Holls

On 2/11/2021 at 6:49 PM, SquibblyDibbly said:

Go back out with 6lb line and have another go, awesome fun!

Ha ha. I doubt I could turn these big ones around! Rip in the gutter, big waves. Don't want to leave hook and line in a lost fish.

Off the beach, the South Coast is firing at the moment with big salmon. The one pictured must be close to 5kg. Rising tide in a good gutter, caught 5 on pilchards in no time. Terrific fun, great fighting fish, leaping from the water. Took two home and released the others. Cheers and tight lines!

On 2/5/2021 at 6:21 PM, Blackfish said:

Hi @Holls, those little critters go by a few common names, Donna calls them Glassies, when I was young we called them White Bait.

I think it could be a type of Hardyhead, maybe Common/Smallmouth but if you like I can send it over to people who know more about these than I. Thats if its OK by you.

Or can anyone out in FR Land help out.

Thanks Blackfish. Yes, looks lie it might be Smallmouth Hardyhead! But more than happy for you to send it elsewhere. Cheers.

THANKS for all your ideas. From what was suggested it looks like they might be Smallmouth Hardyhead. https://www.nativefish.asn.au/home/page/Smallmouth-hardyhead

Anyone know what these little guys are? Very small, about 25mm. Vast clouds of them in Burrill Lake open to the sea. Predated upon by Tailor. Be grateful for advice.

14 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

+1 on the luderick. Tail and anal fin are a match. The vertical bars have most likely faded as the fish decomposes.

 

56 minutes ago, Blackfish said:

Luderick would be my guess.

Thanks for replies. Looked up luderick (looks good), but it led to Silver Drummer. Is that another possibility?

Great report! How far south were you Squibily?

Washed up on shore of Burrill Lake (saltwater, open to the sea). Definitely not a bream. If undamaged, about 40cm long.

Concave tail shape suggests not a mullaway? Any ideas appreciated!

On 5/8/2020 at 5:35 PM, blairy69 said:

I am eating the top one not the bottom one

Yeah it sure looks weird.

Just now, noelm said:

Flathead in fish pie? seems a bit strange, I usually use lesser "quality" fish for pie and fish cakes and stuff.

We have duskies coming out of our ears. Supplying several locked down neighbours. We eat em every way we can! fry, crumbed, battered, poached - you name it 🙂

23 hours ago, the skipper said:

I have seen that colour a lot in estuary caught flathead which predominently live around weed beds with the flesh not being as firm as the blue spot or ocean caught species.

It is off putting when it comes to eating but have never had any issues with eating them.

Have been getting a few good numbers out of the bay recently all around that 40cm mark and they are that clean white flesh along with the tailor that are lurking in there as well. If you look after them as soon as they are caught and straight on ice they will keep nicely.

 

The Skipper

Yeah no shortage of fish in our lake at present. I can catch the 'white flesh' ones and the 'peach coloured' ones side by side, same day, same size. Weird.

On 4/21/2020 at 9:23 PM, nutsaboutfishing said:

Did you eat it??

Yes, no probs. Seems to taste the same as the white flesh ones. Although I did bake it in a fish pie!

16 minutes ago, kingie chaser said:

So both killed in the same way & in the same amount of time?

No difference in external colour?

Different sex??

If it is female is still might be in spawning mode as spawning starts in spring but is known to go until Autumn?

 

Never seen a flathead's flesh that colour but most of the time imo that could come down to what they have been eating over a long peroid, it could have recently moved in from another area?

 

Might need to ask a marine biologist. 

9 minutes ago, Mullatt said:

As mentioned, I was thinking too that possibly one was a female in spawning mode ??

Did they taste any different?

Both same size, caught on same SP in the exact same spot. Both very dark colouring, vigorous fighting. Def not sick or unhealthy. Unlikely to have a different diet. Yes, think it might be something to do with spawning female - perhaps after spawning? Will be more careful next time to determine sexes. Thanks for your responses.

I'm generally on the saltwater, but about 10 years ago I was a crazy keen fly fisherman. One afternoon up at Penstock Lagoon in the mountains of Tasmania, I waded out into dead still water and saw the tiny telltale ring of a fish rising, taking gnats off the water film (almost imperceptible). I managed to present my fly pretty well and the next thing we were on. It took a good ten minutes to turn him around and bring him up to my side on an extremely light leader. This was memorable. Caught quite a few others (all catch and release) but this moment was special, taught me a lot about thumpin' big trout in Tasmania.

I asked this question about a year ago but not sure if we got to the bottom of it. There must be some research somewhere but can't find it.

Two Dusky Flathead caught in Burrill Lake one day apart, both 46cm long. Good fish! Note the difference in flesh colour and texture.

Anyone have info on this?

One thing I noticed. A couple of these big lizards had muddy discoloration underneath (you can see it in the pics). They were caught over shelly sand but it possible they came off the mud a km away where the creek comes in. In other words they may be moving around a lot at present (autumn). 

On 11/9/2019 at 1:51 PM, Scratchie said:

Longtom! 👍

The interesting thing about this fish is it doesn't have a stomach. Dispensed with it way back in evolution apparently.

A month ago I landed a nice flathead on the lake, netted him into my hobie. Put on lip grips but had trouble getting the hook out. Let go grips and removed hook. Flatty flips over the edge and swims off with my lip grips! Lost fish and expensive gear. Talk about stupid!

54 minutes ago, noelm said:

I have done two pretty silly things, both involve fly fishing, I don't profess to be an expert, but I enjoy it, one time early in my learning career I hooked myself in the back of the head during a cast. Then another time I was fishing with my mate, using the same gear and he was catching plenty of fish, Mullet and Trevally, I was getting none at all, I decided to change flies and then realised I had no fly on, during one of my many bad back casts, I must have "whipped" it off!

I have a good friend who is a crazy fly fisher. He has 80% vision impaired in one eye. You guessed it!

31 minutes ago, Yowie said:

Good work, nice feed of flatties. Could be that a school of baitfish were hanging in the area.

Yes, the lake is alive with little shoals of something. It's one big nursery. One flatty had a three inch bream inside it!

Hi all, just a clarification regarding my last fishing report. It's crucial that we don't go anywhere unnecessarily. We must all do what we can to flatten the curve on infections.

However, I live on the edge of a lake and can cast a line from my doorstep. I slide my yak in and go out 25 metres with soft plastics.

There seems to be much confusion around our legal rights to fish. In NSW it is still legal go fishing alone as a "passive exercise".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-02/fishing-considered-passive-exercise-amid-coronavirus-lockdown/12114934

Best to all, Holls.

Who can explain it? Go out on the lake for a couple of hours in my yak, maybe 3 or 4 times. I catch the odd flathead and occasionally a couple of legal pinkies. I live virtually on the shoreline of Burrill Lake, south coast.

Then this morning I glide out 30 metres, same spot and the duskies are going crazy! Every cast with an SP brings up another big fish. After 15 mins I stop with five nice fish, the largest just over 55cm. All caught on the one SP! Filleted up I'm supplying neighbours (from a distance). Tight lines everyone.

Aah yes, thanks wcurrall. THat'll be it. Will pass ID along to my mate.

A mate caught this fish off the beach, South Coast. I thought it was a sweep but it doesn't look like the pics on Google. Can someone ID it please?

Sorry I missed this reply mate. I guess we are all in lock down now. Getting some good fish in the lake here outside our place. Tight lines!