My Big Catch

This weekend I was invited to attend the Leopold Angling Club who hosted a Maritime Safety Victoria (MSV) run boating safety seminar.

It had a good turnout and was free of charge to all those who attended.

With Marine Safety Victoria project officer for education Phil Hughes leading the way and providing an entertaining and thought-provoking presentation, the evening certainly got off to a good start.

Once Phil had finished his presentation, two of Victoria’s Water Police officers, Andrew Gough and Stephen Carter, continued to discuss operations of recreational fishing boats in Corio Bay and Port Phillip.

They also related tails of events they had both experienced and witnesses as Water Police.

The honesty and frankness of the discussion was appreciated by all those present and certainly had people asking questions

The Water Police (WPS) themselves are part of the Specialist Response Division.

They work around the clock to provide security to the four ports of Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings and responding to search and rescue operations state-wide.

Then we had the boys from our local coastguard in Geelong present. They also do a great job in support of both MSV and the Water Police.

It was an entertaining afternoon to spend on a wet and windy day in a shed listening about boat safety and water safety.

I would like to thank all involved and the Leopold and MSV for the invite.

I hope to bring you more on the subjects discussed over the coming weeks to help recreational fishers to start preparing for summer.

These education sessions have proved to be most popular, being both successful, entertaining and informative sessions.

If you club would like to hold one of these monthly meetings, phone the safety education team on 1800 223 022 or email [email protected].

Anglesea River

Most people would know about my connection to the Anglesea River and how I and others fought hard to save it.

However, once again it is in real strife and after all these years there has been no change in how it is managed.

A working group was formed by council and Corangamite CMA years ago to address this issue. With another “flocculation” event underway (in which acidic river water mixes with sea water and causes metal particles to start coming together in the water and reflecting light), one has to ask when are they going to actually do something to look at alternate ways of dealing with the problem to truly help mitigate the possibility of fish deaths.

If the water becomes too acidic, it can threaten the fish living in the river and result in mass fish kills, as has happened in the past.

The Anglesea River was once renowned years ago as the premium bream fishery and breeding nursery in our region and classified by state government as such, as a premium breeding nursery for young bream.

Questions need to be asked!

Maybe it’s time the state government holds a “Independent Parliamentary Enquiry” into the handling of the river crisis; something certainly needs to be done!

Don’t forget the giveaway

This column along with National 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo still has a few passes left to give away to the 2019 National 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo at the Melbourne Showgrounds, August 16-18.

All you have to do is send in your favourite picture of your most recent catch to [email protected] by noon on Friday (tomorrow) at the latest to pic up one of these remaining tickets. Pics must be in .jpg format of at least one meg. Winners will be notified via email.

Meanwhile, if you see or suspect illegal fishing activity any time, phone the 24-hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474).

Club Corner

If you are an angling club and you wish to let people know what’s going on within your club as well as help promote your club, email [email protected] and we will post your club news here

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.

Anglesea

• Fishing conditions have been extremely poor
• Small salmon catches being reported off local beaches along with some yellow-eye mullet still
• Reports of a few gummy sharks being caught offshore.

Barwon Heads

• Still a few reports of trevally and a few salmon in the river
• Salmon catches continue off local beaches.

Torquay

• Salmon are still being caught off local beaches
• Bream being caught in Spring Creek.

Queenscliff:

• St Leonards has King George whiting, flathead and squid and possibly a few gummy sharks may be around
• Clifton Springs reports some squid and whiting, and the occasional flathead
• Queenscliff has whiting, a few flathead, salmon and a few squid
• Small salmon and the odd trevally being caught in the creek
• Swan Bay was reporting a few squid and few flathead
• Point Lonsdale sees reports of salmon and a few garfish
• The White Lady is still seeing a few whiting, squid and the odd gummy
• Indented Head has snapper, reports of some good flathead and King George whiting as well as squid being reported.