North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

REDFIN wrote: I certainly wouldnt say the catch rate of Barramundi has increased dramatically in Darwin Harbour and Shoal Bay since they were closed in 1997.

Wouldnt say that personally. Shoal bay has improved heaps and the harbour is always good for a fish if you have taken the time to work it out. Considering the pressure these to places get its amazing anything still exists. The harbour doesnt even have a huge wetland system. The amount of small fish is huge. Shoal bay has a bigger wetland and therefore has bigger fish.

I dont think too many people would complain about catching loads of threadies either! And they dont tend to get on the flood plains too often so the food source is still available to barra that are!

Bottom Bashing Bloke wrote:

Well cuddlescooper, look at the murray river at goolwa SA, the barrages stuffed that up and that salt water area up stream has become so salty that not even the micro-organisms can live in there and its to late to fix it. The environment has been round longer then us and im sure that it will change and adapt to keep the balance so stop the politician and greens fukcing with it!!!

The major differneces here are that we dont have huge irrigation needs of southern Aus and we have huge wet seasons on a regular basis. It is like comparing chalk and cheese. I am not sure where you are sitting with your last comments. I think you are against barrages but then you are bagging the government for changing it. Please clarify!

Jedi - I fished Shoal Bay for many years before the closure and there was still plenty of metre barra around the rock and king river. I agree with the amount of fishing current presure, its a wonder how we catch so many good fish there, but that may just be the point of all this. Does it really make that much difference if there is a closure or not. We can not see into the water so we dont know really what we have in Shoal Bay because there has been bugger all reasearch.
My concern is that very few people fish for Threadfin. (certainly not the guides) lets just hope rec/fm start to fish for them so we can ballance the catches of each species like the commercial fishermen do.
My concern is also mirrored with fisheries management decisions in South Australia. They have limited species compared to us. Just a thought for those fishos out there- Dont just target barra

How many meteries have pro-netters taken from Finke and Chambers Bays over the years. How many are they still taking from other areas around the territory. When the pro netters in the rest of the territory are told to stop taking fish over 85cm then that is when I will stop doing it as well.

This will turn out to be a PR nightmare for AFANT if this idea is accepted. Can you imagine the media hype when the public (through TV and newspaper) see fish in excess of the proposed limit floating downstream when they cant be revived!!! What a waste!!

The majority of responsible fishermen release larger fish. I personally release every barra over about 75 cm if they swim away. However, if they can't be revived what is the use in just throwing it overboard.

The closures haven't even been confirmed yet!!! Don't jump the gun and introduce more stupid rules that won't be enforced anyway.

Agree swoffa, but still doesnt hurt to discuss anything that could possibly help. That is all we are doing here, looking for soloutions for the future!