Lisa Jones wrote on Sep 8
th, 2015 at 10:47am:
I posted this elsewhere but it's more of a chat topic really.
Where in/around NSW can you catch good fish these days?
Oh and preferably somewhere where it won't take an entire day just to catch one fish.
I also need to know what to do with a fish after I've caught him. Do I just throw him in a bucket of water and take him home? Or do I gut him there and then? What's safer?
Also, what is the easiest way to gut a fish? Right now, using my little/no knowledge on the matter, I assume you 1st cut off his head then cut across the scales to produce 2 fillets. But don't they have guts also etc?
Sorry for the many questions. I just want to catch a big beautiful fish for my mum. (She will then show me how to cook it the Greek way which will make her day complete)
The further north the better, unless you live between Sydney and Wolloongong.
I often make a single cut to take the head, pec fins and stomach (ribs etc) off in one go, then scoop any remaining guts out. That is for when I plan to bake it whole. The sooner the better. Kill the fish as soon as possible. Putting it on ice is more important than gutting it ASAP. Don't bother gutting if you intend to fillet.
If there are yabbies around, get a bait pump and use them for bait to get bream and whiting on light, unweighted gear. It will keep things interesting.