Big flathead or something

[Gabriel Tavv]

I was fishing in a canal with a whole pilchard. It was just after sunset. I did not feel the bite or anything but I pulled up my bait because I was fishing landbased on top of this cage. I pulled up and I felt the weight. It started taking drag not fast but slow and heavy. It never suctioned to the bottom but had lots of weight. I have hooked countless stingrays and I've landed 60cm+ flat head but this felt different. It saw the land and went off the other way. It just kept swimming until it did one massive slow head shake like a bang bang. Then the hook popped out. It was like a 2 minute fight. I'm not sure what it was but left me questioning. Any ideas on what fish.  

[Tuna are fish]

15 minutes ago, Gabriel Tavv said:

I was fishing in a canal with a whole pilchard. It was just after sunset. I did not feel the bite or anything but I pulled up my bait because I was fishing landbased on top of this cage. I pulled up and I felt the weight. It started taking drag not fast but slow and heavy. It never suctioned to the bottom but had lots of weight. I have hooked countless stingrays and I've landed 60cm+ flat head but this felt different. It saw the land and went off the other way. It just kept swimming until it did one massive slow head shake like a bang bang. Then the hook popped out. It was like a 2 minute fight. I'm not sure what it was but left me questioning. Any ideas on what fish.  

the fact that you said never suctioned to the bottom rules out the classic stingray. the fact that it was a canal could point towards a big Jewfish, or even a eel, i have caught countless down near mission point at sunset, they put up a good fight.  Just a few questions to help identify it, was it staying near the surface or the bottom, how deep was the area you were fishing and were there and frays in the line pointing towards teeth or anything like slime on the line the could indicate it was an eel

[The Mad Hughesy]

could have been a good sized cod too. they can be big lumps and lazy fighters.

this is why i love fishing, those monster mysterious fish are what keeps you going back for more!

ive never known eels to have a "big" head shake and ive caught some monster eels.

[Gabriel Tavv]

3 hours ago, Tuna are fish said:

the fact that you said never suctioned to the bottom rules out the classic stingray. the fact that it was a canal could point towards a big Jewfish, or even a eel, i have caught countless down near mission point at sunset, they put up a good fight.  Just a few questions to help identify it, was it staying near the surface or the bottom, how deep was the area you were fishing and were there and frays in the line pointing towards teeth or anything like slime on the line the could indicate it was an eel

Staying near the bottom and was about 2.6 meters deep with a bit of current and no slime or anything on the line. It was also a rocky bottom. Frays along the leader line with 20 lb black magic pretty frayed. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Gabriel 

It definitely could have been one of the above but I would put my money on a very big pike eel. They like oily baits and if it had rained a bit they would have been out and active.

Cheers Hamish 

[kmcrosby78]

Sounds too slow to be a jewie, I agree with @christophagus, big cod/grouper.

[GregN70]

Pike Eel, they love canals after dark,

[Drop Bear]

Nice one mate. My guess is a shovelnose ray. The fact that you didn't feel any bites and it was sitting there eating your bait suggests a shovelnose or a normal ray to me. 

I guess we will never know... except I am right haha. Jokes... no I am right.. or am I? yes I am right... or... 

[Junky]

On 05/05/2022 at 10:09 PM, kmcrosby78 said:

Sounds too slow to be a jewie, I agree with @christophagus, big cod/grouper.

My bet as well.