PERFECT PRAWNING ATTRACTS FISHERS TO LAKE TYERS

[fishingvic]

PERFECT PRAWNING ATTRACTS FISHERS TO LAKE TYERS

Friday, 25 March 2022

PERFECT PRAWNING ATTRACTS FISHERS TO LAKE TYERS

Lake Tyers in East Gippsland is experiencing its best prawning season in 30 years, with locals and visitors flocking to
the region to enjoy the event.
A natural occurrence resulting from the system opening then closing to the sea means millions of prawns have
made their way to the lake, congregating in the shallows each night.
Drawing people from across Victoria to Lake Tyers, crowds have been wading in the water on calm nights equipped
with dip nets, head torches and prawning lights to scoop up their haul.
With a bag limit of 30 litres per person, keen anglers can walk away with more than enough for a prawn cocktail or
two and a gourmet barbecue.
While the best prawning in three decades is a drawcard for visitors, Lake Tyers is also a premier fishing destination
with countless options for anglers, including dusky flathead, bream, tailor, and trevally.
Anglers can also try their luck at catching a Golden Tag fish worth up to $10,000, with the Andrews Labor
Government extending the competition until 31 December 2022.
Launched in February 2020 to encourage visitation to Gippsland and Victoria's northeast following the season's
devastating bushfires, the competition was later expanded statewide to support local businesses following
pandemic restrictions.
Hundreds of tagged fish are still uncaught across the state, including in Gippsland waterways such as Mallacoota,
Bemm River, Lake Glenmaggie, Gippsland Lakes, Lake Tyers, Blue Rock Dam, Dartmouth Dam, Upper Mitta Mitta
River, Tamboon Inlet, the Snowy River, and the Victoria River.
Tagged species include flathead, bream, estuary perch, luderick, King George whiting, silver trevally, tailor, brown
and rainbow trout, and Australian bass.
Most fish are worth $2,000; however, there are still some $10,000 fish up for grabs.
The Golden Tag competition provides an outstanding opportunity for locals to wet a line in their favourite spot
close to home and encourage recreational fishing tourism, which has enormous economic benefits for
communities.
For more information on the Golden Tag details and terms and conditions, visit vfa.vic.gov.au/goldentag.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Fishing and Boating Melissa Horne
"This natural occurrence is not only providing a phenomenal chance to experience the best prawning in 30 years,
but it is encouraging people from right across Victoria to visit Gippsland, a region where tourism is significant for
local businesses and jobs."
"The extension of our Golden Tag competition is a chance to bring people back to the region while showcasing some
of the best fishing opportunities Gippsland offers."

Media contact: Isobel Loschiavo 0431 963 479 | isobel.loschiavo@minstaff.vic.gov.au

[hornet]

30 litres per person ? am I looking at this right ? so a family of 4 can take 120 liters of prawn each night, over a 3 night period that's 360 litres for the family of 4, multiply that by hundreds of families over the prawn run and you have thousands and thousands of litres of prawns ~ is this sustainable ? I love my prawns but these limits seem unrealistic, IMO 10 - 12 litres per person is sensible.

[re-tyred]

The only time you could get 30litres is when they are in plague numbers. Like now. They are so thick that they will not survive if not thinned out. Once they get thinned out the work to get more than a few Kg goes up and people stop. So to answer the question. No 30litres a night is not sustainable, but you just can't get that many when they thin out. I will bet within a month there will just be the diehards getting their 5-6 Kg a night.
Realistically what are you going to do with 40-50kgs of prawns. If you freeze them green as I do , you have to eat them within a few weeks or they go black and become bait. If you freeze them cooked they taste like crap within a cpl of weeks. There will be a few dills that catch way more than they can use but my observations out there, is that after about midnight pretty much everyone has gone. 5-6Kg an hour is about the most people can manage to dip.