Mackerel sightings?

[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?

Originally Posted by 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...

[Jigman13]

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[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