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One Million Cod for Lake Eildon
by Bradley 27th Jan 2011

The Victorian Government today released 30,000 Murray cod fingerlings into Lake Eildon as part of its commitment to restock the lake with an additional one million fish.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said Lake Eildon was being stocked thanks to an $800,000 project funded by fishing licence fees.
“One million cod will be released over three years, in addition to the 50,000 a year already being released,” Mr Walsh said.
“More than 380,000 Murray cod have now gone into the lake this summer stocking season, which is a native fish stocking record for any Victorian water.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Industries Bill Sykes was on hand for today’s release which marks the final stage of this season’s Murray cod stocking into Lake Eildon.
Mr Walsh said the Coalition had committed to increasing funding by $4 million over the next four years in addition to returning all revenue raised from fishing licences to the recreational fishing industry.
“Lake Eildon will also be stocked with 200,000 golden perch fingerlings in autumn along with trout releases during the cooler months of 2011,” Mr Walsh said.
“These cod, perch and trout will grow very well, given the high water level and productive inundated ground that is brimming with microscopic life.”
Mr Walsh said the project, titled ‘Murray Cod Million – Lake Eildon’, also involves active monitoring by a dedicated team of volunteer anglers and fisheries scientists from Snobs Creek.
“We will track the progress of this large pulse of juvenile cod by combining expert angler feedback with formal surveys by researchers,” Mr Walsh said.
Executive Director of Fisheries Victoria Anthony Hurst said Alexandra fisheries officers had reported good angler catches of Murray cod from Lake Eildon over the last year with many fish approaching minimum size and several over 80 centimetres.
“This confirms cod stockings over the last 15 years have worked, which bodes well for the expanded approach we are adopting for the next few years.”
For more information about projects that are improving fishing opportunities by putting fishing licence fees to work visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fishing/feesatwork.


This Week On Hooked with Dave Butfield
by Bradley 23rd Jan 2011

On this weeks show of Hooked Dave heads to beautiful Sydney Harbour To chase Kingfish. This is a great show with loads of non-stop action.  On this show Dave shows you how the catch kingfish around structure using hardbody lures and soft plastics. Dave uses the Daiwa Tournament Master Z inter-line rods and puts them through their paces.

Hooked with Dave Butfield can be seen on the Aurora TV network. For more information go to www.hookedtv.com.au


Daiwa Japan’s TV show “The Fishing” now online.
by Bradley 21st Jan 2011

The long running Japanese Tv show “The Fishing” is now available to watch on line. Daiwa Japan has been the sponsor of this program for the past 27 years and show cases the latest trends in japanese fishing styles and tackle. If you are interested in whats happening in Japan then you can now go online to - www.fishingch.jp/index.html , click on “The Fishing” icon on the far right of the page. Although the content is in japanese many anglers will find it both interesting and fascinating to watch some of the worlds finest anglers using the most advanced techniques.


Federal Government Rips off anglers again!
by Bradley 20th Jan 2011

Feds Rip Us Off – Again

By Jim Harnwell Editor & Publisher Fishing World magazine

AFMA kept it all pretty quiet. The federal fisheries agency, which lauds itself on its website as being “responsible for the efficient management and sustainable use of Commonwealth fish resources on behalf of the Australian community”, will on January 24 deal a death blow to thousands of Aussie gamefishermen, not to mention all the businesses which rely on the gamefishing dollar, when it approves a new deal to benefit long-liners.

Fisho heard about this yesterday, the day after a Tropical Tuna Management Advisory Committee meeting was held in Sydney.

The upshot is that AFMA looks set to approve an agreement which will result in marlin and tuna stocks off the east coast being massively impacted. Hundreds of thousands of yellowfin, albacore, bigeye, striped marlin and swordfish, plus “protected” blue and black marlin, sharks, dolphin fish, turtles, seabirds and God knows what else will be hanging off long-line hooks in a kill frenzy that’s due to start on March 1 and run right through to the end of February next year.

The deal is what’s called a “Total Allowable Commercial Catch”, or TACC, and is basically a quota system outlining how many fish can be caught by the local commercial fleet. International fisheries pundits tend to agree that quotas are the way to go when trying to develop sustainable commercial fisheries, and they won’t get any argument from me on that. But this new TACC for the Eastern Tuna & Billfish Fishery is a joke. AFMA and its commercial fishing cronies have clearly demonstrated that they aren’t interested in sustainability. Far from it, in fact. The TACCs recommended for yellowfin, bigeye, swordfish, striped marlin and albacore all exceed the limits recommended by government fisheries scientists. The total catch for the above species under the new TACCs will be 9615 tonnes. The amount actually recommended by the scientists is 5951 tonnes. So the long-liners, aided and abetted by their AFMA mates, will be taking 3664 tonnes of fish that the scientists say really aren’t there to take. Let’s put that in perspective. That tonnage works out at 3,650,000 kilos of tuna, or almost 50,000 80-kilo fish. That’s the amount of fish they SHOULDN’T be taking. The entire amount is almost 10,000,000 kilos, or a staggering 125,000 80-kilo fish. (See Quick Facts below for more).

