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View Full Version : Fish ID help?? Delicious bi-catch! and more. . .


Arbutis
08-10-2017, 07:26 PM
Went out fluke fishing on the Sea Girt reef yesterday and although I didn't catch any keeper fluke, my bi-catch was delicious. 2 nice sea bass for starters. That's a no brainer. But check out these other catches. . .
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In addition to these fish I caught about a hundred small sea robins. I know they aren't too bad to eat but I didn't keep any of them (very small).

So on one drop I caught 2 fish that I thought were mackerel - I thought a school swam by and I hooked up on 2 of them and then no more. After taking them home I took these photos and after cleaning them I realized instantly that these were NOT atlantic mackerel but something else entirely.
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I did some google image searches and the best I could come up with was a mackerel species called a SCOMBER. I've never heard or seen this before. I was hoping others might help with this fish ID??? It had the shape of a mack and some similar color and patterns on it's top - but it had very large eyes and more spotty pattern on the side and belly. It did NOT have teeth like a spanish or king. I think we saw some more near a school of peanuts - either these fish or bonito? but we couldn't get a hook up.

Most importantly, it was delicious!!! So if you catch these fish out there, do yourself a favor and put them on ice right away. I ate my entire fish as sashimi along with the squid that I caught on a small jig.
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Lastly, I caught a small sundial and instead of tossing it back, I iced it and cleaned it before scoring the skin and broiling with butter salt and pepper. And wow was this delicious as well. Do yourself a favor and try one of these some day. No size limit. Very tasty. More meat than you would think.
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I had an amazing dinner tonight - all with fish that would normally be tossed back as bi-catch. That brings me to my last point - I promise not to rant too much longer but I can't imagine how much of this good tasting fish is killed and wasted by the commercial fishing and netting industry. It's appalling. At least it's good to know the fish tossed overboard goes to feeding the crabs and lobsters and other cleanup fish.

Reel Class
08-10-2017, 07:31 PM
those are thimble eye mackerel

sundials are indeed delicious!!

tjd24
08-10-2017, 07:34 PM
Chub Mackerel

Pennsy Guy
08-10-2017, 08:25 PM
RC & tjd, you're both right, one in the same...

Pennsy Guy
08-10-2017, 08:28 PM
Abutis, nice post, good fishing and great pix...just had tuna steak for dinner but, damn, getting hungry again just looking @ your post...

torchee
08-11-2017, 04:27 AM
there's a run of sundials in shark river inlet every fall.
You'll see a few guys filling coolers...

bulletbob
08-11-2017, 06:48 AM
Sundials are better than fluke for certain.. As good as winter flounder..
It would be great if there were a lot of them around, but they always seem to be a "by catch'".. I think they like cooler water than fluke..bob

tombanjo
08-11-2017, 07:27 AM
Chub macks raw? Ugh, but each to his own. Maybe try marinating it, that's what the sushi bars do with quality Boston macks and when not overdone it's one of the best offerings they have.

I tried the chubs a couple of times and they're not even in the same zip code but if you like them throw a couple of ladles of chum, put on a 007 on a light rod and you can fill your freezer for the next year.

Arbutis
08-11-2017, 08:48 AM
Chub macks raw? Ugh, but each to his own. Maybe try marinating it, that's what the sushi bars do with quality Boston macks and when not overdone it's one of the best offerings they have.

Raw yes. as opposed to any cooking or marinating. You won't know until you try it but if you care for this fish correctly it is fantastic raw. I can't overstate how it is a super soft fleshed fish and very delicate. Absolutely need to put them in a seawater ice bath slurry immediately and keep them there overnight.

So close in appearance to a regular atlantic mackerel but so different in taste.

Thanks for helping with the ID of chub or thimble eye (one in the same) also known as scomber (never heard of that before):)