ziggy searchfield
Mar 22 2007, 05:34 PM
The mackerel season is nearly upon us again.
Most of you will remember last years thread where we tried to spread the word on how to safely return mackerel not intended for the table.
However, for the sake of any newcomers & visitors to the site, i'd like to ask the mods if we could keep a link to the old thread pinned for the duration.
( i can picture them reading this, thinking, "oh no, not that hippy fish lover again"
)
I'll understand if you guys don't want to leave it up for the summer, but we must have saved some fish last year.
I'd like to quote Colin Alberts' fishing records site for Mackerel
Mackerel (Scomber Scombrus)
B 6-02-07 Penberth Cove, Cornwall W J Chapple 1984
S 5-11-14 Berry Head, Brixham M A Kemp 1982
Before demanding a total dismantling of the european fishing fleet & a 10 year mackerel moratorium so that i can catch one that big.
http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.p...ackerel+bashing
merlino bill
Mar 22 2007, 05:42 PM
ziggy searchfield
Mar 22 2007, 05:44 PM
QUOTE (merlino bill @ Mar 22 2007, 05:42 PM)
Nice one bill, i've just added the link to the bottom of the thread
merlino bill
Mar 22 2007, 05:46 PM
erm o.k just read it thank's for that ziggy.
MainBassMan
Mar 22 2007, 09:28 PM
QUOTE (merlino bill @ Mar 22 2007, 05:42 PM)
Dont fish - or learn how to return!!!!!!!
ziggy searchfield
Mar 22 2007, 09:53 PM
QUOTE (MainBassMan @ Mar 22 2007, 09:28 PM)
Dont fish - or learn how to return!!!!!!!
Steady now Clive, we're trying to educate, not threaten
MainBassMan
Mar 22 2007, 09:56 PM
QUOTE (ziggy searchfield @ Mar 22 2007, 09:53 PM)
Steady now Clive, we're trying to educate, not threaten
Sorry but it really is this bloody cider!!!!!!!!!!!
ziggy searchfield
Mar 22 2007, 10:12 PM
QUOTE (MainBassMan @ Mar 22 2007, 09:56 PM)
Sorry but it really is this bloody cider!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh NO, you've not been down to Burrow hill again, i've told you about that stuff, it's not just the alcohol, its the cyanogentic glycosides that get released when the pips are crushed, it'll mess you up.
i love it too
MainBassMan
Mar 23 2007, 12:03 AM
QUOTE (ziggy searchfield @ Mar 22 2007, 10:12 PM)
Oh NO, you've not been down to Burrow hill again, i've told you about that stuff, it's not just the alcohol, its the cyanogentic glycosides that get released when the pips are crushed, it'll mess you up.
i love it too
i love it too
Oh Oh danger!!!!!!!!!
hembo
Mar 24 2007, 08:56 AM
with you on this one ziggy .all people have to do is catch what you need .try other methods for them ie float.spinner.fly fish etc appreciate there fighting qualities and save some for the future generations.
barbless hooks and try and educate the uneducated particulary .anybody going down to abbotsbury on a hot day in july and observing the casual mackerel basher is in full flow is quite shocking .pure greed at its worst.
to keep them alive is shake them off the hook without touching them.
cider and mackerel sounds like a nice combination. mmmmm
groyne bandit
Mar 25 2007, 06:19 PM
i to love a few mackeral for the table or the barbie ,, but when ive got a few if i want to carry on with the bashing gear i just stick 1 jelly worm on 4ft from the weight & play practice casting ,,,,
far to many people keep going with a 6 string ,well after they have had loads ,,
i go down to a spinner ,,,even from chesil & had loads of fun with 1 at a time
cant understand the waste at the bins some times,,
phil dean
Mar 26 2007, 09:03 AM
I can't understand why folks don't give them away if they have too many, I'm always happy to take spare fish, but instead they catch sacks full, then dump half of them when they realise how heavy their sack is.
it's been many a year since I had a cast into a shoal of mackeral, i'm salivating at the thought of freshly caught mackeral roasted on sticks above a drift wood fire.......fantastic.
