awoonga 21-28

[NAGG]

why should people have to explain themselves when they make a post. people may do what the hell they like as long as it is within the laws. sure, some people may take more than what they need, but what is your OPINION gonna do? sweet bugger all. i like to come onto these chatboards and read about what people have caught but im sick of seeing people whining and complaining, it happens every time there is a whisper of someone keeping a barra from an impoundment. i am a C & R man but seriously if people choose to keep a couple of barra leave them be. if they were illegally netting itd be another story.

Bugeye ...... Its all thought provoking! ........ Until people explain things , you'll never know! At least the young guy that put up the original thread now knows the correct procedure for catch/weigh & release ....... & may even question why they need to kill the amount of big barra that they did! ....... His reasoning was ill informed ( specially in a continually stocked impoundment).

Nagg

[Steve B]

Trev, I will put my hand up and say "I am a C & R nazi"

This post made me sick, sorry. I bet you kept more than the four fish, but changed your story after the feedback.

Take a fish for a feed...FINE. Kill them because some miss informed person told you they eat all the fingerlings is what I hate. Hence my dislike for this post.

I dont care if I get a gob full back from you or anyone. I love my barra and I particulary love the big ones, I care about their future and the chance that my kids will catch a big one when they grow up.

[Poseidon]

Steve B,

Well said, and I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments on the issue.

Regards Cameron.

[bneue4]

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[NAGG]

so steve b are u calling me a liar, so u reckon i killed more then four fish

Stringing up those barra to weigh them ..... Has probably lead to their death ( regardless of the release) ....... Nagg

[bneue4]

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[BR65]

i know how i can fix this when i go up there with 4 mates agin and we catch 5 fish each and they are over a meter i will kill them so we have 20 fish dead and then u can call me a fish killer then

or u can call me it know because i dont care

Excellant, good to see such a positive response, youre takeing your bat and ball and going home, or in this case, back to Awoonga
I went back and re-read your report, and all subsuquent replies , just in case I misread something, the only thing that I noticed was for some reason the pics are gone????
You and your mates may as well keep all the fish you catch, the 17 fish that you weighed and released, weighing somewhere around total 128kg, are now floating belly up in the boyne, pointless waste.

[BR65]

why should people have to explain themselves when they make a post. people may do what the hell they like as long as it is within the laws. sure, some people may take more than what they need, but what is your OPINION gonna do? sweet bugger all. i like to come onto these chatboards and read about what people have caught but im sick of seeing people whining and complaining, it happens every time there is a whisper of someone keeping a barra from an impoundment. i am a C & R man but seriously if people choose to keep a couple of barra leave them be. if they were illegally netting itd be another story.

First up, its a forum, you put up a thread or post, people are going to comment, some times it wont all be good, if that worries you, dont post. If I voice my opinion on the practice of people takeing more than they need, maybe that person will next time pause and think.
I didnt read any whineing or complaining, I saw questioning 9n the amount of fish killed and advice on best hadleing technique for releaseing fish.
C&R is great, but pointless if the fish subsuquently dies, youve acheived nothing except leaving a carcass floating on the top of the water a week after youve left for home.
Not every fish you release will live, I relize that, but if you try to do the best you can, its survival chances are a hell of a lot better than being dropped in an esky.

[Steve B]

i know how i can fix this when i go up there with 4 mates agin and we catch 5 fish each and they are over a meter i will kill them so we have 20 fish dead and then u can call me a fish killer then

or u can call me it know because i dont care

Thats a great attitude! You ARE a fish killer, for all the wrong reasons which is the problem. As I said, catch a feed, thats cool, I am all for that. I have never ever got upset with anyone keeping a feed. 4 x meter + barra is more than a feed. Even WORSE killing to get 'rid' of the big ones is WRONG IMHO.

Regard to calling you a liar? I just dont believe your story thats all. Anyone who weighs every by hanging them up by the neck will kill the fish one way or the other. You may not like what I said, for that I am sorry. I usually try to help anyone catch a fish. I hope next time you do things different. I (and many others) would commend you for that.

[waggy]

Lets summarise this discussion,
- Chat sites such as this are for sharing, challenging & education
-Everyone has the right to take a feed for the family
-Keeping big fish doesn't protect smaller Barra, this theory is rubbish. There are more boney bream, gar, perch etc than you can poke a stick at for the big barra to eat, therefore the level of predation on their own kind is very low.
-Barra need to be measured, photographed and released in about two minutes max if they are to survive. They should never be lifted by the mouth or gills. The practice of weighing is an unneccessary waste of time as bragging rights these days involve length, not weight.
Buene4, Please take the opportunity to learn from these passionate blokes who really do want the fish to be there for all of us long into the future, that includes you. I'm not prepared to call you a fish killer, and I appreciate that you did attempt to release the majority of your fish. Maybe next time you will now have a bit more knowledge so the fish you release will have a better chance of survival.
Having the camera, landing net, measuring mat & a plan will shorten your handling time for each fish, and can I suggest, once you have a couple of photos, just release the fish while it is still in the water if possible only photgraphing a special fish. They all look the same anyway.
Regards, Ray

[DEANO68]

getting away from the c&r issue,111cm on 10lb and being wraped up a couple of times in the sticks by a fish that size in a miighty effort,considering at monduran in the sticks fish smaller than that can destroy 50lb braid & 80lb leaders in seconds...where are the stix in awoonga anyways.??

