Category Archives: news

The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is reminding fishers that the last day for fishing this season for Murray Cod and Murray Crayfish is on August 31.

DPI Acting Senior Fisheries Manager Inland, Craig Watson, said that Murray Cod and Murray Crayfish are iconic species native to the Murray Darling Basin.

“The Murray Cod fishery is subject to closed periods every year to protect this native species during its breeding season and the Murray Crayfish fishery is closed each year to protect it during its dormant period,” Mr Watson said.

“Both species are a prized catch of recreational fishers and these closures help to protect and conserve the fishery for the future.

“Murray Cod is one of Australia’s largest freshwater fish growing up to 1.8 metres and weighing over 100 kilograms,” he said.

“It is illegal to fish for Murray Cod in NSW until December 1.”

Mr Watson said fishers are also reminded that Trout Cod, a close relative of the Murray Cod and found in parts of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers, and also the Eastern Cod, found in the upper Clarence River in north eastern NSW, are totally protected all year round.

“Trout Cod can be differentiated from Murray Cod by their overhanging upper jaw, convex forehead and spotted markings,” Mr Watson said.

“The Trout Cod Protection Area on the Murray River between Yarrawonga Weir and Tocumwal Road bridge is also closed to all forms of fishing during the Murray Cod closed season from September to November inclusive.”

DPI Acting Director Fisheries Compliance, Tony Andrews said the Murray Crayfish season will remain closed until 1 June 2015.

“Murray Crayfish are the largest spiny freshwater crayfish in NSW and the second largest freshwater crayfish in the world,” Mr Andrews said.

“Due to a decline in the species, Murray Crayfish can now only be caught during three months each year and can only be legally taken within two areas of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.

“The species was listed as a vulnerable species by the State’s Independent Fisheries Scientific Committee in 2013 and new fishing arrangements were put in place to help protect and rebuild stocks of Murray Crayfish.

“It is important that fishers continue to follow the rules and regulations including the ban on taking berried females and the new bag, size and possession limits and fishing season, in order to ensure the sustainability of our iconic Murray Crayfish.

“Anyone who is unsure of the rules and regulations should contact their local Fisheries Office before they go fishing.”

A summary of the freshwater fishing rules can be found at www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au and in the 2014 NSW Recreational Freshwater Fishing Guide.

The free guides are available from DPI offices, and fishing licence agents, as well as bait and tackle shops.

One in two instantly wins a fishing shirt or cap just by purchasing a Samurai Elevate Rod. One lucky punter will win a Lowrance HDS9 Touch and there is also 5 x $1000 fishing kits to be won. See brochure below for more details or click the image to be taken directly to Samurai’s website.

Who’s ever been slugged with a hefty shipping bill when placing an online order? Chances are that most fishos who have bought gear online have paid their fair share of shipping costs. Great news is that from now on our good friends and Online Tournament Sponsors, Tackle HQ, are now offering free shipping Australia wide on all orders over $100.

Tackle HQ is a Perth based one-stop shop for all things fishing – including one of the biggest selection of lures & jigs, reels, rods, lines, hooks, DVDs and all other accessories. They are fast building their online presence due to their competitive pricing and product diversity.

Good on you Tackle HQ keep up the great work and we look forward to giving away a $300 voucher to your online store to the person who catches the longest GT in August.

Yamashita are running a ‘scratch-and-win’ competition from 1st June until 31st August 2014.

Simply purchase 2 Yamashita ‘warm jacket’squid jigs from participating stores for a chance to win a free Egi Oh K squid jig. When you purchase the 2 jigs ask for a scratchy and scratch to see if you have won an Egi Oh K squid jig or a Yamashita sticker.

For more information, to view the list of participating retailers or to view Yamashita’s extensive range of the best squid jigs available in the country visit the Yamashita website.

NSW DPI have released a notice warning that out-of-season fishing in and around the Lake Macquarie hot water outlet will be targeted with regular fisheries patrols. Fishing in the area is closed until the 31st August annually between the hours of 6pm-6am. The reason for the closures is to protect juvenile fish stocks which congregate in the warm waters.

Lake Macquarie Hot Water Outlet

The following information was provided by NSW DPI Fisheries:

Fishers are reminded seasonal fishing closures are now in place at hot water outlet canals
near the Eraring and Vales Point Power Stations on Lake Macquarie as an operation gets
underway targeting illegal fishing in these areas.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Supervising Fisheries Officer, Lee Burdett, said the
canals and adjacent waters are closed to all methods of fishing annually until 31st August
between the hours of 6pm and 6am.

“DPI fisheries officers are targeting illegal fishing in hot water outlet canals of the Eraring
and Vales Point Power Stations on Lake Macquarie and other hotspots in the Hunter and
Central Coast over the cooler months,” Ms Burdett said.

