Bonefish in Australia?

[reggy]

Hi Guys
I caught what I think is a bonefish 2 days ago on Great Keppel Island.
I always thought they were confined to USA waters. When I pulled it in I first thought it was a huge whiting, being around 60cm.
A couple of guys on the beach said it could not be a bonefish in Australia, but another guy who is a diver said he had seen them before at Keppel.
Resized_received_765829857894937.jpeg

[shortthenlong]

Milkfish or Giant Herring?

Matt

[gunna]

We certainly have them in Australia.

[Dignity]

Hi Guys
I caught what I think is a bonefish 2 days ago on Great Keppel Island.
I always thought they were confined to USA waters. When I pulled it in I first thought it was a huge whiting, being around 60cm.
A couple of guys on the beach said it could not be a bonefish in Australia, but another guy who is a diver said he had seen them before at Keppel.
Resized_received_765829857894937.jpeg

That's a Bonefish, congrats mate, I bet it went like the clappers. I know a guy who use to fly fish for them in the shallows at the top end of Fraser Island.

[chris69]

Yer get them on the east coast and up Ningarloo in WA,1770 ,wide of breaksea spit in very deep water , they only come out of the deep too shallow flats and reef in the winter, and that one is a good size bone fish it would have been a great fight and peeled some line.

[reggy]

Interesting you mention Ningaloo reef. That T shirt I have on was bought at Exmouth. It is an advert for Ningaloo reef., and yes it did put up a good few strong runs.

[GBC]

Got one in a crab pot in Moon creek on Fraser back in the mid 1980's. I went at least 10 years telling people that whiting do actually grow 2ft long until we worked out what it must have been. They weren't well known back then.

[NAGG]

I dont think that it's a common capture - but there are definitely bonefish caught in Australia - There have been articles written over the years about captures on mainland Australia by surf anglers in particular.
Back in the early 90s we saw a few while feeding the fish at Neds Beach (Lord Howe Island) ...... unmistakable when you snorkel with them

Chris

[Kev_McC]

I’ve never caught one but have seen a couple caught at Great Keppel. Saw a school of them on one of the beaches once too. Quire a few people here have a story about catching them, accidentally. Interesting that many of them were bait fishing with solid gear in 8-15m of water.

[reggy]

I’ve never caught one but have seen a couple caught at Great Keppel. Saw a school of them on one of the beaches once too. Quire a few people here have a story about catching them, accidentally. Interesting that many of them were bait fishing with solid gear in 8-15m of water.

Yes, I got mine on a piece of squid that i was using for the golden trivially that live there.

[tunaticer]

I've seen them caught at Yellow Patch, Moreton Island many years ago.

[Dignity]

I've seen them caught at Yellow Patch, Moreton Island many years ago.

I also recall seeing one captured there they're far more common than most people think, just not targeted. Most times caught in waters where light lines are use and their blistering runs snap the lines and usually put down to it being a Trevor.

[bluefin59]

I've seen them caught at Yellow Patch, Moreton Island many years ago.

Yep we caught one as by catch chasing trevally around the Gold Coast canals on a Manns 10 + lure . Matt