Fancy some prawns on your lunch table this Easter? There's never been a better time to try to catch your own, according to a Bundaberg fisherman.
Angler and tackle store manager Tim Mulhall said recent rain had flushed lots of nutrients from river systems and into salt water in the Wide Bay region, creating the perfect breeding conditions for prawns.
"The prawns are just fantastic at the moment," he said.
"Some of these prawns are nearly six inches long, almost the length of a stubby bottle."
And further afield, flooding rains in north-west Queensland have also seen the prawn population in the Gulf of Carpentaria boom.
'There's prawns everywhere'
In Bundaberg, Mr Mulhall the prawns were larger and more abundant than he'd seen in years.
"Basically, the prawns grow and feed within that 'sweet water' as we call it," he said.
"The sweet water pushes them out and it also helps with their growing phase as well.
"They start off with a little tiny jelly prawn … and then grow into a banana prawn that's nearly six inches long."
Mr Mulhall said even less-experienced fishers had brought in significant hauls in recent weeks.
"It's there for anyone at the moment," he said.
"There's prawns everywhere and everyone's catching a good feed.
"Even the prawns along the riverbank, they're slightly smaller — but I reckon they're actually tastier when you boil them up."
Prawning 101
Mr Mulhall said the best part was people didn't need a boat to catch their fill, and "anyone that's keen" could cast a net.
"You can easily catch a reasonable feed off the bank, if you cast where there's sort of muddy areas in the water, or mouths of little creeks," he said.
But he said having a boat and a high-quality net could make the prawning more productive.
"Once you hit that deeper water [offshore], you'll need a long rope attached to your net and a high-quality top-pocket cast net is the key," he said.
"You can also sound them up on your fish finder and you will see some little red and green blotches in the bottom of those deeper holes.
"Then it's just a matter of turning around and having a cast."
Mr Mulhall said catching your own seafood was enjoyable and not as hard as people thought.
"In those deeper holes, it's only taking about an hour to catch your feeds and there's nothing more fun," he said.
"The prawns sort of jump and skip in the net as you're pulling them in and it's a little excited, buzzing sort of feeling you get.
"[It's] something worth trying in the lead up to Easter, that's for sure."
But Mr Mulhall said it was always important to remember catch limits and boating safety.
In Queensland, there are no restrictions on the size of prawns.
But there is a limit of 10 litres of prawns per person, or 20 litres per boat when there are two or more people on board.
Supply beyond Easter
In Queensland's north west, general manager of Austral Fisheries' prawning division Andy Prendergast said there had been promising signs since the prawning season began on April 1.
Mr Prendegast operates 11 trawlers in the Gulf of Carpentaria and said when it came to fishing prawns, "we're fishing a larger animal and a lot more of them."
He said although the prawns caught in coming weeks would not make the Easter table, the rains meant there would be a steady supply in coming months.
"The season has the potential to rumble on for 70 days if the fishery supports it and hopefully, we'll catch around 130 tonne over those 70 days," he said.
"The size is good and the quality is great, which is great news for consumers.
"But it's still only early days, we've still got to catch them yet so I won't count my chickens before they hatch."
