The information i received was that if you caught grey mullet in a piper net (25mm mesh) you would have to release the Grey Mullet captured.

I just watched Placemakers big angry fish aired on 3rd of June 2012 and they caught and kept Grey Mullet caught in what looks like a piper net mesh size. Rangiputa Estuary

What are the rules? did they break them or because their is no minimum size for Grey Mullet you can keep them as by catch?

I use a cast net for small baitfish with small mesh and seen countless others doing so as well,with mullet a common catch and even being targeted.Dont even think you can get a large mesh cast net ?

Far out Lethal, how often did this happen? I've heard a yarn about salmon being hooked in the upper Whanganui by fly fishos (never landed, but far too big to be a trout etc.). I also heard of a trawler getting one off the Mohaka river mouth.

There's a few obstacles to  pass on the way up the Waikato that'd stop them getting to Taupo.

 

True but in some countries it is law that fish ladders must be incorporated

into any man made obstacles, maybe we could do the same, after all "Salmon

in the Waikato" sounds so much nicer than "The Yemen"

It's the Huka falls that probably pose the biggest obstacle, and that isn't man made. Going on the lack of eels in Taupo, it seems like a pretty effective barrier.  

 

Yep ... remembered about the Huka falls soon after I posted that comment.

 

Then again would it be such a bad thing if eels did make it into Taupo after all

trout & eels co exist almost everywhere else & would be great if they favoured

eating baby catfish ove young trout & smelt.

 

Guess it is only a dream & is not going to happen given the stance of various

organisations fostering the elimination of non indigenous species.

 

That makes sense & have often wondered why they are not in Lake Taupo

when eels are capable of moving overland in wet conditions for quite a distance

in stages ...... so thanks for posting that explanation thumbs1

 

Be nice to have a sport fish like salmon swimming in there than trout anyday.

 

The eels get to the karapiro Dam and swim up the concrete suface at night,ive seen then doing it when targeting koi and mullet at the base of the dam.Biggest ive seen doing it though were ones about as thick as your wrist.  I have seen them going up some pretty tall waterfalls in the south island ,they sort of slither up the rock beside the waterfall,but i guess the Huka falls has a bit more flow than most.

 

For the purposes of this paper we use the name Taupo-nui-a-Tia as describing Lake Taupo and its watershed. It includes the lake and all the streams running into it, the Poutu Strewn, Roto-a-Ira and the streams running into it. The area is a very large one. It extends from the water-shed between the Rangitikei and Whangaehu Rivers, which flow towards the west coast of the North Island, and the sources of the Waikato Rivers, which flow into the Taupo Lake, on to some distance beyond the northern end of the lake, a distance from north to south of over sixty miles. From east to west it extends from the summits of the Kaimanawa Ranges to Hauhungaroa and Hurakia Ranges, a distance of about fifty miles. Its area would be reckoned at about 2,000 square miles. Throughout the whole of this large area the eel, that great source of valuable food to Maoris in other more favoured districts, was practically unknown. There are stories of large eels having been caught in Roto-a-Ira in days gone by. but none for many years past. Sonic women are supposed to have seen an eel in the Toka-anu Stream quite recently, but it was not caught. Eels are caught in the small streams running in to the Whanganui River which have their source on the slopes of Tongariro. They are plentiful on the side towards Whanganui, but there are none on the side towards Roto-a-Ira. The eels known to have been caught in Roto-a--Ira would be a few enterprising explorers from the Whanganui streams. I have been told of eels having been caught in other rivers and carried alive to Taupo and liberated with the idea of stocking the lake. It is said that some members of the Armed Constabulary caught some eels in a tributary of the Mohaka and liberated them in Roto-ngaio, a small lake that empties itself into Taupo. Of course, all such attempts ended in failure.

 

 

 

And this doesnt sound good for our eels population.

 

There are large numbers of both eels and catfish in the Waikato Rivers and lakes but the catfish are bottom feeders so not often seen. They are the small bullhead catfish and they have clean white flesh and are quite good eating but of course very bony at that size. I understand they were introduced in mistake for channel catfish which are much bigger and grow to over 100lb

How did we get onto catfish anyway?

