Jethro Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 (edited) We dropped the boat in at Warners Bay at 6am. The plan was to catch a few poddies early and spend the rest of the day drifting baits for flathead. As with all best laid plans the powers that be had other ideas. We spent 2hrs at the ramp with poddie trap in for 8 small bream and about 100 toads. The poddies were there but didn’t want to play the game. Ok change of plan, off to Swansea channel to jig up a few squid and maybe some pike. Jigged the channel for a couple of hours for not so much as a follow from a squid and no pike to be found either. The squid were there last week in droves but not a 1 this week. By this time patience was wearing a bit thin. We had a bit of a swim in the channel then a beer and a ciggy and discussed our next move. It was decided stuff the bait lets go and fish plastics. We jigged plastics for another 1hr or so in the channel without so much as a touch. By this time it was about 11am and we were in desperate need of catching a fish so we headed for the main lake. On the way out we decide to try a little back water in hope of a flatty. Well this was the best idea so far. We dropped the poddie trap in caught a few small flatties, a couple of bream and when we checked the trap it was full of perfect bait size poddies. We drifted poddies for the rest of the day with for 1 huge bust up a 1 flattie that went around 80cm. I left the camera at home so will post photos tomorrow. My mate wanted to keep the flatty and I was pretty keen for a feed but my guilt got the better of me and I released her to swim again. Up to what size will you guys keep flatties?? Edited March 14, 2005 by Jethro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightweight Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Hi Jethro, Sounds like you had a somewhat frustrating morning... As for the Lizard, i will take any lizard up to 65-70cm, after that i would throw them back. (after a photo!). I think they are best eating around the 50-60cm mark. I suppose it is personal choice though. If you stick to the rules laid out by fisheries that is the most important part. Everyone has different ideas about what to keep and what to release, and they are entitled to do that. I just stay within the rules and keep what i would eat. LW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jethro Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 Have to agree stay with in the rules. But when Fisheries say that you can take 2 over 70cm that means you can take two 1m+ crocs. Not sure any of us on here would do that. Maybe we need a max limit that same as QLD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightweight Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Hi Jethro, You are dead right, according to the rules you could do that... Personally i wouldn't, but at the same time i wouldn't worry if someone else did. The fisheries must have made those decisions after some studies into the breeding habbits of the species and came up with a line in the sand. LW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrone07 Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Yeah i usually dont keep that many but the odd one around 45-50 mark. Just enough for me and if anyone else wants fish ill keep a cpl round the 50cm range. Anyway seems like a slow day up at lake maquarie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jethro Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 Lightweight - I would like to think that fisheries had done their research. We were specifically targeting big flathead and maybe a stray jew. With 2 peopl in teh boat we were legally allowed to take 4 fish over 70cm. Not that we ever would Tyrone - It was a very quiet day. It didn't help that we couldn't catch livies until midday. Now we have found a little honey hole of poddies. It will be our first port of call next time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jethro Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 Dave - Thanks for pointing that out. I always thought it was 2. Oh well you live and learn. One other thing that happen was we were nearly sunk by a toad............... yep a toad We managed to pull a few squid while we were out that were following up the poddies. When we put them in the live well thye managed to ink it up good and proper. So we pulled the drain plug out and had the pump going flat out to try and refresh the water. Unbeknown to us there was 1 toad still in there from when we caught the poddies and the little bugger got caught in the drain hole. In all teh commotion of catching the fish we forgot the pump was on until I felt a splash of water on my leg. I lifted the lid on the and it was overflowing. A quick check under the deck and there was about 5" of water in the bottom of the boat. Turned off the live well hit the bilge pump and it was all good. I would hate to have to explain to the insurance company that we were sunk by a toad....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Turned off the live well hit the bilge pump and it was all good. I would hate to have to explain to the insurance company that we were sunk by a toad....... 36344[/snapback] Now - that would be a first. I have kept 1 flathead over 70CM in the past. Nowadays anything 70 or over goes back. As long as people are obeying the rules, there should be no arguments. If you don't like the rules, then it is up to you to lobby to have them changed. Cheers Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkie Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 Article in one of the fish mags this month on growth rates and flatty sizes. Apparently once they get over a certain size, it's 1cm per year. That make the truly big ones very old. Certainly worth a read. I'll have to check which mag it is tonight. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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