Thread: Fishing tomorrow!

Originally Posted by Shearer

Attachment 222575

That's the second stargazer today I've seen caught on a lure. Never seen it before!

Closest I've come to catching a stargazer. Nearly grabbed the bloody thing three times. Slow, but fast!

Monkfish are good eating and high value in other parts of the world.

Originally Posted by MB

Closest I've come to catching a stargazer. Nearly grabbed the bloody thing three times. Slow, but fast!

Dive knife thru the head always worked for me many years ago. Same for flounder and sole at Okiwi Bay

Originally Posted by Pengy

Monkfish are good eating and high value in other parts of the world.

I'm not fussed on them myself.....mushy muddy flesh.
I have seen them touted as great eating fish on those reality tv cooking shows tho.....but let's face it 90%of the rest of the world doesn't know what a fresh or good fish is.
We catch a fair number at work....some get quite large!
Not a high value fish at all for us.

Took Dad and his mate out Thursday.
13 big fat flounder first drag.
As we were sorting out the net from that to go to my next spot a couple of fellas fanged up the channel to exactly where I was about to go....oh well we had a feed already and it was a beautiful morning on the water/mud.


Took a few out to a mates for tea and cooked outside with the stars and Ruru .

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I'm not fussed on them myself.....mushy muddy flesh.
I have seen them touted as great eating fish on those reality tv cooking shows tho.....but let's face it 90%of the rest of the world doesn't know what a fresh or good fish is.
We catch a fair number at work....some get quite large!
Not a high value fish at all for us.

Stargazers and monkfish are completely unrelated species of fish, but stargazers are sometimes called monkfish in NZ which leads to confusion. I don't think true monkfish even occur in our part of the world. Monkfish are good to eat. I've never tried stargazer.

Originally Posted by MB

Stargazers and monkfish are completely unrelated species of fish, but stargazers are sometimes called monkfish in NZ which leads to confusion. I don't think true monkfish even occur in our part of the world. Monkfish are good to eat. I've never tried stargazer.

https://lmgtfy.app/?q=monk+fish+new+zealand

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

https://lmgtfy.app/?q=monk+fish+new+zealand

Don't believe everything the internet tells you!

Originally Posted by MB

Don't believe everything the internet tells you!

No never!
However the New Zealand Quota Management System show codes for the following.
Brown stargazer BRZ
Giant stargazer STA
Sand stargazer SAZ
Scaly Stargazer PLZ
Spotted Stargazer SPZ
Unspecified stargazer STG

So it would appear much like flounder and sole there is many subspecies of Stargazer.
There is absolutely no mention of monkfish in the QMS that I could find in a 2 min Google so I assume it is a marketing name like calamari instead of squid,Akaroa cod instead of red cod,blue grenadia instead of Hoki etc

Monk fish is the "retail name" for it just like "lemon fish" is the name for rig I believe. Makes it sound more "trendy" for the city folk!

I have caught a few stargazer/monkfish (name this in supermarket) in flounder set nets in Pelorus sound - very firm dense flesh and from memory was hard to pan fry and cook through. I have found it to be good in fish casseroles or curries as it holds together well i.e: https://www.feastingathome.com/brazi...w-aka-moqueca/ This recipe is just outstanding albeit I add way more fish than called for.

Sadly, flounder netting in our bay has become just a good way to catch shit loads of spiny dogs and set lines for snapper pretty much the same issue.

Took a workmate and the Son out today for a drag, first time out in estuary for mate...he loved it.
22 flounder one big rig released.

I've tried to eat one and it was bloody horrible. Eaten monkfish overseas and thought it was ok, either they're different fish or i caught a bad one.

Originally Posted by BFA

I've tried to eat one and it was bloody horrible. Eaten monkfish overseas and thought it was ok, either they're different fish or i caught a bad one.

We had our second helping of it tonight with the same sauce as last time but on rice and it was bloody good. Wouldn't hesitate to eat it again if I ever caught another. Maybe it just doesn't fry well?