▲TopYOUR FISHING LICENCE FEES REVEALING MURRAY COD SECRETS

Freshwater anglers have been helping fisheries researchers with a three-year study, which aims to learn more about Murray cod catches and fishing techniques, Acting Executive Director Fisheries.

Researchers interviewed over 700 recreational anglers during the 2006-07 Murray cod season, collecting statistics on catch, effort and fishing practices in sections of the Murray, Ovens and lower Goulburn rivers.

During the season anglers estimated that over 1 million hours of fishing effort had yielded a catch of 83,861 Murray cod, of which 75,922 or 90 per cent were released.

Recorded the hook sizes anglers were using, the number of lines being fished, the location of hooks in captured cod and the landing method, said Paul Brown, Senior Science Officer at the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Snobs Creek centre.

This information, along with experimental data on post-release survival of Murray cod, will help us estimate how many of the released cod survive and the contributing factors.

The vast majority of cod, were shallow hooked in the mouth, lip or jaw, or externally. Only a few were hooked deep in the mouth.

Anglers reported no observed injuries, other than the hook wound itself, for 90 per cent of all cod caught.

Mr Brown said that lures accounted for 16 per cent of cod caught with the remainder taken on bait.

Bait fishers used a range of single hooks from small size-6 up to 7/0 however most cod were caught on single hooks between 2/0 and 4/0.

Of the Murray River anglers 67 per cent fished mainly from a boat as opposed to the shore. This was high when compared to 32 per cent in the Goulburn River and 29 per cent in the Ovens River.

Covering a study reach of 750km researchers were interested to find that while Murray cod were being caught at between 2 to 21 fish per hectare, anglers were experiencing lower catch rates for carp of between 0.5 and 9 fish per hectare.

Since December 2007 surveys have continued along the Murray River downstream of Torrumbarry weir to the South Australian border, and the Loddon River west of Bendigo.

This project received $111,500 from the Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account and contributions from Fisheries Victoria and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.

For more information about ‘Your Licence Fees at Work’ visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fishing/feesatwork or ring the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186.