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Snapper Ban coming in to force


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Guys 

I have a question in relation to the new ban coming in to act on the 1st Nov 2019 . 

The media release from Pirsa states that targeting snapper is prohibited from the first . This could attract a $315 on the spot fine. 

How does this scenario work then ! 

I have have  drops that hold other species other than the good old Snapper . Species such as Kings , Mullies and Gummy sharks most of the year . These species use the same type of gear , same big tackle same big baits and fished morning , during the day and nights . All the same times as Snapper . 

If I’m sitting on these drops would I be classed as targeting Snapper . ? 

 

Any one know how how this would work ? 

 

Cheers 

 

Wadey 

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9 hours ago, Wadey said:

Guys 

I have a question in relation to the new ban coming in to act on the 1st Nov 2019 . 

The media release from Pirsa states that targeting snapper is prohibited from the first . This could attract a $315 on the spot fine. 

How does this scenario work then ! 

I have have  drops that hold other species other than the good old Snapper . Species such as Kings , Mullies and Gummy sharks most of the year . These species use the same type of gear , same big tackle same big baits and fished morning , during the day and nights . All the same times as Snapper . 

If I’m sitting on these drops would I be classed as targeting Snapper . ? 

 

Any one know how how this would work ? 

 

Cheers 

 

Wadey 

C'mon Wadey............  you know the govt expects the Snapper to obey the rules and not take your bait if your fishing for another species!

Are the snapps in your area rebels who wont obey the rules??  

 

I recall seeing 'somewhere' that we are expected to have a suitable means to return them to the water to the depth at which they were caught, to reduce barotrauma ie a release hook with weights.   

https://pir.sa.gov.au/fishing/community_engagement/snapper_management_review_2019

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In theory, you're unlikely to catch a snapper given they're supposedly few left swimming in the ocean.  But that aside....

Logically it will be a very hard rule to enforce.  You can catch snapper using various techniques, rigs and equipment.... which is the same for various other species .   On this basis I would suspect unless you specifically say or suggest you're targeting snapper if asked by a fisheries officer, then there would be very little evidence to suggest you were.  

No different to the rule that once you've caught your boat limit of fish, you're no longer allowed to target that species, even if practicing catch and release.  Ask anyone that has been on a hot bite when tuna fishing, how often that happens....  

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Speaking to a counterpart in WA, they don’t just have a Snapper ban to abide by, they have a full demersal fishing ban:

 

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Fishing-and-Aquaculture/Recreational-Fishing/Recreational-Fishing-Rules/Bag_And_Size_Limits/Pages/Demersal-Finfish.aspx

 

Amazingly, the sky hasn’t fallen, when not in ban they can now find enough fish to rustle up a feed and the stocks seem to be coming back.

Can image the outcry if that was implemented here!! I’ve seen countless post’s on social media saying how “ I will just bag on Nannies instead” or find some Sharks etc etc..

 

This just opens it up to exploitation IMO, bottom bouncing a ledge out wide, it’s a lucky dip, at times every second fish could be a snapper.

So all those snapper will be released, potentially die for the hope that the next fish is a Nannie or Swallowtail that you can keep.

 

I personally am all for the 3 year ban ( assuming stricter regs are put in place afterwards), but feel they should’ve made it demersal , and state wide.

The current ban has left enough loop holes for exploitation, and its proven time and time again, give fishermen enough line, and they will take every last mm of it.

I for one am guilty of the last sentence, why did you take a bag of fish? Cos I can, they were there and it’s my right to be able to take the bag, plus I can freeze it and eat for weeks.

 

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We won't really know how the laws will be implemented by the fisheries officers - but I'm sure we'll have a few test cases until it is settled.

A spot that we have, you also get mulloway and snapper - but the mullies will only touch a live bait. If you use dead bait, you pick up the snapper! But to have kings in that mix - god that sounds like an amazing spot :) 

David

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*read this - it will make sense in the end

The best thing that ever happened to me in my fishing career, was when my boat broke and the repair took 5 weeks longer than expected.

Up until then I was a 100% bait fisherman - I used to refer to myself as a "whiting specialist" - but that just meant, I targeted whiting more than anything else😉

There was nothing particularly special about my results😉

But with every phone call to the boat shop, to see when the repairs would be done - I got excuses and - "call us in a week"

That happened more times than a patient man would consider fair.

So I started chasing bream land based ................

If you are sending, unweighted live crabs down a pylon - that's one of the fastest learning curves in the business 

within 2 weeks, you're already an expert and all you have to do is work out what lb leader is required to stop bust offs.

So then I tried to make things harder, by chasing them on lures..........  that definitely met the requirement of making an easy task, difficult.

Where I fish - if a live crab is ignored - its coz there arent any bream on that pylon😉

But when you put a lure down on a pylon, that you know has heaps of bream on it - and none of them take it - then the game gets interesting again.

I spent 100's of hours trying to work those buggers out on lures - and just when I thought I had the game sussed - it would change  - and more subtle techniques than I can muster were required.

So heres where it all ties back to the snapper ban

When I was a pippie/cockle drowner - that was my world - I used to get annoyed by "Fad Fisherman" who threw lures, for this and that, and tried to make themselves sound better than every one else.

So I didnt want to try lures - because the most vocal group amoungst the people who used them, seemed to think they were better than other people.

And that annoyed me enough, to not join their ranks.

Same with music - I didnt even listen to "Metallica" for the first 35 years of my life because the knobs I met, seemed to be taking it way too seriously - as it turns out - Metallica crank out some great tunes, you dont have to be a weigh-anchor to enjoy. And I'm kicking myself for letting these knob ends, deprive me of tunes, I would eventually come to like for different reasons.

So long story short - when one door closes - 100's can open -

since my boat broke 20's ago - my fishing has changed drastically -

while I still remember stalking a King George Whiting school, down a sand bar and re-anchoring 30m down stream, every 20 mins as the flat got flooded - My piscatorial world got 100 times bigger, when my boat broke and access to whiting was denied.

When one door shuts - 100's can open😉

 

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Spot on Yellow.

I have already re-rigged my whiting, gar, tommies and shark gear.    My usual snapper spot carries all these from time to time, as well as snook, squid, sweep, trevally and on one occasion sampson fish.

Its not a bad spot, close to shore and 7m deep.

 

Mind you on at least 6 outings I have hooked legal snapper on my gar hooks!!!  Guess I'll have to throw them back -- but at least there will be no barotrauma.

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