What Fish is This?

[Alchemy]

Hi,

I caught this little guy yesterday, west of Paluma in the fresh. It looks a bit like a JP, but doesn't have the tail markings. It was a brave little guy, tackling a mann's stretch 5+, which was not much smaller than itself. Any idea what it might be?

Thanks,
Dave.

[Dan5]

Look's like a spangled perch mate.

Dan..

[chief 1]

yeh,that looks like a perch

[BARRAkid]

yep its a spangled perch they dont seem to grow very big, the biggest i have caught is close to 30cm they are very agressive and they are quite funn on small poppers

[bdowdy]

yep spangle perch there agressive little buggers,grow to about 25cm (leiopotherapon unicolor) is there scientific name, cheers bdowdy...brettsum

23508

[Bear001]

Hey Brett,
Is there nothing you CANT catch on a Jackall???? ha

Cindy

[TinarooTriumph]

Yeah shes a Spangled... bloody silly fish... they will chomp on anything I tell ya. Have caught a few around the 30cm mark and they don't put up a bad fight at all.

Theo

[bdowdy]

Hey Brett,
Is there nothing you CANT catch on a Jackall???? ha

Cindy
hi cindy they work on everything::)

[Fitzy]

Definately a Spangled Perch aka Bobby Cod. Actaully more a grunter than a perch or cod. A very agressive fish indeed often taking lures as large & even larger than themselves.

Rarely grow to a foot long however they are Australia's most successful & widespread native sweetwater fish. Very nice flesh of you want to eat them however the small size means it is hardly worth the effort.

Can migrate up a running tap at times of flood it seems. Known to travel up tiny creeks, streams & table drains & are arguably our best native fish for jumping up barriers in waterways often seen leaping up at the base of weirs when water is running over them.

Cheers,

fitz..

[tunaticer]

These Spangled Perch are excellent fish that are good on the plate at about 25-30cm and are easily caught by many means. My favorite is with ultra light fly gear using grasshopper patterns in small stream pockets of water. You can find them in quite large numbers in very tiny pockets of water along most of SEQ and NSW streams. I have pulled about a dozen out of a hole the size of a 3 seater sofa but about 6 feet deep spring fed waterhole in a half hour session near Stanthorpe. Reducing the population in these small waterholes is good for the population beacuse as the springs dry up bit by bit in drought the holes can not support 20 or 30 fish and when 1 dies the rest will be left to survive in rancid waters.

Jack.

[TinarooTriumph]

Fitzy,

Have heard that during drought times where pools will turn into puddles, and puddles will turn into nothing more then wet mud, that they can actually almost burrow themselves into the mud for a few days and wait for the rains to come. I have heard this from a few people now... never known how much truth it holds...?

Cheers

Theo

[Alchemy]

Thanks to all for your informative replies. I am surprised to hear how hardy and wide spread they are. Hopefully I can find a few larger models.

Regards,
Dave.

[o bag]

nice aquarium fish as well, but very agressive

[MitchCalcutt]

Fitzy,

Have heard that during drought times where pools will turn into puddles, and puddles will turn into nothing more then wet mud, that they can actually almost burrow themselves into the mud for a few days and wait for the rains to come. I have heard this from a few people now... never known how much truth it holds...?

Cheers

Theo
Hi Theo,
I have a spot high up in Starky station where the creek dries up in late spring, the pools that are left are a moving mass of Mouth almightys, Spangled and Cain Toad tadpoles. So thick its hard to tell where the water is. Once everything dies and the water goes stagnent the Mouth almightys and Perch are still alive. And the Pigs go crazy for a bit of fresh fish with there Mangoes. Got my biggest Indonisean Boar off a pool of water that resembled the above discription.
Mitch

[wawoftam]

Hi Theo,
I have a spot high up in Starky station where the creek dries up in late spring, the pools that are left are a moving mass of Mouth almightys, Spangled and Cain Toad tadpoles. So thick its hard to tell where the water is. Once everything dies and the water goes stagnent the Mouth almightys and Perch are still alive. And the Pigs go crazy for a bit of fresh fish with there Mangoes. Got my biggest Indonisean Boar off a pool of water that resembled the above discription.
Mitch

Never caught an Indonisean Boar before. Were you using plastics, HB's or bait? :wiseguy:

[MitchCalcutt]

Never caught an Indonisean Boar before. Were you using plastics, HB's or bait? :wiseguy:
Hard bodied Pitt Bull called Madang and Rif Raf.
Mitch

[TonyM]

Hard bodied Pitt Bull called Madang and Rif Raf.
Mitch

Would be just the ticket - they even come with upgraded terminal tackle! ;D

[shayned]

Hard bodied Pitt Bull called Madang and Rif Raf.
Mitch

We used to have a fair degree of success using slugs!!! ;) ;D ;D