First proper deep fish
Submitted by hlokk on Mon, 2011-04-11 19:58
Well, after several attempts (and seemingly lost line for various annoying reasons most times) I finally managed to get a fish out deep that isnt a pinky, sambo, leatherjacket or greeneye.
Species book says its a Radiant Rock-Cod and that it lives in the NW. My ID book is a NW one though, so perhaps theres a southern species that looks fairly similar. Anyone with a southern ID book that can confirm? Perhaps just another northern visitor ;)
Note the object on the horizon ;)
aussie_breamer
Posts: 359
Date Joined: 24/08/10
from fishwreckapedia
Radiant Rockcod - Epinephelus radiatus
radiant rockcod top / comet cod bottom
i would say radiant rock cod as well!!!
cheers
tom
bream slayer
snappermiles
Posts: 2100
Date Joined: 05/11/10
been fishing deep for years and never seen one
how did it taste??
ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS EXCEPT YOU AND ME! AND IM NOT SO SURE ABOUT YOU!
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
I was hoping for a
I was hoping for a greyband/harpuka/trevalla/ruby/bass groper/etc but it ended up being a weird one. Rough scales and some really nasty spikes on the gill plates (and the teeth and the gill rakers).
TBH, I was a bit disappointed how it cooked up. The flesh was very white and had a bit of fat on it but it came out a bit tough. My ID book says they only get to 70cm. Maybe it was an old one.
Nah Oracle, not near the FAD's (and deeper too).
Oracle
Posts: 355
Date Joined: 22/11/10
Near the fads?
?
fishnut
Posts: 255
Date Joined: 22/09/10
this season is amazing me.
this season is amazing me. You are correct mate - that is a Radiant Rockcod. It is a very long way south - great catch! shame about the taste
TonyT
Posts: 501
Date Joined: 09/07/10
wierd eyes......... scary.
wierd eyes......... scary.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
TonyT
Thats barotrauma that pops their eyes out. Hlokk was probably so happy to have something on the line he skull dragged it up and popped its eyes. LOL
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Hehe, in that depth, after
Hehe, in that depth, after lots of drops with huge sinkers it gets hard to wind em up quick :p. Sometimes certain fish just cant handle it no matter how slow (unlike pinkies or greeneyes). We were expected a keeper anyways though. In that depth, it doesnt make a lot of sense to drop unless you're going to keep what you catch (as chances are its not going back well).
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Fully agree Matt.
Just taking the piss out. LOL.
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Haha, yeah, got that one. You
Haha, yeah, got that one. You shoulda seen the first fish from the deep though, that sucker came flying out the water, hehe.
Though, if this fish was nearing his maximum size, it would make him in his later years. Maybe he came down this way for retirement. Usually the human gray nomads move north, not south, lol. TBH though, not being a pelagic, and being some 250m+ deep, I doubt the warm water temps this year actually brought it down for the season. Probably just one of those oddballs that turn up from time to time.
fishnut
Posts: 255
Date Joined: 22/09/10
you might be correct, given
you might be correct, given its size and the fact its not pelagic, but the leeuwin current which provides the warm water (and marine species) from the north is about 300m deep.
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
True, but I dont imagine a
True, but I dont imagine a lot of demersals would cover distance as fast as the pelagics too. Perhaps possible though. Certainly the currents draw demersal fish, such as around the abrolhos (coral trout, spanglies, redthroat). Also, I was thinking that the super warm water this year is due to la nina which is changes in the surface temps (deep temperatures would be a little more buffered).
Would be interesting to read more about it.
TonyT
Posts: 501
Date Joined: 09/07/10
Ah ok neels, thought it
Ah ok neels, thought it looked a bit odd, i know of barotrauma where the stomach comes thru the mouth but didnt know it did that to the eyes too, ouch.
cheers
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
The eyes is a classic with some species
Baldies have to be the best or saddest example. If you pull one up from anything deeper than 20m the poor suckers look like popeye gone mad, and if they are undersize you have to return them with no chance of surviving. And yes, their stomach stick out of their gobs too.
Up here I dont like fishing very deep, because if you are sporty and bring the fish up slow, the taxman is going to come and collect a free feed, and if you yank them up the barotrauma is going to kill them, especially important if they are U/size.
JMO and I then just dont fish deep, but also the best fish up here is deep, like saddletails, rubies and ofcourse red emps.
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
Get a release weight Neels :)
Get a release weight Neels :)
PattyT
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Yep, definitely no releasing
Yep, definitely no releasing that one. Spewing it didnt cook up well, would have expected better from a cod. Congrats anyways!