queensland QLD govt Spanish Mackeral Fishery working group = Closures and lockouts

[jon]

Also mate I was having a think about this a bit more and just realised we have a another member with the same first name as you. He is a northsider and a myriad of species avoid him like the bubonic plague there is a possibility that the Spanish have got you confused with Greg oug. In which case there’s not a great deal you can do about it

[Drop Bear]

1 hour ago, jon said:

Also mate I was having a think about this a bit more and just realised we have a another member with the same first name as you. He is a northsider and a myriad of species avoid him like the bubonic plague there is a possibility that the Spanish have got you confused with Greg oug. In which case there’s not a great deal you can do about it

It feels mean to comment on this... but I will

[GregN70]

Had a good crack on Saturday just gone, high tide at 10/11am, got out to Barren Island about sun up. Not much on the sounder, say one mackerel free jump. So deployed 2 large gar i had rigged on weighted gang, and pink squid over the front. Water looked good & clean, but no takers, tried a few other spots with similar techniques, floated pillies about for a while, found some bait, high speed jigged that for a while, caught a few livies, put some out mid water, others under floats down to 5-7 m. Left at high tide, nothing to show for that day.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

38 minutes ago, GregN70 said:

Had a good crack on Saturday just gone, high tide at 10/11am, got out to Barren Island about sun up. Not much on the sounder, say one mackerel free jump. So deployed 2 large gar i had rigged on weighted gang, and pink squid over the front. Water looked good & clean, but no takers, tried a few other spots with similar techniques, floated pillies about for a while, found some bait, high speed jigged that for a while, caught a few livies, put some out mid water, others under floats down to 5-7 m. Left at high tide, nothing to show for that day.

Erm. Maybe there’s a reason it’s called Barren Island? 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Just now, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Erm. Maybe there’s a reason it’s called Barren Island? 

Just joking. Bugger you got none Greg. Hopefully you will hook a huge mackerel soon!

[GregOug]

2 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Just joking. Bugger you got none Greg. Hopefully you will hook a huge mackerel soon!

Yeah. Hang in there mate. Keep trying and the results will come.

[Drop Bear]

Man that is surprising. What leader are you using? 

[GregN70]

Well that varies depending on what bait or lure im using.

On the Rigged Garfish I run a short length of 59lb Mason single strand wire of about 200mm before a black swivel, then onto my 60lb fluro-carbon topshot. Trolled at about 4kts or so. 

On the trolled hardbody minnows i just run the 60lb fluro-carbon strait to the clip and lure. Trolled a bit faster 6-8 kts

On the floating pilly rigs that was on a lighter spin rod (37lb braid) with about a 10 foot top shot of 50lb fluro carbon through a small ball sinker to a gang of 4 x Mustard 7766 5/0 Tarpon hooks. Removed sinker when conditions suited.

Used the above with just the flasher/lure/Jig dropped to the bottom and cranked up around shows of fish on the sounder. 

As for the live yakkas, i just had a very short piece of that 59lb single strand about 100mm long above a live bait hook in the back, suspend at various depths, or just free swimming around likely areas as i drift across them.

 

[Drop Bear]

8 hours ago, GregN70 said:

Well that varies depending on what bait or lure im using.

On the Rigged Garfish I run a short length of 59lb Mason single strand wire of about 200mm before a black swivel, then onto my 60lb fluro-carbon topshot. Trolled at about 4kts or so. 

On the trolled hardbody minnows i just run the 60lb fluro-carbon strait to the clip and lure. Trolled a bit faster 6-8 kts

On the floating pilly rigs that was on a lighter spin rod (37lb braid) with about a 10 foot top shot of 50lb fluro carbon through a small ball sinker to a gang of 4 x Mustard 7766 5/0 Tarpon hooks. Removed sinker when conditions suited.

Used the above with just the flasher/lure/Jig dropped to the bottom and cranked up around shows of fish on the sounder. 

As for the live yakkas, i just had a very short piece of that 59lb single strand about 100mm long above a live bait hook in the back, suspend at various depths, or just free swimming around likely areas as i drift across them.

 

hard to see too much wrong with that.

Tugger has made me go down to the 30ish lb single strand wire... 

[Greg Holmes]

The Qld. Govt. already has a "Coral Reef Fin Fish" closure in place each year from which Spanish mackerel are exempt. It would be easy to introduce a closure for this species during their spawning season (November December) when they congregate in masses at the reefs off Townsville (Rib, Britomart, Trunk, Bramble)  and are targeted by professionals, who take 90% of their years catch (usually several tonnes of fillet). Keep taking out spawning fish, and there will no stock left-simple!

[Ed.]

Personally I think that any fish that has a spawning season  should be closed to fishing for that duration regardless of whether by professional or recreational fishermen.

[bigkingie]

On 28/05/2021 at 8:28 PM, davostephens said:

Hi All.

Please google

 

Spanish Mackeral Fishery Working Group Communiquae 17-18 MAy

In short a team has been assembled to study Mackeral numbers. This, as I have seen off NSW coasts previously has lead to closures and lockouts.

