queensland chasing smaller threadies for research

[braddo]

G’day Brisbane River fishers,

I’m trying to tag a few smaller threadies as part of the research I’m running into biology and connectivity of threadfin populations. Does anyone know where I can routinely catch smaller threadfin (around 60-75cm) in the river (other than the mouth and around Breakfast Creek and Brett’s Wharf)? I’m looking for somewhere where catch rates are fairly high (so we can we can tag a few individuals per trip).

Also, if anyone is catching threadies around this size and keeping them – any frames you can donate to the project (with guts and swim bladder still attached) would be very much appreciated. This is so we can quantify the exact length and age when they first become mature (seems to be around this 60-75cm mark). Give me a call and I’ll come pick them up. For anybody fishing around Breakfast Creek/ Newstead Park or Brett’s wharf – I live in Newstead, so can meet you down on the river.

For anyone new to the site or not familiar with my research, I am comparing the biology of threadies of several areas on the east coast (including the Mary and Fitzroy Rivers, Repulse Bay near Proserpine, and Townsville, and estimating the amount of movement and mixing along the coast (by tagging, genetics and otolith (ear-bone) chemistry. With help from state fisheries we have also collected some threadfin from Broome, Darwin and a few river systems in the Gulf, and hope to compare biology across these areas as well. I hope to post some findings on growth rates and reproduction of the Brisbane river threadfin population very shortly – watch this space.

Happy fishing,

Brad

P.s. If you don’t want you’re secret thready spots plastered all over the forum, but want to help research into these fantastic fish, send me a PM or give me a call (0401 055 589) – I’ll keep your spot secret!!

[fishing_hardcore]

Hey Brad

What university are you studying with?

Cheers

[braddo]

I'm based at UQ, the project is a cooperative study of researchers at UQ and James Cook university (Townsville)

[fishing_hardcore]

ok thought so,

I have caught a lot of 60-70cm threadies in that area

Lot of threadies that size round there, good spot to try would be the boat club pontoon at UQ.

You will do better with live prawns or herring and fish the outgoing tide, cant promise you will get a lot straight away, but I have caught 3 or 4 a night at times in that stretch. Also a few 90cm models swimming round there too.

You should keep a Journal, after reading many fishing mags I notice that Journal keeping will save you a lot of wasted trips.

cheers

[brisbane_boy]

sent you a pm brad, your best bet is to give tags to some of the gun local anglers (pm me for names), all target fish using lures to get clean hookups for easy release, of course barbless single hooks in baits can be used and you should be able to get the hook out of there throat without killing them, could make it a competition for the robzam lures see who tags the most, sounds like a great initiative for the future stocks if well managed

[joshlebherz]

hey mate, ive caught small threadies in aquarium passage, not heaps but at least one per trip.. they are always about 15-20cm.. just fishing off the bank off paringa rd.. hope this helps!