“The closures aim to protect juvenile fish stocks which aggregate in large numbers in and
around the warm waters of the outlet canals.

“Angling in these waters, particularly at night, causes a high rate of mortality among fish
that are yet to recruit to the recreational fishery – the Lake Macquarie Recreational Fishing
Haven.

“The annual closures have been in place for at least 15 years and the areas are well
signposted with details on the locations and where and when fishing is prohibited.”

Ms Burdett said fishers can be issued on the spot fines ranging from $75 to $500 and
prosecution of offenders may lead to penalties of up to $22,000.

“Fishing in hot water outlet canals is a serious offence and fishers have been fined and
prosecuted for fishing during seasonal closures in previous years,” she said.

“I would like to encourage all fishers to follow the rules to protect and conserve our fish
stocks and aquatic habitats for present and future generations.”

Detailed information on the fishing rules can be found at www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au or in
the NSW Saltwater Fishing Guide which is available from DPI fisheries offices and most
bait and tackle stores.

Australian chefs will be given the opportunity to further their skills in the realm of cooking seafood with the introduction of a specially designed online course. Our Aussie chefs who are keen to branch out into seafood currently feel they are not getting the formal training they require during their three-year training to become a chef. Curtin University’s researchers hope to change this with their new online training program.

Fresh Oysters; surprisingly many chefs don’t know what to do with them

The following information was released by Curtin University:

Australia is renowned for its abundance of quality seafood but many young chefs are not comfortable working with ocean produce – a trend Curtin University researchers are hoping to change through a specially designed online training program.

Dr Janet Howieson, from Curtin’s Centre of Excellence for Science, Seafood and Health, said the project stemmed from research interviews with up to 60 chefs across Australia. The chefs expressed a desire for greater knowledge of seafood supply chains, and a need for strategies to increase confidence in handling and preparing seafood, particularly for apprentice chefs and commercial cookery students.

“In their three years of training to become chefs, most apprentices will spend only eight days of formal learning how to select, handle and prepare seafood. On-the-job training can also be limited with the hectic schedules of other restaurant staff,” Dr Janet Howieson said.

“As a result, apprentices have reported feeling less confident working with seafood. Given the importance of seafood to the Australian diet, this is clearly a situation that needs to be addressed.

“We have produced a series of videos using a variety of seafood to help increase knowledge about it in commercial cookery and apprentice chef training courses. We also hope to make it available to schools and the home cook.”

Six popular Australian species were focused on in the training package, which tracks rock lobsters, oysters, farmed barramundi, snapper, sardines and prawns from harvest to restaurant door.

“The training resources also aim to help wait staff in restaurants when discussing menu choices with diners, so they can explain where the fish came from and accurately describe its texture and flavours,” Dr Janet Howieson said.

Topics covered include processing and supply, how the seafood gets to the restaurant door, recommended procedure for receiving and checking the condition of the seafood and cooking techniques.

Leading chefs have been involved in the project including Pete Manifis (Inconto Restaurant), Josh Catalano (Catalano Seafood) and Don Hancey (Panorama Catering).

All three feature in the presentations which have been piloted with apprentice chefs and commercial cookery students at the West Coast Institute of Training in Joondalup. The videos will now be made available to the wider training community across Australia.

Curtin University worked on the project with Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre, West Coast Institute of Training, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, and leaders in the seafood and hospitality trades in Western Australia.

The videos were officially launched as part of the training curriculum on May 12 at the West Coast Institute of Training restaurant in Joondalup.

Anglers from Sydney and NSW are invited to attend the free event ‘Let there be fish’. The event will focus on the importance of Australian fish migration, the man-made structures that inhibit their migration, and the measures that can be taken to provide fish with safe passage around these barriers when they need to spawn. The event will be held on World Fish Migration Day, at Lane Cove Weir on the 24th May 2014.

Australian bass, an iconic native species and popular recreational fishing target

The following information was released by the NSW Fisheries:

The Sydney fishing community is invited to attend Let there be fish!, a free event planned for World Fish Migration Day, at Lane Cove Weir on the 24th May.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Regional Officer Scott Nichols said World Fish Migration Day is a global initiative, co-ordinating local events worldwide to raise awareness of the importance of open rivers for migratory fish.

“Migration for fish is crucial to achieve healthy fish stocks, especially for Australian bass, which migrate from freshwater to estuaries to spawn, after which the adults and young then migrate back upstream,” Mr Nichols said.

“Over half of the native fish species in Australia need to migrate at least once to be able to complete key stages of their life cycle.”

“Man-made structures such as weirs, road crossings and floodgates inhibit the free passage for native fish, restricting their access to habitat within river systems.

