Gad

A timely reminder from Dec 28  2006
 
The Queensland Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin is reminding recreational fishers not to use imported green prawns as bait over the holidays.
Recent testing by the Department has found imported green prawns sold in some Queensland supermarkets carried white spot sydrome virus and taura syndrome virus.
Mr Mulherin says while the prawn diseases are not harmful to humans, they do have the potential to spread to local seafood.
" Only use Australian prawns for bait. I'd like to remind recreational fishers not to use imported green prawns for bait, these green prawns could carry the white spot syndrome virus or the taura syndrome virus” he said.
"These viruses are harmless to humans but are a significant threat to our wild and farmed prawn industries."

I tried putting this in environment & politics section and tagging it, but 'error 401?' kept coming up so here it is....
Taken from Dept Agriculture and Fisheries newsletter

7 December 2016

Biosecurity Queensland is continuing to destock and decontaminate ponds at two aquaculture farms south of Brisbane following last week’s confirmation of an outbreak of white spot disease (WSD) in prawns.

WSD is a viral infection that affects crustaceans. Australia has previously been WSD free and this is the first confirmed case we have had in an aquaculture setting.

This week, the infection has been confirmed in a pond in an adjoining aquaculture operation. This is not unexpected given the immediate proximity and business links.

Surveillance has commenced on prawn farms in the vicinity and in nearby waterways to determine possible sources of the infection while also enabling early detection of disease should it occur on other prawn farms. Working with Queensland Boating and Fishing Patrol, recreational fishers in the vicinity are being asked to report unusual signs in prawns and crabs caught in the area.

It is crucial that all aquaculture operators implement good biosecurity, observe their stock closely and report any concerns.

Description
Prawns with WSD may have a loose shell with numerous white spots (0.5-2.0 mm in diameter) on the inside surface of the shell and a pink to red discolouration.

I tried putting this in environment & politics section and tagging it, but 'error 401?' kept coming up so here it is....
Taken from Dept Agriculture and Fisheries newsletter

7 December 2016

Biosecurity Queensland is continuing to destock and decontaminate ponds at two aquaculture farms south of Brisbane following last week’s confirmation of an outbreak of white spot disease (WSD) in prawns.

WSD is a viral infection that affects crustaceans. Australia has previously been WSD free and this is the first confirmed case we have had in an aquaculture setting.

This week, the infection has been confirmed in a pond in an adjoining aquaculture operation. This is not unexpected given the immediate proximity and business links.

Surveillance has commenced on prawn farms in the vicinity and in nearby waterways to determine possible sources of the infection while also enabling early detection of disease should it occur on other prawn farms. Working with Queensland Boating and Fishing Patrol, recreational fishers in the vicinity are being asked to report unusual signs in prawns and crabs caught in the area.

It is crucial that all aquaculture operators implement good biosecurity, observe their stock closely and report any concerns.

Description
Prawns with WSD may have a loose shell with numerous white spots (0.5-2.0 mm in diameter) on the inside surface of the shell and a pink to red discolouration.

I tried putting this in environment & politics section and tagging it, but 'error 401?' kept coming up so here it is....
Taken from Dept Agriculture and Fisheries newsletter

7 December 2016

Biosecurity Queensland is continuing to destock and decontaminate ponds at two aquaculture farms south of Brisbane following last week’s confirmation of an outbreak of white spot disease (WSD) in prawns.

WSD is a viral infection that affects crustaceans. Australia has previously been WSD free and this is the first confirmed case we have had in an aquaculture setting.

This week, the infection has been confirmed in a pond in an adjoining aquaculture operation. This is not unexpected given the immediate proximity and business links.

Surveillance has commenced on prawn farms in the vicinity and in nearby waterways to determine possible sources of the infection while also enabling early detection of disease should it occur on other prawn farms. Working with Queensland Boating and Fishing Patrol, recreational fishers in the vicinity are being asked to report unusual signs in prawns and crabs caught in the area.

