gellibrand blackfish

TUFLUX · Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 6:55 pm Post subject: gellibrand blackfish

i fished gellibrand on the weekend with a club and a few of the members are concerned of the lack of smaller blackfish being caught, 95% of fish caught were legal size with the largest going near 50cm and 1.2 kilo, so its got me thinking that they arnt spawning very well and maybe we should put a season on them, or do you think that there are heaps in the system and it will bounce back very well?

i really enjoyed fishing the river and would like to be able to fish there for many years to come

brush · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:50 am Post subject:

For your information there is a closed season on River Blackfish south of the Great Dividing Range from 1 September to 31 December each year.

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries/recreational-fishing/catch-limits-and-closed-seasons/freshwater-scale-fish/river-blackfish

Many years ago (25 or so) I fished with the Pilkington Trout Angling Club. This club used to run a state wide blackfish comp on opening weekend. All the results were sent to Fisheries to keep track of sizes and numbers.

I recall that every year the heaviest fish weighed in would come from the Gillbrand so it has aways been that way. If there is a lack of juviniles it is likely to be due to trout preditation. I have caught some big browns in coastal streams with small slipperies in them.

The Otways are a nice part of the world to fish.

Brush

muckawa · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:34 pm Post subject: Re:

quanger · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:26 pm Post subject:

But according to some, you can't blame the trout for declined native numbers, so we'll have to come up with another reason for the lack of juvenile blackfish.

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Troutaholic · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:59 pm Post subject:

Oh great, another trout hate thread. No doubt they eat small blackies and galaxids/smelt too.....that is what the small fish's role in life is. My main concern is if a good sized trout swallows one of those filthy spiny things the wrong way around and it should get caught in his gullet and injure the poor trout. I've caught some big browns with guts full of bilby too.

quanger · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 1:56 pm Post subject:

brush · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 3:24 pm Post subject:

Troutaholic

Not trying to start a s*&t fight. I love catching trout as much as anyone.

I have seen many different types of fish inside trout gullets including other trout. They are an efficient predator that is for sure.

The Gillibrand is a noted big blackfish water. It is also a noted big trout water, especially in the lower reaches and estuary.

Brush

Troutaholic · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 3:33 pm Post subject:

No argument from me that trout eat other fish mate. What predatory fish doesn't? Predation is just a natural process, if the trout weren't there to eat smaller blackies something else would be and often is there. Birds take a fair share of smaller fish too. I would say the bulk of trout fingerlings end up in the guts of cod, yellowbelly, redfin and shags and darts too.

TUFLUX · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:37 pm Post subject:

well it seams last year one hole on the river would hold over 25 fish, this year was maybe 2 fish max to a hole, maybe it was our baits that didnt atract the smaller fish as we were using a yabby anout 50mm long... there was a trout weighed in at 1kg gutted and many more trout caught this year, but like whats been said maybe the browns are eating the smaller blackies and the big ones just get bigger, we did manage to catch 5 eels in a 8 hours fishing session too