# so I ate yakkas for lunch today



## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Today, the water was cold and clear, only 15 degrees. That's a couple of degrees colder than last week, and not surprisingly pelagic action was non existent. Not only that but so were squid and snapper, but yakkas were in abundance. So after a fruitless session, I decided yakkas were better than no fish for lunch, so I jigged up a bunch and headed home. Grilled up with some garlic, chilli and parsley they were actually surprisingly tasty. A bit spiky at the tail end though. 
Any of you eaten yakkas?


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2012)

The Japanese have a similar fish called Aji. I have tried them as sashimi but dont like the bones


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Most of the bones were so fine I didn't even noticethem. The spiny tail section along the lateral line was a bit hard, but otherwise I have no issues with eating them.


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2012)

I just have a thing with bones in fish.


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## Thegaff (Apr 19, 2011)

I've herd they are nice smoked if you do them right.


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Used to eat them many years ago. Remember them being a little bony but otherwise tasty. Have also been surprised to see them for sale in fish shops.
On a side note, did a overnight boat session on Tuesday and at about 2am noticed fish boiling on the surface near Spit Bridge. Decided to throw some small metals around under the lights and ended up catching a few yakkas.


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Thegaff said:


> I've herd they are nice smoked if you do them right.


Pretty much anything tastes good smoked. Or deep fried. I reckon I could probably eat a shoe if it was crumbed and deep fried...


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Back in the day I knew many people who used to net "yellowtail" and eat them. Mostly smoked.


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## hulmy (Jul 4, 2010)

Yeah i have eaten them.

Ive had both, cooked by me and cooked even better by the man himself - Tetsuya. He has a restaurant in Syd. Few years ago the SMH even did a write up about his yellow tails.

I just did mine in light flour in the pan, knob of butter. mmmm


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

I've eaten a few yakkas and slimies when better options have gone begging. Didn't mind the yakkas but found the slimies very soft. I know some guys really rate smoked slimies so plan to try that at some stage.


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## skorgard (Oct 6, 2007)

bunsen said:


> Pretty much anything tastes good smoked. Or deep fried. I reckon I could probably eat a shoe if it was crumbed and deep fried...


Including a Mars bar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-fried_Mars_bar


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

bunsen said:


> ...So after a fruitless session, I decided yakkas were better than no fish for lunch, so I jigged up a bunch and headed home. Grilled up with some garlic, chilli and parsley they were actually surprisingly tasty. A bit spiky at the tail end though.
> Any of you eaten yakkas?


Yep, or rather similar. Same motivation...inside Fraser years ago, couldn't catch a fish, so we jigged for slimy mackeral, and caught heaps up to about 30 cm. Filleted them and fried them, and they were tasty. I don't recall any problems with bones.

trev


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Sure. They even come canned, here, in a few different brands. They are called jurel in MEX and sometimes come named as such on cans. Jurel means jack and is used for any fish in the Carangidae family.
http://www.amazon.com/Roland-Macker...id=1351799425&sr=8-3&keywords=canned+mackerel

http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Foods-Jack-Mackerel-15-Ounce/dp/B004TEXCVW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_gro_2

Granted they are Pacific Jack mackerel, but genus Trachurus symmetricus vs Trachurus novaezelandiae of the yakka. I bet you couldn't tell the difference. Terrific on soda crackers.


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

I've eaten slimies lots of times and they are pretty good, for some reason I've always baulked at yakkas though.


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

My family ate them in WA and all thought they were good eating.

I was really surprised at the size they grow to in Qld waters... easily 33cm, and really good bait for snapper!

Slimies also went OK on the table.

Jimbo


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Slimies are great and easier to get around the bones. Open them out flat, skewer, marinate in a bit of olive oil and garlic, also bit of salt and/or chili if thats your taste. Cook on bbq.


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Slimies are best for 'lakertha" but yakkas will do.

