Marzamemi Sicily-Report and fish ID needed

Out for a short session off the beach.Weather hot and sunny 28 degrees.

Was using the rovex lure pro quad great travel rod 8ft four equal sections.

First cast with a Salt Skimmer over a weed bed (the beaches round here have huge beds of a grassy type weed called poseidonia) and there was a splash near the lure so I was hopeful. I was working the lure over the weed beds for 20 minutes or so when there was an eruption on the surface and a fish was on.I could see the fish wasn't huge but was very energetic, taking line off the reel, splashing on the surface and then diving and zipping left and right.

Got him in to the beach OK to have a look at him I didn't recognise him-i think it was a kind of small Jack but I don't know. What I do know is that it has a set or really sore spines running from the head back to the dorsal fin because I got a nice spike off him. Pic beliw

I didn't take a pic there and then because I was wading in my shorts and left the phone back at the apartment. In any case, a fishing session that resulted in dinner was more likely to yield more sessions,so he was knocked on the head and left back to herself under the shade of the umbrella to mind.

Ten more minutes and I was getting hot working the surface lure so I switched to a silver and blue black minnow (the med being the home of the sardine and anchovy)

Few casts with that and I was slowly retrieving through the wed bed when I felt a snag.Then the snag started fighting back! Another of the same fish a little smaller.Great energetic fighters these fish.

As I was landing the fish a few locals came over for a look they were completely mystified by the black minnow.One of them was fishing a beach rod with a big float and a plug underneath it but he had no luck while I saw him.they told me the name of my fish in Italian but I since forgot. They confirmed it was good to eat.

Off home we went with dinner in the bag I'll report later on how it tastes!

If anyone could ID the fish it would be great.Note the odd lateral line-out couldn't find any fish pic to match it



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Leerfish ?
http://www.fishbase.se/summary/692

Yes! In the meantime I used the exact same website to identify as you chuckaroo. The downturned lateral line is the clincher. Family carignidae which is the family for jacks and pompanos.



Beautiful fish to eat firm flavourful white flesh. Makes sense for a predatory fish

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Well done Nice way to have dinner. Must have a look at that rod Im on the lookout for a travel spin rod.

You will be hard pressed to get a better travel rod for the price-bought mine in the UK last year for 35 pounds so it should be well under 50 quid here. It's cast rating is 20-40 get but it will do down to about 15g perfectly.The salt Skimmer is under 20g and I was absolutely firing it out.

Savage gear and major craft do 4 piece rods for twice and three times the money and I can't see how they could be 2 or 3 times better. For instance, I was fishing in Jersey earlier on in the year with a guy who had a tenryu injection and I was casting every bit as far and as accurately.

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It's in the post thanks.