Hardy souls defied
CYCLONE Niran created plenty of headaches for local fishers, well before he was branded a threat to the North Queensland tropical coast early this week.
Seas whipped up by the tropical low that was not yet christened Niran, thwarted the fishing aspirations of many, except for those of Townsville sign-writer Craig Davies and his band of merry fishos.
In spite of worsening marine forecasts, Davies and company found their way to waters flanking the north-eastern end of Hinchinbrook Island.
It was the fishing mates’ intention to head wide in an effort to fish shoal and reef areas, however lumpy seas and strengthening winds forced a change of plans, the men instead fishing close to popular Eva Island.
Trolling a pattern of Rapala brand X-rap lures, Andrew Thetford claimed the largest of a couple of GTS or giant trevally, the fish photographed and released following a torrid battle according to Davies who described the conditions as worsening. “So, we headed back to Port Hinchinbrook and about a 100m from the channel entrance we found a heap of jelly prawn,” Davies said. “Andrew was the man to score again and he used a vibe (lure) and nailed a 78cm thready.”
Davies told how the threadfin salmon was uncharacteristic in its bite and fight, the fish pretty much swimming to the boat and climbing into the kill tank of its own accord!
“There was no fight and the thready just swam to the boat … didn’t even flinch when a knife was put to its throat,” Davies said of the kill process.
And while Davies and his mates’ trip ended there, he relayed a yarn about other mates who were much braver and headed to Otter Reef amid the deepening low-pressure system to the north.
“These guys, three of them, bagged out on trout. They all caught their limit pretty quickly but they were a lot keener than I was,” Davies admitted.
JEWFISH QUOTA NEARS
It is likely that the Queensland East Coast black jewfish commercial quota or TACC (Total Allowable Commercial Catch) will be reached before seas settle and recreational anglers get perhaps one last chance to catch the popular species this calendar year.
Black jewfish will become a notake species for all fishery sectors - including commercial, charter and recreational – once the quota, which stood at 98 per cent filled as of late Wednesday evening, is filled.
Last week I wondered why there had been no black jewfish recorded within the Gulf (Carpentaria) quota, the commercial limit set at 6000kg.
Gulf Pro O’brien set me straight and his explanation was straight forward and easily understood.
O’brien wrote, “Two things. First, it’s illegal to line fish commercially for black jewfish in the Gulf - net only, (which is) same as barra and king salmon. Their (black jewfish) big boof heads don’t fit in most nets, so they are an incidental catch, at best.”
O’brien proved himself to be among a growing band of commercial fishers increasingly concerned with fishery sustainability and offered this solution to the contentious closure of black jewfish seasons.
“Push for ITQ (Individual Take Quota) to be issued for black jewfish on the east coast. With VMS (Vessel
Monitoring System) and prior reporting, the government is well aware who’s catching what and where. Issuing ITQ will stop the “race to fish” that’s happening now. ITQ holders will have all year to catch their share then, so the recreational take could go all year. You could potentially lease (say) 10kg of quota, put it in your drawer and keep the season open all year,” yours sincerely, Gulf Pro.
CARTOONIST SIGNS OFF
Mount Isa cartoonist, Bret Currie, has died unexpectedly at his home last Saturday, just 60 years old.
Currie was known and admired among the fishing fraternity for his outstanding caricatures of all things North Queensland, outback and fishing.
Part of the furniture at regional newspaper The North West Star, and drawing cartoons for some of Australia’s leading fishing and outdoor magazines, Currie was well-known for his Barra Country cartoon series.
Had one had the good fortune to have been caricatured by Bret, you were considered ‘Curried’.
Rest easy Bret Currie.
SMALL FRY ARE HOOKED
No less than 60 junior anglers contested the Townsville Game Fishing Club’s third annual ‘ Sharkies Shootout’, an event that has even surprised organisers.
Small fry anglers from just 18months-old fished from the beach flanking the Rollingstone Beach Front Resort last weekend and in spite of deteriorating conditions, a number a fish were landed with 11year-old Jack Allom claiming the 2021 title with four fish landed.
However, the event was about much more than just catching fish, a
mix of boys and girls through to 16 years enjoying a mini fishing academy where they learned the finer points of knot tying, how to cast lures and throw cast nets, while theoretical instruction included species identification and species regulations.
TGFC members and their families were also invited to assist in the release of about 500 barramundi fingerlings into the Rollingstone resort ponds following the exodus of much of their barra stocks during the 2019 flood.
TGFC president Bernie Travers was proud of the club initiative.
“Having the opportunity to deliver a new stock of fish to the ponds
doubled as a learning opportunity for the young anglers and their families, while also giving back to the greater community who will be able to enjoy the ponds again in the future” Mr Travers said.
Additionally, each registered junior angler was paired with a tagged and released barra – a $500 cash bounty offered to any of those juniors who return to the resort ponds and catch that very same fish.
“This initiative encourages the families and the kids to revisit the resort and continue fishing into the future,” President Travers said.
Townsville Game Fishing Club holds a range of events throughout
the year and invites locals to join the club and get involved. Check the club out at www.tgfc.org
SHARK CONTROVERSY
An enormous tiger shark recently captured and killed by six Aussie anglers has raised the ire of international groups, both green and fishing advocates.
The 395kg fish was caught last Sunday off the Sydney coast between Botany Bay and Port Hacking by Skipper Paul Barning and his crew on board vessel Dark Horse.
Barning, a Port Hacking Game Fishing Club member, and his crew were contesting the NSW Game
Fishing Interclub State Championships last weekend when they snared the apex predator.
Using just 15kg test monofilament line, the shark took a relatively quick 45 minutes to land before the real challenge unfolded – stowing the fish within the confines of the relatively small boat.
A photograph is worth a thousand words and one can only wonder how the men managed the feat.
Once ashore, the tiger shark was weighed at 394.5kg and given to scientists for marine research.
The tiger was far from the largest ever caught with NSW Game Fishing Association records recording a 694kg creature captured near Newcastle in 2008. Sunday’s catch ignited plenty of debate with some online commentators labelling the catch pitiful, unsporting and calling into question the integrity of Australian recreational anglers.
The catch was a legal one within NSW waters, anglers permitted to keep one tiger shark in their daily catch, although the International Union for Conservation of Nature has declared the species internationally as “near threatened”.
It is unclear how the 394.5kg tiger shark fared in the competition and the Port Hacking Game Fishing Club’s Facebook page seems to have been deactivated.
However, it appears the shark might not have been ratified at the weigh-in with records indicating that the heaviest shark weighed for the tournament was another tiger shark of 366.5kg caught by Chad Kavanagh fishing on board Reel Crazy.
Anglers are reminded that all sharks beyond a maximum 150cm long within Queensland waters are regulated no-take and totally protected.