It's nice to see some of the hard-earned dollars we pay out for a fishing licence here in NSW getting put back into our ailing marine fishery. Buying out the professional fishermen from a number of locations has been a positive move and has certainly helped many of our bays and rivers start to flourish again. The latest input by NSW Fisheries to help the amateur angler is the installation of FADs (fish aggregation devices) up and down our coastline. These FADs are like oases in an open ocean - situated many miles off the coast, they attract an amazing array of offshore marine life.
A FAD usually consists of a big float or a series of floats held to the sea bottom with a heavy weight (anchor) and supported by chain and rope. The top section of rope and the float itself quickly attract all kinds of marine growth which thrive in the currents and sunlight. This growth in turn draws small marine animals, such as tiny fish like the leatherjackets. The bigger species, such as yellowtail kingfish and mahi mahi (dolphin fish), come to feed on the smaller fish, then other ocean-roaming gamefish such as marlin, sharks and tuna start to hang around.
BLUE MARLIN AND BEER KEGS
I'll never forget when I fished around the first experimental FAD to be put in off Sydney by the NSW State Fisheries many years ago. It was made from a long piece of large diameter, sealed PVC pipe and anchored just inside the continental shelf in 90 fathoms. After a few weeks this FAD abounded with mahi mahi and small yellowtail kingfish. We even caught a 140kg blue marlin a mere stone's throw away from it. While that FAD unfortunately was removed, since then a few private FADs have been put in at various depths by gamefishermen off Sydney.
Any float qualifies as a FAD, and even beer kegs have been used successfully; however the new fully-serviced NSW Fisheries FADs are pretty special. Apart from giving the amateur angler a place to target fish, they help in the study of dolphin fish that flock around them. Recreational fishers can get involved in a tagging program with these dolphin fish to find out more about their movements and growth rate. Fisheries has produced a special dolphin fish tagging kit, and is offering a free t-shirt and prizes for participating in the program. The tags can be obtained through your fishing club, by emailing heath.folpp@fisheries.nsw.gov.au or by ringing (02) 9527 8411.
To give you an idea what to expect around these FADs, the other day we went out to the one situated off Port Hacking Heads in 70 fathoms and another boat was hooked up to a fish as we approached. Thinking they were fighting a big dolphin fish, we got a shock as a striped marlin came hurtling out of the water right in front of us. We backed up quickly to give these guys some room, but the marlin soon broke them off and was gone!
These guys were fishing with livebait on light tackle when the marlin got involved, but unfortunately the fight was short lived when the line parted.
TAGGING TECHNIQUE
We need to be prepared for anything to happen around one of these FADs. Particularly on livebait, it always pays to use a heavier trace material. If you were using 10kg tackle it would be appropriate to use at least a 50–60kg trace material. The dolphin fish won't shy off this size line with livebait and if a decent-sized tuna or a billfish gets in on the act you'll have a chance of getting it close enough to tag.
When tagging dolphin fish it's always a good idea to pull the small fish into the boat. These fish are super slippery and slimy so use a wet towel to hold the head and cover the eyes. Usually once the eyes are covered they will settle down enough to tag and roughly measure. It's not a bad idea to have a fish box in the boat with the lid marked with a measuring tape as laying the fish on something flat makes inserting the tag a lot easier. The tag should be placed on a 45-degree angle back from the head, just under the dorsal fin in the thicker part of the back. Be careful not to hit the spine of the fish as this could cause permanent damage.
With the bigger dolphin fish or any other larger gamefish for that matter, it's best to tag them in the water. Just lead the fish on the trace next the boat as it idles slowly along in forward gear. Be patient and just wait until the fish quietens down so the tag can be placed in the same spot as mentioned before. Once the tag is in, try to get a rough measurement of the fish by using the tag pole or a gaff pole. Always try to remove the hook, but if this starts to freak the fish or it's too dangerous just cut the trace as close to the fish's mouth as possible. Always mark the tag card with at least the angler's name and the size and kind of fish, so the cards correspond correctly with each tag. The full details can be put down later at home and posted off. Get involved, it's good fishing.
Published : Monday, 1 August 2005
Issue : August 2005
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