Is This A Wobby?

[hcwang]

Hey guys

Is this a wobby? Looks similiar but isn't quite there.

Interested to know if its protected or edible as well. I've caught em twice and usually just chuck them back

cheers

Edited September 28, 2009 by cfw

[slinkymalinky]

A little bit hard to tell but looks like a Varied Catshark. If not, it might be a blind shark. Don't know if it's edible or protected. Check the Fisheries website.

Cheers, Slinky

[hottyscotty]

The Wobbegong has a beard and the spots/bands are more pronounce, thats the description i recall from memory

they are release only according to dpi

[Captain Spanner]

Looks like a blind shark to me and they are generally pretty friendly. As far as i know they are not part of the wobbegong family and i couldn't find anywhere that mentions them being protected but you could ring fisheries to be sure.

Here is a thread that has mentioned blind sharks.

I dont know anyone who has eaten one.

[hcwang]

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.x...83_ENA_HTML.htm

yep. blind shark, looks just like that

cheers!

[whi7eindustries]

Hey mate, its definately a blind shark, catch heaps inside pittwater mouth. Not sure about the eating qualities, I'd say it'd be pretty similar to Flake, as they say though, best check with fisheries first.

Cheers, Tobe

[hcwang]

Hey mate, its definately a blind shark, catch heaps inside pittwater mouth. Not sure about the eating qualities, I'd say it'd be pretty similar to Flake, as they say though, best check with fisheries first.

Cheers, Tobe

cheers

doesnt seem to be on the fisheries site though

[Day's Fishin]

It looks like a blind shark,it should have a couple of feelers out of its mouth if it is. The blind shark can be eaten,whether it is protected in NSW or not I'm not sure . But then again it is a real character so better to let them go.

Regards Jeff

[hcwang]

cheers jd!

love the pics.

any meat on it?

Edited October 17, 2009 by cfw

[hcwang]

not much meat on it mate, behind the first dorsal fin it becomes a pretty skinny ol fillet. but a feed is a feed, and i'll try almost anything once (or twice).

if you do keep one, i recommend cutting first thru the skin with a stanley knife, keepin fingers n toes out of the way, as the skin is a bit tough.

I notice you are wondering about eels too...give em a go mate, they aren't as bad as some would have you believe i reckon, just try not to cut the intestine as you clean it, and skin it soon after capture.

It seems you mite be fishing over rocky weedy reefy bottom?...try throwin your baits a bit more at the margins between the reef n sand or reef n gravel if you can, as the blind sharks n eels both hang out in reefy/weedy bottom, and the fishes tend to hang on the margins more i learnt.

good luck, jd.

cheers goony, great tips!

yeah its pretty weedy... dunno where the edges of the weed are. Probably not for miles, its pretty weedy along the whole place. Need to find some new LB spots