It is crucial that all aquaculture operators implement good biosecurity, observe their stock closely and report any concerns.

Description
Prawns with WSD may have a loose shell with numerous white spots (0.5-2.0 mm in diameter) on the inside surface of the shell and a pink to red discolouration.

Thought I would try and collate info on the new SIP permits.In the one thread.
Fishing in stocked impoundments
Download a larger map (PDF, 1.86MB) of Queensland showing the locations of SIPS impoundments or view an interactive map of Queensland showing SIPS impoundments and agents.
Before you go fishing in a Queensland impoundment (dam or weir), check the list below to see if you need to purchase a Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP).
There are 63 stocked impoundments in the state where a SIP is required to fish.
The permit covers access to all 63 impoundments and allows you to fish with recreational fishing lines only.
About the permit
Permits cost:
$10.00 per week $50.00 per year $36.00 per year if you are entitled to a discount* * You are entitled to a discount if you have a Queensland Government Seniors Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or a Repatriation Health Care Card (Gold Card).
All persons over the age of 18 years must hold a permit when fishing in SIPS impoundments. Children and teenagers under 18 years do not require a permit to fish in SIPS impoundments.
You must carry your permit (digital email, digital sms, paper receipt) with you when fishing in a stocked impoundment and produce it on request by QBFP.
Digital permits
No need to print out your permit. A digital permit will instantly be emailed and/or sms to you when a permit is purchased online, at selected sub-agent outlets and over the phone.
A digital permit will also be emailed within 24 hours of purchase when a permit is purchased over the counter via Australia Post outlets.
Purchase a permit
A SIP can be purchased:
online over the counter at Queensland and selected NSW Australia Post outlets at selected sub-agent outlets throughout the state. via phone on 1300 575 359 (permit purchases only, for general SIPS enquiries phone 13 25 23). Funds raised by stocked impoundment permits
Impoundments are 'put, grow and take' fisheries where most stocked species will not reproduce. This means the impoundments need to be stocked regularly.
The money anglers pay for their stocked impoundment permits goes towards enhancing recreational fishing in stocked impoundments and management of the scheme.
The following financial summaries provide details about permit sales, the scheme’s budget and how the funds available for fish stocking were allocated for the financial year:
List of places where you can purchase a permit.
 
Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) agents
You can purchase your Stocked Impoundment Permit directly from QLD Australia Post outlets, selected Northern NSW Australia Post outlets and selected sub-agents.
See the following link for QLD Australia Post outlets and trading hours or view an interactive map of Queensland showing SIP agents and impoundments.
Selected NSW Australia Post Outlets: Store
Adress
Locality
State
ASHFORD LPO
30-32 ALBURY STREET
ASHFORD
NSW
CASINO POST SHOP
102 BARKER STREET
CASINO
NSW
CASINO WEST LPO
53 HOTHAM STREET
CASINO
NSW
INVERELL POST SHOP
97 OTHO STREET
INVERELL
NSW
MOREE POST SHOP
44 FROME STREET
MOREE
NSW
YETMAN LPO
1 RIVER STREET
YETMAN
NSW
BOGGABILLA LPO
125 MERRIWA STREET
BOGGABILLA
NSW
KYOGLE LPO
149 SUMMERLAND WAY
KYOGLE
NSW
TENTERFIELD LPO
225 ROUSE STREET
TENTERFIELD
NSW
Sub-
Agent
Name
Address
Qld
Locality
Post-code
Phone
Gem Bait and Tackle
281 Jacobs Well Road
Alberton
4207
07 3287 3868
Far Outdoors
12 High Street
Boonah
4310
07 5463 4114
Tackle World Kawana Waters
8 Nicklin Way
Buddina
4575
07 5444 0714
Tackle World Bundaberg
22 Quay Street
Bundaberg
4670
07 4153 4747
Allround Angler
3 Henzell Road
Caboolture
4510
07 5495 7400
Whitsunday Fishing World
112 Shute Harbour Road
Cannonvale
4802
07 4948 0311
Cunninghams News
28 Gill Street
Charters Towers
4820
07 4787 1194
Compleat Angler and Camping World Dalby
25 Drayton Street
Dalby
4405
07 4662 3219
Central Highlands Visitor Information Centre
3 Clermont Street
Emerald
4720
07 4982 4142
Lake Maraboon Holiday Village
Fairburn Dam Access Road via Selma Road
Emerald
4720
07 4982 3677
Esk Visitor Information Centre
82 Ipswich Street
Esk
4312
07 5424 4000
Fernvale Futures Complex (Somerset Reg Council)
1483 Brisbane Valley Highway
Fernvale
4312
07 5427 0200
Lake Wivenhoe Info Centre (Ranger - Wivenhoe Dam)
Brisbane Valley Highway
Fernvale
4306
07 5427 8100
Fishing Warehouse Townsville
158 Duckworth Street
Garbutt
4814
07 4779 8399
Gargett Store
3 Chris Johnson Street
Gargett
4741
07 4958 5175
Gatton Home Brew, Camping and Fishing Supplies
Shop 8 Karl Complex, Eastern Drive
Gatton
4343
07 5462 4244
Gin Gin Newsagency
75 Mulgrave Street
Gin Gin
4671
07 4157 2230
Lake Monduran Holiday Park
Monduran Dam Road
Gin Gin
4671
07 4157 3881
Gore Roadhouse
Cunningham Highway
Gore
4352
07 4667 4236
Lake Somerset Holiday Park
78 Kirkleagh Road
Hazeldean
4515
07 5497 1093
Highfields Bait and Tackle
Shop 5, 10486 New England Highway
Highfields
4352
07 4615 4335
Borumba Deer Park
1133 Yabba Creek Road
Imbil
4570
07 5484 5196
Imbil Friendly Grocer
100 Yabba Road
Imbil
4570
07 5484 5210
Darr Creek Oasis
6883 Chinchilla-Wondai Road
Jandowae
4410
07 4668 8726
Kilcoy Driveway (BP)
22 Hope Street
Kilcoy
4515
07 5497 1308
Kilcoy Visitor Info Centre - Somerset Regional Council
41 Hope Street
Kilcoy
4515
07 5424 4000
Bass To Barra Marine, Kingaroy
Shop 10, 119 Youngman Street
Kingaroy
4610
07 4162 7555
Laidley Hire and Farm Supplies
95 Patrick Street
Laidley
4341
07 5465 2337
Lake Leslie Tourist Park
113 Saddledam Road
Leslie Dam
4370
07 4661 9166
Mackay Tourism
320 Nebo Road
Mackay
4741
07 4944 5888
Nashy's Compleat Angler
Big Banana Complex, 25 Harbour Road
Mackay
4740
07 4957 2272
Tackle World - Mackay
318 Shakespeare Street
Mackay
4740
07 4957 2145
Freedom Fishing Supplies
95 Bazaar Street
Maryborough
4650
07 4121 4621
Millmerran Hardware - Mitre 10
59-61 Campbell Street
Millmerran
4357
07 4695 1636
Barra Jacks Fishing and Outdoors Kawana
2 Nicklin Way
Minyama
4575
07 5444 8618
Yallakool Park on BP Dam
Haager Drive
Moffatdale
4605
07 4168 4746
Pioneer Valley Tourism and Development Association
Melba House, Lloyd Park
Marian
4753
07 4954 4299
Lake Moogerah Caravan Park
Muller Park Road
Moogerah
4309
07 5463 0141
Balshaws Mitre 10 Mundubbera
54 Stuart Russel Street
Mundubbera
4626
07 4165 4301
The Tacklebox
89 Lamb Street
Murgon
4605
07 4168 1002
Davo's Bait and Tackle
Shop 6, Noosa HMC Cnr Mary and Thomas Streets
Noosaville
4566
07 5449 8099
Proserpine Bait and Tackle
Lot 17 Bruce Highway
Proserpine
4800
07 4945 4641
Lake Boondooma Caravan and Recreation Park
Lake Boondooma Recreation Area, 40 Bushcamp Road
Proston
4613
07 4168 9694
Rathdowney Store
83 Collins Street
Rathdowney
4287
07 5544 1142
Charlton's Tackle'n'Bait
18 Kerwick Street
Redbank
4301
07 3818 1677
Glenlyon Dam Kiosk
Glenlyon Dam
Stanthorpe
4380
02 6737 5266
Stanthorpe Sports and Camping Centre
1-18 Railway Street
Stanthorpe
4380
07 4681 1196
Lake Tinaroo Holiday Park
4-28 Tinaroo Falls Dam Road
Tinaroo
4872
07 4095 8232
JAG Game and Marine
67 Main Street
Tolga
4882
0467 584 941
Fish 'n' Bits Bait and Tackle
340 Alderley Street
Toowoomba
4350
07 4636 6850
Warwick Tackle and Tusk
2/180 Wood Street
Warwick
4370
07 4667 1756
Note my personal preference is to purchase from one of sub agents and give them some support for their past support. I wonder if they now will get a commission as I am certain that Australia  post will not be doing it for free.
You will no longer require a separate permit to fish Hinze ( Lake Advancetown) here is page from the stocking assn.
The Hinze Dam Fish Management Committee is charged with stocking the dam. In 2016 there were 67,000 bass fingerlings released in the dam. All funds for stocking are raised by Anglers through a permit system.
Fishing Permits
As of 1 July 2016 the Hinze Dam will be part of the Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) Scheme. A SIP permit is required to fish the dam and can be purchased here.
All existing permits will be honoured under the SIP Scheme until their expiry.
 
