Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nativeman on October 29, 2014, 07:21:45 PM
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I have heard about what is happening at Somerset dam but now I hear this from a fella at my work who is involved with the white bucket brigade. This is happening every weekend and might even be happening during the week.I have been told that at O'sheas crossing which is on the Upper Brisbane River, maybe even classed as Wivenhoe dam- not sure, that from 2am Saturday morning to late Sunday night the white bucket brigade is targetting any fish they can catch, taking every fish. They are using bait, catching Bass, Tilapia, Yellow Belly, Catfish, Eels, and even eel tail cat fish, again I am told every fish is taken. Bucket loads of fish are caught and pickup are organised for cars to come by and pick them up to be processed elsewhere.
At O'sheas it is standing room only along the bank in the middle of the night, thinking of going out there myself to check it out!
So how is this allowed? How can it be stopped and why do these people have no respect for the laws. Do they even have a license and what do they do with so many fish. It is turning my guts to think all the hard work that the members of the stocking groups have done only for some ignorant people with no respect can come along and do this. This fella is skiting how many fish he catches and laughs at me when I mention the rules. It just sux.
Is there any truth in what this fella is saying. we are talking hundreds of bass, maybe thousands of fish....
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I doubt that any of our members would be involved. What did Fisheries say when you reported it to the hotline? 1800017116
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I just came home, will ring tomorrow, but I don''t have hard facts just rumor... will they even act on it.???
Heard about Somerset and have been told to write letters to politicians to get action. Now that's hard core out there and we have to put pen to paper- fingers to key board, to maybe get some thing done.
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Photos, video, rego numbers for evidence will help. I'd also be telling seqwater as they will be breaking the access rules being in there after hours.
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Report it keep details of report and if it continues a letter to local member WILL result in some surveillance.
Would not be too hard for local boys in blue to do a couple of drive byes through the night.bit harder to get fisheries out .
Cheers
Ray
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I doubt that any of our members would be involved. What did Fisheries say when you reported it to the hotline? 1800017116
Usually nothing
I have done 4 reports and left my number and not one call back. This is after the fact when they ask you if you would like to be kept informed. Have taken pics and sent them.
They are understaffed and will be on the goldy or fraser or anywhere but a fresh water scene.
Can say the whole situation is fcuked
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Last summer the same sort of caper was going on at Shines rd at Wivenhoe Pocket.
I did see fisheries officers visit there a few times.
Also saw one of the perpetrators vehicles with a few tyres let down too.
I haven't seen them there for awhile now though.
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As at right now, there are 34 Guests viewing this topic, that is 34 people who are not members, or not logged in. My guess is there will be nobody there this weekend, or there will be some pretty good lookouts watching for Fisheries.
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If that's the case Dale, that's as a good as win, then.
Fisheries can focus their attention on chasing the Mary river cod botherers and it gives Seqwater some time to move their infra red motion detecting cameras to that site.
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I'm sure there are members on this forum that have video cameras with powerful zoom lens.
Surely it's not too difficult to film these "white bucket" people in action, save the recording with time, date and location of the alleged offence. Without time, date and place of the offence being recorded it would be thrown out of court.
Bondy
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What makes me annoyed about this if its true is that somerset and wivenhoe are the two lakes i ticked to alocate funding from my fee when purchasing the stocked impound permit . And theres people out there taking fish illegally/ or over bag limit.
Cheers joseph
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G'day Joseph,
That's a very valid point you raise. Some of those fish that was mentioned in the first post are actually vermin or pest fish, so I don't know what the issue is there, I would not be making a song and dance if someone is removing declared pest fish from the rivers, creeks, lakes and dams. e.g. tilapia, and banded grunter are declared pests. Good luck to them if they have.
As for the regulated fish, there are enforced bag and size limits and that's a different matter.
Cheers, Peter
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I have heard about what is happening at Somerset dam but now I hear this from a fella at my work who is involved with the white bucket brigade. This is happening every weekend and might even be happening during the week.I have been told that at O'sheas crossing which is on the Upper Brisbane River, maybe even classed as Wivenhoe dam- not sure, that from 2am Saturday morning to late Sunday night the white bucket brigade is targetting any fish they can catch, taking every fish. They are using bait, catching Bass, Tilapia, Yellow Belly, Catfish, Eels, and even eel tail cat fish, again I am told every fish is taken. Bucket loads of fish are caught and pickup are organised for cars to come by and pick them up to be processed elsewhere.
At O'sheas it is standing room only along the bank in the middle of the night, thinking of going out there myself to check it out!
So how is this allowed? How can it be stopped and why do these people have no respect for the laws. Do they even have a license and what do they do with so many fish. It is turning my guts to think all the hard work that the members of the stocking groups have done only for some ignorant people with no respect can come along and do this. This fella is skiting how many fish he catches and laughs at me when I mention the rules. It just sux.
