Fish Cleaning Tables

[Grantm]

I have to say there is a distinct lack of fish cleaning tables on the Central Coast waterways.

There is an average looking thing with at the main ramp in Woy Woy, not even sure if it has water.

None ( i dont think ) at Gosford which is a main ramp, none in woy woy bay.

Lake Mac is the same. Dont know of any in the southern half. These facilities are few and far between on both these waterways.

I know a new one got done in the northern end of lake mac and was widely advertised but thats just one.

Surely they woudnt be expensive to do, and i reckon all decent ramp areas should have one.

I see so many people cleaning fish an the side of the ramp leaving crap everywhere.

Can anyone shed any light as to why there is so few ? Is there a reason perhaps ?

How do you get them built? Can anyone apply to use RFL funds for this ?

Id love to see some more. How hard can it be.

Cheers 8)

[Hooky]

Surely they woudnt be expensive to do, and i reckon all decent ramp areas should have one.
How do you get them built? Can anyone apply to use RFL funds for this ?

Id love to see some more. How hard can it be.
Cheers 8)
G'day Grant
They are very scarce but you can apply for funding from the RFT funds through ACORF.
When I fish Botany Bay for a feed I usually just pull up on a bank close to the ramp and do the cleaning and filleting there.
Here's a link.
Trust Funds (http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/recreational/committees/rft_guide)

[Blacky]

It's pretty much the same in sydney. Of the 3 ramps (Bayview, Akuna Bay, Roseville) I use only one has a fish cleaning table - Roseville. I normally clean my fish on the boat when i've finished fishing and about to head back.

[the_lure]

. I normally clean my fish on the boat when i've finished fishing and about to head back.

Gday Mate, I think it is illegal to clean your catch on the water, unless it is for immediate use as bait or lunch.

cheers

Chris

[iain]

Good point Chris. The last thing you'd need is some overzealous Fisheries officer on your case.

I heard you could not fillet fish but it's ok to clean them on the water. That's just heresay BTW!!

probably best to check with Fisheries

[the_lure]

Good point Chris. The last thing you'd need is some overzealous Fisheries officer on your case.

I heard you could not fillet fish but it's ok to clean them on the water. That's just heresay BTW!!

probably best to check with Fisheries

I tried, but there website is too confusing.... will take a look at the booklet tonight

[Hooky]

The link for the fishing rules and regs isn't working. :roll:
I'm sure the rules state that you can't cut up your catch, if keeping for a feed, whilst on the water but it's OK to do it close to where/when you're leaving.
But yep, best to check the booklet.
Next thing you know we will all be sitting down to a test just so we can get a licence to fish..........wouldn't doubt it in the future either. :(
cheers
Hooky

[LO]

I also heard they were goint to Ban all left Handed anglers from the Bay , it seems they have trouble distinguishing the " right of Way " .
Its only a rumor though.
LO

[Grantm]

If im in my boat at one of the fish tableless ramps, I run the boat onto the adjoining wharf or bank and do it all on my bait board using my live bait well to clean the fish using the pump. It works well i must admit but there is often no room at busy ramps.

Id rather the have this basic facility at the busy ramps. Got me buggered how they can build a toilet block but no tables. Obviously there are areas with a lot of small crappy ramps which dont need one, but the bigger ones with water plumbed in for toilets would be good.

While im on it bloody parking shits me too, especially at some of the ramps i go to with very limited parking for trailers, and some numnuts just their to sit and stare at the sun parks his bloody Volvo in these spots and there is knowhere to park my trailer. These extra long spots are clearly trailer spots and should be left alone. Unfortunatley these spots DO NOT have signs saying this is the case which is stupid. Brooklyn is the same, and you sometimes have to park your trailer on the grass only to get booked while the egg who parked his combi in a trailer spot to toke on a scoob and drink herbal tea is left alone.

one - need more fish tables
two - needs 'trailer parking only' signs
three - need more adjacent wharves for safe passanger loading/unloading

wow what a rant. :twisted:

[telcobroker]

I looked into this a while back and as I recall it is quite ok to gut and gill your catch but the head must remain on so the fisheries folk can easily determine if your catch is legal length. Strictly no filleting. Having said that I've had fisheries alongside and I had filleted tailor strips on the bait bucket beside me - they saw it and asked what it was without getting funny with me but providing the bait meets legal specs then I believe that is ok too.

[crow]

I agree

Where i went on Sunday (Boat harbour-Gerringong), they have quite a good cleanning table with plumbed water.

But the downside is there is absoulutely no place to load & unload ur passengers, it gets a bit how you going with ppl alighting straight on to the boat ramp! :x

[the_lure]

I looked into this a while back and as I recall it is quite ok to gut and gill your catch but the head must remain on so the fisheries folk can easily determine if your catch is legal length. Strictly no filleting. Having said that I've had fisheries alongside and I had filleted tailor strips on the bait bucket beside me - they saw it and asked what it was without getting funny with me but providing the bait meets legal specs then I believe that is ok too.

Thanks John,

that makes sense to me

[bluecod]

NSW Waterways provides funding for improving recreational facilities for use by boaters - this years grants have closed, but to get through all the red tape organising the approvals from Council and quotations, now is the time to start for next years allocation.

I don't think an inquiry from an individual will get much attention, however if it was your local fishing club or ANSA applying you'd get a far better hearing. If you need to get in touch with some of the Newcastle ANSA blokes send me a PM and I'll put you in touch.

[hottuna]

Grant i can only speak of the 2 ramps in woy woy at lions park (nrth burge rd) . Taps have been removed just on 2 years ago roughly when the water restrictions came in. I use this ramp 90% of my fishing time. My last time having to carry buckets of water to the table while cleaning a big jew.

