Join the Mixed Bag movement!
Giving sand flathead a break doesn't mean you have to stop fishing. You can help sand flathead recover by joining the Mixed Bag Movement.
Tasmania has loads of fish species - some well-known, others often overlooked. Catching a mixed bag of these hidden treasures is a great recipe for fun, rewarding fishing. It's also better for sustainability!
More abundant species like mullet, Australian salmon and mackerel are in a better position to handle fishing pressure than depleted species like sand flathead.
By choosing to fish for a mixed bag you’re:
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giving overfished species a well-deserved break, and
- spreading the pressure more widely across our other sustainable species, which helps those stocks stay healthy too.
So what are you waiting for? Challenge your skills, spice up your cooking and try something new with a mixed bag of Tasmanian’s hidden treasures.
The mixed bag mindset
Mixed bag fishing is about variety, balance and the challenge of chasing and tasting more species in more ways! Here are some of our favourite tips to make your next fishing trip a mixed bag success.
Mixed Bag Brochure (PDF 2.5MB)
Build in variety
If you want to catch a mix of fish, you need to mix up your fishing! Try fishing across multiple locations and habitat types.
Switching up your rig and changing your bait or berley can also make a big difference.
See 'Be versatile and ready for anything' below for tips on switching up your fishing technique.
Fish to the conditions
Tides, water conditions and time of year can all affect when different species are more active. Learning the patterns for your local area will help you know what to target when. It’s about fishing smarter, not harder.
A guide to fishing seasons for a few of the most sustainable species you might targer for your next mixed bag.
Be versatile and ready for anything
You never quite know what will be around when you drop a line, or what might come swimming up into your berley trail!
Plan for success by having:
- a range of gear on hand for different species.
- the Fishing Tas app to help ID your catch and check the rules.
- a ruler to check the size of your catch.
- an esky ready to keep your catch cool.
Don't underestimate how much handling can impact flavour! Keep any fish you catch tasting fresh and delicious by:
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Quickly and humanely dispatching your catch using a fish bat or brain spike (see
ikijime.com for brain spiking tips).
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Bleeding your catch by cutting the membrane behind the gills.
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Keeping your catch cool with an ice/saltwater slurry. Nothing makes a fish taste bad like cooking in the sun for an hour while you keep fishing!
Learn as you go and talk to mates!
One of the best ways to get better at mixed bag fishing is to keep a diary of what does and doesn’t work in the places you fish.
The tides, weather conditions, time of year, bait and berley can all affect what species you're likely to catch.
If you’re a beginner, don’t be afraid to ask around - the only substitute for time on water is learning from someone who’s spent a lot of time on the water.
Tips for catching Tasmania’s hidden treasures
Below are some top tips for catching and cooking some of Tasmania's hidden treasures them. Tap on an image to zoom in.
Australian salmon
Wrasse
Mackerel
Centro (lonspined sea urchin)
Leatherjacket
Mullet
Mouthwatering mixed bag cooking tips and recipes
Matching your catch with a cooking style
Different fish suit different cooking styles and seasonings. When deciding how to cook your catch, it's helpful to think about texture and flavour of the fish. You can also check the
Fishing Tas app to see if the fish you caught has a recommended recipe or cooking style.
Texture
Species with
firm flesh are well suited to pan frying, baking and barbequing. E.g. Australian salmon, mackerel and leatherjacket.
Species with more
delicate flesh are better suited to steaming. E.g.
wrasse or snapper. These techniques help keep the fish moist and flavoursome.
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Firm fleshed fish like leatherjacket are well suited to baking.
Flavour
The flavour of a fish varies from species to species. Oily fish tend to have a stronger flavour.
Fish with a
stronger flavour (e.g. mackerel, Australian salmon) can be paired with bolder flavours without overwhelming the taste of the fish. Try chilli sauce, paprika or other spices.
Fish that have a delicate flavour need to be paired with soft flavours. Try lemon, italian herbs and butter.
Fish with a strong flavour can be paired with bolder spices, like this blue mackerel with Korean chilli sauce.
Recipes
Have you got a favourite recipe for an underrated species that you'd like to share? Email us at
fishing.enquiries@nre.tas.gov.au, and we'll add them here!
Seafood chowder
A rich creamy soup for turning any catch combo into a delicious dinner.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 rib celery sliced
- 1 carrot sliced
- 450g potatoes peeled and cubed
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 5 cups seafood or chicken broth
- ½ cup white wine
- 1kg firm fleshed fish cut into chunks (e.g. Australian Salmon, Leatherjacket or substitute non-fish such as mussels)
- 2 cups cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Method
Step 1
Cook onion in butter until tender. Add flour, Old Bay seasoning and thyme and cook 2-3 minutes while regularly stirring.
Step 2
Add carrot, celery, potato, corn, broth and wine & bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in fish/seafood and cream and continue to simmer. Cook until fish is fully cooked and flaky and potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Korean sauce
A great option to spice up any seafood catch. This sauce is quick to mix up and can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients
- 2 tbs gochujang (Korean chilli paste - spicy, adjust to taste).
*Find it in your local grocery store's international food aisle - 2 tbs diagonally sliced green onions
- 1 tbs soy sauce,
- 1 tbs rice vinegar,
- 2 cloves garlic, minced,
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds,
- 2 tsp brown sugar,
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Method
Step 1
Mix all the sauce ingredients together and drizzle over your seafood (cooked hower you like best). Done!
Smoked fish
Lindon’s tips for adding gorgeous flavour to your catch by smoking it. Works excellently for oily fish like mackerel and Australian Salmon!
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Brine ingredients
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 250ml water
Method
Step 1
Mix salt, sugar and water together in large container. Add fish. Leave fish in brine for one hour.
Step 2
Rinse off in fresh water and pat dry.
Step 3
Leave in the sun until sticky. Lay fish on smoker rack (don’t stack on top of one another).
Step 4
Smoke fish in smoker for 10-15 minutes. Larger fillets may take 20-30 minutes.
Notes: Oily fish such as Australian Salmon will smoke faster than leaner fish.
Smoked fish pate
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups smoked fish (skinned, deboned, and flaked)
- 225g cream cheese, softened
- 110g butter or margarine, softened
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or red wine)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- Dash freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish
Method
Step 1
Place cream cheese, butter, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, garlic, and pepper into a food processor bowl. Pulse ingredients until mixed well, but not completely puréed.
Step 2
Once well mixed, add in fish and pulse again.
Step 3
Mound mixture into a serving dish and refrigerate overnight. Paté tastes best when brought to room temperature. Top with chopped chives and serve with toasted bread triangles or savory crackers.
