Normally I would let a fish this size go, but being in a bragging comp with my grandson who lives in Sydney and not having the camera in the boat I kept this one.
I said to my brother who was with me "we cant waste this fish, we've got to eat it even though it will be a bit tough and dry"
How wrong was I, it was the best feed of flathead we have ever eaten. I caught a 45cm fish the next day and it wasn't a patch on the big one. Go figure!
Largest on record was 28lb 3/4oz at Lake Tyers in Victoria. One clubbed with an oar at Wonboyn Lake in NSW was supposedly 32lb! Saw one at Wonboyn Lake on a sand bar Dad and I were going over, I was on point watching water depth in a 10 foot tinnie. I nearly jumped in and at about 16 years of age got really excited. I have never seen my fathers mouth drop when we went back around again to see it. Nearly half the size of the tinnie. This was the first time I ever learned to mark with two points on the shore with two points behind them. Dad went for the live poddy mullet and we got back on top of the beast and as soon as the mullet hit the water the fish was gone. Dad said the fish had seen it all before.
My biggest was just over 6lb, Dad, rest his soul, never did catch a big one. I don't keep big fish any more, and with sharks, I only keep males.
