Understanding bream fishers

[spears]

I have had a look on some bream fishing sites of guys going out and as their words are “having a session of bream fishing”,but no fish are kept.

I just don’t get it,what am I not seeing here.
When I go fishing I go out to get fish to eat,after investing lots of money over the year running a boat plus fishing tackle purchased plus bits and pieces and petrol I need to use that gear as intended.

It’s a bit like saying I’m going fishing but no fish produced.why.i just don’t understand it.

I know there are reasons for this and I would be interested in an answer.

[spelchek]

Well, speaking for myself - I go fishing to go fishing. If I was looking for a 'return on investment' I'd just head to the fish markets.

[spears]

Well, speaking for myself - I go fishing to go fishing. If I was looking for a 'return on investment' I'd just head to the fish markets.
return on investment
That's not the intended question

[spelchek]

after investing lots of money over the year running a boat plus fishing tackle purchased plus bits and pieces and petrol I need to use that gear as intended.

Well what did you mean then?

[mookyandlumpy]

i just for fishing too , but i throw 99% of fish back unless im have a special bbq or dinner within a couple of days of my trip, where i will keep two to three fish .

its a sport to me and if a catch some fish it means i win, most of the time there is no need or want for me to keep the fish

with sayin that im not implying its not right to keep fish or anyhting like that :)

[Mudguard 92]

for fun, to improve/test your techniques and catch and release - to make fishing possible in the future (It takes 15 years for a bream to get to 23 cm's). Theres no chance you will pay off your boat with fish, let alone petrol and tackle. Fair enough you may take a couple of bream for a feed, but i dont think theres any need to take anymore then necessary, i guess it just depends on how plentiful the fish is in that area.

I hope this answered your question, not sure if it did ;D

Mud

[wags on the water]

Bream fishing for me is a lot of fun on light gear. I don't keep them as there are finer fish in the sea to eat IMO.
Have you ever heard of fishing for fun....???

[struktcha_man]

yeah they treat it like a sport, which indeed it is these days

cheers

[Fishbait]

Well for me - when I bream fish I only keep the bigger ones and throw the smaller ones back. I have a boat rule between me and my mate of 28cm initially, then if there on, we don't keep anything under 30cm then. I use light 3kg gear and dead baits - I'm not a lure fisherman for bream. Thats me anyway. Cheers, Darren

[deepfried]

Bream are fairly plentiful and are sporting on light gear. It gives these guys a chance to get out on the water toss lures around with mates and have some fun. If they kept even half of what some of them catch it would put a fair dent in Bream stocks. I think you would find that the bulk of these guys are "Tackle Junkies". A fair wack of their enjoyment comes from using new gear / techniques successfully and developing the skills not keeping a feed. After all catching fish is the best part not the feed. Good luck to them. I personaly prefer to chase something that i can get a feed out of though. I dont keep bream because of there slow growth rate and i dont find them that good of a chew anyway.

Scott

[deepfried]

Also i think you could say the same about bass and Jack chasers as well to some degree ( Jacks at least in NSW where most are released ). Same breed of angler and dont mean anything bad by that either if anyone is concerned. Fishings a sport not a time to hunt and gather for some. I reckon i fit in the middle.

Scott

[spears]

Well what did you mean then?

What I wrote here:
after investing lots of money over the year running a boat plus fishing tackle purchased plus bits and pieces and petrol I need to use that gear as intended.

This means that I spent more money to improve my chances of catching more fish than being land based.
If I weren’t going to eat fish then I wouldn’t go fishing.but that’s me.


And WAGS re:
Have you ever heard of fishing for fun....???
And the end reward is great to say ..look what we got for tea tonight

[Dick Pasfield]

Spears, that’s a pretty complex question to answer comprehensively due to the complexity of issue as a whole.

On one side of rec fishing you have those who fish for a feed only with little time for the ‘sporting’ notion, “Why would you want to worry a fish half to death?” would be a question on their lips. Up the other end you have the catch and release mob who would point out that fish stocks are falling, rec anglers play a part in that decline, therefore on that basis fish should be returned to ensure long term sustainability of the past time. Interestingly both points of view are pretty sound. In the middle of all and representing the largest by far majority of anglers are those who do both. Of the two groups sitting at either end you will find some extreme views, you need to be aware of that!

