Caloundra Wide over Easter

[Captain Incredible]

I got out on the Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Great weather and good bottom fishing each day with mainly good Pearlies. Alot of tropical species up there at the moment with some very good Moses Perch, plenty of Tuskies and Hussar everywhere over 70 metres. Been a few Squire mixed up with the other Reefies but no real size. I have not been float lining however so there may be some bigger knobs off the bottom by now.

Fish weren't jumping in the boat but we had really steady catches all three days.

Sharks have been a real pain in the bum up there. Most decent Ambos (over 15 kg) are getting sharked. We have got a couple of heads up and mainly smaller fish. The sharks were right through the area but seemed worse at the 80 metre line. Maybe as it was the deepest we fished it just gave the sharks more time to hammer the Ambos.

[MyWay]

very nice going
well done

[johncar]

Glad they weren't jumping in the boat;) still looks like a lot of fish pulled there. Hope you had plenty on board to share around.
Assuming that you are running a charter op I am always hoping that you guys are sensible and moderating your catches, while keeping your clients happy:)

I fish wide Caloundra when I can get out so I hope you left a couple for me;)

[TREVELLY]

I caught more fish than that on my last trip - but most were undersized, so back they went :)

Keith, looks like you got a respectable catch for your customers and some nice eating sized pearlies.

Shame the weather has turned pear shaped otherwise we could all be out there now instead of here :)

NIce going for your clients. :thumbsup:

[PADDLES]

No disrespect here captain, you've gotta make a living in a tough industry in tough times especially considering the weather you've had to put up with in recent months and you've done nothing illegal. And I can also understand that you may not do that well every day of the week, but that's a big haul for one day's fishing. I'm no scientist, but I can't see how any area that close to brissy could sustain a catch like that day in day out. I hope everyone can see why we have green zones and no take seasons. Good work though, putting your clients onto some real nice fish.

[JJT]

gay mate whast the current been like up there at wide cal?
how heavy are using to get down?
regards jason?

[Lovey80]

Since when would a charter op be responsible for "limiting catches"? A charter operator is paid by the punters to put them onto fish, which by the looks of it has happened this time. If he can't do this then word will spread pretty fast and he will go will either go broke (or in the case of some, lobby fisheries to do a survey to see if Rec Anglers can get restricted further).

The punters are all regulated by law with size and bag limits. If these are not being broken then it is up to the charter operator to do his best to put them on to the fish. If the laws are not sufficient then the laws need to be changed not the charter operator.

Keith it looks like you did a good job putting the punters onto the fish matey. Keep up the good work!

[Captain Incredible]

Nine passengers, 56 fish, just over six fish each, eight different species. I try pretty hard to travel over a wide area 8n miles by 3 nm to spread effort. On each of the three days I fished fished completely separate grounds.

I am very aware of grazing lightly over a wide area and adjusting the species fished for seasonally. I agree the last thing anyone wants is charter boats or any other boat camped on one small spot digging holes in the fish populations. Grazing is much better than feasting in my fishery.

8 oz to 12 oz is all that is required. I prefer 8 oz if I am backing up, 12 oz on the drift.

[PADDLES]

good stuff captain, it's great to hear you are trying your hardest to keep your "workplace" in the best condition for your future. spread across 9 paying clients and as much reef as possible makes it more reasonable for sure. again, there was no disrespect meant by my comment, i realise fully that this is your livelihood and that you are quite obviously well within the limits/rules.

[fishfeeder]

Great effort and keep up the good work looking after your paying clients. I am sure they had a top day out and most charter clients only fish a few times a year so a few fish taken home sure makes it even that much more enjoyable.

Some people see fish being caught and go all Green, There the knobs that need to stop and think before voicing there concerns, I don't know how many times people on here get all antsy over taking a feed of fresh fish its crazy and not needed on a FISHING FORUM.

Cheers
Brett

[SgBFish]

That sounds like a sustainable fishing model to me. Well done Captain.

[kitty_cat]

6 fish each is well and trully fine some people need to get the heads out of there ar** even posting a comment no punt intended or not still shouldnt have to put up with it , well done mate people pay you to catch fish and thats your job a bloody hard one in that we all know the fish dont always play the game.

wayne

[Camhawk88]

Yeah I cant see where the concern was in the original post. All I read were of half a dozen different species and photos of about 5 or 6 fish. Did I miss something? Where did it say the boat was filled? Where was the photo of an overloaded esky?

