A RECREATIONAL angler has been fined $10,000 after being caught with almost 600 times the legal amount of fish.

The fisherman had 2915 pieces of flathead fillet in his boat when he was intercepted by inspectors in August last year.

The legal limit of flathead in Queensland is five per person.

The man also had 98 goldenline whiting, which exceeded the bag limit of 30.

He recently appeared in the Bowen Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to possessing excessive quantities of fish.

The court was told the man was returning from an eight-week fishing trip in the state's far north when he was caught.

He was fined $10,000, a penalty which although only one-tenth of the maximum, has been welcomed by the state government as a clear message to the fishing community.

"Bag limits aim to conserve heavily exploited species and to conserve those that are susceptible to capture," Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district officer Glen Harsley said.