The issue is further complicated by iconic fish, bream, barra, bass, snapper and dhue fish are some good examples. They get their iconic status for a number of reasons, for example the dhuie of WA is an iconic fish not for its sporting capabilities but for its eating qualities, bass on the other hand is one loved for its sporting qualities (and the environment you find them in).

It’s when you go against the grain of what is perceived by other people as the reason a fish should be angled for that you could wear some flack (please remember this is just peoples perceptions and the development of peer groups around a notion we’re talking about) For example who eats bass? They’re alright; done it before but who talks about it and posts a pic of a few bass necked ready for the pan? Not many, in fact can’t remember it happening.

The same applies for the dhuie, where displaying a necked fish is the norm and releasing a legal one whilst you are still within your bag limit is looked upon as a bit strange by some.

It could be agued very well that both fish face decline but are viewed very separately by anglers as what sort of resource they are and how that resource is and could be managed.

Hope this is of some assistance to you:).

[Tailortaker]

I love breamin, I do it for fun/sport. I keep the odd fish for my family but that's it.. I cant stand the taste of fish (rather a juicey steak) but love catching them. There is a lot of fun to be had when fishing with a 1-3kg rod, 4lb braid and a sp or hb.
Cheers TT

P.S for the record I dont care if people kill & grill or catch and release ;) but I'd rather kill & grill cattle & lamb than fish ;D

[Apollo]

I do both (keep and release) and enjoy each for its own rewards. As long as someone sticks to the laws of the day, I have no issues either way. Caught my first toga during the week and sent it on its way, then went home and had a chew on some spanish from the freezer that night - best of both worlds

[lusco]

I agree with Tailortaker.Love fishin for the enjoyment but give me beef and lamb any day of the week.

[Tailortaker]

for fun, to improve/test your techniques and catch and release - to make fishing possible in the future (It takes 15 years for a bream to get to 23 cm's). Theres no chance you will pay off your boat with fish, let alone petrol and tackle. Fair enough you may take a couple of bream for a feed, but i dont think theres any need to take anymore then necessary, i guess it just depends on how plentiful the fish is in that area.

I hope this answered your question, not sure if it did ;D

Mud
Sorry not trying to correct you but thought you may be interested,,Not saying this is true but it's something on saw on a Bream site

Bream may live as long as 20 years and approximate growth rates* are:

1 year - 9cm
2 years - 14cm
3 years - 18cm
4 years - 21cm
5 years - 22cm
6 years - 23cm
7 years - 24cm
8 years - 25cm
9 years - 26cm
10 years - 30.5cm
12 years - 33cm
16 years - 36.5cm
20 years - 38.75cm
*Data from studies carried out by the Central Ageing Facility at the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute, Queenscliff.

[tailorboi99]

I love targetting bream on plastics, also it's C&R for me just like those 'Bream fishers'

Tom

[dreemon]

With a family of 5 and all like fish I keep the 2 -3 biggest which is enough for us, thats if we catch any at all, for me it's fun and food is the bonus, if not, it's like pissing on your feet to get the sand off, effort and expence for no reward, but then again I see no prob with people releasing fish back.
hmm, just one more beer ::)

[Mudguard 92]

Sorry not trying to correct you but thought you may be interested,,Not saying this is true but it's something on saw on a Bream site

Bream may live as long as 20 years and approximate growth rates* are:

1 year - 9cm
2 years - 14cm
3 years - 18cm
4 years - 21cm
5 years - 22cm
6 years - 23cm
7 years - 24cm
8 years - 25cm
9 years - 26cm
10 years - 30.5cm
12 years - 33cm
16 years - 36.5cm
20 years - 38.75cm
*Data from studies carried out by the Central Ageing Facility at the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute, Queenscliff.

Not

Thanks tailortaker - i got my stat from a dvd, where starlo stated that it took 15 years for a bream to get to 23cm's.

