trickies schooling on Britomart make mocker of bag limits

[suzygs1000]

HI all,

Went out to Britomart on thursday - magnificent day - just finished fitting a new fold down top to boat..

We went about one third the way along the northern edge, and started fishing in around 20 metres.

Got two trout, and a red bass then nothing for 10 minutes, then a couple of smaller tricky snapper, (red throat emperor).

Five minutes later, we got a largish tricky around the four pound mark, then they just started hammering our baits.

We ended up with 13, so went thru the esky and chucked out the three smallest ones (the bag limit is 5 each, and there were two of us).

Anyway, we couldn't get baits to the bottom without getting hammered by large trickies, so we decided to move.

We went straight across the reef to the southern side, about halfway down, but copped the same thing, only worse.

Believe me, there is nothing worse than throwing back these beautiful fish. I reckon we chucked back at least 30 or 40 all around the three to four pound mark..

We couldn't get our baits to the bottom.

I eventually caught a good spangled emperor, which we were able to keep, but I think it stinks that, on a day when a species is schooled up to the stage where you are viturally unable to catch anything else, that you are limited to 10 fish for the boat (two people).

I have never seen any species schooled up like this before, but I know many of you will have. Where in the hell do they all come from?

We travelled 133 kilometres for the trip, I estimate we caught at least 50 prime table fish, but were only able to take 13 home between the two of us ie two trout, ten trickies and the one spangled emperor.

Cost about $100 for the fuel and bait....

Dave.

[dfox]

Dave, i wouldnt go on a public forum and say how you dumped legal dead fish to make way for larger ones.
Ive fished britomart plenty of times and some times you never even get one tricky, its a matter of being lucky enough to be there at the right time.
40lb of trickies is worth every bit of your $100 of fuel ... foxy

[therapy]

No doubt it would be frustrating having to throw back prime table fish but here's a couple of things to consider.

1- reef fish per kilo retail at about $20-30 per kilo. You only have to have 4 kilo of fillets and monetarily your break even.

2- having a day out like that when allot of people go out and cover 80 mile in a day(me!!) and only hook a couple of fish and maybe bring home one or two has got to be worth something. I myself wouldn't put a price on experiences like that

3- the first thing you say is that was a magnificent day. I would pay $200 for a decent day down here (brissy) weather wise. We haven't been able to get out for a while as the weather is shite!! To get out and bring home a decent feed would be piceless to me at the moment let alone catching 50 fish!!!!

4- bag limits are for a reason. Perhaps these fish were spawning and if you removed all the ones you caught maybe they wont be there next time. You say you haven't seen them like this before so be thankful you did. It must have been allot of fun.

5-if you had 13 on board then you were illegal at that point in time. Be careful!!

No mate, no sympathy here. You had a cracker of day, brought home a feed and were obviously busy catching fish and getting hits. Maybe your fishing for the wrong reasons. I hope you run at profit on your next trip but don't forget to have some fun!!!!

Cheers..Terry..........

[STUIE63]

Dave the way I read the rules is that you are allowed to take 8 red throat emporer per person but a great day by the sounds of it anyway
Stuie

[suzygs1000]

No doubt it would be frustrating having to throw back prime table fish but here's a couple of things to consider.

1- reef fish per kilo retail at about $20-30 per kilo. You only have to have 4 kilo of fillets and monetarily your break even.

2- having a day out like that when allot of people go out and cover 80 mile in a day(me!!) and only hook a couple of fish and maybe bring home one or two has got to be worth something. I myself wouldn't put a price on experiences like that

3- the first thing you say is that was a magnificent day. I would pay $200 for a decent day down here (brissy) weather wise. We haven't been able to get out for a while as the weather is shite!! To get out and bring home a decent feed would be piceless to me at the moment let alone catching 50 fish!!!!

4- bag limits are for a reason. Perhaps these fish were spawning and if you removed all the ones you caught maybe they wont be there next time. You say you haven't seen them like this before so be thankful you did. It must have been allot of fun.

