Tag: Scott’s Species

Scott’s Species – threadfin salmon, a fantastic-looking and tough sportfish

I must admit, writes Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan in this week’s edition of Scott’s Species, if there is one fish I wish I’d caught more of, it would be threadfin salmon! Fantastic looking and with a phenomenal burst of speed, I reckon I’d take one real big threadie over a 1m barra if I was forced to choose.

Species: Threadfin salmon, Polydactylus macrochir

Eating: Four star

ID: Filaments behind gills make them easily identifiable. Threadfin salmon have five pectoral filaments, while blue salmon have four. Pectoral fin is divided and often have yellowish colouration.

Scotty with a lovely little Roebuck Bay thready! 📸Western Angler

King, or giant, threadfin are usually found from Exmouth north and sadly none of the ones I have caught have live up to those colossal names.

Nonetheless I find them a fascinating species and live in hope that the drought will break one day and I will have a red-letter day on threadies, which can grow to a whopping 1.7m and 45kg.

I can’t imagine seeing one that humongous!

Arguably the most iconic place to catch threadies is Broome’s stunning Roebuck Bay.

While they are found right through the Kimberley and Pilbara, Roebuck Bay is a top quality fishery for them, with an abundance of the sort of environment they love, often travelling in schools.

This was only enhanced when commercial fishing was removed from the area.

WATCH: Reborn in Roebuck – A Salmon Tale

The threadie fishing has since improved dramatically and there are consistently good catches right through the bay these days.

Earlier this week, as I wrote this piece, a mate caught a 1m-plus threadie in Broome.

An inshore species, threadfin salmon are generally found in shallow water close to the coast, preferring to hunt around the dirty water in the tidal areas of creeks and rivers, such as the expansive mud flats of Roebuck Bay.

Finding threadies can be challenging as a spot that fired one day can be dead the next, with the mobile nature of these fish.

Keep moving around until you find them. On an incoming tide they will move up into creeks, and then drop back out with the outgoing water.

Ayesha Salkilld with an impressive threadfin salmon from Crab Creek!

Threadies will take both baits and lures, and some people like to sight cast for them when conditions allows.

However, they are usually hard to spot, especially when big tides stir up the water.

Sometimes big splashes in the chocolate-coloured water will indicate the threadies are around and feeding.

Prawns are regarded as prime threadie bait around Broome. I have certainly done okay using prawn imitation lures around creek mouths.

Trolling shallow running lures such as bibbed minnows through likely areas can also be productive.

Tackle doesn’t need to be heavy, but threadfin are a strong opponent and take some stopping, especially if there is structure they can use to their advantage.

I prefer 12kg-14kg spinning tackle, but many others would prefer using baitcasters, but that is a personal choice.

Like barra, threadies change sex, from male to female as they get up in size to around a 1m.

What a catch! Wade Clark was more than happy with this threadfin salmon!

Scott’s Species – longtail tuna, an exciting speedster

Longtail tuna are a staple of WA fishing, writes Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan in this week’s edition of Scott’s Species. Also known as northern bluefin tuna, they are found from Geographe Bay north and can grow to around 30kg, although most of the fish encountered in WA will be no more than half that maximum size.

Species: Longtail tuna, Thunnus tongol

Eating: Three stars

ID: Extended, slender body.

While they are an offshore species they will enter shallow water when chasing bait, especially garfish.

At times schools of them will be seen chasing bait right up against the shore, especially in Exmouth Gulf when they are hunting gardies.

It is a spectacular scene when you see longtails bailing up bait in such shallow water, looking like dozens of depth charges going off.

I can recall seeing them doing exactly that in a small bay at Airlie Island, in the Mackerel Islands off Onslow on afternoon.

Champion full-back Ashley McIntosh, who is known for stopping the AFL’s best forwards during his career with the West Coast Eagles, had to flex his muscles to reel in this longtail. 📸 Western Angler

We have also had them come through while fishing shallow sand flats around the Mackerels, and a solid longtail hooked on light gear in that environment makes for a serious battle.

For their size, longtails are very fast and powerful and possess great stamina.

When fly fishing near Thevenard Island a few years ago I was having a ball on a school of mack tuna. Then I hooked a fish which took a heck of a lot longer to subdue.

When it got closer to the boat I realised it was actually a longtail.

Like most tuna, longtails can be fussy and sometimes you need to match the hatch, particularly when they are focused on very small baits.