[finding_time]

Also i think you could say the same about bass and Jack chasers as well to some degree ( Jacks at least in NSW where most are released ). Same breed of angler and dont mean anything bad by that either if anyone is concerned. Fishings a sport not a time to hunt and gather for some. I reckon i fit in the middle.

Scott


And you can add Billfishers to that list and tipical days heavy tackle billfishing on a $400 000 to $500 000 boat using maybe $20 000 worth of fishing gear and burning mybe 500 to 600 litres of fuel and the end result if your lucky is to let the fish swim away!;) And the only RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT is a smile that wont leave your face for a week!!!!!:D :D :D 8-) ;) ;D

[wags on the water]

And WAGS re:
Have you ever heard of fishing for fun....???
And the end reward is great to say ..look what we got for tea tonight

Eating Bream isn't for me. It's fun to target and catch these little fish.

A question to you......When was the last time you caught and kept bream??? What I don't understand is why you would start such a thread. Is it just to piss people off or is it just in your nature. I've not seen 1 report of your fishing rewards. Maybe you like to keep to yourself, if so how about keeping these topics, (Understanding bream fishers), to yourself as well.>:(

[Bones07]

Eating Bream isn't for me. It's fun to target and catch these little fish.

A question to you......When was the last time you caught and kept bream??? What I don't understand is why you would start such a thread. Is it just to piss people off or is it just in your nature. I've not seen 1 report of your fishing rewards. Maybe you like to keep to yourself, if so how about keeping these topics, (Understanding bream fishers), to yourself as well.>:(

i agree, why does anyone do anything? this could go round and round for weeks. it is still sport fishing and i love it. maybe you should give it a go:-/

[spears]

Eating Bream isn't for me. It's fun to target and catch these little fish.

A question to you......When was the last time you caught and kept bream??? What I don't understand is why you would start such a thread. Is it just to piss people off or is it just in your nature. I've not seen 1 report of your fishing rewards. Maybe you like to keep to yourself, if so how about keeping these topics, (Understanding bream fishers), to yourself as well.>:(
That's a bit below the belt..
No need for personal attacks

[wags on the water]

I haven't said anything derogitory about you in this thread except that this thread should never be allowed to be started. this isn't a personal attack buddy. If you want the whole thread removed then why start it????

[FNQCairns]

Pulling them from oyster leases can be great fun on light gear, so can sitting quietly over a run of them at night, still of all the common estuary fish species for some reason flathead where my manna fish.

cheers fnq

[wags on the water]

I'm over it already!

[Tailortaker]

I have had a look on some bream fishing sites of guys going out and as their words are “having a session of bream fishing”,but no fish are kept.

I just don’t get it,what am I not seeing here.
When I go fishing I go out to get fish to eat,after investing lots of money over the year running a boat plus fishing tackle purchased plus bits and pieces and petrol I need to use that gear as intended.

It’s a bit like saying I’m going fishing but no fish produced.why.i just don’t understand it.

I know there are reasons for this and I would be interested in an answer.
I think thats its a fair question and probabley not actually answered yet. For me other than the fact I dont eat fish the cost isnt a huge factor as I'm not running a large boat offshore. I knoe the full on comp guys are running up to 150hp motors but thats comps. I can get to my bream spot 4 times on 25l of fuel so thats no issue. My gear cost a fair bit but not as much as offshore gear. I do it for fun, relaxation and it can be quite challenging. As stated in previous posts i rarely take bream home most are C&R but when I head offshore with someone I'm quite happy to take home by bag limit of snapper and pearlies !!!
This prob still isnt the answer your after but it's mine.
And I realize that the thread wasnt intended to be a Catch & release VS Kill & Grill thread just a common question
Cheers TT

[FNQCairns]

How about - they can be everywhere, they fight well and can fight dirty, a commercial sport fishing aura has been built around them, they eat average so are often by catch from the feed the family brigade. they could be the new blackfish but in a more 'moshpit' kind of way??

cheers fnq

[RayDeR]

G'day!

There was a time when on a very low income, it was more than a bonus if I caught fish that were for the dinner table. If I spent $20 on bait or gear then that came from the very tight family budget, so any replacement was acceptable.