“The Let there be fish! event will be held at the fishway that has recently been installed on Lane Cove Weir, to demonstrate the benefit it will bring for this iconic native species.

The Lane Cove Weir fishway

“The fishway shows the importance of healthy functioning fish habitat, and the contribution it provides to all fishers and the general community.

Mr Alan Izzard, Bass Sydney Fishing Club Environmental Project Officer said that fishways such as this at Lane Cove have also helped scientists learn more about fish movements.

“Since the fishway was installed our catch and release records show an increase in fish numbers upstream, confirming the important role open rivers play in sustaining native fish species” Mr Izzard said.

Let there be fish! features informative talks and a walking tour of the Lane Cove Weir fishway and habitat restoration site. A free BBQ lunch will also be provided.

The event begins at 10.00am at the National Parks offices, Lane Cove Weir in the Lane Cove National Park.

Let there be fish! is a joint event by DPI, Bass Sydney Fishing Club, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Fish Habitat Network.

Recreational fishing for blue swimmer crabs in WA’s Cockburn Sound will end early this year on Wednesday 14 May after concerns about low stock levels. Previously the season was set to close on 15 June 2014. Scientists are not quite sure what has caused the unusually low numbers of crabs and are taking precautionary measures to protect the breeding stocks. Commercial fishers have already done the right thing and implemented their own voluntary closure from 16 April 2014.

The following information was released by the WA Fisheries on 12 May 2014:

The Department of Fisheries is introducing an early end to the current season for the Cockburn Sound crab fishery, to protect blue swimmer crab breeding stocks and the recreational fishing closure will come into force on Wednesday this week (14 May 2014).

Early closure is a precautionary measure and follows a stock assessment of the Sound’s blue
swimmer crab resource, which is accessed by both commercial and recreational crab fishers.
The decision was made after examining catch and survey data collected between December
2013, when the commercial and recreational fisheries opened, and March 2014. The data showed a significant decline in the number of crabs in Cockburn Sound.

South West Bioregions Manager Tim Nicholas said the department had been working closely
with the State’s peak fishing bodies – Recfishwest and the WA Fishing Industry Council – to
assess the health of the blue swimmer crab stock.

“We all agree the research is providing warning signs and that it is time to cease crab fishing for this season, to provide the Cockburn Sound crab stock some respite,” Mr Nicholas said.

“It is not yet known what caused the decline in crab numbers; research scientists believe the
major factors are environmental and biological rather than fishing-related. While we cannot
control the environmental and biological factors, we can take precautions to assist with recovery of the breeding stock by reducing all crab fishing activity in the Sound until we know more.”

Mr Nicholas said commercial fishers had implemented a voluntary closure from 16 April and
recent recreational crab fishing activity had begun to drop off, so imposing the formal closure at this time in the year was not expected to be disruptive to the majority of recreational crab fishers.

“This proactive approach mirrors the department’s successful management measures for blue
swimmer crabs in Cockburn Sound in December 2006, when it was closed to commercial and recreational crab fishing for three years,” he said.

“The department has also managed the protection of breeding stock and recovery of other
fisheries impacted by environmental factors, such as rock lobster; WA’s most valuable fishery.
As a normal part of adaptive fisheries management, we take a responsible approach to what the scientific research shows as well as considering the economic and social implications.”

There will be a review of the Cockburn Sound crab fishery in October, prior to decisions being
made about possible re-opening on 15 December 2014. Information about the closure is
available online at www.fish.wa.gov.au.

A commercial fisher on the NSW south coast has been caught trying to illegally export $15,000 worth of live eels. The Tathra man violated many state fishing rules. We congratulate NSW Fisheries for their investigative efforts and hope that the courts impose the deserved penalty and even jail time for this low act.

Eel traps used by the commercial fisher

The following information was released by the NSW Fisheries on Friday 9 May:

A commercial fisher has been apprehended in possession of hundreds of kilograms of eels on the far south coast of NSW, Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Director Fisheries Compliance Glenn Tritton said today.

“During a targeted patrol, fisheries officers apprehended a 61 year-old Tathra man offloading almost 700 kilograms of live eels to a truck allegedly owned by a Sydney based fish receiver,” Mr Tritton said.

“The eels, illegally stored in a farm dam on a private rural property near Verona, were destined for the export market and had an estimated value of $15,000.

“The alleged offender is not allowed to store any eels in freshwater, farm dams or areas closed to commercial fishing.

“Officers seized seven eel traps, 589 kilograms of live Longfin eels and almost ten kilograms of live Shortfin eels.

“Another 88 kilograms of live eels, including four of a prohibited size, were also seized and subsequently released back into the waters of the farm dam.

