wizza Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 What is the polite flathead release size?Kept a 62 cm blue spot having not had an outing or fish feed for a while.Cheers Wizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 Hi mate, with blue spot I generally exercise a keep slot : 45 - 65. Anything outside this goes back. cheers Zoran 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 I like the proposed “slot limit” of 36-70 cm. I usually don’t keep anything under 40 and release anything over 70. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirvin21 Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 I don't normally keep anything over 60 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xerotao Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 4 hours ago, motiondave said: Keep it and eat it. I'm sure there's plenty more.... If its within rules. I keep them as my kids love beer battered flatties 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfisho7 Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 Flathead are the best eating but all the big female should got back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nal Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 You do what you feels right, it’s your fish not someone else’s, you don’t need to follow someone else’s rules or ideology, other than the official size limits of course. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koalaboi Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 I find that flatties much over 60cm are a bit on the chewy side anyway…that’s duskies as I am landbased. So my slot limit is up to 60 or thereabouts from legal minimum. I put my fish in a keeper net and if I have plenty of fish, can release the bigger fish but keep it if it’s the only one. kb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 Blue Spot is an entirely different kettle of fish (pun...) to Dusky and slot limits. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizza Posted December 19, 2021 Author Share Posted December 19, 2021 Thanks for various replies.Feel better about frying it now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campr Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 11 hours ago, Koalaboi said: I find that flatties much over 60cm are a bit on the chewy side anyway…that’s duskies as I am landbased. So my slot limit is up to 60 or thereabouts from legal minimum. I put my fish in a keeper net and if I have plenty of fish, can release the bigger fish but keep it if it’s the only one. kb They may be chewy as a result of being kept alive in the keeper net. When you keep them alive they stress and release lactic acid into their flesh which affects eating quality. Better to kill quickly with brain spike or a hit between their eyes an putting in eski preferably in saltwater slurry. Ron 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koalaboi Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 Ta for the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecosbykids Posted December 20, 2021 Share Posted December 20, 2021 I think the polite release size for a dusky is 70cm, but I wouldn't feel too bad about keeping one around this size. Interestingly enough these big girls are equivalent to a grandma and rarely, if at all release viable eggs. Good paper here that explains the reproductive senescence of large flathead: https://escientificpublishers.com/oogenesis-oocyte-atresia-ovarian-development-and-reproductive-senescence-in-the-dusky-flathead-platycephalus-fuscus-teleostei-AVAS-01-0004 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizza Posted December 24, 2021 Author Share Posted December 24, 2021 Humans not the only senescent ones........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 I like to keep the 50-60 models for a feed but I also fish with large poddies so I get the big models more so than the pre 50 models. If I have a slow day and only get one fish up to 70 I’ll often take it for a feed. I don’t feel bad because I release plenty of 70 plus fish throughout the year👌 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 I am closing this post. Catch and release views always start an argument. If it is legal you can keep it Thanks all Here is an old post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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