Reef Balls

Hi Peoples,

Wanna have a quick chat today about how we are spending our rec fishing license fees. Some good initiatives have come out of this like buying back commercial fishing licenses which have reduced the overall quota on catch rates..so they tell us...improvements to our boating lauching facilities like ramps, wharfs and pontoons...and the construction of artificial reefs in certain estuaries.

The artificial reefs are constructed out of concrete balls that are hollow and have multiple holes in them. The concrete is a special mix of god knows what but its supposed to promote marine growth on the balls, and hence the start of its own ecosystem.

I have had a chance to fish a few of these things already, with mixed results. I have visited the reefs at st georges basin and lake macquarie. The st georges basin reef balls have been there now for a while, not too sure of the exact time, but they fish pretty well. There is a good You Tube video of a diver with a camera showing the fish life. While i havent had too much success on them i know a few dudes that pull good reds off the reefs in the 2kg class, not monsters but quality for a basin.

The lake mac reefs are hit and miss as well. They do produce a good mix of bread and butter species but lack some of the quality fish the rest of the lake produces.

Other reefs are located at Botany Bay and a new string of reefs at Lake Conjola. This has surprised me a little. I wouldnt expect Lake Conjola to be a prime location. But the lake is devoid of reefs and fish holding structure so it may be a good choice, only time will tell. Also one has been touted for Merimbula Lake???

This is a good iniative. If it helps to promote fish life and give anglers a chance to catch better class of fish and more fish...its a good thing.