Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 i Fishing World

INSIDE Fisho this month South Australian-based Alex Ciccozzi pens a timely piece on caring for catch & release kingfish. To some that may seem at odds with the cover story this issue as Greeny delves into the world of eating tasty gamefish. The truth is it shouldn’t seem at odds at all. I personally love seafood and make no secret of the fish I keep; it’s sustainable, healthy and a big reason many of us enjoy fishing. Of course the majority of fish are carefully released and we only keep what’s needed to ensure nothing goes to waste. How anglers release fish and the care we take has come under tougher scrutiny in recent years. There’s little point releasing a fish if it’s destined for a slow death. Have a…

SPANNER crabs are found from the central Queensland coast as far south as Jervis Bay. In south east Queensland they are a popular target for both commercial and recreational fishermen. Catching spanner crabs requires specific gear, unlike the more conventional crab pots used for sand and mud crabs. Where I live, on Queensland’s Gold Coast, we catch most of our spanner crabs in 40 to 60 metres of water on the sandy stretches between the offshore reefs. They are quite prolific in some areas, and it is generally fairly easy to catch a bag limit of 20 crabs per person. The minimum legal size in Queensland is 10cm measured from the front to the back of the carapace. In general I tend to keep crabs a bit bigger than this…

IN decades past, most Australian anglers fished from the shore. Rock and beach fishing were huge, so much so that anglers wishing to fish popular locations needed to be on their spot hours in advance in preparation for the afternoon to dark session. Estuary anglers fished from wharves, riverbanks and bridges. However, with the rise in popularity and affordability of Australian-made boats and more recently, kayaks, shore-based fishing appears to have taken a backseat; in the media at least. Whilst shore-based fishing is still the preference for many, it deserves greater attention. When rivers are in flood, the fishing can be sensational and when conditions are too extreme for boating, it’s a saving grace. Many young anglers, I included, cemented their passion for fishing from the shore. For me it…

THE NSW recreational fishing licence fee was introduced throughout NSW in 2001. The fee ranges from $7 for three days to $85 for three years. It is easy to pay the licence at many tackle shops throughout NSW as well as online at www.onegov.nsw.gov.au, via the NSW DPI Fishsmart app and by calling 1300 396 365. If you pay for a one year or three year recreational fishing licence period online, over the phone, at a Touch agent or if you renew your licence, you will receive a plastic licence in the post. There are several exemptions from having to pay the fee, including people under 18. So what happens to the funds raised from the NSW recreational fishing fee? By law, all the revenue is placed into the Recreational…

THERE’S no doubt in my mind that one of key technological impacts on recreational fishing over the last twenty years has been the development of gel spun polyethylene (GSP) lines. The influence of GSP fishing lines cannot be underestimated as it’s been the catalyst for the development of exciting new fishing techniques and provided the impetus for a revolution in fishing tackle design that is continuing today. Prior to the development of GSP lines the most commonly used fishing lines were nylon monofilament lines that had become increasingly available after the 2nd World War. Consequently, there was around half a century of research and testing of nylon monofilament lines which resulted in a range of connections being developed that were tremendously reliable and capable of achieving very high break strengths…

THE conflict between commercial fishermen and amateurs has been a long and often messy one. Years ago, pros and amateurs didn’t have as much of a problem. They both fished for a feed in a round about way and were quite happy to share the same water. The pros often helped with advice on tides, moon phases and locations and even gave a few fish to families in need. Back then there were a lot less recreational fishos and the pressure on fish stocks wasn’t a big factor. There were no bag limits on the average fisherman and no quotas on the commercial guys. There was also significantly less scrutiny on the pro netters and concern over by catch and environmental damage by environmental groups. I can remember going fishing…

QI KEEP GETTING SNAGGED FISHING PLASTICS AROUND THE OCEAN ROCKS IS THERE A WAY TO AVOID THIS? Jason E-mail A This can be very frustrating when you are losing tackle to snags, especially the very next cast after re-rigging the whole setup. There are a few tips which can help reduce repeated snags but in really rough terrain it’s almost unavoidable, even with the best rig and angling technique. First of all try to go heavier in jighead weight, which might sound contrary to what you’re thinking but it allows more controlled contact with the lure and then you can use a more constant retrieve while still probing slightly deeper into the water. By far the best method is to rig with a worm hook and ball sinker making the…

THE recent UN Climate Change Conference held in Madrid was presented with a report prepared by 67 scientists from 17 countries which concluded that overall oxygen levels in the world’s oceans declined by roughly 2% from 1960 to 2010. This might not sound all that dramatic, but in some parts of the tropics it’s 40-50% as the decline isn’t uniform. At that level of depletion you get mass fish die-off events occurring. As global air temperatures rise, water temperatures rise, and warmer water can’t hold as much oxygen as cooler water. Agricultural and domestic nutrient run-off also contributes to the problem. As well, warmer ocean waters don’t mix as well as cooler, so oxygen absorbed in the top layer doesn’t properly get down to lower levels. Combine that with acidification…

SHIMANO SWITCH BAIT RODS SHIMANO now has a set of specialised rods specifically designed for switch bait fishing with 24kg and 37kg line classes. Utilising single piece TC4 Toray blanks, there are four-rod options in the all-new Switch Bait series: a 24kg spin, a 24kg overhead, a 24-37kg spin, and a beefy 24-37kg overhead. Componentry is at a level you’d expect with this demanding style of fishing: Winn leather foregrips, Fuji reel seats, and carbon straight butts married to an aluminium gimbal. The guides are Fuji K series with Alconite inserts and a SiC tip for easy passage of knots and wind-ons, and near friction-free line movement during a hot run. Whether spin or overhead, these rods will make a sweet matchup with the new Stella SW series, or the…

I recently did a workshop on the Twisted Sister, a 6’6” Samurai blank built for a baitcaster. Following this I got a phone call from Tom Folden, a local lad who had seen the Twisted Sister blank and was after a 2-5kg, 7’6” “flats” rod. I told Tom the blank would be too short for what he wanted but I could extend it if he liked the description of the blank so much. Tom agreed! He got the Samurai SP251-B blank he wanted and I would extend it a foot or 30cm for him. He was concerned that extending it would change its action but I assured him it would be fine. THE EXTENSION I always keep broken blanks for jobs like this, so it wasn’t long before I was…

THIS time of year sees many days featuring warm weather and bright skies with waters often clear given the lack of rain. The elevated air and water temperatures energise predatory fish with many species actively hunting in shallow water or near the surface. For those anglers in the know, attention shifts to sight fishing with the hope of tempting a visible fish to bite. Being able to see a fish charge down your lure and attack with gusto gives an angling buzz like no other and once you’ve sight cast a few fish you’ll be hard pressed to find a more exiting way to spend a few hours on the water. LEARNING TO SPOT FISH Experienced anglers are often able to spot fish well before most others. The mistake newcomers…