Fishing etiquette

by Jarrod Day, FishingBoating-World Editor on 20 Feb 2013 Whether you’re in a boat, on the bank or at the boat ramp, fishing etiquette is a very important part of fishing.

I have seen many instances which can be solved simply by offering help rather than watching some poor sole in a difficult situation. Though some anglers might anchor almost side by side to one another, there is no excuse to pick up a sinker and hurl it into the other boat or better yet, yell abuse at them even while their children are sitting also fishing. This can be easily solved simply by lifting your anchor and moving to another location or just explain to the other person in a calm voice that they should move.

Boat launching is another issue and hundreds of anglers may not be good at reversing or putting their boats off or on their trailers but that’s no excuse to sit back, have a beer and laugh at the poor person. Once again, this problem can be easily solved by offering your assistance to do up the shackle or even to offer to reverse their boat down the ramp for them is it really that hard?

Time and time again have I seen people happy to sit back, complain and whinge about someone’s misfortune but by offering some help the situation can be solved far quicker and the person who is having trouble will actually learn making them better for next time.

The more we can pull together to offer help rather than sitting back to get some immature enjoyment, the quicker problems can be solved for the better.

This week’s newsletter brings you Lee Brake who visits the local Queensland freshwater impoundments in search of XOS barramundi. Lee delivers a great piece about the high’s and low’s of the impoundments and how drought’s and floods can affect the fishing. Despite that, lee assures us that the fishing is still as productive as ever.

Gary kicks off this week with part two of his series on 'The determined, pugnacious and finicky sand whiting'. In part two, Gary explains the correct outfit required along with baits and how to care for your catch, he even provides a nice little recipe for those keen on devouring a tasty sand whiting.

Carl is back from his adventures around Tasmania and heads to Bicheno on Tassie’s east coast. Bicheno is renowned for its picturesque beauty and has long been on Carl’s must visit list for a long time. With the lobster season reopening after a toxic alga scare, it is no wonder why Carl made the trek.

I on the other hand jump on board with Matt Cini from Reel Time fishing charters to head into the deep waters of Western Port in search of gummy sharks. While I have spent countless hours catching and releasing these beautiful fish, I just had to get back out there to get into the action while the big models are about.