However, often times longtails aren’t as discriminating at some other tuna species and will taken anything thrown in their direction, including quite large lures.

Unexpected longtail action is a regular part of lure casting in the northern half of the State and there have been many times I have been surprised by a longtail while fishing for other species.

Steve Hart loves chasing longtail tuna, catching this one on a stickbait off Dampier. 📸 Western Angler

One of the most memorable was at Wilderness Island, on the east side of Exmouth Gulf.

We had just launched kayaks to fish around the nearby islands, having seen tuna working not far offshore while we scoffed down breakfast.

I dropped a bibbed minnow behind me to paddle south and had only gone 50m or so when the reel started screaming in just over 1m of water.

I was hoping for a golden trevally, but the speed of this fish had me thinking tuna and it turned out to be a solid longtail that took some serious stopping in the shallow water, with a string of brutally powerful runs.

The best way to target longtails is to look for working schools of fish from Kalbarri north, with active birds a sure sign the tuna are about.

Exmouth Gulf is renowned for its big schools of longtails. When they are really big schools they seem to ignore approaching and nearby boats, and will continue to feed.

However, as the schools get smaller they get flightier and it can become a fruitless and frustrating task chasing tuna that are almost within casting distance only to disappear, and then reappear 100m further away.

The best way to approach smaller schools is from upwind, perhaps cutting the motor when you get close, and allowing the boat to drift onto them.

Or deploy an electric motor and use it to get close to the fish. A lure that can be cast a good distance is very useful, such as metal slugs, slices and Halco Twistys.

It pays to carry a range of sizes to match the hatch and the faster the retrieve the better usually.

I have also caught them on poppers, stickbaits and bibbed minnows – as I mentioned earlier they aren’t always fussy.

This longtail tuna took a liking to Glen Edwards’ lure somewhere in the Kimberley. 📸 Western Angler

Longtails can be caught from shore, I have even seen pictures of fish caught from jetties in Cockburn Sound.

They are often hooked by anglers fishing for mackerel at spots like Steep Point and Quobba, either on spin or ballooning gear.

In summer they are known to ride the Leeuwin Current south and will often be caught in metro waters, usually in good sizes.

Heavy gear is not needed to be able to tame longtails, but you need to have a reel capable of holding enough line for their long runs.

Anything around 6kg-14kg will get the job done with some patience.

Don’t use wire when chasing longtails as they have exceptional eyesight and will usually shy away from it.

A length of fluorocarbon should be used when fishing with braid.

Longtails can be hard to finish off at the boat, as they have that tuna habit of lugging around on their side when they are straight below. Longtails are decent eating and make good sashimi.

Marco Fraschetti with a longtail tuna off Exmouth. 📸 On Strike Charters

Scott’s Species – brassy trevally, spectacular surface striking sportfish

Looking almost identical to a giant trevally, the little cousins of the GT are great fun in their own right while not growing to the huge sizes of their close relative, writes Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan in this week’s edition of Scott’s Species.

Fish: Brassy trevally, Caranx papuensis

Eating: 1 star

ID: Very similar to a giant trevally, but with yellow tinge on fins, with a slightly less sloped forehead.

Mike Roennfeldt with a solid West Moore Island brassy. Pictures: Western Angler

I must admit I really love brassy trevally, perhaps more than I should!

Brassy trevally normally grow to around 85cm, although most caught will be smaller than that.

Found from Exmouth north, I’ve mainly encountered them around Exmouth Gulf, where at times you can find big schools of 6kg to 7kg fish around the shoals.

At that size they are awesome sportfishing, and will hit lures with as much gusto as GTs and pull hard for their size.

One of the main things I love about brassys is they are rarely travelling alone and usually appear in numbers.

I have fond memories of a day where we had them busting up all around us for hours down the bottom end of the Gulf and I hope to encounter that again one day.

“I must admit I really love brassy trevally, perhaps more than I should,” Scott Coghlan.

My biggest brassy was caught near Wilderness Island, and took a Halco Roosta popper cast against a rocky outcrop.

A big brassy trevally from Exmouth Gulf for Scott Coghlan on a Halco Roosta popper – note the yellow tinge on the fish’s fins.

It was a spectacular surface strike that would do any GT proud and put up a great fight.

They are often found around structure, whether that be rocky headlands, sandbars, islands or reefs.

