Mackerel sightings?

[porgylber]

It’s April. Shouldn’t mackerel be on the radar? Or will this be another year without a spring run? Any reports?

[AndyS]

Spring run hasn't happened since the Russian trawlers were "invited" in to fish the East Coast. No mackerel run since the late 1970's. I remember the bumper stickers after they took the entire East Coast run, 200 MILE LIMIT NOW !!

[Pauls1976]

Miss the old spring runs! When we got our boat, we would launch and a Mackeral trip would be out shake down cruise. After we had our share we would break out the ultra lights and use 007’s to catch them.

We didn’t even get the winter run this year!

[Billfish715]

I've heard of mackerel from stories my father told. Do they look like whiting or weakfish? I seem to remember stories of them too. No, wait. I remember seeing a mackerel in a fish market right next to a skinny-looking whiting. It's good that we have fish markets so people can see the fish that aren't around anymore.

[Duffman]

No mackerel run since the late 1970's

Nah def later than that dude....not saying its non existent today because it is....but that run lasted into the 90's.

I remember running down to the Cape to catch them on the Miss Chris fleet then heading out two weeks later outta Point to catch em again literally a mile out the inlet.

Been bailing them on the offshore grounds in Mass the last 2-3 summers as a by catch so fish must be there, just not coming close to NJ?

[Gumada]

We used to catch all you wanted in the late 70’s early 80’s. Went the same way the whiting did. Netted out of existence...

[porgylber]

They were here into the mid 90’s from my recollection. Fat fish in the spring, full of roe. The macks caught in the late fall were much smaller. In the spring, they would hang around until the blues arrived and chased them away.
Oh the memories!!!

[Reel Class]

The real last good mackerel run where we had that "slaughter" style fishing was in probably around 2000. Every year before that we had very good runs and every spring I did a trip to fill a cooler for the freezer for crab and fluke bait.

[Blackfish Doug]

I've caught them more in the fall not chubs but the real Macks I occasionally get a few during the summer month's while Ling fishing in the deep. I just think these fish migrate differently like the Whiting. go up to New Hampshire all the Whiting & Macks you want up there

[Jigman13]

Had them pretty thick in the navesink last fall. Big bostons. Thought they were bunker until one ate a 3/4 oz bucktail lol...

[Capt. Debbie]

Really? That would be cool. I crab the Navesink every year until mid-November and rarely see bunker in there then. Never saw a Boston Mackeral in there. When I was a kid ( 1960-70's) the small tinker mackerel - snapper sized were there in the Shrewsbury out of Chris's landing. That's gone too.

Where you see them in Sink last year?

Had them pretty thick in the navesink last fall. Big bostons. Thought they were bunker until one ate a 3/4 oz bucktail lol...

[Jigman13]

PM sent

[emcjim]

Nov. 30, 2018, on the Sea Hunter, jigging for stripers. I caught 1 mackerel & 10 stripers that day. Perhaps 10-15 mackerel on the boat, w/ no one using mackerel rigs. Next trip, Dec. 5, I caught 15 stripers but no mackerel, nor did anyone else. These were Atlantic mackerel, not chubs, and only about 4 months ago.


Sept., 2017, Eastport, Maine, the"easternmost city in the USA". Large concrete pier (drive-on). Mackerel flying over the pier's edge like the old days on partyboats in NJ. Mostly locals fishing.


Sept., 2018, Rockport, Maine, Harbor, floating dock. Brief attempt, no mackerel, no locals fishing. Don't know if Eastport was any good, because we did not go that far.

[bulletbob]

Yes the mackerel are still fairly plentiful up in New England, same as Whiting.. Just remember that this fact is not good news.. We are in an area where the mackerel " run" each year was just short window where they passed us as they headed north... If the schools that pass by us are reduced by 90% from historical levels, we get exactly what we are seeing.. pretty much nothing, or a 1 week "run" where they are caught ok and then simply gone, no stragglers, , just nothing..

Same with whiting.. Yes they are still up north in decent numbers if you want to fish in 240 feet of water for them in summer.

We got the "overflow" if you will.. good numbers but as far as inshore recreational fishing,during cold weather only, whereas NE has them all year.. Once the stocks get decimated, the fish are more limited in range, and "overflow" fish become scarce, and their range is much more limited, It happens all over the world, all due to commercial overfishing..

I am surprised there are still any whiting left in NE, but perhaps up there lobster fishing is more lucrative than fishing for Whiting.
Down here, those poor fish were wiped out by relentless commercial netting. Hope is doesn't happen up there as well. bob