Mackerel and blues question .....

[Duffman]

Been waiting awhile to just post this question hoping someone else would ask.

This whole mackerel/small bluefish run that's going on......What is it and why?

Fishing Jersey since birth and remember bostons around Mothers Day .....never thimbles eyes in August on head boats

[Captain Rich]

It seems like the bigger predator fish are avoiding the green water. Up in New England and just north of Ocean City, Maryland going south, the water is blue and they are having very good fishing seasons. It seems that the New York bight has been blessed with some really nasty stuff this season.

Why these Thimble/chub/frigate mackeral like this stuff ??? I've asked them but so far they aren't talking !

[AndyS]

Been thinking the same thing myself.

[Reel Class]

Duff - exactly what Capt. Rich said above re: the dirty water --- the big bluefish, albies, bonito, and smaller tunas just aren't around because of the nasty water we've had here since April.

Most of these mackerel are chub mackerel, but I've heard there are boston mackerel mixed in with them also. Some of the guys at clark's bring the fish in for "fish for the cause" and the ones I see are mostly the chub mackerel but there are regular atlantic macks mixed in.

Back on the water - it still has to be something in the thermocline -- like some kind of an algae bloom that's truly microscopic... I've never seen dirty water around this long in my years - this is truly a new one!

[Poncho]

GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!!

[BugEye Chris]

This whole season in my opinion has been wacky to say the least. I was out with captain Jeff last weekend ling fishing 9 different species of edible fish in the same spot We had ling cod pollack winter flounder fluke sea bass mackerel bluefish and there was even a keeper haddock all within sight of the beach

[Offshoreafflicted]

Maybe they are just here because there is nothing to eat them! Smart little buggers.

[Duffman]

So unless this water can clear out of here, its safe to say the fall run of big blues, bones and alberts isn't happening?

Regardless of what the cause is, what's it gonna take to clear it out?

Some hard westerlies?

[Captain Rich]

Originally Posted by Duffman

So unless this water can clear out of here, its safe to say the fall run of big blues, bones and alberts isn't happening?

Regardless of what the cause is, what's it gonna take to clear it out?

Some hard westerlies?

No, not necessarily, the push south is triggered by falling water temperatures which also clears the water. If we get any big storms, that will stir up the water column also.