A Few Fish Facts

[Bobj]

To all those blokes who want to do some fishing in Australia, a few facts on the types of fish and their habitats.

 

Freshwater:

Very little freshwater fishing in Western Australia in the SW, there are no native fish save for the bream, trevally and cobbler (catfish) in the relatively few estuaries. There are some creeks that hold redfin perch(Perca Fluviatilis), a few carp and trout. In the north of the state, there are barramundi, big catfish, longtoms, sooty grunter, tarpon, sharks sawfish and other ooglies.

South Australia has the mighty murray cod and callop (yellowbelly) in the Murray River. The Torrens (Adelaide) has a few redfin and trout in the Adelaide hills.

Victoria has the cod and callop in the Murray system trout and redfin in most of the dams and lakes.

New South Wales has the cod, yellowbelly, catfish (both forky and round tail), silver perch,redfin and carp in the western flowing creeks, rivers and dams and bass and macquarie perch in the eastern flowing creeks and rivers.

Tasmania is noted for the quality trout and salmon. There are also redfin in most of the waterways.

Queensland, in the south, has murray cod, silver perch and yellowbelly in the western flowing Murray/Darling system along with redfin and carp. North of, say, Maroochydore, barramundi, sooty grunter, saratoga are present in most river systems and a few dams.

The further north, all the river systems hold some sharks, stingrays and sawfish.

The Northern Territory is world famous for the quality of the barramundi fishing. There are also good quantities of catfish, longtoms, sooty grunter and saratoga.

 

Sizes:

Redfin to 6lbs. Trout to 25lbs. Murray cod to 100lbs, but usually to 25lbs. Yellowbelly (callop) to 40lbs but usually to 15lbs. Silver perch to 6lbs. Forky tail catfish to 60lbs, but usually to 6 lbs, round tailed catfish to 6lbs. Barramundi to 85lbs but usually to 60lbs. Saratoga (southern variety) to 10lbs, northern variety to 20lbs. Sooty grunter to 8lbs and longtoms to 4lbs.

 

A few areas in Victoria hold tench and roach, but not too sure if they are targetted.

Any questions will be answered...If I know, that is.:laugh:

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Guest guest37336]

Nice thread Bob.:notworthy:

 

Plenty of poms want to carry on their freshwater exploits once in OZ, and no doubt this will help immensely.

 

Cheers Tony.:idea::yes:

[Bobj]

Nice thread Bob.:notworthy:

 

Plenty of poms want to carry on their freshwater exploits once in OZ, and no doubt this will help immensely.

 

Cheers Tony.:idea::yes:

 

Goodo, mate; might add a bit later on, for tackle and bait, etc. if they ask.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[AndyW]

You may be able to help:

What will I need for fishing and what am I likely to catch from the salt water canals and beaches?

 

Cheers

[Guest guest37336]

Though not strictly 'freshwater' mate, can't enough of the Tarpon, (Ox Eye),:jiggy::jiggy:, and the occasional freshwater Sting Ray most definitely livens up an afternoon to a fresh off the plane pommy.:yes:

 

[Guest guest37336]

On that note Bob.

 

What do you reckon the chances of finding bigger Tarpon in Australia, much like their American cousins.

 

I tend to think that maybe they don't exist to that size because surely someone would have caught one by now, but it is worth dreaming aye.:jiggy:

[Smirfyduo]

Goodo, mate; might add a bit later on, for tackle and bait, etc. if they ask.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

 

I'd be interested Bobj!!

 

And any tips on any good fishing spots near Mackay........

 

:wubclub:

[Guest The Pom Queen]

I'd be interested Bobj!!

 

And any tips on any good fishing spots near Mackay........

 

:wubclub:

Bob can't give you his secret spots he wants to keep all the big ones for himself:wubclub:

[Bobj]

You may be able to help:

What will I need for fishing and what am I likely to catch from the salt water canals and beaches?

 

Cheers

 

G'day mate, by 'salt water canals' I take it that you mean the Gold Coast?

 

Silver and golden trevally of about 2-5 kgs can be found and your gear should be 6-7 ft spinning rod, or trigger grip rod with 20 lb braid. I prefer slightly heavier line as there is the odd big fish. The area is also good for sizeable flathead to 12 lbs. On the beaches, a 10 ft rod with spinning reel or an Alvey and 15 lb line is good. The Goldie beaches are good for (in season) tailor and golden trevally, dart and whiting, bream and the odd pernit. Look for the gutters (deeper water parallel to the shore line). squid, prawns and ragworms are good bait. The tailorand goldies will take a pilchard on a gang of 4 x 3/0 hooks and can reasonably expected to weigh up to 8lbs.

