River Fishing Tips

Welcome to our section on river fishing tips. The goal of this section is to educate both novice and expert fishermen on how to improve their river fishing skills.

Natural Fishing Bait

Good freshwater natural fishing baits include worms, leeches, minnows, crayfish, crickets and grasshoppers.

Resep Umpan Kukus Ikan Mas Empang Harian

Berikut ini adalah pengalaman mancing saya di empang ikan mas harian pake umpan putih kukus, umpan ini sangat azip.

Tips dan Trik Mancing Ikan Mas Galatama

Untuk meningkatkan kepekaan gigitan ikan mas, gunakan kenur super.

Mengenal Karakter Ikan Mas Dalam Memancing

Bila kita sering memancing ikan dan ditanya “Bagaimana mengenal karakter ikan dalam memancing ikan mas?”.

Monday 28 April 2014

Natural Fishing Bait




Good freshwater natural fishing baits include worms, leeches, minnows, crayfish, crickets and grasshoppers.

Freshwater bottom-feeders like catfish and carp are also attracted to cut fishing baits (cut-up bait fish) and prepared baits called dough balls.

Always check local fishing regulations to make sure the fishing bait you choose is legal for the lake you're fishing. Many lakes don't allow the use of rough fish minnows as bait because rough fish can take over a lake and starve-out the game fish.

Compare the cost of losing one worm to losing a lure and you'll see that fishing with live bait can be less expensive than fishing with lures; and if you find your own live bait, you can save even more money.

For more information on what baits to use for your target fish, check the Species Explorer section, or join one of our forums and cast out a question.
Cut Fishing Bait

Using fish cut into pieces attracts fish in a different way than whole, live fishing bait or lures. Fish that are attracted to scent are more likely to hit on cut bait. You can use any caught fish, including bait fish, to make cut bait. For best results, scale the fish but leave the skin on.

Catfish and carp bite on cut fishing bait.

Many species of saltwater fish like sea trout, bluefish and sailfish are attracted to cut bait. Go to the Saltwater Fishing section for more information on saltwater fishing bait.

Leeches

Leeches are excellent live fishing bait for freshwater walleye and northern pike, and are readily available from bait shops. Leeches should be hooked through the sucker in the tail. Leeches have suckers at both ends. But the tail sucker disk is larger than the head disk.

There is a simple rule of thumb when using leeches as live fishing bait. Don't fish them faster than they can naturally swim. The attraction is the swimming motion.
Tips and Tricks for Leeches

If you're placing leeches in your live well, give them at least one hour to adjust to the new temperature. So they can stretch out and swim naturally.

Leeches are hardy and will last a long time. You can keep them fresh in a refrigerator for many days.

Dough Balls

The fancy name is prepared fishing bait. They're commercially made, come in a can and are labeled for specific fish, such as trout, pan fish, catfish and carp. Mold the stuff all the way around the hook, including the barb or use it on a treble hook with a bait holder attachment.

You can also make your own dough balls. Try the recipe below.



Homemade Dough Balls

A tasty treat for catfish and carp:
  • Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup yellow cornmeal and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl.
  • Take a 1-quart container of water and pour just enough of it into the mixture to make a heavy dough.
  • Roll the dough into balls about ½-inch to 1-inch in diameter.
  • Mix the rest of the water with 1 cup of molasses and pour it into a pan.
  • Add a flavoring agent, such as garlic, licorice, anise or strawberry gelatin.
  • Put the pan on the stove and bring the molasses, water and flavoring to a boil.
  • When the mixture is boiling, drop in the dough balls, but don't overcrowd them.
  • Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool before using.

Want a simpler recipe? Just use the leftovers from your picnic lunch. Carp will bite on almost anything—hot dogs, buns, marshmallows and paper plates. Well, okay, not the paper plates.

Grubs and Meal Worms

Ideal for pan fish, sunfish and trout, grubs and meal worms are used often as live fishing bait and are readily available from tackle and bait shops. Use them singly or in multiples.

