Over the Australia Day Long Weekend Inland Fisheries Officers patrolled many inland waters across the State.

The objectives of the patrols were to ensure recreational angler compliance under the Inland Fisheries Act 1995, inland Fisheries (Recreational Fishing) regulations 2009, Marine and Safety Act to ensure angler awareness of fishery regulations and fishery management strategies.

Officers based from Liawenee patrolled Great Lake, Arthurs Lake, Woods Lake, Little Pine Lagoon, Pine Tier Lagoon, Bronte Lagoon, Brady’s Lake, Lake Binney, Tungatinah Lagoon, Tooms Lake and Lake Leake with a further team visiting Lake St. Clair, Lake Burbury, Lake Mackintosh, Lake Plimsoll, Lake Rosebery, Talbots Lagoon, Lake Kara, Pet Dam and Guide Reservoir.

236 angling licences were inspected with 12 Fisheries Infringement and Conditional Caution Notices issued for 13 offences.  Those being,

5 x Fish without an angling licence.

5 x Fail to wear PFD on vessel under 6 meters while underway.

1 x Possess assembled rod, reel and line without an angling licence.

1 x Operate vessel on Lake Sorell.

1 x Exceed 5 knots limit.

According to Brett Mawbey (Manager of Hatchery and Stocking) low catch rates were observed and the general consensus amongst anglers in the highlands was that the fishing was slow due to the hot weather.  Anglers were successful on some of the deeper lakes trolling with lead lines and deep diver lures.  Lakes Tooms and Leake revealed more success with most anglers catching numbers of good size fish.  2kg browns as well as rainbows of up to 1kg were landed.  Anglers at Woods Lake were rewarded with nice size browns of up to 2.5kgs.