hedwigarsewig 10 Posted October 30, 2015 Report Share Posted October 30, 2015 Morning all, about to take my recently refurbished canoe for its (and my) maiden voyage. Just gonna a have a bit of a paddle around in west lakes to get the hang of it, might wet a line while I'm at it. Is it true that you can get blue swimmer crabs in there? Not taking a net today, but just wondering for future expeditions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
avidanglr1 97 Posted October 30, 2015 Report Share Posted October 30, 2015 Yes u do do..best advice is not to eat them but...high levels of mercury or toxins or so...think theres signs about the place in regards of too..😆 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Booma 1,360 Posted October 30, 2015 Report Share Posted October 30, 2015 I would second that, plenty of BIG blueys in there, but definitely would not eat them Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hedwigarsewig 10 Posted October 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Well the maiden voyage was a success, the canoe went well, although all those weirdos that were 8 to a boat with no fishing gear to be seen going back and forth were a bit annoying 😜😜 Thanks for the heads up, I didn't see any signs about not eating stuff though. What about the fish (making a huge assumption that I'll actually ever catch one, pretty ordinary fisherman😊) can you eat them? Squid Inc. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AquaticResearch1 1,046 Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Honestly I know people who have eaten fish out of the port and westlakes, even fish like big dark resident snapper and they still have all 11 fingers. But I wouldn't eat anything but Salmon Trout and gar or similarly migratory species. IMO its not worth the risk to eat resident or large species like Snapper, Mulloway, Bream and even flounder etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 I'll stand corrected but I was under the impression that the blueys don't live in there full time. Each spring summer fresh crabs arrive through the inlet gates. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brenton 637 Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 there is a run of crabs every year in through both gates but some enterprising fellows net them before they even get into the lake these days. cheers b Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hedwigarsewig 10 Posted November 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 Well surprisingly I caught a bream today at west lakes, let him go though coz more people have told me they wouldn't eat any fish from West Lakes or the Port River. I don't mind, I'm just happy to paddle around and catch and release for now, once I get the canoe decked out a bit better I'll go after some keepers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kayak Noob 76 Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 I have eaten fish and blue swimmers from the lake before plenty of times and always been fine afterwards. The blue swimmers definitely only come through for a few months this time of year as it gets warm and disappear again, so their fresh and healthy when you catch them. It takes many months and up to years for toxins like heavy metals to build up in the flesh, and since the crabs really don't spend that long in there, they are pretty safe to eat. Also the signs and notices say not to eat SHELLFISH. Crabs are CRUSTACEANS. Shellfish means don't eat of the mussels and things that like to grow on pontoons and bridge pylons, sucking up all the crap out of the water... they make good bream bait though Also another way of looking at it - IF there are toxins and heavy metals present in the water... then they cant be to an extremely dangerous level.1) Because there are plenty of 35+cm big bream who have obviously lived there for most of their lifespan - and that's a long time. If they can live in there for that long, it cant be too harmful.2) ASSUMING that you catch a bream and a few crabs or whatever and they do have high levels of toxins and metals in their flesh - How big is the fish and the crabs? If their still alive and swimming when you catch them, and then you eat them, you will digest a small amount of the toxins and pass some out... And our bodies are 100X bigger than a crab, or a fish... its going to be even further diluted spread around our giant bodies.3) These things subside over time as our body will turn it to waste and eliminate it from our system sooner or later... If you only catch and take stuff occasionally, the levels in your body will never build up to a dangerous level. I wouldn't recommend eating from the lake every single day, but its only now and again... you'll be fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thanks 12 Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 I'd rather eat fish or crabs from west lakes than maccas or other processed garbage. As mentioned above crabs are crustaceans and i don't ever recall seeing blue swimmers in the lake during winter time there only in their during the warmer months so their fine to eat. And if people say their not then they shouldn't be eating crabs from the jetty either coz there the exact same thing. Just don't eat the bream its a taste you'll wish you never tried. Alexsfishin1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 I tried a bream from West lakes once and it was foul. Also tried a 35cm king George from the lake once too and it was equally as foul. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hedwigarsewig 10 Posted November 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 Wow!! So many different opinions on this subject. Asked at work this morning and it was 50 50 in each camp!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Knackers 696 Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 In the early 80s near the bridge at the legtrap hotel we used to dive and pull big heaps of oysters off concrete rubble/landfill on the bottom and off of the pylons. Tasted great. Unfortunately most of the older blokes who ate them are dead now. It was definitely the cigarettes, emphysema and lung cancer, but they might just have died from the oysters if they lived long enough. I'm still going at 45. rjwood 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thanks 12 Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 I tried a bream from West lakes once and it was foul. Also tried a 35cm king George from the lake once too and it was equally as foul. My kgw have been tasty Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom_Fishin 201 Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 saw a good sized bluey walking along the lake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom_Fishin 201 Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 philthyphill 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.