Fishing Permits. Required to fish the Hinze Dam.
Weekly and Yearly Permits are available
A SIP permit is required to fish the dam and can be purchased here.
Fishing Permits Terms & Conditions.
Fishing at or on the dam is only to be carried out during 6am and 6pm
Comply with the Qld Gov DPI and fisheries recreational fishing rules and regulations which can be viewed on the web site listed below for catch sizes and bag limits
Filleting of any fish at or on the dam is prohibited
Only use freshwater shrimp or garden worms as bait or any lure or artificial soft plastic. Nets or cages are prohibited.
The fishing permit is non refundable
Qld DPI and Fisheries recreational fishing rules and regulations.
Hinze Dam Fish Management Committee Contact.
Chairman - Ian Jeffers
 jeffersi@yahoo.com.au
The recreational use of North Pine Dam is still under review by SEQ water ( Ongoing for last 3 years) there is a proposal to allow kayak fishing but before this can happen there will need to be considerable infrastructure such as access roads,parking areas and toilets provided.
SEQ water have already stated that all watercraft will not be allowed in any of the existing areas near the dam wall such as Bullockys etc as they are located too close to the water intake areas.
In the meantime boating and sailing access is available via  Lake Sampsonvale Water Sports Assn. ( NO fishing allowed in their area) Boating ( Electric and paddle only) provided via PRFMA boating access scheme. ( Currently no new permits available with a new round available after 15th August  http://www.prfma.com.au/boating-access-scheme.

