Surgeon Fish

[Yowie]

Last year, I fished a spot (where I have fished many times before) and I saw half a dozen surgeons swimming about, water is about 2 metres deep, rocky boulders and a few rock ledges about.

Today, I saw the surgeons swimming about again, the biggest would be easily 35 cm, down to around 25 cm, they were just cruising around, easy to see in the clear water.

Never caught one, or eaten one, but hear they are dirty fighters.

Apart from weed, do they take any other baits? And are they good eating?

Do not want to divulge the location, as it is the only place I have seen them in Port Hacking.

[Dave_]

I caught a 45cm sawtail surgeon at Nelson Bay marina breakwall years ago on a peeled prawn. It fought like a trevally on steroids and I reckon I was lucky to land it on 6lb line, I actually called it for a much bigger fish. I've been told they are edible but not so good on the chew. I had no idea what it was at the time and I haven't caught one there or anywhere else since.

They are a definitely a fish I'd target if I knew where to find them on a regular basis. I believe they have a bit of a following from a select few fishos around Sydney.

[Krispy !]

Last year, I fished a spot (where I have fished many times before) and I saw half a dozen surgeons swimming about, water is about 2 metres deep, rocky boulders and a few rock ledges about.

Today, I saw the surgeons swimming about again, the biggest would be easily 35 cm, down to around 25 cm, they were just cruising around, easy to see in the clear water.

Never caught one, or eaten one, but hear they are dirty fighters.

Apart from weed, do they take any other baits? And are they good eating?

Do not want to divulge the location, as it is the only place I have seen them in Port Hacking.

Yowie i have spent some time targetting them in sydney harbour and they are well worth the effort. at 35 cm they wont be much of a challenge however when they get into the 50-60 cm size bracket i guarantee you no fish, not even a marlin strips line off a reel like they do, the key to catching them is stopping them on their first run, after that they tend to give up however bigger ones sometimes have a second go. On the table they are unbelievably good eating, nice pearly white flesh however you must skin them, the skin smells like crap when cooked. As for what baits are used, i only ever use peeled prawns as bait and bread/prawn heads for burley. if you are fishing for them tight to structure have your drag almost locked and turn their heads quickly. If you want we can go target them for a session, i have some hooks that are not made anymore which are perfect for these surgeons.

[bharris]

theres a few spots that have them in the hacking pulled 5 out oneday under the old fisherys cabbage is the go cant tell you how they taste cause they were let go all i can say is hold on and enjoy the battle

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[Yowie]

Yowie i have spent some time targetting them in sydney harbour and they are well worth the effort. at 35 cm they wont be much of a challenge however when they get into the 50-60 cm size bracket i guarantee you no fish, not even a marlin strips line off a reel like they do, the key to catching them is stopping them on their first run, after that they tend to give up however bigger ones sometimes have a second go. On the table they are unbelievably good eating, nice pearly white flesh however you must skin them, the skin smells like crap when cooked. As for what baits are used, i only ever use peeled prawns as bait and bread/prawn heads for burley. if you are fishing for them tight to structure have your drag almost locked and turn their heads quickly. If you want we can go target them for a session, i have some hooks that are not made anymore which are perfect for these surgeons.

They were swimming under the boat and under a rock ledge. I would guess that if I hooked one, it would head straight back under the ledge. The location is also full of small bream, tarwhine and blackfish, would be lucky to get a bait past that lot of freeloaders. Burley would just bring even more of those pests around.

May be I will just observe them.

[JimT]

When the Luderick are a bit slow I often catch them using the brown mossy growth on the rocks for bait.......Jim

[Piss'n'Broke]

I can tell you at 60cm+ they go damn hard, and are just as dirty fighters as kings!

Dan

[luderick -angler]

Thirty years of black fishing and I have only ever landed 20 or so they have more than one run a powerful fish pound for pound and underrated as a sports fish! Weed and cabbage will get them and they will charge a bait knocking other fish out of the way! Using weed or cabbage will minimise the picker factor! Eating wise the thick shoulder pan fried is lovely the belly flap sashimi craps over any other white fleshed fish I have had! Put this way I k ow a man that will drop tools at work just to have some sashimi!!!! Hence when we land one it's prized for the table! Go get them and enjoy an awesome table fish as said skin fillet and cut the rib section out where the black lining is! Good luck!