queensland First Cast and First Trevally

[Kat]

With the fantastic weather we have all been having lately it isn't surprising that there have been very few fishing reports posted recently.  So thought I would give you something to read.

I have been having major fishing withdrawal symptoms.  I had an appointment on the gold coast on Monday that finished about low tide so decided I would pump some yabbies and try and find a bit of water with the least "fresh" content.  Land Based.

After seeking a friend's advice I decided to pump some yabbies at a location on the Nerang that I have not fished or pumped before.  The contours on Google maps looked promising and I headed there as fast as I could so as not to miss the low tide (cast net as a back up plan).

Well obviously my mate had not pumped yabbies there for a very long time or his memory was mistaken.  I walked the whole beach finding a very small Yabby bed and after alot of pumping and sweat running into my eyes I managed probably about 15 yabbies.  Not too bad as long as there weren't too many pickers about. 

The tide was already on its way in and as I was walking up and down the beach trying to find Yabby holes I was surveying the shallows for bait fish etc.  Every minute or so bait fish would be darting toward me, rather than away.  Seemed as if something was spooking them so I walked about 30 metres back to my rod and holder and was just threading on the first Yabby when right in front of me about five metre out there was a bust up on the surface.  I got a little excited and cast out behind the bust up.  Left the Yabby to waft around on the bottom for maybe 30 seconds and then slowly started to wind and "hop" it in toward me.  After about the third hop it was slammed and my line was peeling off the reel. Little by little I gained some line and tightened the drag.  

I have to admit that it is usually this stage where I lose the fish because the drag is tightened to quickly and the leader or knots fail or the hook pulls, but luckily this time, after a few fast runs I landed my first Trevally, 45cm and destined for sashimi or raw fish salad.

I had my trusty Nasci 2500 with 10lb braid and 10lb fluro leader and a no. 4 long baitholder hook - for whiting - he was hooked perfectly in the corner of the mouth.

Unfortunately I only landed a few smaller Bream after that but the bite was definitely on despite the huge amount of fresh water and the brackish colour of the river.

I took a pic on the beach and then a brag mat when I got to my mates place.

[ellicat]

That would have been a fun fight, Kat.

Sounds like you're a candidate for soft plastics getting the fish on a "hop".

How was it on the chew ?

[Kat]

On 18/10/2021 at 6:29 PM, Drop Bear said:

If you ever need an apprentice to help you dig them let me know.

 

 

3 minutes ago, ellicat said:

That would have been a fun fight, Kat.

Sounds like you're a candidate for soft plastics getting the fish on a "hop".

How was it on the chew ?

Well filleted and skinned and put in fridge straight away, then was waiting for the ingredients for the raw fish salad to be picked up from supermarket and decided to go to Brisbane for the night .  Got flooded in the next morning so either my brother in law ate it or it is still in the fridge lol!

[ellicat]

We got one up at Rainbow a month ago and it was delicious (cooked).

[Old Scaley]

Nice catch @Kat. I reckon some of us might call it for 47cm. Then again, some of us might call it 50+ 

Glad you got your fix.

[Neil Stratford]

Nice tea leaf , would have gone hard in shallow water.

Well done !

Neil

[Kat]

35 minutes ago, Neil Stratford said:

Nice tea leaf , would have gone hard in shallow water.

Well done !

Neil

Is tea leaf another name for Trevally?

[Kat]

2 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

Nice catch @Kat. I reckon some of us might call it for 47cm. Then again, some of us might call it 50+ 

Glad you got your fix.

Yeah takes more than that to get my fix!  But it partially quenched my thirst

[Neil Stratford]

Hi Kat , It’s the species of trevally  that you’ve captured.

The speckled spots on its flanks  ,gives it the ‘tea leaf ‘ name.

Sometimes they are confused with a GT (giant trevally).

[Rick Ludd]

Nice Trevally for your first.

Also Called Brassy Trevally. They're not bad on the tooth either.

[Kat]

Thanks Guys.  I thought it was a golden Trevally? 

My brother in law made the raw fish salad from a NZ recipe I sent him.  The fish was perfect for it - I ate the leftovers today and tasted better than the stuff I paid a fortune for about a month ago.  Love catching fresh fish.

Hope to catch a few tomorrow morning before the Christmas Barbecue.

[Terry H]

Nice work Kat! Gotta give it to the Trevs, they do fight well!

Species wise I think the guys are on the mark with brassy/tea-leaf. A couple of differences in appearances: Goldens tend to have (with varying levels of visibility) tiger stripes down their body and the mouth structure is a bit different. They often have a yellowy, blubber-lip type thing that reminds me of a carp, whereas the brassy have something more similar to a GT.

On 02/12/2021 at 3:23 PM, Old Scaley said:

Nice catch @Kat. I reckon some of us might call it for 47cm. Then again, some of us might call it 50+ 

Glad you got your fix.

Brag mats can be terrible for measuring, especially on non-solid surfaces like grass (the mat bunches up), plus most people measure fish incorrectly anyway.

