North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Do you welcome the new NT fishing rules?

The rules are ridiculous and WILL NOT save reef fish in fact I foresee more fish being killed as people upgrade.

Closed seasons / areas would have been a better option in my opinion but according to AFANT we all welcome these changes.......

Don't agree with 5 fish per species rule, people are just going to kill fish until they catch 5 of each species and throw back the bycatch, should be 15 species combined, this is a stupid rule.

No, closed seasons and selected fish type bag limits would be the way to go.
I see the tricky population and other smaller snapper like stripes etc. will take a hammering as people chase the larger fish.
I think AFANT has underestimate the number of people who will disagree with this decision.
But I dont think they will give a rats arse what the average fisho thinks .

will just have to look for some new areas to fish or try some different tactics in shallower water if you want to let heaps go.
Or target the pelagics once you have a feed and have some fun with them
most of the water I fish in round the Perons is less than 15m, jigging and have a ball.

Most fish are able to be let go at this depth, biggest goldies I have caught down there so far was in 8metres, 74cm, can easily let them go in there, plenty of jew in the same place.
And they fight heaps better as well

I would rather catch a few less now and know that the grandkids, one day will have some to catch and be able to have as much fun as me.

spot on 86 - have a look at other areas around australia where fish stocks have been wiped out

nomad wrote:spot on 86 - have a look at other areas around australia where fish stocks have been wiped out

Although it wont be popular.I strongly disagree with that premise that the fishing is so much better in the NT than else where. Different species available yes and some iconic ones but better in terms fish stocks is a big generalisation to make. This is a very common perception that is just BS in my opinion. Get a grip, if you drive for 2 hours out of Brisbane and travel 50km by sea the fishing you can have fishing that would knock the socks off a Dundee trip. Before I get howled out of the NT let me say I am very happy fishing up here and quite enjoy it but when its over I will still be catching a few wherever I end up. Just carefully consider the distances people travel and time, effort and money we are all prepared to put in to experience such great fishing (I don't mean a few goldies or a legal barra I mean the trip of a lifetime stuff for most people. I would say the weather is a bigger factor on the fishing up here than the fish stocks, plainly during winter you get more days on the water than other states.
I can tell you that it would be unheard of in most other states to drive 3 hours each way in a car and 1 hour each way in a boat to troll around with 150 others at a creek mouth for a "day trip".
Its all relative, is all.

I agree am

yeah every man and his dog here has a boat AND they use them (probably more than east coast areas)

i did a big trip to the barrier reef last year and there are heaps of zones where you cant even drive thru.
but there are heaps of other areas where you can fish and ive never seen anything like it.
one day, almost EVERY cast had a strike/fish and they were good fish as well.
i can only dream of that fishing here.

i used to live on the central coast and you would have 10 ramps within an hours drive. still not that many boats congregated in one area as we get here. that sort of pressure has a huge effect on fishing stocks

ill do the right thing, i have never kept 30 fish per person since ive been here. we have to have a good look at the way we do things.
talk to the old fishos down south and they will all tell you of boat loads in the old days and wonder why there are none now.
its not rocket science

Continental shelf is too far away from our shores for us to have really good fishing.

I more or less welcome them, or at least don't have any major issue with them.

The big 'but' for me is that I only keep the odd fish, I don't really fish to feed myself and I don't really bottom bash so for me the new restrictions won't impact me too much, in my opinion any fish released or left in the water is good thing.

I'm with AM, I don't think the fishing up here isn't as good as it hyped up to be, I still love it up here and have no intention of leaving but there is sensational fishing all over the place. Everything feels very crowded up here, when I lived down south if I had to wait for one person at a boat ramp I would have considered it busy. I never really recall having boats surrounding me or anything like that.. In fact one of the reasons I like fishing so much is that I can get away from people... Not as easy up here. I always catch more fish down south but for the moment I still prefer the fish up here. I suppose I just think it's one of many NT misconceptions that the NT is the pinnacle of fishing in Australia and everywhere down south is over fished and crowded, if anything I tend to thin the opposite is true.

Fishing rules are so divisive aren't they….shows how different we all view our stocks health i reckon….i had to do a love job for a mate in St Helens Taswegia, a fortnight ago….then took my 2 and 3 y/o kids n cook to my brothers holiday shack at Dee Lagoon.He goes there nearly every week for a fly fish, often fishing other lakes etc, sometimes hiking in or riding in…it was crystal clear Tassy water, like every time.Sight casting wild trout, no other boats, most times…no ramp rage, and great fishing, but challenging..each time i leave there i think how lucky is he, and how their rules must be helping stocks for the kids.
When i fish up north i still love a feed of trout or goldies but travel to beat the crowds, and hope whatever rules they impose mean our kids can have as much fun as I've had.Anyone who fished Corroboree years ago would appreciate something has gone REALLY backwards there, not just poor wets for recent recruitment.
Im glad it isn't me making the rules as you can never please everyone, must be a really hard job for some people who really love their fishing too, probably…just my two bobs worth.
As an aside, its never been easier to catch a big cod now around here, due to new laws years back, Rex Hunts influence too, i think he changed a generation and it will really help our kids catch fish too.Doesnt get the recognition he deserves Rexy.

I would totally support the rules if they applied the same changes / reductions to the commercial sector.

Matt I'm not voting, it is not a yes /no issue, its not a black and white question, as I said before show me the science.

Gagey

I'm still smarting from the Y2K debacle.

I think the new rules are complete BS.

I believe the information fisheries have collected is inaccurate and poorly gathered.

These new rules actually effect me bugger all, i have my own mad way of fishing & i target species not many others do, but its still all BS..!