Are Flathead Bigger From Esturaies?

[Spanker]

Hi Ladies and Gents,

While avoiding work and generally being a bum, surfing FR, it struck me, like a Tendulkar drive(b#$#@d is killing us) that pretty much all posts of big lizards come from rivers, lakes or inner harbours. You never hear about croc's coming from offshore, even when people talk about the Flattie grounds.

Is this because they are a different species, pro's keep the size down in the ocean, predators keep the size down in the ocean or some other reason?

Please continue to provide distraction from crunching numbers, many thanks

Spanker

[Hooked-Up]

species mate, the big (dusky) flathead live in our harbours and estuaries, outside are all the others, sand, rock, tiger, etc.

[Ray R]

Hi Spanker, mate the Dusky is the largest of the Aussie flatties, he/she primarily live in the river and estuary systems.

Here is a little bit of info for you...

Dusky flathead are the largest of the many species of flathead found in Australia, and the most commonly caught. Dusky flathead have very rarely been caught at sizes up to 12–15 kg and lengths up to 1.5 metres, but average size is 0.5–1.5 kg and 40–50 cm. Typically a fish of estuaries and estuarine lakes, dusky flathead are rarely found in other habitats.

The current Australian record is held by Alan Strathearn Richmond River NSW 14/7/1983 for 9.440KG

[brettmann86]

Hey there,

not to go against your theory here but i do have at least one exception to the rule,

whilst on a charter in port macquarie, an american fella fishing behind me pulled up a huge flatty that later measure 1.09m not sure of the weight as it didnt get weighed... but yeah just food for thought on that one

[Spanker]

Right, so Duskies get bigger then the other, oceanic species.

Ray your reply raises another question. Why is it that official data on species will often comment on the size the the species, "flathead have very rarely been caught at sizes up to 12–15 kg and lengths up to 1.5 metres" but then the official records are often much smaller? Does that mean anglers are often catching record beating fish but not claiming it?

It would be great to see a TV program run by an Angler who films the catches of pro's, so that we get some kind of idea of the volumes and size of the catches they bring in, particularly as pertains to species we target. For example, actually fiding out they are pulling out tonnes of jew or bream right near popular spot would be fascinating (horrifying).

Spanker

[rickb]

Hi Spanker,

There are lots of bigger fish caught,mostly us older blokes,

we are only fishing because we love the sport and a good feed,records don't worry us

we have got nothing to prove,we have caught fish the size you will

never see again.

Enjoy the sight and your fishing .

regards Rick.

[Spanker]

Hi Rick,

So I guess u r saying a lot of the people who go for official records ahve something to prove or something. That makles sense. Got any old photos you can scan and share with us?

25 years ago I was friends with someone whose house was on Narrabeen lake. The backyards were all common to the lake for stretches, you could walk along them. Some of the older fences had wispyold cartlage attached to nails where people had nailed flathead heads many years ago, in a tranle. Some of the dimensions were mind boggling.

Spanker