The annual two-month closure of headlands and beaches from 400m north of Waddy Point to 400m south of Indian Head, and 400m seaward, comes into effect at noon on Wednesday 1 August and continues until noon on Sunday 30 September.

The closure was put in place in recognition of the value of the waters surrounding Indian Head and Waddy Point as major tailor spawning areas. I don’t have a problem with that at all, but I am yet to understand why the closure should affect all species.

Another well known closure is for barramundi, also well founded on sound scientific evidence. However at Fraser Island it is a total area closure to all fishing while the barramundi closure stipulates a zero in-possession limit. In recognised barramundi territory there is no restriction on what other species can be taken, provided of course that they satisfy their own size and bag limit regulations.

The intention is to discourage anglers from fishing for barramundi, but for many other species similar angling techniques might be employed. For example, an angler targeting species like fingermark or perhaps mangrove jack, is very likely to connect with a barra. When you look at the angling species available around the headlands and beaches of the Fraser Island closure, it is easy to recognise that methods used to target tailor and methods used to target most other species are almost mutually exclusive. Sure, there is the chance, but a very remote one, that an angler fishing for whiting with worms in the gutter just inside Waddy Point, might score a tailor.

I must admit to the onset of serious withdrawal symptoms, alleviated only by the possibility of wetting a line again soon. The parade of east coast lows continues to wreck my plans. The short bouts of reasonable conditions have not been long enough to allow the beaches to settle down. Although the lead-up to this season’s tailor season hasn’t been too exciting, but this month should see plenty of action.

With a few good jew already being reported from gutters near the Maheno and from Indian Head, we can expect an influx of good fish this month. Two years ago, in August and September, the inshore gutters were alive with jew, but almost all under the new limit of 75cm. A year later, while there were still plenty of juveniles, more were making the grade. It is going to be interesting to see how much they have grown this year.

Quite a few anglers have been making the trip to the western beach to escape the big seas and strong winds. They have been reporting lots of good bream just outside Coungul Creek and over the coffee rocks north of Woralie Creek.

Recreational fishing closures on Fraser Island

An area between Indian Head and Waddy Point is closed to the taking of finfish from midday 1 August to midday 30 September each year.

During this closure, fishing (other than the collection of worms and pipis by hand) is prohibited within an area from a point 400m north of Waddy Point to a point 400m south of Indian Head, and 400m out to sea from low water. Signs advising of the closure may be positioned in or adjacent to the closure area.

Please take time to read all signs in or near this area.

For more information please visit www.derm.qld.gov.au.

Map

Fraser Island tailor closure