Anyone who’s ever had anything to do with commercial fisheries management won’t be surprised by the extravagance of this haul. The reason the world’s oceans are getting wiped out at a rate of knots is because of dumb and greedy commercial operators who are given every assistance in their quest to kill every fish they can by sympathetic bureaucrats who work in agencies like AFMA. Further up the chain are our elected representatives, in this case the bloke responsible for AFMA, the federal Fisheries Minister Joe Ludwig.

Given all we know about the fragility of the marine environment and how the entire world’s fish stocks are in an imminent state of collapse, how the hell can Senator Ludwig countenance allowing his minions at AFMA to even think about letting 125,000 Australian tuna and marlin end up as sushi?

The crazy thing is that Senator Ludwig and his cohorts have only recently been given a wake-up call about the sort of proactive management options they could utilise to maximise the environmental and socio-economic value of our iconic gamefish species. This comes courtesy of the moves taken various South and Central American countries to totally ban long lining. Yep, a tiny country like Panama has the vision to create a world class gamefishing Mecca in its waters that will reap it long-term economic return from fishing tourism as well as boost its biodiversity and environmental credentials. On the other hand, Australia, supposedly an enlightened, modern nation, continues to prop up a small fleet of clapped out long liners by allowing them to destroy our pelagic fish stocks and consign our burgeoning sport and game fishing industries (which are worth vast amounts more to the economy and society) to the dust bin of history.

For what its worth, the GFAA and the NSWGFA have made submissions to AFMA protesting the absurdity of the TACC deal. To its credit, NSW Fisheries has also made noises about the sustainability issues associated with this sort of insane commercial slaughter. AFMA has “noted” these protests, which is bureaucratic speak for telling GFAA, NSWGFA and Fisheries to get stuffed.

All anglers, whether you like game fishing or not, need to unite and let federal Fisheries Minister Ludwig know that this TACC deal isn’t on. We can’t allow this level of destruction to affect our pelagic fish stocks. At a minimum, Minister Ludwig should put a stopper on the TACC process and instigate an investigation into the AFMA decision and why the scientific recommendations are not being adhered to. As a further move, the Minister should investigate the moves by Panama and other nations to completely ban long lining in Australian waters in favour of a sustainable and economically significant gamefishery.

You need to let Minister Ludwig and his parliamentary Secretary Mike Kelly, as well as Environment Minister Tony Bourke and Prime Minister Julia Gillard, know that you don’t agree with the the wholesale slaughter of our marlin and tuna. You need to let our political leaders know that you want action taken on this issue. If enough of us fishos make enough noise, this stupid, wasteful and greedy decision by AFMA can be reversed.

We hope to soon set up an online letter so you can send your protest about this issue directly to Joe Ludwig, Mike Kelly, Tony Burke and Julia Gillard. In the meantime contact details for the PM and ministers involved are listed below.

Hon. Julia Gillard,

Prime Minister

PO Box 6022

House of Representatives

Parliament House

Canberra ACT 2600

Tel: (02) 6277 7700

Fax: (02) 6273 4100

Tony Burke MP

Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

PO Box 6022

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Phone: (02) 6277 7640

Fax: (02) 6273 4120

Senator Joe Ludwig

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Parliament House

PO Box 6022

Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: (02) 6277 7520

Fax: (02) 6273 4541

For more on the issues associated with long lining, check out Environment Editor John Newbery’s comment piece HERE and the reports on the Panamanian long line ban HERE.

Quick Facts: Red tape behind the slaughter

Commercial fishing in Australian waters is managed by a vast bureaucracy. Here’s some detail on how it all works:

* The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is the Canberra-based authority that controls commercial fishing in Commonwealth waters – ie, waters three miles from shore out to our 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

* The Tropical Tuna Management Advisory Committee (TTMAC) is a group made up largely of commercial fishing interests which, together with AFMA, advises the federal Fisheries Minister on issues relating to the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (ETBF).

* The ETBF is this year set to come under a series of Total Allowable Commercial Catches (TACCs) which are quotas governing how many fish can be caught. These TACCs are seen by many fisheries as being a good way to manage commercial fishing as they are supposed to limit how many fish are taken.

* These limits come mainly in the form of Recommended Biological Commercial Catches (RBCCs), which are provided by government fisheries scientists based on science relating to the sustainability of fish stocks.

In this case, AFMA and the TTMAC have completely ignored the RBBCCs relating to yellowfin, bigeye, swordfish, striped marlin and albacore and set much higher catch rates.

According to AFMA documents obtained by Fisho, the scientist on the TTMAC has requested that at least two of the TACCs be reconsidered. This request was denied, which sort of makes the whole idea of scientifically managing the fishery a bit of a joke, don’t you think?

Check out http://www.afma.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Item-3-Tropical-Tuna-Mac-4-18-January-2011.pdf for details on the AFMA process relating to yellowfin, bigeye, striped marlin, swordfish and albacore.


Federal Government give green light to fish slaughter
by Bradley 20th Jan 2011

Despite recent moves by countries such as Peru and Panama to protect marlin and other sportfish, the Gillard Labor Government will ignore scientific advice and protests by gamefishing organisations and allow long-line fleets to catch thousands of tonnes of tuna and billfish off Australia’s east coast over the next 12 months.

