Paikea Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 An old timer once told me that if a school of Jewfish comes into a beach gutter that you are fishing in you will smell a pungent odour that, once experienced is unmistakeable. At the time I thought that was a bit of a urban legend however fishing North beach at the Entrance behind the garbage dump in company of several regular Jewie fisherman following our baits as they travelled North along the gutter I suddenly caught the smell. One of the local regulars said "there here" and shortly thereafter I caught a very nice Jew as did two of the locals. Since then I have experienced the Jewfish smell on a number of occasions and wonder if any other Raiders have also done so Cheers Paikea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Yes paikea! I can smell them too! A few of my fishing mates think I'm nuts but I can tell when they are there! It does depend on conditions and it is usually in a light breeze that I can tell. Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quochuy Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Seriously?! How would you describe the smell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Seriously?! How would you describe the smell? Yes seriously, as paikea said, it is a smell that once you experience it, you'll remember it. As for describing........ Hmmm, you try describe the smell of a tomato? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quochuy Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Ok, note to myself, jewfish are around if you smell a smell of tomato at the beach :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Ok, note to myself, jewfish are around if you smell a smell of tomato at the beach :-D No, I think you've taken it the wrong way! I will try describe it for you...,.. The reason they call juvenile fish soapies, is the smell they expell when brought to the surface. Their skin becomes slimey and there is a distinct odour that smells like soap. Try catching one and you will know what I'm talking about. Jewfish also excrete this smell into their faeces and it will fall to the bottom of the ocean, this will attract beach worms and the fish will pounce on their presence. There's a lot to learn about jewfish! Probably why they are a prized catch! Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quochuy Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Oh I see. I caught a jewie im Dee Why once but haven't noticed the smell. Will try to pay more attention to it next time I get one. Thanks man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) I've only noticed the smell once - but was only walking the beach at the time, so no fishing gear!! Up til then, I thought the old bloke had 'imagined it'! LOL Roberta Edited December 10, 2013 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paikea Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 Thank you all for your great responses. Cheers Paikea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoordan Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I must have a pretty crappy sense of smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) ....I must have a pretty crappy sense of smell..... Nah, Dan - probably just needs an onshore breeze as well as the fish actively wallowing!! Edited December 10, 2013 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luderick59 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I have smelt it a few times when the north easterly has dropped at night at my favourite jew spot it is a sure sign that they are around peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieR Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 My mate and I were on Maroubra beach recently - and we both suddenly smelt a very distinct smell - we both looked at each other .... looked down and realised the small staffy (dog) that ran past a few minutes earlier had taken a crap on the sand between us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlRak Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 ^^^ Hehehehe I've done the smell equivalent of visualising this.....one day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 My mate and I were on Maroubra beach recently - and we both suddenly smelt a very distinct smell - we both looked at each other .... looked down and realised the small staffy (dog) that ran past a few minutes earlier had taken a crap on the sand between us Lol......see what i mean! Most creatures expel odour. But you can't step on a jewfish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 My nose is broken. Never smelt anything when catching a Yewie. Or does it need to have a certain size? Do they start to smell only after a certain length ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 My nose is broken. Never smelt anything when catching a Yewie. Or does it need to have a certain size? Do they start to smell only after a certain length ? They are obviously a school fish and travel in numbers. Especially during tide changes when they tend to pack a little more! A jewfish of any size will emit odour. The more fish, the stronger the scent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray R Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I too have experienced the smell of jewies on the beach, it was up at Crescent head. An old salty seadog named Harry told me that he smelt the jewies while he was beach worming that afternoon and that we should hit the beach that night at 1:00am on the high tide change, well guess what , it happened my mate Hutcho and I scored jewies between 70-90cms and it was one hell of a night, old Harry was right and yes there was a particular odour on the beach that night, don't know how to describe it but I would recognise it again easily... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Ray Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Thats very interesting, gonna keep my nose peeled next time i am ont he beach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyNurse Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Just did a bit of reading up on the subject. I've only ever caught the one jewy, a soapy at Beauty Point in Middle Harbour, I didn't notice any smell probably 'cause it rained all bloody session except for one brief 30 minutes which was, incidentally when I caught the fish. I think I was too cold to notice if there was a smell. But I'll never forget the red eyes by the light of the torch. (the fish's, not mine) Anyway, the smell is variously described as "a bit like rotting seaweed" to "coppery" to "like when someone leaves the dunny door open on a prawn trawler". Apparently when in numbers, they school on the bottom in surf gutters or river channels and actually excrete the odour from a gland. This in turn brings the worms up out of the sand and the jewies grab a feed. If you're in the vicinity you will detect the smell as well, given enough fish in the school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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