Seems someone jumped the gun.

56 fish (schooling fish to boot) over 3 days is good steady fishing- well done. Overfishing or justification of green zones it certainly is not.

[PADDLES]

yeah cam, there was a photo showing one day's haul on a table that has now been removed, if you'd have seen it you would understand my original comment better, especially given that the report stated a similar catch for three days in a row. the original comments that myself and johncar made were based on that photo. ie. if that table of fish was caught day after day from the one spot then that would have been irresponsible óf a professional operator like captain incredible or a recreational angler like me, keith has jumped on and responded to my comment in a very professional manner (and he didn't need to do so either, he could have quite easily told me to stick it so i respect him for that) and so all is cool.

there were no "green eyes" and no-one with their head "up their @rse" i had just as much right to question keith's methods as keith did to respond to my question. a good catch is a good catch and a half dozen nice fish per person is a fair feed for your family and it sounds like he is doing the right thing. i assure you i do well and truly think before i open my mouth or type something on here.

[SgBFish]

yeah cam, there was a photo showing one day's haul on a table that has now been removed, if you'd have seen it you would understand my original comment better, especially given that the report stated a similar catch for three days in a row. the original comments that myself and johncar made were based on that photo. ie. if that table of fish was caught day after day from the one spot then that would have been irresponsible óf a professional operator like captain incredible or a recreational angler like me, keith has jumped on and responded to my comment in a very professional manner (and he didn't need to do so either, he could have quite easily told me to stick it so i respect him for that) and so all is cool.

there were no "green eyes" and no-one with their head "up their @rse" i had just as much right to question keith's methods as keith did to respond to my question. a good catch is a good catch and a half dozen nice fish per person is a fair feed for your family and it sounds like he is doing the right thing. i assure you i do well and truly think before i open my mouth or type something on here.

Thats a great response Paddles.

It is good to see professional operators posting on this site like the Captain and Smithy. Both are trying a make a living balancing profit and sustainability.

Essentally they are offering a fishing experience that they can maintain.

This site is a good check for what is seen as acceptable practice for both reco and pros.

Scott

[Captain Incredible]

I have got to stick up for Paddles here and say that I agree with his concerns if charter, pro or even very regular and very good rec fishos went to their bread and butter hole day after day there would be nothing left. I have to put my hand on my heart and say that I wasn't so smart ten years ago when I started out, but then most offshore fishos with history on the water went south of the Cape and fished for Snapper until all the tubs were full.

Wide Caloundra is only getting fished more heavily since GPS and chart plotters have become more reliable. Wide Cal is definitely really thin ground with a smattering of fish spread widely over the area. There are plenty of fish but they are very susceptible to localised depletion if you want to bash away at a small mark for long periods of time. Trust me, I am one of the idiots who have found out the hard way.

I try to spend 6-8 months a year over a large area of Wide Cal, and divide the rest between East of the Cape (Moreton) and south. This is simply because I know that with the numbers I carry, and I am not a big charter boat, I am making sure that the patch I am working will be good for me and the rest of us for the following seasons as well.

I had a bloke on the boat over Easter say, "Why are you going, we are on fish?"
Without being a smart arse I told him we were going to where more fish were and that this patch would keep producing for next time. Marcel got a double header of Snapper and Parrot at the next drop which made us all happy.

One of the real issues here is the number of charter licences that are on Qld waters. Other states such as NSW, WA & SA have already restricted the issuing of charter licences because of "sustainability concerns". Charter boats in the hands of careless or naive operators, because of the frequency and size of their effort can do a lot of damage to a fishery. I am not throwing rocks at my mates in the MQ charter Division but pointing out that Fisheries at some stage need to address the charter fleet issue.

I know I am in it for the long haul and am now very aware of the sustainability concerns that charter boats raise. I am not bagging charter boats as I am one, but it is a conversation we all need to have at a rational level to keep our fishery in the great state it is in.