5-if you had 13 on board then you were illegal at that point in time. Be careful!!

No mate, no sympathy here. You had a cracker of day, brought home a feed and were obviously busy catching fish and getting hits. Maybe your fishing for the wrong reasons. I hope you run at profit on your next trip but don't forget to have some fun!!!!

Cheers..Terry..........

Hi Terry,

Up here, you can buy mixed reef fillets for $10 per kilo at Lucinda.

I fished out from the Pin for 10 years before I INTENTIONALLY MOVED UP HERE FOR THE REEF FISHING! (and to get away from coastal bars).

We went to Bramble three weeks ago and didn't bring home one fish!

I think the bit about being illegal with 13 of the one species on board when the limit is 10 is debateable.

This situation occurs all the time.. what if you have your quota, and catch another one? Can't you legally bring it into the boat? The bag limit is actually how many of each species you can legally KEEP.

This whole area of law is a minefield. You can't legally have more than 5 of that species per person, even in your freezer. How can you tell, if the fish have all been filleted and frozen. Are they going to dna test the fillets?

This means you could go out in the morning, come home, fillet the fish, then go out again in the afternoon and get another five. You would know that you are breaking the law, but how could it be proven?

I think quotas stink... not many people I know ever reach there quota. Personally, this is the first time I ever had.

In my opinion, the quota should be on the total catch ie each person can have say 10 or 15 reef fish in possession.

I reckon this would be fairer.

There are plenty of guys who catch heaps offshore from Brissy.. if, like I wasn't, you aren't one of them, then move to North Qld.

Also, Terry, I wasn't looking for sympathy ... I loved every minute of it, but the weather up here has been crook for a while too, and I had run out of fish in the freezer.

Dave

[marty+jojo]

QUOTE -
"We ended up with 13, so went thru the esky and chucked out the three smallest ones (the bag limit is 5 each, and there were two of us)."

Very poor form. As they say "rules is rules"
Marty.

[FNQCairns]

A person also needs to understand the overriding intent of the possession limits, it never was and never will be in our lifetimes strictly about the fish numbers...it is entirely chop chop mixed with peta style zealot half truths and technical ticks to justify it to the punters...who by the way lap it up.

The possession regulations are defacto resource royalty management regulations in so far as the government wants it's tax before and above anything else.

The regs are to ensure that in the slim chance the fish are to be sold black then the tax loss is minimal.

It's nice to be all warm and fuzzy but reality is far colder.

cheers fnq

[therapy]

[quote=suzygs1000;996172]Hi Terry,

Up here, you can buy mixed reef fillets for $10 per kilo at Lucinda.

That sound's like a bargain to me. They're not that cheap down here. If anyone is after value for money outlayed to fish brought home, no-one would fish. Even the initial purchase price of your boat would pay for allot of seafood without all the ongoing expenses/tackle/rods/bait etc.

I think the bit about being illegal with 13 of the one species on board when the limit is 10 is debateable.

That's not a debate I would want to have with a fisheries officer. You would lose no doubt. As mentioned by Dfox, the fact you state on public forum that you threw back 3 dead legal fish to upgrade is not in the spirit of the regs at least and stupid at worst.

This situation occurs all the time.. what if you have your quota, and catch another one? Can't you legally bring it into the boat? The bag limit is actually how many of each species you can legally KEEP.

If you caught something you had already bagged out on then catch another then put that in the esky to sort out the best one's later then you are breaking the law. It is an in possession limit, not what you decide to take home...

This whole area of law is a minefield. You can't legally have more than 5 of that species per person, even in your freezer. How can you tell, if the fish have all been filleted and frozen. Are they going to dna test the fillets?

This means you could go out in the morning, come home, fillet the fish, then go out again in the afternoon and get another five. You would know that you are breaking the law, but how could it be proven?

I think quotas stink... not many people I know ever reach there quota. Personally, this is the first time I ever had.

