The 2019 SIMRAD Victorian Broadbill Championship is currently on in Lakes Entrance, Victoria until 11 June 👏😃 It’s a massive event and a celebration of game fishing in Victoria: https://vgfc.wildapricot.org/event-3281115 Swordfish can live for 15 years, grow up to 4.5 metres and weigh up to 540kg. They’re highly migratory and found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Targeting swordfish is growing in popularity across the south-east coast of Australia including Vic and Tas because they’re a great sportfish and excellent eating. In Victoria, swordfish carry a bag and possession limit of 1 and have no legal size limit. Recreational fishing in Gippsland is worth $300 million to the Victorian economy and the average spend per trip for this type of fishing is over $400 - all of which supports regional businesses. East Gippsland has become a hot-spot for swordfish with national records (official and unofficial) being smashed. Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota have seen some giants ranging from 349kg to 436kg. Swordfish are usually found in depths of up to 550m, typically residing along the edge of the continental shelf, with deep-drop offs the most common strategy to target them. Anglers have invested their fishing licence fees into valuable research to help inform our future management of swordfish to ensure sustainability. Dr. Sean Tracey from the University of Tasmania and Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies is working with anglers to tag swordfish. The tags record the swordfish’s movements and water temperature, depth and light intensity. 🐟👏 #target1million #gamefishingvictoria #fishinglicencefeesatwork Swordfish season has been off to a ripper start. Across social media, we’ve seen anglers catching fish weighing up to 190kg!
Swordfish are usually found in depths of up to 550 metres, typically residing along the edge of the continental shelf, with deep-drop fishing the most common way to target a swordfish. They love it when the water temperature is around 18.5 degrees. While they are found feeding closer to the surface at night, daytime fishing for swordfish has become popular amongst keen anglers. As the baits are dropped to such deep depths, using lights to attract the fish as part of the bait set up is a must-have when targeting swords. Using a circle hook can improve the chances of post-release survival if releasing the fish. If you’re a keen Swordfish fisher, make this one in your diaries. Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club in conjunction with the Victorian Game Fishing Club are hosting the 2019 SIMRAD Victorian Broadbill Swordfish Championship until June 10 2019. In April last year, a huge 349-kilogram swordfish was caught off the coast near Lakes Entrance by Matthew Boyle, owner of Hot Shot Charters. It was reeled in after a five-hour long fight on a 37-kilogram line. Want more info? Head to https://www.vrfish.com.au |