Recreational fishers in the Hunter Valley area will have the chance on Sunday to swap their old and unwanted opera house yabby traps for an Oar-Gee Plow lure at the upcoming Gone Fishing Day at Lake Macquarie.
Join OzFish Lake Macquarie Chapter to do a spot of fishing and enjoy the habitats we work hard to protect.
This Gone Fishing Day we will have local expert angler Dan Guilfoyle teach us about the Dusky Flathead, how to better target these fish and what to do if we catch one with a tag.
It'll also be a great day out on the river where families and friends can bond over fishing and meet like-minded people.
There will be something for everyone, including beginners, as well as activities for the keen angler. A range of basic skills will be shared, giving up and coming fishos the confidence to wet a line on their own. Let's get the kids involved in our favourite pastime and learn some best practice fishing tips!
Please bring fishing gear, a hat, sunscreen and a water bottle. We will meet at Croudace Bay Park, at the south side of the carpark – look for the OzFish Flag!
This event is also a Yabby Trap Drop Spot where fishers can bring down any old and unwanted opera house yabby traps and swap it for an Oar-Gee Plow lure to support sustainable fishing practices.
Opera house nets are now illegal in NSW and those collected will be recycled into useful products for anglers, with the proceeds being used to support habitat restoration.
The popularity of yabby fishing has put pressure on native wildlife which can unwittingly get caught inside opera house traps.
Alternative devices, such as open-top pyramid nets and hoop nets, are a more environmentally friendly design, allowing non-target species to escape if they swim in while also being effective at catching a tasty feed of fresh yabbies!
"Yabby fishing really gets going in the summer so now is the perfect time to update your gear and rather than have it go to landfill, give it another life," said Cassie Price, Director of Habitat Programs at OzFish.
The Yabby Trap Round-Up program is an initiative of TierraMar in collaboration OzFish Unlimited and the NSW DPI, supported by BCF - Boating, Camping, Fishing.
If you would like to know more about the project or get involved become a member of OzFish online at www.ozfish.org.au or contact 1800 431 308.
About us:
About OzFish
OzFish Unlimited is a national environmental conservation charity established to improve the health of our rivers, lakes and estuaries. It is a member-based organisation dedicated to make our fishing grounds healthy, vibrant and more productive. Their active work includes; habitat restoration such as resnagging, riverbank planting, clean-ups, fishways, shellfish reefs and educational and community capacity building programs.
