Scientific Name:
Argyrosomus japonicus, Argyrosomus hololepidotus
Salt/Fresh:
Salt
Also Known As:
Kingfish (incorrect); Jewfish; School Jew; Jewy; Silver Jew; River Kingfish; Soapie; MULLOWAY
Rating:
Countries:
Description:
Mulloway are one of the great fish of Australia and high on the list of dream fish for recreational anglers. There are basically two types of mulloway, one found in the tropics (see black jewfish) and the one found in the southern half of Australia. They are a large predatory fish.
How To Identify:
Mulloway are a powerful elongated fish. They are a heavy-shouldered fish with a large mouth and heavy scales. Mulloway can vary in colour depending on where they are caught but generally they are bronze-green above, with silver sides and whitish belly. They are the heavy weight of the estuaries and surf in particular and can grow as large as 60kgs, however any Mulloway over 25 kgs (50lb on the old scale) is worth a celebration and a milestone many anglers spend hours trying to achieve.
How To Catch:
Smaller Mulloway are often caught by anglers chasing bream or other species as they will take a variety of normal estuary baits such as prawns, yabbies, fish fillets, or worms. However larger Mulloway are most definitely best pursued with live baits. Live slimie mackerel, yakkas, mullet, pike or small tailor as probably the best, although in the surf they do love a couple of large beach worms threaded onto a hook. Mulloway will quite often "mouth" a bait and seem to play with it, especially with live bait, so let them run with the bait for a bit with no pressure on the line prior to striking. Once they know they are hooked, you will not forget their first run! In the surf they will often take pilchards as well intended for tailor. When a river has a typical flood wash out, Mulloway are often caught on red and white feather lead head jigs and hard bodied lures around the river mouths. In recent years more and more people have been targeting Mulloway on soft plastic lures in the estuaries with great success, they seem to love them.
Where Found:
In Australia, Mulloway are found from Southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and about half way up the Western Australian Coastline. Mulloways usual haunts are deep holes in river systems, estuaries, bays, and around rock walls, rocky headlands, river mouths, deep surf gutters and inshore reefs.