Terry, check your fuel line, especially around your primer bulb hose clamps for a minute split, same careful check around the hose connection going onto the motor`s external fuel connection
Sometimes there can be a small split in the hose (or bulb) that allows air into the fuel line and opens up a little after the hose has warmed up with a bit of running around
edit: PS. also check the hose connection that clips onto the motor for any grit,crap etc that is not allowing a perfect seal onto the fuel inlet

Hi all.
So I just got my car back from the shop, after burning a MASSIVE hole in my bank account. With Christmas coming I decided to limit my spending, which meant no big trips to land based spots around SEQ, and staying home. However the fishing craving never subsides... the addiction is too strong...
SATURDAY
I had never tried the closest body of water to my house being Enoggera Creek behind the RBWH, so I decided to give it a crack with some bread on light bream gear after seeing some of @curranboy99's posts up at Kedron Brook. So a shout out to him, as without his post I wouldn't have a report to post, thanks mate.
I walked down yesterday afternoon with a loaf of white and gear in hand, to the the spot just under the Lutwyche Road foot bridge. I decided to aim for structure, hoping for some bream.
Rather than using a float set up, I decided to option for a weightless single hook setup instead. I was using my new Stradic 1000HG, Gloomis DRS820 GLX, Sunline Super PE 8 braid in 6lb with a meter of 12lb leader tied on with my altered slim beauty knot, and a size 4 Penetrator hook. 
The tide runs slowly this far up the system, and it was halfway through the run-out tide. I used the crust of the white bread to burley up the water, then compressed pieces of the white center into a small ball, hid the hook inside the bait, and threw out in with the burley.
At first there was no action, until a few minutes later a heap of bait were fighting over the burley. From what I saw it was small mullet, and maybe some small herring, but I can not be sure. So i decided to throw in just behind the bait, in the hope some larger fish were in behind, trying to have a crack at the live bait.
Within a few seconds of my bread hitting the water, it was hit pretty hard, and the fish ran out to the middle of the creek. It didn't get far, as my setup is a litter overpowered for the smaller fish species, but very fun with the right drag settings. I ended up landing a very healthy catfish. After 4 more, I called up my brother-in-law to come down from our place to have a crack as well. Over the next few hours we ending up going through the whole loaf, and landing roughly 15 catfish. While not a desirable fish, it was still a very fun session in the rain. i believe the biggest one for the day went 38cm.
SUNDAY
After a successful session the day before, my brother-in-law decided to step it up and get some pilchards. So around 9.00am we headed down to the same spot again, this time aiming to fish the last of the run-in tide. With a small bag of frozen pilchards and a couple pieces of bread, we decided to use all the bread first to see if we could find the catfish again first. This time however, my brother-in-law after two casts with bread, produced two very healthy BREAM!. His first was not legal, however the second went 28cm strong. This got me excited as I love chasing bream on light gear, however all I could produce was another 5 catfish. 
After the bread was gone, we swapped to cubing up the pilchards into 1.5 cm chunks, hiding the hook in the flesh around the back-bone, and casting in on the same rig setup. After only landing 2 catfish between us in about an hour, we deiced to move further upstream to a pedestrian bridge near the dog park at Downy Park. We used the same setup however targeting deeper water surrounded by mangroves, hoping for something more toothier.
First cast in, and straight away I get a hit and weight on the line. At first I thought it was a big catty, but as it surfaced we were shocked to see a decent sized FLATHEAD! I was very appreciative of my decision to not go ultra light at this point... 
After my initial shock, I quickly realised I couldn't lift this girl up to the bridge we were standing on, so while keeping her head in the water (VERY important with flatties), I swam her over towards the bank on the Windsor side of the foot-bridge and landed her, JUST. As I got her out of the water, the leader snapped.... After a quick pick myself, and a local walking past who caught all of the action, I decided not to eat her and we let her go. I very rarely keep fish, however now and then I will keep the odd tailor or Flathead as I love the gamy flesh. Today I decided against it, mainly because I didn't know how healthy the ecosystem is in the river, and I don't want to take a bigger breading female and predator out of the system. I'm all for sustainability.
After this not much happened. In the next 2 hours the tide stopped and turned, and still nothing. Using the last of the pilchard we had just cut up, I ended up getting one more catfish, and then to my surprise, a decent sized TAILOR!!
Again I was shocked, but this one I think would had just been shy of legal size, so i decided to try pole it up to where we were standing on the bridge. However this time the leader did not hold up, and it snapped as I watched the tailor swim away to fight another day.
Sorry for the lack of photos, it was raining mostly all weekend and I only had my phone so I did not want to get it too wet. All in all a good weekend. I was left in disbelief as after catching 4 different species and a couple legal fish, left me thinking I may have to seriously reconsider why I travel hundreds of kilometers in the search of fish, when such a fun time can be had literally a couple hundred meters from my house.
Thanks for reading.
 