As part of a new Total Allowable Commercial Catch system being introduced into the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority is set to allow commercial operators to kill almost 10,000 tonnes of tuna, marlin and broadbill in the period from March 1, 2011, to February 29, 2012.

This is despite scientific advice recommending much lower catch rates and strong protest by recreational fishing groups who say the commercial sector will wipe out stocks of iconic gamefish worth millions to the local economy.

An AFMA committee is meeting on January 24 to approve the new TACC for yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, swordfish, striped marlin and albacore.

The federal fisheries agency is expected to give a green light to the catch of 2655 tonnes of yellowfin and 2000 tonnes of bigeye, although its own Recommended Biological Commercial Catches for yellowfin are set at 1512 tonnes and 734 tonnes for bigeye.

If the TACCs are approved – and pundits Fisho has spoken with indicate they will be – then AFMA’s refusal to heed its own scientific advice means that commercial boats will be taking more than 2400 tonnes of tuna – or about 60,000 fish of 40 kilos each – than government scientists say is sustainable.

Sources say AFMA will also approve the catch of 1550 tonnes of swordfish, 400 tonnes of striped marlin and 3000 tonnes of albacore. The RBCC for swordfish is 1331 tonnes, while the maximum catch of striped marlin is 362 tonnes. Albacore, which are described as “an under utilised resource” on the AFMA website, have a scientifically recommended catch of 2012 tonnes.

Under the AFMA proposal, commercial operators will this year be able to catch almost 4000 striped marlin of 80 kilos each (and discard unknown numbers of dead and dying blue and black marlin caught as bycatch) and 300,000 10 kilo albacore, as well as the 60,000 yellowfin and bigeye tuna.

Fisho understands that a joint submission from Recfish and the Game Fishing Association of Australia (GFAA), and submissions from the NSW Game Fishing Association and NSW Fisheries have been sent to AFMA outlining concerns about the new TACCs, especially in regard to the commercial catch of striped marlin and associated bycatch of “protected” black and blue marlin. The Tropical Tuna Management Advisory Committee, which is responsible for the ETBF, has said that it “notes the concerns of recreational groups about the setting of some TACCs”.

The full AFMA report can be found at http://www.afma.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Item-3-Tropical-Tuna-Mac-4-18-January-2011.pdf.

Fishing World urges concerned anglers to immediately lodge protests with the federal Government about this issue. See Comment article HERE for more detail on this issue and also for contact details for federal Fisheries Minister Joe Ludwig, Environment Minister Tony Burke and Prime Minister Julia Gillard.


20 NEW FISH CLEANING TABLES FOR ANGLERS
by Bradley 19th Jan 2011

Recreational anglers visiting coastal fishing spots now have the luxury of cleaning their catch in comfort thanks to 20 new fish cleaning tables across Victoria.
Fisheries Victoria Executive Director Anthony Hurst said new tables had been installed at key fishing destinations in recent months, bringing the total number installed by Fisheries Victoria to more than 30.
Fifteen of the new tables are adjacent to boat ramps and popular fishing spots while another five have been installed on piers for use by land-based fishers.
“Whether you’re a serious angler who wets a line several times a week or a family fishing from a pier, these new tables make it easier to take some fillets home for the table,” Mr Hurst said.
Fish cleaning tables have been installed at:
•
Curdies River at Curdievale
•
Yambuk Lake boat ramp
•
Public Reserve on the Glenelg River, Nelson
•
Apollo Bay boat ramp
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Apollo Bay wharf
•
Ocean Grove boat ramp
•
St Helens boat ramp, Corio Bay
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Two tables adjacent to the Port Welshpool boat ramp
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Main wharf at Port Franklin
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Jetty at the main boat ramp at Inverloch
•
Dawsons Cove at Paynesville
•
Fishermans Wharf at Paynesville
•
Shaving Point at Metung
•
Johnsonville boat ramp on the Tambo River
•
Fishermans Landing, Lake Tyers
•
Main boat ramp at Lake Tyers
•
Karbeethong (near Mallacoota) boat ramp and a second table on the jetty
•
Main boat ramp at Mallacoota.

All of these new fish cleaning tables feature slanted stainless steel surfaces and many are roofed to protect anglers and their catch from the elements.


Fishing World February Edition Out Now!
by Bradley 18th Jan 2011

Australia’s leading fishing publication is packed full of great information this month and  also features Daiwa’s latest Tournamnet Master x-G rods on the inside cover.

Features include.

Surface fishing for bream

Species guide: Dolphin fish

Top 10 bream lures – Part 1

Practical: DIY reel servicing

Destinations: SA kingfish

Destinations: Cape York, FNQ

Destinations: Gold Coast holiday hotspot

Destinations: Sydney’s Hawkesbury River

A life spent Fly fishing

Plus Australia’s best columnists, loads of news and new products and the bonus Boat Fishing magazine featuring tests on new boats plus practical boating tips.


Hickson Hauls to Victory in Australian Open
by Bradley 18th Jan 2011

Kris Hickson claimed the biggest win in his tournament career to date with a come from behind victory in the Daiwa BREAM Australian Open, 12/14th January. Claiming the win for personal and event sponsor Daiwa, Hickson eclipsed a talented field of anglers with the Port Macquarie breamer charging from 4th on day two to 1st on day three thanks to his 3.54kg final day bag.

