Rock-fishing Alerts Not Heeded
Newcastle Herald
Friday April 25, 2003
DESPITE a number of warnings, the big seas over the past week have caused yet another rock-fishing tragedy.
It is quite amazing that people risk their lives when more-experienced anglers choose to fish in much safer locations.
There has been a release of a new document by NSW Fisheries warning of the dangers associated with rock fishing.
Rock Fishing Safety is available from NSW Fisheries offices and NSW Fishing Licence outlets.
There have been more than 70 fatalities in the sport over the past 10 years, and this brochure provides a simple safety checklist.
They include things like never fish by yourself, inform others of your plans, wear light clothing, wear appropriate footwear, carry safety gear, never fish in exposed areas during rough or large seas, observe first and fish later, plan an escape route in case you are washed in, stay alert, and ask advice from locals who know the area.
Meanwhile, the big seas at the weekend yielded some good catches of luderick from many of the rough water spots around Newcastle.
The Soldiers Baths and Merewether were two excellent spots to catch luderick and rock blackfish.
The changed sea conditions have encouraged the movement of schools of sea mullet, bream and luderick into many of our local estuaries.
There have been some good-sized schools of luderick around Queens Wharf in Newcastle Harbour and some big bream around the pylons.
The harbour has also continued to produce mulloway and plenty of flathead.
Wayne, Kevin and Andrew Smith, along with Jason Pitraszek and John Parkinson, caught several quality bream at Hawks Nest earlier this week on strip mullet.
They said the bream were lying underneath massive schools of sea mullet and taking the baits aggressively.
Lake Macquarie, too, has been producing some good catches of bream and luderick.
© 2003 Newcastle Herald