pacific mackerel. fishing, smoking, and eating.

As a kid ,with my Uncles, we would always catch mackrel in Santa Cruz or HMB and then if we caught no other fish with them we always had a fine dinner afterwards on the mackrel. Lately while fishing with a few of the guys I would always put a few away for the family later even if I have not  caught other varieties of fish but then again I was raised on mackrel-smelt-anchovies that allot of my fellow fisherman shunned. I would always smile when a friend would throw back Bonita because of its reputation as being gameie because later on when I would cook them they would never push their plates away but always comment how flavorful the fish was that I cooked. Of course my Uncles would eat live sand crabs right off the beach which is one dish I had never acquired the taste for but have tried.Must be one of those Asian things.

I was raised on mackrel-smelt-anchovies

Okay, I'll bite. Macs and smelts are great. The only anchovies I had were on a pizza and I didn't care for that much. How do you eat your anchovies?

Do Mackerel come into the breakers near the sand & surf...???.....Can one throw a cast-net for them...???...

Judd

I was raised on mackrel-smelt-anchovies

Okay, I'll bite. Macs and smelts are great. The only anchovies I had were on a pizza and I didn't care for that much. How do you eat your anchovies?

With gusto, They are bony but deep frying really softens all that up.

Do Mackerel come into the breakers near the sand & surf...???.....Can one throw a cast-net for them...???...

Judd

Small jigs from a pier or yak have always done the trick when their around. At HMB, in the Marina,when their in I would imagine a net would work but I have never done that myself. When their in they are a ball to catch on my Spiderman rod, but don't tell Joel about my rod or he'll start to cringe.

I was raised on mackrel-smelt-anchovies

Okay, I'll bite. Macs and smelts are great. The only anchovies I had were on a pizza and I didn't care for that much. How do you eat your anchovies?

I have heard you squish the guts out of the anchovies, then lay them in a box with salt and kind of dry-cure them. how you eat them after that I am not too sure! my neighbor likes them.

I filleted a giant smelt that chewed on some squid on a 5/0 hook last summer.

it looked like that kind of ice cream that is three flavors, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.

the smelt was black-flecked flesh up top, a stripe of red flesh and below the lateral line was white.

I froze it and smoked it later, was not too thrilled with it. dry and tasteless. smoking not a good idea for them?

how do you eat smelt?

how do you eat smelt?

My wife just guts em, pulls the backbone out, then into a marinade of soy, ginger, and garlic for 10 min. Then into cornstarch and fry. Pretty tasty snacks. Alternatively you could also use tempura batter.

Z

Yeah, I've tried to eat big jacksmelt on several occasions and have never been too thrilled with it.  They have lots of red meat with is very strong in my opinion.  I've always thought that smoking them would be the way but jmairey just convinced me otherwise (thanks for the heads up and the smelt thank you too).  I hook large ones grubbing for perch.  They taste lousy fried in my opinion.

I make it a point to fish Balboa Pier in Newport beach whenever we make a trip for LA.  the Mackerel is my main target due to the fun factor from the pier. 3 hooks and 3 fish.  One can eaily fill up a bucket.  sabiki works well too on the pier.  I tried marinating them in rice wine for sashimi but I could never get it right.  Maybe the others are right and that you have to bleed them well. but boy are they good smoked or grilled.  $12 dollars for a grilled SABA at a japanese restaurant.    marinated in soy sauce and sugar and then grilled.  Yummy!

Watch out, mackeral do have spines.  They have a little switchblade spine that flicks out their, er, butt, when you're handling them.  I was cleaning some once and kept getting stuck but couldn't figure out where until I looked really close.  I don't know why they have a spine like that, maybe to prevent them being sexually assaulted by barracuda... 

Watch out, mackeral do have spines.  They have a little switchblade spine that flicks out their, er, butt, when you're handling them.  I was cleaning some once and kept getting stuck but couldn't figure out where until I looked really close.  I don't know why they have a spine like that, maybe to prevent them being sexually assaulted by barracuda... 

WHOA!    will use some care there, 

So, anyone been out macking from their yaks yet? I realise it's not been easy recently and the rockfish are a much bigger priority, but if anyone is up for it later in the summer.........?

not in any quantity. the smelt are in now tho. I have test-rented a skiff with my 8 and 10 year olds, sussed out the rod holder situation, so we are ready for mini-tuna trolling and jigging if they make it into our bay this year.