Compiling a 15/15, 9.56kg limit to claim the Australian Open title, Hickson also leapfrogged Steve Morgan to become Australia’s number one ranked BREAM angler and secure a long held personal goal.

Falling 370 grams short of denying Hickson his goal was 2008 Australian Open winner John Balcomb who compiled a 15/15, 9.19kg three day bag to come within one decent fish of toppling Hickson from the winner’s dais and adding another event win to his impressive Sydney Harbour tournament CV.

Victory though belonged to Hickson, with the Daiwa bream pro inscribing his name into the records book as the winner of the inaugural boater-only Daiwa BREAM Australian Open.

Fishing a milk run of wind blown marinas between Putney and the Harbour Bridge, Hickson would start each morning at Rozzelle Bay, hitting boats and pontoons that he could see holding fish underneath.

“I used my Blue Eye sunnies to spot fishing hanging and feeding on the floating structure then took my lure straight to them”, explained Hickson.

With his targets located Hickson would cast his 1/28th oz, size 1, TT HWS rigged Squidgy Lobby in dusk colour, at the fish, delicate enough not to spoke the fish, yet tight enough to get their interest. He’d then let the lure sink watching for any signs of interest from fish.

“As it sank you’d see the fish break away and follow the Lobby down, so you’d watch the line closely looking for the slightest tick that indicated a bite”, explained Kris.

If there was no hit Hickson would give the lure a couple of small hops before winding it back in and repeating the process.

The approach was spot on deliver Hickson a string of fish each day, but it was out on the more wind blown locations later in the day where he’d chang his approach and fish more by feel than by sight.

Swapping to 80mm Squidgy Wrigglers in dusk, flash prawn, and wasabi colours, Hickson keyed in on the poles, walls and parallel pieces of man-made structure, pitching the offering tight to structure, sinking it 4-6 feet down then working it back with a hop-pause-drop retrieve.

The modification in presentation was just what the doctor order and the kept Hickson catching when the fish weren’t holding high in water column and feeding shallow.

Hickson hit each of his locations at least once each day, returning only twice a day to a handful of spots that had plenty of fish in residence.

“There were a few spots where you’d hook a fish, pull it out and there’d been a heap of others following it out. So I’d rest it and come back later and pick up another one”, explained Hickson.

Managing his fish to perfection Hickson showed equal foresight during the official prefish, using his time more to locate fish rather than to catch them. The later being a mistake that many tournament anglers all too regularly make.

“I spent most of Tuesday just driving arriving looking for fish hanging under structure and throwing topwaters when I wanted to see if they were going to respond to lures”, explained Kris.

Hickson’s restraint paid off with Australian Open champion landing 30 fish on the first day, and despite missing a few crucial bites he found himself sitting mid field and firmly in contention heading into day two and three. Especially on a waterway that regularly produces four and five kilo plus bags.

The bigger bites came and stuck on day two with Hickson weighing in 3.43kg and jumping to 4th place. Day three was when it all came together with Hickson dropping only one big fish and catching his biggest bag for tournament (3.54kg).

“Driving back to the weigh-in I thought I may be in with a chance, but for it to happen meant that the leader (Steve Morgan) would have to stumble and nobody could nail a big bag”, explained Kris.

And that’s exactly what happened. Holding the hot seating with only one more bag to weigh, it was only Steve Morgan that stood between Hickson and the win. Needing 2.92kg to win Morgan fell short, weighing in only 2.35kg and handing Hickson his first Daiwa BREAM Australian Open trophy. As a Daiwa sponsored angler it was perhaps karmic influences as well as shear angling talent that saw Hickson claim victory in the Daiwa sponsored event.

The tackle his used of course was dominated by Daiwa, with Hickson using a Daiwa 701 LFS Sol rod, Daiwa Sol 2000 reel, spooled with 6lb Daiwa Tournament Hi Visibility braid, and Daiwa TDR Competition fluorocarbon when throwing his HWS rigged Squidgy Lobbies, and a Daiwa Interline TMZ-I 662ULFS rod, Daiwa Sol 2000 reel, spooled with 6lb Daiwa Tournament Hi Visibility braid, and Daiwa TDR Competition fluorocarbon when using fishing 80mm Squidgy Wrigglers.

Post victory Hickson was ecstatic with his start to the new tournament season and his third tournament win in 12 months.

“One of my goals for the season was to maintain the consistence that I’ve achieved over the last couple of years. If I continue this then the rewards such as ranking points, prize money and Grand Final qualification will more than likely come also”, explained Hickson.

With a full calendar of BREAM events ahead of us the battle to see who grabs the lion’s share of rewards will be an exciting one to watch. Will Steve Morgan regain his number one ranking from Hickson or will a new angler emerge, on time and tournaments will tell.

For event runner-up John Balcomb is was another success tournament on Sydney Harbour with the tackle store salesman falling just short of claiming his second open victory.

