What species would make you fish Wivenhoe/others

[lordy]

Talk about Wivenhoe getting taken of the SIP has made me wonder what else could be done to the dam to make it more desirable. As far as water goes, its a good place to start. Right now it seems to be YABSYD (Yet another bass silver yellowbelly dam). There are 10s of other YABSYD dams about SEQ in competition, and being electric only certainly limits Wivenhoe's attraction compared to the others. So it needs a little something extra to make it stand out.

Lets assume it will stay electric for now, the obvious facelift would be to stock species that are not in YABSYD dams.

Translocated species that can't breed would be useful in stocking because they can't become pest species.

I'd love to see jack trialled here as they are being trialled in NQ impoundments. We certainly have as much right as they do to trial them already exist in the Brissy River, so they are local as they are to the NQ impoundments. They live in freshwater but can't breed so they are safe to stock.

Harro and others are advocates for Barra. Should be safe as the can't breed in the dams and can't get back past Mt Crosby if they do escape to the salt. They are translocated but so are yellows and silvers and plenty of others.

Fitzy likes togas.

What about other species like tarpon, trevally and even the humble mullet.

Should SEQ dams should be happy with BSY fish because they are what has been impossed on us by committee's that have decided for us that BSY fish all want without actually bothering to asking us. Would you like to see more variety even if its only on or two dams?

a. what species would you like to see in Wivenhoe/elsehere?

b. would go to a SEQ dam that had Tarpon / Barra / Jack / Trevally / Mary Cod to fish for those species in preference to YABSYD dams? Never? Occasionally? Often?

c. would you want any other dams to follow if it was successful?

[Brian]

Interesting to say the least.

Species to trial the big W
1. Barra
2. Jacks
3. Trevers
4. Toga's
5. Bream
6. Sooty Grunter

Would be interesting ......... like if they did stock it and it fired. I wonder how that would effect the tackle industry in the surrounding areas, not to mention the boating industry. The electric market would BOOM and costs would go down (hehe i was dreaming then ) Not to metion the other industries that would benefit fuel supplies, local shops, local communities etc etc

Look at the lure makers in and around the area may inject a different maket for them.

As for the down side ................ well i'll leave that for someone else. One that does stand out... would the other local dams and thier respective communities suffer because angler head to the Big W and not thier local waters ????

[lordy]

Its a down side having other dams wanting to stock the same species or is it. If the stockings worked out (and thats not a given) then the worst is that anglers develop more exotic tastes and change their focus on which dams they fish. After a short while other dams will follow suit and their may be a real mix of dams, each with a different focus. If variety means anglers enjoyment of the sport is improved thats got to be good.

I'd have thought the SEQ angler representatives (that recommend species to gov) would be fighting tooth and nail to get more variety for SEQ. Bass-Silver-Yellow stocking have really open up impoundment fishing in SEQ, but I doubt they have any improvement left in them. A lot of our reps don't seem to have that drive to keep pioneering. SEQ freshwater fisho reps should be pushing our barrow, sticking up there hands and say we want those new species here, they have something to offer SEQ fishos.

[Simon]

I think that it could happen if we had alot more money or the stocking dollar went alot further. Or even better would be that all stocking groups had the space/facilities/knowledge to produce the fingerlings of their choice (within fisheries guidelines of course). If most groups could be half as successful the MAFSA then it would be easier to achieve. Especially when through their own hard work and perservierence they can produce Sooties at a cost of 7c a fingerling stocked and continue to achieve excellent stocking rates as a result. With the current monies available some of the current Yabsid dams would have a long change over period of upto two plus years as catch rates of fair sized fish of the current stocked fish declines until the new up and coming fishery reaches its full potential.
Not really a problem you say, a big percentage of fishers want results for their money contribution now not here's my money now and over the next three years so I can catch my XOS new fish in 3 years time.

The fastest way to get things like this to happen would be for every man woman and child that fishes the fresh to join a local stocking group and contibute a little of their time and money. Next thing you know whole sections of communities would be able to lobby for the changes through the represtantative groups that are around and not just a couple of people representing these smaller groups of people with similar interests.

I think I lost the plot of this string so I'll stop now Sorry!

Cheers

Simon.

[lordy]

I reckon you hit the nail on the head. Our representatives have to hear us and pay attention. It seems many of the SEQ reps are out of touch, don't want to tread on northern toes or don't want their efforts to push bass superceded.

As for sticking with Yabsyd fish there is no way known to man that a dam as big as like Wivenhoe could be fully stocked buying Yabsyd fish with the current funds. The building of a stocking group hatchery would be great to get costs down as its certainly works. Cania also has one.

Spending $ on other species, like Barra, might go a lot further than more bass. You only need to stock about 1/5 the number of barra to achieve the same effect. The barra grow so much faster and take up more room. A 50cm bass might be 7 years old, a 7 year old barra would huge! Stocking Barra could be 4 or 5 times more effecient. Sooties at 7c would be sensational too.

$50K at 20c a bass is only 250000 bass, but some other species are a little cheaper at around 15c.