How Far North for sambo's and AJ's

[Scott nthQld]

A bloke who's renting a bit of warehouse space off me went fishing a couple weeks ago and caught a small AJ or samson fish, I can't tell which.

Anyway, he caught it off Townsville, off a well known spot called burdekin rock just inside Maggie Island.

It was only little at 44cm. I'm leaning one of 2 ways, most likely I think is that after spawning some eggs have been swepts up north by the current and the fish have taken up residence on the first bit of structure they would find, or maybe some larger brood stock fish have made there self at home? I've always thought they tended towards deeper water too, like 50 plus metres, this one would been lucky to be in 10, depending on the tide

What is the normal range of these fish, I know they both favour colder water, with AJ's being caught as far north as the Sunny coast that I've heard of.

So where's the furthest north these fish are normally encountered?

[finding_time]

i have caught them in good numbers and at a good size east of Gladstone

[ifishcq1]

Scott

We caught and put back a few baby ambos last weekend in 14m just north of Keppel
they were very heavily patched they also appeared to be in the shallower water after the big squid around at the moment
maybe that spot your mate caught them was a squid spot too?

cheers

[Daintreeboy]

Scott there's a fish up this way that is not an Amberjack but looks like one. I'd say it's in the same genus as the AJs and Sambos. It only grows about as big as the one your mate caught so could actually be that?

Peter Todd from Aquacat knows a bit about them but I can't remember their exact name.

[finding_time]

Daintreeboy

This link may help... Carangidae family which includes Aj's and sambo's


http://www.fishnames.com.au/fishname...s.php?pid=2569

[Smithy]

I'd say as far north as Lizard Island. I think Dean Beech's customers jigged one up going for dogtooth tuna when I was up there in '06 and then he skip baited it all afternoon for a black.

[Scott nthQld]

Still haven't figured it out. It's definitely got the same shape as a smaon or amberjack but the markings seem wrong. It had random grey blotches down its back like a doggy mackeral does. Body and head shape are spot on though. The photo he showed me was a hard copy so I can't post it up either unfortunately