North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Has the recent fatal croc attack changed northern fishing? Will tourists numbers dwindle, and local fishermen change their habits?

Or will it all be back to normal in a few weeks?

For those who already don't know, long-time Territory fisho Bill Scott was taken while standing at the back of his moored boat at a Kakadu NP waterway around noon on June 7.

....its already back to normal isnt it..??

Nope, people are scared. A mate who is a Darwin local was at the 2-Mile Hole and said one of the few tourists out there was too scared to fish on his own, the tourist wanted to fish in my mate's boat which was bigger than the tourist's cartopper, my mate kindly obliged. The local bloke is a long time billabong fisho, he also had the heebie jeebies out on the water.

Good to hear the tourists are scared!!
Anything that keeps them off the water is fine with me...

History always repeats!

Unfortunately, I don’t think anything much will change.
Those who still chose to enter the water are at increasing risk of attack.
There were numerous reports in regional papers throughout the country and on several grey nomad websites where people were STILL speculating on the cause! WTF. I think the some tourists will change a few things for a while but will soon revert to the things they have done for years
I really hope we all have a rethink about our habits on and around the water, particularly when swimming/reviving fish. As I’ve said before, there is no way I’ll swim a fish with my hands near the water and I now always use the net,
For someone to be taken while in his boat is unbelievable
RIP Bill Scott

Yep, I don't covet other men's cartoppers as much!

Might see some new designs on boats with fence work around the sides.

Don't laugh, there is at least one well-known fisho in Darwin who has a boat with such railings.

The new and improved Darwin Car-Topper......

Unfortunately this fella was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Our old boat bears the scars of an unprovoked attack about 13 years ago
Down the Vic.Wife and I we casting into a small run off with the front of the boat
Up on the bank.Old mate didn't like us being in his fishing spot.
All this talk about blowing them away is not going to help give recreational
Fishing a good image.

I dont think fishing can get a bad image.....?

Considering there must be around 4 people in the NT that dont fish..!!
Look at fishing in NT...
No licenses or registration brought in through fear of losing votes..
Your allowed to be as p...ed as you can be behind the wheel of a boat...

Seriously... Whos going to look at fishing and think it looks bad..

Even after recent events the NT Government Fisheries websites main photo is people launching a boat in knee deep water, back turned, not giving a root about what might be lurking....
No one gave a f..k before & no one will give a f..k now... Just keep fishing?

Gotta love the NT..!

As humans we are supposed to be smarter than that,constantly evolving .
I know I've changed the way I drive in the last few years and try
And remember to look befiore I go at a green light.unfortunately that bloke
That got killed the other day in town was in the wrong place when from what I hear
Someone had an epileptic seizure and went thru a red light.
If your numbers up its time to go.
I try not to buy to many tickets in that lottery otherwise you'll draw that unlucky ticket.

Took the kids crabbing yesterday and forgot the pee bucket. In the process of hanging her bum over side as the normal plan b but had to stop myself. Lucky the little boat had a inspection panel which came in handy. I also stopped myself washing the bait board over the side and trawling with arm out the side as well. Little extreme for lizzie river but I have change my thought process a bit.

From time to time I do neck fish over the side hold them in the current with bogas or short gaff. Or swim them before release . Both practices involves leaning over the gunnel ass in the air with your head near he water line. On all extended trips we stand on the back pod one by one strip off ,wash and do our business.

Stupid really when you think about it , but done it so many it's habit. I think it's time to change these bad habits.

It has changed it slightly for me, someone who shoots a croc in self defence now has a much stronger argument if they are prosecuted for it. Croc stalks boat, reasonable apprehension of fear of attack, dead croc, no problems and no successful prosecution.

People may have had a harder time getting a court to accept that they thought they were going to be attacked before this incident, certainly not now. And this is on the back of the incidents involving crocs attacking cowling covers over the last couple of years. As far as I'm concerned it's open season.

I also agree with the bad habits that Balou has outlined above. I can't believe I haven't been eaten launching the boat at Shady.

As I said in the other thread, I'd like to see clarification from police as to how Mr Scott was "standing at the back of the moored boat" - was he in the water, or within the boat?

I ask the question respectfully, because there is a big difference in the implications for tourism, fishing morale and the crocodile population itself.