Winter mackerel! The Good ol Days!

[Detour66]

Since there was a lot of talk about Boston Mackerel aka Atlantic Mackerel on my last post I thought I would do a follow up on them. Once upon a time packed party boats would go out a few miles in the ocean and load up on Boston Mackerel this time of year. Cold weather, winds it didn't matter they went out and caught! Burlap bags where full of fish. Not many coolers used back then this time of year. It was pretty much none stop catching once you found them. I'm sure all the old timers like myself know about this great fishing but I am writing this for younger fisherman who didn't experince it and had questions on my previous post. Back then the party boats went out pretty much till they were iced in! How time have changed! If anyone wants to chime in be my guest! It's that time of year!

https://www.thefisherman.com/article/winter-mackerel-like-the-good-ol-days/

[NJ219bands]

Mackerel fishing 🎣 on the Shamrock from Point Pleasant was lots of fun back in the good old days.

[jbigtime]

I remember mackerel in January and again in April until the blues showed up. We stumbled on a few mackerel while ling fishing one time and then beat up on them for a month solid. This was in the mid to late 90’s….. Good times…

[Ol Pedro]

I got a couple good years of jigging Boston's on the old Gambler. We would run sometimes in sporty conditions up to the Ambrose Channel until we read them. Surge tubes with diamond jigs on the bottom. Fast drifts were the norm. We would catch a few Stripers on our diamond jigs from time to time. We also fished live Macks for for them with some success. Had one trip in calm spring weather where we crushed them at the one mile marker filling totes in the sunshine.

[bunker dunker]

we would hit the dauntless for the magic hour trip back in the day and catch
mackerel,herring,whiting and ling.you only needed a few jigs and some teasers.
that was great fishing

[hartattack]

A blast from the past from Leif the Mackeral Maven:
https://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29660

[Detour66]

A blast from the past from Leif the Mackeral Maven:
https://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29660
Interesting. Leif's post is from 12-6-2010 and party boats were still going for them. Does anyone remember when they started to disappear? I still believe they are still some around with whiting but few and far between plus no one targets them anymore so how would we really know? Tight lines...64 days till spring!

[Brewlugger]

We would do a trip every year in early April out of Barnegat to fill our bait freezer on a 20ft boat with just a radio and a compass no fishfinder. Would go to the range buoy start drifting and bailing. It was alot of fun and at times Whiting were in the mix.

[bulletbob]

They were fun to catch,, very scrappy.. however, back in the day, most guys were using "'boat poles".. Heavy pool cue like rods, with heavy Penn conventional reels, and they fish were simply hoisted aboard 4 at a time, with no ability to show their game.. It was meat fishing.. To me the "meat" wasn't that great.. You would broil one or two, maybe make some psuedo"tuna salad" out of one or two.. then what when you had 50 or more of them?... They froze horribly and in those days most guys were not using vacuum freezer bags.. A lot of those fish were wasted, or perhaps used as bait or even fertilizer.. If they reappear, I think guys would appreciate them more than we did years ago, use light one handed spinning rods, with a small metal, and maybe 1 teaser, and have a blast catching one or two at a time on appropriate tackle.. In those days I rarely went just for macks, maybe once or twice. I typically caught them along with Whiting and Ling in springtime. i hope they make a comeback, but sadly I have my doubts..Even if stocks do build up again they would get mopped up quickly by the netters, and in a year or two they would be gone again...... bob

[bunker dunker]

no all of us.we would bring our ultra lights with small jigs and spoons go up in the bow and have a blast.my Dad and grandfather would use the meat sticks and my
brother and i would have a blast.like bonito fishing.

[bulletbob]

no all of us.we would bring our ultra lights with small jigs and spoons go up in the bow and have a blast.my Dad and grandfather would use the meat sticks and my
brother and i would have a blast.like bonito fishing.

yeah, a few guys did that, but in my day most everyone wanted to "load up".. Load up for what I don't know, but I guess guys that did a lot crabbing, or fishing where chunk bait is used could certainly take a few dozen to freeze.. I thought they were ok to eat, kind of a strong oily fish that worked well when prepared in certain ways, but personally after one or two meals, I was done with them.. Always preferred Whiting and Ling in those days...

[hammer4reel]

Used to go once a year early season. .
Belly was cut into pendants and salted for fluke .
Back loins were used for bluefish chunk baits .

Was a fun trip , where you could stockpile a lot of bait cheap .

And was an extra day on the water .
.

[bulletbob]

If they return one day, they might have bag limits imposed, like everything else ...It would really help the head boat captains having them back, giving fares another species to fish for.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Long string of mutliple hooks on a rig... Drop it down, jig and wait till you felt it get really heavy, reel up and all your hooks were full...

[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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[hammer4reel]

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.

Was ALOT of fish caught bigger than 400 .
Had friends with commercial permits selling fish that were 700 gutted and headless

[bulletbob]

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

[hammer4reel]

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

Black fishing isn’t close to what it was even 5 years ago .
Too much pressure . Too much short life poached for live fish market .
Guys fishing ridiculous light line and tackle , which creates released fish problems etc .fish are worn out . Many break offs with long lines still attached etc .
But the posts before were about water temps .and then not eating .
While they prefer 50-65 degrees they remain in shallower water spread out .
When temps approach 55 they get more concentrated on the fewer deep pieces .
More fish on a spot creates competition, which improves the bite .

Once waters get to low 40’s they still feed but no where near as often .

