VIC
Fishing after the flood ROBINVALE
Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au
With the Murray River returning to what’s considered normal levels, there is a strange quiet among anglings that parallels the last three floods. It seems our mighty Murray River once again swept by black water is all but barren of native fishes in many sections and ruled by an explosion of carp. While our native fish are unable to tolerate these toxic floods, the carp breed en mass and
Yabbies by the truckloads are on the bite in the Darling River.
A good bag of redfin taken from Lake Charm on the Bassman Jighead and soft plastic. with no natural predatory fish to keep their numbers in stock, they are now out of control. Where has this all gone so wrong? Pretending this has been happening forever is not lost on the river residents and anglers that have spent much of their lives seeing what is normal. It is also not lost on the fishing related businesses that have seen tackle sales spiral downwards since the first event in 2010-11. It’s not just the fish that are drowning in this toxic mess! Swan Hill reports from the Murray River this past month have been very mediocre indeed, with a single golden perch caught at Pental Island. Other reports include nothing but carp in the main Murray River. Local anglers are hoping this will change. In the lakes it’s been better news with Charm, Boga and Kangaroo all producing good numbers of redfin and golden perch on bait and lures. The Murray River at 90 MARCH 2023
Robinvale is producing carp, with no reports of perch or cod as yet. Locals are also hoping this will change. The Murray River at Mildura is producing a few small perch on bait and plenty of carp as well. If you slip downstream to Wentworth there are heaps of yabbies all the way along the main Murray River past the junction of the Darling River. The fresh flows of the Darling have been somewhat of a lifeline to much of the aquatic life from where it enters the Murray and flows downstream. There were plenty of reports of big dead cod downstream of these flows earlier on, but smaller fish and yabbies should be about in good number. The Fort Courage area was a great yabby destination after similar events in 2010-11. Some good perch were also caught down that way, as well as good numbers of catfish.
The Darling River has good numbers of perch responding to bait and lures. These were caught on the Bassman Tubby.
The Swan Hill lakes have been fishing well since December. Kelsi Gull with a couple of solid goldens landed on Bassman spinnerbaits. The Darling River continues to be the shining light when it comes to putting a bend in the rod or a feed in the pot. Good numbers of perch are still running in the river and taking bait and lures, and the yabbies are thicker than the hairs on a cat’s back. We
have had several great trips in as many weeks, and each and every time we have caught plenty of perch and more than enough yabbies. When you use the words normal and flood in the same sentence, this is what you get. An explosion of aquatic life that rejuvenates
the rivers and provides a bounty for all. A normal flood is just nature taking care of itself. I hope to have better news in my next report, as in my experience there are always pockets of fish that escaped the black flows. It just takes time to find them.
FISHING NEWS
Illegal fishers fined, and will lose car and boat East Gippsland’s estuaries are special places, and most people do the right thing by fishing responsibly there. However, some individuals don’t care about preserving the fishery, and often find themselves on the wrong side of the law. This was the case when two men and a woman have been fined a combined $24,000 and had their car, boat and trailer forfeited for using a large illegal net to take 100 fish in a remote East Gippsland river last year. In May 2022 Mallacoota Fisheries Officers responded to a report of three people using a long mesh net at Furnell Landing on the Cann River. The officers found hidden in the bushes, a mesh net more than 40 metres long and two coolers - one containing 70 fish and another 30. Most of the fish were bream and mullet, with some estuary perch and flathead.
Director of Education and Enforcement with the Victorian Fisheries Authority Ian Parks said the use of long mesh nets posed significant threats to local ecology. “This type of activity has the potential to impact fish stocks when used indiscriminately, particularly in small estuary systems,” he said. Mr Parks said after being alerted to the matter last year the investigating officers obtained a search warrant for several residential addresses and subsequently seized illegal fish traps, a boat and trailer, and a 2019 model Mercedes dual cab worth more than $60,000 combined. He said all three
offenders were dealt with recently in the Bairnsdale Magistrates Court. “In December, one of the men pleaded guilty to several fisheries offences and was fined $4,000,” he said. “[In February] the second man and woman, who have prior convictions for similar offending, pleaded guilty to several offences too.” Mr Parks said the man was fined $12,000 and the woman $8,000. Convictions were recorded and the pair were banned from fishing for two years. Their Mercedes, boat and trailer were ordered to be forfeited by the magistrate who said it would act as a message to others that if they engage in this type of activity they will be seriously penalised. Mr Parks thanked the members of the community for reporting the suspicious activity. If you see or suspect illegal fishing, you can call the VFA’s 24/7 reporting service, 13FISH (133474), to speak directly to a Fisheries Officer. – Victorian Fisheries Authority
