What Did I Catch?

[Bill L]

Thursday night I took the boat out at sunset off Moonstone Beach, looking for blues. Trolling a small swimmer along the beachfront, I marked a few fish, and then started noticing a few breaks as the sun got lower. I stopped the boat and started casting to the breaks, switching to a small jig and then a 7/8 oz popper, which finally got a hit.

When I got the fish to the boat, I found an unfamilair fish. At first I thought it was a juvenile bonito, but now don't think so. It was about 18-inches long, silvery, with forked tuna-like tail with the little bumps in front of the tail. It also had small needle teeth. It was more of a long and slender shape, versus the football shape of a bonito. The most prominent feature were several gold colored spots on its sides, about the size of a nickel. I didn't look for more markings, as I was busy trying to get the two sets of trebles unstuck, and it wasn't unitl after I released it that I realized I wasn't sure what it was.

Checked the Field Guide to Atlantic Fishes at home, and the closest thing I could find was a Spanish Mackeral, but that wasn't an exact match. Anybody seen anything like this before?

After this fish, the breaking fish got more numerous, and I think there were definitely bonito there base on the style of breaks -- pods moving along (didn't hook any more, which is typical for me of bonito too )

Then shad-hell broke loose, with about two acres of shad flipping and jumping. Caught a dozen of them before heading in at dark.

Good Fishin
Bill

[denis]

Matoonoc

looked in a couple books and have to say spanish mackerel,no tuna with gold spots.

was there a lot of krill or tiny srimp in the water when you were out? fished deep hole last night for a while lots of that stuff on the surfice but no fish and lots of weeds.

do you have a radio yet?

[Fish_Eye]

I headed off to Block yesterday and saw acres of water boiling with the feeding activity of those little puppies. It wasn't until I returned and did a quick dive on the center wall that I confirmed my suspicions that the bait were bay anchovies -- trillions of them.

Small bass featuring fat tummies were chowing down.

Tattoo mentioned that the folks at Saltwater Edge were calling them Frigate Macerel -- but I don't think so -- anyone got photo?

Mike

[Bill L]

Denis, there was a ton of krill or shrimp in the water when I was passing Deep Hole. I slowed down and took a look, the stuff was spreading from my boat in little waves--didn't see any fish on them either. The bait the shad and other fish were on at Moonstone was a small baitfish. No radio, and no digital cam either. I also heard there was a bunch of Mackeral out towards block, but this was not a classic mac.

[denis]

bill

little tuna have black dots on there sides below there pectoral fins, they are also called false albicore.


fish-eye

this bait doesn't have fins lots of little legs and they hang just under the surface film,gulls just sitting there having a feast.

[jeffsod]

Fairly good set of teeth, long slender profile, forked tuna like tail, yellow spots on sides, silvery skin and fight with one pretty strong initial run but not quite as determined and dogged as a bluefish in power or a false albacore in speed and distance. Spanish Mackeral. Two years ago we boated a couple dozen in two different trips on the cape. Good eating but you had to bleed them immediatly and they don't freeze well so take only what you can eat fresh. We found them great fun on the fly rod when they didn't bite thru the leader and they seemed to really like metal such as deadly #^&#^&#^&#^&s. I just looked at a picture of the 'Frigate Mackeral' which you can see here:

http://www.saltwateredge.com/fishing...ts08-03-02.htm

and there are no spots on those babies.

[Bill L]

Originally posted by jeffsod
Fairly good set of teeth, long slender profile, forked tuna like tail, yellow spots on sides, silvery skin and fight with one pretty strong initial run but not quite as determined and dogged as a bluefish in power or a false albacore in speed and distance.

That's it, right to the mini-run at the beginning. T he references say they range to Cape Cod occasionally, but I had never seen one before. The frigate mackeral looks like it would have fooled me for an Albie. Lots of bay anchovies around, eh?

[STEVE IN MASS]

I catch Spanish all the time in Hatteras, and yes they are excellent eating, and I've never bleed them immediately, but then I like oily fish (Case in point, I love bluefish). Spanish are not as strong tasting or oily as bluefish.

The fillets almost literally pop off the bones....

As was said, they hit like a ton of bricks (they swim extremely fast), and have a good short run, but then usually give up the fight.

I catch them on light tackle, and use StingSilvers. I have been swimming in Hatteras and have numerous Spanish jump right over my head......

Generally, they only hit in very clear water, as in murky water they cannot see the lures. In murky water, you can put a StingSilver a foot in front of their face and they won't hit it. In clear water, they can come from 30-50 yards away and whack it.....

Am suprised to see them up this far, but with the summer we have had, and water temps as high as they are, guess I'm not REALLY suprised.....

[Mr. Sandman]

Put that thing in the smoker....really outstanding.