Fishing Victoria Forum

Bait off the bottom for gummy? That i should try.
The banjos i caught fought like gummy. For few seconds thought I hooked on a gummy, but naaaahh...
Oh well

Robbie1950 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 2:13 pm

Seb85 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 1:33 pm

I feel you. My last trip was looking for gummy and landed three banjo in one hour.

In all seriousness its frigen disheartening when you're on the water constantly re-baiting and untangling rods becaudse of these mutts. I really don't understand why the hell they would be protected.

Out of anger and frustration I was very close from 'taking things into my own hands' but lucky common sense prevailed.

Went on a charter a few years back where the skipper was showing off putting the knife into rays and skates. Goes completely against the social media profile this individual drives to make a buck.

Do you have to land rays whole now? Still tempted to try eating one but just take the wings.

Banjos... Not worth the effort. The skin is like leather and it feels bad killing one only for a bit of tail meat

I feel your pain. Eagle rays and banjos do my head in, especially when they tangle lines and ruin beautiful fresh baits. Then there’s dog sharks during the colder months. It’s simply unwanted by-catch that fills in time between good fish. Just gotta suck it up unfortunately, but they can certainly test your patience when they’re one after the bloody other!

Land based we keep out burley cages high in the water column helps prevent the banjo sharks and keeps the smaller pest species high above the bottom.

They're a plentiful by-catch species and though they are less than ideal for eating they play an important role in our marine ecosystems. Without the rays eating fish waste and remains we would have water fouled up from the decomposition process, they're like a vacuum of the ocean. Remove them from the ecosystem and our favourite targeted species would also disappear. Everything about our ecosystem aims to maintain that balance. Mismanagement of these ecosystems results in things like the current SA Snapper ban.

Robbie1950 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 2:14 pm

ducky wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 1:03 pm

So do your bit for the bay and eat them. They taste like gummy...

EEWWW

Assume you haven’t eaten one... I did a couple months ago after killing one for a bronzie bait. Ate it side by side with gummy shark caught in the same sesh. Tasted identical albeit slightly softer flesh.

Definitely won’t hesitate to take a larger one again.

I think I prefer banjos over 7 gillers

At least ya get ya tackle back with banjos most times

I’ve noticed diving that burley / catch bags suspended off the bottom makes no difference

I can have a bag full of abs under a float and rays, pj’s and banjos will all come off the bottom and have a sniff around. Some rays are very defensive around it lol

My mate got stung by a ray back in Jan (he was being an idiot) it was funny but he regretted it big time, obviously. His arm is still swollen today lol

rb85 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:15 pm

Robbie1950 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 2:13 pm

Seb85 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 1:33 pm

I feel you. My last trip was looking for gummy and landed three banjo in one hour.

In all seriousness its frigen disheartening when you're on the water constantly re-baiting and untangling rods becaudse of these mutts. I really don't understand why the hell they would be protected.

Out of anger and frustration I was very close from 'taking things into my own hands' but lucky common sense prevailed.

Went on a charter a few years back where the skipper was showing off putting the knife into rays and skates. Goes completely against the social media profile this individual drives to make a buck.

As tempting as it is to do the same I dont think its the right way. Talking about charter operators, I watched a youtube clip not long ago posted by probably the best know operator in not only PPB but Victoria. He was commenting on how 'all the shitkickers' driving past him had no idea about fishing because they had sh$t sounders. He sounds like a big knob if you ask me, although I could be wrong.

ducky wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 12:59 am

Robbie1950 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 2:14 pm

ducky wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 1:03 pm

So do your bit for the bay and eat them. They taste like gummy...

EEWWW

Assume you haven’t eaten one... I did a couple months ago after killing one for a bronzie bait. Ate it side by side with gummy shark caught in the same sesh. Tasted identical albeit slightly softer flesh.

Definitely won’t hesitate to take a larger one again.

They probably do taste great I have no doubt, but I can't get my head around the look of them. I'm someone who eats with there eyes, if it doesn't look tasty it ain't going in my mouth. I guess thats my loss at the end of the day.

Robbie1950 wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:30 am

rb85 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:15 pm

Robbie1950 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 2:13 pm

Seb85 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 1:33 pm

I feel you. My last trip was looking for gummy and landed three banjo in one hour.

In all seriousness its frigen disheartening when you're on the water constantly re-baiting and untangling rods becaudse of these mutts. I really don't understand why the hell they would be protected.

Out of anger and frustration I was very close from 'taking things into my own hands' but lucky common sense prevailed.

Went on a charter a few years back where the skipper was showing off putting the knife into rays and skates. Goes completely against the social media profile this individual drives to make a buck.

As tempting as it is to do the same I dont think its the right way. Talking about charter operators, I watched a youtube clip not long ago posted by probably the best know operator in not only PPB but Victoria. He was commenting on how 'all the shitkickers' driving past him had no idea about fishing because they had sh$t sounders. He sounds like a big knob if you ask me, although I could be wrong.

Agreed. I saw some bad behaviour on charters when I was younger, usually towards sharks. Didn't think much of it at the time but looking back it was just downright wrong. Sharks cop the blame for eating lots of fish which the charter operators want to get themselves... but without them we are in trouble.