If you are only going to target whiting, a line of 8 lbs will suffice but...be prepared for a bigger fish.

 

Any help?

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Bobj]

I'd be interested Bobj!!

 

And any tips on any good fishing spots near Mackay........

 

:wubclub:

 

Spots near Mackay...No better place than the south wall at the harbour, outside for the mackerel, inside for the reefies and bream. A good 7-8ft rod, either spin or o/head reel with 20-30 lb braid for the big mackerel. A set of gangs, 4 x3/0 hooks and a pillie heaved out, allow 15 seconds and wind in in a gentle, but erratic way, stopping for a few seconds to allow the pillie to sink before retrieving again. In the harbour, close to the rocks, you can get coral trout using the same bait. Lots of whiting, bream and flathead are available, too. A gang of 2 x 3/0 hooks and a half illie will be ok.

If you have a tinny, Kinchant dam should be producing BIG barra. Troll about 30 metres out from and parallel to the dam wall. A 12 ft diving lure (Predatek Viper) near the wall and a 20+ lure (barrabait) away from the wall. Or, a 6ft diving lure around the weed bed margins, cast and retrieve usually works.

Under the Pioneer bridge (Ron Camm bridge) on a falling tide should produce a barra on lures (hollowbellies) cast out around the rocks. Good bream and flathead there as well. Also, the mouth of the river can produce big trevally at the bottom and start of a tide, drive down from the harbour to this site.

 

OK?

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Bobj]

On that note Bob.

 

What do you reckon the chances of finding bigger Tarpon in Australia, much like their American cousins.

 

I tend to think that maybe they don't exist to that size because surely someone would have caught one by now, but it is worth dreaming aye.:jiggy:

Nil, I'm sad to say. The biggest I have ever caught was about 3.5 kg in the Ord River. Biggest I heard of was about 5 kg. But what a dream if they were in Australian waters.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Guest guest37336]

Nil, I'm sad to say. The biggest I have ever caught was about 3.5 kg in the Ord River. Biggest I heard of was about 5 kg. But what a dream if they were in Australian waters.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

 

Would be fantastic Bob.:yes:

 

You have out done me Bob again, my biggest was from Broome jetty, around 2.5 kilo, but I was using extremely light tackle and by gum did it give me a run for my money.:jiggy:

 

Cheers Tony.

[Smirfyduo]

Bob can't give you his secret spots he wants to keep all the big ones for himself:wubclub:

 

Just one decent spot - Where I can catch one bag size fish!! I'm not greedy!!

Only cos then I can claim I found it, and i caught a fish, and hubbie & mates couldn't catch a cold :wink:

[Smirfyduo]

Spots near Mackay...No better place than the south wall at the harbour, outside for the mackerel, inside for the reefies and bream. A good 7-8ft rod, either spin or o/head reel with 20-30 lb braid for the big mackerel. A set of gangs, 4 x3/0 hooks and a pillie heaved out, allow 15 seconds and wind in in a gentle, but erratic way, stopping for a few seconds to allow the pillie to sink before retrieving again. In the harbour, close to the rocks, you can get coral trout using the same bait. Lots of whiting, bream and flathead are available, too. A gang of 2 x 3/0 hooks and a half illie will be ok.

If you have a tinny, Kinchant dam should be producing BIG barra. Troll about 30 metres out from and parallel to the dam wall. A 12 ft diving lure (Predatek Viper) near the wall and a 20+ lure (barrabait) away from the wall. Or, a 6ft diving lure around the weed bed margins, cast and retrieve usually works.

Under the Pioneer bridge (Ron Camm bridge) on a falling tide should produce a barra on lures (hollowbellies) cast out around the rocks. Good bream and flathead there as well. Also, the mouth of the river can produce big trevally at the bottom and start of a tide, drive down from the harbour to this site.

 

OK?

 

Cheers, Bobj.

 

OK?? OK??

That's FAB!! :notworthy:

 

Guess where I will be this weekend.

 

Thanks Bobj :wubclub:

[Bobj]

OK?? OK??

That's FAB!! :notworthy:

 

Guess where I will be this weekend.

