queensland Identification Help Please Worm & Fish

[Kat]

Hi All

Was wondering if someone could suggest links to pics of quite bright red thick worm looking things accidentally pumped up when yabby pumping on the GC in Coombabah Creek. Next time I get one I will take a pic.  I have looked and it doesn't match any worm I have been able to find.

Also this pic of what my companion thought was a wrasse (also can't find).  But very very pretty.  He was about 10cm long and caught on the GC Broadwater.

Cheers Kat

[Old Scaley]

Hi @Kat. The fish is a whiptail. Very pretty and very common. I know the worms you mean, but no idea what they are called. They are too soft to use as bait (in my opinion).

[Andrew_P]

sounds like a striped spoonworm

https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:df808eaa-8b13-4297-8893-3bf0b9bd7601

 

[Andrew_P]

This is a better pic @Kat 

 

this book from the Qld Museum is quite handy for SEQld marine animals:

[Kat]

20 minutes ago, Andrew_P said:

sounds like a striped spoonworm

https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:df808eaa-8b13-4297-8893-3bf0b9bd7601

 

Hi Andrew 

Yes thank you.  Pretty sure that is it though it is brighter red and I am not sure it is striped.  I will have a closer look next time.  

Cheers Kat

[Kat]

30 minutes ago, Old Scaley said:

Hi @Kat. The fish is a whiptail. Very pretty and very common. I know the worms you mean, but no idea what they are called. They are too soft to use as bait (in my opinion).

Hi @Old ScaleyScaley

Thanks.  Easy to find when you have some idea what the name is.  Have you ever caught a large one?

And BTW the worm is quite soft but also quite tough in parts so stayed on the hook fairly well and definitely did the job attracting bites.  Unders of course but everything seems to be blooming unders no matter the bait.

Cheers Kat

[deegee12g]

Hello Kat,  Whiptails only grow to about 30cm max. I have caught several them in Moreton Bay in the past but have never seen or caught one bigger than 20cm.

[Old Scaley]

1 hour ago, Kat said:

Hi @Old ScaleyScaley

Thanks.  Easy to find when you have some idea what the name is.  Have you ever caught a large one?

And BTW the worm is quite soft but also quite tough in parts so stayed on the hook fairly well and definitely did the job attracting bites.  Unders of course but everything seems to be blooming unders no matter the bait.

Cheers Kat

The biggest one I have caught was in Hervey Bay. I didn’t measure it but probably around the 20cm mark. Those are not the worms I was thinking of so lucky Andrew picked up on the right ones. I haven’t seen them before. 

Not everyone will agree with me here, but if you are getting pickered or only catching small fish, try upsizing your bait or going to a hardier bait like mullet flesh. It might last long enough for a bigger model to get into the feeding frenzy. Big baits, big fish works sometimes. Good luck.

[Kat]

Thanks for the tip @Old Scaley!  Will try that.

[GregOug]

5 hours ago, Kat said:

Hi @Old ScaleyScaley

Thanks.  Easy to find when you have some idea what the name is.  Have you ever caught a large one?

And BTW the worm is quite soft but also quite tough in parts so stayed on the hook fairly well and definitely did the job attracting bites.  Unders of course but everything seems to be blooming unders no matter the bait.

Cheers Kat

Hi Kat,

I caught a few whiptails last trip at Moreton. You can catch tons of them if you get into the shallower water. They are not very good eating  so aren’t targeted.

[GregOug]

4 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

The biggest one I have caught was in Hervey Bay. I didn’t measure it but probably around the 20cm mark. Those are not the worms I was thinking of so lucky Andrew picked up on the right ones. I haven’t seen them before. 

Not everyone will agree with me here, but if you are getting pickered or only catching small fish, try upsizing your bait or going to a hardier bait like mullet flesh. It might last long enough for a bigger model to get into the feeding frenzy. Big baits, big fish works sometimes. Good luck.

I agree with @Old Scaley. Bigger baits or tougher baits to stop the pickers. I bought some baby octopus and have used them the last couple of trips. It stays on a lot longer than squid and catches the same types of fish that like eating squid, which is just about everything!

[Kat]

Thanks for the tip Greg.  I have two fishing reports to write for yesterday and today....

[Kat]

Thanks.  I haven't seen baby octopus for sale?  I think those that live in Brisbane have more choice in bait shops?  But I have no income at the moment so am focusing on collecting my own baits where and when I can.

Or bludging off those who take me out as "deckie" - you know who you are.... Thanks again and again

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Kat

Yep, like said above it's a whiptail. Supposed to make fair bait so next time you catch one you could freeze it and use it as strip baits.

