Australian Bass Closed Season

[Peter_J]

Qldr's,

I've just read about the closed season which now applies in Qld excluding waterways upstream of weirs and also the 22 stocked dams :o :o

I'm surprised there hasn't been much chat about this subject or is everybody up there happy that they've got 22 dams to choose from and don't mind missing out on the rivers ??

Does this "Closed Season" preclude you being on the water throwing a lure/fly or is it a "no take" kind of Closed Season ?? My attitude to closed seasons is that it shouldn't prevent you from being on the water. If we aren't out there making sure that everybody is doing the right thing it makes it easier for those that do want to do the wrong thing.

In the DPI press release I was surprised at one comment from a Qld Biologist however can now see where this whole anti restocking thing is coming from. When speaking about the migration of restocked fish to spawn this biologist says;

"Australian Bass taken upstream from these dams and weirs are unlikely to spawn so wild fish stocks aren't being threatened"

What threat do restocked fingerlings pose to wild stocks ?? I'm no scientist but a Bass is a Bass and if the brood stock come from the same catchment as the wild stock then what's the difference ???

PJ

[MikeC]

PJ
The biologist meant that because bass won't breed in the fresh - and obviously any fish upstream of a dam will, barring floods, remain there - the catching/taking of any such fish will not affect the breeding cycle.
And yes, I think we Qlders ARE happy to miss out on the rivers at this time of year. Our closed season might not be perfect but it's a start. Personally I choose to leave creek and river bass alone at these times so the question of whether we're precluded from throwing lures for them is irrelevant to me, as I'm sure it is to many. In the meantime there's plenty of good lake fishing on offer, thanks to the fantastic efforts of the stocking groups.
Incidentally, a few years back I had heated words with a NSW professional guide who was promoting and advertising wintertime bass fishing trips on the Hawkesbury. He was also featured on Rex Hunt's show doing the same and claiming he had scientific proof it did no harm. No harm to his bank balance, anyway. I'd like to know where he got his info.
Mike

[MikeC]

I meant to add that the guide was targetting the tidal reaches which is where the bass REALLY need protecting in winter.
Mike

[Peter_J]

Mike,


"In the meantime there's plenty of good lake fishing on offer, thanks to the fantastic efforts of the stocking groups."

This is part of my point. If you didn't have the benefit of so many dams to chose from in QLD would you be happy to be kept off the river for these three months ??? Down in NSW we don't have the benefit of so many stocked dams so if NSW Fisheries placed a similar ban on the river for a number of months we'd all experince withdrawel symptoms :(


"a NSW professional guide who was promoting and advertising wintertime bass fishing trips on the Hawkesbury."

I'm all for closed seasons for Bass and it's something that has been encouraged down this way for some time. Where I, and probably your NSW professional guide, are coming from is that not everybody are as interested in doing the right thing as we might be. Not everybody is in the habit like you and me and returning every Bass we catch. For the three months that you are not on the water observing the behaviour of others any number of Bass could be taken by the bad guys. I'm not sure how numerous officers are up in Qld however there aren't sufficient numbers of Fisheries officers down this way at the moment to enforce the rules. At least if the recreational fishermen is on the water he can ensure everybody is sticking to the rules.

"He was also featured on Rex Hunt's show doing the same and claiming he had scientific proof it did no harm. "

I think that there's sufficient evidence to suggest that a correctly released Bass does not suffer any harm, whether it's a spawning Bass or not. If you're concerned that you can't release a Bass without harming it then you probably shouldn't be chasing them at all ???

Have a closed season yes but so long as it's a "Catch & Release" season and not a "No-Fish" season. [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]


PJ

[Fitzy]

I think folks were happy to leave wild fish alone because it gives them the best opportunity to breed uninterupted.
I think that before the stocking program kicked off here, most anglers didnt know about, or werent interested in bass. The majority of us who did, kept it pretty hush hush & were very conservative of the fish & its future.
I dont think the stocking of lakes in the region has changed much, if anything it has created far more devoted lake anglers than before, some who were once die hard river fishos.

I'm all for totally leaving spawning fish alone. We arent the enforcement people. No use us being out there (cop out excuse IMHO), what are we going to do about rednecks that isnt going to see us break the law ourselves?
Closed Season in Qld = it is also illegal to target them, not C&R.

Cheers,

Fitzy..

[aussiebasser]

Catching a roed up ready to spawn female bass can cause her to reabsorb the eggs and not spawn due to stress. Same thing with Murray Cod. That is why conservation minded anglers do not target them during the closed season.
Your one fish caught and released during spawning could cost a couple of thousand fingerlings. Fairly irresponsible if you ask me.
Leave the ladies to do their bit in peace. There's plenty of bass in the dams that can be caught.
We have what is probably the fairest and best managed impoundment fishery in the country, and I for one am bloody proud of it, and bloody happy with it.

