Tasmania this week
by Carl Hyland on 29 Oct 2012
A good brown trout from the Huon River Carl Hyland
With weather slowly improving, anglers have been getting out amongst some piscatorial action and it has been a long time coming. Southern black bream are on the move, as are sea run trout in the many rivers that flow to the sea throughout the state.
Coupled with the fact that the rock lobster season opens this coming weekend means that anyone even thinking about sitting on the couch over the coming few weeks must have rocks in their head.
Lobster season opening date: Saturday, 3rd November statewide. Pots can be set from 1.00pm the day before the season opens (Friday) and they may then be pulled after midnight. If fishers need to refresh their knowledge of rock lobster bag and possession limits, regions, gear marking etc, all this information is available at: http://www.fishing.tas.gov.au/rec/rocklobster.
Rock lobster stock status update for the East Coast: Scientific assessments since 2006 indicate that rock lobster stocks continue to decline. The stock decline is of most concern on the east coast of Tasmania. This is particularly important to the recreational fishery with recent surveys indicating that around 70% of the total recreational catch is taken in the Eastern Region. As an outcome of the 2011 rock lobster review, DPIPWE is continuing to investigate management options that may be applicable for catch sectors in eastern Tasmanian waters. It is in the interest of all fishers to follow the rules and fish sustainably for rock lobster.
One topic Fisheries are emphasizing this season is that fishers should be aware that it’s illegal to sell, buy, barter or raffle recreationally caught fish. Some people may be thinking its okay to swap a few extra lobster caught around Christmas for a favor e.g. a slab of beer. This is not legal and both the seller and purchaser are liable for prosecution and heavy fines may apply. Offenders may face confiscation of boats and fishing gear. Fishers cannot receive a reward for providing fish to anyone. Any suspected illegal fishing can be reported to Fishwatch on 0427 655 557.
Remember to wear your PFd’s and don’t retrieve pots if the weather sets in rough.
Good spots to try for rod and line angling are the Huonville and Derwent Rivers in the south of the state, here lure anglers fishing with Spotted Dog lures plus soft plastics, especially the black and gold t-tails from the Berkley range are cleaning up. In the Derwent, in particular the Gielston Bay area, sea run trout of a good size are being caught and just remember that you should limit your fish consumption from this area to one feed per week.
The Tamar River is fishing well with a notable catch of a snapper from Spring Bay last week. Snapper should be getting around now, especially as water temperatures are heading towards the magic 17C.
Calamari squid are still being caught by recos and commercial anglers in the Low Head area, some of these are in the 4kg range and off Bridport, and even larger specimens have been taken. As I've mentioned in recent weeks, sharks are now being taken in shallow water, so surf fishing is a great option at this time. Coupled with a full moon this week, I expect to see some great photos and reports over the coming few days.
Catch you next week.
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