Are Western Butterfish becoming a "pest" or are there just too many off them around

  Just looking for some comments from fellow boat owners---- Over the past 6 months we seem to be catching more and more butterfish when fishing out of Manurah and Dawsville ---  easy to catch but they become a nusuiance when targetting whiting .  We have been throwing them back and although I have eaten them in the past , i cannot recall how they were cooked .  Does anyone have some good recipes for these fish and do others have the problem with them. 

 

Dragrush 


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 butterfish = bait

Fri, 2015-03-13 20:53

 butterfish = bait

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Date Joined: 08/08/11

 

Fri, 2015-03-13 21:03

 

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Fish! HARD!

flangies's picture

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I'll gladly trade you for our

Fri, 2015-03-13 20:55

I'll gladly trade you for our northwest blowies :)

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 I went out the other day for

Fri, 2015-03-13 21:39

 I went out the other day for a feed of whinging out of warnbro sound and have never seen so many around! Usually get 1 butter fish to 10-15 whiting on our particular spot... We moved 7 times to get 30 whiting... I've never thought about eating them or for bait, certainty plenty around!  

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 I get a good feed of

Fri, 2015-03-13 21:46

 I get a good feed of whinging just sitting with the missus.... :)  butterfish are great fresh or live bait.

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Fish! HARD!

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Date Joined: 01/01/70

 Haha yes I do agree I could

Sat, 2015-03-14 08:38

 Haha yes I do agree I could have stayed home for that myself :) bloody auto correct... I have no idea where my phone got whinging from whiting! 

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Too many Western Butterfish

Fri, 2015-03-13 21:49

 Thanks for the comment ----  I may sound like I was whingeing a bit back there  but it was very frustrating to keep moving around the Dawsville cut  area last Thursday over an area of about 10km by 3 km   and we caught them every where from 8 metres to 26 metres depths and they are great sport on light gear because they hit like a big snapper and put up a good fight.  They don't have spines or teeth and are easy to take off the hook except when they just swallow the lot ---  They love oxheart and prawns so why dont I just get my quota with them.- it just seems to me  that they are very prolific now especially down mandurah way and I suppose thats a good thing--- I would like to take them for eating but dont know what the best way to cook them ---maybe just scale and or fillet them like herring   and make fish  patties???.

cheers

dragrush 

Madmerv's picture

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Misspelt

Sat, 2015-03-14 04:13

 I dont think the whingeing comment was directed at you. Just the misspelt whiting on comment above.  Lol

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dkonig82's picture

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 They're ok lightly dusted in

Sat, 2015-03-14 00:53

 They're ok lightly dusted in seasoned flour and deep fried whole (gutted), but then again most things are!

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luke george's picture

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 butterfish = pest. Okish

Sat, 2015-03-14 02:36

 butterfish = pest. Okish bait but imo much better with squid or prawn.  if you are catching butterfish the only option is to keep moving and fishing sand/broken weed sand. If you are still having problems with them try drifting the sand flats

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Sat, 2015-03-14 11:35

 Used to eat them as a kid when we were over on Garden Island.

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Hutch's picture

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Cutting one open and seeing

Sat, 2015-03-14 11:45

Cutting one open and seeing the "butter" in their stomach has put me off eating them... Not bad bait tho 

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live bait, last a fair while.

Sun, 2015-03-15 16:16

live bait, last a fair while.

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yes they are

Sun, 2015-03-15 21:10

yes the they are pesky barstards , but my wife (a thai girl) preffers them to sand wihting and scoffes them down along with wrass maybe we are a bit spoilt

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 Anyone have a photo of one?

Sun, 2015-03-15 22:53

 Anyone have a photo of one?

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(No subject)

Sun, 2015-03-15 23:26

Notorious's picture

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 ah ok - yeah I see a few of

Sun, 2015-03-15 23:38

 ah ok - yeah I see a few of them out and about 

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