The good oil on shell fish

It’s great to see crayfish are now available to the general public, which means that many now maybe able to afford to put a fish on the table for Christmas this year.

In the past it was hard to find a spot to catch a crayfish that wasn’t crowded, even for those with their own pots – often, when returning to set, you would find a mass of pots at that location.

I gave mine up years ago as it just wasn’t viable with the running costs and licence fees.

Crayfish, to me are something you consume now and then and my family is the same, nice at Christmas but not something you would partake of on a regular basis.

Did you know that shell fish such as oysters, mussels, crab, and lobster contain large amounts of cholesterol, particularly in relation to their serving size? For example, crab legs contain 71 mg of cholesterol per serving, lobster contains 61mg per serving, and oysters contain 58mg per serving.

That’s not to say that it’s not good protein for you but it’s like anything, small amountsareOK.

Eating healthy unsaturated fats, like those found in salmon, has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. In fact, fish provides a high-protein, healthy alternative to red meat, which is high in saturated fats.

Salmon, for instance, is a great alternative to red meat because it’s a nutrient-dense food that can help raise good cholesterol levels. Plus, it’s tasty.

An average 85g fillet of cooked Atlantic salmon contains 23g of protein and 6g of fat, most of which is healthy unsaturated fat. It’s also high in vitamins D, B -12, and B -6, and is a good source of magnesium, niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, and selenium.

But first you have to catch your salmon. Some Atlantics are still available to be caught at Craigbourne Dam in the south, plus Brushy Lagoon in the north, where large redfin perch are also coming at lures.

One chap, fishing at Brushy recently tangled with a massive brown trout so large it straightened the hooks on his lure, which just goes to show, large fish do inhabit this water.

With Brushy being shallow, it does warm very quickly and sometimes green algae is present and of course fish tend to go off the bite, so anglers should be mindful of that on predicted hot days.

Elsewhere, fishing is now starting to get into top gear and with the arrival of some good weather, water temperature sin the brine are heating up.

I’m getting reports of some good mako being seen out of Eaglehawk Neck plus also it looks as if Bicheno and St He lens maybe starting to fire.

At Swansea, Marine and Safety advise that the gangway access to the Swansea Jetty will be closed until Tuesday, December 1.

The closures are to facilitate sand removal. Alternative launching is available at the Saltworks boat ramp at Little Swanport.

Take care out there!