These days, now I earn much more, it is more take it or leave it but we still enjoy eating fish. Today's $20 comes from not going to a movie or for coffee and burger.

Ray de R

[spears]

One thing that came to mind re bream fishers.Would the main reason be due to a local river/waterway that’s close and convenient that keeps you going back.
Where going else where wouldn’t supply the same amount of action.?

[MattChew]

So many different views Spears. I myself fish for fun and not for food. The money I spent on a days fishing is nothing compared to the reward I get from it. It could be said that C&R is a cruel sport and that taking fish for a feed is accepted as there is an end product being put on a plate. Personally what ever floats your boat is what matters. If you really want to know what it is like fishing in a ambushers urban paradise you just have to do it to understand what it is like. I think I have a idea of what offshore game fishing is but think I might be a bit surprised by actually doing it.

Matt

[yellowbeard]

I'm currently trying to do my bit to save the planet, so I release all the eels, catfish, stingrays, porcupine fish and toads and will just continue to eat all the other stuff until those eco guys with their marine parks lock us out completly -- but then I'll be happy to do my bit and buy imported fish from the polluted waters of Thailand and other Asian belts. That's the Australian way. By the way Happy Australia Day.

[bustaonenut]

I have had a look on some bream fishing sites of guys going out and as their words are “having a session of bream fishing”,but no fish are kept.

I just don’t get it,what am I not seeing here.
When I go fishing I go out to get fish to eat,after investing lots of money over the year running a boat plus fishing tackle purchased plus bits and pieces and petrol I need to use that gear as intended.

It’s a bit like saying I’m going fishing but no fish produced.why.i just don’t understand it.

I know there are reasons for this and I would be interested in an answer.




It sounds like your a person that likes to eat fish more than catch it, but i guees there are people that like to catch fish more than eating it.

[Dunkxx]

For me i get a kick out of hooking up and landing fish of all species. I also value lowering them back into the water and watching them kick away.

If i want to eat fish i will buy from a local commercial fisherman.
thats just me
cheers
dunks

[PinHead]

I enjoy eating fish of most species...cannot catch anything else so have to eat what bream I catch...LOL

[Charlie]

Sorry not trying to correct you but thought you may be interested,,Not saying this is true but it's something on saw on a Bream site

Bream may live as long as 20 years and approximate growth rates* are:

1 year - 9cm
2 years - 14cm
3 years - 18cm
4 years - 21cm
5 years - 22cm
6 years - 23cm
7 years - 24cm
8 years - 25cm
9 years - 26cm
10 years - 30.5cm
12 years - 33cm
16 years - 36.5cm
20 years - 38.75cm
*Data from studies carried out by the Central Ageing Facility at the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute, Queenscliff.



A 23 cm bream could be 5 years or 15 years old,their growth is extremely variable but generally on the slow side,

[NAGG]

I consider myself to be in the group that Spears is trying to understand - Most of my fishing is based on lurecasting for bream.
Why bream ?????

Firstly ..... I love lure casting to structure - barra , jacks , cod 8-) ...... but I can only do it once a year when I do a Qld holiday.

so when I chose a style of fishing that I could do around my local waters (Sydney) ....... bream were the logical choice. (Bass fit into the same type of following)

* Bream are a good looking fish , that are powerful for their size , cunning ( big fish dont come often or easy) & are resilient ...... They survive catch & release well

*They are receptive to lures & plastics!
*They are accessible ..... in most sub tropical waterways
*Can be caught year round ...... & you can often find a place to fish in poor conditions.
*A level of skill is required to catch them consistently (year round) on lures
*They can be a frustrating fish in clear conditions ...... where finesse techniques (light leaders & line) will only work
* Structure fishing for bream (mangroves , rock walls , oyster leases & bridge pylons) can be as an exciting style of fishing as any ........ specially when light line is used.
These are the reasons that attract me to bream fishing!
As for catch & release ....... They are only a fare table fish ..... A 30cm fish is really the size you need to get a meal for 1 & at that size ..... you are looking at quite an old fish ( as had been mentioned) - i could not knock a 40cm bream off , knowing that it could be 30 years old ..... let it live.
As bream are resilient some of the best fish can be found in waters that could be considered as toxic ...... & with no commercial fishing & no keeping of fish - you can encounter some big fish!