I've never seen or heard of that worm... Looks like a tasty morsel with whiting written all over it. If you are struggling to get smaller fish, you can put on a smaller hook. Small hooks will still hook a big fish. 

Cheers Hamish

[Drop Bear]

On 23/10/2020 at 1:49 PM, Kat said:

Have you ever caught a large one?

We used to eat them. They are pretty mushy (similar to a bream) and the skin is tough but if you skin them and breadcrumb they are pretty tasty. They get loads of them on the western bank of Moreton Island. 

[Drop Bear]

On 24/10/2020 at 12:30 PM, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Supposed to make fair bait

Hamish is sage on his advice. They are great for live or flesh baits. (but I eat them haha) 

[kmcrosby78]

1 hour ago, Drop Bear said:

Hamish is sage on his advice. They are great for live or flesh baits. (but I eat them haha) 

Will add Whiptail to the tally of fish not safe from the infamous (or is that famined ......?) Drop Bear ........... perhaps they'll get a reprieve for a little bit (week?) while you devour your 20kg of mangrove jack, nannygai, etc ......... 

[GregOug]

On 23/10/2020 at 7:25 PM, Kat said:

Thanks.  I haven't seen baby octopus for sale?  I think those that live in Brisbane have more choice in bait shops?  But I have no income at the moment so am focusing on collecting my own baits where and when I can.

Or bludging off those who take me out as "deckie" - you know who you are.... Thanks again and again

Let me know if want some and I’ll buy it for you and bring it with me on the next outing we do.

[Kat]

Hi Greg thanks that would be great.  Have you had much luck with it?

Cheers Kat

[Drop Bear]

1 hour ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Will add Whiptail to the tally of fish not safe from the infamous (or is that famined ......?) Drop Bear

haha it is a pretty long list haha. 

[GregOug]

40 minutes ago, Kat said:

Hi Greg thanks that would be great.  Have you had much luck with it?

Cheers Kat

Yeah. Tonnes of huge snapper to a metre, Jewies to a metre and a half etc etc. But didn’t want to depress people any more than they already are..

No, not really. 

[Kat]

Hi @Drop Bear I was just reading a book that said whiptail were great for bait, live or strip bait.  I can't find the minimum size so I presume I could have used it for live bait?  Would be good to know for future trips.

Hi @GregOug dreams are free right.  Just wondering if it was worth having you buy any.  Next time (presumptuous), I hope to be more experienced with live bait and squid jigging.  If I can do a bit of successful squid jigging I will freeze some for bait.  I used the offcuts from last weeks squid and we caught loads of fish.  All unders but that was creek fishing.

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12816760

Interesting news article

[GregOug]

45 minutes ago, Kat said:

Hi @Drop Bear I was just reading a book that said whiptail were great for bait, live or strip bait.  I can't find the minimum size so I presume I could have used it for live bait?  Would be good to know for future trips.

Hi @GregOug dreams are free right.  Just wondering if it was worth having you buy any.  Next time (presumptuous), I hope to be more experienced with live bait and squid jigging.  If I can do a bit of successful squid jigging I will freeze some for bait.  I used the offcuts from last weeks squid and we caught loads of fish.  All unders but that was creek fishing.

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12816760

Interesting news article

Was planning on going out tomorrow and inviting you but the forecast turned to **** today, so have to wait until next week by the looks of it.

[ellicat]

2 minutes ago, GregOug said:

Was planning on going out tomorrow and inviting you but the forecast turned to **** today, so have to wait until next week by the looks of it.

Early bird catches the worm (and is home by lunch time I hope).

[GregOug]

10 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Early bird catches the worm (and is home by lunch time I hope).

I get what you’re saying but the forecast has changed three times this afternoon so a bit wary of committing to a Moreton trip on that basis, and remembering our last trip back home across the bay in supposedly ideal conditions.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

34 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Early bird catches the worm (and is home by lunch time I hope).

Good luck if you go out Brian, I hop that there aren't any rough storm cells that catch up to you.

Cheers Hamish  

[Kat]

37 minutes ago, GregOug said:

Was planning on going out tomorrow and inviting you but the forecast turned to **** today, so have to wait until next week by the looks of it.

Sounds awesome!  The more practice the better.

[Drop Bear]

12 hours ago, Kat said:

Hi @Drop Bear I was just reading a book that said whiptail were great for bait, live or strip bait.  I can't find the minimum size so I presume I could have used it for live bait?  Would be good to know for future trips.

No size limit. There is a bag limit of 20 fish.