You can also harvest grubs from the soil and from the swelled and deformed leaves of trees, plants and vegetables.


Minnows

Basically, minnows are baby fish and a good all-around freshwater fishing bait. Minnows are readily available from bait and tackle shops or you can catch your own if it's legal in your area. Minnows come in different sizes. Use larger 'shiners' for bass and pike fishing.

For cast and retrieve, trolling and drifting, hook the minnow vertically through both lips or through the tail.

For still fishing with a bobber, hook the minnow through the back just above the dorsal fin. Take care not to damage the spinal cord. The key is to keep the fish moving on its own.

Tricks and Tips for Minnows

For really good action, hook the minnow upside down on a light jig. It will struggle to regain an upright position

Store minnows in a minnow bucket using the same water from which they were bought or captured, and take care not to crowd them.

Insects

Ants, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and caterpillars are ideal to use as live fishing bait for catching pan fish, sunfish and trout. Brown trout are especially attracted to ants presented on a fly. Smallmouths and large trout prefer immature versions of mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, hellgrammites and dobsonfly larvae.
Tricks and Tips for Insects

You can buy insects or catch your own. Ants can be gathered from a nest and large insects can be captured with a net. Hey, get the whole family involved.

Freshwater Clams and Mussels

If clams or mussels are native to your area, they make a great live bait to catch the native fish.

To keep them fresh, gather the mussels and clams from shallow waters before or while you fish. Crack the shell open, cut out the clam or mussel and allow the bait to harden slightly in the sun so it stays on the hook.

Tie mussels on to the hook with thread, taking care not to pull too tight.

Crayfish

For smallmouth bass, use crayfish whole and alive, hooked through the tail.

For pan fish use the tail meat or meat from the large pincers.

For catfish, bullheads and carp, use dead crawdads threaded on a hook.

Crayfish can be bought from bait stores or captured by using a window screen or fine mesh net in the water. Stir the water to chase the crayfish into the net. Store in moist rags, damp moss or a bait bucket.

Cut Fishing Bait for Trolling

Use the thin belly area and cut long v-shaped strips to simulate a fish or eel. Include a pectoral or pelvic fin on the bait to increase the attractiveness to the fish. If necessary, scale the fish strip but thread the hook through the skin to help keep the bait intact.

Prepared Fishing Baits

For catfish, carp and crappies, you can buy a paste-like mixture of dough, blood, cheese and other proteins or make your own. Mold the stuff all the way around the hook, including the barb. Or use it on a treble hook with a bait holder attachment.

Freshwater Worms

Worms are a good bait for nearly all freshwater fishing. You can find enough worms for fishing from a few shovels of dirt in your garden or from a shaded, damp area. Worms can also be purchased in fishing tackle stores and bait shops. For walleyes and bass, use earthworms or night crawlers.

For pan fish, sunfish and trout, use smaller manure worms. You can find them in cattle and horse pastures.

Tips and Tricks for Worms

To prevent smaller fish from nibbling the worm without biting down on the hook, you can use just a piece of the worm.

If you have small worms, thread the hook through the side of the worm at several places along its body. For bait-stealing fish such as sunfish, thread the worm on the hook until the hook is completely covered.

Catfish Stinkbait
  • Fill a jar with pieces of a forage fish like shad.
  • Cover the jar with the lid, but leave the lid loose so gases will escape.
  • Put the jar in direct sunlight for a day or two.
  • Trust us, when you open the jar, you'll know if your catfish stinkbait is ready.

Eels

Eels are especially good used whole when trolling for striped bass. Simply hook them through the eyes or lips or cut the eel into chunks. Eel is tough bait, so you can use it for trolling and bottom fishing.


