Fish

Red gurnard (kumukumu)

Rubio rojo (kumukumu)

Chelidonichthys kumu

Saltwater

At a glance

Typical size

12–18 in and 1–2 lb.

Depth

3–650 ft; mostly 15–150 ft.

Best time

Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon.

Found in

3 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A bright red-pink fish with a big bony head, three finger-like feelers under each pectoral fin, and huge fan-shaped pectoral fins that are green-blue with a black patch and white or blue spots. Grunts when caught.
Typical size: 12–18 in and 1–2 lb.
Maximum size: About 2 ft and around 4 lb.
Diet: Crabs, shrimp, worms and small fish found by "walking" its feelers over the sand.
Behavior: Walks over sand and mud bottoms on its pectoral feelers, often with snapper.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from New Zealand, South-East Australia & Tasmania and Japan & South Korea. Sand and mud bottoms in bays and on the shelf around New Zealand, southern Australia and parts of the western Pacific.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms in bays and on the shelf around New Zealand, southern Australia and parts of the western Pacific.
Depth: 3–650 ft; mostly 15–150 ft.
Fishing depth: 15–100 ft.
Best season: All year; spring and summer are best.
Best time: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon.
Best tides: Moving water: the hours around the tide change, when current pushes over the reef edges and bait gets swept along.
Best weather / conditions: Stable weather with clean water; a few days of steady conditions beat a front coming through.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Pilchards, squid, shellfish and fish strips on flasher rigs.
Best artificial lures: Small soft plastics and slow jigs dragged along the bottom.
Tackle setup: 7 ft light-medium spinning or boat rod.
Hook size: 1/0–4/0 hooks.
Line: 15–20 lb braid.
Leader: 20–30 lb monofilament.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Sand and mud bottoms in bays and on the shelf around New Zealand, southern Australia and parts of the western Pacific.
Rig up: 7 ft light-medium spinning or boat rod. 20–30 lb monofilament.
Pick your bait: Pilchards, squid, shellfish and fish strips on flasher rigs. Lures: Small soft plastics and slow jigs dragged along the bottom.
Fish it: Drift over sand flats with baited flasher rigs or soft plastics bouncing on the bottom.
Time it: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon. Moving water: the hours around the tide change, when current pushes over the reef edges and bait gets swept along.

Fishing techniques: Drift over sand flats with baited flasher rigs or soft plastics bouncing on the bottom.
BigJoe's tip: Drift instead of anchoring — gurnard are spread out over sand and you need to cover ground.
Catch and release: 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.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Excellent: firm, sweet white fillets; pan-fry or bake.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Spiny head and dorsal spines — handle with care.
Regulations: New Zealand has general daily limits and minimum sizes in some areas. Check current rules. Rules differ between Australia and New Zealand: NSW, Victoria and Western Australia (boat fishing) require a recreational licence, other Australian states and New Zealand's sea fishing need none, but bag limits, size limits and marine reserves apply everywhere.
Conservation: 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.

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Sources & photo credits