Flyingfish, gar and longtom

[bondy99]

( This post has been sticky'd for a little while by Lucky_Phill , Moderator )

Hi people,

I'm wondering if someone can assist me on this. Although, I'm an avid fisherman and have been for the past 30 years, I'm now at Queensland Uni undertaking research into flyingfish.

Unfortunately I do not have a boat which makes this a little difficult, I need to obtain as many flyingfish, gar and longtoms as possible within the next month or two. Can anyone be able to assist me as to whether anyone has spotted these off Moreton Island or Stradbroke Island of recent or any other location or can be able to catch these, especially flyingfish. I was told night time is best when the sea is calm with a strong floodlight and a long handled landing net.

I would appreciate any assistance.

Peter

[choppa]

peter,,, prior to the recent rain,,,, maroochydore river and surrounding creeks/canals were abundant with gar,,,,, and you didn't have to fish at night for em,,,,the last few days the reports up here are a bit far and few between,,, maybe too much fresh has washed em to sea again,,,

on the home front,,, gar/longtom have been about bribie,,,, butnot in great numbers as per up here

choppa

[Peter4]

I know that they are supposed to be there but I have never seen a flying fish in Moreton Bay. Plenty of gar and long toms though!

Pete

[honda900]

bondy99,

I too have never seen any flying fish inside moreton bay, however I have done a few trips out of the gold coast seaway recently and have seen a few probably 3 or 4 a trip, always on the way out early around the 5:30 - 6:00 am mark. They seem to be a bit smaller up here though, compared to the ones we used to see around batemans bay up to ulladulla.

Regards
Honda.

[bondy99]

Good evening Choppa Pete4 and Honda,

Thanks for the news, flyingfish wlll be hard to get. Is it possible somehow to hook up with anyone to see if we can get a few, I'll chip in for the fuel. Problem I have is number (1), I no longer have a boat and number (2) Unfortunately I need to get a fair number of each of these. I have a permit that covers the numbers but not sure how it will go.

I dont mind having a feed of gar but unfortunately these ones are for the lab only

I'm residing over at Marsden, Logan Central area, most of my offshore fishing has been on charters.

Flyingfish are hard to catch and will be a challenge. I've been told they have been sighted off cape moreton and one of the reefs,

If there are any gar and longtom, would it be possible to go out with you by arrangement.

My phone number is 38030660

Let me know if there's a chance.

Peter

[samson]

Mate i think i have a 30cm plus flying fish in my freezer some where that flew into my boat a few weeks back not to sure if its any good to you though it s frozen just have to check not to sure if i used it for bait, but if its there your welcome to it.

[choppa]

pete your not up to anything cynical i hope,,,,,,

flying fish,,,,,gar,,,,,longtom,,,,,lab experiments,,,,;D ;D

i can just see the next news report,,,,,,,

choppa

[imnotoriginal]

You can catch the barge to the tanga wrecks and fish there for longtom, there's always been plenty there. They can be buggers to hook though, they have very tough mouths. I'd use a float, they're a surface feeder.
Joel

[bondy99]

Sampson

Thanks, it will all come in handy, if its frozen thats okay as long as it has not been thawed out, frozen ones can be used for other sections. I'm not the specialist on this field, I'm still learning, but it's all good. If it hasn't been chopped up, can you keep it aside for me. Give me a call on 38030660 some time tonight about 6.00pm and I'll get details of you.

And Choppa,

Nothing cynical or susc going on, Its all legit.

Imnotoriginal

Yes, that was on my mind, catching the barge to Moreton, except it is time limited and one still needs a boat to go near the wrecks. I've been on Moreton Island but being on Austudy funds dont go that far. I'll certainly will be keeping in mind though.

[ILikeBlu]

I dont think I have heard of anyone catching a flying fish(just me but), besided it flying into the boat. I saw about 4 a couple of weeks ago off Mooloolaba, but geez you would want to be quick and the luckiest bugger on earth to get one with the net hahaha. Be like trying to catch a butterfly on steroids :p

In all seriousness though,If I happen to catch one m8, in any way shape or form I will wack it in ice slurry for you and give you a ring.

[Jeremy87]

Hey i'm studying zoology at uq atm, what research topic? I've seen flying fish on the inside of the south passage bar and into the rous channel during the middle of summer. But you'd have to put in many hours on the water to even see one let alone get one in a scoop net. Do you know of anyone whose done it. I'd say it would be like hitting a hole in one at golf, its possible but it doesn't mean its going to happen. Long tom and gar can probably be taken more effectively with a drag net or cast net than a hand help scoop. I don't think there is any pelagic netting going on anymore round here so it wouldn't be likely that trawlers would be picking them up but i think they would be your best bet.

