Cronulla Trawler

[campr]

I watched a red hulled trawler about 40ft long trawling off Cronulla yesterday.   He was doing small circles off the southern headland about level with Jibbon bommie and was probably on schools of slimies.   I have had a good relationship with a few pro fishermen over the years and respect that they do it tough making a living that way, but thinking about it later it amused me how much I  resented that they were working my patch.  Not doing anything wrong, just hope they dont move on to trawl the flatty grounds in Bate bay as they have in the past.  Ron 

[noelm]

Be pretty rare to have a trawler actually trawling in close, possibly on slimies, or traps.

[Fun2fish]

Mouth  of hawkesbury I've seen up to 10 during the week they are prawning

everyone has to make a living

[Green Hornet]

My guess would be a long line boat catching bait.

Did you happen to see a small dingy close by?

[campr]

No dinghy around.  Boat was continually slowly moving in circles.  Have seen longliners getting slimies there in other years.  Ron 

[Yowie]

There have been schools of slimies about in recent weeks, probably what they are hunting.

[JimT]

I recall years ago slimies were usually around the harbour in Aug/Sep when westerlies were howling. Use to get them off Neilson Park Wharf and Clifton Gardens Jetty.

Are they around ATM??

Jim

[kingfishbig]

I thought there was a ban on trawling (netting) from Port Hacking to Wollongong - with an exemption for longliners catching bait. 

Edited August 27, 2020 by kingfishbig

[noelm]

Longliners don't trawl for bait, and it was mentioned the boat in question was doing circles, certainly not trawling doing circles. Slimies are in plague proportions at the moment, it's near impossible to get away from them.

[kingfishbig]

9 minutes ago, noelm said:

Longliners don't trawl for bait, and it was mentioned the boat in question was doing circles, certainly not trawling doing circles. Slimies are in plague proportions at the moment, it's near impossible to get away from them.

They use nets though - usually with dingies to position them.

[noelm]

Yes, but not trawl nets, trawling is a lot different to what they do bait fishing.

[campr]

I have seen longliners shoot nets around slimies with a dinghy but this was just a slow run at a couple of knots continually doing wide circles.  couldnt see sign of net but boat had short mast with davit up front similar to what I've seen on trawlers.  As I said I have no issues if what they do is within law, it was just a comment how ones emotions kick in when their on your patch.  Ron