[Muddy Toes]

well done mate people pay you to catch fish and thats your job a bloody hard one in that we all know the fish dont always play the game.

wayne

Is that why we didn't see a report from you over easter or is it just modesty stopping you?;D;D;D

[Camhawk88]

yeah cam, there was a photo showing one day's haul on a table that has now been removed, if you'd have seen it you would understand my original comment better, especially given that the report stated a similar catch for three days in a row. the original comments that myself and johncar made were based on that photo. ie. if that table of fish was caught day after day from the one spot then that would have been irresponsible óf a professional operator like captain incredible or a recreational angler like me, keith has jumped on and responded to my comment in a very professional manner (and he didn't need to do so either, he could have quite easily told me to stick it so i respect him for that) and so all is cool.

there were no "green eyes" and no-one with their head "up their @rse" i had just as much right to question keith's methods as keith did to respond to my question. a good catch is a good catch and a half dozen nice fish per person is a fair feed for your family and it sounds like he is doing the right thing. i assure you i do well and truly think before i open my mouth or type something on here.

Fair enough Paddles, I must say I was a bit surprised to see a comment from you that didn't seem supported by the evidence as I agree, the posts I see from you seem to be on the money. So it seems I had missed something- the problem with editing posts I guess.

As you probably know from my posts I strongly support sustainable fishing but given the evidence that was in front of me I couldnt see where the criticism was coming from. Now I know- cheers.

Oh also not sure if it was aimed at me but the rectal head relocation quote wasnt one of mine.

[fishfeeder]

Paddles, My response was not pointed at you in general or any one person on this site. Its more pointed at the one maybe 2 persons who has to stick his hand up and shout, "Why so many fish killed" if a poster hasn't broken any laws then why critise or question his actions in the first place.
I like seeing photos of peoples catches and reading there stories behind the catch. (Its why I joined in the fist place) Its the critics that make it hard for these people to share. Its happen over and over on this site and I am guessing its the reason a lot of people have stoped posting there catches.

I have read Captain Incredible's posts and good for him for stating how his operation goes about looking after his clients and the fish stock in that area, its a proven method that Rec-fish and Pro should consider aswell, I know I have...

Cheers

[grahams]

This is a very interesting topic. I operate a charter boat and we do quite a lot of charter fishing in CQ. I am now starting to wind up this business as I feel very uncomfortable continuing.

Let me explain,
We have no trouble catching fish if the weather is OK. I guess a typical day trip of 6 or 7 guests would be between 200 and 300litres of reef fish, red emps, red jew sweetlip etc. I guess this would be around 6 to 10 fish each. I have fished the this area for over 30 years, the last 3 with charters. My normal approach was to fish fern reefs 2 or 3 times then leave them for 2 or 3 YEARS to recover. There were so many spots and so few boats that most of the spots probably didn't see another boat in between. This has changed somewhat now but still a few are still Ok and some of the boats that share the same spots show similar respect.
However,
Its now too hard to do this. I have had quite a few "guests" on the boat that own offshore capable boats. Their intention is to pinch marks and they are very successful courtesy of iphone apps. I have had a number of confirmed reports of my guests "returning" to spots and absolutely filling up 2 or 3 times.
Because we are a recognisable boat we can also be pinpointed by radar interfaced to GPS...there goes some more spots. The worst at this was a newbie charter boat that lasted 12 moths or so. He found some of our red jew ground up north and not surprisingly managed quite a few 90 red jew trips in short succession (10 anglers bag out). This area had been producing consistently since about 2000 for us and we would proabably take a 100 per year with no sign of a drop off in numbers.....Can't find more than single figures across all my spots now...what a surprise!!!

So I can keep chartering and I am sure I can keep catching fish, but I have decided the fish are more important than my business. I'll go back to catching a enough for my family and friends and hopefully what spot I have left will enjoy a bit more protection...

Yes I support Green Zones too.

I guess my point is that its not really bag limits and green zones and research that keep fishing sustainable...its the attitude and respect shown by the fishers (all the fishers)

[PADDLES]

graham, that's a brilliant call mate, "it's the attitude and respect shown by the all the fishers" that is going to keep this passtime sustainable. both yourself and keith have hit onto how easy modern electronics are making it for guys to hit the marks and fill the boxes (obviously to the bag limits) but even if everyone only took their bag limit from the same spot day after day or even week after week the joint would still get raped. like i responded to keith, i find it absolutely refreshing that blokes like you guys do have a policy of spreading your activities out a bit to keep yourselves viable into the future. i guess we never find out how much we miss something till we can't do it any more.

i too fully support green zones, seasonal closures and any other measures required (as long as the science is sound) to absolutely ensure that our fishery and recreation is sustainable so we can do it till we kark it.