Hope the new site is working well for everyone  
We will be continually improving the site over the coming weeks including:
posting AFO Tips explaining new features and how to do some of the basic tasks improving the menu and navigation to help you find latest posts, topics and content faster and easier looking into reorganising / condensing categories with the assistance of a new tagging feature As always, please post in the Website Problems category any issues and we will address them as soon as we can.
Also, we are always open for suggestions as well. Whilst we cannot guarantee that all suggestions will be implemented, we are always happy to hear what our members and guest would like and then we can see if they can be done.

Hi all,
We are very appreciative of your patience as Australian Fishing Online was moved to a new platform. This has been a long process but a very worthwhile one to provide a better user experience for all members and guests.
 
The site now benefits from cloud hosting with super fast performance and features a new user interface that is easy to use and looks great. The new platform provides many more features and options than the last site and so in the coming weeks and months we will be looking at incorporating or highlighting some of these.
 
Also, there are few background items still underway and these should complete in the next day. So if you see a post with some images missing these should be there soon. 
 
You should be able to login and use the site as you always have without any issues. If you have any problems please feel free to post them in the Website Problems category

Cheers
Ray

Hi Guys,

Paul and I drove down the Coast after dinner. We walked down the beach just past Sea World and saw a crowd of fishos on the beach. As the tailor are hitting the Gold Coast beaches, we decided to try Narrowneck. The gutters are not as deep but we can fish away from the crowds.

It was a cold 9 degree night with a light Westerly. The sweep was quite strong and the breakers made wading in the water to cast out quite a challenge. We fished the rising tide for two hours and ended up with 6 nice tailor. The best tailor went 56, 53 & 52cm. A yummy meal of tailor fillets tonight.

Cheers... Joe.

We then have to attach the lid using the shock cord and another clip made from the copper wire.

Cut the shock cord slightly longer than the height of the pot and tie a double knot in one end and thread it through the frisby then the clip and back through the frisby and tie another knot.



Then melt a hole in the other end of the pot placing the hole at 90 degrees to the weights and take another length of shock cord and knotit and thread it up through the pot and through the hole on the lid.
Pull this cord as tight as possible and tie a knot in it and trim it off.



Completed pot.

I burn my name ( Pity I cannot spell it) into the pot with the soldering iron .I also burn my name into the float ( Helps preventing people thinking that they are their pots.)
I have lost a couple of photos where I initially attach the mesh to the frisbee so I will take some more tomorrow night and update.
I did make some pots out of galvanised gutterguard and they were a lot easier to make but they are starting to rust out after only 2 months in NPD, If you can find some 250 mil begonia saucers they are a lot easier to make up and use less gutterguard and catch just as well as the larger frisbee pots.
Happy shrimping.
Cheers
Ray

Fairly wide brush to use, then again it is a very broad statement.. I think you would find, that Europeans in the late 1800s were credited with bringing carp in, so they could stock their dams and some waterways, with no understanding of their potential to damage our native species. A couple of lots were again introduced in the mid 1900s these unfortunately found their way into the Murray-Darling systems and floods there after spread them near and far.

maybe Osama was a little obvious, you could try TapTap

my brother had an Afghan, great dogs, great personalities

maybe Osama was a little obvious, you could try TapTap

my brother had an Afghan, great dogs, great personalities

Afghan puppy

Having arrived at the Gates of Heaven, Anthony Mundine meets a man with a beard. “Are you Mohammed?†he asks.
“No my son, I am St. Peter. Mohammed is higher up.â€
Peter then points to a ladder that rises into the clouds.