Snapper, Pearl perch have been limikted (I think with some warrant during breeds) Black Jew No Take.(dunno where I stand on this)

But Spanish Mackeral? This will be next on the chop I feel. Bag limits have already been reduced to 6 per Boat (Fair enough). But honestly there are shitloads of them.

Spanish Mac are a fast growing species with a life cycle of 8-10 yrs, Prolific Breeders, and hence a sustainable species. We already have massive Green zones along the GBR, Pretty much North of Cooktown No Population, hence 100's of miles of more or less unfished area. Then the Mackeral have 1000's of miles from the Tip QLD to Broome and beyond to proliferate. The Migratory Fish that travel the East Coast are a staple fish for the Average Rec Fisho. Commercial fisheries also rely on Mackeral.

 

If you want to ban an unsustainable fishery and make a difference... Choose Orange Roughy

 

I urge you to read the report, Easy enough to find. 

My mate who owns a Wholesale fish shop that deals in alot of Mac is very worried about this. He basically said when I sent him a photo of my last catch "you better frame that because it may be your last soon enough"

 

The report dosnt mention Closures (YET)  But when these teams of scientists assemble there is always a political and self motivated Agenda to push. Watch this space. Mackeral along East coast will be No take or very seasonal if these mobs get there way. It will all be somehow wrapped up with the Palaschook Govt and the Green Vote.

See what you think and read btw the lines. Remember there is usually no public consult. Just changes shoved thru and your right to fish and feed your family removed. They tried this off sydney and the

'STOP THE LOCKOUT"  facebook team/movement quashed this. Worth checking them out. They have been advised and are already on board with watching and following this intently. They are still trying to overturn green zones locking familes out of fishing areas all along the NSW coast. A grubby Obeid Govt got this thru by buying green votes with this. Disgusting. That prick can rot.

 

Remember, if we do nothing and a closure gets in, it is near impossible to repeal. I encourage you to write and share this with your local members, Fishing celebrity's etc. Get ahead of it. 10 mins to email, or a lifetime of whinging when your right to Fish for Mackeral is taken away

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/fishery-working-groups/spanish-mackerel-fishery-working-group/communiques/17-18-may-2021

 

 

Good Luck.

Very few fish have seasonal closures in NSW. Bass and estuary perch are the only ones I can think of. As to green zones or marine parks they have never been the result of stock assessments like this. They have never even originated from any of our fisheries departments. Ie it doesn't seem that this assessment has anything to do with some green agenda or push for marine parks.

[davostephens]

Right guys

If you are  disagree with the mackeral study and green push agenda to close them to pros and recos alike.. Like cmon, only 17% along the whole qld coastline..( Except in Yepoon where Greg says their is a black hole that has sucked them into the centre of the Earth for 50 years) then sign the petition. Go to facebook group Stop the lockout and its up there. Might not achieve anything now but... Atleast we can say that we opposed it if/when they are closed. Also show fisheries we are are watching them. Also watch this space as there will be a letter on the Stop the Lockout webpage to print  and send to your local MP or Email... but if you can post by mail that shows some conviction and gets them to notice somethings up. I will update once the letter is up in the next week or so. Also i spoke to the blokes mentioned above on the working group. We are on the same page. They wanna help spread the petition and the Letters to MP. Sunfish are also onboard. So if anyone can do anything to help let me know. Also ALLSTARS INSALT Qld fishing comp group are on board. Good comp if anyones keen. Good prizes etc. Look em up.

[ellicat]

 

[Bri_sunnycoast]

Where do you sign if you support the changes. I am sure that plenty of people think the changes will be good for the species, similar to the snapper changes. 

[bigkingie]

On 19/09/2021 at 10:35 PM, davostephens said:

Right guys

If you are  disagree with the mackeral study and green push agenda to close them to pros and recos alike.. Like cmon, only 17% along the whole qld coastline..( Except in Yepoon where Greg says their is a black hole that has sucked them into the centre of the Earth for 50 years) then sign the petition. Go to facebook group Stop the lockout and its up there. Might not achieve anything now but... Atleast we can say that we opposed it if/when they are closed. Also show fisheries we are are watching them. Also watch this space as there will be a letter on the Stop the Lockout webpage to print  and send to your local MP or Email... but if you can post by mail that shows some conviction and gets them to notice somethings up. I will update once the letter is up in the next week or so. Also i spoke to the blokes mentioned above on the working group. We are on the same page. They wanna help spread the petition and the Letters to MP. Sunfish are also onboard. So if anyone can do anything to help let me know. Also ALLSTARS INSALT Qld fishing comp group are on board. Good comp if anyones keen. Good prizes etc. Look em up.

I wouldn't call it a 'lockout' with a couple of short closed seasons. It came from the Fisheries Department, so calling it a 'green agenda' is a long bow too. The risk if you stop this is that we never get ahead of the fishing pressure as happened with SA snapper and NSW mulloway. Then you are looking at more severe restrictions. And if we can't get our house in order this might be used to justify more marine parks - which really are lockouts.