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  1. #61
    Yellowfin Tuna
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    Looks like its stopped at 485 barra @ average length of 69 cm per fish.

    Bycatch was 197 threadfin king @ average of 82 cm. per fish

    Jeff Dyne as top individual angler and Jeff's team as winning one.

    That's it for this year.
    Last edited by Douglas; 28-10-2017 at 02:09 PM.

  2. #62
    Yellowfin Tuna
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    12 Mile Ck.jpg

    Went to 12 Mile Ck on the saltpans near Marmor yesterday.

    Didn't land any tarpon but hooked up on a few. Jeez they're acrobatic. I was standing on bank about 2 ft above water level making my head about 8 ft above water and on 2 occasions tarpon were high in the air that I was looking up slightly at them.

    Using a 68mm squidgy and really burning the retrieve stirs them up. When they hit the lure at speeds far in excess of what I can muster on a burn retrieve, they fly high into the air.

    Bloody barra kept getting in the way again. Got 5 and dropped 5.

    Main story is that we now have a bit of a problem in that area.

    One the GE map you can see that 12 Mile Ck is a freshwater creek from the upstream with occasional salt fed in by bigger tides at the bottom. Water varies from brackish to fresh.

    A 3.7m croc has moved into the mouh systems of the little drains/creeks that feed 12 Mile into Inkerman Ck.

    On a bigger tide he has access to 12 Mile easily and on smaller tides he can simply walk the few metres from Inkerman into the bottom of 12 Mile.

    It depends on how great his need is for freshwater.

    12 Mile is the only source of freshwater into Inkerman and I don't think the crocs presence in that part of Inkerman is coincidence.

    He's pretty cranky and gives crabpots in the area a touch up by chewing both pots and floats. No float...no pot indicator.

    Anyway, we'll have to be wary fishing off bank in 12 Mile now.
    Last edited by Douglas; 22-11-2017 at 06:26 AM.

  3. #63
    Legendary Angler
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    do you have a croc removal system up there if they get a bit too friendly with fishoes (legit one i mean not doit yourself )
    the world is a lot better place if you just smile

  4. #64
    Yellowfin Tuna
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    Yep, its managed by national Parks and Wildlife. Been a few moved mostly by John Lever of Croc Farm who uses them for his breeding activities at farm. He is contractor for Nat Parks 7 Wildlife.

    Over recent times they've started to use DIY approach using traps.

    Strange system they've got though. They was every sighting reported so they can log it. Then they go for a look. If they can't see a sign of a croc its called unsubstantiated even if the report to them has a photograph.

    Its then written up basically as a false alarm. Sure makes the reporter feel good about any future reports.

    Sometimes a guy who has a photo will just send it to the local newspaper instead.

    I don't know anybody who bothers sending stuff to NP&W. I don't.

    None of the local crocs I've come across have been aggressive or curious. But that will change with time. Maybe we'll end up with another "Sweetheart".

    A big one on the edge of the town reach has the name "Tick Tock" and NP&W have tried to catch him several times without success.

    But I'll take this one in Inkerman/12 Mile a bit more seriously as it involves bank fishing.

  5. #65
    Legendary Angler
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    Douglas, I had a look at this area on the map and did not realise how close to tidal influence the highway was. I had a bit to do with the new 8mile Ck bridge and it looks like it is fairly close to lizard country too.

  6. #66
    Yellowfin Tuna
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    Yep.
    If you go back towards Bajool and then turn off towards Port Alma, just down the road you'll cross 8 Mile Ck on a causeway which acts as a weir. Upstream side has a lagoon and downstream side is a continuance of 8 mile Creek.

    It flows into Casaurina Ck near the first saltworks. That creek acts as access for small barra from the spawning grounds into the lagoon.

    The new bridgework at 8 Mile on the highway sure took out a dangerous bend where there had been fatalities over the years. Good now.

    did not realise how close to tidal influence the highway was

    Whilst standing on the bank of 12 Mile in the saltwater section, you can hear the coal trains rattling down the line 1400 metres away.
    Last edited by Douglas; 26-11-2017 at 05:32 AM.

  7. #67
    Yellowfin Tuna
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    Rockhampton Regional Council has been a major supporter of the net free zone concept since (and before) it was introduced in October 2015.
    Now the tourism/marketing side has started to hit its straps.

