Surprise Catch

[joking fish]

After the overwhelming response for my last post I am belatedly writing again with more good news. I fished my local haunt at Palm Beach again and like so many times in the past it didn't let me down. I arrived around 4 pm and fished until dark like so many times before. Things started off a little slow and was frustrated to lose a couple of good fish that won their freedom due to underwater structure. There was plenty of micro bait that were busting up due to large fish underneath them but I never once saw a predatory fish break the surface. It was a warm afternoon with no wind. I used my traditional rig with 3 hooks that is ideal for whole Pilchards. 

Today was a first for me because I landed a fish I have never caught before. A Spangled Emperor. For a fish that is known to inhabit warmer waters up north it was indeed a surprise catch. I have fished my whole life in Sydney and never caught one before, although around 4 years ago, fishing with an old friend Michael Kim, he caught a much smaller Spangly from the same spot. His was only around the 25 cm mark and he decided to let his specimen go back. For the hype about the Spangled Emperor's fighting ability it certainly lived up to its reputation. It went like a train on light gear. Once I got it on the wharf I was overjoyed. I had just done the unthinkable! This amazing fish went 39 cm and in the water I mistook it for a big Bream although once landed it I realised it was something much more extraordinary.

Over the duration of the rest of this expedition I landed a 34 cm Trevally and a 47 cm Flathead. The Flathead was caught right before I was about to leave at around 5.40 pm. There was a Father who rocked up with his two kids just before I caught the Flathead, so I was entertained to some running commentary. One of the kids said "It kind of looks like a Shark!" To which I replied "Everyone thinks it kind of looks like something." I then said  "Last time I was here, there was a kid who was just like you who said the Flathead I caught looked like an eel." The Trevally was also an unusual catch as it has been a couple of months since my last Trevally. I very rarely catch them during the warmer months land based and I have probably only caught 2 in the last four months land based in Pittwater. Once the water cools down over the Winter months I anticipate the Trevally will become a lot more frequently encountered. But for now I will be feasting on some fine seafood caught from some of the most clean and bountiful waters in Sydney.

 

[rickmarlin62]

nice spangled I catch them out of Swansea quite often  ..rick

[big Neil]

Nice little trifecta there mate. Well done. bn

[Scratchie]

Great few fish there! Well done  

cheers scratchie!!! 

[joking fish]