[bulletbob]

Black fishing isn’t close to what it was even 5 years ago .
Too much pressure . Too much short life poached for live fish market .
Guys fishing ridiculous light line and tackle , which creates released fish problems etc .fish are worn out . Many break offs with long lines still attached etc .
But the posts before were about water temps .and then not eating .
While they prefer 50-65 degrees they remain in shallower water spread out .
When temps approach 55 they get more concentrated on the fewer deep pieces .
More fish on a spot creates competition, which improves the bite .

Once waters get to low 40’s they still feed but no where near as often .

I see nothing here that I ever disagreed with.. I basically said the same thing. Fish that are concentrated are always easier to catch, even if 70% of them are "asleep"... I'll say it again, in my opinion seldom is a fish species decimated thoughout its range by the other species that are native in their habitat.. Usually there are other "actors" at play, typically human beings that either eat them , poison them, or destroy the places they live... bob

[Duffman]

So putting my .2 in.....

Back in the late 70's into the 80's my family would fish Macks for about 6 weeks. As kids we would call (yes, phone calls no text or internet) boats in VA MD and DE to see when they started to see the Macks. Once they hit Cape May we would travel south and fish outta Cape and Wildwood Crest.

When the run moved north we moved onto boats outta Mani and SRI. Never moving more than 2-3 miles off before finding the schools.

Then on to the Palace II from Hoboken and boats outta SHB to end the run,

We literally brought home close to, if not more than, 1,000 Macks in that time.

No light tackle. This was meat fishing. Heavy tackle and 6 teaser rigs. We would wrap 4 fish (uncleaned) in newspaper and freeze em.

NOT A SINGLE FISH WENT TO WASTE .......NOT ONE!!!!

The family had 4 boats at the time out of Little Egg, Mani, Highlands and South Hold NY.

Every fish was eaten (European Parents right off the boat) sliced and salted for fluke bait, chunked for blues, ground for chum and filleted for sharking.

Man I miss those days. damn im old!!!

[bulletbob]

So putting my .2 in.....

Back in the late 70's into the 80's my family would fish Macks for about 6 weeks. As kids we would call (yes, phone calls no text or internet) boats in VA MD and DE to see when they started to see the Macks. Once they hit Cape May we would travel south and fish outta Cape and Wildwood Crest.

When the run moved north we moved onto boats outta Mani and SRI. Never moving more than 2-3 miles off before finding the schools.

Then on to the Palace II from Hoboken and boats outta SHB to end the run,

We literally brought home close to, if not more than, 1,000 Macks in that time.

No light tackle. This was meat fishing. Heavy tackle and 6 teaser rigs. We would wrap 4 fish (uncleaned) in newspaper and freeze em.

NOT A SINGLE FISH WENT TO WASTE .......NOT ONE!!!!

The family had 4 boats at the time out of Little Egg, Mani, Highlands and South Hold NY.

Every fish was eaten (European Parents right off the boat) sliced and salted for fluke bait, chunked for blues, ground for chum and filleted for sharking.

Man I miss those days. damn im old!!!

yikes, all good on ya, eating all that Mackerel.. I guess if one really knows the ins and outs of how to prepare enjoy them in various ways, the way they do in Greece ,Spain ,and Italy they could be ok, but personally I would OD on them pretty quick.. I kind of liked them in a limited way, but eating that many??.. Not my bag...

anyway, I hope they return one day so younger anglers can enjoy what we did at one time...bob

[Duffman]

yikes, all good on ya, eating all that Mackerel.. I guess if one really knows the ins and outs of how to prepare enjoy them in various ways, the way they do in Greece ,Spain ,and Italy they could be ok, but personally I would OD on them pretty quick.. I kind of liked them in a limited way, but eating that many??.. Not my bag...

anyway, I hope they return one day so younger anglers can enjoy what we did at one time...bob

read the post again......we didnt eat all of them .....reading comprehension is not your bag

as far as younger anglers? Very few fish or hunt anymore

[bulletbob]

read the post again......we didnt eat all of them .....reading comprehension is not your bag

as far as younger anglers? Very few fish or hunt anymore

no actually I comprehend quite well.. Even if you processed 2/3 of your catch for bait, according to the 1000 macks + or_ your family caught each year that means you still ate more than 300 Mackerel a year... Still quite a number for most people even those of us that will eat "fishy" tasting fish... Can't speak for NJ, but there are a LOT of young people here in NY state that fish and hunt.. They are everywhere up here, so many that many waters are now under ever increasing bag limits as numbers of white flesh pan fish are diminishing in even these giant lakes.. Perch , Rock Bass, Sunnies statewide are disappearing in places where they were once impossibly abundant,,, LOTS of pressure, and I assure you its not all old timers, depleting the stocks.....

[tautog]

Mackerel are staying north with the whiting. They get them all summer. They were even as far south as Orient Point last year. Only some scattered patches down here this fall and winter.

[jbigtime]

I caught several whiting while sea bass fishing in 2024 which was a nice surprise. Only Chub Macks though, I didn’t hear of or see any Atlantic Mackerel. Did well with Bonito, not so much on Albies…

[jmurr711]

mid 90s fill a cooler with macks than top it off with lings & togs on the k3. used to bring my freshwater rod & them things were so much fun on light tackle ignore the packers jacket it was a gift

[Gerry Zagorski]

mid 90s fill a cooler with macks than top it off with lings & togs on the k3. used to bring my freshwater rod & them things were so much fun on light tackle ignore the packers jacket it was a gift

Man you're old. Is that picture carbon dated :D