Oyster Cracker

[StevenFay]

Hi All,
Was just thnking about one of my first trips to Fraser when I was younger and can remember some blokes that where staying next door to us catch a large fish they called an "Oyster Cracker",
Does anyone have an idea what species of fish this might be??
Thanks in advance

[Fitzy]

I think they may be refering to Snub Nosed Dart.

Cheers,

Fitzy..

[jaybee]

I think so as well fitzy. they are known to grow over 1 metre and weight up to 20kg. It is found as far south as moreton bay but rarely caught consistently far south of fraser.
cheers.

[Wesley_Pang]

Steven,

Snub nose dart, pumpkinhead, oyster crackers are the most highly sort targets for saltwater flyfisherman all around the world.

The Yanks call a simular fish the "permit". The permit is the hardest leg of the saltwater flyfishing "grand slam" - atlantic tarpon, bonefish and permit on the same day.

I've come across them in Hinchenbrook and Cape York. Some of the guys on my trip north of Weipa nailed a few small ones on fly.

I've heard stories of pros landing net full of these wonderful fish off Fraser. What a waste.

Bonefish are landed every now and then, up Fraser way. Whiting on steriods.

Wes

[StevenFay]

Yes, I would imagine that the snub nosed dart must be rare around Fraser because I have never ever seen anotehr one caught.

I know of bonefish, but wasnt aware you could catch them aronud Fraser!!!

[Master_Jig_Builder]

The feature of note for these fish is the difficulty in catching them on fly. Most often they need something like a crab pattern to get them even remotely interested..

On conventional gear, I have heard about random ones being caught on a lure by chance and even a mulie dangling in a current.

As suggested by the name Oyster Cracker, they have two sets of large from teeth just for the job and any shellfish or crustacean, is open game for the these blokes.

[clutter]

Have caught them before at Woodgate fishing off the beach for Whiting using yabbies.
On the last series (I think) of Wildfish (used to screen on SBS) Peter Morse and a mate of his were fishing in the Hinchenbrook area and landed one on fly at about 15lb I think. Think they might have said it was the first capture on fly recorded by camera. Worth watching if you get the chance.
Clutter.

[whopper]

believe it or not i caught one near dunwich while fishing for whiting about 2 years ago - thought it was a mutated trevally until we took it to a tackle store. It was about 2kg and caught on a blood worm - took about 15 minutes on 6lb. kris