Snares another prize
when the queenfish finally yielded enough to be tailed and dragged on board, the fish immediately declared as his largest to date.
ILLEGAL NETS FOUND
QUEENSLAND Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers were on the job in the Burdekin district recently after receiving reports of illegal netting.
Officers from the Townsville branch of Fisheries Queensland inspected a camp at an undisclosed site and found a commercial-sized gill net hidden nearby.
A further inspection of a vessel revealed another 5 gill nets.
Fisheries Queensland say a recreational fisher was issued $8,268 in fines for possession of the nets.
It is assumed the nets were confiscated or destroyed.
Suspected illegal fishing, can be reported on the Fishwatch Hotline 1800 017 116.
53 CHEERS FOR PAT
HAPPY Birthday this week to long time fishing tackle identity Pat Dass.
Dass, who celebrated his 53rd birthday, is co-owner and manager of popular specialist tackle outlet Fishing Warehouse.
Well-known fisherman Keith Harveyson also celebrated his birthday yesterday, the avid sportfisher racking up a staggering 93 years.
Harveyson still fishes, but only occasionally these days, his latest efforts in Barrattas Creek recently yielding more mudcrabs than fish.
He did release a modest size fingermark and grunter or javelin fish, albeit without a tag, as he has previously done for so many years.
Happy Birthday to you both.
LOSS OF A LEGEND
AND sadly, the Australian sportfishing world lost John O’sullivan, aged 85, this week.
Tributes are flowing for O’sullivan who was recognised as a founding member of the Australian National Sportfishing Association, alongside
Aussie fishing icons including George Bransford and Vic Mccristal. O’sullivan was a long-time national secretary of the ANSA organisation and just the third Life Member following Mccristal in 1980 and preceding Dick Lewers in 1983.
Local man Trevor Fuller, former ANSA national vicepresident, said O’sullivan was a tireless worker for the sportfishing movement which changed the face of Australian fishing and promoted sustainable fishing practices and conservation of the fishery.
O’sullivan was of the Burdekin district but late of Westcourt Palms, Cairns.