[bondy99]

G'day Jeremy87

Thanks for your message. I'm also at UQ. Centre for Marine Biology, this is an honours research, (Morphologcal function of the pharangeal jaw apparatus) and the rest. Thats with Flying fish, however my supervisor wants gar as well as longtom on top, bugger if I know what for but that's for his other project.

I know exactly what you mean about catching these , but it's a task I have to succeed in. I made a few enquiries with trawlers and ring-netters, I'll see how I go. I still have 2 to 3 months up my sleeve to get these.

The only people that have caught these is through accidental bycatch in the Northern Tiger and Endeavour Prawn Fishery up around Princess Charlotte Bay.

If you have any more info send me a pm.

Thanks ..Peter

[Freeeedom]

Gar are easy to catch around the bay foreshores from jetties etc using No12 hooks under small quill floats. Berley with bran or soaked and crumbled bread and use tiny pieces of peeled prawn or dough for bait. The best time to catch them is just after dawn at the top of the tide when the water is calm. A session of an hour or two can usually yield 30 - 40 gar. They will mostly be river gar, with the odd snub nosed gar thrown in. At times when stocking up on them from the Shorncliffe Pier I've aslo caught a few sea gar as well. They are best through the winter but there should still be a few about.
Another place to catch the snub nose gar is the north pine dam where you can usually catch them by the hundreds if you target them. Not sure how they've been affected by the low water levels though.
Cheers Freeeedom

[roz]

Bondy99,

I know for a fact that flying fish do occasionally turn up in the cod end of the occasional prawn trawler, I've been given them to use for towing baits.

This was a trawler working out of Southport, they tend to turn up in their nets when they worked wide. I know it sounds odd, as flying fish are always seen skimming and flying the surface of the ocean.... and before anyone says something I'm not mistaking a gurnard for a flying fish.

Might pay to get intouch with a local fish co-op, and go from there. Hope that helps.

I don't think gar and longtoms should be a problem for you.

r.

BTW I caught a good sized longtom fishing off the rocks at Lizard Island once, if you want to fly me up there, I really would make a big effort to catch one for you, promise!!!8-) 8-) 8-) Might take me a couple of weeks though::)

[BeastMaster]

Hello Bondy99 -
I've fished Moreton Bay for nearly 40 years( jezz showing a bit of age there arent I) , and have only seen a couple of flying fish inside the bays sheltered waters in all that time - attached below is a picture of one I caught on a bait jig a couple of months ago , just a couple of kms west of Tangalooma. Unfortunately I fed him to a nice snapper.I hope the Pic attaches- If not and you would like the photo PM me with your email address and I'll send you the larger photo.
Beast

[loophole]

have seen em about 100m from waddy point.

[bondy99]

G'ay Freeeedom, Ros and Beastmaster,

Ros, I'm already onto that, I'll be having a yarn with some of the guys at southport in a week or two, I'm sure they can help but whether they will is something else. I might see if I can get onbard one or two on a block licence.

Thanks for your replies and information, Beastmaster I'm slightly ahead in the age but still a young blood, arent we all :)

Freeeedom, I'm not sure whether I need the freshwater ones, I think the salty ones are needed. I use to catch them in wivehoe dam before the drought (about 4 years ago) and before the 16ft sailing club took over the spot I use to go off the shoreline. there was heaps of weed and had no problem to catch a feed of gar. This time its for a research project. With pine river dam, are there spots where they can be caught without a boat?

Peter

[Freeeedom]

Hi Peter
Boats are not allowed on North Pine Dam so you can only fish from the shoreline and only at the permitted access points. The snub nosed gar are the same species as the ones found in saltwater - they survive in the dam because they can breed in fresh water whereas the other species can't.
Longtom like to hang around in front of reefs or rocky areas, so there are plenty of huge ones in places like the seaward side of Flinders Reef, Flat rock and Mudjimba Island. Note that the first two of these have exlcusion zones so you can't fish in close to them. I've also caught quite a few off rocky headlands like Noosa. These are big fish up to 5kg or more and are caught on gear and baits targeting tailor and mackerel.
Cheers Freeeedom

[bondy99]

G'day Freeedom
Thanks for the info about North Pine Dam, I am aware that boats cant go onto Wivanhoe Dam unless it was a sailing vessel or electric powered. petrol motors are banned due to contamination of fresh water, was not sure on North Pine Dam.