I think allot of laws stink but not much I can do about it..

In my opinion, the quota should be on the total catch ie each person can have say 10 or 15 reef fish in possession.

I reckon this would be fairer.

There are plenty of guys who catch heaps offshore from Brissy.. if, like I wasn't, you aren't one of them, then move to North Qld.

Would love to move to Nth Qld but the missus hates croc's and stingers. Actually going there for our honeymoon in Oct though

Also, Terry, I wasn't looking for sympathy ... I loved every minute of it, but the weather up here has been crook for a while too, and I had run out of fish in the freezer.

What were you looking for?!? Why the crying emotion at the end of your post next to your expenditure for the day?!? Looked like someone having a whinge to me...I glad you did enjoy it but it didn't come though like that in your post.

Cheers...........Terry..........

[TimiBoy]

Yep, I'd go so far as to suggest that statement could, in and of itself, be enough evidence to prosecute!

You need to be careful what you say and how you say it, but churning to get bigger fish into the esky is precisely one of the reasons some Greens say bag limits won't work, just ban it.

Please, next time, when you have 10, throw the rest back, huh?

Thanks,

Tim

[disorderly]

Yep, I'd go so far as to suggest that statement could, in and of itself, be enough evidence to prosecute!

You need to be careful what you say and how you say it, but churning to get bigger fish into the esky is precisely one of the reasons some Greens say bag limits won't work, just ban it.

Please, next time, when you have 10, throw the rest back, huh?

Thanks,

Tim

Or at least grow a brain and dont put it in writing when you break the law...

Suzy...I Had the same problem off mission beach yesterday and last night...luckily I had a young japanese girl on board and my 7 year old son...

So at least I was able to bring 15 trickies home...and no I certainly wouldnt upgrade by using the smallest as bait.......

Fortunately I was able to get a dozen trout in between the trickies as well...

As for the $10 a kilo reef fillets (I havent seen them that cheap BTW) ..but you do know they include anything caught out the reef..including iodine bream and slatey bream and god knows what else...

Oh and trickies are one of the best eating fish you can get IMO...

Scott

[reel scream]

Well done Dave- you know how to get Trickies......now hone your ability to catch other species regually. Once you get your legal limit of one go chase another. Have a bloody troll if you cant stop catching one species.

Cheers Scott

[jtpython]

Red throat Emporer are 8/per person 38 cm
JT

[suzygs1000]

QUOTE -
"We ended up with 13, so went thru the esky and chucked out the three smallest ones (the bag limit is 5 each, and there were two of us)."

Very poor form. As they say "rules is rules"
Marty.

Yeh, sure Marty,

Are you telling me that if you had your bag limit of just legal snapper on board, then caught a 30 pounder, you would throw it back? Crap!!

Dave.

[suzygs1000]

Red throat Emporer are 8/per person 38 cm
JT

You are right - What a ########!! where in the hell did I get 5 from ..... I think I got confused because redthroat are an exception to the 25cm limit??

Dave.

[catfishkid]

Or at least grow a brain and dont put it in writing when you break the law...

Suzy...I Had the same problem off mission beach yesterday and last night...luckily I had a young japanese girl on board and my 7 year old son...

So at least I was able to bring 15 trickies home...and no I certainly wouldnt upgrade by using the smallest as bait.......

Fortunately I was able to get a dozen trout in between the trickies as well...

As for the $10 a kilo reef fillets (I havent seen them that cheap BTW) ..but you do know they include anything caught out the reef..including iodine bream and slatey bream and god knows what else...

Oh and trickies are one of the best eating fish you can get IMO...

Scott

Gday scott. I am curious about the highlighted bit?I fish with my son who is 15,it was my understanding(And i would like to be wrong)that under the age of 16 kids dont have a bag as such so what they caught was taken under your limit,meaning if we went out snapper fishing,just my son and me the total allowable catch was 5 snapper,my bag limit??
Like I said I would love to be wrong on this one.

Cheers Craig