EATING SAILS........I AM SICKENED!!!!!!!

luvindafish · Post by **luvindafish** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:04 am

I write this with concern for the beautiful sails that exist in darwin waters. I have caught many sails in Broome and was lucky to tag one in the last comp. Recently my parner and i along with two of oyur friends went to Dundee. We had never seen pods of sails finning and feeding on the surface, or as many free jumping as we did on saturday. We caught 5 for the day. Our ethic on the boat is never to pull them out of the water as it is very distructive to them ( hence there brown appearance). Still saw so many people pulling them out of the water and its sad. Especially when they are quite small. Anyway what has shocked me more was that on a visit to an OUTER darwin shop. We were talking about catching sails and i suggested that circle hooks are the way to go as less damaging to the fish as usually hooks inside the bill. THE individual who wont be named quite proudly stated that should he catch one on his next trip he would slit its throat and smoke it. My parner and i just shook our heads and left the store. I WONT EVER GO BACK!

dodgyone · Post by **dodgyone** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:50 am

Why not?
Some people have eaten metre plus barra.
If there are plenty around and you decide to try it I cant see the problem.

I hear Sails are not that good to eat actually. Marlin on the other hand.....delicious.

fishfanatic · Post by **fishfanatic** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:23 am

Likewise I cannot see a problem with eating sails - they are NOT I believe endangered nor particularly scarce?

rossco · Post by **rossco** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:18 am

It would be interesting to know how good eating the flesh is. The only one we had to cut up had died on us after a protracted tussle. We wised up after that and stopped using 6kg spin gear. We asked some well known people who were around at the time if we should eat it and their advice was use it for bait. We did and the red emporer loved it.

harmsey · Post by **harmsey** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:23 am

dodgyone wrote:Why not?
Some people have eaten metre plus barra.
If there are plenty around and you decide to try it I cant see the problem.

I hear Sails are not that good to eat actually. Marlin on the other hand.....delicious.

your a sick man dodgy, n o wonder you have been kicked out of NT waters

Post by **Matt Flynn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:45 am

Sailfish is very average tucker, but might be OK smoked. Can confirm marlin though is rather tasty crumbed and fried. I would only eat damaged, dying fish obviously. The fish dodgy has was gut hooked and dying.

Out around Caution Point (Tiwis, wide of Darwin) there has recently been a huge congregation of baby sailfish about a foot long. I've heard there are pros using them for mackerel baits because there are so many available, they have (apparently) been cast-netting them. No law against it.

Sailfish grow extremely quickly, not a vulnerable species to us recreational fishos, but drift and purse nets can put a dent in their numbers. And maybe cast netting

luvindafish · Post by **luvindafish** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:46 am

Even if gut hooked with small circle hooks that we use, the leader is cut and hook rusts out very quickly. Even if they throw their stomach it can be pushed in they survive. My partner worked on a game boat so he knows his stuff. More chance of surviving if let go. Obviously. That is our ethic anyway and i know that most game fishos in Broome would do the same. Its just our ethic. I think that there are plenty of other species available for the dinner plate. Each to there own i guess. I was just appauled by this persons comments. I dont know who dodgy is.nor do i care. If one is proud to photo that then i feel sorry for him. Anyway cast netting for them for bait is something that we should do something about. But what? And as for eating big barra well i wont go there!

Post by **Matt Flynn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:21 am

Strangely enough, I think there's probably now more of a case for releasing tasty goldies and jewies! Our reefies are under intense and growing fishing pressure around Darwin but sailfish hardly get touched. It's an odd thought I know, but I'd bet the sailfish stock is healthier and safer from overfishing than our reefies.

Of course all billfish are superb sportfish and should be released, but a tired, heavily bleeding fish with its stomach hanging out of its mouth probably has a very average chance of surviving. It may as well be in your tucker box than a shark's tucker box. Dodgy's fish was cactus and was shared among a few people, including myself, who all ranked it highly. I'm more than happy to release future small blacks, I'm not desperate for fish, and the Mr Barra shop is cheaper anyway

milky-murderer · Post by **milky-murderer** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:24 am

theres no regulations for it so they can do what they wont with them.

2rods · Post by **2rods** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:43 am

If the bill fish was dead or near dead then I see no problem with eating it...no point throwing it back.....

But anything that has a chance of living should go straight back.

As for Dodgy....ell even though I am Bias (cause he is my mate) I think ya might be a bit quick to judge him

tinni · Post by **tinni** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:59 am

IMOH, if a fish is not going to make it if released, then either use it for the dinner table or as bait. I would hate to be a poor fish thrown back that can hardley swim to die by being eaten by a bl..dy shark or something

double haul · Post by **double haul** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 5:29 pm

Hey luvindafish good to see yas got into them to. Look forward to seeing your post on the fishing there as well. As for the bloke in question if its who i think it is he was taking the p..s. Hes putt in a lot of time cashing these fish and hasnt even seen 1. We had 1 fish gutt hooked on a circle and me personaly i like to cut the hook and see if it swims away. As for the comment on lifting the fish out of the water each to there own. (might be just me but ya post poped up pretty well stright after my post) I lived in broome for 2 years and fished 2 broome comps and was right in there with the club memebers learning info on them, i treat these fish like there worth there weight in gold. Camera ready fish is cradled and stright up 2 or 3 shots taken then back to the water. Just ask big all from realcurzie how to look after fish and i do the same.

Post by **Matt Flynn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 5:43 pm

A study on the survival of released sailfish would be useful - the studies of released reef fish have provided surprising data.

Someone was telling me mackerel have been studied and have very poor survival prospects after release, I have been meaning to chase this up and verify it, anyone heard more?

back-cast · Post by **back-cast** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 5:47 pm

2rods
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

If the bill fish was dead or near dead then I see no problem with eating it...no point throwing it back.....
But anything that has a chance of living should go straight back.
As for Dodgy....ell even though I am Bias (cause he is my mate) I think ya might be a bit quick to judge him

Burn - Dodgy - Burn

"you Know you are just a Stinking Livebaiter Dodgy"

But I can't see a Problem Here, They are Just another Fish
Kill as many as you want dodgy, Just Stop Livebaiting Barra's
in fact I'll swap you a couple of classic's for a Bill off of the next one you Neck mate, save me some of the bloodline too, so i can catch a Jewfish with it,
i reckon they might be good for that

double haul · Post by **double haul** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:42 pm

luvindafish dont forget to fill out the billfish log.