Fishing the marinas that had served him well in the past, Balcomb focused on particular locations, namely Balmain, Birkenhead, Walsh Bay, and a rock wall situated at the back of Blackwattle Bay.

Fishing 2″ Berkley Gulp Minnow Grubs in camo and watermelon colour and rigged on 1/16th oz and 1/20th oz, size 4 and size 2 Nitro jigheads, Balcomb’s approach was tight, structure fishing to say the least.

“It was essential to drift the plastic in and under the pontoons and structure and into the kelp that hung down”, explained Balcomb.

Once the lure was in the kelp Balcomb would let it sit for a while before ripping it out to continue its sink.

“It was as soon as the plastic came free from the kelp and started to sink that most of the fish would hit the plastic”, explained Balcomb.

If no hits came Balcomb would simply wind it back in and make another cast.

“The fish were holding tight to the kelp so you needed to make sure you got your plastic in there, if you didn’t you didn’t get the bites”, explained Balcomb.

As the tide rose later in the day Balcomb changed tact and headed into Blackwattle Bay to fish a rock wall that was primed to fire with the high tide on it, and that’s exactly what it did with Balcomb picking up the tournament’s second biggest day one fish 1.03kg) and the biggest fish (1.29kg) on day three.

“The technique was the same as on the marina, cast it close to the structure, drift it in and wait for the fish to hit it”, explained Balcomb.

The approach fired on day three will John weighing in the biggest bag for the day (3.56kg) and the second biggest for the tournament. If it wasn’t for losing a couple of fish in the kelp and a conservative day two bag (2.64kg) he may have had enough to claim his second Australian Open title.

Far from disappointed with the outcome Balcomb was pumped to simply be on the water.

“Any day on the water is a good day, and I’m just stoked to finish second and pick up $3000 and the Daiwa prizes for the two big fish”, explained a jubuliant Balcomb.

The tackle he used to catch his cash and prize winning fish included a 7’2″, 2-4kg Quantum Response rod, Quantum Energy reel, spooled with 6lb Rovex Viros braid, and 4lb Sufix fluorocarbon leader.

Balcomb wasn’t alone when it came to sharing in the spoils of the Daiwa Big Bream Prizes, with a Daiwa Tournament Master X Interline 762LFS rod and 2000 Daiwa Luvius reel outfit awarded to the biggest bream each day and a Daiwa Saltist Rockfish RF75PE rod, and 2004 Daiwa Infeet reel outfit awarded to the second biggest bream each day. Joining Balcomb on the list of big bream winners were Corrie Stewart, Josh Carpenter and Scott Butler.

With the new individual format of The Open proving a huge success and silencing most doubters the 2012 Daiwa BREAM Australian Open is destined to see the field swell and anglers champing at the bit be part of one of the most unique and prestigious events on the BREAM calendar.

Attention now turns to the Daiwa BREAM Series with round two slated for the 29/30th January at Mallacoota. With the opening round on the Gold Coast rescheduled due to the Queensland floods anglers will be extra keen to hit the water and get breaming.


Grandwave rods just landed.
by Bradley 16th Jan 2011

The new Grandwave series has just landed. Built on an incredibly strong carbon blank to produce a rod that has an action similar to the traditional solid tip rods of the past, but with the many benefits of carbon. All models feature premium components like Fuji and alloy heavy duty reel seats, Fuji Alconite guides and Aftco roller guides on the AR/RT models. Available in a wide range of models from southern snapper style rods to fully rollered game rods, they are light, powerful and strong


Daiwa BREAM Australian Open Final Results
by Bradley 14th Jan 2011

Steve Morgan stumbles and Kris Hickson nails the fish on the final day of the Daiwa BREAM Australian Open to take victory in the one of the most prestegious events on the BREAM calendar.

Catching his biggest bag for the tournament on the final day Hickson (15/15, 9.19kg) relegated a strong finishing John Balcomb (15/15, 9.05kg) to second place and Russell Babekuhl (15/15, 9.01kg) to third place.

Full story and updated ranking points to follow soon


Lk Nagambie Fisheries Research Underway
by Bradley 13th Jan 2011

Fisheries Victoria scientists have begun surveying Lake Nagambie and the anglers who fish there to determine the success of recent fish stocking.
Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Anthony Hurst, said native fish stocking was reintroduced into Lake Nagambie in 2008 when 200,000 golden perch and 100,000 Murray cod fingerlings were released.
By the end of this summer, more than 600,000 golden perch and 150,000 Murray cod will have been stocked into Lake Nagambie over a three year period.
“It is now time to start evaluating how those fish have survived and grown using two different approaches,” Mr Hurst said.
“The first will involve interviewing anglers between December and Easter about their catch, time spent fishing, their target species and level of angling satisfaction.
“The second approach involves directly sampling the fish in Lake Nagambie to quantify the survival, growth and proportion of stocked fish within the overall populations.
“If the stocked fish are abundant, it indicates that fish stocking has been successful so far and anglers can look forward to better fishing in years to come.
“It is hoped the interviews with anglers might also reveal keen fishers who are willing to play a bigger role in monitoring stocked fish over the longer term.
“We’d like avid anglers to be an ongoing point of contact for Fisheries Victoria scientists so we can use their information to help gauge the success of the stocking program and fine tune our management strategies.
“With more native fish scheduled for release this summer, it will be important to assess the benefits from stocking using the best and most cost effective research available through the Fisheries Research Branch.
“The stockings and fisheries assessment are well supported by the Nagambie Angling Club, whose members are keen to see the fishery return to its former glory as a regional fishing hot-spot for locals and visitors.”
For more about fish stocking visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fishing


Don’t put your life on the line this summer
by Bradley 7th Jan 2011

NSW Rockfishers are being reminded that safety, not fish should come first, when dropping a line over summer, NSW Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan said today.