Small fish also show up in ridiculous numbers in the shallows at times and can be very entertaining on light tackle, hitting any lure that they see.

When the small brassys show up it is not uncommon to catch two fish on a lure with multiple hooks.

While they will happily take baits they really are a great target for lures.

Any of the approaches that work on the various trevally species will work on brassys.

Brassys often turn up in schools, like this pair at Kuri Bay.

Their aggressive nature means surface lures like stickbaits and poppers are an ideal way to chase them and gain the most from the experience.

They’ll happily takes flies and metals, as well as bibbed minnows.

In fact, I reckon fired-up brassies would hit an unbaited hook with little hesitation!

Style of retrieve is not vital, you just need a bit of action on the lure to trigger their attacks.

I wouldn’t worry about eating them unless you were very hungry, just kiss them and let ‘em go!

Brassys are very partial to lures and lead-head jigs can be very effective on them, including this one caught in the Kimberley by Barry Pledger.

Scott’s Species – bluenose salmon, a tough and fierce fighter

Catching a bluenose salmon never leaves Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan blue in the face. The seasoned fisher loves catching the sportfish when he’s in WA’s north and the species is the focus of this week’s Scott’s Species, written exclusively for Recfishwest’s website.

Species: Bluenose salmon, Eleutheronema tetradactylum

Eating: 4 star

Description: Filaments behind gills make them easily identifiable. Blue salmon have four pectoral filaments, while threadfin have five.

This aggressive bluenose took Recfishwest Programs Manager James Florisson’s lure, near Broome.

Something of a little brother to threadfin salmon, bluenose salmon, also called blue and blue threadfin, are nonetheless a fun sportfish in their own right. They are generally found from Exmouth north, but in recent years have been encountered much farther south at times.

We were also surprised to find a variety of blue salmon at the Cocos Islands. Broome is a stronghold for them, as they are caught regularly in Roebuck Bay, including in Dampier Creek and along Cable Beach.

Interestingly, although they appear a very mobile species, research has shown that there is little movement between local stocks, even when there is no obvious barrier to movement.

Some people call blues the tailor of the north and the comparison is apt, as they also turn up in groups and are a speedy fish that likes to pounce on unsuspecting baitfish.

On a recent trip to the Kimberley, we regularly had our barra sessions interrupted by fish smashing bait on the surface, and it inevitably turned out to be packs of marauding blue salmon.

Blue salmon grow to more than 1m and 15kg globally, but a maximum of about 80cm in WA waters.

Bluenose of this size are a staple in WA’s north, however, they grow much bigger in other parts of the world.

Most caught will be much smaller than that and 1kg to 3kg fish are most common.

They are a good fighter with speed and propensity to jump, again like tailor.

We’ve usually bumped into blue salmon in small creeks and shallow water, which is their favourite hunting ground.

This makes them a target for either shore or boat anglers.

They will happily take most baits and lures, although I would argue the latter approach makes the most of what they offer on the end of a line.

Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan tempted this bluenose on a popper.

They aren’t usually fussy and will hit most lures, including bibbed minnows, stickbaits, soft plastics and vibes, as well as poppers.

Blues can also be a lot of fun on fly gear. They are often caught while casting lures for barramundi, as they often hold in the same locations.

Working lures fast is not a problem for blues as they are ferocious predators and aren’t deterred by hunting in dirty water.

They are usually a clean fighter so heavy tackle is not needed, and a 7kg-9kg spinning or baitcaster outfit appropriate for the type of fishing being done should be ample for catching blues.

Some slightly heavier abrasion resistant leader is also a good idea, especially given the possibility of hooking a barra or threadfin

Blue salmon are regarded as excellent eating, especially fresh, with tender white flesh and good-sized fillets with few bones.

Bluenose are a fantastic land-based option in the State’s north, as shown by Jade Relph.

Scott’s Species – red emperor, a fish worthy of the throne

Red emperor are fittingly named, given the species does indeed sit atop the throne for many demersal fishers in the northern half of WA, writes Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan in this week’s anticipated edition of Scott’s Species.

Species: Red emperor, Lutjanus sebae

Eating: 4.5 stars

ID: Striking red colouration, with bands down the side.

Brenton Cartledge with a lovely red emperor off Dampier.

Often when visitors arrive in places like Shark Bay, Exmouth, Carnarvon and Onslow the first thing they want to know is where to find red emperor!