With snub nose gar I know they have been introduced into freshwater whereas the longnose gar did not survive. I'll have to ask my supervisor whether he wants them sourced from fresh or saltwater, there may be another aspect he is looking for. Maybe DPI Research vessel might be able to look into Flinders Reef and Flat Rock. I have a permit that allows certain aspects of capture techniques, quantity etc , I'll have to recheck the exclusion zones. Thanks for the tip.

I like to get a feed of tailor of the rocks and beach, its been hit and miss for me at times, when have you noticed them around Noosa Headland.

Cheers,
Peter

[roz]

G'ay Freeeedom, Ros and Beastmaster,

Ros, I'm already onto that, I'll be having a yarn with some of the guys at southport in a week or two, I'm sure they can help but whether they will is something else. I might see if I can get onbard one or two on a block licence.


Peter

If you have any difficulties, let me know. I could possibly get intouch with someone who knows someone......... You should be OK though.

plenty of snub nosed gar around the mouth of the Tweed( other species as well), my favourite hunting ground for gar towing baits.

[bondy99]

If you have any difficulties, let me know. I could possibly get intouch with someone who knows someone......... You should be OK though.

plenty of snub nosed gar around the mouth of the Tweed( other species as well), my favourite hunting ground for gar towing baits.

G'day Roz

Thanks, might have to get in contact with you if I get no joy. I'll send you a pm in about a week or two.

Thanks
Peter

[Freeeedom]

Hi Peter
I used to fish the Hell's Gates region of the Noosa Headland regularly from about August to December catching big jew through the night and various pelagics after dawn. Tailor were a regular take (up to 5kg), along with spotted, school and spanish mackerel, yellowtail kings and the odd cobia. The big longtoms used to take the whole pillies or pike on ganged hooks intended for the other speedsters. Unfortunately since both my knees are now made from titanium and nylon I can't quite manage the hike through the national park and the climb down the cliffs - especially the return journey with a 15kg plus fish over your shoulder. So these days I confine my rock fishing to locations that are a bit easier to get to.
By the way I've recently been catching some of the biggest river gar I've ever caught in close to the shores of Mud Island when I've moved in close to target a few bream, after a dawn session out wider looking for snapper. I've probably got a few whole ones still in the freezer if you want them
Cheers Freeeedom

[finding_time]

Peter

I spend the entire summer looking for flying fish as the great indicator of my target species, we generally get large schools wide of Cape moreton but how you would catch them iv'e no idea. Motoring around at night the boat gets hit by a few but rarely do they end up in the boat. Years ago when i was into offshore yacht racing ,alot used to hit the sails and end up in the boat, so maybe yachties would be worth a bet! As already said the bay just inside of the mouth of the mooloola river there has been plenty of gar, but they may have moved on by now.

Ian

[flathead_fred]

Hey Peter Im guessing your with Ian Tibbets at CMS doing this honours project. Im also in CMS but upstairs in the Marine Botany Lab with Norm Duke doing a study on the links between mangrove loss and fisheries. Good to see another UQ post-grad getting around these boards, I was thinking about doing honours with Ian, but it turns out hes now one of my markers lol....so put in the good word for me :-). Good luck with it all, youll definately find loads of help around Ausfish.

Michael

[bondy99]

Hi Peter
I used to fish the Hell's Gates region of the Noosa Headland regularly from about August to December catching big jew through the night and various pelagics after dawn. Tailor were a regular take (up to 5kg), along with spotted, school and spanish mackerel, yellowtail kings and the odd cobia. The big longtoms used to take the whole pillies or pike on ganged hooks intended for the other speedsters. Unfortunately since both my knees are now made from titanium and nylon I can't quite manage the hike through the national park and the climb down the cliffs - especially the return journey with a 15kg plus fish over your shoulder. So these days I confine my rock fishing to locations that are a bit easier to get to.
By the way I've recently been catching some of the biggest river gar I've ever caught in close to the shores of Mud Island when I've moved in close to target a few bream, after a dawn session out wider looking for snapper. I've probably got a few whole ones still in the freezer if you want them
Cheers Freeeedom

G'day Freeeedom

Thanks for letting me know, sorry to hear about your knee condition, I like to try different areas but the spots you mentioned I've planned to get there but never have.