Source : http://takemefishing.org/fishing/freshwater-fishing/bait-and-lures/natural-fishing-bait/

River Fishing Tips




Welcome to our section on river fishing tips. The goal of this section is to educate both novice and expert fishermen on how to improve their river fishing skills. Instead of just making a huge list of tips we designed this section to first educate you on the basics of river fishing. We then follow up with some of the best river fishing tips and basic river fishing safety information. These tips combined with our many other tips that are specific to certain species of fish will help make you a better fisherman. You can get started below by learn about the basic theory of river fishing.




The Basics of Fishing in a River

River fishing is the method of fishing in a body of water that is defined by science to be a river. A river is a body of water that flows towards another river, ocean, lake or sea. You can fish a river from the shore, by wading or if the size and depth of the make it possible, via a boat. A wide variety of different species of fish (including popular game fish) can be found inhabiting rivers or at least navigating them to reach spawning grounds or to migrate. Fishermen will need to use specific types of fishing rigs or bait casting methods due to the natural movement of a river. Rivers are used by invasive species to invade other bodies of water making it vital for humans to never introduce any foreign fish or bait fish to rivers.

River fishing has a bad rap in some areas, especially rivers that run through urban areas. This is due to pollution and lack of water clarity. While pollution is an issue in urban areas water clarity is just the result of sediment and mud being brought up from the movement of the water. Fishermen should always be aware of any advisories that are made by local or state agencies regarding the consumption of fish in specific rivers. Many rivers have dams and water locks that help control the flow of water, these structures can be a great place for large fish to congregate as a result of water depth and temperature.

River Fishing Tips, Tricks and Techniques

Fishing in a river is a great way to catch fish. By using our below river fishing tips and techniques you'll be able to improve your success catching fish in a river. The below tips aren't specific to any specific species of fish but rather strategic ways to fish in a river. If you have any tips that can help other fishermen be more successful in a river please use our submit a tip form and we'll add it to the below list.
  • Get a Pair of Polarized Glasses - Depending on what river you plan on fishing in you may be able to see through the water with a good pair of polarized glasses. By being able to visually locate fish you can prevent a lot of wasted time searching for them.
  • Bottom Bounce Live Bait - An effective method for catching fish in the river is to use live bait and bounce it off the bottom. There are several types of fishing rigs that can accomplish this and will help present your bait more naturally. Make sure you also bounce your live bait with the current, never against it.
  • Find the River's Backwaters - Some of the most popular game fish that can be found in a river aren't too fond of heavy currents. Largemouth bass are a great example of game fish that will inhabit backwater creeks that break off the river and reenter it downstream.
  • Find the Weeds - If you can locate a calm area of a river that has weed growth you've most likely found a prime fishing location. Since weeds aren't very common in rivers fish will group together in calm areas of the river with weed growth. Don't be shocked to find a monster largemouth bass hiding in this area.
  • Fish Near the Islands - A lot of rivers will have islands in them and the slack area of these islands can hold some nice fish for you to catch. Be careful trying to wade out to any river islands, drop offs can appear out of nowhere and send you and your tackle downriver.
  • Talk to the Locals - The local bait and tackle shop or even fishermen along the shore can give you some great insight on what the best methods are for fishing in a nearby river. The actual location of fish in a river can be greatly affected by the weather and the moon. Locals who fish in the river often will be able to educate you on the best time and location to fish in the river.

River Fishing Safety

When you're fishing in a river you'll want to follow basic safety precautions to ensure your safety and the safety of other people around you. You should always know how to swim or fish with someone who is able to swim. If you're wading in a river make sure to use a wader belt to prevent water from filling up your waders if you fall over. If you're using a boat make sure to follow all local and state boating rules and regulations and remember that the depth and speed of a river can change quickly. Always check to see if there are any advisories regarding the consumption of fish in the river you plan on fishing in.


Source : http://www.fishingtipsdepot.com/river-fishing-tips.php

Fishing Tips : Freshwater & Saltwater Fish


Before catching fish, anglers must locate them. Much of North America is within a day’s drive of the oceans, an estuary, or some other marine environment. You can find fish nearly anywhere there is food, oxygen, and cover. If you have a boat, your choice of fishing locations gets even larger.

