Right decision = macks

[Hagar]

It's no secret we have had basically a non event mackeral season on the Goldie so far this year :'( :'( so to go or not to go was the question today . Judging by the look of the car park at the ramp when we got there with only one other trailer the other regulars had also seen the forecast of strong wind warning and bar conditions 2 - 3 metres and rising . Forecast , I say not actual if you had a look at the wavebuoy and the bar last night . The bar was a bit ugly with the front on easterly swell I have to admit but after some time sizing it up we crossed with not a drop coming on board . Offshore conditions were good with no wind , just the big groundswell and some showers early . Only spotted two other boats . Trolled dead baits early as the water screamed spaniards but with only one tailbite for no hookup . Change of plan after some roaming saw us anchored on a little bait show with heaps of burley going out . Just before tide change the spotties hit in numbers but with lots of missed takes as well as hookups . It was all over in about 45 mins and then nothing so we bailed . Bit of a battle with the board riders coming back in as we both wanted the biggest wave of the set ;D .

Deckie for today Byron with a couple of reasonable spots .

[Fishing_Freddy]

At least it looks like you got a good feed for your efforts, well done.
Ken:beer:

[Pistol_P]

Yeah where are the macks....:-/
Here at Noosa they have been a non event as well....:-/
Are the pros flogging them...???

[fish_on]

I heard they are everywhere off brisbane why not here??. could be the pros pete.

[Hagar]

We all wish we knew what has happened to the macks . Even before the ringnetting was stopped a couple of years ago our catches were consistently better than the last two seasons . Sure there have been some odd good days and if you fished on them you may think everything was still fine . The expected line fisho bonanza resulting from banning spottie ringnetting just hasn't happened as far as I can see . Unless there is lots of " bycatch "of spotties happening that we don't know about you can't blame it on pro fishing . A pro mack line fisher can only catch so many in a session before they turn off . In my neck of the woods we suspect environmental meddling like a huge dredge dumping sand into the intertidal zone has played a part . Bait schools are hard to find on patches that normally would be holding heaps at this time of year .

[Matt_Campbell]

Interesting that the pros are blamed and not the hundreds of rec fishers targetting them?

[jackson4300]

Yea last weekend went moreton bay, flicking slugs, saw a couple here and there as we chased the bait balls, but was mostly little bonito. Also alot of bait or fish that were hanging about 6 m under the surface, looked very inticing to troll, but had no trolling rods or lures. Ended up with a 30kg longtail :D, that was taken on a livie that was about 2m under a ballon and that was all. :(

[O SEA D]

Go to any of the known mackeral spots on any weekend that has a good forecast and count the boats chasing mackeral.

The effects on the fish of all the boats is that they get boat shy.There are exceptions where the fish are simply in a feeding frenzy but most times if the fish are already a bit skiddish the boat noise simply turns them off.

We cant keep blaming the few pro line fisherman when there are thousands of rec fisherman trying to catch the same fish.

[Nog]

The silence is BOOMING Matty, or has everyone got rec fisher deafness

Norm

[Hagar]

[quote=Hagar;585757] Unless there is lots of " bycatch "of spotties happening that we don't know about you can't blame it on pro fishing . A pro mack line fisher can only catch so many in a session before they turn off .


Read my post fellas . Unless the above quote is actually happening ( which I doubt ) I am saying it is nothing to do with the pro catch by line fishing - rather it's seasonal or maybe environmental in our case . I am seeing line pro's doing it just as tough .

Chris

[kingie]

Hey guy's, in reality the ring netting ban redistributed the quota back to the commerical line fishery, giving a lot of pro's a chance to produce a quality sustainable product for the non fishing fish eaters rather than crap product to be exported overseas.
The last information available to the public was the quota was being met with a lot from up north, reduce the quota, the price goes up to the public and everyone who's not greedy wins.