Mesh sizes vary for different areas and different netting methods (often ridiculously in my opinion).

 

Not sure what area you fish in Spencer - you should get a rules brochure from a tackle shop or go

to the M Fish website;  http://www.fish.govt.nz/ - www.fish.govt.nz/

 

Check out the regs for grey mullet here; http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Recreational/Most+Popular+Species/Fish+Identification/A+-+K/Grey+Mullet.htm? - http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Recreational/Most+Popular+Species/Fish+Identification/A+-+K/Grey+Mullet.htm?

 

Yellow eyed Mullet (herrings, sprats) here;  http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Recreational/Most+Popular+Species/Fish+Identification/S+-+Z/Yellow+Eyed+Mullet.htm - http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Recreational/Most+Popular+Species/Fish+Identification/S+-+Z/Yellow+Eyed+Mullet.htm

 

Respectfully suggest you disregard this ridiculous response to your post;  "as for the Grey Mullet, say just thought they were sprats...."

 

 

 

Actually the regulations could I suppose be read to say I cannot use any kind of bait net at all because there are grey mullet in the area?

 

It seems to me to be a contradiction to have a minimum mesh size on a fish that does not itself have a minimum size. Sure snapper and flounder need to have a minimum mesh size to avoid undersize fish being caught and killed, but grey mullet do not have a minimum size limit. Surely the catch limit (30 per day in my area) is sufficient.

 

The bait net.

The grey mullet, notice the distinctive eyelid and broader profile, they are stockier all round than yellow eyes.

The mesh

The live bait, too small for 85mm mesh...

 

The problem is with not setting a minimum size but stating a minimum drag net mesh size.

They need to make up their minds and either set a minimum size or scrap the minimum dragnet mesh size.

 

I agree with delgo and stick with the 30 per person per day as the limiting factor.

 

As far as never catching one in a bait net, Greys are fast. if your too slow with your net the greys will all swim out before you can close them out. I've lost count as a kid of how many swam past me on the end of the net escaping to freedom. or jumping over the net was another favourite way for them to escape capture.

 

Still no reply to my query but i will post it when it comes...

We will have a show correcting the information we have portrayed to the public and making them fully aware of the rules of drag netting for bait, we feel this would be the best way to make sure we get the correct information to the broadest amount of people
We apologise for the mistake and hope our actions to right the wrongs will rectify the situation.
Thank you Milan Radonich.

Here is the response from MIP (formally mfish)

 

Thank you for contacting the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The information you state that you received about drag-netting is accurate.

To reiterate:

- Grey Mullet has no size limit
- Drag-net minimum mesh size for Grey Mullet is 85mm (Auckland Kermadec Fishery Area)
- Grey Mullet caught with a net of smaller mesh than 85mm must be returned to the sea immediately and not taken as part of catch

I have been in contact with the producers of the show, Big, Angry Fish and they state they are aware of the concerns raised and are taking steps to promote fishing regulations in an upcoming series of the show. This will be aided by the ministry.

@Milan sorry for dropping you in it, but with being on TV the info needs to be correct, and glad to see your working with MPI to portray the correct rules in a future episode.

I have to admit I am not 100% up with netting regulations but I'm pretty the minimum mesh size is 92mm for grey mullet

Further size limits for finfish within the combined daily limit Finfish species Min fish length (cm) Min net mesh size (mm) Blue cod*** 30 must be landed in a measurable state – Blue moki 40 114 Butterfish/Greenbone 35 108 Elephant fish – 150 Flatfish (except Sand flounder) 25 114 Grey mullet – 90 Kahawai – 90 Parore – 114 Red cod 25 100 Red gurnard 25 100

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/7275-Auckland-Kermadec-Recreational-Fishing-Rules-printer-friendly " rel="nofollow - https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/7275-Auckland-Kermadec-Recreational-Fishing-Rules-printer-friendly  ;  page 5