Some of the Eels stored illegally in a private farm dam

“Fisheries officers will allege that the man contravened the conditions of his commercial fishing licence, was in possession of illegal fishing gear, possession of fish illegally taken and had possession of undersize eels.”

Mr Tritton said each of the charges carries a maximum fine of $22,000 and/or six months imprisonment.

“Earlier this year fisheries officers apprehended another commercial fisher illegally taking eels in freshwater and will continue to be vigilant to help maintain healthy and sustainable fisheries for future generations,” Mr Tritton said.

“Property owners who are approached by persons claiming they are commercial fishers and are allowed to fish for eels in freshwater dams should ask for proof of the fishers permit issued by the Department.

“If landholders are just not sure, they can always contact their local fisheries office and speak with a Fisheries Officer.”

Anyone with information about illegal fishing should contact the Fishers Watch phoneline on 1800 043 536 or make a report online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/compliance

Three recreational fishers have had their catch confiscated by DEPI fisheries for exceeding their catch limit for Southern Bluefin Tuna. The men had 10 Southern Bluefin in possession, well above the allowed 6 between them. The men were also found to be in possession of a commercial lobster pot. 

This sort of behavior is frowned upon by most recreational anglers who do the right thing and adhere to the designated bag limits. Southern Bluefin Tuna provide a high yield of flesh per fish, are best eaten fresh, and a bag limit of 2 fish is more than enough to feed your immediate family and friends (depending on size) plus have a few feeds stored away in the freezer. It is particularly disgusting to see the level of greed displayed in this instance considering this species is highly vulnerable to over fishing.

The following information was released by DEPI VIC Fisheries:

Three men were detained by Fisheries Officers at the Portland boat ramp on Anzac Day last Friday in relation to allegedly exceeding the catch limit for southern blue fin tuna.

DEPI Regional Fisheries Officer Paul Millar said a search of their boat allegedly revealed 10 southern blue fin tuna and an amateur lobster pot.

“The men were questioned regarding allegedly exceeding the catch limit for southern blue fin tuna and possessing commercial fishing equipment.

“All the tuna and the lobster pot were seized,” he said.

“It is expected the men will be summonsed to appear at Portland Magistrate’s Court later this year.”

Mr Millar reminded anglers to be aware of the difference between southern blue fin tuna and albacore and adhere to the legislated catch limit of two southern blue fin tuna and five albacore.

“The vast majority of tuna and albacore anglers understand their target species and adhere to catch limits.

“Southern blue fin tuna is a Victorian priority species with specific catch limits and albacore [distinguished from southern blue fin tuna by their long pectoral fin] often school together and are caught at the same time.”

Mr Millar said inspections of tuna/albacore anglers will continue throughout the season.

He reminded anyone with any information about the illegal take of these species or any other illegal fishing offences is urged to contact the 13FISH hotline on 133 474.

A public forum to discuss the Snowy Mountains lakes trout fishery is scheduled at the end of May. Recreational fishers are invited to attend to express their opinions and learn more about the fishery. NSW DPI Fisheries managers and scientists will be present, providing a great opportunity for local and visiting anglers to gain first hand information.

The following information was released by the NSW Fisheries:

Recreational Fishers are invited to attend a public forum on the Snowy Mountains Lakes trout fishery with Department of Primary Industries (DPI) managers and scientists in Cooma on 29 May 2014.

DPI Inland Senior Fisheries Manager, Cameron Westaway, said some fishers have reported reduced catches of rainbow trout in Lakes Jindabyne and Eucumbene during the past two years.

“Brown trout catches have continued to remain stable in the lakes and the brown trout spawning fishery has been excellent, however we have received reports of lower rainbow
trout catches from some fishers using traditional surface and shore based fishing methods,” Mr Westaway said.

“Meanwhile other fishers have reported good catches of rainbow trout using deeper trolling
methods.

“Various theories for these changes in catch rates have been suggested by the public.
These fisheries provide significant social and economic benefits to the region and we are
committed to their long term success.

“The forum will give fishers the opportunity to hear about the current trout stocking program, management practices, and updates on research.

“Leading New Zealand scientist, Dr Michel Dedual, from the Department of Conservation in Turangi will provide insights into the iconic Taupo trout fishery which has also experienced changes in catch rates of rainbow trout in recent times.

“Importantly the forum will enable DPI managers to gain feedback from the fishing public on some of the most popular trout fishing locations in NSW. This feedback will assist DPI and the angler based Snowy Lakes Strategy Working Group who provide direct advice on the management of the fishery.

“Interested fishers are invited to attend the free forum at the Cooma Ex-Services Club at 6:00pm on Thursday 29 May 2014.”

