Fish bites: Yamaha releases duck-hunting outboard engines in the US

Yamaha Marine has introduced new colour options for its T9.9 and T25 tiller-steer engines, and the F25 forward control model specifically for duck hunters “because the brown and black colouration blends very well with the typical surroundings”.

“The all-new matte brown finish on the F25 provides less reflection and helps conceal the outboard to give waterfowl hunters an edge,” the company said in a statement announcing the new colour.

“Going from the 8D Yamaha grey to the matte brown, Yamaha reduced the light reflective value (IG-340) from 85.0 (8D) to 8.1 (matte brown).

The new colour scheme will also help boaters who painted their boats in camouflage, Yamaha says.

“If the boater wishes to incorporate extra camouflaging on these outboards, there is no need to sand and prime, risking damage to the factory-applied corrosion protection or the cosmetic appearance of the outboard. 

“The matte brown colour makes an excellent base layer for added camo treatments.”

A Friday afternoon fishing trip has resulted in three men facing hefty fines and their motor yacht confined to its mooring after Victorian fisheries officers allegedly found only one legal-sized snapper in their haul of almost 50 fish.

Officers patrolling Melbourne’s Port Phillip, the state’s most popular recreational fishery, boarded the boat off Baumauris last week and found an icebox with 48 snapper inside.

The officers allege only one fish was within the legal minimum 28.0cm, with the size of the smallest snapper measuring 17.4cm. 

As well as having the boat confined to home base, the boat’s fishing gear and icebox were seized.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority said the three men will be charged on summons.

A submission to the Tasmanian Government’s request for feedback on proposed changes to the state’s scalefish fisheries has called for recreational fishing licences to be rolled out across the state.

The left wing-leaning Australia Institute said it wanted the Tasmanian Government to introduce a recreational fishing licence “for scalefish fishing in Tasmania, in line with Victorian, NSW and Western Australian requirements”.

It also called for an immediate ban on recreational gillnetting in the state “because it is detrimental to fish, threatened species like the Maugean skate, marine mammals and seabirds”.

“Tasmania’s coastal waters are in trouble after decades of degradation and piecemeal changes are not enough,” the institute’s submission says.

“We are concerned about the long-term depletion of fish stocks and a modern legal and policy framework is needed to ensure new fishery management arrangements genuinely protect marine life.”