Who stayed at home because of the snapper closures

[InterNut]

Was just wondering how many others decided not to go out this weekend because of the snapper closures?

While the closures were only part of the reason we did not go fishing this weekend it certainly sealed the deal not to go. I love my game fishing but we also like to have a bottom bounce to grab a feed when we can. It leaves an option open to us if the trolling is a bit on the slow side. It also gives us a target to troll to, have a bottom fish, troll home and hopefully have a feed to justify some of the expense. As Snapper and Pearlies are usually our main target I could not see the point in going.

Roger

[TheRealAndy]

Judging by the boat ramp at shorncliffe, and VMR shorncliffe most people went out. I have not seen the carparks so full in a long time.

[antg2378]

I left Redland Bay this morning at what i would consider late and the carpark was quite empty, but upon returning it was completely full. Quite a few cars parked in the trailer spots with parking tickets as well.

[sleepygreg]

all the spaces at the ramps at Scarbie were chockers today. Lots of people out on the bay today. I think the weather had more to do with that than the fishing options. Cracker of a day.

Greg

[Fish_gutz]

snapper ban! what snapper ban?:furious2: .............. yeah well that and the price of fuel probably kept a few home. Lovey hit the turps last night and it takes her three days to recover so that was my Sunday fishing expeditions ground to halt:angryfire:. spent the day in the pool with the kids and sneaking out in the morning though:thumbsup:
a mate went cape and hutchies way today and said not too many were out.

[trueblue]

3/4 of them probably didn't even know about the ban

I've spoken to lots of people who've had the head in the sand or wherever, and didn't know about the ban being in place

[TimiBoy]

Guys at the picnic yesterday knew there was a ban, "sort of" but didn't know when it was. One of them was organising a Charter for a Buck's night in a couple of weeks. He has now canned that because they can't fish for Snapper.

So that is a dead set, real life casualty of the ban.

Tim

[marto78]

I was surprised to see no one checking catches at Mooloolaba boat ramp. I guess the 6 week closure is just based on peoples honesty and if you dont know about it then its ok to keep them.

[Scalem]

I guess the reasons for not hitting the water this weekend were various, but having 5 invitations or events spread over 4 family members took its toll on any inclinations to going fishing. In the past I was likely to say "stuff it, I can't decide which birthday party or event to go to", and just put the boat on the tow ball and go, but then there was the ban to consider.... Ah well!

It seemed a nice weekend to be out on the water, but few reports as a result.

Scalem

[Kero]

I'm flat out catching anything of legal size anyway :-? , so it didn't affect me. Took the family out from Scarborough for the day, as the weather was just too good to waste. Judging by the amount of boats around, many others felt the same. It was a terrific day on and in the water.

[lethal098]

Saturday at the ramp was quiet 330 am, no wind and no other boats! I went crabbing.

Charter guys were moaning all morning on the VHF,

Cheers Lee

[Peter4]

I don't think anyone stayed home! Saw at least 100 boats of all sizes in Horseshoe Bay, got bounced around by the wash of passing boats all morning and waited patiently for quite a few others at the Wello Point ramp before being able to get the boat out of the water.

Complete madness on the southern bay yesterday. Oh, and the fishing was ordinary...

Regs

Pete

[timddo]

I think it pointless going offshore fishing now, so i'll stick to the rivers and bays.

I might even go prawning a few more times this season. I'll give mud crabs a go too.

[Cheech]

I went out to the spitfire channel targeting mackerel due to the ban. Didn't do any good. The water was really horrible brown all the way until past the bottom of bribie where the ocean water took over and back to normal colour.

Waiting for the ban to finish so I expect to skip a couple of trips because of it.

[Silent]

Needed run my boat out bay which motor has not run for 2 months...
So the result is no mackerals in the bay, this ban really frustrate me...>:(
Had cool down at tanga for a swim...:P

[Horse]

The focus will be on the pelagics with 22 boats working the group off Straddy. It was chaos

[dww13]

I think it pointless going offshore fishing now, so i'll stick to the rivers and bays.

I might even go prawning a few more times this season. I'll give mud crabs a go too.

Tim this is def not having a go at you or anybody else.

The second part of the quote above re going prawning and crabbing etc highlights that there are many alternatives to snapper, pearl perch and trag jew fishing especially at this time of the year.

Im very much into light and heavy tackle gamefishing and personally the snapper ban is not going to effect me much at all, however I can see why and how it would effect a lot of smaller charter businesses that specialise in bringing home fish off the bottom.

I don't think there is much hope of not having a ban and think we should prob look at the other options instead of winging about the ban. Tim has already stated he will prob spend more time prawning and giving crabbing a go now. There is a hell of a lot more to rec fishing then bringing home a feed of snapper or pearlies. Maybe we can all use the closure to try new methods for different fish.

There will obviously be a downturn for small business related to rec fishing over the closure period if everyone just stops fishing, however the ban is only on the 3 species. If anglers continue to fish for different species during the bans and look at trying new methods then there would be no reason why the small businesses couldn't keep trading well.

I receive plenty of marketing through the families charter fishing business from tackle shops advertising in store events (lure rigging, bait presentation etc) maybe some of these small businesses could use the closures to try and promote fishing methods for other legal species? Use the closure of snapper to help target/sell other tackle?