“Rock fishing is a favourite sport for many recreational fishers in NSW, but unfortunately it’s one that can prove very dangerous,” Mr Whan said.

“This summer, don’t become a statistic. Rockfishers should make sure they always put their safety ahead of landing the catch of the day.”

The NSW Government funds a number of important safety programs through the NSW Recreational Fishing trust to further educate and assist rock fishers in NSW to help keep them safe.

This includes:

• the Angel ring program, with more than 100 life buoys installed at popular rockfishing spots along the NSW coast. The program is administered by the NSW Branch of the Australian National Sports Fishing Association (ANSA).

• A series of workshops to educate rockfishers, especially of a non-English speaking background, of some simple safety measures coordinated by the Recreational fishing Alliance of NSW and Surf Life Saving Australia.

• the production and distribution of the successful Rockfishing Safety resource folder. The folders include DVD’s on how to rockfish safely, translated into Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese, which are distributed free of charge to anglers.

• a research study by the Royal Life Saving Society to identify and examine recreational fishing related deaths, including rock fishing, since 2002.

The NSW Government has also provided additional funding of $90,000 to extend these programs, including distributing multilingual safety information to recreational fishing licence holders and signage at angel ring locations.

ANSA Angel Ring Program Coordinator Stan Konstantaras said despite the wide-ranging safety programs, it was disappointing that rock fishing deaths continue to occur.

“Rockfishing deaths are on the rise because many are inexperienced anglers who fish during dangerous conditions,” Mr Konstantaras said.

“Fishing is fun – but it should never be at the expense of your life.

“Always rockfish with a lifejacket, check the weather and tidal conditions prior to going out, wear the right clothing and footwear, fish with other people, and tell someone of your fishing plans.”

Mr Whan said the NSW Government also urges those going rock fishing to use common sense and check the swell and tide conditions prior to going.

Further information on rockfishing safety, including coastal reports, Maritime alerts and multilingual brochures, can be found at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/saltwater/safety or www.safefishing.com.au.


LICENCE FEES AT WORK FOR MITCHELL RIVER
by Bradley 7th Jan 2011

Revenue received from the sale of Victorian recreational fishing licences has provided valuable fish habitat and improved fishing opportunities in one of East Gippsland’s most visited rivers.
Using $85,000 from the Recreational Fishing Grants Program, the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority has placed 30 log structures into the lower Mitchell River, below the cut at Eagle Point.
Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Anthony Hurst, said the Mitchell River has experienced a gradual reduction of suitable fish habitat.
“Installation of the submerged logs will provide new in-stream habitat for key recreational fish species such as estuary perch, black bream and luderick,” Mr Hurst said.
Strategically placed, the timber structures will enhance links with existing habitat, and host plants and small animals that will soon become food and shelter for fish.
The eight metre long logs have been secured to single piles driven into the river bed, a method that has been successful in the lower Genoa and Snowy rivers.
Catchment Planner for the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, Jen Smith, said the placement of log structures has been monitored over several years and proven to be successful in providing excellent fish habitat, shelter and food.
This project forms part of a broader program to restore the lower reaches of the Tambo, Nicholson and Mitchell rivers.
Since its inception in 2001, the Recreational Fishing Grants Program has funded more than 345 projects worth more than $13.5 million throughout Victoria.
For more information about how angling licence fees are being spent to improve fishing opportunities visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fishing/feesatwork.


The New Revolutionary Vibe coming this Autumn.
by Bradley 6th Jan 2011

The Gekkabijin Vib 3S is an all new “vibe”. Imitating the small shrimps that are so prevalent throughout estuaries, bays, rivers and streams, the Gekkabijin Vib 3S will definitely be one of the lures to watch on the ABT Tournament trail in 2011. Guaranteed to be a live well filler for bream, it will be equally effective on bass, trout, estuary perch or just about anything that eats small shrimp!

Unlike any other available it features a hollow plastic body, giving it a full body profile and the internal weight system causes the lure to sink nose forward to avoid snagging. On a slow crank it produces a wide wobble but speed it up and the tight high pitched wiggle attracts any predatory fish.

Handmade to the highest standards, these lures feature 3D realistic eyes, ultra sharp HD chemically sharpened treble with lifelike skirt and are painted internally with chip proof paint for an incredible lifelike finish.

Available early Autumn 2011 the Gekkabijin Vib 3s will be available in four fish attracting colours.

More information will be available soon.


Saltiga 2010 UTD – Ultimate Tournament Drag.
by Bradley 6th Jan 2011

The New Saltiga introduces revolutionary technology. To understand this leading technology Daiwa’s Development Engineers explain the secret to Daiwa’s latest drag technology – UTD or Ultimate Tournament Drag.