Bream lure fishoes do fall into the tackle collectors / junkies group ....... they carry many rods which are rigged with many different presentations ....... as through the course of a session you could fish so many different situations.(so to own 5,6..7 bream outfits is normal ....... remember offshore fishoes can have 5 - 8 outfits for a days trolling...... Bream Lures .... easy to have $1000 worth ..... most quality ones have awesome detail & are finely tuned!

The boats ..... flash glass boats big motors (Electric motors) - It might be a little wanky but the reality is that you need a casting platform ..... so casting decks which allow movement rule ........ You cant really fish effectively from a normal runabout.......... Aluminium punts / V Nose & Canoes can be fine & a cheaper option! ...... Moving with the tide is important.

So thats my spin on Lure casting for bream ....... & I will say that several blokes that fished this style with me that also became keen on it.

Bass & Barra are going down a similar path too!

Cheers

Chris

[deepfried]

I think NAGG just answered your question spears. Been fun to read.

Scott

[Dick Pasfield]

Bass & Barra are going down a similar path too!

Not quite (thankfully) we eat barras cos they're yummy!;D

[NAGG]

Not quite (thankfully) we eat barras cos they're yummy!;D

OK Dick ..... Impoundment barra cos ... "they're muddy!";)

Very hard to put a nice Salty back ...... specially that 70-90cm numbers:P

Chris

[fishel]

Eating Bream isn't for me. It's fun to target and catch these little fish.

A question to you......When was the last time you caught and kept bream??? What I don't understand is why you would start such a thread. Is it just to piss people off or is it just in your nature. I've not seen 1 report of your fishing rewards. Maybe you like to keep to yourself, if so how about keeping these topics, (Understanding bream fishers), to yourself as well.>:(

I feel such an approach as this is totally unnessary because as far as I can see it is a genuine question as spears doesn't understand what motivates a person to catch then throw back. After all he said he knew there are reasons for this so he simply wants to know. I don't understand why some people have to come out with their fists up and cause unpleasantries.

I see a man who simply wants to understand where others are coming from! I think that's great. Wouldn't life be a lot better if more people wanted to understand where others are coming from rather than criticizing and making assumptions because they do not posses what it takes to have an understanding of where another person is at.

Spears is showing what is in his nature by wanting to understand and you (wags on the water) are showing what is in your nature by making agro comments.

Be nice! This is a great site and while, unfortunatlely, I haven't had the opportunity to meet any of you yet, it is obvious that there are a lot of good friendships, great times shared and heaps of helpful information offered those who ask.

Join in the spirit.

Life is too short not to make use of every opportunity to do something good or helpful and help make someone else's life more pleasant.

Eleanor

[NAGG]

I certainly think its a fair question ........ Thats why it should be answered.

No different to someone trolling for 4 days - burning a couple of grands in diesel .... to tag a Marlin !

Everyone gets something different out of their fishing style ....... & it does not have to be food! - I know I love a fresh feed of fish ........ but I love fishing for the sporting challenge

Chris

[Mossy247]

Not everyone is all about the returns, some of us just enjoy fishing, its clean good fun. I consider I do spend a fair bit of coin on my fishing gear and running my tinny, but I am not a big drinker and I don't do drugs. I am quite happy to spend my disposable income on what I enjoy.... When mates say they had a massive night out and spent 300 bucks on drinks I laugh.... they ask why... I say damn dude, all you got was a nasty hangover I spend 300 I get a new rod, reel and a bag full of soft plastics.... plus I gotta stok up before the misses wants kids... :p

[Mossy247]

Not everyone is all about the returns, some of us just enjoy fishing, its clean good fun. I consider I do spend a fair bit of coin on my fishing gear and running my tinny, but I am not a big drinker and I don't do drugs. I am quite happy to spend my disposable income on what I enjoy.... When mates say they had a massive night out and spent 300 bucks on drinks I laugh.... they ask why... I say damn dude, all you got was a nasty hangover I spend 300 I get a new rod, reel and a bag full of soft plastics.... plus I gotta stock up before the misses wants kids... :p

[bigtez]

For me it comes down to time and $s. I don't have much of either spare, so I hit the local creeks for bread and butter species. Bream are one of the most challenging of these on lures so they are a regular target.
I have a fairly good network of fishos that keep some fillets in the freezer most of the time so I don't need to keep anything. Reef fish are much better on the chew then bream imo.

