Most Common Reef and Pelagic Species SE Qld

[kitacooch]

Hey guys, am heading outside for a fish in my new boat and i really am not sure of all the most likely catches and was wondering if some of you might be able to compile a quick guide of what i would most likely pick up here in SE Qld in the way of Pelagics and reefies (more so the ones of interest). If i have a list i can search the data bases for pics and bag limits. Would also be handy if it was noted if worth keeping for the table or not and if need bleeding.

I am aware of the following:

Spotted Macs

Spanish Macs

Dolphin Fish

Trevalley (few species)

Amber Jack

Mulloway

Mangrove Jacks??

Cobia

Bill Fish

Tuna (not sure of which ones)

Big eye Travella

Big eye Trevalley

Schnapper

Coral Trout

Cod

[Bri The Pom]

Where are you mainly fishing, the bay, offshore on the gold coast or the pin area. This will give us more info to help you with.

What size boat do you have.

[dhess]

WTF is Scnapper?

How common they are depends on where you are fishing.

Definitely add to the list:

pearl perch

black spot pigfish

gold spot wrasse

rosy jobfish

green jonfish

grass emperor

redthroat emperor

spangled emperor

red emperor if you are lucky

hussar

spanish flag

fusiliers

moses perch

school mackerel

wahoo

samson fish

yellow tailed kingfish

rainbow runners

barracuda

Ther is a few less commonly encountered species that will be more likely as you head further north to offshore rainbow beach/fraser.

tuna will be mac tuna, bonito, yellowfin, longtail, striped, dogtooth outside, bonito, mac tuna, longtail in the bay.

[mick fillet]

is funny how you mention specificaly black spot pig fish cause the male and the female look like two totally diferant fish.

spanish flag is a sea perch(its what i call a stripey)

[Baptism]

dont forget the mother in law fish!

[tugger]

To add a few more

dolphin fish

trag jew

happy moments don't get prickled

red bass don't keep

chinamen fish don't keep

scorpion cod don't get prickled but also known as poor mans lobster

parrot fish

[waldo]

Its almost like asking what fish live in SEQ saltwater :dry: lots and lots.

I'd suggest you get a copy of "Grants guide to fishes" it's not cheap but will answer most of your questions. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time looking up everything that is likely to get mentioned and still won't find some of them.

One other thing I would suggest is don't keep and eat anything you can't identify. It could be too big or too small to keep depedning on the species. It could be poisonous or it may be a protected species. So there is potential there to get either a decent fine or even die if you were unlucky. Take a pic and ask for it to be identified so you know what to do with one next time.

[kitacooch]

Ok thanks guys, that will keep me busy for a while looking them up, I am Gold Coast so out through the seaway. Just wanting to do some homework so not completely flying by the seat of my pants. If its not worth keeping or can't keep, don't want to be wasting its time trying to identify before throwing back. Or throw a beauty keeper back as very partial to a fresh feed of fish.

[Baptism]

just pop into a tackle store and get a guide book.

they'll have all the species/sizes.

[kitacooch]

And yellow tail snapper,

I caught one today, Was a mad scramble to identify as it looked to be sort of from the snapper family but not like anything I seen before. I can report that it was quite tasty also, but not as nice as the std snapper which we also got today and also had with dinner.

[battlescar]

Bar Cod!

[Bluevien]

at the moment? Grinners

[kitacooch]

OK, heres the list so far, what i would like to know is what in this list you would keep for the table, i mean i know everyones taste varies, but would be good to get an understanding of which are the good keepers and which are not. I prefer to catch and release where possible and only keep the best for the table. My wife is a vege and my kids won't eat fish YET.

KEEPERS

Spanish Macs

Dolphin Fish

Mulloway inc Tragg

Cobia

Mangrove Jacks

Tuna (not sure of which ones)

Snapper, Golden and Yellow Tail

Coral Trout

wahoo

yellow tailed kingfish

emperor (all i think????)

NOT SURE

Macs, Spotted, school & Smanish

Trevalley, Big eye

Amber Jack

Big eye Travella (pretty sure this is different to big eye trevalley??)

Cod, Bar & scorpion

pearl perch

black spot pigfish

gold spot wrasse

rosy jobfish

green jonfish

emperor, grass, redthroat, red & Spangled

hussar

spanish flag

fusiliers

moses perch

samson fish

rainbow runners

barracuda

parrot fish

NON KEEPERS

Bill Fish (couldn't kill one)

red bass

chinamen

mother in law

happy moments