Mackerel are Biting!

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Mackerel are Biting!
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Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 15 2:23 pm Post subject: Mackerel are Biting!
so are the Whiting! We had a very good haul this weekend.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46236
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 15 1:25 pm Post subject:
whiting are tastier than their reputation as another poor man's cod (like pollack) going by their reaction to being salted and bbqed i recon filleting and a 12hr light salting and the cold smoker treatment before freezing a big haul might be worth a go . they are a bit prone to going mushy if frozen from fresh and defrosted before cooking,(still good for fishcakes ,pates,etc etc )

iaf

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Posts: 168

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 15 2:15 pm Post subject:
Mackeral are great sport, but make sure you gut them straight away; https://www.southwestseafishing.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?11530-quot-Herring-Worms-quot-in-guts-of-Fresh-caught-Mackerel

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 15 2:22 pm Post subject:
We tend to break their necks to bleed ad the fillet them. Light salting ad then hot smoke when we get home. We also salt the whiting. Very good. As Dpack says, it is a rather overlooked fish.

misty07

Joined: 22 Jan 2010
Posts: 2223
Location: swindon wiltshire

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 15 11:46 am Post subject:
Had over 100 the weekend just gone

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 15 2:45 pm Post subject:
I've been too busy this year to get to the beach, and I bought a new rod and reel last winter. Luckily they were about late into last year so hopefully there'll be plenty about later this. How big are they this year? Last there seemed to be a large number of small fish and only the odd good size mackerel.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 15 3:49 pm Post subject:

misty07 wrote:

Had over 100 the weekend just gone

We caught 24 on Saturday. 74 on Sunday and released 12 as they were too small. We also caught 7 whiting.

As a result, I have made courgette and smoked mackerel gratin. Smoked Mackerel, salmon and prawn pie and mackerel pate.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 15 3:51 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I've been too busy this year to get to the beach, and I bought a new rod and reel last winter.

Luckily they were about late into last year so hopefully there'll be plenty about later this.

How big are they this year? Last there seemed to be a large number of small fish and only the odd good size mackerel.

Medium sized in Swansea Bay but plentiful. If you are prepared to go to Worms head, they are much bigger and there seems to be Whiting about - like shooting fish in a barrel.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46236
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 15 3:54 pm Post subject:
if releasing small sea fish it is important to try to hold them in a clean cloth rather than a naked hand ,they are even more prone to catching things from humans than coarse fish tis often safer as well cos many seafish have rather nasty spines(see revenge of the bait )

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 15 4:21 pm Post subject:
I use disposable nitrile gloves. I am squeamish about touching fish.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46236
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 15 8:00 pm Post subject:

probably not as squeemish as the fish are about being touched

if im shore fishing and not certain of what i might get or fairly sure it will be spikey i tend to land direct into a bag for dispatch by priest .ive never caught a weaver but they can be another good reason for caution when handling fish.

if deliberately going after conger i usually have a sack and a hammer as they can be a bit frisky , this seems wise especially in a boat.

mackerel and the cod family are fairly docile and undefended by spikes but a handful of gurnard or fancy wrass is really nasty.
with wrasse the blue green ones are spikier than the orange ones but both are worth the bother if salted for an hour or so and bbqed in seaweed.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Aug 21, 15 8:48 am Post subject:
Caught a few congors and have learned to use the disgorger, so as not to bring them into the boat! I can't be bothered to deal with all the bones! Love Red Gurnard but alas, I have only caught one. Caught a few blonde rays and thornback rays, cod and turbot.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46236
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Aug 21, 15 10:00 am Post subject:

im not keen on ray or skate to eat so i dont go after them but the mudflats around penarth used to have quite a few

down your way one of the better places i know for shore fishing is church island at the west end of rhossili bay (not a place i would want to take a boat ,rough and with a serious rip between the island and mainland rocks )but from the rocks on the west/inland side of the island into the surf there are often plenty of large bass an hour or each side of high tide.you do have to get on and off at low tide but tis a nice place for a few hours(or days).

the worms head end of the bay can be quite good for big flat things and is possibly safe enough for a boat if you dont do long casting.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Aug 21, 15 12:14 pm Post subject:
The best way to cook skate or ray is to sear both sides of the flesh for a bit of colour and then bang in the oven at 180 dg C for 6 minutes and serve.

misty07

Joined: 22 Jan 2010
Posts: 2223
Location: swindon wiltshire

Posted: Sun Aug 23, 15 3:56 pm Post subject:
Taking boat out the weekend from west bay 100 was caught on chesil between 9 and 12 on the Sunday off the beach just praying for blast seas to get boat out next week lol I got spines by the mackerel once never again lol

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