THERE is always debate over the best eating fish.
Which fish performs best in the kitchen?
To my mind it is hard to beat the tropical fish from the far north of the country – Coral Trout, Red Emperor, Mangrove Jack and others. Locally, my preference is for Snapper, Pearl Perch, flathead and whiting. All of which are readily available to those keen to chase them.
Port Stephens is blessed with a choice of top-quality fish both inside and outside the Port and along our beaches.
Inside the Port from Karuah to the entrance, flathead, whiting, mulloway and bream are the most likely to be caught and now is the time to get out there.
The same can be said for whiting on the beaches particularly Fingal and Stockton Beaches which are being visited by thumping great whiting between 35-40cm in length.
Worms are by far the best bait while pipis and nippers will do the trick.Outside the heads, over the close reefs and around the islands, snapper are going crackers.
Thumpers over 4kg are biting like Bengal tigers from Birubi to Broughton.
Plastics are becoming increasingly popular however, being somewhat of a relic, I still prefer to float a fresh bait down a rich berley trail and hang on.
Best baits include king prawns, yellowtail and slimy mackerel.
A simple recipe is fresh snapper fillets dipped in a smooth batter and cooker crunchy, golden brown set on a bed of fried rice with a drizzle of sweet and sour or plum sauce.
Amazing!
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
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