Mulloway (jewie )

[Ray R]

Hi Raiders, I will be going for a hol very soon up Delicate Camping Reserve (9k south of Cresent) and we do heaps of beach fishing up there, now over the years of going there (28) we have caught some little school jew around or up to the 3,4,5 kg mark, gutted filleted etc, taste good plenty of meat on them, now if and this is a big if we catch a big one say over a meter what would be the best thing to do, take some pics then walk it back into the surf see if it revives okay then let it go back ,or keep it clean it etc and chop it up and eat, feed half the camping families,

So do the bigger ones survive if released.

Do the bigger ones taste as good as the schoolies.

P.S WE ARE FISHING FROM THE BEACH..

Any help on this matter would be appreciated.

Cheers..

Edited April 4, 2009 by Ray R

[Jewhunter]

G'day Ray.

The bigger they are the better they taste!!

Some people like to steak the bigger models but the skin & bloodline have a very strong flavour.

I prefer to fillet, skin & de-bone the fish. After I skin them I cut the bloodline out length ways & cut the fillets into smaller fillets the size of a meal for 1.

You could also invite the crowd around & bury it whole in hot coals. No need to clean & gut. Just peel the skin back & tuck in ala Malcolm Douglas style!! Tastes great.

I couldn't tell you how they would survive release as I've never let a good one go!!

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Grant.

[zen801]

Hi,

Yeah i always fillet them,

Best tasting one i had to eat was only out of the water for about an hour.

Took it to mates pplace and we ate most of it tempura style.

Cut chunks and straight into a deep fry.

Last jew i saw released at the beach (collaroy) keep washing back up. Some OS tourists caught it and to their credit they tried to release it. In the end they had to keep it, which they were happy to do once they realised it was cactus.

A big one say 10kg i would invite the fellow campers all to a feast.

Good luck.

PS If you catch any salmon throw a fillet out for a big jew.

[jewgaffer]

........ now if and this is a big (question) if we catch a big one say over a meter what would be the best thing to do, ............take some pics then walk it back into the surf see if it revives okay then let it go back ,or........... keep it clean it etc and chop it up and eat, feed half the camping families,

So do the bigger ones survive if released.

............Do the bigger ones taste as good as the schoolies.

P.S WE ARE FISHING FROM THE BEACH..

Cheers..

Hi Ray I'm with Jewhunter all the way on the much better taste of larger jewfish (mulloway) over soapies and school jewfish (6-12s) and I am also impressed by the preparation methods Grant uses prior to cooking, as in my opinion it is a matter of there being no better way once the take home is quickly brain spiked, bled and cut later to reduce the musky taste cooking thin skinless pieces and parted fillets and cross cuts off the bloodlines....

Ray, if I was in the boat and caught a couple of legals first off, into the esky they'd go. Now my next sentence might help you with your first ask above...... If I then caught a school size jewfish or a jew of mulloway size either would go into the esky as that would give me my take home and one would be released but not after being gaffed......Any other jewfish of any size would be photographed for my record and for my Fishraider report, that's it.... any extra jewfish or mulloway size jew would not go under a gaff as they may not survive...........

Beach fisherman have an advantage where can carefully de-hook, photograph and swim off any jewfish superflous to their needs

Cheers

jewgaffer

[Ray R]

Thanks for the input Raiders, I along with Hutcho will be trying to nail a biggin' ..

Cheers...

[arpie]

Good luck, Ray - hope you & Hutcho get into some good ones!

One day, I'll land something bigger than a 'soapie' myself!

CHeerio

Roberta

[tide'n'knots]

good luck ray!

I agree with grant the bigger they are the better they taste and i fillet them, skin them, and cut the meat up into chunks big enough for one person - YUM!

The only one that I have ever released was approxemately 9lb, I lowered it tail first into an esky with ice slurry and it lept out when it felt the cold and landed in the drink! The worst part was, my mate caught the fish , it wasnt even mine. I thought he would be filthy at me but he nearly fell out of the boat laughing - thank god. Mind you he caught a 9 and 12lber the week before so he wasnt overly worried!. Hope you nail a cracker!

Pete.