[Peter_J]

Irresponsible I think is turning your back on the meat fisho's who specifically target spawning Bass >:(.....irresponsible I think is expecting Fisheries to do all the work. Nothing wrong with recording boat rego numbers, car rego numbers, helping someone release a fish they were intending to keep :o >:(

Again, take the luxury of your 22 dams out of the equation and would you still be happy to stay away from the river knowing that the esky carriers are stocking up on your spawning bass :o :o

How do you determine if someone is targetting Bass or Bream anyway when fishing the tidal zones that this closed season applies to

Complacency rules in Qld ::) ::)

PJ

[MikeC]

Peter
Would I be happy to stay off the rivers for 3 months if there were no dams to fish? Damn right I would! Just as I have been for the past 30+ years. Simple as that.
Mike

[Peter_J]

Mike,

"if there were no dams to fish? Damn right I would! Just as I have been for the past 30+ years"

Not trying to be smart but I thought you would have had a "few" available dams to chose from in SE QLD in the past 30 years ??? ???

Anyone not from SE QLD with an opinion or don't you guys have a problem with guys targetting spawning Bass and keeping them. Unfortunately in our rivers it is mainly the recreational fishermen who are the eyes and ears on the river.

If you don't think the taking of spawning Bass is a problem in your rivers and Fisheries have it under control then fair enough leave them alone but I feel that one meat hunter who is not set straight on the water will do more damage to fish stocks than a recreational fishermen who is releasing his fish whilst ensuring others are doing the right thing as well.

Again we all have the well being of the Bass at heart ;D

PJ

[basserman]

well i'm from the mid north coast nsw and we don't have any dam to fish from and in fact the closest one is a 4 hour trip but we do chase the bream all year around and untill two years ago also chased the migrating bass we only c&r but each weekend their would be half a fozern or so that were chaseing them for a feed but after reading verious coment we now leave them alone so hopeful we can see if it does make such a big diferance
now as for not being able to fish tidal zone in any form well could you imagin the tourist dollars our small twons would be missing and being hurt over???
close bass seasion YES close the whole water way to fishing NO!

now as we have a river with ONLY natral bass in it and never been stocked we have a great bass fisherie and as we don't have and weirs and dams to slow the bass migation we see more and more bass in our river each year and some in those sizes that make heros
only last year we had a bass caught in late stember that went 58cm :o
one thing i think should be looked at next is the improvment of the fish ladders for these bass to make the run fully down and back up the rivers ;D

[aussiebasser]

Peter, I'm not sure if you're trying to get a rise out of someone, or if you genuinely have no idea of what your saying.
How can "not" having a closed season on river bass be better for us. We don't have a lot of meato's in SEQ who target the rivers, 'cause they're too bloody hard to get a boat to. We have a Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme that works, and put lots of money directly back into the hands of the stocking groups to purchase fingerlings. We have a simple minimum size and bag limit. 30cm minimum, 2 fish per person. Try to figure out the NSW system, 'cause I can't.

[Fitzy]

In my local rivers, the rednecks have little chance to do much damage. Limited access means they cant get at alot of country & I'm not that sure there's many who actually chase bass for a feed anyway. There's far far better fish around that are far far easier to catch & far far better to eat. In essence I dont think they would bother with the effort & risk.

Again referring to my area, the main spawning locations are well kept secrets & will stay that way for exactly the reasons noted above. ;D

Cheers,

fitzy..

[Peter_J]

Basserman,

You might be interested to know that we have been stocking "your" river for the last four years and so far have put in over 120,000 fingerlings :o :o t a cost of $42,000

It's our restocking efforts that might explain why you can now get a few Bass in "your" river. I'll PM you a few more details to put you in the picture

Aussiebasser,

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers but I do have a fair idea of what I'm talking about. Sounds like our rivers are a little more accessible than those in SE Qld so the redneck element during the spawning season is more of a threat down here than up there by the sounds of it ::). I wonder though if the secretive spawning spots that Fitzy mentions did become public knowledge would you be happy knowing that these Bass may be targetted by catch and keep types during a closed season whilst you were unaware of it 'cause you were prevented from being there :(

Maybe you don't have this problem up there but I've seen one too many Esky's full of big females to sit back and allow it to happen >:(

PJ

[rayken1938]

Some interesting reading of an old thread.Just came across it when I was trying to find out what year the closed bass season commenced in Qld.
Would 2004 be correct?
Cheers
Ray