John Dory
Submitted by Alan James on Wed, 2009-12-02 12:01
In another post I noticed someone mentioned John Dory as a good table fish. I couldn't agree more. I've never caught one here in WA and it's not a species you hear a lot about. Are they in WA?
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roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Yes they are in WA
old fart has caught them in 100 metres plus, excellent fish that I love to eat.
Ginger Tablets Rock
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Don't think you even have to
Don't think you even have to go that far, I've seen a few over the side in 40m.
Alan James
Posts: 2238
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Till - in Perth metro
Till - in Perth metro waters?
Jig and SP captures don't surprise me as they generally don't take cut baits. Most captures I've seen have resulted from a small fish being hooked on a bait and it then being engulfed by the John Dory, however never in WA.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Yeah, just bait and metro,
Yeah, just bait and metro, off rockingham.
chrisp
Posts: 1217
Date Joined: 24/05/08
I caught one in albany.
In about 30mtres on a jig.Two suprises there!! Not a common capture around here to my knowledge.
DazSamFishing
Posts: 1518
Date Joined: 19/08/09
Awesome Chris. Without a
Awesome Chris.
Without a doubt... one of the best eating fish in the sea.
wopjrb
Posts: 1407
Date Joined: 05/03/09
i speared one under the busselton jetty
was huge and tasted beautiful
chrisp
Posts: 1217
Date Joined: 24/05/08
Speared..
I spose that was the resident one out near the end that everyone used to see when they dived there.
wopjrb
Posts: 1407
Date Joined: 05/03/09
yer that was the one
tasted bloody nice - keeping in mind i speared the fish in question some years ago well before the observitory was built and there is a resident population of john dorys there not just one fish
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Rofl, that was probably
Rofl, that was probably there because of the no spears or gidgees regs.
Edit: pretty sure there has been a reg not to spear within 100m of any Jetty in WA since I was kid
wopjrb
Posts: 1407
Date Joined: 05/03/09
nah there was no laws wen i was there mate
just a bit of a rumor among the local divers saying you shouldnt spear anything there cos its a tourist attraction or something ......."MEH" - a good way to hook a john dory on line is to catch a tiny yellowtail orr trumpeter and trim its tail with a pair of scissors then fish on a wide gape hook on a paternoster rig on the bottom
fishcrazy
Posts: 1235
Date Joined: 27/01/07
dory
very popular fish in nz best way to catch is a live yellowtail on a biggish treble hook through the back and let them run and swallow pulling too soon will result in no hook up. or can spear snorkelling
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Same as wopjrb have seen two
Same as wopjrb have seen two caught off the busselton jetty both during winter storms when people were livebaiting with small yellowtail for mulloway. Very welcomed suprise!
Have also seen a trio of very nice sized ones swimming together when night diving there last summer. They must come and go though as i have done quiet a few night and day dives at the end of the jetty and dont always see them. Maybe residential to a WIDE area around the jetty. Very cute undewater anyway.
Also as wopjrb said, not illegal to spear under the jetty though it is frowned upon by the locals. It is against the jetty rules though to carry spear/gidgee's whilst on the jetty. I think they have been um and ahing for years about a spearing exclusion zone 100m either side of the jetty. But was down there in Easter in this year going for occy's under the jetty and didnt see any signs.
Andy Mac
Posts: 4778
Date Joined: 03/02/06
Top Eating
That one in Roger's article is a monster.
Cheers
Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)
Youngest member of the Fishwrecked Old Farts Club
wopjrb
Posts: 1407
Date Joined: 05/03/09
fill the gut cavity full of chopped onions and tomatoes
and a bit of butter - wrapp in foil and cook it whole in the oven till its cooked thru and peel off the skin and fork the meat away tastes beautiful
Matt T
Posts: 875
Date Joined: 19/11/07
Buz
Did you find many occy's under there mate? Be down there in month and wouldn't mind grabbing a couple. Did you spear them?
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Hey Matt, yeah i usually do
Hey Matt, yeah i usually do alright on the occys down there getting at least a couple of BIG ones. I know where a couple of sunken hollow pylons are(if they havent been covered my the winter sands) that always seem to hold them. Usually between the shore and where the bend in the jetty is. Can usually tell where an occy home is as there is usually crab shells and pieces littered around the holes entrance.
I used to spear them, but found that they fight till death which can take a while sticking to the inside of their hole, and the spear can really damage them up. So now prefer to wear a glove and just shove my arm down the hole and grab them around the head. Easier to get them out of the hole and doesnt damage them.
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Workmate...
...caught two off the rocks at the Dawesville Cut a few years ago. Don't believe they were very big and I neglected to ask him what bait he was using.
Roger Knife
Posts: 710
Date Joined: 12/01/09
live bait is the best way,
live bait is the best way, caught all of mine on live slimy mackeral meant for YTK, never caught one in the UK however they are caught occasionally on jigs and shads. Awesome to eat
Honorary Aussie and "foreign correspondant" for fishwrecked reel time. Make sure you have subscribed to:
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nackers
Posts: 341
Date Joined: 23/10/09
jonny dory
caught a few off the jetty my self usually on yellas after squid early spring u guys no jetty no spear zone dont yaa
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
ive heard of them around the
ive heard of them around the busso jetty caught on live baits ment for sambos and salmon.
cheers danno