If you still have those others frozen and not going to use them, sure I can come up and collect, but it will be about 2 weeks down the track. Send me a pm with your details and I'll let you know what day I can make it. Thanks Peter

[bondy99]

Hey Peter Im guessing your with Ian Tibbets at CMS doing this honours project. Im also in CMS but upstairs in the Marine Botany Lab with Norm Duke doing a study on the links between mangrove loss and fisheries. Good to see another UQ post-grad getting around these boards, I was thinking about doing honours with Ian, but it turns out hes now one of my markers lol....so put in the good word for me :-). Good luck with it all, youll definately find loads of help around Ausfish.

Michael

Hello Michael

Yep, your spot on Ian Tibbets is the person, he certainly has given me a quarry to catch, a damn difficult one with flying fish, I'm trying to get the species asap. I'm not on campus as yet due to an injury I have but can come up and have a chat with you. Do i need to wear my lab coat upstairs to see you?

Maybe monday 24th would be good to meet, let me know what time. You can send me a pm if you like. Cheers, Peter.

[bondy99]

Peter

I spend the entire summer looking for flying fish as the great indicator of my target species, we generally get large schools wide of Cape moreton but how you would catch them iv'e no idea. Motoring around at night the boat gets hit by a few but rarely do they end up in the boat. Years ago when i was into offshore yacht racing ,alot used to hit the sails and end up in the boat, so maybe yachties would be worth a bet! As already said the bay just inside of the mouth of the mooloola river there has been plenty of gar, but they may have moved on by now.

Ian


Hi Ian

As far as I know you can catch these flying fish at night using a long handled landing net with a strong light, but the sea needs to be calm enough, otherwise its a bit hard. I know they come up to the surface at times but can be very time consuming. I dont have a boat, but would be prepared to go out with another person and pay towards the fuel. I need to get these within the next two months, hence timeframe unfortunately.

If your going offshore or deep sea fishing sometime after 25th september and have spare room I'll chip in towards fuel and bait. send me a pm later on. Cheers Peter

[bondy99]

Many thanks to all those who have assisted me with my uni project, I could not do this without help and its greatfully appreciated.

Thanks again
Peter

[DICER]

Good luck with your Honours project - make it count. Hope you catch and research your quarry!

[bondy99]

Good luck with your Honours project - make it count. Hope you catch and research your quarry!

Thanks Dicer, I only get one crack at it, it's a challenge. Peter

[Sea-Dog]

Hey Peter (Bondy99),

I hope this professor of yours doesn't have a warped sense of humour.

Flying fish.... a bit like sending the new apprentice to stores department for a long weight, or a left-handed hammer. ::)

I thought of one way to catch them if you chance upon a school at night.

Have you seen the youtube vid of a couple of blokes somewhere in Europe scaring fish with a spotlight and they jump into the boat by the dozens?

You just need to entice them to jump. We always used to find flying fish on the deck of the trawler in the morning after rough weather at night. It seems they jump more when the waves are bigger.

[bondy99]

Hey Peter (Bondy99),

I hope this professor of yours doesn't have a warped sense of humour.

Flying fish.... a bit like sending the new apprentice to stores department for a long weight, or a left-handed hammer. ::)

I thought of one way to catch them if you chance upon a school at night.

Have you seen the youtube vid of a couple of blokes somewhere in Europe scaring fish with a spotlight and they jump into the boat by the dozens?

You just need to entice them to jump. We always used to find flying fish on the deck of the trawler in the morning after rough weather at night. It seems they jump more when the waves are bigger.

G'day Sea-Dog
My supervisor might have, you may have a point and I'm sure he does. Night time would be the go for these buggers, I have not looked into youtube vid, it might be good to get a laugh though, I'll have a squiz at it. I remember many years ago working the continental shelf for Royal Reds, yep, they came on board, then I seen an ugly mako jump out of the water too, I was thinking to myself, shit, hope this bugger does not land on board.

Might catch up with you one day.
Peter

[bondy99]

I dont think I have heard of anyone catching a flying fish(just me but), besided it flying into the boat. I saw about 4 a couple of weeks ago off Mooloolaba, but geez you would want to be quick and the luckiest bugger on earth to get one with the net hahaha. Be like trying to catch a butterfly on steroids :p

In all seriousness though,If I happen to catch one m8, in any way shape or form I will wack it in ice slurry for you and give you a ring.

