jim77 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Had an interesting day today and definitely learnt a valuable lesson... But i will get to that later. 1st day of my 7 weeks holiday today so went out for the first of many days fishing. Out on the water by about 6:15 - grabbed about 20 Yakkas real easy - tried for a while for squid. Dropped one and didn't see any others, the dead low tide wasn't any help! So headed off outside for a poke around near Bluefish. Had downrigged yakka out and surface yakka - 1st pass both rods go off. Grabbed the surface bait first as it seemed to be going harder - and boy did it go hard! I got back as much line as i could but as the bait was so far behind the boat i was struggling to stop it getting to the bottom. I could feel my leader rubbing on the bottom and then ping Quickly grabbed the other rod - couple of winds and then got the dr bomb up. Felt like another good fish but the hooks pulled Reset both rods and went back over the same spot - bingo another hit on the dr. Got this one in. Now i never keep undersized fish... I measured the fish 3 times to make sure - on my fisheries sticker it went a bees d1ck past 65cm so he was despatched into the esky. Had a 1 more rat before they went off the bite. Moved on - got another rat off North Head and then another around the colours. As the tide was now higher i thought i would go back in and try for some squid. Anchored up inside south head and just as i was starting to fish a boat came over. At first i thought it was the Police coming for another check but then i realised it was NSW fisheries. They checked my licence and then asked if i had any fish. Yes 1 King on 65 i replied. They duly measured it and had it at 64.1cm The dialogue went something like this - "Sir i'm sorry to tell you that this fish is undersize" "not when i measured it" i replied. "Well i measure it at 64.1" "I don't disagree with you but mine says 65!" Anyway to cut a long story short i got them to measure it on my NSW Fisheries sticker - and low and behold it was 65cm. The officer then pointed out to me that on the sticker it says that it is not a legal measure!! In the end they let me off with a caution as they could see that i had been trying to do the right thing - but they gave me a slap on the wrist and confiscated the fish and told me that i would be receiving a formal caution in the post. It could have been a $300 fine! After that i was a bit subdued - tried for squid but too windy. Set off for home and drigged a few more spots on the way home although there were sailing races going on everywhere which made things a bit frantic. Last spot and bingo - loads of fish on the sounder - first pass and i'm on. After a good fight boated a 72cm fish which came home with me. When i got home i got a tape measure and checked my fisheries stickers (i have one on each side of the boat). At the 65cm mark - one of them measured 64cm and one of them was even less 63.8cm! They gave me a new sticker which i put on - and that was 64 something as well! We are only talking a few mms but it is enough to cause you to keep an undersize fish. I have now put marks with pen to use to measure off instead of relying on the sticker. MORAL OF THE STORY... Don't rely on the sticker as it probably isn't right! You might be lucky like me and get off but they could just as easily have smacked me with the fine! Sorry for the long report but i thought it would probably be a good thing for people to know about. Good luck if you're heading out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigtempo Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 That is pathetic BUT something that i would expect from the government . It would NOT stand up in court as they supplied u with a defective mesureing system . unbelievable craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel99 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 You would think that by going to the effort of making a sticker they would at least make it accurate. Very silly, lucky you got off though, was a nice day to be out anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Gun Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Thats a joke mate, You did nothing wrong and were abiding to the sticker that fisheries gave you. Not to worry, ending up with a nice 72cm fish, well done. YG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) bunch of #@$%!# they could have let you keep the fish, you did the right thing. I will check my stickers as well. cheers Basil Edited December 8, 2009 by Groper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooker435 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 That is Unbelievable you won anyway good on you and a 72cm model was rewarded to you for your efforts. I do not trust anything except my tape measure and will eventually acquire a brag mat so I never have that situation I guess the most frustrating thing for me about your story is lately every time I have been out fishing There have been people keeping undersized fish and some of which I have seen there time and time again especially at Narrabeen lakes I think next time I see them Ill have to get their rego details and report them as I can almost guarantee that they would not have licenses let me also clear something up here it is not just one nationality who are doing this there is a few so do not take it the wrong way... but as a civilian is there any action that I can take to stop them as In the past I have tried talking to the people and on most occasion's have either had people un-able to speak the english language or they have abused me........ Your ideas guys would much be appreciated... as this is why fishing can be tough at times as the food-chain is being broken........ Regards, Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Gun Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Yeah mate ive had the same problem, I fish down at narrabeen lakes alot, mostly around the woolies bridge. There are always people there with undersized bream and flatties and it really gets me angry. If you speak to some of the people down there they will just ignore you. Feel like ringing the fisheries and telling them to come down and have a look. YG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooker435 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Yeah mate ive had the same problem, I fish down at narrabeen lakes alot, mostly around the woolies bridge. There are always people there with undersized bream and flatties and it really gets me angry. If you speak to some of the people down there they will just ignore you. Feel like ringing the fisheries and telling them to come down and have a look. YG Honestly I don't know why they bother. probably spend more money in fuel just to get there.... I caught a flattie the other day right smack bang on legal size and I released it as it was very thin and when they are right on size especially a flattie I dont waste my time as there are so many around the lake at the moment the only frustrating thing is near woollies bridge There are some big fish swimming right in front of you but just wont feed I have been told that they are black fish might have to take some cabbage next time.... Regards, Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erroll Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 lucky escape there better make my 66 next time! thanks for the tiP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 fishing is for enjoyment and those people that break the rules should the book thrown at them. Undersize fish is just wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cut_loose Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) We caught a snapper in botany bay a few weeks back and it was 30cms on the fish sticker ! i left the bloody brag mat at home but when i got home i measured it again for a quick photo and it came up 29cms lucky we didnt get caught buti make sure now 100 % that the bagmat is in the boat because i dont take udnersized fish and i get annoyed at people that do ! Oh well mate at least you had a good day and that bigger kingie is awesome Edited December 8, 2009 by cut_loose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnno Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Unlucky champ but it ended up okay in the end. The supplied stickers are a guide as are brag mats printed hard plastic sticks etc the only way to correctly measure is with a fixed rigid rule ie like a steel rule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myocard Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 They have to justify those $200,000 boats. How would you know what to do if the nice men from the government weren't there to tell you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Lucky Escape But they probably realized that you were sincere when you measured it against the Sticker. It´s good to hear that they do controls too. Shame for the fish, but hey, you got a bigger one !!! It´s a tough job what the Fisheries Guys have, as everyone has some kind of excuse ready, and most fishos are probably not as polite as you are. Well done on the big one and well done on not loosing the temper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregL Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 No wonder there has been some bream in comps thrown back and not weighed. We use to have one just for the 25cm mark before they go for a swim in the well, after that it all went on weights via digital scales in the boat for upgrades. It was also weird with bream, turn the buggers over onto their other side and they measure differently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel99 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 They have to justify those $200,000 boats. How would you know what to do if the nice men from the government weren't there to tell you? I forgot to say before, we also got checked by the fisheries blokes in the harbour today. I think it was 6 on board, one driving, one up the front checking our fish and one in the window talking to us. 3 sitting down out the back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPSGT Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Jim - I always thought you lied about the size of the fish you catch Now I have proof! I'm going to measure every fish you pull into the boat now with my own tape measure. Seriously though - when we'd target snapper in SA the legal limit is 38cm but we'd only take them over 40cm, as they do shrink a cm or two in the ice slurry glad you didnt get a fine - only trophy fish this holiday season! Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padfoot Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Jim - I always thought you lied about the size of the fish you catch Now I have proof! I'm going to measure every fish you pull into the boat now with my own tape measure. Seriously though - when we'd target snapper in SA the legal limit is 38cm but we'd only take them over 40cm, as they do shrink a cm or two in the ice slurry glad you didnt get a fine - only trophy fish this holiday season! Jason Agree with above. I tend to only take em if they are a couple of cm's over. Also, be careful of your brag mats. They can also be effected by the sun as they are made of a plastic material. Remember when you would put your twisties packet in the oven and shrink it? Heat and plastic don't mix well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flightmanager Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I was drifting around Gladesville a week or so ago , and was visited by the Fisheries boat. Not a licence check , just a PR visit about C&R. We got onto the subject of undersize captures , and he explained that they can give a bit of leeway , specifically if the fish in question has been placed on ice . What was perfectly legal at water temp , can be illegal after an hour or so in the esky! This is at the discretion of the officer at the time of course ! They gave me the latest issue measuring sticker ( June 2008) . Perhaps if the fish is just legal , a quick pic on your phone or camera as you measure it , to verify your belief that it was a legal capture. Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hundgie Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 You may not be out of the woods yet, i had i similar run in with the fisheries where my fishing licence had expired by less than a week, all fish i had on board were legal size and i was doing nothing else wrong. They said they understood that i forgot to renew my licence (this was before they started sending you a reminder in the post) and that i would only be issued with a caution by mail, well the caution turned up along with a $200 fine, they will tell you anything not to have confrontation with you on the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gar Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Jim's experience demonstrates the gap between doing the right thing and the actual written law. As fisherfolk we do not condone the deliberate possession of undersized fish. Nathan provides a classic example of what keeping undersized fish means to us. Fisherfolk are frustrated that Fisheries fail to enforce this common situation out of existance. I feel the time Fisheries spent on hasseling a guy clearly trying to comply with the regulation was wasted and should have been targetted against Nathans location for example. Fisheries would think that hasseling Jim was a win. Another tick in the report column, a perfect example of success. Nine mils in 650 is a pretty small percentage to call a failure but it was below the magic number written in the law. Hundgie's fishing fee receipt fine suggests that Head Office policy over-rules an officers discresionary powers, particularilly in a budget deficit State. None of which will make the 'bucket of baby bream' brigade extinct. tight lines all Gar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david88 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I have to disagree with everyone here that has attacked the fisheries officers.. I was also pulled up by the same boat that day and checked... I had a fishing license but the other people on my boat did not.. they then explained that the 6 rigged rods (and 2 handlines) were more than i was allowed and had a chat to me about the rules, handed license information to the others in the boat and left us with a nice 'info pack' and a 'goodluck'. They recognised that the guests in my boat werent regular fishers and they chose to educate us rather then do a bit of fundraising. hat goes off to the officers as one of the guests on the boat said 'i should probably get a license now' and another , my girlfriend, is asking me about how much they cost to get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
framedtrash Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 as Flightmanager said taking photos is always a good way to prove what size the fish was in my boat theres a photo taken of pretty much most fish that hit the deck and in alot of cases now theres also video of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 (edited) Guys, I'm totally shocked. I had no idea that the fisheries sticker we use to measure fish is inaccurate. How can it say that it's only a guide when it's primary function is to provide information to us to aid us in making a decision as to whether or not the catch is legal? We depend on the sticker. Failure to comply means we are financially punished. It can be argued that the sticker is not fit for purpose and a disclaimer like that - would it be legal ? At the end of the day, the onus will end up on us to ensure our catch is legal length. I'm going to mark mine with a permanent pen now. As for the catch shrinking in the ice slurry - I was aware of that and won't keep fish until they are at least 1cm over the limit. As for DPI officers, I have met some very nice, friendly ones, genuinely looking to educate and inform us fishers. I have also met some draconian ones (men and women) who treated me like I was stealing their fish and spoke to me in a very condescending tone. Each group of officers obviously see their role differently - some believe they REPRESENT the law, while others believe they ARE the law..... All we can do is find the holes in the system, fix them, abide by the rules and hope for the best. Jeez if you want to open a can of worms, ask them the definition of a pre-rigged rod. If you are fishing alone, with 4 rods in the water and a spare rod or two ready to go in case you get busted, then that is another discussion waiting to happen.....apparently you can't have pre-rigged rods...then ask them about prerigged lures, with or without the squidgie rubber tail....I'm gettign a headache now...PANADOL SOMEONE? Edited December 9, 2009 by Keflapod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylo Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I have to disagree with everyone here that has attacked the fisheries officers.. I was also pulled up by the same boat that day and checked... I had a fishing license but the other people on my boat did not.. they then explained that the 6 rigged rods (and 2 handlines) were more than i was allowed and had a chat to me about the rules, handed license information to the others in the boat and left us with a nice 'info pack' and a 'goodluck'. They recognised that the guests in my boat werent regular fishers and they chose to educate us rather then do a bit of fundraising. hat goes off to the officers as one of the guests on the boat said 'i should probably get a license now' and another , my girlfriend, is asking me about how much they cost to get. As a fisho, you should have known better that they sell 1 day passes for this reason ... BUT that's good to hear that they did not crucify you for it Jim, maybe your sticker shrunk .. Sounds as though it ended up OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now