The weirs - Townsville

[nonibbles]

Up on my soapbox - here I go!

The weirs...overflowing...not long til barra season opens. Do you think that DPI&F should patrol the area at these times? Not only are the barra going to get hammered but its a matter of time before someone gets washed off on to the rocks below. It'll be mayhem there enough when the season does open.

Is it OK as long as you don't get caught? Just want to play by the rules and still have a fair go.

[goddy100]

Technically you should not even target barra during the close season, but you could get away with saying you are targeting mangrove jacks and barra are an unwanted bycatch . When does the barra season open, only ever looked at the gulf times which are different. The barra season closes at the end of September and normally opens early January, which sucks as everything is either flooded or about to, so you can't get anywhere anyhow. A lot of the time the roads to the better spots don't become passable till about mid march, but you are still risking late storms and cyclones then.

[nonibbles]

opens midday 1st Feb closes one millisecond past midnight (am) 1st october

[landbasedtossa]

Couldn't agree more . Anybody fishing the weirs is targetting barra and saying that you're fishing for jacks doesn't make it ok. The sooner these dinosaurs ( with their ' pink eye salmon ' mentality ) are singled out and castigated by other fishos the better. The barra fishing has never been better in our area for one reason only, the closed season. I can't stand the pricks who jump the gun. You can have your soapbox back now. thanks.

[Rod_Bender]

I walked past aplin's weir today in Townsville to fully understand your concerns. People on both upper and lower sections of the weir fishing. People tossing lures and using big live baits. I can only just handle the lure tosser's in the salt section to explain the JACK TACTICS, but using big live baits in the fresh for other species then barra is hard to hear.
I even saw a few large barra's actually caught and man-handled for photos..... biggest joke!!!!
I support this area being monitored fully!!! Roddy

[noodlemantra]

yep i agree with that. lets face it, your not targetting tilapia are ya with rmg scopions and dk scalerats!

i think dpi need to get down there and put some fear into those who abuse it. but obviously the barra must know something, my old's place backs onto aplins and he says he hasnt seen anyone nail one yet. they are indeed smarter than what we take em for.

[nonibbles]

They're probably too busy trying to negotiate a safe passage through to look for something to eat.

[boyzie]

ohh ease up who cares catching a barra is every fishermans dream who cares as long as they put them back there good for nothing, fresh water barra taste like shit

[Rod_Bender]

i agree with BOY Z on the taste issue, but at release them without harm from photo shots.. Roddy

[Feral]

I dont get it, I thought the closed seasons were when could not take fish, can you get fined for catching one even if releasing? That would make it a mite dangerous to fish waters with "closed season fish" in them, on the off chance you got one?.

[Wild_Side]

Have you seen the footage on the local news of the fools
on black weir fishing. #
I could go either way on this topic.
"Maybe" The DPI "should" patrol these areas and stop
people catching the barra as it is still closed season.
Because for a closed season to work there needs to be
complete ban on targeting these fish.

But on the other hand, #I don't think there should be closed
season for amateur fisho's. The majority of who, have never even
come up tight on a barra before. Maybe a limit of one fish in
position, all year round instead of a closed season would be better.


I could go on for ages about this. I think we need to rememder
that laws are laws and although we may not like or agree with them
we all need to follow them.

Cheers Jason.

[cooky]

i don't have a major issue with practising barra fishing (putting them back). At least there is a closed season (didn't used to be).

But it is a dangerous practise. My Cousin died when 15yrs old at the Weir. When flooding they have a dangerous undercurrent.

[Bad_Bubby]

Personally I don't have a problem with fishing a stocked freshwater impoundment such as Aplins during the closed season. The weir barra fishery is there to take pressure off the saltwater estuaries inhabited by wild breeding barra. The whole point of closed season is to protect breeding fish. I am dead against keeping barra during closed season and if caught in an estuarine setting I believe they should be released gently and promptly. It is possible to catch barra as by-catch when using live baits so I'm not really convinced that punishing live baiters in the salt is a good idea (unless of course they are keeping fish in closed season). This is just my view on the matter having spent many hours at Aplins and Gleesons weirs.

[Panda]

Trouble is that a certain percentage of "kiss and release" fish tend to die later either due to mis-handling (especially for photographs), or due to a prolonged exhaustive struggle by the light tackle brigade.

If you dont want to eat it, why catch it and injure it?

[thumps]

a closed season is just that.

it really peeves me that some people have the attitude that..."bugger it..if i catch one ill let it go"

and we all know of those that do catch one...and dont let it go

as for the a "Barra is everyones dream"....if thats the case ..then go to one of the stocked impoundments and catch one...not target the wild breeders.

as for "practising"....gimme a break....go practise out of the known barra areas...

and there is a limit of one fish per....in the stocked impoundments.


the closed season is to protect the wild stocks....and the law is the law.

prosecute those that disregard it...target and fine those that abuse it

and maybe one day...QLD will have a fishery that comes close to the NT Fishery