Fishers are also reminded that it will be a great opportunity to fish the Thredbo River and Eucumbene River trout spawning runs before the trout closed season begins on 10 June
2014.

Detailed information on the fishing rules can be found at www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au or in the NSW Freshwater Fishing Guide which is available from DPI fisheries offices and most bait and tackle stores.

Congratulations Cowan Wise for taking out the Get Fishing’s Choice prize in our April Rapala Fish Of The Month Competition.

Cowan caught this massive 50lb Blue Groper off the rocks in Albany WA and has won himself a $150 prize pack consisting of a Rapala 3-in-1 backpack PLUS a Rapala Sportsmans Tackle Belt for his efforts PLUS he will have his photo featured on our homepage for the entire month of May. Cowan is also still eligible to win the People’s Choice prize too.

Our People’s Choice prize top 6 finalists have now been chosen and it’s up to you to decide the winner.

Visit our Rapala Fish Of The Month forum and vote for your favourite by commenting with the number of the photo you like best. Thanks to Rapala, the People’s Choice winner will receive a Rapala Limited Series Lite Tackle Bag valued at roughly $50.

Thanks to all contestants for submitting your photos. There were many fantastic captures this month, some being more impressive than the finalists, but unfortunately many of the photos were iPhone pics of low resolution or out of focus. To be in with a chance your photo really needs to be of good quality.

Inevitably, what we look for in a photo is:

1) Size of the fish (relative to the particular species)
2) The story behind the capture
3) Quality of the photo
4) Effort involved

To view all of this month’s entries click here.

Voting close 11:59pm AWST Sunday 4th May. Don’t forget to submit your pics for the May comp!

For comp rules visit our Disclaimer page.

The annual trout spawning season is about to commence in the Snowy Mountains and fishers are reminded to check the restrictions in place to ensure protection for early spawning trout.

The following trout information was released today by the NSW Fisheries:

Fishers are reminded that the annual trout spawning season commences in the Snowy
Mountains from 1 May 2014.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Inland Senior Fisheries Manager, Cameron
Westaway, said the annual trout spawning season fishing rules apply to the Thredbo River
and its tributaries and the Eucumbene River and its tributaries (upstream of the Lake
Eucumbene dam wall and including Providence Portal).

“Restrictions are in place from Thursday 1st May to provide protection for early spawning
trout while also providing fishers with the opportunity to catch a trophy sized trout,” Mr
Westaway said.

“The Eucumbene River in particular has provided excellent fishing for large brown trout
over the past two years.

“A minimum size limit of 50cm, daily bag limit of 1 and possession limit of 2 trout will apply
to these waters from 1 May to the end of the Queens Birthday long weekend on Monday 9
June.

“Anglers can use 1 attended rod and line with up to 2 hooks with artificial flies or lures and
up to 3 treble hooks attached to any lure is permitted. Fishing gear rigged for bait fishing is
prohibited.”

The annual closure on fishing in trout streams throughout NSW will then be in place from
Tuesday 10 June 2014 allowing brown and rainbow trout to breed uninterrupted until the
trout fishing season re-opens on the October long weekend on Saturday 4 October 2014.
Trout dams remain open to fishing throughout the year.

“The minimum size limit of 25cm, daily bag limit of 2 and possession limit of 4 trout will
again apply to the Thredbo and Eucumbene Rivers when the season opens in October,”
Mr Westaway said.

“While 150,000 rainbow trout have been stocked into Lake Eucumbene and 50,000
rainbow trout into Lake Jindabyne each year for more than a decade, it is important to
provide increased protection for brown and rainbow trout during their annual spawning
runs.”

Fisheries officers will be patrolling the Thredbo and Eucumbene Rivers to ensure that
fishers are abiding by these rules.

All fishers are reminded to respect other users, use facilities provided, dispose of any
rubbish or refuse responsibly and not interfere with other fishers by parking or camping too
close to the water (where permitted) when fishing these rivers.

Detailed information on the fishing rules can be found at the NSW Fisheries Website or in
the NSW Freshwater Fishing Guide which is available from DPI fisheries offices and most
bait and tackle stores.

Congratulations Benny Cappleman of Bullsbrook WA, the winner of our lucky member launch competition. Benny’s name was drawn from over 1200 contestants and was rewarded for his luck with a brand spanking new Shimano Stella SW 5000XG valued at $1049, kindly provided by Bluewater Tackle World Scarborough.

