Occy Bait

[johnd]

Went out in Botany bay for a nice mornings fishing before the wind comes up and caught a very nice flattie that swallowed my nipper as soon as it got near the bottom. Thats dinner tonight. But after a long couple of hours and just a couple of flounder, I get one of those pesky octopus. Its big enough that I dont want it crawling up my arm and squirting sh---t all over me, so I struggle with my knife to try and free the hook. But in the struggle I slice off a good three inches of his tenacle. This thing is still wriggling away on my hook so I grab a towel and fix it to the hook a bit better and throw my line back in. About ten minutes later the rod goes over, I grab it. I'm thinking I have another occy, I can't move it off the bottom but slowly I get it to the boat, a good few minutes and it's some kind of shark/ ray. Not a good shot but anyone recognize it. (I released it cause it would fit in the net)

[Flattieman]

Looks like an Eastern Shovelnose Ray (Aptychotrema rostrata) - commonly known as a shovelnose shark. Well done on the good flattie.

Flattieman.

Edited November 11, 2006 by Flattieman

[Guest IFishSick.]

I have nnnnoooo idea, can't make out the picture.

I would have to agree with the shovelnose shark because that is all I can make it out to be

[Gibbofisho]

stuff using occies for bait, they taste awesome!

[SiNH]

stuff using occies for bait, they taste awesome!

I can never tell which occies are able to be eaten from the ones that can bite and sting me to death so I just leave them all alone.

I buy all my occies at the fish shop hehehe. Paranoia gets ahold of me.

[Gibbofisho]

Hahah, that's fair enough mate. Pretty much the only occy you're gonna pull up in sydneya nd surrounds is the common red one, they're harmless (certainly not armless) just bash em over the head a few times and turn them inside out, remove the guts and boil them for about an hour, the skin and suckers all fall off and leave you with beautiful white meat!