King threadfin (threadfin salmon)

A big silver-gold fish with a rounded, overhanging snout, a mouth set low, a forked tail, and long free "threads" (feelers) under the pectoral fins. Dark yellow-gray fins and a dark back.

20–40 in and 5–20 lb.

About 5½ ft and close to 100 lb (45 kg).

Prawns, small fish and crabs, found by feeling along the muddy bottom with its threads.

Schools in muddy estuaries and along coastal beaches, often feeding on prawns in dirty water. Like the barramundi it changes sex, starting male and becoming female when large.

Found from Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory & Western Australia, South Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea and Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi). Turbid estuaries, tidal rivers, mud flats and coastal beaches of northern Australia (from the Pilbara to central Queensland) and southern New Guinea. Broome, Darwin and the Fitzroy River are well known.

Turbid estuaries, tidal rivers, mud flats and coastal beaches of northern Australia (from the Pilbara to central Queensland) and southern New Guinea. Broome, Darwin and the Fitzroy River are well known.

2–30 ft.

3–15 ft along drop-offs and creek mouths.

All year; best in the dry season (April to October).

Dawn and dusk, and at night.

The first half of the run-out tide, when bait drains off the flats and out of the creeks; the turn of high tide is good too.

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

Live or fresh prawns, mullet and herring.

Soft-plastic prawns and paddle tails, vibes and small hard-body minnows worked near the bottom.

7 ft medium spinning rod (6–8 kg).

2/0–5/0 hooks.

20–30 lb braid.

30–50 lb fluorocarbon.

Look for threadfin feeding on prawns along muddy drop-offs (the sounder shows schools). Hop soft plastics along the bottom or drift live prawns. They make long runs and jump.

Threadfin have soft mouths: use a light drag and let them run, or the hook pulls.

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, rich white meat; great fried, grilled or in curries. Bleed it and ice it quickly.

Saltwater crocodiles live in barramundi country across northern Australia, New Guinea and Southeast Asia: never wade, clean fish at the water's edge or lean over the side of a small boat. Gill covers are razor sharp.

Queensland and the NT have minimum sizes and bag limits; Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria has extra limits. Check current rules. Each Australian state sets its own rules: NSW and Victoria require a recreational fishing licence in fresh and salt water, Western Australia needs a licence for boat fishing and freshwater angling, Tasmania for inland waters, and Queensland only for stocked impoundments; the Northern Territory needs none. Bag limits, size limits, closed seasons and marine park zones apply everywhere.

Keep only what you'll eat and release the big breeders; wet your hands, support the fish's belly and get it back in the water fast.