What I want to impart to the readers out there from my "vast knowledge" in fishing is to discuss how to catch some of the local fishes here in Perth.
It is my sincere hope that I can help transform some of the idiots out thereincluding yours truely, into a hard core fishos who will abandon all, including the non-fishing half, to go catch a feed for the day.
Together we can help turn fishing into an activity that is almost as heart-stopping as listening to our politician harp about our state having a huge budget surplus and yet having a healthcare system that you can only described as a shamble.
In fact it is probably quicker if you want to have some surgery for you to fly to another country, spend a month there vacationing and then make a doctor appointment there than to put your name on waiting list. Well to be fair to the government, they did manage to reduce waiting list from 4.47 months in 2005 to 2.56 months now, but that's another story which hopefully will be fixed by the next government whoever they maybe that we all elected, and since ranting is not as fun as fishing, we will now go back to talking about fishing.
Let us start with the fish above, which is a flounder, or sole fish. Do you know that this fish swims upright like most fish when they are young and as they grow older their eyes slowly move to one side and they start laying flat on one side? The one above is about 34cm, which is above the legal size of 25cm.
It is a very good eating fish, they have a sweet taste and can be pan fried, grilled or steamed. If anyone has got a good recipe do share with the rest of us.
Flounder is an ambush predatory fish targeting shrimps and small fish. They hide under the sand with their eyes just above the sand. Their eyes can move separately and thus can have almost 360 degree view.
So one way to catch them is to make your baited hook movement to simulate the movement of prey across their sandy domain. What we want to do is create disturbance on the sandy surface as if a bunch of prawns or fish are passing through, or for the benefit of any Star Wars fans out there, to create a disturbance in the force so that our Jedi master flounder will go and investigate.
The rig that I find to be effective in catching them is to have a 8lb main line (small so you can throw further), one running sinker attached to about 1-2 feet of 10lb flourocarbon leader with a size 4 hook.
Look for some sandy area with not much coral reef between you and where you want to throw.
Chuck your baited hook as far as you can and slowly drag across the sand in a stop-start manner, occasionally flicking your rod and winding one or two on your reel.
If they are around, they will quickly go and investigate. Normally they will get interested and strike after four or five throws. Always throw to the same area if you can because I think, I am not sure here and just speculating, but I think the master Jedi flounder will place itself on the path of the previous "disturbance" and wait to ambush the next one that passes by.
Once you attract their attention and you feel a slight pull on the line do not try to pull the line immediately. If it is a flounder at the other end they will normally just hold the bait in their mouth and will swim a few feet to find a place to settle dow, and then they will position the baited hook in their mouth to be swallowed. If you pull it immediately you will not always snag on its mouth and you might lose the fish.
So if you are targeting flounder remember to let the fish settle first and swallow the baited hook. Give it maybe about 3-4 minutes before you pull your line.
You will feel a little tug on your line and then suddenly it will stop. Leave it be for few minutes before you pull your rod back.
Best time to catch flounder is between 2-3 hours before and after highest tide and when the water is a bit calm. When the water is calm the water is typically crystal clear and your chance of attracting flounder is better.
That is what I think anyway and if I am wrong feel free to discuss it here, especially the more experienced in our community.
I hope more people in our community take some time to share some tips of catching some of the species of fish found in Perth.
As Rex Hunt once said, "I think it's wrong that so many people pass on from this existence, and take all their knowledge with them".
So let's share what we learned and hopefully together we can make our fishing trips more fun and fruitful.
I lwould ove to hear from anyone who have tips about how they catch flounder or have nice recipe on how to cook them.
Below are some other fish I caught last week. I will talk more about them in detail on how to catch them or maybe even cook them.
Silver trevally
Goatfish
I will write a bit later on how I set up my fishing rig, and for those that like to know more about fish species, there is a great free website that I always go to that is very comprehensive when it comes to species of fish. It is good place to learn a bit about the fish you are targeting and can help you catch them consistently.
The website is http://fishbase.org