Big Red Fin

[big_george]

How big do red fin grow.???
Have read where they eat a lot of the native fingerlings in the impoundments so they are branded as ferals[ ofence to release them,kill the lot].Have also been told that in winter that red fin are bigger, up to.[?4-6pounds]in Burrendong dam. the fish that we catching around the 600-800 gram mark at the moment.Would like to know if thats fact or fiction. ???
cheers george.

[jimbamb]

George.
I haven't seen too many big redfin the bigest have been in rivers in the headwaters of dams.Up to about a foot or 15".I saw a couple of blokes fishin in Copeton Dam and they had a half a bag full and the biggest was about 8".They have been in there for years but never seem to hear about any big ones.Maybee the yellas and cod like eatin them!!!Its not hard to get a 4" reddie on a lure nearly as big as himself.The only way ya know there on is when the lure stops workin.Maybee there aggression is their downfall

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

George,
I had a bit of a search around the web when I read your post, and found info a bit hard to come by unless it was comments on what effect they are having on the native fish populations. Searching for English Perch might come up with something but most info seems to just focus on their problems.

Got a book here called 'Australian fish and how to catch them' by a guy called Richard Allan. Says they have been recorded at a weight of 10kg. But goes on to say you are only likely to catch them up to 2.5kg which lines up pretty well with your 4-6pounds target.

The book also confirms what I read on a website I came across, that Redfin populations will actually grow bigger when initially released into an area, but will then stunt their own growth by overbreeding and competion for food. Says males are mature at a length of only 7cm and females mature at 9cm. Smaller ones hang around in schools, then move off by themselves when they are bigger.

So if you are wanting a big one, sounds like you will have to forgo catching fish in large numbers, and try to find an old loner lurking somewhere in an out of the way corner or that has been isolated up in the headwaters of a river after the dam levels dropped during the drought.

Cheers,
Jeff

[scott_b]

big_george
The biggest Iv'e caught was 3.5lb, that was in Pindari dam on a craybob about bloody 14 years ago .
A mate got one in the Gwydir river 4lb ,thats the biggest Iv'e seen.
wamjam

[big_george]

Thanks wam and gorilla.
interesting observations and info.
Plan to hook into some biggies this winter.
will report with resaults when it happens.
regards george.

[godevil]

reddies upto 5.5lb have been caught at toolondo....

I will try get some pics of it for you..

It was caught on a lofty's cobra But as for my biggest its only a 3lb der 1.455kg

[godevil]

Even Better here is one that was caught at toolondo on gudgeon..

It was over the 6lb mark

By one of my mates MAte!!!!

[big_george]

great fish looks cold[not summer]
cheers george

[wildone13_au]

nice fish mate [smiley=2thumbsup.gif] its always cold there