Where Fish Live

Not all fish can live in the same kinds of waters. Different species need different sets of environmental conditions, including:
  • Hiding areas, cover, structure, and the bottom
  • Salinity
  • Dissolved oxygen
  • Water temperature
  • Types and amounts of food
  • Tides and currents
  • Water depth

 Structure

Many fish species such as striped bass and grouper live or hold near structure. Structure refers to changes in the shape of the bottom caused by rocks, reefs, manmade objects, humps, ledges, and drop-offs. Structure causes fish to concentrate in certain areas. Estuaries and river mouths may have shoreline structures such as docks, logs, stump fields, brush, rock piles, grass beds, and downed trees that provide shelter, shade, and protection for fish. Islands, sand bars, rock piles, and jetties are also good places to fish. Fish inhabit certain types of cover because it provides them with protection and puts them in the best possible position to catch a meal.

Salinity and Oxygen

Some fish species like brook trout cannot live with much salt in the water, other fish, such as tuna, need salt, and some, such as striped bass, can live in salt or freshwater. Fish also need a certain amount of oxygen in the water. Species such as carp can live on less oxygen than trout. Living plants add oxygen to the water as does moving water tumbling over rocks. Decomposing plants and animals use oxygen from the water and many kinds of pollution also reduce oxygen levels. Thermal pollution may also be a problem, as warmer water cannot hold as much oxygen as cold water.

Temperature

Each fish species has a specific range of water temperature that it enjoys. Tarpon can thrive in waters as warm as 85 degrees F, while salmon and cod must have cooler 50s, 40s, and even 30s. Some fish tolerate a wide range of temperatures; others have very narrow requirements. Serious anglers find that a thermometer is a useful accessory for knowing when to try for specific kinds of fish. 

Food

The amount and type of food available in a body of water plays an important role in determining which types of fish you can hope to catch. The tides, currents, and water depth are also significant factors.  Scrappy bluefish will “blitz” retrieved lures right onto the beach while speckled trout haunt greater depths. Striped bass may slam baits on the surface, while perch will feed just above the bottom.

The Benefits of Using a Boat

Fishing from a boat enables you to cover more water than fishing from shore. You can reach distant spots, frequently with deeper water, and use a range of techniques and tactics not available to the landlubbers. Different types of boats work best in different types of water and for performing different tasks. Canoes, skiffs, and jonboats can be ideal for casual fishing on quiet estuaries, back bays, and tidal creeks. Larger rivers, open water, and more extreme fishing demand more powerful V-hulls, "cathedral" hulls, or specialty sport fishing boats.

Choose the Methods that Suit You Best
  • Knowing which angling approach to use, and when to use it, is critical to having a successful day on the water. Locate a good tackle shop and ask a lot of questions. Buy a good chart of the area and study it for cuts and channels, holes or humps, all the good places that might hold fish.  Maybe even hire a guide. A day spent fishing with a guide is one of the best ways to improve your technique.
  • Once you find the fish, getting them to bite your hook becomes the challenge. Each of the various types of fishing lends itself to catching certain kinds of fish. Surf fishing usually lands a good variety of species, without the need for an ocean-going boat. Most any healthy beach can offer good surf fishing, but pay particular attention to rocky beaches, rock jetties, and fishing piers. A typical surf fishing setup matches an 8 or 9 foot rod and reel with 14 to 20 pound test line, although longer rods make longer casts. For many anglers, however, pier fishing can be the best possible way to spend the best possible day. Some piers stand over or near reefs or underwater structures that shelter numerous residents and draw schools of migratory fish. Pier fishing is a relatively comfortable way to introduce children to marine angling as the piers attract many smaller fish for the kids as well as larger species for the adults. Many piers also have the amenities and facilities families enjoy.

Inshore fishing means fishing within sight of land, often in estuaries, creeks, rivers, harbors, channels, and intercoastal waterways.  It also generally means fishing from a boat near shore, whether that boat is a dory in a Newfoundland fjord or a flats boat working the Florida mangroves. Likely catches include tarpon, redfish, snook, trout, cobia, shark, striped bass, sheepshead, whiting, pompano, mackerel, permit, snapper, and grouper.

