THE annual closed season for Australian bass in Queensland tidal waters ends this week. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol manager Rob McDonald said the species had been off-limits in tidal waterways from June 1 to August 31 to protect the species during its breeding cycle. “Fishers can return to their favourite tidal waterways to catch Australian bass from Friday, September …

WINTER has come! This statement might arouse parts of the community in different ways. For us, the cold weather means cold water fish. Normally snapper (my favourite fish all year round) hang out deep in the cooler water but at the moment you only need to go offshore 2-3km to bag out on these beauties. One of the best places …

THE term ‘value for money’ gets thrown around a lot these days, no matter what it is you’re buying. Where a product comes from, what it is made from and how it is built affects a product’s value – but finding out these basics can often be difficult and sometimes impossible. When talking fishing, like many things, plenty of emotion …

NSW lifts importation ban on low-risk crustaceans from Queensland The NSW Department of Primary Industries has amended control orders to allow for the movement of negligible risk decapod crustaceans from the white spot restricted area into NSW. As a result, NSW is now allowing the movement of species such as blue swimmer crabs, mud crabs, lobsters, and spanner crabs into …

BRISBANE’S Northside Marine has been crowned Stacer Dealer of the Year for 2016-2017 for an outstanding performance as a Stacer dealer. Northside Marine is situated in a purpose-built 10,000sq m dealership located in Boondall, only 20 minutes’ drive north of the Brisbane CBD. Starting from humble beginnings in 1965, Northside Marine has gone from strength to strength with the expansion …

SINCE the announcement of the Tight Lines Fishing Classic being cancelled for this year, a group of Capricorn Coast locals have come together to form Emu Park Events, with the first event the Emu Park Fishing Classic. The inaugural competition will be held at the Pine Beach Hotel in Emu Park from September 22-24, 2017, with proceeds going to three …

A CLOSED season applies to Mary River cod and Murray cod from September 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017. Closed season for Murray cod Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officer Coby Walker said the annual closure during spawning season is an important measure to allow the species to reproduce so there are viable stocks of these fish for future generations to …

THE 2017 North Coast Fishing Bonanza presented by Gamakatsu and Evinrude is on again, from September 28 to October 2. This takes advantage of the school holidays and long weekend, so you don’t have to take much time off to fish. If you’re looking for something to get the kids involved in, look no further.  The format involves four days …

THE Australian Government recently introduced new legislation to help improve Australia’s air quality. The Product Emissions Standards Bill will allow new product emissions standards to be established on small spark engines (non-road), bringing Australia into line with the US, Canada and Europe. Currently, emissions from these engines are not regulated in Australia, leaving Australia as a dumping ground for less-efficient …

WHITE spot disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects crustaceans such as prawns, crabs and yabbies. It was first discovered on prawn farms in southeast Queensland in December 2016, causing the largest response to an aquatic disease in Queensland’s history. When found in high-intensity production areas such as prawn farms, white spot results in the rapid mortality of …