Is there any truth in what this fella is saying. we are talking hundreds of bass, maybe thousands of fish....
Nativeman,
I understand what your saying but without hard proof and first hand knowledge I.e. to see this happen up close i.e. to be there on the spot would be more or less hearsay. For police to take action they need hard tangible evidence, costs money to set up a sting, overtime x resources x manhours.
Bondy
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This is such good timing!!!
I haven't fished the top of the Brissie for about a year but on Sunday morning I took my neighbour for his first yak. We slid down heartbreak hill got to the bottom to find a whole family of Asian white bucket killers manning the bank, I counted six of them. They had three buckets with shrimp loaded up and in the water they had a net with at least 5 bass in the net still alive. I could see at first glance that two were undersize so I let them have it, I opened the net and scooped the two undersized out but before I could unload the whole net the father came bolting over and snatched the catch net away from me. We had a heated verbal exchange but there was not much else I could do.
SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN TO STOP THIS!!!!!
Can we not be "deputised" as "volunteer" fisheries inspectors with similar or same powers???? This would allow all of us to all enforce size limits and "educate" these people.
I am not scared to speak up!
Fitzy that was me emailing you from the yak!!!
Fckin broke my heart seeing those bass go to the dinner table.
Bryan
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Six people fishing can legally have 12 Bass in their possession can't they? They'd also be entitled to have quite a lot of Golden Perch, 60 in fact. Did you get a rego number and phone it through to fisheries?
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The Fishwatch hotline (1800 017 116) is a QBFP initiative you can utilise to report unlawful fishing activities 24-hours a day. The hotline was created to provide you with a direct channel to the QBFP to follow up on your report.
The activities the QBFP request you to report include:
unlawful use of nets
fishing in closed waters
fishing in closed seasons
taking female crabs (Jennies)
taking undersize fish
taking excess to possession limits on fish
using excess crab pots/dillies
destroying or disturbing marine habitats
interfering with people’s fishing equipment
taking oysters from licensed areas.
When making a report to the Fishwatch hotline you should record and pass on:
the date, time and area the infringement was witnessed
vehicle or boat registration numbers and a description
personal details if the offender is known
an accurate description of the illegal activity.
There are also local patrol offices throughout Queensland (as well as inland at the Gulf of Carpentaria) to assist you with any queries or sightings you may have witnessed.
Queensland Boating & Fisheries Patrol office locations
Telephone
Airlie Beach (also services Bowen)
(07) 4946 7003
Bundaberg (also services Gladstone)
(07) 4131 5817
Cairns (also services Thursday Island)
(07) 4035 0700
Gold Coast
(07) 5583 5500
Hervey Bay
(07) 4125 3989
Ingham
(07) 4776 1611
Karumba
(07) 4745 9142
Kingaroy
(07) 4160 0700
Longreach
(+61) 427 722 208 (mobile)
Mackay
(07) 4967 0724
Mooloolaba
(07) 5444 4599
Noosa
(07) 5449 7555
Pinkenba (also services Brisbane)
(07) 3330 4210
Port Douglas
(07) 4099 5160
Redlands
(07) 3824 9545
Townsville
(07) 4772 7311
Warwick
(07) 4660 3666
Weipa
(07) 4069 8114
Yeppoon (also services Gladstone)
(07) 4933 6404
They could also have reported you for interfering with their fishing equipment.
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They could also have reported you for interfering with their fishing equipment.
Well emptying the undersize fish is a good start, there should be more of it. I'm sick of the white bucket brigade taking us on a ride. Did any of the SW loacals take a drive up to Osheas?
Seriously will fisheries do anything??/
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Six people fishing can legally have 12 Bass in their possession can't they? They'd also be entitled to have quite a lot of Golden Perch, 60 in fact. Did you get a rego number and phone it through to fisheries?
G'day Dale,
You are correct on that. From my understanding one of them would need a SIP if this was in an impoundment, I could be wrong but children and spouse would be covered under the one permit.
Cheers, Bondy
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I don't know what you'd expect us to do Sel, did you ring Fisheries and tell them how widespread this is? Did you ring SEQWater and advise them it's happening? Milo, apart from giving the kids a serve, did you ring Fisheries and give them details of the alleged offenders?
Honestly vigilante action will not solve these problems, and if people don't report these things they will continue to happen.
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Well whats happening at Somerset? Heard that boats of asians( there I said it) are targettting schools of bass. pulling every fish in the school into their boat, filleting them there and then, throwing the carcass overboard and a boat comes and picks the fillets up on the hour to be taken else where. This is a highly illegal fish factory just as the one I spoke about... is this still going on?? I bet it is... tell me it isnt...
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Fisheries guys are thin on the ground but sometimes they are in the area and the hotline will put you in contact with them and bingo>
If the occurrences are regular and blatant do not hesitate to write your local member ( Better still if opposition member because they then can ask a question of the minister)
Whoever the member is they are obliged to act on a written report and give feedback to you and if it is still happening write again.