UTD

Daiwa’s latest drag system, UTD or Ultimate Tournament Drag, is a super high density, woven carbon drag washer system that is impregnated with a specially designed oil/grease.

The new system has many benefits over the old design. Firstly it substantially increases the practical drag pressure. Secondly the inertia to get the drag working is dramatically decreased. Thirdly the drag is now incredibly smooth. And last but not least it has stabilized and balanced the drag system against spool rotation.

Furthermore the carbon drag washers are up to 30 times more durable compared to the previous drag washers.

Drag operation corrugated graph.

The graph is comparative data showing the difference between the new Saltiga drag system versus the old system. The drag setting is shown at 3kg being pulled at a speed of 10 km/h.

The old Saltiga drag is shown as light blue in the graph and when an angler strikes or lifts the rod the drag pressure increases (highlighted in pink). This sudden increase in drag pressure can cause line and rod breakage, but if the angler lowers the rod or decreases the drag pressure the drag will stabilize. But with the UTD system in the new Saltiga (shown as dark blue) there is no increase in drag pressure, minimal inertia to begin working and it maintains smooth drag efficiency throughout the operation.

With this system now standard, the new Saltiga allows for the angler to set the drag at a higher pressure than ever before without the fear of line breakage or pulling the hook from a fish’s jaws. As a result, with fast fish like tuna or hiramasa, which often strike hard, there is a decreased risk of losing the fish due to the increase in drag pressure during hook setting.

The UTD drag system is the first all inclusive drag that reduces the need for the angler to manually maintain the drag system during the fight and eliminates hooks pulling free on the strike or line breakage caused by the drag’s start up inertia.


Saltiga 2010′s ultimate waterproofing.
by Bradley 6th Jan 2011

The New Saltiga introduces revolutionary technology. To understand this leading technology Daiwa’s Development Engineers explain that the secret to the new Saltiga is Mag Seal – perfection in waterproofing.

Offshore fishing is damaging on fishing tackle. Saltwater spray, wind and water will test a reel’s engineering to the extreme.

All spinning reels suffer from water penetration via the rotor and pinion gear assembly, so in 2001 Daiwa introduced gasket sealing in Saltiga Z 4500 to saltwater waterproof the reel and prevent water penetration. The amazing results from this system helped cement Saltiga as the ultimate offshore reel.

The original Saltiga Z rotor was perfectly sealed by a rubber gasket but it also sacrificed ease of revolution and lightness of operation in the rotor. And as with any seal, friction and abrasion will cause the rubber gasket to wear, allowing water penetration over time.

Daiwa’s dream was to develop a waterproof structure that did not obstruct the smooth rotation of the rotor and did not wear over time.

The dream of Mag Seal became reality.

With Mag Seal, a magnet is placed perpendicular in the rotor frame to eliminate any friction. There is a minute opening that allows a magnetic flux to circulate around the opening and Mag Oil to flow evenly. The magnetic flux causes the Mag Oil to stretch around the opening of the body and rotor, sealing the inside and outside of the body with an oil film. The oil film creates a barrier that cannot be broken eliminating saltwater penetration. Because saltwater does not penetrate and there are no parts that will wear, smooth and efficient rotor operation is created.

Offshore saltwater fishing is incredibly damaging on reels. Waves splashing and salt spray on the reel are inevitable. After returning home a reel can be washed with fresh water to eliminate salt but washing often causes saltwater to penetrate into the reel causing corrosion and wear, resulting in a decrease in smoothness and operation, then later repairs.

By introducing Mag Seal, Daiwa has made this a problem of the past. Besides the benefits of eliminating saltwater penetration, prevention of corrosion and wear, Mag Seal allows for smooth and light rotor operation, thus increasing sensitivity. Reel sensitivity has only ever been referred to in light tackle situations, but with the new Saltiga there is no friction, vibration or noise created by the rotation of the reel, thus the reel becomes more sensitive. The movement of a lure, water current or a strike from a fish is felt through the reel like never before.

With Mag Seal on board, smooth rotor efficiency has improved beyond compare.

The term “reel sensitivity” is born.


Saltiga 2010′s Zaion Air Rotor
by Bradley 5th Jan 2011

The New Saltiga introduces revolutionary technology. To understand this Daiwa’s Development Engineers explain this leading technology. Zaion Air Rotor – the advancement of rotary revolution.

Rotor Revolution

Making use of the magnetic fluid technology, which prevents foreign matter like seawater, salt and sand penetrating the reel, the new Saltiga has become the most advanced spinning reel in the world. The basic structure of the spinning reel has remained the same for the past 80 years. Early reels had the spool buried completely in the rotor and this created many issues with line flow.

Then 44 years ago Daiwa introduced the spool out system, a system that has become the standard design today of every reel manufacturer. Line flows easily from the spool to the line guide creating unparalleled casting distance and accuracy.

There are several main roles for the rotor in the spool out system.

The first is to rotate around the spool to wind on the line. The second is to support the bail arm and line roller assembly. The third is to prevent foreign material penetrating the reel’s body.

