Black jewfish (spotted croaker)

A big, dark croaker: gray-bronze to almost black with a large head, a big mouth, a pointed to rounded tail and, in young fish, dark spots on the back and fins. Has a large swim bladder that makes drumming sounds.

15–40 lb.

About 5 ft and over 80 lb.

Fish, prawns, crabs and squid.

Gathers in big groups on coastal wrecks, rock bars and channels, especially around the neap tides; very easy to overfish when schooled up. Its swim bladder is worth a lot in Asia, which has led to heavy fishing.

Found from Northern Territory & Western Australia, Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam), Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi), Philippines, China, Hong Kong & Taiwan, Japan & South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Pakistan and South Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea. Coastal wrecks, reefs, deep channels and estuary mouths from the Persian Gulf and India to China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern Australia (Darwin Harbour is famous).

Coastal wrecks, reefs, deep channels and estuary mouths from the Persian Gulf and India to China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern Australia (Darwin Harbour is famous).

15–330 ft.

20–100 ft.

All year; dry season in northern Australia.

Dawn and dusk, and at night.

The neap (small) tides and slack water.

Warm, stable weather; the build-up before the wet season and calm, overcast days are excellent. Heavy rain muddies the water.

Live mullet, squid, whole fish and big prawns.

Big soft plastics, vibes and slow jigs.

Heavy overhead or jigging rod (15–24 kg).

6/0–9/0 circle hooks.

50–80 lb braid.

80–100 lb monofilament.

Fish big baits or plastics on the bottom around wrecks and rock bars at slack water on small tides.

When you find a school, take your limit and move on — releasing fish from deep water rarely works for jewfish.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Excellent, firm white meat; great grilled, fried or in curries.

Sharp spines and gill covers; crocodiles in northern estuaries.

The NT allows only a small number per person (and per boat) and has spawning protections; Queensland and WA have their own limits. Fish caught deep suffer barotrauma, so stop once you have your limit. Check current rules. Licenses and rules differ by country across the Indo-Pacific: Australia's states, Asian countries and the Pacific islands all set their own bag limits, size limits and marine park zones. Check the local rules or fish with a licensed charter.

Listed as near threatened (IUCN). Take only what you need.