Mixed bag

[re-tyred]

Well a small break in the wind and rain, so I headed up the lake to Nungurner. I was hoping the KGWs might have moved into the area. Well some had but they were undersize. The school whiting were thick. Bites every drop. I kept 10 of the best ones and a couple of smaller ones for bait. Tried quite a few spots in the area but either nothing or more small whiting. After a couple of hour I had enough of them. It was such a top day for May, no wind and warm, so I thought I may as well have a look in another area. There is another bit of gravelly bottom in 10 MTRS half way between Nungurner and Kalimna shallows, so headed there. Anchored up and within a minute the whiting rod is bent double. There is often bulleye gurnard in this area so I wasn't expecting too much. Up came a smallish flying gurnard, big enough to keep so that's a bonus. I changed to a bigger flathead rig and sent it back down with a school whiting fillet on it. Woohoo something substantial took it and headed off. Bit of a fight and up comes a just undersize school shark. Let him go. After that some small flatties and quite a lot of flying gurnard. I kept 5 of the gurnard.
Headed home and cleaned the boat and the fish. Sitting inside waiting for the cold front and rain which is due late afternoon. Fishing is good . hey!

[hornet]

Gotta love those flying gurnard tasty critters.

[denis barden]

Kool fushin.
Ive had 2 really bad experiences with the Gurnards so I just cut the line and let em go

[hornet]

Kool fushin.
Ive had 2 really bad experiences with the Gurnards so I just cut the line and let em go

These are flying gurnard not those big bug eyed spiny things denis.

[denis barden]

Ive caught the flying ones before
A Gurnard is a Gurnard to me they get thrown back.

[e.welch]

Got a good feed their plenty of food to last the cold front

[Sebb]

How do you prepare a gurnard?

Same with dennis, I caught a flying gurnard before and threw it back.
Many people says it's good eating but also spiny and full of bones.

[re-tyred]

I just fillet and skin it. Their head is hard to hold as it has a few spikes around the gills, so I use a glove on my left hand. They are similar to flathead to eat, but less bones. You can cut the ribs out if you want. Big ones you can tail fillet and keep the rib cage for bait. Offshore you can get them up to about 2kg.

[Lightningx]

I love a nice mixed bag of fish as well.
Nice catch mate
Enjoy the feed!
Cheers

[4liters]

Do you do anything different to get the gurnard? Or are they just bycatch when getting flatties offshore?

I’d love to catch more but I haven’t seen many.