All about roosterfish

[DarkSkies]

Southern speedsters that slightly resemble the rooster's mane and want to bust your gear when you hook them, making you glad you brought the very best to do battle with these fish!!

Post up anything you want to about roosterfish, facts, figures, pics, anything at all you feel like throwing up here.

If whatever you quoted comes from a published or copyrighted source, please add the link. Thanks.

[dogfish]

Always wanted to take a trip south of the border for some roosters.



ROOSTERFISH

Description The roosterfish, Nematistius pectoralis, is a game fish common in the marine waters surrounding Mexico, from the Gulf of California to Panama, and in the eastern Pacific, from California to Peru. It is the only fish in the genus Nematistius and the family Nematistiidae. It is distinguished by its "rooster comb", seven very long spines of the dorsal fin.

The roosterfish has an unusual arrangement of its ears: the swim bladder penetrates the brain through the large foramina and makes contact with the inner ear. It uses its swim bladder to amplify sounds.

Rooster fish can reach 4 feet in length and over one hundred pounds. The weight of the average fish hooked is about 20 pounds. The fish is popular as a game fish, but like most fish in the jack family (besides the amberjack) it is not considered a good eating fish.

The Roosterfish is found along the beach, predominately during warm seasons with water temperatures in excess of 80 degrees, and at depths of up to 100 feet.

The Roosterfish is a true visual phenomenon. It feeds on sardines and other small silvery fishes and travels in packs chasing food onto the shore.

It is usually caught with slowly trolled mullet, ladyfish, or sardines just outside the surf line, outwards from shore to about a quarter-mile. It has also been caught with good regularity from shore using Ranger Plugs and Klassen Poppers, and can also be caught by fly casting

[dogfish]

these guys took a trip to baja for roosters & some jacks