The Last Mackeral
 

So as I putz around the basement, add a couple more logs to the woodstove and work a bit on some rod wrapping........

I ask myself........At the end of the day when you go thru 35 to 45 live Mackeral you get back to the barn and the last Mackeral in the tank.....

.....Is he just lucky he wasn't chosen, or does he have the skills of an NFL running back zigging and zagging away from that bait net....

.....I am going with just lucky!

What say you?

I'll go with 'skillful' and pissed off at itself for going after the sabiki.
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he's not lucky - he goes into my freezer

Or in a lobster trap
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I keep a good supply in the bait pen next to the boat.
Note for the future- NEVER toss a live squid in there with them.

Last season i had 2 dozen or so alive and kicking,tossed a few more and a squid in there. when i came back in the morning i only had 5 f'd up ones left and a pile of dead in the bottom of the pen.
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Into the bait pen. I keep a bunch of Jonah crabs in there, to keep it clean, plus there's usually a couple lobsters in there.
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Oh they never get away, they end up in the lobster traps eventually.

I wish i could have a pen but I just don't think it will work at my mooring. It is a bit too far up river I think for macks, pogies ok. The macs will put up with it for enough time to fish with about 30% die off but they really don't like too much brackish water.

Skill will only take you so far... and sooner or latter you run out of luck...so it must not have been his turn

I was trolling a live mack off my kayak once and the baitrunner actually pulled out some drag, thought I got a very small schoolie, ended up being a squid attacking the mack!!

I call him lucky and give him back to the fish gods.
Got plenty in my freezer anyway.

I same the same about the ones that take that last bit of energy and manage to jump out the my bait well back into the sea.

I do the same with the last couple pogies.

Plus that blk bug infestation up that river last year will carry away your pen..
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I didn't really write my post the right way Skippy. I was referring to wanting to pen the macks up the river not the bugs. I never seen a bug that far up river. Crabs yes.....lots of taug bait.....bugs no. Some times of year the macks may do ok but too much rain when a bit brown isn't gonna happen.

We went up past your boat on fine day last season and it was like pepper in the air.
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