Winter mackerel! The Good ol Days!

[bulletbob]

Think we'll ever see them in numbers again?.. I know they are very popular as sushi in Japan, and thats usually the kiss of death,, Same as eels.. once they became the rage in Asia served at ultra high priced sushi/sashimi restaurants, they were suddenly missing from places where they were ridiculously abundant....

[bulletbob]

I never really considered macks a "winter" fish, although I do remember a brief run in maybe december, but nothing like we saw in the spring in april into may.. When the Blues showed up, mackerel were gone with the wind almost instantly.. bob

[Detour66]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

I never really considered macks a "winter" fish, although I do remember a brief run in maybe december, but nothing like we saw in the spring in april into may.. When the Blues showed up, mackerel were gone with the wind almost instantly.. bob

Very true. I remember that also. I wonder if the lack of macks has anything to do with the lack of blues these days?

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Detour66

Very true. I remember that also. I wonder if the lack of macks has anything to do with the lack of blues these days?

I think more likely the resurgence of Giant bluefins .

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

I think more likely the resurgence of Giant bluefins .

Disagree.. Years ago in the 60's-70's-80's there were Bluefins around, a lot more than today-yet the mackerel were always there dependably, every year, year after year.. Same as Blues.. Nowadays, Blues are netted, and sold as food, just like Macks... I see Blues up here all the time, year round,on ice, in large supermarkets, selling for ridiculous prices, yet they are always there so someone is buying and eating them.. Years ago Blues were eaten mostly by the guys that caught them.. Today, they are a market fish, and people that don't fish are eating them.. If people will et them, people will go catch and sell them.. Its only my uneducated opinion of course, but i feel the reason we don't see near as many blues these days is not a natural or environmental issue. Its because there is money to be made by catching them in nets and selling them.. Yes, Bluefins eat blues, but they always ate hem, and they were both plentiful. When salt water fish species disappear, in most cases its because someone somewhere likes to eat them and will pay for the privilege . bob

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Disagree.. Years ago in the 60's-70's-80's there were Bluefins around, a lot more than today-yet the mackerel were always there dependably, every year, year after year.. Same as Blues.. Nowadays, Blues are netted, and sold as food, just like Macks... I see Blues up here all the time, year round,on ice, in large supermarkets, selling for ridiculous prices, yet they are always there so someone is buying and eating them.. Years ago Blues were eaten mostly by the guys that caught them.. Today, they are a market fish, and people that don't fish are eating them.. If people will et them, people will go catch and sell them.. Its only my uneducated opinion of course, but i feel the reason we don't see near as many blues these days is not a natural or environmental issue. Its because there is money to be made by catching them in nets and selling them.. Yes, Bluefins eat blues, but they always ate hem, and they were both plentiful. When salt water fish species disappear, in most cases its because someone somewhere likes to eat them and will pay for the privilege . bob

Bob you honestly have NO IDEA what’s going on here with our fisheries currently .
Everytime you post many of us laugh , as we are on the water daily , and you haven’t fished here in what decades ?
The amount of giants staying in our waters for approximately 9 months out of the year hasn’t happened before .
Sure there were bluefin here , but not GIANTS in the sheer numbers being seen .

Just like your blackfish posts , about no way the bite would improve in colder water .
Yet if you actually followed the reports here (because you definitely were not fishing for them ) you would have seen when the water hit 50 the blackfish were chewing their heads off .

What happened here in the 80’s isn’t what’s going on here 45 years later .
Lots of guys here who are actually fishing ALOT, and see daily what’s going on .

[Tuna Tales]

Agree with Dan on the NJ Bluefins...

Perhaps the overall size was much larger in the 1970s and 1980s. However I feel there are many more Bluefins today. A trip in CNJ around the 3rd week of November - I saw hundreds of big bluefins (200 to 400 lb class) jumping all over the place around 8 to 10 miles offshore. Trolling was working but jig and pop can be tough for those.


Joe T.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Bob you honestly have NO IDEA what’s going on here with our fisheries currently .
Everytime you post many of us laugh , as we are on the water daily , and you haven’t fished here in what decades ?
The amount of giants staying in our waters for approximately 9 months out of the year hasn’t happened before .
Sure there were bluefin here , but not GIANTS in the sheer numbers being seen .

Just like your blackfish posts , about no way the bite would improve in colder water .
Yet if you actually followed the reports here (because you definitely were not fishing for them ) you would have seen when the water hit 50 the blackfish were chewing their heads off .

What happened here in the 80’s isn’t what’s going on here 45 years later .
Lots of guys here who are actually fishing ALOT, and see daily what’s going on .

OK, got it.. The Bluefin Tuna are eating all the Atlantic Mackerel and Bluefish.. That they never ate, years ago, when all these fish were super abundant.. Thanks for correcting me on that fact.. also thanks for the enlightenment on how GREAT blackfishing is these days, when the water drops down to 40... I see you posted where tog bite like mad when water hits 50... I agree.. I never said they didn't.. I always asserted on these pages that blackfish started shutting down as water dropped into the 40's and below, which leaves december and january out as ""blackfish weather". They can be caught of course in deep water snags and wrecks where they are concentrated, Most guys don't have the capability to fish that way. We can catch sea bass too 90 miles out and its great fishing,, Doesn't mean January is the best time to fish for them..

You can think what you like, but many here have NO idea what fishing was 40-50 years ago because they haven't even reached that age yet.. You might be a "pro" thats out on the water daily. Terrific, you are living a dream I wish I could have attained. Yet long years of experience at another time is also of value. I lived at the NJ shore for years, and like you was on the water day to day. The waters were alive with all kinds of fish in all seasons. Sharks were everywhere, inshore and offshore, unlike today. The massive predators were there, as were the small prey fish. Yes even a 15 pound Blue is prey to a Bluefin.. I doubt the resurgent Bluefin population has very little to do with Atlantic Mackerel and Bluefish populations being so poor compared to decades ago.. Believe what you want, and I respect your pro status, honestly, however I maintain my belief that those populations were decimated by people netting them and people eating them, not by larger fish eating them.. Also, if you honestly think blackfishing is anywhere close to what it was at one time, I don't know what to say other than we'll have to agree to disagree... bob