[Captain Incredible]

"it's the attitude and respect shown by the all the fishers" . Great line, great sentiment Graham. Thanks Paddles for highlighting this icon. How we put this into practice is up to us individually to carry the ideal through. Sounds like wank but I truly believe that we as individuals need to be disciplined and caring towards this wonderful fishing resource which is in our custody, albeit for our few short years.

Grazing, selecting fish that are "in season" for harvesting, alternating the grounds that are fished, having the ability to stop fishing or catch and release in the middle of the hottest bite you have ever experienced, having obtained the best mark (however you got it) where the motherlode lives and limiting your catch to tomorrow's dinner are all challenges more for the individual than legislators.

Currently in the Rocky Reef process there is fierce debate that limiting anglers to 15 Rocky Reef species (which may include Cobia, Ambos & Kingies, Grassies, etc) per trip is grossly unfair.

I would have to hang my head in shame if I landed at the dock with 120 to 150 fish per day for eight or nine anglers. Given that I often catch Parrot, Hussar, Moses, Cod, etc I could fold my arms on my chest and defiantly stare down any critic because I have quite legally killed 200 fish or more and put them in the wharf on one day.

Back to the original and very valid quote from Graham: "it's the attitude and respect shown by the all the fishers". Even with a limit of five fish for some species and two per species of the Cobias, Kingies, Ambos, etc we can individually do some pretty impressive local depletion if we are not careful.

Rules are there for guidance and to limit extreme behaviour. As men we should hopefully develop our own code of conduct which negates the need for the artificial restrictions imposed by others. I would be very interested to hear more of what other fishers have as their "code of conduct".

[scoota]

We all need to work together to protect and conserve our fish stocks!

Thanks for the PM

Scoota...

[kitty_cat]

good to see some common sence coming of this post , i also did not see the kill shoot but still will stand by my comments 100% ,giving people stick on internet sites is far too common, hence MT why my posts have become less with a lot of other members ,i personally know of some good catches not being posted on this site and others who look at other sites know about this allready because of the b.s that goes on, and now as a great internet site people miss out on some really good information and some fantastic pics of fish catches .
Just a thought but maybe the negitivity should be expressed by p.m first giving the person a chance to explain, and then if still not happy with there actions can post for all to see .

have to agree this has turned into a good post but should have been started in different section for a discusion to happen not started by someone being atacked for his actions of just triing to share some good pics and info lets face it who now has put cal wide back on places to fish.

please put back up origanal pics 6 fish each is fine and i personally like to see a good catch.

wayne

[PinHead]

as a rec angler who fishes on charter several times a year, I have no problem whatsoever with people catching and keeping fish for consumption as long as it is within the relevant regulations. I would be rather annoyed if i paid for a charter and the operator did not do his best to try and get on the fish. We all know that some days are diamonds and some are stone therefore not every day will there be fish caught..but the customer does expect the skipper to try.
If there are 8 people on board and they have 6 fish each that is 48 fish which can look a hell of a lot when laid out on a dock but individually with each person it just looks okay.
Keep putting up the pics..and i said..if it is legal then who cares.

[PADDLES]

i absolutely agree with you both pinhead and kitty kat, i have no problem with anyone keeping fish to eat, i don't fish for sport myself, i only try to catch fish to eat them. the only releasing i do, is undersize and once i catch what i think is a feed, which is not often enough, i go home.

we've gotta not lose sight of what the original intention of this conversation was all about. it's not about knocking a few good fish on the head to take home a feed for your family, it's about being responsible enough to not go to the same spot day after day (when the weather/conditions permit of course) and pull a bag limit per angler. i know that unfortunately it's perfectly legal, but it surely can't be sustainable in these heavily used waters and so that's why it's so good to know that at least these couple of professional operators do excercise a great deal of discipline and don't just go and bash a good spot to death to keep their customers happy and their fuel bill low, but will move themselves around to "graze" as the keith put it and make sure that something can still be caught in the future. this discipline should apply whther you are a charter operator with 10 pob or a recreational boater with 3 mates on board. we've gotta look after what we've got or the government will take it away i reckon.