[Blaster Bretty]

I havnt caught a bream for a while now (3-4 months) and I can probably say I wont target them anymore, I am a catch to eat bloke and I found bream at 30 cm are still too much hassle to strip down for a feed and then I also find them very bland as well. Nowadays I like to target the tailor in winter and bulllies in summer as I find these fish are much better on the chew, jacks are much better but are less common , to me anyway, but I do have a few mate's that love to fish like crazy but are dead set against eating fish or any seafood for that matter, they just love to fish.
I also find flathead very plain too but rest assured the same fish taste's different to every one

Bretty

[topcatch]

for fun, to improve/test your techniques and catch and release - to make fishing possible in the future (It takes 15 years for a bream to get to 23 cm's). Theres no chance you will pay off your boat with fish, let alone petrol and tackle. Fair enough you may take a couple of bream for a feed, but i dont think theres any need to take anymore then necessary, i guess it just depends on how plentiful the fish is in that area.

I hope this answered your question, not sure if it did ;D

Mud

I am one of the fish for fun, my partner cant understand it, she is a keeper. One thing that fascinates me Mud....where do you live that it takes 15 years to reach 23cm?

The yellowfin bream has a long history of stability of both the length ... Yellowfin bream grow slowly, taking. about 5 years to reach 23 cm fork length . according to NSW DPI.

[BR65]

I am one of the fish for fun, my partner cant understand it, she is a keeper. One thing that fascinates me Mud....where do you live that it takes 15 years to reach 23cm?

The yellowfin bream has a long history of stability of both the length ... Yellowfin bream grow slowly, taking. about 5 years to reach 23 cm fork length . according to NSW DPI.




Thanks tailortaker - i got my stat from a dvd, where starlo stated that it took 15 years for a bream to get to 23cm's.


Some fish for the challange Spears, not the meat.
Each to their own though.
I suspect a trip to a barra dam would really have you questioning why some fish to release, lot of money tied up in boat and gear, lot of hours on the water, lot of satisfaction to be had by fooling, fighting and releasing a big fish!

cheers
brian

[2manylures]

Spearsy, I’ll try my best to answer your question.

The species we chase is irrelevant, after all, it’s all fishing.

I love the thrill of feeling a fish trying to get off the hook and away to freedom, in other words the “fight”

It’s also a challenge for me to be able to go out on any given day and catch my targeted species. I bust my balls to get my first fish and once caught I can then totally relax knowing I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.

I release all the fish I catch because I don’t eat them and can’t see why I should kill them for the sake of it. I just love catching them.

The reasons I fish & not in any particular order are:
1.Sport=Challenge
2.Thrill-personal satisfaction/gratification
3.Relaxation-Piece & quite away from crowds +++. We all need to relax, some more than others.
4.Scenery-You don’t see beautiful wild country, wildlife and get to observe mother nature at her best while sitting at home playing chess.
5.Bonding-Family & friends seem to come together when you are fishing together.

1 & 2 could best be described as “my passion”
3, 4, 5 could best be described as “living life”

My preferred species to target is Trout but as I live so far from them these days I target native species.
To fish for trout I must travel 1100-1200 kms round trip.
To fish for natives I must travel 150-160kms round trip...There is no in between for me unfortunately.

Most bream anglers more than likely started to target them due to proximity. Just up the road or around the corner, I’m only guessing on this.

Bream are a schooling fish and are relatively easy to catch {contrary to what some say} like most schooling species. Bream fight reasonably well on light tackle so it’s easy {for me at least} to understand why anglers get hooked on them. {pardon the pun}.

So with bream we have:
1.Close proximity.
2.Numbers
3.Fighting ability.

The five reasons I mentioned above outlining why I fish could more than likely be associated with all anglers. Not bad reasons to take up the sport.

