# Undersize keepers | what to do?



## kpac (Sep 27, 2011)

well i haven't posted for a while; i've been snowed under in the office, and spent a lot of time away from home. But now that i'm back, i'm looking to get out there amongst the decent winter anglers.

Had a fantastic day out yesterday morning. Wind was up, but i found a little location which was sheltered. I caught 2 nice flatties, both would have been nice in the pan, but i had dinner plans so they got to have another swim. I was almost finishing up, and drifted past a couple of tinnies fishing. Gave the friendly wave and kept fishing.

Tinnie number 1, has a rough old bloke in with a 'live net' setup over the side.
Tinnie number 2, is a couple of young fellas.

Getting to the point: 
Tinnie 1 catches something, and brings it in pretty quick. I causally glance to see a little bream, it was little, and i assumed it'd be tossed back - NOPE, into the live net, as i look on, bemused.
The net itself looked like it was full of undersize, nothing looked a decent size. I re-think, and decide i've gotta give him the benefit of the doubt, as i was far enough away to question my own judgement of size.

He catches another. As i paddle around i think to myself, maybe i got it wrong. Considering that legal bream are still very small, maybe i was jumping to conclusions. As he gets the next on in the boat, this time i conveniently ensure i drift past close enough to see. Barely bigger than his palm, as he sticks this on in the net, i can't help myself yelling out "Is he a keeper?"

"oh yeah yeah yeah" is the mumbled response. I said it loud enough for tinnie 2 to hear, and the 2 young fellas turn.
I didn't know what else i could do. His net had atleast 6 fish in it, and i'd put money that minimum 1/2 were undersize. But i couldn't think of what else i could do. I pack up and keep an eye on the boat. Sure enough he gets another and it is quite possibly smaller than the last!! He was a lot shiftier with his one. Didn't put it in the net straight away, just held it in the boat until tinny 2 wasn't looking.

So my question is this: What could i do? I know he's a scumbag for keeping undersize fish. I also know it's probably more common than i realise, but it really left me feeling bitter about the whole day.

Bream legal size is 25cm, which in itself is too small IMO. I'd personally throw back anything under 30, as less than this will not make a decent feed IMO. But i may be in the minority. So why keep a 20cm bream?

And what can i do about this scumbag?


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

Ring Fisheries I guess; I don't really like to keep bream at all; there are plenty of better eating fish.


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## kpac (Sep 27, 2011)

Much more fun to catch than to eat. But that's what was pissing me off to be honest. There were potentially 6-10 little fish here that'd be great catching at xmas time. But he's gone a ruined that for the rest of us.

I've kept a couple of Bream before, and they cook up ok. But i'm the same, if i'm going for diner, i'd try for something else.


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## Tiberium (Mar 3, 2012)

Its sad when people take undersized fish specially if they're locals and know the laws. I've seen it to many times but there isn't much you can do but get the rego if the boat has it and call the fishos.


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## eagle4031 (Jan 29, 2010)

if you had your camera ohone handy you could have taken a pic of the dinghy
i am assuming they have a registration number on the side
then report to fisheries


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Whatever you do in that situation , always consider your own safety. I've dobbed people in before but making it obvious you are doing so could turn bad if you're on a kayak and they have the advantage of petrol power. You just don't know what's going in in the other guys head or how he's going to react.

A few covert photos would probably be the best idea. Even though they may mean nothing on their own, they can be useful pieces of a larger puzzle in the future.


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## kpac (Sep 27, 2011)

It's a shame isn't it. Something i may well just have to learn to tolerate. Got under my skin yesterday because the decent fisho's out there are all good people doing the right thing. These muppets do not represent the whole thankfully.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

kpac said:


> It's a shame isn't it. Something i may well just have to learn to tolerate. Got under my skin yesterday because the decent fisho's out there are all good people doing the right thing. These muppets do not represent the whole thankfully.


Don't worry, I think most of us feel like that when we see that happen. I usually say nothing to the offenders but take photos of their cars, boats etc and make a call. My most pleasing achievement was when fisho's got someone I'd tipped them about with a ute full of undersized barra. He wasn't even towing a boat at the time but they had a time, location and vehicle description from me the day before (when he bragged about what he was up to!). He was a pensioner and it probably hurt him financially but he had a racket going and had a bit of an attitude about the whole thing.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

How do you know he wasn't going to let them go when he was finished fishing, When I fish for bream I keep everything in a keep net (or rock pool if there is one handy) and let them go when I'm done, as I have found that letting bream go has stopped the bite altogether.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

bildad said:


> When I fish for bream I keep everything in a keep net (or rock pool if there is one handy) and let them go when I'm done,


Had a mate doing this in a comp some years ago at Jumpin' Pin, and got nailed by Fisheries for possession of undersized fish who did not accept he was going to release them later even though they were in good condition.