No worries, I appreciate your assistance. Let me know how you go with it. I would have to pick a difficult one hey!! Cheers Peter.

[loophole]

hows the flying fish going mate?
i was out in the boat on the weekend and noticed a schoool of flying fish on the 36ers . bloody fast things they are oh and this was at 9am in the morning

[Lovey80]

Blondy99, your right about the long handled net at night. I recently saw a cable show where a guy flew to NZ to catch massive yellow tail kings. The night before the session they went to a shallow cove and put a big floodlight into the water and started jigging with bait jigs. One of the deckies was scooping them up at the back of the boat with a long handled net. Tangalooma wrecks do look like a good spot to light up.

Also another option to increase your chances is maybe rigging up a blue LED that you can immerse under water to attract the fish. http://www.oceanled.com/fishing.php Check out their short video's. Obviously your not going to spend a big load of cash on these but a cheap version can be made from dick smith.
Just a thought.

Cheers Chris

[BigE]

So Pete when do flying fish hit the endangered speices list , and what is the angle that can be used to blame rec fishers for the decline. unless you wish to enlighten us on how good this research will be for the rec fishing sector. seem to remember a simlar request not so long ago, then like magic its 5 spotties for recs & 3 blues.
thanks but no thanks pete (and i dont believe for one min that you dont know how the research will be used thats the first agenda that is set)
no offence ment pete thats just bit much to ask.

BigE

[imnotoriginal]

I think you're making a lot of assumptions there BigE. Perhaps Peter might be willing to PM you more details of what the research is, or post it up here, but simply assuming research will be used against fishos doesn't seem very productive to me.
Joel

[bondy99]

hows the flying fish going mate?
i was out in the boat on the weekend and noticed a schoool of flying fish on the 36ers . bloody fast things they are oh and this was at 9am in the morning

G'day loophole,

Thanks for your post, the flyingfish is a bit slow, as one can appreciate its a vast ocean and quite literally searching for a needle in a haystack. Its a situation where one has to be prepared to undertake long hours . I can tell you this much, they are not targetted by commerical trawlers as flying fish are usually found in the surface water column. The only place where these have been captured as incidental and on rare occassions is in Qlds Northern Tiger and Endeavour Prawn Fishery and from what I understand from the Observers on these vessels, there maybe 3 or 4 captured throught out the season but are mostly recorded and return to ocean where possible.

What section of the 36's did you see them?
Peter

[bondy99]

So Pete when do flying fish hit the endangered speices list , and what is the angle that can be used to blame rec fishers for the decline. unless you wish to enlighten us on how good this research will be for the rec fishing sector. seem to remember a simlar request not so long ago, then like magic its 5 spotties for recs & 3 blues.
thanks but no thanks pete (and i dont believe for one min that you dont know how the research will be used thats the first agenda that is set)
no offence ment pete thats just bit much to ask.

BigE

So BigE, What makes you think that my research is going to close down a fishery, when a fishery for flyingfish does not exist in this country? I like to know why you must paint eveyone who does research with the same brush or is just arrogance or ignorance?

I have been a commercial fisherman for 3 years, my Godfather was also a commercial fisherman and I'm also a recreational and spearfisherman.

Fact 1. This research as nothing to do with targets, quotas, commercial -v-recreational or vice versa, or whatever your mind might be conjecturing in a sinister or political persuasion agenda.

Fact 2. The whole purpose of this particular research is to do with ancestory and the key question.

BigE Perhaps you might be qualified to answer this question "What is the morphological function of the pharangeal jaw apparatus of a flying fish"? plus the other unknown relationships

Fact 3. To answer these one needs to investigate under the microscope and to that one needs to have the specimen.


Also BigE to answer the other part of the question which you may be thinking of....There is no hidden agenda and there is no "Flyingfish fishery" in Australia so you dont need to worry and sleep easy.