However, such information is rarely shared freely as locals protect their prizes spots.

Reds are found from Kalbarri in WA north and across to southern Queensland. They can grow up to 22kg, but few are seen more than 15kg and most fish will under 10kg.

Coral Bay produced the red emperor goods for Caleb Moore.

The best I have seen, at the Mackerel Islands, was around 12kg. They are usually encountered in depths greater than 20m, often from 50m to 70m, and often encountered in schools around reef edges and bommies.

Surprisingly good reds can be caught in water around 20m deep, so you don’t necessarily need to go really wide to find them.

Drifting around likely spots is the usual approach but anchoring and burleying is also productive and I have seen this work very well at the Mackerel Islands for Darryl Hitchen.

The key with reds is to get them off the bottom quickly when hooked as they are a powerful fish.

WATCH: Red emperor schooling at Exmouth’s King Reef

Due to this, main line of at least 23kg is favoured, with heavier leader. Sadly, sharks are also an issue in many spots where reds are prevalent and can make landing them very tough if not impossible at times.

Braid is the best option for the main line, as it lessens the bow in the line caused by fishing at depths.

Standard boat fishing tackle will suffice. Bigger fish are often encountered after dark and this is a great time to fish for them if possible.

Popular baits include squid, octopus and pilchards and they definitely appear to bite better on bait than artificials.

Weighted soft plastics also work, but red emperor are not as responsive to metal jigs as many other demersal species.

This red emperor off Broome put a smile of Jade Relph’s face!

Scott’s Species – tailor, tough predators with razor teeth

From beaches, to rivers and estuaries, tailor are a special species that many WA fishers value dearly, especially for those based along the State’s west coast. In this week’s edition of Scott’s Species, Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan writes about the favourite near-shore species with razor teeth.

Species: Tailor, Pomatomus saltatrix

Eating: 3 stars

ID: Blue-green back and silver underside, the first of their two dorsal fins has many small spines, and strong lower jaw with numerous small teeth.

Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan with a tailor from the kayak, near Denham.

A popular recreational fishing species globally, tailor are primarily an inshore species and are found from Exmouth in WA across the southern side of the country and into lower Queensland on the east coast.

Known as bluefish in the United States, they are an ultra-aggressive opportunistic predator that often travels in schools and a long-time favourite with Australian anglers, especially from the shore.

They grow to 14kg, but fish of that size are very rare in WA and any tailor above 3kg is a ripper.

At the bigger sizes they are known as ‘jumbos’ or ‘green backs’ and 20lb (just over 9kg) has long been the benchmark for a true trophy tailor, while smaller fish are known as choppers.

Recently, a 12.8kg fish was caught in Wilson Inlet by a commercial fisherman. That would have eclipsed the State line caught record from near Steep Point back in 1981.

Mad-keen fisher Max Sampson with a tailor from the Swan River.

There are certainly some big tailor around Shark Bay and there have been big ones caught around the salt ponds in that area. These fish are not as strong and powerful as ocean fish though.

Dirk Hartog Island is a haunt for giant tailor as are the cliffs near Steep Point. The biggest fish I have seen caught was taken near Steep Point while spinning for pelagics.

Around the Murchison River mouth in Kalbarri is another noted big tailor spot.

Like the Denmark fish mentioned earlier, big tailor also get taken quite regularly along the south coast.

I pulled a jumbo out of a school of salmon on a popper, much to my surprise, east of Esperance many years ago.

Tailor favour periods of low light for hunting their prey and as such dawn and dusk are peak times for catching them.

They will bite at other times of the day, but they are generally most active at sunrise and sunset.

In the summer, juvenile tailor — like this one from the Collie River — can be found in big schools in many rivers and estuaries in the State’s south.

A bit of chop on the water is generally preferable to totally calm conditions, and for metro beaches the arrival of the afternoon sea breeze in summer can be the start of the chopper tailor bite.

They are often found around reefs, where they ambush predators among the chaos of the white water, taking opportunities to feed as they present.

Tailor can be caught from beaches and shore reefs, and also can be found along offshore reefs that feature breaking waves.

Chopper tailor are also caught in big numbers in estuaries and rivers, including the Swan River.

Tailor are generally a light tackle proposition and casting outfits of 4-6kg will do the job, although you may need to upgrade to 10kg-15kg gear for chasing true jumbos.