There are only three reasons sensible anglers kill fish. They are:
1.To eat
2.For bait
3.Noxious pests & illegal to return to the water.

The reason sensible anglers release fish would be:
1.Educating children {dad, grandpa, uncles taking the kids fishing, teaching sustainability for the future}
2.They don’t eat fish.
3.Sustainability {different from #1}
4.Some cannot kill any creature
5.They’re greenies. {It’s ok to be green without being a greeny}

Unless we are professional sports people then our chosen sport will cost us money. We will get very little return back for our investment. All sports people have to travel to participate.

It’s just unfortunate that fishing can be the most expensive of all.

For those who enjoy a nice feed of good healthy fish good luck to them. As long as it’s within the boundaries of the law they should be allowed to take & not be ridiculed by the righteous few.

On the other hand those who prefer to spend a lazy time catching & releasing fish should be granted the very same courtesy.

I hope that explains my personal view which can be read into answering your question.

[spears]

Good explanation lures.

[stevej]

also a lot of sydney waterways youd be a idiot to eat the fish

makes your testicles shrivel up

i fish to get away from work life pressures and most of the time just to zoom around in the boat.

going out to justify a purchase is kinda silly, you use it to have fun and do what you want with that time no matter what it may be

[breamnut]

why does it matter what people enjoy doing? keeping fish fora feed or releasing them just do what you enjoy doing, as most know i enjoy cnr in the rivers.
but nagg pritty much nailed it

[Chamelion]

My descision for releasing rather than keeping is one to do with sustainability. The ammount of decent fish in the Maroochy river has deteriorated significantly in the last 20 years.. What sort of bloody idiot would I be to reduce the fish stocks further? After all, it's the thrill of the hunt and the fight that follows which interests me!

There is a local creek that you generally can't fish, plenty of structure.. It's gone mostly unfished for the last 15 years and the quality of fish that hang around there is unlike anywhere else around the area that I've seen. I caught 5 trevally there (all small, but there were some bigger ones further out chasing down schools of smaller fish) in half an hours casting the other day.
Later that night I returned with a mate and a cast net, mullet were boiling up the water significantly. Casting 6ft off the bank netting a dozen 5-8" per cast.
There were so many that on my first cast with a surface lure (PX45) I jagged one through the side during my walk the dog retrieve.

What is it they say? Don't shit where you eat?... It can apply.

ps: obviously the trevs were returned, 28 mullet were kept for future use as bait.

[Jeremy87]

Wether you realise it or not spears you go fishing for the same reason bream fishers do. . . because you enjoy it. If you were truely after a feed of fish for the lowest price you would just buy it from the shop.

As far as fish go to me bream do not rank highly in terms of eating or fighting. I would much rather catch snapper, sweetlip, spotties etc for food and much rather chase bass, jacks, barra, sooties etc for the fight. And yet through a combination of factors i probably end up spending as much time chasing bream as anything else. Probably cost, and accessability.

I can call up a mate to see what he's doing for the afternoon and half an hour later have loaded and launched the canoe in the local creek and expect to catch anywhere between 5 and 50 fish for a few hours effort. It's inexpesive, we probably go through a couple of jig heads and a packet of plastics each so about $10, and it keeps our skills sharp between serious fishing trips. As a bonus you might even catch a big lizard or a rogue bass.

So yeh as far as sport fishing goes there are bigger and better fish and as far as table fish go there are better eating fish. I would never drive 3 hours to go chase bream like i do for bass or barra. But they are still a worthy adversary for the beginner or a casual spare of the moment flick.

[Dirtysanchez]

For me it is a simple approach to simple fishing, I don't have a lot of time for specialised fishing, but my dad tought me basic beach fishing when he was alive, and when I holiday near the coast with the family I usually get a few hours when the tide is low, so I get some beach worms from the sand banks, then when it is high tide I go fishing.. 8-)

For some reason I don't catch many fish, but generally I can consistently catch a decent Bream from the surf, usually well over 35cm, usually fat, and usually enough for my wife and I to have a small meal of, earning me some points and praise, which is a bonus adjunct to the relaxation and fun I got from wetting a line ;)