[bondy99]

I think you're making a lot of assumptions there BigE. Perhaps Peter might be willing to PM you more details of what the research is, or post it up here, but simply assuming research will be used against fishos doesn't seem very productive to me.
Joel

G'day Joel

There you go, there's always got to be one with an overactive imagination and possibly ignorant or has some arrogance towards researchers and thinks every researcher has got some type of sinister plan of closing a fishery down. I have posted a reply to BigE as a public reply. BigE might be annoyed with the response I gave him but thats his/her problem, but those are the facts.
Peter

[BigE]

joel thanks for the reply your view may be right RE: assumptions , i actually refer to it as experience. I have helped out with research in the past and have found that rec fishers usally get burned by it eventually. (i once was even silly enough to give up GPS marks during the RAP debarkle) and my opinion probably is not very productive for the "researchers" and i like it that way although i was not always like that. I do have a fair amount of cyicism for those who cannot tell me why they wish to research a particular thing (research $ dont fall from the sky & i'm still waiting for that piece of research that pro- rec fishing has anyone seen a bag limit go upwards?)
Pete thanks for comments on my personality most constructive, not really wishing to upset you more but, for someone with such an extensive fishing pedigree you cannot find flying fish??? surely not ?? your post seem to indicate to me that you did not know exactly how/what the reseach would be used for (forgive me perhaps my ignorance over rode my imagination) now that we know your reseach is about ancestory of flying fish (hint they come from other flying fish) as for their jaws sorry cant help much (there small & open & shut) unknown relationships?? your guess is as good as mine (there good bait for rec fisherman, there are probably lots more but thats the one that appeals to me) I'm sure any microscope comments from an arrogant overactive imagination of ignoramus like me are unlikely to be helpful or help you look at someone else's point of view. sorry if you got upset by my comments it really was not the intent.

Regards E

[bondy99]

BigE, Mate too me its like water of a ducks back, in my former role having to deal with the in excess of 20,000 members of the general public at the coal face day in day out for the past 7 years, one developes a hide as thick as an elephant (metaphorically speaking) and I was not phased by your earlier remarks. Like in life one has to take the good with the bad.

Are you married BigE? Remember the wedding vowels committment said before a priest, for in goodness in health,. sickness or for richer or poorer until death do us depart?. One can apply those set of values to a fishery. i.e. if one looks after it, then in return it will look after you. I'll leave those for you to ponder upon. Ancestory is only one componet as mentioned in my earlier response.

Now you now got the drift, away anchor and steam to calmer waters. Peter

[Poodroo]

There were a few flying fish when I was fishing with my uncle out from Deep Tempest and heading out wide of Caloundra. The little buggers come out of the water well out of reach of the boat however. Quite a spectacular sight to see however. Good luck trying to catch them.

Poodroo

[onerabbit]

I dont think I have heard of anyone catching a flying fish(just me but), besided it flying into the boat. I saw about 4 a couple of weeks ago off Mooloolaba, but geez you would want to be quick and the luckiest bugger on earth to get one with the net hahaha. Be like trying to catch a butterfly on steroids :p

In all seriousness though,If I happen to catch one m8, in any way shape or form I will wack it in ice slurry for you and give you a ring.

Closest I have come to catching one, rotten bastard agout 18 inches long came over the bow & landed head first straight in my left eye, slapped off my face & I turned my head just in time to see it go back over the side, :'( :'( :'( , I was keen to use it as a floater after that.


Muzz

[bondy99]

There were a few flying fish when I was fishing with my uncle out from Deep Tempest and heading out wide of Caloundra. The little buggers come out of the water well out of reach of the boat however. Quite a spectacular sight to see however. Good luck trying to catch them.

Poodroo


G'day Poodroo,
Thanks for your sighting, they are bit of a challenge, they can be caught with the right gear. Night time is about the only sure way to catch them and then only when the sea is calm.
Peter

[bondy99]

Closest I have come to catching one, rotten bastard agout 18 inches long came over the bow & landed head first straight in my left eye, slapped off my face & I turned my head just in time to see it go back over the side, :'( :'( :'( , I was keen to use it as a floater after that.


Muzz


G'day Muzz, :) 8-) They can be like that
Peter

[Jeremy87]

So Pete when do flying fish hit the endangered speices list , and what is the angle that can be used to blame rec fishers for the decline. unless you wish to enlighten us on how good this research will be for the rec fishing sector. seem to remember a simlar request not so long ago, then like magic its 5 spotties for recs & 3 blues.
thanks but no thanks pete (and i dont believe for one min that you dont know how the research will be used thats the first agenda that is set)
no offence ment pete thats just bit much to ask.

BigE

Mate if you can't get enough meat off 5 spotties and 3 blues then your just plain greedy, maybe its a good time to remind everyone about the ban on netting for spotties in the bay and since then (last season in particular) their numbers have increased making the quota of 5 much easier to attain.

