NEWSCAST - Recreational Fisheries News October 2023

[mrsswordfisherman]

NEWSCAST October 2023

 

Gone Fishing Day Reminder - Sunday 8th of October Start preparing those rigs, it’s time to celebrate our great love of fishing - Gone Fishing Day!   Come along to one of NSW DPI’s free events this Sunday (8th October) at the below locations. Each event will have free fishing sessions, experts to provide fishing advice, casting competitions, as well some free fishing giveaways. You can also pick up fishing guides and other advisory information.     •    Port Macquarie - Town Green Park – 10am – 2pm •    Davistown Restella Ave Foreshore – 10am – 2pm •    Penrith - Sydney International Regatta Centre – 10am – 2pm •    Lake Illawarra - Reddall Reserve – 10am – 2pm •    Narrabri - Crossing Theatre Park – 10am – 2pm •    Cowra - Bill Robertson Park – 10am – 2pm.   There will be something for everyone, including beginners, who want to learn about fishing, as well as activities for the keen angler!   At the Sydney and Port Macquarie events, you can also swap your traditional witches hat nets in exchange for more environmentally friendly crab traps. Please register for the Crab Trap Exchange using these links:   Register for Sydney event Crab Trap Exchange here - https://bit.ly/3FlMvVH   Register for Port Macquarie event Crab Trap Exchange here - https://bit.ly/45oQprq   We are also requesting people to register for the fishing sessions for the Sydney event (Sydney only, no need to register for the other event locations).   Register for fishing session at Gone Fishing Day Sydney event here - https://bit.ly/3RHPBKQ Many fishing clubs and organisations will also be running their own community fishing events and activities in their own local area.     For more info on Gone Fishing Day, please visit: https://bit.ly/3RzNbLy    Gone Fishing Day is supported by NSW DPI and with funding from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts.

 

 

Recreational Fishing Licence Fee Payments NSW DPI Fisheries wants to remind everyone to only make online payments for recreational fishing licences to the NSW Government through official websites with domain name ending nsw.gov.au. The fees for a recreational fishing licence are: •    $7 for three days •    $14 for one month •    $35 for one year •    $85 for three years Anyone looking to purchase or renew a recreational fishing licence securely online should go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/services/recreational-fishing-licence

 

 

Forster & Central Coast Offshore Artificial Reefs Now Installed 🎣 Recreational fishers have a reason to celebrate, as new Offshore Artificial Reefs (OAR) have now been installed off Forster and the Central Coast.   These newly installed OARs will be a stunning drawcard for locals and tourists alike to the region, increasing fishing opportunities for keen anglers hoping to snag a range of fish species, including Yellowtail Scad, Kingfish and Snapper.   We have used innovative, and state of the art reef designs to deflect currents to create eddies and upwellings to provide intricate habitats for a variety of fish species. The reefs are comprised of two steel towers each weighing approximately 50 tonnes with footprints of 16 x 16 metres and standing 12 metres high.   The reef structures have been built to withstand a one-in-100-year storm event while also meeting NSW DPI's key objectives to increase productivity of marine life and to attract key fish species for recreational fishers to target.   These reefs are a great example of your recreational fishing licence fees being put to great use. The reefs have also been supported with funds from the Marine Estate Management Strategy.   For more information on the Offshore Artificial Reefs, please visit DPIs website - bit.ly/3mpiPx4

 

 

 

Trout Season Now Open! The State’s annual trout opening season opened on Saturday, 30 September 2023. Many streams and rivers are in great condition following seasonal rains. Together with the spring weather and well-stocked waterways, this season is set to be a boon for trout fishing enthusiasts.   Last season about more than 2 million trout and salmon were released across NSW. Releases were conducted with the trout acclimatisation societies as part of the NSW DPI Fish Stocking Program.   The NSW trout fishery is carefully managed to ensure sustainability while delivering socio-economic benefits.   It’s important that all anglers check they have a current and valid NSW Recreational Fishing License prior to going fishing. Information on the License Fee and trout fishing rules are available on NSW DPI Fisheries website at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing or on the FishSmart App. You can download the free FishSmart app from the iTunes app store or on Google Play).   The public is encouraged to report illegal or suspect illegal fishing activity to the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 or report it online via the form at: https://fal.cn/3gJWh

