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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mtn Breeze Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Butterfish movements/habits....
    Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 6:28pm
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I've been out a few times over the last few weeks in the usual local spots after the usual local species(Butterfish,Moki,crays and paua)and I don't think I've seen one legal-length butter(heaps of juveniles though).This in spots that other times of the year hold truckloads of them.Anyone shed some light on their annual habits/movements etc,if any??
 
 
ps - re. crays.......went out two days ago in great conditions(4-6 metre viz.Yeh,yeh,I know......that's crap viz for you N.I. fellas but superb down here)and got onto quite a few bugs.Managed to haul out about 12 or so and bugger me,eleven of them were in berry.DON'T YA HATE THAT !!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nick. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 6:51pm
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All the crays I pulled out on Saturday were in berry too, no fish in shore in the Bay of Plenty, heaps of bait fish but didnt see a single JD, moki, kingi or snapper in 3 hrs. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote herby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 7:02pm
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Sometimes its not even worth trying for crays when theyre like that eh, the damage you must do to them compared to the reward... Ever tried crayfish caviar?
 
 Dunno bout down there, but the butterfish up here seem to stay put year round.
Maybe I'm being narrow minded but they're a reef fish so where could they go? Try looking round the next point or something? Seems to be bigger groups of them this time of year so that would mean less in areas they would normally be dispersed through and big aggregations where you would normally find one or two. e.g., if you dont find an aggregation you dont find any? Once you find a group go hardnuts. boom boom boom.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote ThomasW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 7:53pm
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I only saw 1 legal size butterfish on my last trip down to Kaikouria. Visibility was good and the sea was calm. They are normally numerous down there.

Been too big of a whimp to go diving lately. Waiting for the weather to warm up a bit.

I have heard from a commercial fishermen that butterfish show up in numbers at a certain time of year... but forgotten the details. They might go off to spawn?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 8:08pm
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was out stephens passage/island area on sat nailed a nice 2kg butter along with some nice turkeys and other usual fish.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote S.O.T Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 8:48pm
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Went out to Mana Island today and saw 2 very small butters. Usually this place holds a number of different species but there was absolutely zilch today. Maybe the've gone to deeper water as the shallows (3 - 15 meters) cool right down??? Or maybe we just couldn't spot anything in the 3 meter vis!

We did dive another location a few weeks back , and like Herby stated, there were 2 bays with nothing in sight (which usually contain fish)and then we moved into another and there was tons there... Winter mystery.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote oldfela Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:02pm
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you have to rember that they are a reef fish and you can only shoot them once, you should spread your hunting out over a larger area , you may not be the only diver hunting the area , be lides this I think our mainland butters move around a bit in the winter, or when the tide is not runingthey are feeding in the weed aor hid up under rocks etc ,have a good look around and you will find them
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote herby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:06pm
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A fish you can only shoot once? No. Never...  Big%20smile
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote herby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:10pm
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Oh yeah saw a pair of your fins the other day tunahunter, good lookin pieces of footwear. Might have to treat myself in the not too distant future! Would they fit in nemo pockets?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote oldfela Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:17pm
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yes they will fit nemo,s as long as you can get the rusted bolt undone, what fins did you see
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote herby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:21pm
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Super snoopers. That crappy rusty metal drives me nuts, youd think the ammount of effort it takes to test and then manufacture a fin blade like a nemo, a stainless screw would be a natural choice?

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote oldfela Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:29pm
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I have s/s cap scews to replace these , my latest fins are supper shiney smooth and allmost  clear with the sea weed camo lay into it ,
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote long john Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:33pm
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Gaz
is there any way to get the blades see-thru like omer ice fins or does glass always have a colour to it?
I know this sounds dumb but i remember clear fiberglas corro for roofing from back in the day
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote long john Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:45pm
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as far as berried crays; at this time of year, just look at the forelegs and only go for the males, the reason being that more than half the crays with only one leg broken off will die. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote oldfela Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:48pm
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I  will let you know soon as i,m going to lay some up as clears they should be 99% clear. the camo seaweed one you can see the pink of your hand through the fin ,so with out the photo they should be clear ,
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Diver Dan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:49pm
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Butterfish at this time of year do seem to head deeper in the south. Not sure if it spawning though as they tend to be serial spawners, spawning through much of the year. Go and have a latte instead
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote oldfela Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:51pm
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LJ   I did not realise you were that old
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote oldfela Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 9:55pm
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all the butterfish hens that I got on saturday were heavey in row,and in shallow  but all the big ones were all together,and took a bit of finding , small ones every were
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote ThomasW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2007 at 10:58pm
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males occur in deeper waters than females. Consequently, sex ratios vary with locality, but females often outnumber males.

The spawning season extends from July to March in Cook Strait, peaking in September-October. The spawning season in southern New Zealand appears to be shorter, likely August to January, peaking in October-January. Postlarvae quickly settle out from the plankton.

The only information on movement relates to feeding behaviour involving small-scale movements within
seaweed beds. There is no information on movement along the coastline within a weed-bed habitat, or
potentially longer migration between such habitats separated by open coast. However, the latter seems
unlikely on any substantial scale, and butterfish populations are probably quite localised.


Source: http://services.fish.govt.nz/fishresourcespublic/Plenary2006/BUT_06.pdf
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Paul G Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jul 2007 at 8:09am
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Most of the time you can see the hump in the tail of crays with eggs. Just take a look before you grab them.
LJ: what do you look for on the fore legs?
How do you guys prepare butterfish? Have tried them a couple of times (probably fried in butter) but not so keen.
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