I love being on the water. Any day on the ocean is better then the office. When we aren't working on the boat or fishing a comp then fish are a bonus. We still have full access to most of the ocean so lets not put the boats in the shed for however long the closures will be and keep enjoying the water.

As I said this is just my view. I feel for some small operators of charter boats and commercial boys that could be effected, but I don't think the majority of the rec fishermen have a huge amount to complain about. Yes the science behind the closures doesn't make much sense. I think everyone agrees that the future of the fish stocks is the most important thing and if that means enduring closures or filling out logs to help research then so be it. We still have plenty of options for a feed and to stretch the arms.

Dan

[TimD]

There's bugger all Snapper around at the moment anyway, get the trolling lures out boy's.



cheers tim :)

[ovakil]

Took family out yesterday,took kids snorkeling at Tangalooma packed out.Probably been said before,Why don't they create more artificial reef's like Tanga along Morten Island so people aren't all bunched up.
Hang on that cost money,that's probably it.
Cheers.

[PinHead]

dww13...the reality is that restrictions are being put on people for something that has not been proven to exist. How many more closures, zones etc should we endure before we holler..ENOUGH!!!
This closure and all the other guff and garbage has nothing to do with fishieries management..it has all to do with politics and nothing else.

I reckon the gamefishers are catching too many fish..how about we ban them? My science says so..just give me a week or two to make up some "modelling".

[thelump]

The focus will be on the pelagics with 22 boats working the group off Straddy. It was chaos

Was that on Saturday or Sunday Horse?? I was at a different spot chasing mackeral on Sunday and we had 1 spano and dropped another 3 before we saw a boat. I was wondering how packed the Group would be. Any fish get boated??

[fishfeeder]

I don't know but wont the ban put other species in danger of being over fished and then in turn cause more of a problem to the system.

Crabbing was hard enough before and now people are turning to that instead of say a feed of snapper etc. And think about how many more flathead, bream, whiting will now be targeted buy the weekend boating brigade.....

Anyway I guess all this has been taken into consideration before the ban was introduced.....

Cheers

[honda900]

I was out saturday,

given the weather forecast, the usual boat ramp would have filled the first 2 rows, instead at 5:00 am, we were the 3rd boat out.. empty..

we stayed inside bay, We crossed the outflow from the brisbane river while heading north and Stink, jeeezusss. :o

We ended up in the rous after mucking around a bit, there would have been 20 or so offshore boats, fishing for whiting and squid, south of the channel..

disappointing day.. plenty of discussion on the radio about how bad this is likely to impact the local economies.


Regards
HOnda.

[Horse]

Was that on Saturday or Sunday Horse?? I was at a different spot chasing mackeral on Sunday and we had 1 spano and dropped another 3 before we saw a boat. I was wondering how packed the Group would be. Any fish get boated??

We got a rat YFT and saw what may have been a Mac get boated. Not much else happening. We were the second boat to hit the Sevens but by the time we had one troll run there were 6 so it was prety crowded wherever you went

[Lovey80]

dww13,

you need to consider how many people fish for snapper and pearlies, there is a lot. Take out the people that will refuse to go out all together and all the rest will be targeting other species like you say. Thats a hell of a lot of extra pressure that will see bans introduced on those species in the future. The circle goes round and round until the greens win.

[coraltrout68]

I will now go back and see my parents in Adelaide every February or March.

Not a bad time to be back either. I was in Adelaide last week and had two days fishing.

We caught 6 snapper between 14lb and 20lb.

Interesting that SA has a ban in November and everyone (amateurs) is up in arms as the commercial fishermen are smashing the schooled up snapper in December. The price for snapper in December was $2.00 at the fish market. Hopefully they bring in some quotas soon!

[jason p]

dww13 im thinkin on the same lines mate, as much as i think this ban stinks in so many ways, theres still plenty of other fish to be caught out there that are just as good to eat if not better. sadly though its becoming a reality for the charter and pro mobs and its going to hurt there pockets. for the rest of us get into em, its not going to stop me goin out and enjoying a day out on the water catching a good feed.

jp

[mitchdemeanor]

Well i love my snapper fishing and because of the ban i'm not going out at all. But instead of looking at this negative (this ban is happening like it or not) i've taken the positive pro-active approach.

Aint had chance to make this boat mine since i got it, so for the next few weekends till the ban is lifted i've decided to get on with the repairs/modifications i've been meaning to do for a while.

At least when its all over i'm going to be a more organised fisherman with a more refined style 8-) LOOK OUT SNAPPER I'M COMING :devilish:

[samsnap]

We have started a new club ----- "cruzing with stunt rods" Went to Tanga's/wrecks and had a great family day (it was packed) Didn't even wet a line but had a fantastic BBQ & swim with a Bonus pod of about 15 Dolphins having a frolic around us.
Cheers Sammy

[johncar]

Went out anyway although my favourite fish are banned, caught some nice others. Not letting them ruin my day out on the ocean.

[Dignity]

Went out any way and tareted other fish, Snapper is not a big catch for February so not a real problem, just watch for the next ban which I predict will be in August, if not this year then certainly next year.