Australia’s best fishing state?

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Mr Fourex
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Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by Mr Fourex » Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:59 am

Hey, just for fun (and because I’m curious) if you had to pick between our states, which would you consider to be the best for fishing overall and why?

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by smile0784 » Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:43 am

Nsw bermagui.
Closer game fish
Bigger bottom fishing.
Bigger range of fish to catch

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by colnick » Sat Jul 20, 2019 3:50 pm

I don't know a great deal about WA but I reckon it would be hard to go past Queensland looking at the state as a whole. Wonderful tropical coast, river and offshore variety, good temperate opportunities and even some reasonable inland freshwater fishing - when it rains. Its just so big, with so much variety of species and habitat that NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Oz can't really match it, despite having some great local spots and species.

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by Sebb » Sat Jul 20, 2019 4:23 pm

Yeah, hard to beat QLD.
Barra sara jack treadfin, bass and eastern cod.
Big flatty, bream, tuna, marlin, GT, you name it.

NSW fisheries doesnt seem to do a lot compared to VIC, but they also have the cold and warm water fishies.
VIC is great coz the fisheries been doing stockings etc.
TAS is the best for trout though. There's freshwater there's trout, even on a half foot deep 1/2m wide spring creek.
------------------------------
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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by Lightningx » Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:19 pm

Hmmmmm hard question to answer for me. Have experienced some awesome fishing in many of the states...best fishing for landbased or boat? Or a bit of both?

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by rb85 » Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:28 pm

Id have to fish extensively in every state before I could determine which state is best. Victoria is pretty good though no place like home.

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by Truedogz » Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:50 pm

I think the answer to the question depends upon the type of fishing. As I mostly fish freshwater I will focus on it.

Several posts have suggested Queensland and while it is good it can be overated. In terms of freshwater fisheries a lot of the state is arid, it is a long way between waterways and many rivers stop running. Also, us southerners look north with envy with pictures of idyllic, remote, unspoilt fisheries. The reality is that most estuarine fisheries have been/are heavily overfished to the detriment of the fishery by either or both amateurs and professionals. Access is a lot more difficult to rivers as the laws are different up there with many waterways not having crown frontage and land holders having total control of the river bank. You are in paradise down here compared to much of Queensland in terms of stream access.

As to quality of the species barra are our overall top freshwater sportfish though a number of others fight harder. Also in north Qld you have jungle perch, sooty grunter, saratoga and tarpon, all good fighters, and mangrove jack probably our strongest puller in freshwater. In SE Qld there are bass, Mary River cod and the M-D Basin natives of Murray cod, yellas, silver perch and catfish.

We have a lower diversity in Victoria but some of our species are just as good. Trout cod rival jacks in power and pound for pound trouties, bass and maccas could out pull a barra though of the three only trouties can rival barra in size. Rainbow trout are every bit as good as Saratoga. And Murray cod, while not being great fighters without a doubt produce the best surface hits of all of our natives. A close friend of mine who grew up in FNQ and caught stacks of barra has fished with me down here a few times. He was shocked how much harder trouties pull than barra of the same size.

My overall view is this. The best impoundment fisheries are in Qld, particularly the SE corner. They have been well stocked and well managed since the 1980s. They have had quality bass impoundment fisheries since the early 1990s. Victoria is about 30 years behind Qld with natives in impoundments.

Tasmania is easily the best trout fishery due to its climate, supported by good management.

NSW pioneered the stocking of natives in the 1970s and have some good impoundment fisheries - the big issue is their water management. They have some great trout fisheries centred on the Snowy Mountains though tassie is better. NSW has some remote upland cod fisheries which are brilliant - we once had them in Victoria but have lost all of them.

Overall for the best river/stream fisheries the best state is Victoria. There is a diverse range of species, the water ways have good access and many streams are perennial. Unfortunately, and contrary to popular belief, they have in the past not been well managed and the state is in catch up mode. There was a great lack of vision and innovation. And despite the strides made over the past decade we are still not making full use of the potential we have.

Best Wishes

Truedogz

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by mingle » Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:30 pm

QLD, closely followed by WA - the mid coast is amazing and very underrated...

I always feel sorry for ex QLD (heck, even, NSW, SA and WAers!) when they end up in Vic and ask "What's the fishing like down here?"...

Mike.

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by cheaterparts » Sun Jul 21, 2019 1:00 pm

Truedogz wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:50 pm
I think the answer to the question depends upon the type of fishing.
As a not that well travelled kayak fisho my vote goes to NSW they are spoilt with the range of off shore fishing so close to shore
there are so many options of launch sites right along the coast and into productive water
Marlin - Spaniards - Dollies - Cobia - Kings - and Tuna amongst other varieties most with in a couple of Km from land and accessible by kayak

and the amount of enclosed water ways is a joke
My kayak PBs
Gummy shark 128 Cm - Elephant fish 85 Cm - Snapper 91 Cm - KG Whiting 49 Cm - Flathead 55 Cm - Garfish 47 Cm - Silver Trevally 40 Cm - Long Tail Tuna 86 Cm - snook 64 Cm - Couta 71 Cm - Sth Calamari 44 Cm hood - Cobia 117 cm


Cheater

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Re: Australia’s best fishing state?

Post by rb85 » Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:53 pm

mingle wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:30 pm
QLD, closely followed by WA - the mid coast is amazing and very underrated...

I always feel sorry for ex QLD (heck, even, NSW, SA and WAers!) when they end up in Vic and ask "What's the fishing like down here?"...

Mike.
The grass is always greener mentality.
The fishing in Vic is great fresh and salt I can’t compare it to other states but I’m not complaining about home.

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