We’re into the last month of the 2023-24 Tasmanian Brown Trout fishing season and if you haven’t been out and about remember it’s all over at midnight on April 28.
A little more rain over the weekend was great but we really do need more to freshen it up to get trout moving.
Locally, fishing has been tough going although some anglers have caught some trout weighing to around 1kg through the Derwent and Huon rivers but Australian Salmon, Bream, Tailor and Mullett still account for most of the catch.
A seal has taken up residency around New Norfolk and I witnessed it in a feeding frenzy on Saturday night where for three or more hours it was hunting salmon and eels. Hopefully as temperatures cool and the water freshens up he he takes off back down towards the salt water because, to be honest, it isn’t safe to be on or close to the water when they feed like I witnessed recently.
Waters mentioned the most last week were the Dee Lagoon, Lake Echo, Great Lake, The Brady’s Chain, Lake Pedder, Lake Sorell, Lake Burbury, Talbots Lagoon and Camden Lake.
The 2024 Pirtek Fishing Challenge is a popular event run nationwide and this year it’s being run on the weekend of April 20-21.
The challenge raises funds for medical research, supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and the Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research unit.
There are target species in each state and territory plus more with 24 senior categories and plenty of high quality prizes on offer. Even if you don’t catch the biggest fish or one at all you go into the draw to win “on the water” prizes which could be a $50,000 boat, $23.000 sea doo2 outboard engines and much more.
In fact the total prize pool is worth over $300,000 dollars. To find out more and to enter check out the Pirtek Fishing Challenge Website it might just be worth your while.
For the first time in its 61 year history the Australian International Billfish Tournament (AIBT) hit Tasmanian shores last Saturday.
This competition is the first International Billfish Tournament to be run in Australian waters with anglers targeting Broadbill Swordfish and Marlin.
Thirty teams have entered and fishing started on Saturday and will run through until Friday, April19 and each team can choose up to seven days to fish within the 14-day timeframe.
The Australian International Billfish Tournament prioritises conservation and responsible fishing practices which promote safe and sustainable fishing by ensuring that any billfish caught during the tournament is safely released back into their natural habitat.
A presentation dinner will be held at Spring Bay Mill at Triabunna on Saturday April 20 from 5.30pm-11pm.
Awards anglers are competing for the Champion Team Overall-EW Palmer Perpetual trophy, Champion Team Runner up – Moreton Bay Perpetual Trophy, Champion Angler – Mal Ramsay Perpetual Trophy and Champion Overseas Angler – AIBT Trophy donated by GFAA.
Saturday saw a good number of teams out fishing with a few reporting hookups but only one, Team Seismic, managed to keep the hooks in and bring a swordfish boatside before putting in a tag.
The New Norfolk Licensed Anglers Association is holding its eighth trout fishing competition of the season this weekend and this one has been changed to an Open Water’s event.
Initially the competition was set at Lake Pedder but due to unavailability of some committee a decision was made at the recent general meeting to switch it to open waters allowing anglers to get out and fish wherever they want.
Fishing starts at 6pm on Friday night finishing with a weigh in at Millbrook Rise Boat Ramp from 2-3 pm on Sunday.
Members note that the Autumn Festival is being held on the same weekend on the Esplanade which is why we’ve pushed back the time for the competitions weigh in and keep track of the clubs FB page for any updates.
With only two competitions remaining the NNLAA looks forward to a good turn out as we push towards the end of the 2023-24 brown trout season.
Tight Lines until next week.