Bass fishing in the Gippsland gets a boost
13,000 Aussie bass stocked and trailerboat access granted for 'Target One Million' anglersRecreational fishing opportunities have been given a shot in the casting arm in the Gippsland area, with the recent stocking the Tambo River and Lake Guthridge of 9000 and 4000 Australian bass respectively.
Creating new fishing opportunities through stocking is part of the Andrews Labor Government’s Target One Million plan to grow recreational fishing participation to one million anglers by 2020 in Victoria.
"Improving
recreational fishing opportunities is at the heart of the Andrews Labor
Government’s Target One Million plan to get more people fishing, more
often," said Jaala Pulford, the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, and an active angling supporter.
In further good fishing news, Lake Guthridge in Sale has received catchable-size rainbow trout for the June and September school holidays. However, the development of a bass fishery right in town will provide additional fishing opportunities for locals and visitors in the summer months.
The fingerlings ranged from 2.5cm to 8cm in length and were funded by Target One Million and the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
The release of 7000 bass fingerlings into the Tambo River, between Bruthen and the Timbarra River, complements the 28,000 fingerlings released into the river since 2013.
Similar stockings in the Mitchell River over several years have produced encouraging results with anglers reporting the capture of small bass, consistent with the growth rates expected from those releases.
More broadly, Victoria’s Australian bass stocking program has continued to expand, supported by recreational fishing licence fees, and now boasts 17 lakes and rivers.
"This
is another great catch for Gippsland anglers – time spent fishing with
family and friends is great for our wellbeing and also for our regional
tourism and hospitality industries," saidthe Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing
Nearly 700,000 bass have been released since 2002 and perhaps the most successful waterway has been Blue Rock Lake, where anglers have been catching legal size bass for several years.
Boating rules on Blue Rock Lake were relaxed last year and vessels of any length, carrying any engine size, can now navigate the lake and make the very most of the fishery, which also includes stocked trout.
For more information about Australian bass stocking in Gippsland visit www.vic.gov.au/bassstocking.
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