I can`t believe the only shabby fish cleaning table of a main ramp in a coastal fishing village does`nt have running water! :evil: (pumped saltwater was on the cards 12months ago), and my prefered water to use when cleaning my catch). I say we get a few of us together and put something to council, nsw fisheries, and waterways about this unacceptable standard of our recreational boatramps :idea:

dan

[Grantm]

I agree Dan, im sure with a bit of effort something can be done, its not that big a job you wouldnt think.

Thanks Bluecod we may need that help ill let you know.

I will try to make some into this and see where it takes me. May be a while being so close to xmas but ill do my best.

cheers 8)

[bluecod]

Grant,

Start with the Parks and Gardens staff [admin] at Council - they may have designs and will give you a good idea if the proposal may be acceptable - if that Council does not have a design, another Council will - keep in mind that Council does not want to have to do more maintenance work than necessary including cleaning, so that means plumbing for water supply and the return water to the waterway will have to be big enough for offal/scales etc to go through without blocking, generally below the low water mark.

The type of sea/retaining wall will, in part, influence location as you don't necessarily want to have to go through concrete walls for the waste pipe. proximity to the ramp is another pre-requisite as if the table is too far from the ramp/staging area it won't be used.

Good luck!

[Grantm]

Thanks for the info Bluecod,

I have just submitted an online query to Gosford City Council in regards to the current boat ramp facilities at the Gosford and Woy Woy main ramps.

I have politely suggested these facilities are in need of attention and upgrade due to increasing levels of boat traffic and use and requested that the appropriate coucil officer contact me to discuss it further.

Dont really know where this will go exactly but its a start.

I'll keep you guys posted. Any ideas or input would be great. :)

[Grantm]

Just a quick update,

A gentleman by the name of Ray Pascoe from the Gosford City Council just rang me.

He is in charge of bridges, wharves and boatramps and is newly appointed to this role.

He is currently doing an annalysis of all the boat ramps in Brissie waters and assures me all the facilities are being looked at and assessed.

He is also part of the Brisbane Waters Users Group and a current boatie himself which helps.

He is aware of the poor state of wharves around some of the ramps and said they were actually built by people on the Dole as aprt of the return to work program and probably is why they are shabby.

The Gosford waterfront area is currently being redeveloped which includes the boat ramp area and he cannot do anythingthing to this area, but will mean the ramp facilities will be redone then. When, who knows.

He said his biggest drama is funding and also working with other council people in charge of recreational parks where the ramps are and negotiating with them. Unfortunately there is VERY LITTLE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC about ramps and their facilities and is therefore very low on the funding priority. People only ever complain for about two months around xmas then they go away, whereas curb and guttering, medical issues etc are on the agenda year round.

There's a message there, start to speak up people if you want things fixed. Weve got the same drama with rec fishing dont forget.

He was unaware of funding available through the RFL scheme to help pay for some of these repairs and is going to investigate that option so my email didnt go to waste completely. He seems pretty keen to upgrade these facilities and funds are then main issue. He has been told he can do whatever just find the funds, but he also needs input from the public. He was keen to put salt water pumps at the tables using RFL funds too. They do get funding from the Maritime association too which helps but there needs to be more demand.

With any luck what he says is true and these facilities are being addressed and with extra funding from the RFL we might get somewhere.

We'll see how it turns out...

[Target]

Good work Grant

Hopefully Gosford Council will come through with some action.

I know there was some changes at Council (some past staff notoriously slow in responding), so lets hope Ray Pascoe can start afresh and get some activity and funding organised.

Adrian

[bluecod]

Way to go Grant [thumbsup]

Keep on his hammer mate, otherwise it will slide

[Grantm]

Thanks for the support guys,

I dont really know how much impact my one enquiry can make but i just had to do something. I can no longer sit on my hands and watch it all happen without putting in my 2 cents.


Target

I mentioned to him also about the ramp we use in Woy Woy bay and the fact that it floods in big tides and is nearly out of the water at low. He said he would look into that also and if it deemed to be a problem he may be able to have it lengthened and raised, and he also is aware of the parking issue there too. If nothing elses at least i feel better knowing someone is actually aware of this and looking at it. Of course he wasnt aware of the flooding ramp because no one had let council know. Love to get that fixed up for our sake anyway.

Cheers :D

[Target]

Grant,
Wasnt aware of it flooding at the ramp, only the fact that its too shallow at low tide to really launch the boat - glad I has the toy 4WD last week :) other wise I think I may have been stuck going off the end of the ramp.
I actually use the Lions Park ramp most due to the fact that its 10 minutes closer to broken bay - fish cleaning tables there would be nice, OH, and a jetty at Patonga might be geood - dont know if its a good idea when the waves pick up in the area though?

if you need any help with campaigning Council let me know

Adrian

[hottuna]

very well don`t grant. guess we should get off your bums an all submit a complaint letter to gosford


dan

[Grantm]

Yeah the ramp completely submurges. It actually did the other day when we were there. The water level was level with the car park. Ive actually seen the car park flooded.

As far as help goes anything would be great. Im sure Ray Would appreciate some more input as well, cause i certainly dont know the area as well as you and your ideas would be great.

If you want you can simply submit your thoughts on the councils web site perhaps refering it to him direct, and he will call you if you give you number. Its really easy to do and im sure he will appreciate all the help he can get.

Its not exactly a full on campaign as yet, moreso starting the ball rolling, by giving them some input. Its hard to put to much pressure on when no one has actually asked for anything, thats why i thinks this way is a good start.

Dan (hottuna) if your out there mate and see this post im sure they would love your thoughts too... The more emails they get the more chance we have.

Any other coastal fisho's shoot em an email with your thoughts !

Bluecod, your right i think i will keep following them up too.


Thank guys