Nearly there

[Member]

With only a few sleeps left until it's Bass time again. I have noticed around the Richmond River that there are a few who have been jumping the gun. Now this argument kicks off every year and while I'm sick and tired of hearing it, I have to say that anyone knowingly targetting Bass in any water inside the closed season apart from impoundments is like a child trying to get his Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. The law is specific and no amount of bush lawyer horse manure will change it. For those of you with diminished responsibility I say find yourself a nice impoundment somewhere. i'm sure nobody on this forum is guilty tho.
JD

[Member]

It tends to make the blood boil doesnt it JD

Heard a story of a few louts taking a bag of 14 bass home between 2 of them last week not far from home...
I must have burst a blood vessel in my eye or something because my response was somewhat "scarey" says the story teller

sometimes it feels like p!ssing in the wind doesnt it 

[Member]

Thanks Bushie, I don't know what the answer is, but I'll keep try tryin to find it.
JD

[Member]

Legal to target Bass in closed season in NSW.
Can sit on a pre dark aggregation and catch and release as many late stage girls as you like, hold em up yank wank double hanger style do what ever you like as long as they are "released unharmed".
Several articles in national glossy mags this year "How to target spawning Bass/EP's"

[Member]

Yep, Steve's right. NSW you still allowed to "catch and release" right through the "closed" season.
But at least they now have something resembling a closed season. only a few years since they had nothin.
Next thing you know they might even bring in a minimum size! probably be 10cm though...........

[Member]

Have to see about getting that changed then won't we. I recall once catching a Bass while I was targetting Bream near an oyster lease. The little bloke shot his load all over my boat. I just hope it wasn't a "one shot and you're done thing.
JD

[Member]

Yep, Steve's right. NSW you still allowed to "catch and release" right through the "closed" season.
But at least they now have something resembling a closed season. only a few years since they had nothin.
Next thing you know they might even bring in a minimum size! probably be 10cm though...........

But in a way, NSW fisheries are miles in front of QLD. They have been very busy removing barriers to fish migration up and down their coast. I reckon that alone makes more difference than a pseudo closed season during spawning.

Cheers,
Dave.

[Member]

Just got a 2012 Freshwater Fishing Guide from NSW Fisheries. On page 68 it states that; "It is an offence to take or attempt to take, harm or possess threatened or protected species." While Bass are not specifically included in the "threatened or protected species" list on pages 60 and 61, Bass are considered to be "protected" during the closure period. This has been underlined recently by patrols of Fisheries officers on the Richmond River and some of its tributaries.
JD