Species

[First published on www.abc.net.au] A 65-year-old man who was bitten by a shark while he was surfing on the mid-north coast of NSW is “quite happy” and in stable condition. Police said the man was attacked just off Booti Booti after 9am by a shark later confirmed to be a great white. He managed to swim to shore and contacted emergency …

Once you have a combo similar to this, head up the arms and cast as close to the spindly trees as you can, letting the lure sink for three to five seconds before starting a slow roll. Make sure your drag is done up tight so the bass can’t ditch you in the timber without a hard fight. Once you …

My lure of choice is a soft plastic. I prefer the 3” Fish Arrow Flash J Split with a 1/16oz TT Head Hunter jig head. I twitch this lure through the schools until I get a strike. A tell-tale sign that the fish you’re casting at are in fact tarpon rather than mullet is when after a rise, a distinctive …

On the first cast another large coral trout ate my plastic and swam straight into a bommie. I have never felt so out-gunned when using such a high calibre of gear. After hits and misses, a few little reefies such as stripey seaperch, a spanish mackerel and various sweetlip, we left the area with a score of coral trout five; …

CORAL reef fin fish will be off-limits from this Saturday, November 26 in the second of two annual closures that protect these fish during spawning season. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district officer Tony Loader said the closure would start immediately after midnight at the beginning of November 26 and end immediately before midnight at the end of November 30. “The …

QUEENSLAND’S annual spanner crab closed season for recreational and commercial fishing commences at midnight on November 20 and runs through until midnight on December 20. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district officer Russell Overton said the closed season protects spanner crabs when they are most vulnerable during their breeding season. “The closed season gives the crabs a chance to spawn …

NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair recently welcomed the passing of legislation through NSW Parliament with bipartisan support to expedite a trial of shark nets on five North Coast beaches. “Passing this legislation is an important step towards getting the shark net trial in place on the North Coast by the summer school holidays by streamlining the approvals process, …

The weeks after the event saw the fishing turn around and the impoundment barra come right on the chew. Young Damien Mills from Tamworth stayed for a week at Faust and was straight into the action with his first barra going 106cm after it inhaled a Zerek Flat Shad. With Damien was his good mate David Masters, who upgraded his …