Good Long w/end anyway

[where_is_dave]

Well despite the 7 1/2 thoooouuusand people and it seemed like there was a boat per person , had a good break at Somerset.
Got out early morn before the skiers got over their hangovers and stayed up in the sticks. One bass (just on 30 cm) got to live another day. Picked up a few nice yello belly on Terminator 2's. One of 'em got to 50 cm [smiley=2thumbsup.gif] and abit over 2kg.Cooked a couple up not bad.
Tried drowning worms late one arvo and got one Sooty, heaps of small spangles and some ever present eal tails. Kept the kids entertained. Will definitely going back when there's less people around.

[DRJ]

Interested in the sooty capture as I didn't think they were stocked that far south. Are you refering to a species other than sooty grunter? or are we talking the same fish?
Regards
Darren

[Paul_C]

I fish Sommerset every week-end and I can assure you that there aren't any Sooties in there. (Fitzy will hopefully back that one up) I had to travel to NQ recently to get my first Sootie.

What you caught, especially if it was on bait, would either have been a Barred Grunter or a Talapia, if it was either of these, regardless of size, I hope that you didn't put it back in the water as both are pests and should be disposed of.

Regards
Paul Cade

[where_is_dave]

Well, I'm back. I must admit to being concerned about possibly sending a noxious pest back into the environment. When we caught the fish in question we consulted the sheet from DPI and the closest match in body shape, fin arrangements, tail type while not a perfect match was damn close to the black and white line drawing of the Sooty. Having done a bit reading I would agree that it would be most unusual if it was a sooty in S-set.
The fish caught did not resemble at all the tilapia as pictured....courtesy of Dave Downie on Fitzys' site

[where_is_dave]

What you caught, especially if it was on bait, would either have been a Barred Grunter or a Talapia, if it was either of these, regardless of size, I hope that you didn't put it back in the water as both are pests and should be disposed of.
Regards
Paul Cade

I'm assuming barred grunter and banded grunter are the same fish and if so the colouration and size of the fish would rule that out. the fish in question was 28cm.
I am perplexed I'm fairly sure it was not tilapia and based on Pauls local knowledge confident it wasn't a sooty. So if anyone out ther knows of a fish with dark colouring and similar rounded dorsal and anal fins as the sooty I would very much like to hear. I know a photo would help but unfortunately I don't have one.

[where_is_dave]

As an aside should there be a guide for those noxious fish and would it be too hard for fisheries to set clear rules on what to do with the fish when caught. ie. its an offence to put them back, its an offence to have them in your possession what do you do between catching and getting back to shore? I sincerely hope I haven't released one of theses back into the water but I am confident we made the best decision with the info we had at the time.

[Paul_C]

Dave,

There are a few varieties of Tilapia around , but the samples i've seen coming out of Somerset usually look like the photo you posted, the males change colour after they have been out of the water for a little while, they go very black looking.

The hidieous looking things are actually pretty good chewing, but in saying that you don't want to get caught with one in your possession, the fines can extend up to $250,000 and thats also extends to being caught putting one back in the water. Sort of puts anyone catching one between a rock and a hard place.

Barred Grunter don't grow very big at all and don't look anything like the tilapia.

Regards
Paul Cade

[where_is_dave]

Paul,

I plan on spending a lot more time at S/set and if I pull another one out I'll take a photo. I think I'll stick to lures and avoid the hassle of bait fishing. Being new to the whole fresh caper hopefully I'll be able to catch up on the lake.

Dave
The fish we caught looked nothing like the photo I posted either but as you say there are more than one variety.

[Fitzy]

Hi Guys,
Definately no Sooties in Somerset. I'm pretty sure it would have to be a tilapia. There a few species that are refered to as Tilpaia, the main two are the Mosambique Mouthbrooder & the Niger Cichlid. They can be very dark all over to having strippes.
I've seen more than one (apparently clever) writter exclaiming about the great Sooty Grunter in North Pine Dam (Lake Samsonvale), Somerset & Wivenhoe.

Had a quick suss on the hard drive here & found a couple more pics of them & uploaded them for you to look at now.

This one totally inhaled a trolled lure meant for bass at Somerset.

This one was caught by my cousins (then) 3 year old son Jack on a worm. Near pulled the kid into the water, again at Somerset.

This one took a liking to a shallow minnow I was throwing around some weedbeds at Wivenhoe. Note how dark this one is. Pic was taken after it had died. (Old pic this one, not very good)


Have also seen yellowbelly in somerset go from almost white to a black with a bit of gold tinge through it.

Cheers,

Fitzy..

[BlitzBaga]

Dave

I suspect that your mystery fish could be a silver perch, I have caught them very dark in colour at Somerset and the shape could be mistaken for a sootie though the mouth is very small. The silver perch will occaisionally take lures but they love worms even though they are believed to be vegeterian. I was also up at Somerset on Easter Sunday and Monday, my son and I only managed to catch some bass, got 42 but mostly rats under 35cm(Fitzy, I got 18 on the new Blitz ) If I find my photos later I will scan and attach one.

Cheers
Murray

[where_is_dave]

Murray,
Only 42??? We were up there from Thurs through to Mon and managed a total of a dozen fish (including the kids gar) and one turtle. Wouldn't mind a gecko at "the new Blitz".
Dave

[BlitzBaga]

Dave

If you had of headed down to pelican point area you might have got some bass, but there were no yellas and the biggest bass we caught was 40cm. There was heaps of boat activity in the area which is probably why there were no bigger fish around
The new Blitz Baga is made from plastic, we have just perfected the action and have been testing them over the last couple of weeks. I feel we are now at the stage to give them the go ahead, they will be part of the Smak range and sold anywhere you see smak lures. If you go to this site you will see what they look like, it won't be too long before the colour chart is released as well.
http://www.smak.com.au/blitz_baga.htm

Cheers
Murray

[BlitzBaga]

Dave
I found one of those silver perch photos, it's a bit dark though.

Murray