 

Thanks Bobj :wubclub:

 

Suggest that you fish the hour before and after low tide, or high tide.

 

http://tides.willyweather.com.au/qld/mackay/mackay-harbour.html

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Bobj]

A pillie (pilchard) set on a gang of 4 x 3/0 hooks

 

Measure the first hook (tied to mainline) at the eye and measure off to the tail; Pierce the last hook in the tail and proceed back yo the eye hook. Simple!:wink:

 

 

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Guest guest59177]

Just for the record, I will need a bit of hand holding when I am finally settled in Sydney (visa application stuck in external checks currently). It's a long way away, but I was hoping early birds will get a discount :biggrin:

 

It would be really helpful if you could create a series of videos and load them on youtube where you start with just the ABCs see? I mean I don't even know what a 'braid' is see?

 

Another thing. You have noted various types of fish, but what is the most delicious to eat? For example, where I am currently at, the Pomfret is considered a delicacy because of very good taste and easily separable meat (no little pieces of bones threatening to tear holes in your mouth :biggrin:) So howz it in Australia???

[thewebweazel]

Another thing. You have noted various types of fish, but what is the most delicious to eat?

 

Good question I was going to ask that same thing myself.

 

Why are the Ozzies Barramundi crazy?

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Good question I was going to ask that same thing myself.

 

Why are the Ozzies Barramundi crazy?

I have only had haddock and cod and loved it, I came here and every time I asked for fish and chips I got flake which I hated. Bobj had once mentioned Barra so I gave it a go and it was the closest I could get. I'm not sure if there is anything else that's similar to cod/haddock?

[AndyW]

Cheers Bob. It just so happens that we have rented a house with a canal water frontage and a pontoon to fish off. :biggrin:

 

Andy

[tonyman]

what about the flatheads in the swan river ,perth....they are suppose to be good eating .....?

[thewebweazel]

I have only had haddock and cod and loved it, I came here and every time I asked for fish and chips I got flake which I hated. Bobj had once mentioned Barra so I gave it a go and it was the closest I could get. I'm not sure if there is anything else that's similar to cod/haddock?

 

Ok now what is Flake? In S.A we eat Haddock, Hake, Snoek (Barracuda), etc. what I like about the fish is that it has a lot less oil then fish in the UK. I'm just hoping that Oz will be the same.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Ok now what is Flake? In S.A we eat Haddock, Hake, Snoek (Barracuda), etc. what I like about the fish is that it has a lot less oil then fish in the UK. I'm just hoping that Oz will be the same.

Flake is gummy shark:goofy:

[Guest guest37336]

what about the flatheads in the swan river ,perth....they are suppose to be good eating .....?

 

 

Learnt my basics of Swoffing mate at many places in and around the Swan.

 

Many Flathead caught especially around the Freo inlet area where there are shallows, though not as big as the Eastern States, but good fight,and when I did eat what I caught, mmmmmmmm loverly.:yes:

 

Cheers Tony.

[Bobj]

Just for the record, I will need a bit of hand holding when I am finally settled in Sydney (visa application stuck in external checks currently). It's a long way away, but I was hoping early birds will get a discount :biggrin:

 

It would be really helpful if you could create a series of videos and load them on youtube where you start with just the ABCs see? I mean I don't even know what a 'braid' is see?

 

Another thing. You have noted various types of fish, but what is the most delicious to eat? For example, where I am currently at, the Pomfret is considered a delicacy because of very good taste and easily separable meat (no little pieces of bones threatening to tear holes in your mouth :biggrin:) So howz it in Australia???

 

Braid is woven man-made fibres, mainlydyneema, as opposed to monofilament (mono) line; thinner and stronger but more suseptible to abrasion on rocks.

 

Pomfret in Australia are usually referred to as oyster crackers and are well thought of in the fighting department, but not well considered in the culinary department.

 

Sydney fish are bream, flathead, yellow tail kingfish (great fish), bonito, blackfish, squid etc In the harbour confines, it is considered, at this stage, a no-no to eat fish due to toxins.

 

The old chestnut...most delicious fish to eat... my top 5, but not in any order: coral trout, golden snapper, bluey, WA dhu fish and threadfin salmon (no relation to european salmon). After that, spanish and school mackerel, red emperor, barramundi, whiting, flathead etc.

 

Any help?

 

Cheers, Bobj.