Moreton Island fishery has proven to be very resilient and very dynamic with a huge number of fish species available to the recreational fisherpeople that live and visit here.
Our members and social members are reporting a variety of good catches in the Brisbane River of snapper, mulloway and bream along the rock wall. The best bait has been large chunks of mullet and the best results have been at night. If you want a fun day with the kids there are plenty of small pencil squid along the weed banks from Cowan to the graves in the basin. The best squid jigs have been the small bright pink and orange jigs fishing adrift in your boat. Then navigate your boat to Combie Point and drift along the drop off where the Coffee rocks are along the bottom. Use a paternoster rig to hold onto the bottom and use large chunks of mullet or small squid as bait. Check out the two nice reef fish (pictured) that these young fellows picked up on the drift along the drop-off from Combie Point to the Bulwer Wrecks.
There were some great catches on the Redcliffe City Amateur Anglers Christmas break-up trip. Sixty-two members attended (pictured) and what a great long weekend. I left a day early with the cook on Thursday to get the beer and food into all of our refrigerators in all of the units in our Bulwer clubhouse. The fishing trip started with lines down on Friday at 3pm. I fished 400m north of Combie Point and fished until 5pm catching 10 dart all over 40cm in length. I then drove down to the first creek south of Bulwer and caught 25 whiting, finishing at 9pm. Calling it a night I ventured back to the clubhouse and had a few beers with my mates. I had planned to go back to Combie Point for the first light dawn burst of dart but decided as it was a social trip I would give it a miss.
The big news for all the recreational fisherpeople is that Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has decided to step down as Premier. What an incredible legacy she has achieved for the millions of fisherpeople in Queensland. Queensland fisheries is the best state and territory for the 4.2 million recreational fisherpeople in Australia – now the Aussie “grey nomads” contribute 20% of all fishing activity in Queensland. Her nine years as Premier have seen net-free zones in North Queensland and currently there is a government package of over $160 million to fund the buy-out of netting licences in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area. This also includes the Great Sandy Straits Marine Park and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Details of the scheme are on the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website www.daf.qld.gov.au under “future fishing”. Cabinet is currently considering changes to the Fisheries Act to facilitate the changes.
As an executive of R.C.A.A. and S.Q.A.F.C.A., I would like to thank the outgoing Premier for all her achievements and wish her the best for the future.
Stay warm and safe out on the water.
Comments