AS winter approaches, the influence of the warm East Australian Current is still being felt in many southern parts of the coastline. Typically, the influence of this tropical current which originates way up in the Coral Sea, often carries with it species of fish usually found in northern waters.
This phenomenon that seems to produce weird and wonderful catches every year on the East Coast is alive and well. As an example, Fisho has heard confirmed reports of sizeable magrove jacks being caught down south in Batemans Bay’s Clyde River in recent weeks. Today we received an email from a Fisho reader who claims to have caught a giant herring in Sydney Harbour in recent days – stay tuned for photo verification of this one.
Last week we were contacted by NSW Central Coast fisherman Bill Emerson who’d also made an unusual catch. Bill wrote in an email that he’d caught a queenfish – a species commonly associated with tropical northern locations – while fishing the hot water outlet at the Eraring power station on the banks of Lake Macquarie. We asked Bill to send us the photo of his catch which can be seen hereabouts.
Emerson told us he caught the queenie while fishing cooked prawn baits with 8lb braid. He said it provided the usual queenie-style aerial antics when hooked. He also had a strike from a powerful unseen fish that took him to the cleaners. Despite casting poppers around in the hope of more queenie action, none was forthcoming. Emerson also told Fisho he and his mate have been catching striped butterfish at the same location – a species more commonly associated with regions in northern Australia.
Fisho would love to hear from readers who’ve made unusual catches – let us know about it (please include a photo of your catch) and we’ll post the details.
