Local fishermen and women have again this week reported some of the best fishing in times gone by, with golden perch, silver perch, European carp and the endangered trout cod feeding aggressively along many stretches of the Macquarie River.
Matt Campbell, Jason Walters, Tina Sykes and I enjoyed a ‘once in a blue moon’ lure casting session that saw 14 fish come to the net in just a little over two hours, and incredibly nine of the fish caught and released were trout cod.
Penalties for being caught in possession of a trout cod are severe and it is totally illegal to fish for the species, but they are becoming a more regular bi-catch for those fishing for golden perch and murray cod, when in season, along the Macquarie in and around Dubbo district.
Trout cod have officially been known to grow to 16kgs or 35.2 pounds and are a highly aggressive fish with plenty of potential to become a self-sustaining freshwater sport fishing species. Local legends even speak of the species reaching a massive 30kgs, or 66 pounds, in the Dubbo region.
It is fantastic to see the species thriving in certain areas in the Macquarie River, and if all anglers continue to respect the endangered status assigned to the species, it may not be long until we see trout cod population numbers soar to a level where they may be legally targeted by freshwater anglers.
If you happen to catch a fish you suspect of being a trout cod, but are not quite sure, one way of telling for certain is by looking at the jaw area.
A trout cod’s top jaw overhangs the bottom, whereas a murray cod has a larger bottom jaw which overshoots the top. Trout cod must be released without harm immediately after being caught.
Matt Campbell had a run-in with a 62cm trout cod late on Sunday afternoon on the outskirts of Dubbo whilst casting an AusSpin TwinSpin half ounce spinnerbait in electric purple, and did well to maneuver the ‘Trouty’ out of dense structure, across the weed bed and into the bank to be released.
The fish pulled line off the reel at will and was beautifully coloured. Well done to Matt on a great catch.
Burrendong Dam
Mark Rich of Wellington reported some amazing happenings in a bay off the Macquarie Arm of Burrendong Dam this week, as thousands of massive European Carp moved into the shallows to spawn.
Mark managed to scoop up around 180 of the carp with a landing net in the shallows, with the average weight estimated at 10 pounds.
Mark was left wishing he had twenty mates up in that bay with him that afternoon as thousands of carp may have been removed. Well done to Mark on getting rid of as many of the pests as he did, and thanks to the kids who busily dispatched all the carp as they were placed up on the bank.
News from DPI
A fisherman who failed to pay for a recreational fishing licence has ended up with a $600 fine - enough to have taken out licences for the next 24 years, Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald announced earlier this month.
The man was found fishing off Sow and Pigs Reef in Sydney Harbour when he was apprehended.
“The man was issued with a $200 penalty infringement notice, but elected to take the matter to court,” he said.
“The magistrate found the man, from Denistone, guilty in his absence, and when he failed to appear for sentencing, brought down the $600 fine.
“The maximum penalty for this offence is $2200.
“With the three-year licence fee at $75, the fine would have bought eight renewals.”
All recreational fishers in NSW are required to pay the fishing fee, unless exempt. Those who already have a fishing fee receipt are also reminded to check that the receipt is current and valid before going fishing. Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au for more information.
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