Squeteague
 

Heard today that someone on the Vineyard got one recently. Supposedly about 24". My heart skipped a beat.

They are a fish I had just about forgotten about, but one at the very top of the list of fish I have always wanted to catch. Back in the 70's big ones used to show up on the bunker schools around Woods Hole in sept, but I always had to leave for college before I could get one. The last one I heard about around here was from Marion a few years ago in the spring.

Anybody run into these anymore?

i caught one 3 years ago at the mouth of the bass river. it was a nice surprise.

Never caught one. Have always wanted to. Great news George. Maybe they will come back..

not in the numbers they once were
 

I think if you fished the rivers of Buzzards Bay often, either bunker schools, with a diamond jig, even sea worms or scup chunks and you might catch some. Had some fine catches back in the 70's . Here is a few funky old pics I took of my li'l bro of a couple fish we took a long time ago.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5.../weweantic.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...eg50/weak4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...eg50/weak3.jpg

they would usually feed pretty good, then the blues would move in, or a nice bass or 2

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...weweantic1.jpg

Massachusetts regulations allow for 1 fish over 16" a day for recreational fishermen.

One was taken last fall around the albie schools off Succonneset Pt. I guess it was in feeding on the bay anchovies.

never even seen a tiderunner before, only pics.

George, believe Biteme and I saw one in the southside surf still kicking...about two weeks ago...

I got a small one a few years ago (maybe 3 years) in Boston harbor.

About 15 years ago, they made a pretty strong comeback on Long Island, and I caught quite a few there. They like moving water, even more so than bass. They put up a pretty good fight for their size.

It's real hard to estimate their weight. They probably have the lightest weight per inch of any of the big 3---bass, blues and squet.

About twentyfive years ago,I saw two caught,on consecutive casts at Charlestown Breachway.Never saw another.:confused:

i caught 2 about 8 yrs. ago. in matunuck. had breachway weight them up. 8 and 9 lbs.
delicious, but do not freeze well.

I have some pics like strprman - from the 70s, I caught a few when I was a kid - 8-9 yrs old. i remember it was on a kastmaster, long island sound. We would get them every now and then and I remember it wasnt a big deal. Very pretty fish,

Great fish and fun to catch - unfortunately we're (New England) at the extream northern end of their range. Needs to be a huge biomass around for us to get a consistant reliable fishery. Peak was probably the mid 1970s to mid 80s. Narragansett Bay during lilac time was automatic back then. Huge run of squets during summertime at Blocks North Rip during the great BI bass run years of the 1980s. All you had to do was drop a diamond jig to the bottom back then. Guys would bring boatloads into market. They have a unique odor when cleaned. Didn't freeze well and I personally didn't like the taste.

DZ

I caught one about 12 years ago that had to be about 15 pounds on a white bucktail. There use to be a run near my house. I was in NJ a few times where I saw people walking off the beach with trash cans full. There was no regs. on them.

pics of it on mvsurfcasters

Only one I've ever run into was off gooseberry point.

The stock is way down and no one can figure out why. You'll be very lucky to catch one for the next few years. They have always been very cyclical, generally on about ten year cycles. This year may be their low point.

Last one I saw was 7-8 years ago, have caught a couple but its been a while...

used to see big spawners in 3rd week of may in our rivers been a few years ago know netters from down south of us came up and did a good job on wiping them out because there were none left down there.delaware bay was hot when i was in my twentys,now that im sixty i guess the good old days of the big tiderunners are over for me but now if you catch a small one over five# its a big deal.

here in n.j. 3rd week of may big tiderunners showed up in our rivers and bays.since the netters from south of us wiped out there stocks the came up here you could see them in front of the inlet netting them when they got here and the authorities did nothing when we called.they wiped out delaware bay too when i was in twentys that was the place to be in late april for big tiderunners.now im sixty and a big one is 5# not like the 10 to 15#fish that were once average fish for us 40 years ago

The only time I could remember seeing a squeteague was about 10yrs ago. My father would bring me out to colt state park to chunck either squid or pogies. I used to go every weekend with him although the only thing that i usually caught was stripers there was that 1 occasion where i pulled in a squeteague on a strip of squid. I asked him what it was because I never saw one before and he told me it was a squeteague. He said back when he was in his 20-30s they used to get em all day long down in bristol.

Someone on another site posted c/r pics of a 4# caught in NJ. I know of one caught from the surf last fall on LI (released) I had one on last summer while fluke fishing the bay but he jumped off as I was trying to get him with my boga. Saw a bunch of Y.O.Y being chased by the blues the end of the season last year. I hope this is the year of the cycle where they pop up in numbers.

Don Lynch landed it on the Vineyard
The very first cast landed a 24 1/2" 3+ lb weakfish
He caught it on a 6" Storm Wild Eye swim shad.. gave a nice little fight..

one more pic
 

we were lucky kids

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...k2enlarged.jpg

Saw that too. Our club does an annual Weakfish Outing in May. Haven't seen one caught in the last 2 years. Prior to that, maybe 1 fish taken each year. Very thin now

Reviving this thread. Buzz Bay has quite a few this year based upon reports. Got one today 25" on an O.D. Mike scup killer jig. My first ever into the boat. There were trailers too but so excited to get one (which is limit anyways) I didn't worry about them. Also had and lost at the boat probably my biggest BSB, easily over 25-26"! The OD Mike scup killer jig can be seen in this 22" BSB mouth. I think we have now caught 12 species on this thing. :)

Good one Phil. I guess I need to start trying down my way. I really want to get one of those
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That's great Buzz. I had one in 82 that went 13#. Haven't gotten one since.

Cook that thing up and enjoy it.
If I remember correctly, they puff up and expand when cooked.