Offshore fishing is frequently out of sight of land, often miles out into the open sea. This type of marine angling demands a vessel that can handle the waves and heavy-duty tackle to handle the big offshore species. Most anglers fish offshore on a charter boat with a professional captain and crew, going for billfish, sharks, tuna, dolphin, amberjack, mackerel, and many other species according to location and season.

Trolling and Chumming: Effective and Enjoyable
  • Either inshore or offshore, trailing lures or baits behind a slowly running boat enables anglers to cover a lot of water. Trolling is particularly effective for fish species that regularly feed on smaller fish. Outriggers--long extension spreaders--carry multiple lines out beyond the sides of the boat and enable trolling several lines at once.  When a bait is struck, its line snaps free of the outrigger, to be played with a shorter, sturdy boat rod.
  • Chumming involves ladling out dollops of ground fish, chopped clams, offal, or other natural attractors into the water to draw feeding fish. In some instances, the chumming forms a trail through the water that fish will follow for some distance. Chumming can involve a special-purpose, easy-to-clean grinder set up over one rail, or simply a bucket of chopped bait and a big spoon. 

 The Challenge of Fly Fishing

Fly fishing uses artificial flies designed to look like small bait fish. Initially focused on catching trout and salmon, fly anglers have taken on a full range of game and pan fish species. Many fly anglers use small boats—even kayaks and canoes—to get to hard-to-reach locations, even some inshore. Flies rarely weigh more than a dozen grams, consequently fly rods and lines must be specifically designed to assist casting the flies.  Saltwater fly fishing is rapidly gaining in popularity, particularly in estuaries, river mouths, back bays, and near shore.

The Best Times to Fish Sport Fishing Boat

There is no single best time to fish. Like so much in this sport, different species are active at different times, and those active periods vary in response to a host of environmental factors. In general, marine fish seem to be more active shortly after dawn and at dusk, and least active around Noon and early afternoon. Nevertheless, you can still catch fish at Noon if you understand what the fish are doing and adjust your angling tactics.

Picking the Best Season

Just like trying to determine the best time of day to fish, determining the best season requires that you understand what the fish are doing and adjust your tactics to respond. Fishing can be a year-round sport, but obviously, certain seasons will be more comfortable than others.

Successful anglers know the habits and availability of the different species. A range of environmental variables determines which fish will be in an area at any given time. Temperature, amount of daylight, predation, and food availability are key factors. Striped bass storm the mid Atlantic flats in the warming spring; salmon invade the creeks of Alaska’s Kenai in the long days of summer and early fall; and false albacore storm the early winter surf off Cape Hatteras.

Some species and some venues may also have times of the year when it is illegal to fish. Many states have closed seasons when various species are spawning. Successful anglers understand how all the factors affect their chances of catching a particular species.

Sunday 27 April 2014

Salmon Fishing Tips and Techniques


A fish tale has been out there for years!  I know you've heard it! Well if you haven't, for years the tail has been that only ten percent of the anglers out there are catching a staggering ninety percent of the fish!  Well I’m here to tell you that this tale has been true for as long as I’ve been fishing. 

I’m not an advanced angler by any stretch but know enough to tell you that fishermen who catch salmon on a regular basis have two factors in the palms of their hands – literally.  Factor one is time on the water. The more time your line is in the water, the better chance you have…bar none!  Second is the skill factor or technique.  Finding where the salmon are holding, when to fish at that spot and how to choose which lure or what type of bait or tackle, is possibly the most important factor of all!

