Category: Records

Jonathan Cassell from the always progressive north coast club the Coffs Harbour Bluewater Freedivers has landed quite the fish. This amazing Green Jobfish is the new USFA NSW record and was speared in the Solitary Island group, it was 106cm long and a couple of grams over 13 kilos.

A handsome, wily, strong fighting fish Jobbies can really work your breath hold. Splendid specimens like Jonathan’s are definitely a top tier specie to land, as Jonathan expressed so well in his application, “…into the boat where we rejoiced in amazement” definitely a stoke specie, and, they are a great eating fish too.

Coff’s Harbour is known as the gateway in NSW for the warmer water species and with this great mix of reef and pelagic species some amazing spearfishing both on and off the shore can occur, it is well worth visiting the Solitary Islands Marine Park you will enjoy the experiences the water will give you.

Justin Ewan recently landed a new NSW record Western Foxfish (Bodianus frenchii) of 1478gm. Long time St George member Andrew Boomer held the record previously of 1430gm.

Interestingly the NSW record has come from the same area at least three times.

Western Foxies, as a rule of thumb, seem to like access to steeper drop offs, with boulders and caves close to hand, so think of pinnacles too, so they can be seen in shallower water, yet a lot of sightings seem to be that 13 plus metre mark. They have two distinct pale yellow dots, one near the top centre of the body and the other located near the caudal peduncle.

Generally shy they are not often seen by spearos and appear more abundant on the Mid North coast and it’s array of Islands and offshore reef systems. Part of the Wrasse family, (think peg teeth, not fused teeth like Parrots) they are good table fare.

Well done Justin, and thank you for submitting this excellent specimen.