DON’T MISS!
BEST SPOTS TO DROP A LINE THIS WEEKEND:
MUDCRABS abound regardless of an old saying that suggests the crustaceans should be hibernating deep in their holes.
The best crabbing is said to be had in any month that contains an ‘R’ within its spelling, “… and leave your pots at home throughout the rest,” they say.
These are changing times, climate too apparently, and while old timers have collapsed their traps and hung them from the shed rafters, today’s anglers are taking full advantage – some snaring bag limit catches.
Julian Bridges and mate Rosco Edwards claimed a 14-crab boat limit haul after they set traps in and around Cleveland Bay’s Crocodile Creek early this week.
Bridges said the quality of the crabs was exceptional with very few floater or empty crabs among those that found their way into traps that were baited with chicken carcasses.
An identical haul of succulent mudcrab was taken by brothers Peter and Ian Robertson when they tested Haughton River waters last weekend.
Another maximum boat limit of 14 crabs was taken between the siblings, this time though, the crabs falling to fresh estuary fish carcasses – including that of a 90cm barramundi taken by Peter just a week earlier.
Crab crims beware
Meanwhile, fishers considering illegal activities while on the water might take note of the plight of a recent fisheries related conviction.
A man was prosecuted in Mackay and fined $10,000 for interfering with fishing apparatus, someone else’s crab pot in particular.
Authorities advise that there are multiple operations and investigations into illegal crabbing activity across Queensland, with day and night patrols on waterways and boat ramps, methods including the use of specialised surveillance equipment like hidden cameras which have resulted in numerous successful prosecutions.
Don’t take the chance of being caught doing the wrong thing by the authorities or worse still, the owner. If it’s not yours, don’t touch. Anglers suspecting illegal crabbing activities can report them to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.
Charters sail again
And while recreational anglers can now fish for fun rather than have to justify their fishing under the guise of essential food gathering, fishing charter operators can also commence business operations – albeit with a handful of restrictions.
Local fishing guides and charter boat operators were forced to temporarily close shop when recent international and state border restrictions were accompanied by nonessential travel directions forcing the larger community to remain at home unless travel was deemed ‘essential’.
With last week’s minor relaxation of pandemic restrictions, fishing charter businesses can resume operation providing clientele are no further than 50km from their residential address throughout the charter, can come from multiple households, and numbers restricted to licensed boat capacity.
Townsville operators are overjoyed at the prospect of getting back to work, Andrew Mead of Aussie Barra Charters itching to kick off his barramundi fishing services in proper style while Adam Finlay of AFS Sportfishing says he has mixed feelings about the relaxation of current restrictions.
Finlay, also skipper of Audacity Charters, is unsure what social distancing measures will allow within
charter fishing framework and suggested it might be better for authorities to keep their foot firmly on the throat of the virus before opening up the fishing charter industry in a more positive and proper manner.
“I just want it all to be some form of normal before we really push it,” Finlay said.
Finlay said he was hopeful the 50km travel limit would be lifted or modified in time for him to undertake nearly three months solid charter bookings at the Burdekin’s Camp Island Fishing Lodge beginning in July.
“While there’s so much uncertainty and potential risk undertaking charters right now, I’m happy to wait for a short while and do it right,” Finlay said.
Influx of winter species
The mid-week blow that might have stripped the neighbour’s dalmatian of its spots and stole little Johnny’s jam from his sandwiches is forecast to ease this weekend, albeit only moderately, before returning early next week.
And with tides receding to a neap phase on the back of yesterday’s full moon, local estuaries invite anglers to fish within prescribed ‘50kmfrom-residence’ boundaries to take advantage of an influx of recognised winter species.
Bream, both pikey and yellowfin varieties, are showing in reasonable numbers within Cleveland Bay creeks, but in a more consistent way when anglers fish the Haughton River and Morrissey’s Creek.
While many recent bream catches are regarded as nothing more than good luck or simply by-catch, dedicated bream fishers are finding the species at usual hotspots while utilising specialised tackle and techniques.
Samantha Gowan and friend Susy Beecroft said they used light lines, small sinkers and peeled prawn baits to hook and land no fewer than a dozen bream when they fished from near the Cromarty Creek boat ramp on Tuesday. Gowan said she and friends regularly fished from the popular Haughton River launch facility during the cooler winter months with catches often including bream, grunter, river jewfish and an occasional barramundi.
Doggies on the chew
Doggie or Queensland school mackerel are another popular winter species that are beginning to infiltrate local waters, the shipping channel giving up reasonable catches of just-legal size fish last weekend.
High speed spinning techniques were used by some to fool the fish into eating metal jigs and slices while less energetic and more casual anglers preferred to drift pilchard baits to entice the tasty species.
Many mackerel measured short of the required 50cm for doggie mackerel (60cm for the spotted variety) although there were enough above the half-metre mark to ensure efforts worthwhile. Mackerel should improve in numbers and size over coming weeks. Anglers are reminded of the 10 fish in-possession limit for doggie mackerel and five fish limit for spotted mackerel.
Young Tommy Pott, who attends Marion Catholic School, will remember a fantastic fishing trip last weekend with sister Isabel, brother and Benjamin and parents Catherine and Alistair Pott.
Seas were glassy calm and Tommy, 6, and family were fishing near Four Mile Shoal at Balgal Beach, the first fishing trip after Queensland authorities partially relaxed pandemic restrictions last Friday, allowing recreational anglers limited freedom to do their thing.
The siblings pulled in a procession of cod and small reef fish including some fine grassy emperor or sweetlip.
“Tom had two cracks at getting this fish (grassy emperor) into the boat,” mum Catherine said.
“First time the fish got away but not the second … Tom reckons it gave him a good fight.”
The Pott family topped off a magnificent family trip by snaring a few tasty mudcrabs when they collected their crab pots on the way home.
Call for vigilance
Local boaties have been asked to be extra vigilant when negotiating the mouth of Ross River, with construction of the port breakwall extension – part of the Channel Upgrade project
– now well underway. The advice by the Port of Townsville, if you operate a recreational or commercial vessel in Cleveland Bay, is to be aware of the exclusion zone near the Ross River mouth and along the northern breakwater.
Boaties are directed to remain outside the buoys to avoid hitting hidden obstructions and if reliant of pre-set GPS co-ordinates to normally navigate this area, make certain that they are updated to include the exclusion zone.
Strong winds and sloppy seas were responsible for a 250-metre long orange boom, used to indicate the rock wall construction zone at the entrance to Ross River, to come adrift on Wednesday and obstruct the Ross River entrance channel.
The boom was retrieved yesterday and poses no risk to boaties this weekend.