The Stella competition prize was drawn on Sunday 1st December online at randompicker.com. To view the result click the icon below:

Since Benny happened to live in WA and about 1 hours drive from the Get Fishing office we decided to pay him a visit and hand-deliver the prize ourselves. Benny was stoked with his new Stella and kindly invited us in for a couple of beers. We spent the next couple of hours talking fishing with Benny, his wife and his brother Craig, also a mad keen fisho. The three of them live an hour away from the nearest boat ramp, but they are as mad-keen as it gets. It turns out the reel couldn’t have gone to a better, more deserving bloke. Two months prior, Benny and Craig were in a local tackle store together when Craig had bought himself a new 10,000 Stella SW. Benny was spewing because he had always wanted one but couldn’t afford it. The past year has been tough for Benny and he didn’t think his luck was going to change. The only thing he had ever won in his life was a twin-tape deck stereo back in the day. So you can imagine what he said when his wife got our email and told him he had won something. His exact words cannot be repeated here but they were along the lines of..

‘Get out of here…what bastard would do this to me?’

His wife insisted that he had won, and alarm bells started to ring.

“It’s not a reel is it?” he asked. “Yes it is” his wife replied. “It’s not a Stella is it?” Again she replied “Yes it is”.

Benny instantly jumped on the phone and called us to confirm it wasn’t a prank. Needless to say he was over the moon that he had won, and rightly so.

Once again, congratulations to Benny on his win. As you can see the new reel is right at home atop his brother’s Bar Crusher. Lets hope this win signifies the change of luck Benny needed.

We would like to take this opportunity to extend a big thank you and welcome to all new members that joined our online fishing community over the last 3 months since we launched the site. We look forward to providing you with the content to keep you entertained when you’re not out fishing and to help push your fishing to the next level.

Our forums is an area of the site that we would like to see an increase in activity. If you have any cool videos, pics or questions you would like to share or ask feel free to get involved. Likewise, if you have any used fishing gear you need to sell you can post it in our buy & sell for the whole country to see, it’s easy and it’s free.

You may be wondering what’s new and what’s coming in the near future? One new feature of the site is our custom designed one-of-a-kind Fish Identification Tool, there’s seriously nothing quite like it on the web. If you happen to catch a fish and are not quite sure what it is, simply select the fishes’ characteristics from the drop-down boxes, press ‘search’ and the tool will filter our database. Fish that match your criteria will be shown below and you can click through and learn about that particular species. We will be running a competition in the new year to increase the species in our database so stay tuned for that.

Also new this month is the introduction of our ‘Photo Of The Month Competition’ sponsored by Rapala. The competition is now active for December, so if you happen to catch a cracking fish this month be sure to submit your photo for a chance to win a new Okuma RTX Pro spin reel valued at $199. Each month the prize will vary. The winner will not only win an awesome Rapala prize, they will also have their photo featured on our homepage for the entire next month as bragging rights. To Enter the competition, simply upload your photo in the ‘Photo Of The Month’ forum with a title and a short description about the fish and how you caught it. Photos will be judged on quality of the fish as well as quality of the photo.

We’ve also been working on a project that is set to be one of the biggest features of the Get Fishing website, a totally interactive fishing map of Australia with hundreds of fishing spots (incl coordinates), dive spots, boat ramps, fishing-related businesses and more! Each spot tells you a whole heap of info about what you can expect to catch and how to go about catching them, along with Google street view so you can suss out the spot by getting a 360 degree view of the location before you go there. Users will also be able to submit their own spots to share with others. We’ll be launching this awesome new feature as early as next week. So if you’d like some new spots to fish these holidays stay tuned and keep an eye out for the Get Fishing ‘Fishing Spots Map’ here or on our Facebook Page.

Stock assessments of three nearshore finfish species, regarded as the lifeblood of the WA recreational fishing experience, have given the healthy tick to whiting and tailor but flagged concerns for Australian herring.

These ‘bread and butter’ species are generally caught from shore or small boats.

While the independently reviewed assessments show the status of tailor and whiting to be acceptable, a combination of environmental factors and fishing activity has diminished herring stocks in Western Australian waters.

Herring occur down the State’s West Coast from Shark Bay, along WA’s South Coast into South Australia and as far east as Port Phillip Bay on Melbourne’s doorstep.

Department of Fisheries South West Bioregions Manager Tim Nicholas said herring generally only aggregated and spawned on the West Coast, with the larvae then carried south and east on ocean currents.

“Combined pressures of fishing and environmental factors, such as the marine heatwave of 2011 and subsequent warm ocean conditions, have impacted on the herring stock to the extent that action is needed,” Mr Nicholas said. “The department has begun consultation with WA’s peak fishing bodies (Recfishwest and WAFIC) to work through the science and formulate management responses to aid the recovery of herring stocks.

“We are also seeking to work with the South Australian government on complementary arrangements to address the issue at a whole-of-stock level.”

Mr Nicholas said the Department of Fisheries had successfully tackled similar challenging issues with other Western Australian fish stocks.

