NESA Species Hunt 2013

[Thunderpants]

I have had a closer look at your "3B Rockling" pic and can see that it is actually another five beard. The barbels in 5Bs are not always fully formed and can just be stumps. In your pic you can clearly see the stumps. Sorry mate but its another 5B so I have taken the 3B off the table.

[finding nemo]

i disagree

[finding nemo]

agree that should of said

[Geordie-UK]

I have had a closer look at your "3B Rockling" pic and can see that it is actually another five beard. The barbels in 5Bs are not always fully formed and can just be stumps. In your pic you can clearly see the stumps. Sorry mate but its another 5B so I have taken the 3B off the table.

Are you sure about that? I had a look and can only see 3 beards, plus if that second one was a 5 bearded, it would be a world record contender fish... the 5B rockling record is only 15 ounces, the 3B's get much bigger than 5B's

[RossW]

Nice Bass... On a lure at night too Very good (if I caught a 3lb Bass, I wouldn't be calling it a schoolie, either, I'd be jumping through hoops!!)

[finding nemo]

This is another photo of the fish

you put doubt in my mind so id rather scratch it off and get another one that i can confirm in my own head

this photo dose appear to show stubs of barbles but still isnt 100% either way, but i must admit i dunno how you could see from origional pic

im open to debate whatever the outcome

[Thunderpants]

That's a better photo we can see the barbels much better. Three full barbels and two stumps so probably an underdeveloped five beard. It's your call mate, if you want to call it a 3B I don't mind. Personally I doubt if many of the 3Bs in the hunt are really those anyway as none of them show the leopard spots that 3Bs are supposed to have but for the purposes of the species hunt if we can only see three barbels and it was caught locally (therefore not a shore rockling which do not occur in the north east) then I am ok to call them 3Bs.

[finding nemo]

there is doubt so ill forget that fish mate

im fairly confident ill get another anyway so im happy to take your judgement

[RossW]

3 bearded rockling

Here's a three bearded with the leopard spots (not for the species hunt, just for a demo!)



The controversial fish does look quite 5 beardy to me but am no expert

[finding nemo]

If it is indeed a 5bd and 15oz is the record it was deffo close to that

[Wee Ver]

Wot ever this is?

[toonboymc]

Wot ever this is?

looks like a lesser weaver i think

[Wee Ver]

Ha I thought it was a blenny. Shud know its a weever that was 1 of my first sea fish I caught

[lambtonworm]

The Rockling recently posted are both 5 beards and if one had been 15oz would have dwarfed the card it was on,when you catch a 3 bearded rockling you will know instantly as colouration resembles nothing like the copper slugs that are the 5's as well as being noticably larger averaging 1.5lb in the North East Area

[Thunderpants]

That's a weaver Wee Ver Lol It's name is written next to it

I have had a good trawl around the internet and everywhere I look says that three bearded rocklings are light in colour with dark brown blotches (like leopard spots) not plain or drab looking i.e. they should look like the picture Ross W has posted (thanks for that mate). If this is true then all of the 3B Rocklings listed in the species hunt will need to be removed as their colouration would make them five beards even though they don't have five fully formed barbels visible. What do you all think?