First you need to realize that there are as many techniques to catching salmon as there are salmon...LOTS! So what we may find successful you may not. We may not even know what techniques you use to be successful out there, but we would love to hear about it. In the mean time though let's look at some of the basic ways of fishing for salmon and then we'll move forward in breaking them down further;

Trolling For Salmon - Doesn't matter if you're in freshwater or saltwater, plug trolling is one of the most effective ways to troll for salmon and remains one of the top techniques for early season salmon fishing because of water coverage. We walk you through the steps of both systems as well as cover various outher topics such as trolling spoons in both salt and freshwater, how to downrig and what anchor fishing is all about.

River Fishing - River fishing is the most popular way for sports anglers to get out ther especially because of it's many possible techniques. We cover how to properly bottom bounce or bar fish, how to drift fish out of a boat, and the differences of the ever popular American Backtrolling and Bottom Bouncing methods.

Jigging For Salmon - Jigging for salmon in freshwater systems is becoming very popular amoung anglers seeking the ever illusive steelhead in freshwater rivers. We expose the art of jigging for salmon in saltwater as well as Coho and freshwater steelehead in this article.

Gear Fishing For Salmon - Gear is a very broad term, but when it comes to anglers who have been in the game long enough, know that lures, spinners and spoons are part of a successful anglers arsenal when it comes to tackle and a good day on the water. We go over steelhead lures, Coho spinners and Chinook smashing Spin-n-glows for both freshwater and saltwater situations.

Flyfishing - Catching a trout on a fly rod is one thing, but when you multiply what's on the other end by 10 or more it becomes a work of art (work being the operative word!). Go Salmon Fishing covers the absolute beauty of spey rod casting of flies - including both fresh and saltwater patterns. We teach you the ropes of flyfishing for Coho on rivers and lakes as well as the exciting persuit of Steelhead and Humpies on a fly.

Bait Fishing and Baitcasting - Where the regulations allow the use of bait in both freshwater and saltwater is without a doubt one of the best ways to fish for salmon and we want you to know the tactics if you are able to do so.

Winter Steelhead Fishing - There is a secret about Steelheading British Columbia in every scenario including when it comes to changing seasons. Go Salmon Fishing.com exposes both Winter and Summer Steelhead fishing tactics in B.C. to give you the fight of a lifetime that you will never forget and keep you heading North for more.

Source : http://www.gosalmonfishing.com/salmon-fishing-tips-and-techniques.php

Saturday 26 April 2014

Fishing Techniques



Fisheries in Australia, and throughout the world, use a range of different techniques to catch seafood. Some of these have a much greater impact on marine environments than others, so it makes sense to support those fisheries that employ least-damaging fishing techniques. Here are some of the most common fishing techniques employed in Australia today and their pros and cons.  We hope this information helps consumers to make informed choices when purchasing seafood by avoiding those products which have been taken with little regard for the environment. Also check out the Aquaculture Methods page, to learn how fish are farmed and raised.

Pole and Line Fishing
Dive Fisheries and Hand Collection
Pots and Traps
Dredging
Purse Seine
Pelagic Longlining
Demersal Longlining
Pelagic or Drifting Gillnet
Demersal Gillnet
Pelagic Trawling
Demersal Trawling
Ghost Fishing

Pole and Line Fishing

Pole and line fishing is a traditional method by which predatory fishes are captured one-by-one on hook and line. Schools are located and enticed into a feeding frenzy by maintaining a constant supply of live or dead baitfish to the water in a process known as ‘chumming’. Water may also be sprayed onto the sea surface, giving the effect of a fleeing bait school. Fisherman then present bare or baited hooks, or artificial lures, to the target fish which are hauled on board the vessel one at a time. Major pole and line fisheries target tuna species such as skipjack and albacore, however there are also numerous operations targeting tropical reef fishes.

Pole and line fishing is generally thought to have a minimal impact on habitat and fish stocks, however, localised depletions can occur. Bycatch rates are generally low, and unwanted fish can often be returned to the water quickly. There are some concerns that the use of baitfish for chumming can be unsustainable, and it is vital that the fisheries where those fish are sourced are rigorously managed. Ghost fishing through lost fishing gear is also an issue of concern.

