160,000 Fingerlings for Awoonga

[NAGG]

Guys,
Roughly 30% survival rate, depending on weather, release area and a host of natural variables.
Its an interesting time to be releasing fingerlings, but kurt has way more experience in this field and if he says its a good time then I believe him.

Michael, again weather and food dependant, but 50mm to legal in a bit over 12 months, then roughly 3kgs per year depending on available digestable proteins.
Barra as young as 4 years old have made the magic metre mark, but it seems averaging out a bit more than that.

Trev, slot limits? Nah, Im not for that personally. These dams are stocked waterways with put and take ethos.
Maybe lets look at bag limits, but limiting people to slot limits will see a gap in year class and confusion more than anything.
Im not saying for one minute I agree with some of the blatant harvesting of these magnificent fish, it hurts me to see it, and I'd rather not know about the freezer brigade.
Thing is, whilst people are taking fish out, we will continue to get fish put in.
If it gets to the point where there are slot limits and or no takes, the fine work our stocking groups do may eventually dry up, as may the funding by GAWB and the like.
We need to find a happy medium, where familys/individuals can enjoy the opportunity to come and fish for a feed regradless of what you or I think they taste like.
They also should be able to do this without strange looks at the ramp, or whispers at the van park.

I'd hate to see an "elitism" at our favourite impoundments, where only catch and release is practised, and younger generations cant learn the basics of fishing/fish handling and hopefully eventual catch and release attitudes.
These dams are great places for these all important lessons, after all none of us are born with catch and release instinct. It comes with time, experience and concern for the future.
What better place to learn those valuable lessons?
Cheers
Jas

I'm probably a dunderhead ....... but why wouldn't a slot limit work ? ...... Turn certain impoundments into ones that have a Trophy Status ( so to speak)
this way you can still obtain a feed ...... If you wish ........ but all larger fish would be returned to grow even bigger! ( I certainly don't subscribe to the issue of predation of larger fish ..... being detrimental to a fishery)

Nagg

[Awoonga]

Dunderhead...er l mean Chris...Thats three of us that think its a good idea... Kurt from the Hatchery thinks it would work too...

[the_matrix]

Chris,
If you change the way a fishery is managed, you change the way it will be stocked.
If you look at trophy fisheries elsewhere in the world, you get a fishery full of incredibly wised up fish that a small percentage of highly skilled anglers can catch, and families/ yearly blokes fishing trips etc stand next to no chance.
Awoonga and Faust have incredibly wise fish populations, a large portion of that wisdom has come from catch and release practises, so already it can be tough for anglers that only fish a few times a year. By implementing trophy status and change, it will become harder!

This adds up to less people at trophy dams, more at put and take dams. Then those dams will suffer because of the extra pressure.
If there are less people going to, say, Awoonga, do you think GAWB would continue its financial commitment to the hatchery???? Speaking to Kurt the other day, the money we are talking about here is MEGA.

Also, gaps in year classes are not good for the fishery, just ask the guys up at Tinaroo. It leads to higher predation, and a dam full of large fish, although sounds great in theory, wouldnt be as good as you think. It would not be balanced, and the flow on effects would be felt throughout the food chain.

Im just saying there is a better answer here. Im also saying look at the bigger picture, the flow on effects of a change management statergy at one dam will affect all the others. I for one am not keen to rock the boat when its not needed.
Many will feel a kick in the guts.

I am absolutley rapt what the stocking groups of this state are doing for us Joe public guys. I'd hate to see the efforts of these groups, some of whom are volunteer, some paid go to waste because we change something that aint broke.

If we really need to change, lets change the bag limits, not how the dam is managed. We are asking for trouble, C&R or trophy fisheries only appeal to a small slice of the overall fishing community, we need to appeal to everyone to keep financial backing and SIP particpation.
That seems logical to me, but this is just my opinion. Those who feel it has to change have their right to do so. I fear the outcome though.

Stock the hell out of the dams and minimise destruction through bag limit changes.
Just my view, Ive slid off the soapbox
Jas

[Plastic_Magic]

That awsome...160 000 fingerlings....

Our school were out there last tuesday were they witnesed a few hundred get let go......I mised the trip...

An awsome effort by the GAWB..

Cheers Plastic_Magic

[NAGG]

Jas ..... A slot limit shouldn't impact on the attractiveness of a fishery IMO ..... It may even make it more attractive.
For my way of thinking .... As long as the stocking continues , there will be no year class issues! (Tinaroo missed several years of stocking)

A slot of say 60-90cm would still allow the average joe / meatoe / grey nomad to catch a barra & keep it if they like ( probably the best eating in that range anyway) ..... Hell a 60-90 cm barra is still one hell of a lump of fish & I doubt a meatoe would stop going to an impoundment if he was limited to a maximum size ........ as long as he can catch a feed , she's apples!

Then of course the sportfishoes will be catered for ..... with a fishery where they can have a crack at a wised up & big adversary + the run of the mill fish

I actually feel that a dam like Awoonga due to the proximity to a major centre like Gladstone + being on a major arterial could support such a change ..... Locals & travelers could enjoy the home of the BIG BARRA!

Anyhow its just a thought

Chris

[the_matrix]

I actually feel that a dam like Awoonga due to the proximity to a major centre like Gladstone + being on a major arterial could support such a change ..... Locals & travelers could enjoy the home of the BIG BARRA!
Anyhow its just a thought
Chris

Chris,
They already can mate!
Ive said my piece, thanks for your input.
Cheers
Jas

[NAGG]

Chris,
They already can mate!
Ive said my piece, thanks for your input.
Cheers
Jas

Very True

Time to go fishing .... me think!

Chris

[shorty 01]

awsome carnt wait till they grow up haha

[bishop]

Jas,

Thanks for the info, grow babies grow.

[nipsta]

yes thamks for the info jas and bye the way that latest dvd 11 the footage is awsome i have never seen any like that time every before so i keen as hell to try that techniques in the shallow awsome well done

[Tropicaltrout]

Thats another great effort from the fellas behind future smiles!

Yeah I have to agree with you Jas look at the Bag limit more so then a slot, and there is a place fro the meat market I think a bit better education on this topic would be a better approach don't say catch a big one you should take it garbage, just simply inform of the bag limit and and premote don't take more then you can chew or even premote how to release the fish one you reached you bag or fill what ever.

Yep but again well done to the stocking groups that make these discusions possible ansd also give us the best fishing in the world.

Nath