Check out this 94cm tailor caught north of Perth. Picture: Perth Fishing Safaris

Their sharp teeth means a small length of heavy leader, or even wire, is a good idea to prevent bite-offs and they will happily take baits such as whole of half mulies, whole whitebait, strips of mullet or whole bluebait.

An appropriately sized set of gang hooks should be used to match the bait. Use as much weight as is necessary to get the bait to the fish.

From the beach this could mean a large star or spoon sinker, while from a boat around reef it may mean an unweighted rig.

Big tailor experts like baitcasting whole garfish. They are willing lure takers and will hit metals, minnow lures, stickbaits and poppers with incredible gusto.

They put up a good fight, often jumping when hooked, and usually fight clean, even in reefy areas.

They should be bled immediately after capture if they are to be eaten, and should always be eaten fresh as tailor flesh does not freeze well.

Kalbarri is known for producing big tailor, as proven by local Tom Berry.

Scott’s Species – giant herring, stunning slender silver speedsters

Slender, silver, speed machines! Giant herring are without doubt an awesome sportfish to target, writes Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan in this week’s Scott’s Species.

Species: Giant Herring, Elops machnata

Eating: 1 star

ID: Long slender body, prominent dorsal fin, bony mouth and large forked tail.

Giant herring are found from Albany on the south coast of WA all the way around to the top of the State.

Article author Scott Coghlan with a south coast giant herring.

They are not a common catch on the south coast, but there are often reasonable numbers in the Nornalup Inlet.

They become more prevalent along the west coast, with good numbers in the Collie River and Leschenault Estuary at times, as well as in the Swan River most years these days.

Chasing them in the Swan in summer has become a popular pastime for light tackle sport fishers in recent years, but finding them can be challenging. At times they are everywhere and the action is insane for a metro river, but then they can be almost impossible to find at other times.

When they are around and on the bite, the big boils, bow waves, explosive strikes and stunning leaps make for an unforgettable Swan fishing experience.

For many years they seemed to vanish from the Swan system, but the last decade has seen them return strongly and in some surprisingly good sizes.

Flats are a good area to seek them out in the Swan, especially if there is a sizable drop-off nearby. We used to do well around Burswood for many years and Claremont has been another hot spot at times.

WATCH: Fishing the Swan River for giant herring

The best giant herring we have encountered have been in Exmouth Gulf, where we have caught fish to 1.2m from our kayaks. At that size they are a real trophy catch and I’ll never forget seeing my first 1m-plus giant pop up next to the kayak after hooking it trolling.

Unlike most giant herring it never jumped so I had no idea what it was until I saw it. That made me nervous as I had never caught a big one before.

Big GHs like this often show up in the Gulf. Usually an estuarine fish, they can also be found in freshwater billabongs in the northern half of the country.

Although they grow to more than 10kg and more than 1m in length, most giant herring caught are much smaller than this and any fish measuring more than 60cm is a good one, especially at the southern end of their distribution.

Woah! Glenn Edwards with a monster giant herring from near Wilderness Island.

They are often found in small schools and many anglers believe they fish best when there is some chop on the water.

GHs are poor eating, but these fish are amazing fighters and offer a massive challenge on light gear. Although they are not that hard to hook initially, keeping them connected is another matter altogether.

Their bony mouths and violent head-shaking leaps throw the hooks most of the time, leaving the angler with nothing but a memory of the brief encounter.

They also have small raspy teeth that will quickly wear through thin leader. A mainline of 4kg-6kg braid or mono should be sufficient for all but the biggest fish, and mono actually offers the advantage of offering more give during the fight.

Scott Coghlan won’t forget his battle with this little speedster.

Fluorocarbon leader of around 9kg is needed. There are a numbers of lures that can be used for giant herring, including bibbed minnows from 6cm-12cm in length, poppers, stickbaits, metal slices and soft plastics.

Giant herring often respond best to a fast retrieve and casting metal slices long distances and winding them back at full speed can be a good way to seek out fish.

Bear in mind that the heavier the lure, the easier it is for the giant herring to dislodge it during the fight. Replacing the trebles with assist hooks is worth considering if giant herring are being sought.

They are a favourite of fly anglers and an eight-weight outfit would be sufficient for all but the biggest fish.

John Dempsey with a strategically taken photo to ensure the location of this Swan River giant herring catch remains undisclosed.