# Tarpon tow?



## Geejay (Sep 26, 2005)

Caught this and another last week. Not sure what they were. Both about 1 m long. Caught them trolling a minnow. Talk about a great fight. This one l caught on a med sized egg beater (95cm). Had to hold him up quickly as didnt have much 30lb line. Did some big acrobats. :lol:

Caught and released his brother the next day. Best fish caught off my kayak to date (both in about 2m of water). This one towed me around for a full minute, we would have travellled a couple of hundred metres easy and at a good speed ( maybe 3 knots) :shock: :lol: . This time l had my trolling reel (with plenty of line), even had the rudder working to keep it out in front. Great stuff, in the process of towing me it would still kick out line and have me constantly tightening the drag. In the end l wanted it up close to get a good look, with about 10m line out on a tight drag, the fish then had me like l was ridding a bull, having me and the kayak doing some circle work.

GJ


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## PoddyMullet (Aug 29, 2005)

I was gonna say a Herring too...but I wouldnotaknow. Congrats..look at the big bug eye, any good on the plate?


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## Geejay (Sep 26, 2005)

Thought it might be a giant herring also. My book says the the herring have small scales, this had scales maybe to large?. My book also has a tarpon as having large scales and a long 'tail' like part to its otherwise normal dorsal fin (this fish did not). :!: :?:

l filleted it, but didn't really like what l saw. Great sized fillets, a bit reddish, tender but with small and sets of bones up near the skin. Ended up as crab bait. Love to get onto another but just to release.

Guess its a giant herring. Anyone tried eating these? Book said both wer'nt much chop.

GJ


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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Great catch, Geejay. Well done.

It looks like a Northern Pilchard, _Amblygaster sirm _(Walbaum) which is superficially similar to _Sardinops neopilchardus_ but you can distinguish the two by the absence of grooves on the operculum of the latter and by the presence of five belly scutes on the former.

Actually, the above is incorrect and mostly made up. The pic, julyb058, looks almost exactly like one in my fish identification book. Except the pic in my book has the fish head facing the right whereas Geejay's fishhead faces left. Apart from that, almost exactly the same. Both have eyes, a mouth, fins, scales and look kinda fishy. Yup, it's definately a Giant Herring. Sometimes called Pincushion-fish as it has so many bones. True!


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## Geejay (Sep 26, 2005)

Thanks Troppo.

My book has illustrations not photos. Found not all the illustrations to be that great. Tell you the truth, didn't know whether it was a hybrid ( you know- like say when you mate a tiger and lion) or, something not in my book or, a giant herring.

My kayak is pretty heavy and the herring had me travelling. Anyone that gets onto one of these at this size (100cm/ 6kg) in 2m of water should get a decent tow.

Cheers Guys, 
GJ
(l go out alone, sorry no pics/vid)


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

redphoenix said:


> .. though, It could be a juvenile version of one of Andy's King George Whiting.
> 
> Red.


Sorry Red, no.

THIS is a juvenile King George Whiting species _Andybearbitelegoff._


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Do you have ladyfish in AUS?

Z

Edit:
More pix.http://www.mexfish.com/fish/lady/lady.htm


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWYcrBogAABpfgAASQefAMoEjkAAv79/gIACEKp/qaKZMnomR5Q9qmj0mmjZqhE8pIyPTQxIyPUZGINoG61bj9nqHAgXlchp9xrqZcuvGTKcNf1MJxPwlHDje015dMI6HDaEjBWzJVjfj2sVv7RgSJPvsTQWdl2YCI9TXoLDfT8lCfTgDMlPuN1WZYtAQCErhQ5Da6TuzOXR9hDSjygrk0rU21ausyCOzKGQ3F3JFOFCQhysGiA==


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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

Arrrr Troppo,

The likeness is quite remarkable... Perhaps one day, I will feel confident to paddle South of Coffs Harbour. I don't heal as fast as I used too though! so some caution is advised. There are still people out there, who believe that King George Whiting are as fierce as Prawn cocktails, topped with custard, but God Almighty, just look at those teeth! Sharks no worries, Crocs, couldn't give a rats,... Vietnam... didn't even get drain bammage...Sellicks Beach, not within a 1000 Km. :wink:

Cheers all Andybear :lol:


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWfT95p4AAALTgAASABEQAAZAGgAgACIaA00IBppoDRBrJ1SQqK8XckU4UJD0/eae


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

You guys are nuts, i love it  :lol: 
Dave


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Top stuff Geejay. Would have been great fun.


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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

You guys crack me up. I just nipped into the computer room in the midst of my big house clean up to check the forum, and the posts are so funny I burst out laughing. Then I realise I don't have 'permission' to be in here yet, still a few jobs to do . . . so I chokes back my laugh, nearly popping both eyeballs, . . . and quietly continues on me business. [back to the cleaning, gotta get that bbq plate clean and get the scraps in the bin.]


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