Dive Fisheries and Hand Collection

Dive fisheries typically involve hand collection of the target species with the aid of a breathing device. Divers utilise either snorkelling equipment or systems that deliver compressed air from aboard the fishing vessel (hookah systems). Abalone and rock lobster are heavily targeted by commercial dive fisheries, whilst sea cucumber and sea urchins are becoming increasingly fished due to growing demand in both local and international markets. There are a range of collection methods depending on the target species and state regulations. Some common approaches may include gloved hand, leverage devices, hooks or tongs.

Dive fisheries are considered to have a negligible impact on the environment, as the collection method is highly selective of size and species. However, as a result of depth and accessibility limitations on divers, intensive hand collection can cause localised stock depletion, posing a significant problem in some areas.

Pots and Traps

Pots and traps can be used to catch a variety of fish and crustaceans. Mud crabs, blue swimmer crabs and rock lobster are species commonly targeted with these methods. The structure generally consists of a mesh body, with one way entrances leading into a baited enclosure. These techniques have a relatively low impact on habitat and are highly selective. Furthermore, unwanted catch can often be returned to the water unharmed.

The entanglement of sea turtles and marine mammals in marker ropes is a leading concern in pot and trap fisheries. Fortunately, the level of occurrence is generally minimal and often localised, allowing relevant management strategies to be implemented.

Dredging

Dredging is a technique primarily targeting bottom dwelling molluscs such as scallops and clams. The dredge comprises of a steel bar with rigid teeth attached to its base. As the dredge is towed behind the vessel, the catch is ploughed from the seafloor and collected in a mesh net or cage. Owing to the constant contact with the seafloor, dredging is amongst the most destructive methods of fishing in these habitats. Additionally, dredging can be highly unselective, with high levels of bottom dwelling fish and invertebrates often caught as bycatch.



Purse Seine

Purse seine fishing is a technique targeting pelagic (surface/open ocean) schooling fish such as tuna and mackerel. The vessel surrounds the school with netting before bringing the bottom together into a purse-like enclosure. As the targeted species generally congregate together at high density and in open water, purse seining can be highly selective and have little to no impact on marine habitat. In recent decades, reassessment of purse seining and its regulations has resulted in a greatly reduced bycatch of dolphins, however this occurrence remains the major concern in these fisheries.

Pelagic Longlining

Pelagic (surface/open ocean) longlining vessels deploy expansive lengths of baited hooks, whilst pursuing apex predators such as billfish, tuna and sharks. These lines are commonly between 10-100km long, and have thousands of baited hooks spaced consistently on branching lines (snoods).

Pelagic longlines remain suspended with buoys and pose minimal risk to marine habitats. The major concern in pelagic longline fisheries is that of bycatch. Seabirds such as albatross and petrels frequently drown after being caught diving for the baited hooks. Numerous strategies such as setting weighted lines deeper and/or at night and the use of bird scaring devices have aided in reducing seabird bycatch. The extensive lengths of fishing line also commonly cause the entanglement of sea turtles and marine mammals.

Demersal Longlining

Demersal (seafloor) longlining is a commercial method targeting bottom dwelling sharks and a vast range of scale-fish species. Demersal longlines are fixed along the seafloor using anchors, at depths as little as a few hundred metres down to many thousands of metres. In contrast to pelagic longlining, demersal operations often have shorter, more frequent branching lines (snoods) as well as shorter mainlines.

Compared with other bottom- fishing techniques, demersal longlining has a relatively low impact on marine habitas. As with most bottom fishing techniques, bycatch is a major concern in these fisheries, with many unsaleable shark and fish species being landed. As sharks and deep-sea species are commonly long-lived and slow growing, their removal can be highly detrimental at both species and ecosystem levels.

Pelagic or Drifting Gillnet

Pelagic (surface/open ocean) gillnets are systems of netting with highly specific mesh sizes. Gillnets as long as 2.5km, are placed vertically in the water column with the use of buoys and weights. These nets may be anchored or allowed to drift with prevailing currents, intercepting migrating sharks and fishes such as tuna and mackeral. Large fish become entangled in the net (commonly around the gills), whilst smaller fish are able to pass through the designated mesh size.

