Hi everyone, the 2023 Flathead Classic was held at the end of September, with 639 anglers and 257 boats competing in this time-honoured tournament. Bush ‘n Beach Fishing Magazine had two teams entered and both did well, finishing a respectable seventeenth and thirty-second in the overall team rankings. The ‘OG BNB Fishing’ team consisted of magazine chief Ben Collins, Brisbane …
Read More »Time for a mahi mahi switch up
Haven’t had a crack at a mahi mahi or two off the fish aggregating devices yet? Why not? It can be very easy to drive right past the FADS in search of your usual reef fish as the temperature starts to rise slightly, but as a novice to this species and different style of fishing, if there’s something holding you …
Read More »Near extinct trout cod fight back
By the time trout cod were identified as a species in Australia, they were almost extinct. But, according to renowned fish ecologist Associate Professor Mark Lintermans, thanks to decades of conservation efforts, they are on the verge of being upgraded from endangered to vulnerable. University of Canberra’s Centre for Applied Water Science, Freshwater Fisheries Ecology and Management, Assoc Prof Lintermans …
Read More »Anglers fined for ignoring bans on Mary River cod
Recently two campers were fined $619 on the spot and others cautioned after breaching a freshwater fishing ban designed to protect the critically endangered Mary River cod. Fishing in southeast Queensland’s upper Mary River catchment and adjoining creeks was prohibited from August 1 until the end of October to safeguard Mary River cod during its breeding season. The species has …
Read More »Targeting saltwater barra in spring
October is an exciting month, though it’s a bit of a sad time too. You see, it’s the final month of the open saltwater barramundi season on the east coast. Which is not easy if you’re an absolute barra nut like me and many other local anglers – to stop chasing a fish you love so much – so make …
Read More »New interim management arrangements for mulloway
Mulloway are an important and iconic species for NSW commercial, recreational and Aboriginal cultural fishers, however stocks in NSW are currently classified as ‘depleted’. Recovering mulloway stocks in NSW is a key priority for NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries. Despite a range of fishing arrangements being implemented in the past, given the reported data DPI Fisheries managers and scientists …
Read More »Flathead classic trolling techniques
Because I enjoy the cooler weather, I always feel that winter goes by too quickly. At least it doesn’t get too hot here in spring, plus the fishing is usually excellent. Flathead will be fully on the bite this month, which is good timing for the Flathead Classic that starts on Tuesday September 26. I know I wrote about flathead …
Read More »National Threatened Species Day
Today, September 7, 2023 marks National Threatened Species Day! This day aims to raise awareness for plants and animals across the country that are at risk of extinction. Here at NSW DPI, our dedicated fisheries research and management teams are working together on a number of projects that aim to improve the survival rates of our threatened species, while also …
Read More »Fishing industry protests gillnet ban
Licences to practise gillnetting will be phased out in the Great Barrier Reef from December and will be banned in the region completely by July 2027. With about 240 gillnet licences on the east coast of Australia, half of those are in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. With livelihoods on the line, gillnet fishos rallied recently outside Queensland …
Read More »New interim management arrangements for mulloway
Mulloway are an important and iconic species for NSW commercial, recreational and Aboriginal cultural fishers, however stocks in NSW are currently classified as ‘depleted’. Recovering mulloway stocks in NSW is a key priority for NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries. Despite a range of fishing arrangements being implemented in the past, given the reported data DPI Fisheries managers and scientists …
Read More »