It has been Daiwa’s desire to create a rotor that would increase sensitivity, reduce weight and retain strength. The new design needed to be lightweight, rigid, have equivalent strength to alloys and be a progressive design philosophy of functional beauty.

Daiwa attained this goal with the introduction of Zaion Air Rotor, and a rotor revolution was produced.

Zaion

Randomly shaving the meat from something is not necessarily a good idea if you want to save weight. Though Air Rotor looks like it has been shaved down it has not. The functional beauty of Air Rotor is like no other – a revolution in sensitivity through design.

The new rotor serves several functions.

Firstly, it supports the line roller. In older reels, line is pulled instantly from the spool to the line roller creating stress and flexing. The new arch in Air Rotor disperses pressure to the entire lower section of the rotor, dramatically decreasing stress and flexing.

Sensitivity is a feature of Air Rotor. The rotor is made from Zaion and it transmits vibration through the reel more efficiently than ever before and it is 35% lighter and stronger than a conventional rotor made from the same material. By hollowing out the rotor system Daiwa has created a lighter component with more surface area. This increases strength and better transmits vibration. With less weight there is also better balance, helped by a lower centre of gravity. All these attributes combine to give you a reel that transmits ‘feel’ like never before.

Working in conjunction with Mag Seal, the Air Rotor has been hollowed out to create airflow through the whole rotor system. This prevents foreign material such as water, salt, sand and dust collecting inside the reel. The added air flow eliminates moisture build up in the reel preventing corrosion issues.

Historically Daiwa used magnesium to reduce a reel’s weight, and then in 2008, Daiwa developed Zaion. Zaion is a new material, composed of carbon resin and long carbon fibres. This high density material is light, strong and resists corrosion. This material has generally been used in reel bodies but, with continual development and by introducing carbon fibres, Zaion material far exceeds the strength of magnesium in a strength per unit weight comparison.

Zaion Air Rotor has made sensitive fishing possible, not just because of the carbon material but also the balance point. The new rotor has allowed the reel’s centre of gravity to be placed at the rear of the reel, directly below the rod’s reel seat and angler’s hand, creating better balance and sensitivity.

The world of sensitive saltwater lure fishing is brought to you by Zaion.


Insights into 3DX carbon design.
by Bradley 5th Jan 2011

Saltiga Rods.

The New Saltiga rods introduce revolutionary technology. To understand this leading technology Daiwa’s Development Engineers explain the secret to Daiwa’s latest X-Torque and 3D Cross carbon blank designs.

X-Torque and 3D Cross Carbon Technology

The main fault of a rod blank design is, when loaded, the blank will twist. The blank will also change shape from round to oval under load pressure. These factors reduce the power and physical strength of a rod and Daiwa’s rod engineers recognized this problem and developed X Torque.

X Torque uses Daiwa’s rod technology to the extreme. By reinforcing Bias Wrap Construction with a left/right 45 degree carbon weave X Torque has eliminated blank twist and increased power. Twisting in a blank reduces the rod’s sensitivity, and by introducing X Torque the rod has become more sensitive so an angler can feel a jig’s action, tidal movement and the strike of a fish. X Torque has also radically improved the strength and durability by eliminating twist and preventing the blank from losing its round form. X Torque has further decreased the physical weight of the blank and blank diameter has dropped dramatically.

To strengthen the butt section on the new Saltiga rods, Daiwa has introduced brand new technology, 3DX otherwise known as 3D Cross Wrapping.

3DX supports the lower power section of the rod and has an uneven 3 dimensional woven appearance. By knitting densely packed carbon fibres in 3 directions to create a six wrap rectangular weave, the power is distributed evenly in all directions, thus the blank will maintain its form when loaded. This process increases the power and eliminates blank twist and collapse. This new support system has allowed the rod’s power to be located at the lower section of the rod giving more power and less angler fatigue. This leaves the upper section of the blank to absorb all the weight during a battle with a large fish rather than the angler.

The immense power and light blank weight 3DX and X Torque technology gives to Saltiga rods makes fighting super sized fish not just possible but a reality.


Saltiga 2010 rods just arrived!
by Bradley 5th Jan 2011

Several of the new Saltiga 2010 rods have just landed, the 62S, 60S 3/4 and 57s.

For the past ten years the original Saltiga rods set a new industry standard as the strongest and lightest jigging rods available. After a decade these rods are envied by other manufacturers and are a true testament of how advanced the rod’s technology was, they remain unchanged, and technology hungry anglers still regard these as the best available that was until now with the introduction of the Saltiga 2010 rod series.

Designed to match the awesome power of the new Saltiga reels the new rod series heralds a new design concept – 3D carbon design. Combining Daiwa’s famous Bias Wrap Construction for ultimate strength, power, light weightiness and ultra slim blank diameter with the X-Torque design, a design that resists blanks twisting and massively increasing torque, Daiwa has created their greatest ever jigging rod design.

Adding to the incredible blank design, these rods feature Fuji’s latest innovation Titanium Silicone carbide “K “ guides to eliminate line wrap, Daiwa customized Fuji reel seats that match the new reel design and ultra tough and light air Foam grips.

Saltiga 2010 – ultra light, powerful and tough.