Man reels in 'freak' 22-kilogram red emperor off Queensland coast - and reveals why he won't be eating the fish
- Charter operator Ed Falconer caught a huge red emperor earlier this week
- Mr Falconer said it measured 104 centimetres long and took 20 minutes to reel in
- He plans to donate the fish to Queensland Fisheries so they can find out the age
A fisherman who caught a 22-kilogram red emperor has revealed why he won't be eating the 'once in a lifetime' catch.
Ed Falconer, a charter operator, was fishing off Rainbow Beach in south-east Queensland earlier this week when he hooked the beast.
After wrestling the red emperor with a rod and reel for 20 minutes he finally got the 104-centimetre fish on the boat deck.
Ed Falconer, a charter operator, was fishing off Rainbow Beach in south-east Queensland earlier this week when he hooked the 22-kilogram beast
'I actually thought it was a big cod instead of a red emperor, the way it was fighting,' he told ABC News.
'I've been fishing these waters for 30 years and the biggest one I've caught before that was about 19kg.
'We often get 8kg, 10kg, 12kg ... but that one is a definite freak. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing.'
Queensland Museum fish expert Jeff Johnson said the 22 kilogram weight matches that of another red emperor recorded in 1962.
The fisherman said it took 20 minutes to wrestle the 104 centimetre fish on board
Mr Falconer said he plans to donate the fish to Queensland Fisheries so scientists can find out how it lived for so long.
He said scientists could find out the age of the fish by removing a bone in its skull and counting the calcified rings inside.
The fisherman said he didn't want the huge fish to go to waste and hoped the research could help find out more about the red emperor species.
Mr Falconer was forced to put his business, Keely Rose Fishing Charters, on hold due to coronavirus restrictions but finally started tours again earlier this week.
Mr Falconer said he had be fishing off Rainbow Beach, in south-east Queensland, for nearly 30 years and had never seen anything like it
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