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Members Online:
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Welcome our newest member:
Maggie
(no. 12946)
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Why Do You Go Fishing?
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For the sport of it
(64.4 %) 174 votes
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To be with family and mates
(8.5 %) 23 votes
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Catch that trophy fish
(6.3 %) 17 votes
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To be outdoors
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For a Feed
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(Votes Counted: 270)
Vote Now!
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Fisheries Victoria
'A fortnightly round-up of recreational fisheries management issues'
Fish-e-Fax Issue 186, 7 December 2006
Murray cod stocking supporting the fishery for open season
The Victorian Murray cod recreational fishing season opened on Friday 1 December after a three month closure. This iconic native species is a favourite amongst recreational anglers, many of whom escaped to the north of the state this weekend hoping to catch the famous fish. The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has been stocking Victorian waters to ensure that anglers are given the opportunity to continually fish for Murray cod in the future.
Murray cod nesting boxes |
The annual three-month closed season maintains Murray cod stocks and allows the fish to spawn during the months of spring. This provides additional protection for the fish which is often easily caught during spawning months due to their increased aggression and feeding behaviour.
In the wild, Murray cod spawn in hollow logs that are found lying on the bottom of healthy rivers and streams. To simulate this environment, fish production technicians at DPI's Snobs Creek facility have been looking at different options to provide the most suitable habitat for the broodstock so that the spawning success can be optimised.
Hollow artificial nesting boxes are currently being used to imitate the logs in natural systems and also to provide a simpler method for staff to collect the eggs. Triggered by warmer waters female Murray cod swim into the boxes and disperse their sticky eggs around the inside of the walls. These boxes are then inspected by staff and the fertilised eggs are collected for translocation into an incubator where the eggs are left to hatch for 6 to 11 days.
The hatched fry then feed from their yolk sac until they are transferred to outdoor fertilised earthen ponds where they feed on natural food. The growth rates in the ponds are around 4 to 5cm over a few months. This rapid growth rate is a result of excellent water quality management by Fisheries Victoria staff. Juvenile Murray cod are then released into selected waters in Victoria that are suitable for Murray cod.
In recent years there has been increased concern regarding the possible impact the drought may have on native fish species that are stocked into inland waters of Victoria. Native fish such as Murray cod have evolved over millions of years to handle dry conditions and have an inbuilt behavioural response to utilise remnant pools or larger weir pools during such conditions.
DPI urges all anglers to respect the regulations relating to Murray cod during the open season. The bag/possession limit for Murray cod in both Victorian and NSW waters is 2 (of which no more than one fish may be equal to or exceed 75cm in length for Victorian waters and 100cm in NSW), with a minimum legal length of 50cm.
Impersonating Fisheries Officers
Persons who are unknown to the Department of Primary Industries have reportedly been impersonating Fisheries Officers in Central Victoria.
The people have been approaching fishers and producing a badge, claiming that they are Fisheries Officers. This activity holds significant penalties to those who are caught and will not be tolerated by the Victorian Police.
Anglers are reminded to report any suspicious activity to the 13FISH (13-3474) Telephone Offence Reporting Service.
Large trout stocked into Lake Eildon
Recreational anglers in the vicinity of Lake Eildon will be happy to learn that the lake has been stocked with over 3,000 large rainbow and brown trout in November and is due to receive a further 1,000 fish in December this year.
The trout are larger than the fish that are usually stocked into waters by Fisheries Victoria. They are a mixture of excess broodfish and on-grown trout that are excess to production needs. Some of these fish exceed 3kg in weight.
It was agreed by Fisheries Victoria, the Victorian Recreational Fishing peak body (VRFish) and other recreational fishing stakeholders at the annual consultation meetings, that the excess trout from Snobs Creek would be stocked into Lake Eildon.
Stocking update
The following waters were stocked by Fisheries Victoria in October 2006:
| Date |
Water |
Species |
Number |
| 2/10/06 |
Wurdibuluc Reservoir |
Rainbow trout |
2000 |
| 3/10/06 |
Wartook Lake |
Rainbow trout |
350 |
| 5/10/06 |
Wartook Lake |
Rainbow trout |
300 |
| 5/10/06 |
Anderson Lake |
Rainbow trout |
300 |
| 5/10/06 |
Banimboola Lake |
Brown trout |
2000 |
| 9/10/06 |
Wartook Lake |
Rainbow trout |
227 |
| 11/10/06 |
West Lake (Melton) |
Rainbow trout |
300 |
| 13/10/06 |
Eildon Pondage Weir |
Brown trout |
250 |
| 13/10/06 |
Eildon Pondate Weir |
Rainbow trout |
150 |
| 16/10/06 |
Glenmaggie Lake |
Rainbow trout |
2000 |
| 19/10/06 |
Yarrambat Lake |
Rainbow trout |
250 |
| 19/10/06 |
Jack Roper Reserve |
Rainbow trout |
250 |
| 19/10/06 |
Seagull Lake |
Rainbow trout |
500 |
| 26/10/06 |
Hanging Rock Lake |
Rainbow trout |
300 |
| 2/10/06 |
Bullarto Reservoir |
Rainbow trout |
500 |
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