“History shows that precautionary management action, which was taken to reduce pressure on demersal scalefish stocks, has now begun to turn around the previous decline for those species,” he said. “WA’s rock lobster fishery is another example where action was required after environmental impacts and recovery has now led to some relaxing of management measures.”

“State-wide the catch of herring between the recreational and commercial sectors is roughly even, so sound management measures will be needed across both sectors.”

The stock assessment research reports for southern school whiting, tailor and Australian herring are available on the department’s website at www.fish.wa.gov.au.

For more information on Australian Herring visit our Species ID – Herring page or view WA Fisheries’ fact sheet.

Keep safe during the West Coast Zone abalone season.

Western Australia’s much-prized shellfish can be collected again this Sunday, when thousands of recreational abalone fishers take to the inshore reefs in the West Coast Zone for the first of five limited fishing opportunities.

The five separate one hour fishing periods will run from 7am to 8am only on the first Sunday of each month from November to March, with the first session due this weekend.

Bag and size limits are unchanged at 20 Roe’s abalone, with a minimum size of 60mm.

The West Coast Zone (WCZ) extends from Busselton Jetty to the Greenough River mouth including all islands within the zone (i.e. Carnac and Rottnest), but there is at present a permanent abalone fishing closure north of Moore River.

Department of Fisheries’ Principal Management Officer Martin Holtz said researchers had established that abalone stocks off the Perth metropolitan coast were beginning to return to normal growth rate after it slowed significantly during the marine heatwave and warmer water conditions in recent years.

“The stocks north of Moore River and in the Northern Zone abalone fishery will take a much longer to recover, because they suffered the major impact of the marine heatwave, so that part of the WA coast remains closed to recreational abalone fishing until further notice,” Mr Holtz said.

“During last season it is estimated that almost 19 tonnes of abalone was collected; catches were down due to poor weather conditions making fishing difficult.”

Mr Holtz said recreational abalone fishers needed to consider safety first at all times.

“When they are picking over the reefs or diving for abalone, fishers should look after their personal safety, make sure they keep an eye on the weather and sea conditions and wear appropriate clothing and footwear,” he said.

“Surf Life Saving WA will have helicopter, water and beach patrol along Perth’s northern beaches for each Sunday of the season and we ask fishers to obey any beach closures or safety directions from local council rangers or lifesavers.”

“Fisheries and Marine Officers will also be out and about, to ensure compliance with the rules.”

A licence is required to go recreational abalone fishing in WA. Licences can be purchased from the department’s website at www.fish.wa.gov.au. Fishing rules and safety tips are available in the Recreational fishing for abalone guide 2013/14; available online or from Fisheries’ offices.

A campaign, supported by the aquarium industry and retail pet stores, is underway to raise awareness among pet owners, on how to safely and responsibly dispose of unwanted pet fish.

Launched today, by Western Australia’s Chief Scientist Professor Lyn Beazley, the education campaign is part of the Department of Fisheries’ wide range of initiatives aimed at improving the State’s aquatic biosecurity defences.

Biosecurity Team Leader Victoria Aitken said the initiative, supported by the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Perth Cichlid Society, was aimed at advising people not to release unwanted fish, snails and plants from their aquaria into waterways, toilets, drains or the ocean.

“To help spread the word, we have produced ‘don’t dump that fish’ posters, brochures and fish bag stickers for aquarium shops around the State, in order to get the retailers help in educating pet owners,” Ms Aitken said.

“The wider community is a huge resource in the fight to prevent aquatic pests entering and establishing in WA and industry-supported programs, such as these, are a powerful way of engaging many people on aquatic biosecurity issues.”

Ms Aitken said, with millions of fish being transported around the globe, importation of aquarium fish was a major potential source of invasive species.

“Given the difficulties in eradicating species once they are established, our focus is on prevention by ensuring key stakeholders, such as the ornamental fish industry, have access to relevant information,” she said.

“If fish owners no longer want their fish, they are encouraged to give them to other responsible fish owners or an organisation with an aquarium, or to seek advice from their local pet shop.”

“If you are unable to find a new home for your fish, or if the fish are sick or diseased, please dispose of them responsibly and humanely, so your pet doesn’t become a pest.”

Advice on how to dispose of them is included in the new brochure, which can also be found on the Department of Fisheries’ website at www.fish.wa.gov.au/biosecurity.

Sightings of suspected aquatic pests should be reported to the department’s FISHWATCH service on 1800 815 507, or via email to biosecurity@fish.wa.gov.au, or through the free WA PestWatch app, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store.

The Minister has announced a further amendment for this year only to recreational and commercial rock lobster season dates in a small area in the south east of the Eastern Region – see map below.