Delighted that Mohammed should be higher than St. Peter, Mundine climbs the ladder in great strides, climbs up through the clouds and comes into a room where he meets another bearded man. He asks again, “Are you Mohammed?â€
“Why no,†he answers, “I am Moses; Mohammed is higher still.â€

Exhausted, but with a heart full of joy he climbs the ladder yet again. He discovers a larger room where he meets an angelic looking man with a beard. Full of hope, he asks again, “Are you Mohammed?â€
“No, I am Jesus, the Christ; you will find Mohammed higher up.â€

Mohammed higher than Jesus! Man, oh man! Mundine can hardly contain his delight and climbs and climbs even higher. Once again, he reaches an even larger room where he meets this truly magnificent looking man with a silver white beard and once again repeats his question.
“Are you Mohammed?†he gasps as he is by now, totally out of breath from all his climbing.
“No, my son, I am Almighty God, the Alpha and the Omega, but you look exhausted. Would you like a cup of coffee?â€
Mundine says, “Yes please!â€
As God looks behind Mundine, he claps his hands and yells out, “Hey, Mohammed! Two coffees!â€

I was listening to the radio this morning when the Host invited callers to reveal the nicknames they had for their wives:
Best call was from the chap who called his wife "Harvey Norman" - explaining ...
“Absolutely no interest for 36 monthsâ€
cheers
ray

been a while since I`ve fished there,but when I used to go down there for footy camps and conferences(I always threw a rod in the car for evening relaxation times) I would wander over to where the swimming enclosure is/was? there was always good whiting around and in the enclosure area. Time of year was Feb/March

Some people do attend an event and walk away with an even funnier user name than what they arrived with.

They may not know what the name is, but the rest will!

In all seriousness, I have been a member on here coming up 5 years now. I have had some posts moderated, some posts have disappeared completely and others remain standing for people to learn from. Perhaps its because I often challenge the 'grey area' arguement about things, but thats just me. I am a black and white sort of guy.

This is however by far the best forum I have been involved with. With a membership approaching 10,000 its a cross section of the community on a whole. Would you walk down Queen Street Mall and belt everyone with a keyboard that looked funny, talked funny, or had a funnier view of things than you do? As said, debate is good, sledging is best left to competing boats on the water, and the best way to join the 'boys club' is to come and lean on the gunwhales of my boat (or anyone elses for that matter) and have a chinwag about things.

You only get as much out as you put in.

Ps... Who is this Gazza dude? Well back Bud, bout time you bought some sheep for your lawn!

Pss.... No need for Tomca to answer the Queen Street Mall question ;-)

IMO a forum without debate would be boring and not educational for newbies to the fishing scene there should be still room to let someone know they have fished outside rules and laws of the land. If done politely pointing out perceived mistakes is in everyones best interest, just leave the name calling out

Sometimes there's a full moon and the place goes haywire for a bit but it always settles down again, sometimes with casualties but most times not.

My personal mod goal is to keep the place as friendly and argument free as possible while still allowing debate to happen. Also to keep the site content suitable to all types of people so I know Dassa is comfortable allowing his girls to browse, Ted his boys, Doss his dad, Eug his Tina, Jerryl his dog, and me my wife.

So if you see something objectionable please hit the Report to Moderator button


PS It is always good to see these types of threads pop up when there is a bit of a kerfuffle. The community spirit is alive and is good enough to self regulate to a large extent. Cheers. :kiss: :silly:

This is an interesting topic and one that has been discussed and contemplated by me often. As has been previously stated by webby and others, with such a huge range of members, despite some people believing their opinions or views should be unanimously accepted, this will never be the case. Sometimes it's better to just ignore a post/thread if you find you don't agree with the sentiment. I find myself doing this a lot more these days. For example, instead of having a whinge in a political thread about why people are talking politics on a fishing site, how about read a fishing thread instead?

