Fishing Report – May 24, 2018

Weather conditions still are limiting fishing. Reports remain few and far between.

ANGLESEA

» Pinkies are still being reported
» Flathead and whiting catches are few and far between but continue
» Salmon catches off most local beaches.

BARWON HEADS

» Some reports of pinkies
» Some reports of nice gummy and school shark catches
» Tiger flathead offshore
» Whiting, trevally and salmon.

LORNE

» Snapper fishing has been good to date with some anglers bagging out in the first hour or so of fishing with some really good size fish being landed
» Gummy sharks have been plentiful with a few school sharks in amongst them and the odd big seven-gill shark
» The King George whiting and flathead have slowed down with the water temperature dropping below 17 degrees but surprisingly there are still a few schools of blue mackerel (slimies) and yakkas still about
» The pier is fishing well with calamari, salmon and mullet plentiful and there has also been a few good size snapper being caught.

Thanks to Lorne Aquatic Club.

TORQUAY

» Whiting to be caught as well as pinkies
» Salmon catches off the beaches
» Some gummy shark
» Flathead reports continuing
» Spring Creek producing bream.

Remember Torquay Tackle and Sports. For all the best available advice in Torquay on tackle and bait, drop in at the store and see Ross or Josh to ensure you get the most up-to-date information available. Phone 5264 8207.

QUEENSCLIFF

» St Leonards has reports of whiting, squid, pinkie and flathead
» Indented Head: whiting, squid and a few flathead
» Swan Bay: occasional flathead, King George whiting and salmon
» Point Lonsdale pier: salmon, whiting and the odd tervally
» The White Lady: a few squid and whiting
» The creek producing a few trevally and salmon.

OPERA HOUSE NETS TO BE BANNED TOTALLY IN VICTORIA

THE Andrews Labor Government has announced that from July 1, 2019, opera house nets will be banned in all public and private waters throughout Victoria, with reforms that will benefit native animals that live in and around waterways including platypus and turtles.

Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford said opera house nets in Victoria will be phased out with new open top lift nets now more readily available to replace them.

Up until now, many fishers purchased opera house nets to target yabbies, unaware they couldn’t be used in public waters in Victoria.

Open top lift nets can be used in both public and private waters and are proven to be effective yabby catchers.

As part of the changes, a one-for-one trade-in is planned, whereby fishers can trade in their old opera house nets for free wildlife-friendly open top lift nets.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority will work with the fishing tackle sector, anglers and environmental groups on an awareness campaign around wildlife-friendly yabby gear leading up to July 1 next year.

Trials have indicated that wildlife friendly gear such as open top lift nets and hoop nets can catch more yabbies than opera house nets when fished actively, so it’ll be even easier to put yabbies on the table.

“Opera house nets have been placing our platypus population at risk and so it’s time for us to embrace different fishing gear that will catch just as many yabbies without impacting our precious wildlife,” Ms Pulford said.

MY COMMENT

Some of the statements above I find hard to accept.

Though it is still early days and no real details are available as to how this exchange will take place or how it will work, or whether this change will be dependent on who is in government after the next state election, we will just have to wait and see.

As to how this is to be rolled out, who is funding this exchange as it moves forward (recreational fishing funds?) is also unknown. Who is to monitor and provide the opera nets, along with the reporting system for these exchanges? The distribution and disposal of those nets has all has yet to be outlined as well as how long this exchange program will stay in place.

Please note our fishing regulations in public waterways, streams and creeks quite clearly already set out how opera nets can be used. It is my experience that most law abiding recreational fisherman are fully aware of this.

Under fisheries regulations, Victorian recreational fishers can use the following equipment to harvest yabbies:

• Not more than 10 baited lines (no hooks)
• Not more than 2 bait traps (labelled)
• Not more than 5 hoop nets in specified waters (see page 60 of the Recreational Fishing Guide)
• A combination of 10 nets (labelled) that are hoop nets or open top lift nets in specified waters (see page 60 of the Recreational Fishing Guide)

I will do my best to provide further answers for my readers to these questions once more details come to hand.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

The Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club held their first winter fishing competition recently. Conditions weren’t ideal with a strong NW wind but being offshore it was okay in close.

The winner was Andrew Clarke with a flathead earning 2506 points. Runner Up was Emily Miller in her first ever fishing competition with a leatherjacket earning 2434 points and third was Paul Staley with a snapper earning 2425 points.

PHOTOS

I would also like to remind everyone to keep those photos coming in of your big catch! Please forward them to [email protected], with type of fish, weight, length, location and your name. I am more than happy to place your photos in My Big Catch.