wierd fish and help with distances

[malby]

Went out last Friday off Redcliffe and scored a bunch of bream (see pic of my mate Graeme and son Sam) and a Tarpon of all things. Pretty weird as I was fishing for Bream on floaters and next thing you know my reel was spitting line/braid and I knew that this was definitely no Bream! It fought hard, jumped high and would just not give up circling down under the boat like a tuna. I have caught small versions before but have not caught a fish that combined the pulling power of a tuna(a Bonito anyway),the arial dynamics of a Tailor and the speed of a mackerell. 7479174792

Then, went out again today off Hutchies reef, leaving from Spinaker Sound and scored another weird fish.

I have no idea what this one was and although it was big enough to feed a family I decided to chuck it back as did not want to kill it and get it home only to discover it was not much on the chew.

74793

So needing some help:

1. What is the above fish and are they any good to eat?

2. I am wanting to work out some rough fuel consumption figures so wondering how far out is Hutchies Reef from Spinaker Sound? I did a fair bit of running around apart from taking the direct route but if someone could give me an idea who does the trip regularly and do so in Km's that would be most helpful.

By the way. There were plenty of people trolling lures out there today and we gave it a go twice also all for naught. Plenty of bait balls on the sounder but not a single hit on a Halco Laser Pro and a Mackerell Mauler pulled at 10ks per hr. No one else seemed to be getting anything either.

[Dan5]

Thats a Batfish mate...........they swim around your boat up here when anchored.......there sort of like 'pet' dogs and will eat out of your hand.

I've never tried eating one.

Dan

[snagit]

The fish is a batfish and apparently no good on the chew!

Good work on the catch tho'

[Freeeedom]

Batfish - supposed to fairly average eating.
Cheers Freeeedom

[sandbankmagnet]

Nice catch of bream for this time of year mate.

As for distance to Hutchies, I've googled mapped it and it looks about 2 inches. Hope that helps.

[malby]

Yep seemed to be plenty about. We actually caught twice that many but threw all of the 23-25's back. As for distance to Hutchies being 2 inches....thanks.....I guess that's why your a gold memeber and I'm just a bronzey.

[Symetre]

I thought it looked 6 inches. Is that only 2?! Have I been kidding myself all this time? :P

[Sheik]

Nice catch of bream for this time of year mate.

As for distance to Hutchies, I've googled mapped it and it looks about 2 inches. Hope that helps.
No it's 5 inches, no question. Your map's faulty SBM.

[gruntahunta]

Nice catch of bream mate...Did you get them on the shallow reefs/rocks straightout from redcliffe?... I mean out from Shield St...think it is called queens beach

[chris69]

Nice tarpon malby they play up a bit and its about 39kms to hutchies from spinaker on goolgle earth.

[malby]

Thanks Chris. I went on google earth and could not work out how you can calculate distances but if 'you can' that's great as I could also not find Hutchies reef on there. I'm guessing I did about 100-120 ks for the day as we went out to Bulwer first, then went around but took a wide birth around the top of the Island, then went diagonally out to Hutchies. From there my boy was a bit crook so we went in to the Island not from from the inner lighthouse. Then on to Bulwer for some flathead trolling. Then went north along the Beacons for a bit and then finally home. Lots of detours, plenty of looking about etc so quite a big day in all and just used 61 litres in my merc 90 2 stroke.

[Fish_gutz]

Yep seemed to be plenty about. We actually caught twice that many but threw all of the 23-25's back. As for distance to Hutchies being 2 inches....thanks.....I guess that's why your a gold memeber and I'm just a bronzey.


thats gold ! it took me longer than 2 inches to get there(hutchies) today but hey I`m no expert! well done on the bream and tarpon.

[malby]

How did you go out there today fish gutz? Was anyone scoring anything pulling lures or was it bottom action only?

[Horse]

I make the run about 120-130km so thats great economy

[malby]

Thanks Horse,

Yea I'm pretty stoked. I picked up my 03 model 90hp 3 cylinder 2 stroke merc from Nth Qld at a place called Peto's Marine and so far each trip I have got 2 k's per litre and this trip I was really giving it some often sitting on 50ks per hr at 5000 rpm's. I reckon the consumption for a 2 stroke is about as good as I could ever have hoped for and on the back of my 85 model Cruise Craft Reef Raider which is not a light boat esp with 3 blokes, 110 litres of fuel, a full esky and sundry fishing gear its totally awesome! My 3rd trip out now in the boat and most of the bugs are worked out with only one plastic rod holder that went this time and that's about to turn into a stainless like the others so very pleased all round. I am thinking that the motor must be spot on for the weight of the transom too as with the cruise tank in the middle the boat sits in the water nice and flat as long as 2 are up front as we drive her. Used just under 2 litres of oil which seemed like a lot but on reflection is pretty well spot on. Still can't get over how well these fibreglass boast cut through the water and into a swell. No more bouncing around going bash bash bash like in the tinny. Again, such a winner!!

[Fish_gutz]

hey Malby we managed a couple of little yellow fin tuna at hutchies , nice day though!

[sandbankmagnet]

Just with reference to you throwing the 23 to 25cm ones back, remember that the new legal limit is 25. Which you probably knew anyway and didn't need anyhow. Plenty of people I see around the traps don't know.

That google earth can be deceptive. This is 6 inches, right? l_____________________________________________l

[malby]

I didn't know that actually so glad you told me sandbankmagnet. Much appreciated for the heads up. As it turns out we usually go a few mills above anyway as best practice and esp when we get onto a hot bite.