Scalefish and bait fishing gear

​​Rod and line​

Licence: No licence is required to fish with a hook and line in Tasmanian marine waters, including rod and line and squid jigs.  ​

Rod and line: 

Anyone can fish with a rod and line (any number of lines, with up to 5 hooks per line); and squid jigs (up to 3 jigs per line).

• ​You must be within 20 metres of the gear, or 
• have lines attached to the boat from which you are fishing. 
• The same rules apply if you are using an electric reel.

Different rules apply for freshwater fishing - contact Inland Fisheries

Electric reels: 

Can be used with no more than 5 hooks. You must remain within 20 metres of your gear.

Kites and shore-based longline gear:  

Auxiliary fishing gear, ​kites, balloons and konti​kis:

• Can be used to deploy or retrieve not more than 200 metres of fishing line with 5 hooks or less.
• Is not permitted in rivers or shark refuge areas.
• Can not be used within 100 metres of swimmers or any vessel or within 400 metres of a boat ramp, jetty or mooring.
• Can be used on a boat.
• If using auxiliary fishing gear from land you must remain within 20 metres of the gear and not use it more than 20 metres from the high water mark.​​

Auxiliary gear does not include electric reels, capstans or haulers used for set lines.

​Squid Jigs:

A squid jig is a baited or artificial lure with one or more sets of pointed hooks or spikes used to take squid. You can use up to 3 squid jigs per line.​

​Responsible gear use tips:

• ​Minimise the time spent to land fish and don't leave rods unattended.
• Use barbless or circle hooks to minimise danger to fish.
• Use a fish de-hooker.
• Release fish quickly in the area they were caught.
• Handle fish with wet hands or a wet cloth.
• Hold large fish horizontally, not by the jaw or gills.
• Dispose of fishing rubbish, including old fishing lines in a near by bin or take it with you.

​Set lines (longlines and droplines)

Licence: A licence is required to use a set line. You must be 10 years or older to hold a set line licence. A person can only use one set line at a time.  The licence holder must personally set and retrieve their setline. Another person can assist them if needed.

​Specifications: ​​​A set line is an unattended line, either a dropline or a longline with up to 15 hooks.

• In waters shallower than 150 metres, set lines can be joined to one other line on a boat provided no person uses more than 15 hooks and not more than a total of 30 hooks are used.
• In waters deeper than 150 metres, set lines can be joined to up to three other lines on a boat, provided no person uses more than 15 hooks or more than a total of 60 hooks are used on the combined line.
• Not more than 4 set lines are permitted on a boat.
• Set lines cannot be set at night.  Night is defined as from one hour before sunset to one hour before sunrise.

Dropline:

 A dropline is set vertically with one end weighted and a marker buoy attached to the other. When droplines are joined together, each  fisher must have a separate marker buoy attached.

Longline:​

A longline is set horizontally, weighted at both ends and with a buoy attached at each end. When longlines are joined together, each fisher must have a separate marker buoy on each end of the line.

 

Longline

Set line buoys:

Set line marker buoys must be:

• clearly marked with your licence number and either the letters 'LL' for longline or 'DL' for dropline;
• at least 195mm in diameter; and
• specifically designed as a buoy and float on the surface of the water.

Set lines cannot be used in some areas. Check for area restrictions where you are fishing.

​Responsible gear use tips:

• Remain in attendance of set lines where possible and regularly check your gear.
• Minimise the number of hooks used to reduce the chance of exceeding bag limits.
• Use sharp, heavy gauge circle hooks (size 6/0 plus) to assist hooking fish in the jaw.
• Reduce your soak times to increase the survival of released fish.
• To avoid barotrauma, bring the fish slowly to the surface. Use a rerelease weight to return the fish to the sea floor if you are not retaining it. Only vent the swim bladder of the fish if you're experienced in carrying out this procedure correctly.
• Set long lines on sandy substrates. Setting on reef habitat can snag your gear and catch non-target reef fish.
• Ensure the marker buoy is large enough to stay afloat in strong currents and not be pulled under. The buoy line length should be greater than the depth of the water being fished.
• The mainline anchor weight should be heavy enough to prevent the line dragging in strong tides or if large fish take the baits.
• Don't set your line in rough weather as lost set lines can continue to 'ghost fish' in the marine environment.
• Avoid interactions with marine mammals by not having excess loose line on the surface.​

Landing net

Licence: No licence is required in Tasmanian marine waters to use landing nets.

Specifications:​ A landing net is a hand-held net that:

• can only be used to land fish;
• is attached to a frame no larger than 600mm across; and
• has mesh of any size.

Dip, bait and cast nets

Licence: No licence is required in Tasmanian marine waters to use dip nets, bait nets or cast nets.

