Fishing

THE rain finally arrived, and as soon as the water cleared up, I was making my way to the top of the river. The clear water of the upper stretches of our river systems offer unique fishing opportunities, and it is with much anticipation that I await this time of year. Wet season fresh The increased water level allows you …

NSW DPI has partnered with community groups in Forbes and the New England region to take those recovering from breast cancer and the devastating past year of drought, fires and floods out fishing with new friends for the day. Twelve amazing women learnt the fine art of fly fishing from DPI Fishcare Volunteer and expert fly angler Rodney Tonkin at …

WHILE long-range trips exploring remote areas are what I live for, to get a shot at our target species this sortie – the mighty dogtooth tuna – we would have to push further than ever before. These fearsome predatory fish have been on my bucket list for a long time, both on line and spear. Dogtooth tuna Their brutal fighting …

WOULD you be prepared to pay for better fishing? I’ll bet that as soon as most fishers are asked that question, they immediately think of a fishing licence imposed by the government, then imagine the funds for that licence disappearing into government coffers as per most of our other taxes. QLD fishing licence  Well, what if we were guaranteed that …

From 1 July 2020, fines for illegal activities in the Marine Park have increased. Recreational fishers caught poaching from Marine National Park (Green) Zones will now face a $2220 fine. Know where you’re going and what’s allowed. Download this free app to access and understand zoning rules in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. shows what zone you’re in and what’s allowed …

HOW many of you have ever taken your fishing outside of your comfort zone and done something a little different? We’re quite comfortable taking out the regular crew for a regular fish in the same old spot for the same result, yes? Well, that’s what I thought too but then with everything going on over the past year and so …

IT has often been said “It’s called fishing, not catching,” especially after a session that wasn’t overly productive… or even worse, a dreaded donut, zilch, zip, nothing. Over the years, I’ve managed to avoid donut days by having a Plan B – and often even a C, D and E – just in case the chosen technique, location or species …

WELL, the spotted mackerel have shown up in reasonable numbers and have been found mainly in the paddock, with bird activity showing the way, especially from the sandhills across to the measured mile. While doggy mackerel are around in good numbers and a fair few were trolling up using paravanes in the Rous Channel and near the Amity Banks drop-offs, …

A Brisbane fisher has been fined $17,000 for taking 146 under-sized blue swimmer crabs and hiding them in a concealed compartment on a boat. QBFP officers searched a Birkdale home after receiving a tip from Fishwatch. Redlands QBFP, assisted by the Gold Coast team, conducted surveillance and gathered intelligence on the defendant before seizing the boat, and auditing logbooks and …

IT’s fair to say that March is one of the peak months for prawns in southeast Queensland. Hopefully by then the catches will be a bit more consistent. Banana prawns Speaking to a few regular banana prawn fishers from the northside of Brisbane, this season started very late and, at the time of writing which was the end of first …