The school off the beach from Tuckers Rock this morning would have close to 15+hectares. One of the largest I've seen in a while. Lots of predators fish and dolphins working the extremities.
It is hard to imagine the amount of baitfish etc that would be needed to be consumed to feed that large a school.
Trev
Fish for the future, enjoy the present but think of your children.
I was talking to a pro recently and he reckoned that the salmon will wipe out most baitfish schools and leave a desert behind them.
Basically a useless fish(apart from a little sport, but you get a bit tired of catching them) that are best suited to being inside a can of snappy tom.
In this part of the world I would rather see 15+ hectares of mullet.
Salmon just get too big to be considered food for most fish.
Keeping the dolphins happy I guess?
I remember as a young bloke fishing at Dee why beach in Sydney circa 1978 and one of the lads caught a salmon. None of us had ever seen one there before!
Moved to North Beach in 1980 and didn't see a salmon untill at least the mid-late 90's.
Since then they have arrived most prolifically in Aug, Sept, Oct, and Nov but the duration of the infestation is trending longer and the numbers overall seem to be increasing.
This is the largest infestation I have ever seen this early in the year.
Infestation being the key word here Nigelr.Originally Posted by nigelr
The reports seem to be from a wider area over the last couple of years, seems like the catches seem to be more widespread. The Gold Coast seaway and Straddie. Wonder where it will end.
Yes they are a good sport fish, some people do like them, but it is their devastation of other species which I think is there worst point.
Fish for the future, enjoy the present but think of your children.
this is a bit of an odd one, whinging about too many fish!
Noel,
Not a whinge and don't think it should be taken that way, it is just stating what is happening and asking the question of others of their opinions. People are entitled to raise a question and clearly would expect a reasonable response of those who have something to add to the thread.
Fish for the future, enjoy the present but think of your children.
For some more involved commentary check out Bush and Beach this month. One of the writers blames NSW Fisheries for the increasing numbers of salmon. Seems they can't do anything right as they were pressured a few years ago by rec fishers on the south coast to stop the commercial netting of salmon. He gives them a real serve!
I have not seen the ocean schools of the critters up here for 6 years but everyone who fishes off the beach catches more than their fair share
I remember last year being out on the breakwall at Urunga and there were probably 6 diff schools of them that I could see
I am sure I read that Ecofishers NSW is lobbying to get them back on the pro list to thin them out a bit
cheers Murf
Cane toads of the sea.
Doing more harm than good. It wouldnt be so bad if they were tasty!
Umm...I beg to differ a bit about their worthlessness.
I used to catch them a lot off the beach at Budgewoi & surrounds (NSW central coast) when fishing for tailor.
What I did when I caught one (or more):
1. Dig a deepish hole in the sand
2. Cut the fish's throat and leave it head down to bleed
3. Fillet the fish on the beach before I left
4. At home, cut out and throw away all the dark red bits of meat
5. Prepare the white bits like you do any other fillet. Bake/fry/BBQ no probs.
Tastes great if properly prepared. I got loads of positive comments from the many 'non-fisho' punters who tried it.
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
PNG1M,
I quite agree, been there done that and still doing it.
Long time since I heard from you, where abouts are you this time?
Bondy
i find it quite funny that alot of people up here jump on the band wagon about how bad salmon are to eat, as a young fellow growing up down south salmon were a good part of my sport fishing, if bled properly and eaten immediately they are a good table fish, and in my opinion they are better than tailor. i used to use tailor for slab baits for jew rather than eat it.
Tye Porters article in bush and beach was ridiculous, i felt embarrassed just reading it. Not really the right behavior for fishing journo.IMO
...of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy. ~William Sherwood Fox.
Hi Bondy,
I've been stuck in a bloody desert sandbox in the Middle East on a work contract for the past couple of years. Since there's no fishing to be done here I reduced my Ausfish activity as it was doing my head in - reading all this stuff about fishing and not being able to fish myself. Sheesh..!
BUT all that is soon to change as I am re-locating BACK to the Gold Coast permanently next month - August....Yaaayyeeee!!!
Maybe we will catch up some time on that sand pumping jetty or the beach for a swing at some tailor.
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
PNG1M,
Stuck in the Middle East Dessert, shit hey, no good that but one has to do what they have to do hey.
Yeah, would be good to catch up, seriosuly give that sand pumping jetty a miss unless one really needs to be on it...not enough elbow room at times when the fish are on. Beach is better, some beaches better than others also, nice gutters but only to be detroyed by the next big sea and rebuilt later on...cycle repeats.
Cheers, Bondy
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
