The first annual muster was hailed as a great success with aboutz 240 people attending, and organisers are hoping to do even better this year.

There are thousands of dollars of prizes, with everything from rods and reels to outdoor adventure gear on offer to category winners.

Categories include biggest carp caught, the most carp caught and lucky door prizes

in both senior and junior sections.

Carp make up 90 per cent of fish stocks in Murray Darling Basin rivers, and are considered major pest in both the Barwon and Darling river systems.

Carp are a major threat to the future of the Murray Darling Basin’s native fish, and threaten to wipe out species including Murray cod, golden perch/yellowbelly/callop, freshwater catfish, the endangered silver perch, trout cod, olive perchlet and purple-spotted gudgeon.

Carp musters are a great opportunity for people to gain a better understanding of the threat that this introduced species poses, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries deserves the community’s support for driving initiatives such as the 2008 Outback Carp Muster.

The muster is also a great opportunity to showcase other on-ground work being done as part of the Brewarrina to Bourke demonstration reach project which is funded by the Western Catchment Management Authority.

The Outback Carp Muster is open to all people, from expert anglers to beginners.

Carp must be fished for using legal fishing methods and in compliance with all NSW Fisheries regulations.

Brewarrina registrations will be at Brewarrina Bakery, Dowles Service Station and the Brewarrina Newsagency.

Bourke registrations will be taken at Frank’s BP, the Tourist Information Centre and The Northy.

Let’s hope that many anglers from the central west can attend. It will be a fun day out west, and great to take the kids to.

A solid ‘mud marlin’ might even see you coming back to Dubbo with a new rod, tackle box, or even a swag, given the prizes that Explore Outdoors has been rounding up.

For more information, pick up an Outback Carp Muster information sheet at Explore Outdoors, 46 Erskine Street, Dubbo.

Phone 6882 0233.