Fisheries will act on complaints from MPS.
Cheers
Ray
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I'm trying to understand why you are asking the questions of the members here. If you have a thing against Asians, go and front them yourself instead of asking others on here to do it. Again, what did fisheries say when you rang them?
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I think Sel is just asking the Sweetwater membership if they have seen or heard similar and at the same time he is raising awareness of illegal activities that have come to his attention.
Nothing wrong with that.
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But there is something wrong with trying to incite vigilante action. That is something that Sweetwater does not condone or encourage.
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Asking people if they have seen it and/or asking people if they have gone looking to see if it is occurring..........that's not inciting vigilante action.
You are drawing a low bow there.
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Well emptying the undersize fish is a good start, there should be more of it.
Emptying the net was illegal, not "a good start".
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Geezus
Come on Dale, I thought you would be concerned,,I was raising this as I thought u were the Pres of the Fish Stockers up there, maybe you're not. Doesn't matter...Forget I even bothered to tell everyone,,I can't work out why there is no fish in Wivy, where as there are heaps in Somerset,,,maybe this is why..
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Aussiebasser and others!
This is one of the reasons I rarely post on forums because it gets all clicky and political!
I have called fisheries on a number of occasions and NOTHING is ever done! Like the time I pulled two illegal crab pots out the water at the top of Somerset dam to find three fresh water turtles dead in the pots. Never got a call back, same the other times.
First thing I did on Sunday was call Fisheries from my yak was on hold for 15 minutes before giving up! So yeah I stood up for those two bass right to live. It wasn't kids I was giving a serve it was the adults, If they had pulled a knife on me or things got physical it was not me instagating it at all. I was educating them in my best direct approach I could muster. It was them who got aggressive cause they knew they were in the wrong!
If by interfering with their net was illigal - i DONT give a rats patoody!!!!!! I did a good thing.
I have nothing against Asians , in fact we have them in our family and get on great! The perpetrators that are doing this are majority Asian decent. If you interpret that as racist ....well that's your problem not mine.
Yes, we all have a responsibility to report these actions to fisheries , so I challenge everyone of you to write and call fisheries tomorrow and going forward and keep the pressure on.
Everyone of us feel that these white bucket mongrels need to be pulled inline, let's stand together and cut the finger pointing internally.
Just my 2 cents
Happy fishing
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Bryan, your first post said you were stopped before you could release all their fish. How is that the correct thing to do to anyone? I understand that you think you were doing the right thing, however you should know that it was illegal. If you want to be made an honorary inspector, the first thing you should do is learn the regulations.
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Dale
If by chance that all the bass had fallen out I wouldn't have lost any sleep what so ever.
As for becoming an inspector unfortunately I have full time day job and a family... But how cool would it be if we could be empowered to step in and act!!!!! If your not prepared to step in and approach people that's your choice but for me if I see something like this going down I will speak up.
I think most of us want to see Bass and yellow belly be put on the full protected list because the whole sale culling effects everyone who enjoys our sport.
I'll be calling fisheries tomorrow !
Is it possible to get the rangers mobile number to call them direct at 6am in the morning to get them down there ASAP?? I doubt it but it needs commitment!
My 2 cents
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Bass and Yellowbelly are not protected, they are not endangered. Now you want them fully protected so nobody can fish for them. This is just getting more ridiculous.
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Let me clarify protected from eating !!! Catch and release only!
But that's just me.
:youbeauty
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"Fisheries Queensland's Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme (SIPS) requires anglers who fish in certain Queensland dams to purchase a permit before they throw in a line.
In order to enhance the local recreational fishery, money raised by the SIPS is used to purchase native fish fingerlings to stock 32 impoundments or dams throughout Queensland.
Impoundments are 'put, grow and take' fisheries where most stocked species will not reproduce. This means the impoundments need to be stocked regularly. The money anglers pay for their Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) goes towards management of the SIPS and to stocking groups for purchasing native fish fingerlings."
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I dunno,i for one am sick of being screwed for doing the right thing whilst others blatantly rip off the system and get away with it.any you guys got some film footage of these guys?,send it and the story into one of the current affairs programs and once it airs I recon fisheries might take it a bit more seriously
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I pay my SIP fees and nominate certain dams to be stocked so I can lawfully take 2 home to eat. C:-)
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If anyone gets photos or video of illegal activity, I'm more than happy to put it up on here & youtube & make a song n dance about it.
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I got plenty of time on my hands, gimme a go pro and point me in there direction !
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This has been going on so long now. I remember in the early 2000s seeing them do it at Somerset. Was infact during a somereset fishing comp i seen them the first time. I actually seen fitzy there fishing near us near red rock. He came over and tried to film them or get photos. Long time ago. Think fitzy had a yellow boat back then.
After seeing us catch fish they tried to park near ontop of us. We soon moved them on. :Hunting)