The area from Whale Head east to Coal Point (on the east coast of Bruny Island) excluding the D’Entrecasteaux Channel will now open for recreational fishers from 9 November. From Whale Head east to Penguin Island will now open to commercial fishers from 18 November.  See all recreational season dates.

Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson today announced new fishing arrangements for mulloway to help rebuild stocks to a sustainable level in NSW.

“Mulloway stocks across NSW are currently assessed as being overfished and a recovery program is required to assist with rebuilding the population,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

“The new rules, for commercial and recreational fishing sectors, are based on scientific advice and information sourced from extensive consultation with the fishing community.

“To assist in this recovery process the recreational bag limit for mulloway will be reduced from five to two fish.

“The minimum legal length for both recreational and commercial fishers will be increased from 45 centimetres to 70 centimetres.

“The new rules do not include a total ban on take. A total ban would have driven a faster recovery, however, it was considered preferable to balance the rate of recovery with the impacts on recreational and commercial fishers.

“The NSW Government extensively consulted with the fishing community on arrangements to recover mulloway stocks over several months and received strong support,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

Other changes to commercial fishing include:

• Commercial Estuary General fishers using meshing nets will be permitted a by-catchpossession allowance of 10 fish between 45 to 70 cm in length, to avoid wastage;

• A 500 kilogram limit for commercial Ocean Hauling endorsement holders.

“The objective of this recovery program is to assist the sustainability of the species which will in turn contribute towards ensuring quality recreational fishing and long-term viable commercial fishing,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

“It is important that all fishing sectors play a role in these new arrangements to ensure the population has a rapid recovery.

“Monitoring of commercial landings of mulloway will continue to measure the impact of the new arrangements on commercial catches and stock levels.

“New research programs, such as the state-wide recreational fishing catch survey, will be implemented in conjunction with the new rules to improve information on the recreational catch.

“This recovery program will be kept under regular review to ensure its effectiveness in building stock levels and will be required until the mulloway stock reaches a sustainable level,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

The new rules will be implemented 1 November, 2013.

For more information contact the local fisheries office or click here.

Main photo image courtesy of Steve Starling, NSW.

Western Australia’s recreational rock lobster fishers will be able to drop their pots from 15 October, with the season opening four weeks before the traditional start date of 15 November.

The reason for this is to provide greater opportunity for recreational fishers to take their share of the catch.

See the Recreational fishing for lobster guide 2013-14 for more details.

A two-month closure on the recreational take of demersal scalefish; such as pink snapper, baldchin groper and WA dhufish, is in place from today (Tuesday, October 15) and will continue through to Sunday, December 15 inclusive.

The two-month closure is part of a package of measures introduced by Fisheries in 2010, after consultation with recreational fishers and they are supported by Recfishwest.

The management measures are aimed at halving the recreational catch of demersal scalefish in the West Coast Bioregion (against 2005/06 levels) and were deemed necessary, following independently-reviewed scientific evidence, which indicated that key demersal species were being overfished and required immediate action to ensure long-term sustainability.

A separate package of measures aimed at commercial fishers was also introduced and has effectively reduced the commercial catch to the target levels.

“The good news is that preliminary research monitoring has showed that the management arrangements have been effective, and recreational and commercial fishers are both playing their part in ensuring the fishery has a sustainable future,” said fisheries manager Martin Holtz.

“The soon to be completed analysis of the first State-wide recreational fishing survey (conducted during 2011/12) and a stock assessment of key demersal scalefish species are eagerly anticipated and will provide the next step in evaluating the effectiveness of the management measures.”

If you catch a demersal finfish during the closed season you must return it to the water as soon as possible with the use of a ‘release weight’.

The other good news is that fishing is still allowed for a range of nearshore species such as whiting, squid and tailor which are highly popular with recreational fishers.

The West Coast Bioregion includes the area north of Kalbarri (27 degrees south) to east of Augusta (near Black Point).

Fishers are reminded to familiarise themselves with the full list of demersal finfish species in the state-wide Recreational fishing guide 2013, on pages 6-11.

The fishing guide can be downloaded at www.fish.wa.gov.au or collected from Department of Fisheries’ offices or Information Outlets.

The long awaited grand opening of the new , bigger, better Bluewater Tackleworld Myaree store is upon us. The Grand opening of the store is TODAY the 26^th of Sept at 85 Northlake rd Myaree WA.

There is now 1,100square metres of Angling heaven. Months of hard work and sourcing has gone into getting the best from around the world into the store at the right price.

On top of that Bluewater will be running an opening special of 10% off everything for Sept only. There will be loads of giveaways. Miss Swivels Original 2013 will be attending and Peter Morse of Fly Fishing fame will also be there to answer any questions. Get in to see some exclusive gear and get the right advice from angling addicts just like you.