 

 

Explore The Magic Of NSW's Estuaries This Spring Onboard a Fishing Charter Boat As days get longer and temperatures rise, it is a great time to get out and make the most of the Spring weather. If you are looking to try something different, why not join one of our licensed charter operators on an Estuary Charter and set off on an adventure? Why Choose an Estuary Charter? Our licensed charter operators are professional, experienced, and passionate skippers who are all about making your outing safe, educational, and loads of fun! They know the estuary like the back of their hand and are committed to providing a memorable experience for you and your family. So Book Your Spring Adventure Now! The best way to find a licensed charter boat operator in your region is to use the ‘Go Charter Fishing NSW’ webpage - bit.ly/3FJziHf Simply navigate to the region you want to go fishing in, select from the available operators, and follow the links to book your trip.

 

 

 

Surprise Catch...A Mid North Coast Bonefish! North Coast angler Luke Giovanetti (pictured) submitted this interesting catch to the Department!   This bonefish (Albula glossodonta) was recently caught in the Coffs Harbour region at the mouth of one of the local estuaries. Luke got quite a surprise when this fish ate a lure that was intended for a mulloway or flathead. The fish ripped off more than 100m of line on its initial run and took over half an hour to land. Despite the battle, the fish was released in good condition.  On light tackle, this fish truly is a trophy catch!   Bonefish occur sporadically in northern and central Queensland and are widespread throughout the Indo Pacific region as far east as the Cook Islands. They inhabit inshore coastal waters and are most likely found across shallow sand and mud flats.  They are easily identified due to their streamlined shape and bright silvery-white body. They also have an “underslung” jaw, which is perfectly designed for foraging around the flats.   Indo Pacific Bonefish are a popular sportfish, particularly for fly fishers who’ll often travel to remote places like the Cook Islands or Kiribati to target them. They are renowned for being challenging to catch. Research suggests that they can obtain sizes up to 90cm and 8kg but are more commonly found around the 2kg mark. Historically, there have been reported catches as far south as Port Hacking, but they are considered rare anywhere south of Fraser Island.   Did you know Redmap is a ‘citizen science’ project that invites fishers and the community to share sightings of marine species that are ‘uncommon’ to their local seas. Over time, Redmap uses this ‘citizen science’ data to map which Australian marine species may be extending their distribution range in response to changes in the marine environment. For more information, please visit https://www.redmap.org.au/

 

 

 

[Blackfish]

How good is that Bonefish at Coffs.

Also I may wander down to the “Gone Fishing Day at Port” it’s a great initiative.

[mrsswordfisherman]

25 minutes ago, Blackfish said:

How good is that Bonefish at Coffs.

Also I may wander down to the “Gone Fishing Day at Port” it’s a great initiative.

Pretty good that Bonefish yes!

Not sure but that man looks a lot like a young schoolboy who visited fishraider many moons ago.

[Restyle]

quite amazing that for the first time in at least 3 years the gone fishing day is on a day with decent weather. I'm surprised for no locations in the habour, botany or even porthacking this year though

[Little_Flatty]

I still remember the gone fishing day years ago when they held it in Darling Harbour. They released a whole lot of silver perch into one of the lakes. I managed to get one and got some 6/0 Mustad Hoodlum hooks for my efforts. What they thought I'd catch with them, I'll never know (although I did use them a decade later for live baiting).

I heard a rumour that those perch stayed in that lake afterwards...interesting...

[Blackfish]

So I wandered down to the "Gone Fishing Day" at Port and it was really well done with Maritime, Fisheries and The Recreational Fishing trust represented.

It seemed RFT had a stack of small rods and were rigging them up so people could have a fish off the Wharf, also volunteers were helping out on the Wharf as well with bait ETC.

Also there was plenty of stickers and support for Boaters and fishers. 

My only thought was maybe not the last Sunday of School holidays but the middle Sunday.