” faded into oblivion. That said, I’ve been thinking about…