FRANK Schlechtreim may fish a few times a week, but to him that is “not enough”.
The 59-year-old from Victoria Point regularly gets out on the bay with his wife Dee, but they like to mix it up, fishing offshore, going fly fishing and occasionally fishing off the jetty.
He has fishing gear for all occasions, but mostly fishes off his boat, a Cruise Craft half-cabin. He leaves from the Victoria Point jetty, or if he is fishing in the northern bay or offshore, he leaves from the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club at Manly.
“The boat gives you more mobility and access to different spots,” he said.
“If you are land based, you may see the deeper holes, but you can’t always get to them.”
Frank said he had some favourite spots, found through fishing reports, personal exploration and by talking to others.
“You learn to read the tide, read the water so to speak,” he said.
“There are a few factors. If you are river fishing and there is a rock obstruction, the fish will be holed up there. That way they can expend less energy and ambush their food.
“The weather plays a big part and the different tides and moon cycles.”
Frank said that when fishing, he also checked barometric pressure.
“If the pressure is low, the fish’s bladder expands and there is less room in their stomach, so they don’t want to eat. This is not a good bite time,” he said.
“Conversely, with a high barometric pressure, the stomach is compressed, there is more food in the gut and they are hungry.”
Frank said he moved to Tasmania as a young man in order to enjoy the trout fishing on offer and now works at a fishing store at Victoria Point.
“I came to Australia, bought a fishing rod and, excuse the pun, I’ve been hooked ever since,” he said.
Frank said every fish he caught was special in its own way.
“I love eating fish for food, but I also like the sport. You have to stick to the bag limits.
“I will keep fishing after I reach this, but always throw them back.
“You have to find a responsible balance and make sure the fish are there for future generations.”
