Snub nosed Dart (Permit)

[chiefsimo]

We recently had a tangle with a massive snub nosed Dart on the noosa north Shore.

We were fishing for Dart / Whiting etc in a nice deep little gutter close to the short with a good school of dart about as baits were getting nailed as soon as they hit the water. Using worms for bait, my brother then got nailed by a monster - and spent the first 5 mins watching his line heading off to NZ. Slowly, got some line back and 15 minutes later we could see it in the waves before a nasty shore dump snapped the line on this horse of a fish when it was finally spent.

I was just wondering is anybody specifically targets these off the beaches in Southern QLD (what baits), and how far south (Moreton or Straddie) have they encountered these beasts?

My experience shows (caught one at Fraser Island) they usually hang around with schools of dart, and seem to be solitary fish in their hunting? When i caught mine a few years back, you could see it in the waves with the other dart and i actually cast right at it from the beach!

Love to hear from you other surf fisho's!

[jackash]

Ive also nailed one while fishing for whiting at fraser with worms. Thought i'd hooked a jewwie at first... was only fishing with light gear, eventually got it in. Went about 5-6lb. AWesome fight. I think I've heard somewhere that a few people target them on the north shore up to double island, but not really sure. Also have a family friend who nailed one of about 12lb off the rocks at indian on a pilly! Wouldve been a hell of a fight.

[bert]

I caught one on teewah beach on a pippy on 6lb line took 75 mins to land it went 7kg .Great looking fish and top eating.

Cheers

[hooknose]

Slider has caught a few up that way, give him a pm !!!

[chisel]

There are pics in one of the tackle/bait shops in Maroochydore of many snub-nosed dart caught on the sunny coast. Apparently they used to target them after or during a storm and use whole pippies, shell included, just smash the shell a bit and straight on the hook.
I don't think there are many around any more - not enough to target.

[Slider]

Was one taken in front of Teewah yesterday around 8kg on worm. Should have a photo soon to put up.
I used to target oyster crackers a fair bit with reasonable success. They are a schooling fish and as such it is possible to take several in a session. Best I did was 3 fish over 5kg in a morning. Mainly I would fish dart water in front of large eugarie banks and sort through a heap of dart for the occasional cracker. Though many of my fish were hooked after seeing a school cruising the edge of the gutter and casting a eugarie bait in front of their direction of travel. Never used line over 9lb and never applied a lot of pressure whilst playing the fish. Too much tension causes increased risk of tail flukes cutting the line when the fish is running and they will make several runs. The months to fish for them here are from Xmas through to May though as Chisel says, their numbers aren't what they used to be. The storm theory is correct - many of the fish I found were taken with a storm approaching which used to be the case for tailor as well. I don't believe that having the shell attached as a bait increases the likelihood of a fish taking it.
Very rare for an oyster cracker to take a pilly Jackash but it does happen and Indian used to produce a lot for us in the 70s. Main location for them on Fraser is around Happy Valley and Poyungan Rocks.

lindsay

[Silent]

I never forget the wonderful memorial and got 7kg on the beach between 1770 and agnes water. I was meant fishing for darts on 1/0 hook & prawn and fought for about 50 mintues...
Local says it is not uncommon to catch and I'm not surprise they are roaring down to sunshine...

[chiefsimo]

thanks for the insight slider.... let me know if it still has a size 1 chemically sharpened hook in its gob...

has anyone tangled with them as far south at Straddy?

[QuintrexII]

I can't add anything about catching them Chief, but I can tell you that my father and I fished Moreton Island 5-6 weeks a year every year, for my first eighteen years.

Never caught one..... and didn't hear of others catching them.

But by what I've read above...geez....gotta have a go next time we travel north.

It sounds like it would be a great "trophy" fish to set out to try and catch - not something that happens every day, but something good to have in the photo album.