Fillet or butterfly the fish, leave skin on. Lay in a deep square pan on a bed of salt then cover with a layer of salt. Several alternate layers of fish/salt can be built up depending on amount of fish to be prepared. Cover with a flat pan and put a few bricks on it to squash the whole lot together. Cover with a net if you leave it outside to keep the flies off. 48hrs later remove the fillets/fish from the salt and wash with tap water. Throw the fish in jars full of vinegar and smashed garlic cloves (I think chillies would be nice in the vinegar too but not traditional) with an inch of olive oil on the top. Ready to eat after 3 days.


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Wrassemagnet said:


> Slimies are best for 'lakertha" but yakkas will do.
> 
> Fillet or butterfly the fish, leave skin on. Lay in a deep square pan on a bed of salt then cover with a layer of salt. Several alternate layers of fish/salt can be built up depending on amount of fish to be prepared. Cover with a flat pan and put a few bricks on it to squash the whole lot together. Cover with a net if you leave it outside to keep the flies off. 48hrs later remove the fillets/fish from the salt and wash with tap water. Throw the fish in jars full of vinegar and smashed garlic cloves (I think chillies would be nice in the vinegar too but not traditional) with an inch of olive oil on the top. Ready to eat after 3 days.


Jeez, Jim... you wouldn't need to be hungry... 3 days! Sounds good tho'...

Too many cats around my area (neighbors either side) to leave fish outside.

Cheers, Jimbo


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## Musty (Oct 12, 2010)

This will sound wierd, as I still cant comprehend it after all these years but my old man LOVES eating fried yakkas. Has done ever since he came to this country well over 35 yrs ago.
I can bring home nice big jewie cutlets, whiting, kingie fillets, leatherjackets, you name it... Although he will eat all of them if presented, nothing shuts him up like a plate of fried yakkas...
Silly Old Man!

ps: they arnt actually bad, I will eat them too, but why bother when u can catch larger species with less effort to prepare and eat.

Musty


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## goanywhere (Feb 22, 2011)

I reckon we'll be hearing more stories like this as the new 'no take' zones come into effect. People will be hammering adjacent areas harder and will be prepared to take 'fringe' species - things that would otherwise have been thrown back.

I still reckon I might try some trumpeter one of these days....


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

goanywhere said:


> I reckon we'll be hearing more stories like this as the new 'no take' zones come into effect. People will be hammering adjacent areas harder and will be prepared to take 'fringe' species - things that would otherwise have been thrown back.
> 
> I still reckon I might try some trumpeter one of these days....


My sister in law married a guy from Turkey. He tells of his mum standing in the kitchen gutting and filleting fish around 5-10cm long for hours to get enough fish for a meal.
He was amazed that we can catch fish bigger than 20cm in our cities.


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## goanywhere (Feb 22, 2011)

Junglefisher said:


> goanywhere said:
> 
> 
> > I reckon we'll be hearing more stories like this as the new 'no take' zones come into effect. People will be hammering adjacent areas harder and will be prepared to take 'fringe' species - things that would otherwise have been thrown back.
> ...


I wonder how our fisheries will measure up after thousands of years of fishing? I'm amazed that they still catch anything at all in the Mediteranean.


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## Musty (Oct 12, 2010)

Junglefisher said:


> goanywhere said:
> 
> 
> > I reckon we'll be hearing more stories like this as the new 'no take' zones come into effect. People will be hammering adjacent areas harder and will be prepared to take 'fringe' species - things that would otherwise have been thrown back.
> ...


the fish she would have been cleaning would have been a small baitfish similar to a sardine, called "hamsi" in turkish. They are a staple food fish over there and loved by anyone fortunate enough to live close enough to the coast to get them. Infact you can get frozen batches of this fish in turkish grocery stores here in Sydney but i really dont see the difference between them and small sardines or pilchards; which by the way are oily and tasty as most small sprats are.

Musty


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

Have eaten them a couple of times when better plate species haven't been cooperative.
Wouldn't go out of my way to target them for the dinner plate though. There are much better options.


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## hulmy (Jul 4, 2010)

found the link...
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...akka-to-eat-bait/story-e6freuzi-1111116878405


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