If your so certain that recreational fishing is having no impact on fish stocks maybe you should finance a study of your own to prove it, i can assure you that an extensive and well designed study presented to the scientific community will not be overlooked, probably because it will find that we are having an impact which is why we impose bag limits. Overfishing is like sh!tting where you eat and at the moment people in general are sh!tting everywhere, and the only way we can make the taking of fish sustainable unfortunately is by taking less fish and protecting more habitat. While i agree rec fishermen get a raw deal from time to time enforcing partial bans is just another burden for fisheries officers who already have a hard enough time as is keeping fishermen in line.

Good luck pete with your study, i'll keep an eye out for flying fish when i'm on the water.

[bondy99]

Mate if you can't get enough meat off 5 spotties and 3 blues then your just plain greedy, maybe its a good time to remind everyone about the ban on netting for spotties in the bay and since then (last season in particular) their numbers have increased making the quota of 5 much easier to attain.

If your so certain that recreational fishing is having no impact on fish stocks maybe you should finance a study of your own to prove it, i can assure you that an extensive and well designed study presented to the scientific community will not be overlooked, probably because it will find that we are having an impact which is why we impose bag limits. Overfishing is like sh!tting where you eat and at the moment people in general are sh!tting everywhere, and the only way we can make the taking of fish sustainable unfortunately is by taking less fish and protecting more habitat. While i agree rec fishermen get a raw deal from time to time enforcing partial bans is just another burden for fisheries officers who already have a hard enough time as is keeping fishermen in line.

Good luck pete with your study, i'll keep an eye out for flying fish when i'm on the water.


Hello Jeremy87,

I read and hear what you say, and sadly so this is the case, those who do the right thing have nothing to fear, and yes I agree in order to have a sustainable fishery, marine stewardship has to come in to play. Its like the gemfish and orange roughy fishery, just about , if not stuffed. Takes somewhere between 50-75 years for the orange roughy to reach sexual maturity. They live to about 150 years. By taking juvenile stock (very little was know then) resulted in very little recruitment to take place. Thank god snapper is not in that age group otherwise there would be no snapper for anyone.

I have found something of interest about the flyingfish from a researcher in Indonesia, he is on sebatical with UNSWand currently he is at the Australian Museum checking his flyingfish records. I'll PM you once I get more info.

Crocodile and barred longtom are not in moreton bay so it seems, I think they are found further north and possibly in reefal lagoons, I still need to check a few things first to be sure. The crocodile longtom has a red throat with a keel like appemdage towards the lower tail. if you ever seen these, let me know. Thanks

Peter

[Dug]

This may have been discussed but have you contacted the commercial fishing boats going out of Mooloolaba for deep water?

They may either pick up flying fish in nets or on their decks.

I am sure they would throw some on ice for you if asked. Do you get up this way or would you like me to make some enquiries for you?

PM me if you want to. I live pretty close to mooloolaba and have no problem heading down there and asking round.

[bondy99]

This may have been discussed but have you contacted the commercial fishing boats going out of Mooloolaba for deep water?

They may either pick up flying fish in nets or on their decks.

I am sure they would throw some on ice for you if asked. Do you get up this way or would you like me to make some enquiries for you?

PM me if you want to. I live pretty close to mooloolaba and have no problem heading down there and asking round.

Hello Dug,

I've approached a few commercial operators in the Gold Coast, they'll keep an eye out during sorting. In the meantime I've sent you a pm.

I dont often get up to Mooloolaba. Check your pm when you get the chance.

Thanks
Peter

[rando]

Agree with Dug I saw quite a few Flying fish on my way back to mooloolaba from the "Banks" It was a pretty rough day as well,about 3 weeeks ago.

[bondy99]

G'day Rando

I might have to see about using a surface gill net about 6m deep. General Fisheries Permit issued but whether this can be done is a different matter. Aparantly Indonesia has a flyingfish fishery which catches these day or night. I need to see a working model of it with specifications. It's all speculative at this stage in relation to use of gillnets. How far out did you see these, about halfway between Barwon Banks and Mooloolaba? Cheers Peter

[bondy99]

I wish to thank all those who have given me assistance and extra information on these ellusive flyingfish, 3x2 gar and longtom. These are not an easy species to capture but also not that impossible if one perserveres.

Happy fishing to all.

