Fishin'

Often I've watched fishing charters returning to the wharf at Port Macquaire and their large catch being cleaned by the crew. And many a time I've vowed to join them one day. So last Thursday I rose at dawn and went out on a six hour fishing trip off the coast. The weather was fine and mild with a two metre swell offshore. The boat was around twelve metres in length and powered by twin Volvo Penta 285 hp diesel motors. However the best bit of gear was an electronic fish-finder which gives the fish little chance when eight double-hooked lines hit the water. Cruel but that's life, for a fish.

Due to a strong current though the fish had an even chance and we only landed some twenty five sizable fish ranging from leatherjackets, parrots, flathead, bream and red rock cod. I jagged a lovely parrot fish around a kilo weight, but only ordinary eating.

By midday we'd all had enough of throwing back more than we kept and gladly headed back to port. This proved to be one of the highlights as we crossed the notorious breakwater sandbar at low tide. For $110 it was good value and something I'd do again.

Comments

[Ian]

Maaate, I hope those fish are layin' in a baking tray and not a serving plate :-)

I think ya better come ta the Top End for some fishin'..... be glad ta see ya

btw welcome back to reality :-))

[Lee]

Sounds like you had a great day. Yep..parrot fish might be pretty to look at, but they're not good eating. Up in north Queensland they're only used for bait. I know some people down this end of Qld. eat them, but I wouldn't.

[Yobbo]

We would have thrown back every single fish you caught, they are all what we like to call "shitfish".

The funny thing is though that the last time I went to a Chinese restaurant here in Perth they had a Parrot Fish swimming around in a tank which you could eat at the handy price of $48 per kilo.

[ymmoT]

Hey Yobbo,
You dope - 'shitfish'. That jerk on the end of your line was you! What fish don't you throw back then? What represents good eating there in the West? Birds Eye Fish Fingers no doubt! Dope!

Adrian, I haven't tried parrot fish, but I love bream, small leather jacket (big ones are less tasty IMHO), flathead and to a lesser extent red rock cod. Snapper is my favourite small (plate sized) fish.

Good story. Cheers,
ymmoT

[Lee]

There's nothing wrong with flathead...I love flathead and have caught a lot over the years. Same with bream...I used to fish a top area at the northern side of the mouth of the Maroochy River. Using fowl gut, I used to catch good sized bream there every evening. The bream would take nothing else but fowl gut in that particular spot. Fresh rock cod are sweet eating, too.