    RRC has formally adopted (and promotes) a voluntary code of practice in the Fitzroy River in respect of barramundi and king threadfin. Reduced size slots, reduced numbers and locations (at certain times). The code is voluntary and is within Qld Fisheries regs.

    Council has also adopted Info-Fish Services Crystal Bowl project regarding future stocks along with funding for stocking of some close proximity floodplain lagoons and Fitzroy upstream freshwater. Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks Authority has previously adopted and supported the Crystal Bowl project.

    The Crystal Bowl project is based on the data collected over the years of research (including tagging) by Bill Sawynok and others. Its augmented by BOM weather data (rainfall, river flows and El Nino/La Nina effects etc.)

    Anyway, here are the links to what's happening right now.

    Council has advisory committees set up to recommend projects/policies to RRC. I'm a member of 2 of those committees ( infrastructure and Fitzroy River basin committee) along with Bill and Kim Martin. I volunteer at the visitor information centre and via that role have input to the destination/marketing arm of RRC tourism development section.

    Things are looking good for fishing tourism.

    Anyway, feel free to support the VCOP by signing up for whenever you visit the Fitzroy. The VCOP is part of a regional self-management concept that fits in with Fisheries future policies.

    Here are the links

    https://au.openforms.com/Form/df76cf...e-4176c5b8dfed and;

    https://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.go...ng-and-Boating
    .
    Last edited by Douglas; 30-11-2017 at 05:00 AM.

  8. #68
    Legendary Angler
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    I need to check this place out. PM sent Douglas
    Cheers
    Gazza

    IF MEN ARE FROM MARS AND WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, THEN POLITICIANS MUST BE FROM URANUS

  9. #69
    Yellowfin Tuna
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    Well, barra , blue threadfin and king threadfin spawning times are with us.

    There have been large aggregations of threadies in the Fitzroy for a few weeks now. Not particularly hungry at the moment.

    Blue salmon spawn in October, king in Nov/Dec and barra in Dec (usually).

    Once spawning activity is completed the king threadies will go absolute nuts in the river. Jan/Feb.

    The barra are looking for right salinity, water temp and biggest tidal run.

    This morning 3.30 am low with a 10am high delivering 5.3m difference means plenty of run to push the eggs up river and into mangroves. Follow-up Jan/Feb freshwater runs in river allow the little barra (25-30mm) to find sanctuary up on the floodplain lagoons and creeks.

    A similar scenario will be played out in bara/thready rivers up/down coast.

    Haven't looked at Mary River tides but they'll probably follow suit. Yep, they do. Low at 3am today with 3.9m swing and similarly for early Jan 2018.

    If this morning didn't suit then the next suitable tide is a similar time and similar run on 2 Jan. Usually we've had rain by then so later spawning may be affected by salinity issues.

    Time will tell. Castnetting recruitment sampling in Jan/Feb/Mar tells us when spawning took place (by size of fingerlings). Small ones mean late spawn and bigger ones mean early Dec spawn.

    If early Dec spawn we need follow-up flow in river to help them disperse to safety. No/late river flow leads to high predation of fingerlings.

    All 3 types spawn in the same area and probably for the same reason ( push eggs into sanctuary area to give little fellas some survival chances).

    Not as much known about blue and king threadfin spawning arrangements as is known about barra.
    Last edited by Douglas; 04-12-2017 at 09:43 AM.

  10. #70
    Yellowfin Tuna
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    Well, the barra have been up to their spawning tricks for about a week now (so we think).

    Conditions have been pretty stable wrt salinity at the mouth and the night flood tides have been increasing thus pushing the fertilised eggs up into the mangroves.

    In the few weeks these eggs will be fry and looking for sanctuary to avoid getting eaten.

    River flow in the next couple of weeks will provide that opportunity.

    So what's the outlook for timely rains to produce that river flow?

    Pretty good actually as BOM is predicting La Nina event (wet summer).

    http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/model-summary/#tabs=POAMA

    With the river now closed to netting we have a lot more fish especially barra to take part in the spawning and those numbers will keep increasing.

    Spawning is 1 element of the process but its recruitment (movement of barra fingerlings up into the sanctuary areas before other fish eat them) that's the real measure of a successful spawning.

    Fingers crossed.

 

 
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