His comments or similar, were doubt an excuse Fisheries had heard before, and the law does say 'in possession'


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## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

The fisheries number for illegal activity is 1800 043 536

Keep it in the mobile and dob the scum in. If they dont get there in time, at least youll have done all you can do - short of ramming them lol


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## theGT58 (Nov 1, 2011)

Yep, save the fisheries number in your phone. Give em a call as soon as you see this happen. Whether they get there in time (or at all) will depend on what they're up to. Often there's only 1 guy for a fairly large area.

Step 2: photograph him taking the illegal size fish next time he does it. Take a picture of his face and the boat rego. Pass these to fisheries.

There's not much else can be done unfortunately that is legal. Hate this scumbags, they're everywhere. I've even found bait rigs miles up secluded trout streams (no bait fishing allowed)

If you really wan't fisheries to turn up to get him tell them he's in large boat taking hundreds of undersize abalone lol. Nah obviously, don't anyone do this.


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

liam8227 said:


> bildad said:
> 
> 
> > How do you know he wasn't going to let them go when he was finished fishing, When I fish for bream I keep everything in a keep net (or rock pool if there is one handy) and let them go when I'm done, as I have found that letting bream go has stopped the bite altogether.
> ...


You need to be more than very careful. You need to stop doing it.

You will get prosecuted for it.


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Yeah Bildad, only a matter of time before you get pulled up and an act such as what you are doing is illegal. QLD limits are in possesion, in a keeper net is in possesion, no questions more to ask. In possession also applies to using fish with a legal size limit for bait too. Eg: A 20cm sand whiting (Jack lollies) cannot be used for bait as they have a legal size limit of 23cm and an undersized whiiting with a 4/0 in its back is deemed in your possesion.

In regards to the original post. Keep the fisheries hotline no. in your phone, chances are when you make a call it will be answered by someone on the other side of the state noting that there is nobody on duty in your area, but they will probably ask for a rego no. of the offender and if you have any photos etc. You never know, you could get lucky though and a location, brief description and rego number of the offender will be all that is required for the fisheries to attend on the day. Do not put yourself at risk trying to get photos etc as these scumbags can and often will become aggressive and history says that stinkers beat yakkers like rocks beat scissors.

Good luck,

Kev


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## kpac (Sep 27, 2011)

Still shitty about it i spoke to Fisheries, and told them where it happened. They confirmed, if i report it next time they'll do all they can to get out there, and they shared the same disbelief about undersize bream, questioning what if anything you'd want with a 20cm bream.
They also said they may do a run around that area in the coming weekends, as they don't have a record of doing so. It's certainly made me feel a lot better about it, even if it comes to nothing.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Well there you go, thanx for the tip off guys, won't be keeping undersized fish in the keep net anymore.
Cheers.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

bildad said:


> Well there you go, thanx for the tip off guys, won't be keeping undersized fish in the keep net anymore.
> Cheers.


maybe you should change your username to bilBAD! :lol:


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Barrabundy said:


> bildad said:
> 
> 
> > Well there you go, thanx for the tip off guys, won't be keeping undersized fish in the keep net anymore.
> ...


Yes I have been naughty.


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## eagle4031 (Jan 29, 2010)

MrFaulty said:


> The fisheries number for illegal activity is 1800 043 536


is that number the same for all states -----does anyone know


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## Ubolt (Dec 8, 2009)

In all my years fishing ok I'm only 28 but ive never encountered a fisheries officer. Been pulled up by water police to check safety equipment but never had my catch checked. I think this means fisheries need more funding


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Ubolt said:


> In all my years fishing ok I'm only 28 but ive never encountered a fisheries officer. Been pulled up by water police to check safety equipment but never had my catch checked. I think this means fisheries need more funding


Well since the change of government, we're getting one based locally. We've never had one and they always had to come from an hour away. Even the local commercial operators have come out publicly and supported the move. The position hasn't been filled yet but it will be reassuring to know that when I make a call I can take one hour off the time I would normally have expected them to respond in......and that's enough to bust a lot of arses when it comes to people doing the wrong thing at locations you can just drive to!


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## GlenelgKiller (Mar 13, 2012)

Ubolt said:


> In all my years fishing ok I'm only 28 but ive never encountered a fisheries officer. Been pulled up by water police to check safety equipment but never had my catch checked. I think this means fisheries need more funding


Yeah, same here Ubolt. Dont think we have many around in SA. Maybe if we had fishing licences there would be more? Which states have licences (Vic does yeah?). Does this go towards regulating or just a money grab?


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## eagle4031 (Jan 29, 2010)

GlenelgKiller said:


> Ubolt said:
> 
> 
> > In all my years fishing ok I'm only 28 but ive never encountered a fisheries officer. Been pulled up by water police to check safety equipment but never had my catch checked. I think this means fisheries need more funding
> ...


Victoria are able to police more --- re stock fisherieS and provide better facilities for recreational fishers
Not like here in SA


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