Cheers. Peter

[danryan75]

hey mate.

a few years back we stayed in a timeshare house on surfers.
its on a street called jaydon pl just across from pacific fair.
absolutely millions of gar in the canal that runs behind it just throw some bread in and throw ur castnet over the top

got about 30 in one throw.

good luck mate

[bondy99]

G'day danryan75,

Yes, times have changed since then, not after normal gar these days, its 3x2 gar that's required, few and far between. Happy fishing, Peter

[bondy99]

Has anyone else seen or spottered these large crocodile longtoms near Tangalooma? The real McCoy has a red throat. The other longtom species is shorter and has cross bars towards the tail end. I cant find a decent photo to show but will do so when I find one. If so, can you let me know what tide they were seen. incoming or outgoing tide. Cheers, Peter

[bondy99]

Has anyone caught squid near Tangalooma wrecks?

[kingtin]

Has anyone caught squid near Tangalooma wrecks?

Only just picked up on this thread so forgive me for late reply.

I've seen squid pretty close, on the outside of the wrecks but never on the inside. I think that they would be made short thrift of by the long toms round there. I don't know what species they are but I have caught Long Tom off Crusoe Island and the ones at Tangalooma are huge in comparison. They are not simply bigger but appear to be longer in relation to their girth compared to the ones that I have caught at the pin. They can certainly jump high as well, although why they leave the water, I have no idea. They tend to be in fairly large numbers at tangalooma when the yakkas are also there.

With regards to flying fish. I've seen them once in the bay. The first time was my first trip out of manly on a rough day (but I went anyway) ;D. because it was my first trip in a boat since coming to Oz and I had 6 kids on board and we were blown away by the fact that we saw a dolphin in manly harbour and then, when we were no more then a couple of hundred metres outside, we were surprised by flying fish taking off. We did notice that they all took off in the same direction that the boat was heading..........almost as if we'd surprised them from behind.

kev

[bondy99]

Only just picked up on this thread so forgive me for late reply.

I've seen squid pretty close, on the outside of the wrecks but never on the inside. I think that they would be made short thrift of by the long toms round there. I don't know what species they are but I have caught Long Tom off Crusoe Island and the ones at Tangalooma are huge in comparison. They are not simply bigger but appear to be longer in relation to their girth compared to the ones that I have caught at the pin. They can certainly jump high as well, although why they leave the water, I have no idea. They tend to be in fairly large numbers at tangalooma when the yakkas are also there.

With regards to flying fish. I've seen them once in the bay. The first time was my first trip out of manly on a rough day (but I went anyway) ;D. because it was my first trip in a boat since coming to Oz and I had 6 kids on board and we were blown away by the fact that we saw a dolphin in manly harbour and then, when we were no more then a couple of hundred metres outside, we were surprised by flying fish taking off. We did notice that they all took off in the same direction that the boat was heading..........almost as if we'd surprised them from behind.

kev

G'day Kev

Thanks for your info, one is never too late, I have managed to get 5 longtom so far but not quite the right species, my supervisor has not seen the ones I've caught so its all good. Can you recall how far out from the wrecks these squid were? Longtoms, I'll be making a trip to Tangalooma sometime next week, I'll be targeting them but not sure how long it will take, I hope the effort will not be in vain, that's fishing in general, hey!

Flyingfish is my main study but will be getting a few by way of drift surface net 6m deep (Fisheries permit) but will need to work out how far to drift before retrieval and will have to place a notice to mariners alert when this happens. Don't want anyone running over it or some one knocking it off so I might have to stay with the net, maybe 3 or 4 mile offshore drift somewhere between Cape Moreton and Atkinsons Reef or Hutchinson Shoal or further afield.

Cheers, Peter

[kingtin]

G'day Kev

Can you recall how far out from the wrecks these squid were?

Cheers, Peter

No more than 100m Peter, as I approached to moor inside. The water was crystal clear at around 24ft and we could actually see wobbegong on the bottom. I have never seen 'em in numbers and they always appear to be solitary, in that when you do see more than one in a short time frame, they are always some distance apart.

kev

[bondy99]

No more than 100m Peter, as I approached to moor inside. The water was crystal clear at around 24ft and we could actually see wobbegong on the bottom. I have never seen 'em in numbers and they always appear to be solitary, in that when you do see more than one in a short time frame, they are always some distance apart.

kev

No worries, thanks for the information, this will make things a bit easier, cheers, Peter

[bondy99]

Thanks for the additional information Kev

[bondy99]

Has anyone managed to capture and store any flyingfish in their freezer by any chance. I have one month free time to collect a few. Thanks