The legislation states the mouth must be closed and without manipulating the fish. How many people do you see leaving the mouth open and pinching the tail tips together to get that extra cm or two? I daresay this is where most "the fish shrunk!" problems arise. Fisheries closing the mouth and not manipulating the fish!

Regarding the point on brag mat bunching, the ruler shot shows exactly what I mean!

[Rick Ludd]

Brassy Trevally also the White Spot on top of the Gill plate/cover

[Kat]

Hey @Neil Stratford, @Rick Ludd and @Terry H - not that I don't trust you guys to know what you are talking about - it is my first after all - so what do I know - but can any of you send me a link to an identification of a Brassy (Tea Leaf Trevally) - I am having trouble finding a decent one for the Brassy/Tea leaf and when Iooked them up before posting including in a a QLD fish ID poster on my bedroom wall - I could have sworn it was a golden?   

[Kat]

Also when I put the fish on the brag mat it was 45cm - just the angle of the camera makes it look like it measures more on the mat.  I usually have to take a few shots at different angles to get it right in the photo - that day I was in a hurry to get it filleted and cold in the fridge.

[Terry H]

Hey Kat, does this help?

https://www.ikijime.com/fish/brassy-trevally/

https://www.ikijime.com/fish/trevally-golden/

It's important to focus on the physical features themselves rather than the skin colour. For example GTs range from white/silver through to black, goldens from fairly yellow to not at all.

I'm not doubting your 45 measurement btw!

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Nice fish Kat. Trevally are always great to catch and eat.

Hamish

[Neil Stratford]

Hi Kat , 

Just goggle what’sthatfish.com

It’s free to join up .

or Grant’s guide to fishes is a great publication to keep on a coffee table also available as an ebook.

I dare say you’d be able to get a Grants Guide to fishes on facebooks market place or Gumtree at a reasonably cheap price if you kept an eye out.

Neil

[Rick Ludd]

Hi @Kat 

Brassy/Tea Leaf Trevally are commonly mistaken for each other, even very experienced fisherman mix them up.

Brassy has a more sloping head than a GT and that White spot on top of the gill plate I mentioned before.

Brassy Tevally.

https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1653

 

Giant Trevally (Blunt Forehead) and are the biggest Trevally species in Australia.

https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4268

 

Golden Trevally have those big Rubbery Lips that you can put you thumb in to lift up if you want to take a photo ....... and you wouldn't want to do it with the other 2 or you will get said thumb crushed. Smaller Goldens are a great looking fish but loose a lot of their colour when adults.

https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4274

 

Like most fish, looked after, Brassys are good eating and all 3 are good in Currys as they have a firm flesh.

Great fish on that gear.

[Brodie_S]

On 2/12/21 at 3:18 PM, Kat said:

With the fantastic weather we have all been having lately it isn't surprising that there have been very few fishing reports posted recently.  So thought I would give you something to read.

I have been having major fishing withdrawal symptoms.  I had an appointment on the gold coast on Monday that finished about low tide so decided I would pump some yabbies and try and find a bit of water with the least "fresh" content.  Land Based.

After seeking a friend's advice I decided to pump some yabbies at a location on the Nerang that I have not fished or pumped before.  The contours on Google maps looked promising and I headed there as fast as I could so as not to miss the low tide (cast net as a back up plan).

Well obviously my mate had not pumped yabbies there for a very long time or his memory was mistaken.  I walked the whole beach finding a very small Yabby bed and after alot of pumping and sweat running into my eyes I managed probably about 15 yabbies.  Not too bad as long as there weren't too many pickers about. 

The tide was already on its way in and as I was walking up and down the beach trying to find Yabby holes I was surveying the shallows for bait fish etc.  Every minute or so bait fish would be darting toward me, rather than away.  Seemed as if something was spooking them so I walked about 30 metres back to my rod and holder and was just threading on the first Yabby when right in front of me about five metre out there was a bust up on the surface.  I got a little excited and cast out behind the bust up.  Left the Yabby to waft around on the bottom for maybe 30 seconds and then slowly started to wind and "hop" it in toward me.  After about the third hop it was slammed and my line was peeling off the reel. Little by little I gained some line and tightened the drag.  

I have to admit that it is usually this stage where I lose the fish because the drag is tightened to quickly and the leader or knots fail or the hook pulls, but luckily this time, after a few fast runs I landed my first Trevally, 45cm and destined for sashimi or raw fish salad.

I had my trusty Nasci 2500 with 10lb braid and 10lb fluro leader and a no. 4 long baitholder hook - for whiting - he was hooked perfectly in the corner of the mouth.

Unfortunately I only landed a few smaller Bream after that but the bite was definitely on despite the huge amount of fresh water and the brackish colour of the river.

I took a pic on the beach and then a brag mat when I got to my mates place.

Awesome job Kat. Trevally go pretty hard on light gear I’m sure it won’t be your last trevally on light gear . Good job!

[GregOug]

Well done Kat!