Dip net:​

A dip net is a hand held net that:

• can be used to take fish, including prawns
• is attached to a frame no larger than one metre across; and
• has a mesh larger than 20mm.

Dip net

Bait net:

You can use one bait net. A bait net is an encircling net:

• no longer than 6 m;
• no deeper than 2 m; and
• with mesh no more than 20 mm.

Cast net:

You can use one cast net. The net must be:

• circular or oval net with a leaded footline around the outside; 
• not exceed 6 m in diameter; and
• has mesh of any size.

 ​

Cast net​

​Beach seine net

A beach seine net licence allows you to possess and use one beach seine net in State waters. The licence holder must personally set and retrieve any fishing gear. Another person can assist if needed.

Specifications: ​ A beach seine net must:

• be an encircling net that does not exceed 50 m in length;
• have a bag or bunt or a panel that forms a bunt with a mesh of at least 30 mm;

Rules: A beach seine net must:

• not be pursed or drawn through rings into the shape of a bag; and
• be emptied while in the water.

Beach seine net

Gillnets

Licence: Graball nets and mullet nets, including flounder nets, are all types of gillnet. A graball net licence is required to use a graball net. A mullet net licence is required to use a mullet net. You must be 10 years or older to hold a graball net or mullet net licence. The licence holder must personally set and retrieve any fishing gear and another person can assist if needed.

Rules: ​No more than three gillnets may be carried on, or used from a single boat. A gillnet cannot be used as an encircling net, e.g. as a beach seine net. Refer to specific rules for each type of gillnet below. 

The Tasmanian Government policy is to phase out all recreational gillnetting by 2030.

Gillnet

​​​Graball net

Graball net (includes flounder nets) can be used. A licence is required and area restrictions apply. A graball net is a single mesh net:

• mesh must be between 105 mm and 140 mm; and
• must not be deeper than 33 meshes or longer than 50 metres.

Mullet net

One mullet net can be used. A licence is required and area restrictions apply. A mullet net:

• is a single mesh net;
• mesh must be between 60 mm and 70 mm;
• must not be longer than 25 metres; and
• must not be set over rocky bottom or reef.

Gillnet buoys

Gillnets, including mullet, graball and flounder nets (a type of graball net) must be marked with two white buoys, one at each end of the net, both that:

• are marked only with the licence number and 'G' for graball or 'M' for mullet net in figures not less than 70 mm high and 12 mm wide;
• are at least 195 mm in diameter; ​and
• are specifically designed as a buoy and float on the surface of the water.
• Additional buoys can be used for visibility. ​

Weighting your net

All gillnets must be weighted in one of the following ways in order to prevent drift:

• a weight of at least 2 kilograms tied to the bottom line at each end of the net; or
• a weight of at least 4 kilograms tied to the bottom line at one end of the net; or​
• the net has a minimum weight, when dry, of at least 13 kilograms for a 50 metre net.

Other rules for gillnet use

• Gillnets cannot be set a night (between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset)
• Gillnets can be set for a maximum of two hours.
• Licence holders must be within 50m of their net at all times when setting in Shark Refuge Areas.
• Gillnets cannot be used in waters deeper than 20m or further than 250m from shore.
• Gillnets cannot be used in Macquarie Harbour.

How to measure net mesh

 

Stretch mesh until upper and lower knots touch

 

 Measure mesh at full stretch

Hand spears, spear guns and gaffs (gaff hook)

Licence: No licence is required in Tasmanian marine waters to use hand spears, spear guns or gaffs.

Rules: 

• Hand spears, spear guns and gaffs can be used to take squid, shark, octopus and any scalefish except bream and boarfish.
• Spear and gaffs can not be used for taking rock lobster or abalone.
• Spears cannot be used in the Mersey, Leven or Inglis rivers, other than to spear flounder.

 ​

Handspears

Responsible gear use tips:

• ​Identify the fish and size it up before you spear it.
  
• Don't use spears in close proximity to swimmers and other water users.
  

Bait traps

Licence: No licence is required in Tasmanian marine waters to use bait traps.

Rules: The only trap allowed is one bait trap per person. These are used to take baitfish, crabs and prawns.

Specifications: The trap must comply with the following dimensions: 

• no larger than 500 mm x 350 mm x 250 mm
• not have more than two entrances not larger than 65 mm
• mesh between 10 mm and 40 mm.

Unattended bait traps must have a buoy or tag attached marked with BT and the user's surname, initials, year of birth and postcode.

 

​Bait trap

Opera house traps

​Are not legal gear in Tasmania. Traps that are modified to meet the specifications of a bait trap can be used.

Octopus traps

​Specialised octopus traps or pots are not legal gear in Tasmania.