More needs to be done

[geoff72]

On the way home from work today i went via the weir at coomera to see if anyone was catching anything. I saw an old bloke walking across the weir with a bucket and what looked like a cracker of a fish tail sticking out of the top. I walked down to have a look at this blokes catch and saw a abosolute monster of a flathead, would easily have gone 80cm+ easy. I ask him if he knew the limits for flathead and he said to me with an accent, yugoslav or something like that, when do you ever see an old lady walking around pregnant, when they get this big they dont breed,people say the do but they done,i thought what the F@#k do you know. Well i didnt say anything but my insides were twisting up, my body temp reached boiling point and i had to walk away. I think what should happen is more infomation should be provided to people and more strict laws and fines should be put inplace for these type of people. When you walk into a tackle store, tide charts are readily available and most of the time free, i think there needs to be a free pamphlet of legal sizes and the consequenses of abusing these laws given out with every purchase of tackle or bait to try and stop this kind of BULLSH@T happening.
There is alot of people that kill undersize and oversize fish. This needs to be stopped and treated with the severity it deserves.
Last word to the bloke who did this, mate you just killed a breeder and you should be shot.
Would like to know what you all think.
cheers
geoff

[ON-THE-CHEW]

You need to get fisheries phone number stored in your mobile so next time you see an infringement ring them up. Any stories I have heard of them being called down the coast way, they seem to turn up fairly quickly. This is the only way people will start to get the hint. If their fishing gear and fish are taken off them and also maybe a fine they might start to learn the severity of it.

Andrew

[Jeremy]

Take a photo of the fish with some sort of proof of length if possible - ruler or rod next to it. Tell him you are really impressed and can you take a photo of him with it. Also get him in the photo for ID and details of the rego of his car etc. Then call the fishwatch hotline 1800 017 116 and dob the bastard in.

Jeremy

[VoodooChile78]

I carry a copy of the "Recreational Fishing In Queensland" guide with me at all times...and if I don't know what the fish is and it's limit...it gets a photo and then gets put back! Then I can find out what it is, it's limit and if it's ok to eat.

Every fish that I or anyone I am with catches (unless obviously over the legal limit for that species) goes on the lie-dector (ruler).

Nothing makes my temper boil more than people keeping fish they don't know what it is or what the limit is. Or worse...people knowing the laws and thinking...F**k it!

It is easy as to get a copy of the size limits...look up the DPI website: -

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xc...2_ENA_HTML.htm

Or give them a call they will send you our a brochure or ask at your local tackle shop. I agree that every tackle and bait shop should have them easily available but as they say "ignorance of the law is no excuse".

Mike L.

[Brett1907]

Mike L, I have a copy printed off the DPI&F website laminated in my tackle bag. Same as you, if I don't know what it is I take a photo to find out!

It was pointed out to me in a PM that maybe I shouldn't point people in the general direction of the upper salty reaches of the coomera as it may cause overfishing. He has his opinions and that is fine by me but I disagree (and hope to have a beer with him next time we are both up there).

I think people like this character Geoff saw are the problem. That spot is VERY well known, and produces some awesome fish. Maybe if the council put up a sign showing the types of fish that can be caught there (in colour!!), along with size/bag limits people will have no excuse. It should also be regularly patroled by fisheries.

Just MHO, but I do feel quit strongly about this!

Brett

[_Dan_]

I think its unfortunately a problem that wont go away unless there is a massive education program. This thing happens all the time, people have no idea or simply do not care about what they take.

People have the theory its their god given right to take what they want and no one can stop them.

I rarely take a fish, i use barbless hooks and a enviro net. I am not preaching the gospel but i fish for the future like many others on this site.

Personally i dont give out my good spots to anyone who asks, i will suss them out first and then pass on what i can and hope they do the same. Its up to the individual if they want to give out the secret spots its up to them, but i understand fully why others wont.

I think all parks and boat ramps should have standard fish id signs, with the Bream, Whiting, flathead or whatever sizes and limits for that particular waterway. It would cost a bit, but if they introduced a fishing license scheme i would be more than happy to pay for it, like most other honest fishos.


Cheers

Dan

[tunaman]

You should of picked up his dead flathead, and slapped him around the head with it. >

But seriously, I think the government should bring out ADs about fishing in general[ rules, sizes, zones,etc, and help the people out there in T>V land.

T.V really does get out to alot of people , and just maybe they will start to care and get the right idea.



signed tunaman

[RayB]

I find it hard to preach to the 'old school' but still there is no excuse for illegal activity. If they think they are above the law, wait until they are caught as I believe the fines are quite steep.