This being said, there is only one to ensure the website remains the way we all want it despite our personal convictions, and thats to keep posting and reporting. There has been in the past a couple of members who have ceased to post becuase they felt hard done by, ignored, or believed the general sentiment of the site was not going their way. Well there is no faster way to put a nail into the coffin than by removing the very sentiment from the site you agree with!

By going quiet and becoming a lurker, you are single handidly ensuring the content remains less than what it could be.

I firmly believe on this site that activity fuels activity. Do more reports and more will be made. Encourage newer members with tips and advice and maybe a deckie spot (not spot x's ), and these members could be the gun members of next year and may be passing tips back to you and doing awesome reports to satisfy your interest (this has certainly happened to me many times). No one (except maybe that banned Jesus fellow) is born with god given fishing knowledge so be patient and encouraging with novice efforts as opposed to arrogant and let the angler gain experience in his own time. We were all novices once. In short its not a magazine. There more you put into this the more you will get out.

I would strongly urge more of the lurkers and infrequent posters to contribute more in this sense. You may feel you get what you need out of the site without having to bother, but it would be shame if one the day the site was just not here to feed your passion due to lack of perceived interest. This is not really a threat or worry as the site is statistically growing, however think what it could be!

I have had several PM's in the past from quiter or new members commenting on how there is a bit of a "boys club" on here. I can assure you this is only brought about by familiarity among members, not the wish to exclude others. Breaking into this so called "boys club" is as simple as coming along to one social or event and having a beer (I am sure those who have taken a punt and attened any official or unofficial event can attest to this). The vast majority of members that attend such events are more than welcoming to new members. Keyboard warriors are also conspicously absent at tangible events as well Can I also suggest this to any and all members anyway as once you attend such an event your online experience will be enhanced simply by the fact that you are more than just a funny username to many. With this familiarity comes a greater desire to answer your questions, help you find a spot and maybe even give you new people to fish with.

RE the Monthly Comps, obviously due to a contentious call recently this has gone a bit quiet. Admin are meeting ASAP to discuss and improve the rules for these comps as well as tie them better into the physical events so the standard is clear cut and easy for members to follow. We ask for patience while we do this as we all work full time jobs not at all AFO related, and will convene when we are physically able. If members decide the boycott the monthly competitions for whatever reasons the only thing this will ensure is a termination of their existance.

ONTHECHEW: Thanks for the thought provoking thread. I no way aim any "lack of contribution" towards you as your reports I know for sure entertain and motivate many AFO members on a regular basis (me included).

Sorry for this rant and I hope it has made sense to some and might even encourage others to get a bit more active. This website is labour of love for us and I often reflect fondly on the top blokes I have met and fishing experiences I have gained from it. I sincerely dread the day with the cons outweigh the pros and its just not worth it anymore.

Angus

Totally agree Andrew, this is a great site to find out what's going on in the fishing world, lets hope it stays that way for a very long time.

As for the not so nice comments made from time to time, i know when i am fishing with mates things are often said that would offend someone you didn't know but this is why these guys are mates they give as good as they get and everyone has a good time.

Unfortunately smart arse comments to some one you don't know normally do not go down well and are best left unsaid, as the others have said it would be a boring site with no fishing reports or photos, cheers wayne

Easiest way to fix the site is to post more reports so the negatives get out weighed by the postive. I joined this site about 2+ years ago and I have been to every comp since and attended a lot of the socials. The Community is great and I get as much out of it as I have put in. I have made many good friends as well.

Get involved and enjoy the community. I have found it very welcoming and people are always up for a chat. I was worried at first when I went along to my first social as I did not know anybody and would not have anything to talk to people about. Remember everybody is as passionate as each other on here, that is why you are here. My tip is get involved. Write reports, go to socials and comps. I know it has dramatically changed my life and I now live it to the full. good on you AFO

Ted