Gillnets are highly size selective and pose little risk to habitat when placed high in the water column.  Due to the large expanses of netting, bycatch of turtles, diving seabirds and marine mammals is of great concern. Research using sound deterrents to diverge marine mammals from fishing areas is currently in progress.

Demersal Gillnet

Demersal (seafloor) gillnets are lengths of netting set in place vertically along the seabed, with the use of weights and buoys. They possess a predefined mesh size which results in the targeted fish being entangled in the net, whilst allowing smaller fish to swim straight through. Demersal gillnet fisheries target a range of shark and scale-fish species such as snapper and barramundi.

Gillnetting provides a highly size selective method of fishing, allowing undersized fish to avoid entanglement. They also have a relatively minimal impact on seafloor habitats when compared with other demersal fishing techniques. Conversely, their impact on non-target species can be significant, with marine mammals and unsaleable fish and shark species often being taken as bycatch.

Pelagic Trawling

Pelagic (surface/open ocean) trawling involves the towing of large nets behind one or more fishing vessels. Pelagic trawls rely on filtering enormous volumes of water in order to increase catch success. Net entrances may be several hundred metres wide and are held open with the use of floats on the upper edge and weights on the lower edge. Captured fish are funnelled into the back section of the net which is known as the cod-end. This method is commonly used to catch schooling pelagic species such as tuna and mackerel.

When targeting a single schooling species, pelagic trawling can be can be quite selective with minimal fish bycatch incurred. However, shark and marine mammal entanglement can be significant, particularly to dolphin pods pursuing shoaling fish. Seabird mortality is also a concern, as birds may collide with trawling cables or become entangled in the net whilst diving for captured fish.

Demersal Trawling

Demersal (seafloor) trawling is the general term for a number of trawling methods targeting bottom dwelling species. The main feature in all demersal trawling techniques is that the hauled net maintains contact with the seafloor as the vessel is underway. This is achieved by weighting the bottom edge of the net entrance, whilst floating the top edge with the use of buoys. These weights also assist in disturbing buried fish up into the water column. Demersal trawls are characteristically smaller than pelagic trawls, as bottom dwelling species generally remain close to the seafloor for food and refuge. Fish such as flathead, flounder and orange roughy are commonly targeted with the use of demersal trawls.

Demersal trawls have the potential to cause significant damage to the seafloor in fragile habitats. As the trawl is hauled along the bottom, marine flora as well as invertebrates such as sponges and corals may be ploughed from the bottom or crushed. In addition, demersal trawling has minimal selective potential, often resulting in high levels of bycatch.

Ghost Fishing

Ghost fishing is the term used to describe the capture or entanglement of organisms in lost or discarded fishing gear. Fishing equipment such as line and hooks, nets, pots and traps are often lost in waterways due to rough seas, unmaintained gear or snagging on the seafloor. Fisherman may also discard these items when they have become ineffective or faulty. This unmonitored fishing gear is then free to drift on ocean currents and tides, entangling and killing sea creatures indiscriminately.

Ghost fishing poses a significant threat to marine organisms. Pelagic (surface) ghost nets may drift around the oceans for years, entangling fish and marine mammals which may be passing by or attracted by the dead or struggling fish. Seabirds such as albatross may also become entangled when diving for trapped fish. Floating ghost nets also pose a risk of propeller entanglement for passing vessels.

Demersal (seafloor) ghost fishing is often from demersal gillnet fisheries, or pots and traps set by crustacean fisheries. These items affect ecosystems in ways comparable with pelagic ghost fishing. Ghost pots and traps catch the target animals, which then become bait for more individuals in an endless cycle. Some efforts have been made to retrieve lost fishing equipment, however, due to the drifting nature and unknown location of most equipment, attempts have been small scale and variable in success.


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