[McCod]

Gday all,

Lots of emotions tied up in the replies to this post understandably.
But I think there is a much better way to put the catch & release ethic across to the author of this post as well as any viewers that may well need educating on how to handle Barra if they are intended for release. I have plenty of thoughts on how to handle Barra of any size and would be one of the biggest sooks while handling them.
I will start up a post on this subject or go back and find one from the archives as there have been one or two posted over the years since I’ve been viewing and contributing to this site. I must say this post has not been pleasant viewing over the last few days and maybe some of the contributors should review the chat board rules in the help section of this site before making further comment.

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=54614

Cheers Les

[the_matrix]

Trev, I will put my hand up and say "I am a C & R nazi"
I dont care if I get a gob full back from you or anyone. I love my barra and I particulary love the big ones, I care about their future and the chance that my kids will catch a big one when they grow up.

Your not alone Steve.
I'd rather not be called a nazi, but Ive got thick enough skin to handle that, besides my nephew has called me worse.
I guess that C&R nazi has to be directed at someone, and knowing that I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to this subject, I can almost feel the finger pointing on my chest.

Owen, if you ever wonder why some of us feel the way we do about this subject, take the time to consider what we have seen to feel so strongly.
I am sick of seeing these sights, that are totally unnecessary, as well they send the wrong message to kids.
These include:
Seeing fish on the cleaning table still alive, being scaled, filleted and gutted while young kids watch on.(nice message) at one stage a friend and regualr saw a metre plus on the table still flapping while a bloke took to scaleing it with a shovel.
Seeing dead fish on the ramp/floating around the dam with a small fillets taken from it out of the shoulder.(regular occurance)
Live fish being dragged by ropes from the side of boats.
Fish taken from the dam for use as pig food.
Bag limits of fish taken by travellers, only to see them fill sulo bins upon taste testing
People with ten metre plus fish in the boat, destined for the bin because "we heard they want to get rid of all the big ones". (regular)
Kids tying a live metre barra to a tree at last years Lake Awoonga lions killfest then taking to it with sticks and bashing it to each other.(sort of cant blame them after they witnessed live fish being dumped into bins they went and got one and slung it up for fun, as kids do) We have given the message that its ok to harm live animals right?
Barra being taken for crab bait.
Barra thrown in the van park bins because they have laid in the bottom of a tinny in the sun all day and "theres plenty in the dam anyway".
Barra killed because "its the right thing to do to save the little ones".

The abovementioned is only stuff I can remember right now, but there are a heap of others.
I have always stated that if people want a feed, providing they stick to the rules good luck to them. I feel strongly about that too, its their right.
Just because I dont like them doesnt mean Joe Bloggs wont either.

I just know that there are heaps of "old school" fisho's that just cant turn up back at the ramp without a carcass to brag about. Its why fish get dragged around the van park because you can become the hero of the day. That shits me.
I also know know that people use the excuse that they are going to eat them but never do. You guys suck.

I think two fold summed it up well, bneue, well done on your captures, but fortunatley your post is no longer the norm on these chatboards.
Its your ight to take home fish to eat, good luck to you on that just dont fall for the mis-informed bs about big fish need to be culled so the little ones survive. Its horseshit!
Legit feed? Go for it.

There are many "C&R nazi's" out there, I too put my hand up if I fit that bill.
But Ive seen enough cruelty and poor fish handling to last me ten lifetimes, and if one person thinks about letting a fish go after reading something like this rather than knock it on the head for no reason, than call me what you like.
These dams dont need to suffer like Tinaroo has in the past, for the very same reason.
Cheers
Jas

[Steve B]

Les,

Thankyou for bringing that to my attention. In saying that, I am guilty of been a bit harsh. I apologise to Bneu4 if he is offended.

steve

[Owen]

Jas,
I appreciate that you (and others) feel strongly having seen the things you have mentioned.
The fact that you acknowledge that people have the legitimate right to keep a fish for a feed should they choose to do so precludes you from my definition of a "C & R Nazi".
I am not advocating any of the actions or comments of this young fella or any other for that matter.
I personally release far more fish (of all species) than I keep. If I have fish in the fridge why bring home more?
I grow weary of the harassment metered out to legitimate fishermen who just want to take a fish home for a feed and I'll defend their right to do so.
That doesn't mean that I don't understand the problems faced by those seeking to ensure the long term viability of ALL of our fishing stocks.
If you (or anyone else) want to read something other than that in my words then so be it.