Black Bass in Somerset Dam????????

[Fitzy]

Hi Fitzy,

Re "Sounding very much like Sooty Grunter to me, they go like freight trains and are agro buggers. But not good news for SEQ waterways"

Can you explain? Is it because as they can breed in freshwater they have the potential to over run the stocked fish?
I'd also assumed that the water may be too cold for them.

Luc

Hi Luc,
Yes partly because they can breed in sweetwater and the other unknown is how they will interact with local species. There's been a truckload of money, time & effort spent on local restocking and of course on Mary River Cod recovery, sooties might not "play well" in the sandpit with others and start killing them.
Lastly there's always a threat of parasites and disease being spread when fish get translocated.

Sooties have been released into the Mary River and are surviving so far, but I'm not aware of any breeding as yet; most caught are larger fish. The river substrate would be adequate for sooty grunter to breed in most SEQ waterways, but the lower water temps may be the savior.

Here's hoping they can't handle the cold........

Cheers,

fitz

[Gordie]

Fitzy do you recall what this specimen was caught on or what would you expect to catch one on. Shrimp, Worms or lures. I can get the 'team' to keep an eye out and keep one if caught.

Gordon

[aus2045]

I have been led to believe that back in 2003-2004 a guy on the Sunshine Coast applied for a special permit to stock Papuan Black Bass/Snapper (Lutjanus goldiei) in a commercial fishing park. The rumour has it he had obtained a few fingerlings and did a trail in his ponds before making the application, which was, as suspected rejected. I just wonder, if someone liberated a few here and there? hmmmm

[aussiebasser]

I would be sceptical of that rumour. There is nowhere in PNG where you could obtain Black Bass fingerlings, as it is not even known where they breed. One school of thought is that they are like Mangrove Jack while another follows the Bass/Barra theory.

[Fitzy]

Fitzy do you recall what this specimen was caught on or what would you expect to catch one on. Shrimp, Worms or lures. I can get the 'team' to keep an eye out and keep one if caught.

Gordon

G'day Gordon,

I didn't catch it. However I've caught plenty of sooty grunters. This specie is an agro one that will hit anything you throw at them at times. Bait under a float in around snags is all too easy, surface lures, spinnerbaits work a treat.

If you can ask the troops to keep their eyes peeled that would be great, thanks.

fitz..