Ken L
Mar 29 2007, 07:11 AM
Out of interest, where does the data relating to fish deaths after contact with a human hand come from ?
ziggy searchfield
Mar 29 2007, 08:16 AM
QUOTE (Ken L @ Mar 29 2007, 08:11 AM)
Out of interest, where does the data relating to fish deaths after contact with a human hand come from ?
I copied Leon & Mikes letters off a different site, there were some bits missing, i.e. the references, heres the whole thing.
http://www.sacn.org.uk/Articles/Releasing_Mackerel.html
roryh
Mar 29 2007, 06:13 PM
Just how hard are these fish hooked? i've never yet seen a hand print on a fish i've returned, and by the way what i'm not going to eat or use as bait goes straight back.
Is this all a bit of an old wives tale? (admittedly i do often use an old bar towel when i'm unhooking to avoid slime when handling kit/tying etc)
ziggy searchfield
Mar 29 2007, 06:45 PM
QUOTE (roryh @ Mar 29 2007, 07:13 PM)
Just how hard are these fish hooked? i've never yet seen a hand print on a fish i've returned, and by the way what i'm not going to eat or use as bait goes straight back.
Is this all a bit of an old wives tale? (admittedly i do often use an old bar towel when i'm unhooking to avoid slime when handling kit/tying etc)
Hi roryh,
I don't think the handprint becomes evident straight away, its damage to the skin at the microscopic level, its been reported by divers finding dead or dying fish with obvious human handprints on them.
The fish are quite easily shaken off the hook in most cases & fair play to you for returning what you don't need, its just that, until we know for certain that this is not an old wives tale, I think we should be erring on the side of caution with the safe return of these fish. After all, we don't want to be seen as uncaring do we ?
I still want to catch a 6lb mackerel and I want my son & his children to so lets just do what we can now eh ?
barry luxton
Mar 29 2007, 06:48 PM
QUOTE (ziggy searchfield @ Mar 29 2007, 07:45 PM)
Hi roryh,
I don't think the handprint becomes evident straight away, its damage to the skin at the microscopic level, its been reported by divers finding dead or dying fish with obvious human handprints on them.
The fish are quite easily shaken off the hook in most cases & fair play to you for returning what you don't need, its just that, until we know for certain that this is not an old wives tale, I think we should be erring on the side of caution with the safe return of these fish. After all, we don't want to be seen as uncaring do we ?
I still want to catch a 6lb mackerel and I want my son & his children to so lets just do what we can now eh ?
I wonder if it's worth considering barbless hooks when feathering to release them?
ziggy searchfield
Mar 29 2007, 07:09 PM
QUOTE (barry luxton @ Mar 29 2007, 07:48 PM)
I wonder if it's worth considering barbless hooks when feathering to release them?
Certainly wouldn't hurt, just crimp the barbs with some pliers, you'd still have the playing of the fish, just make it easier to release safely, nice one barry.
roryh
Mar 30 2007, 01:30 PM
QUOTE (ziggy searchfield @ Mar 29 2007, 06:45 PM)
Hi roryh,
I don't think the handprint becomes evident straight away, its damage to the skin at the microscopic level, its been reported by divers finding dead or dying fish with obvious human handprints on them.
The fish are quite easily shaken off the hook in most cases & fair play to you for returning what you don't need, its just that, until we know for certain that this is not an old wives tale, I think we should be erring on the side of caution with the safe return of these fish. After all, we don't want to be seen as uncaring do we ?
I still want to catch a 6lb mackerel and I want my son & his children to so lets just do what we can now eh ?
Fair play mate will avoid touching the non-keepers as much as possible then just to be on the safe side.
chrishmfc
Apr 5 2007, 01:56 PM
glad to know this
as i released a few last summer which going by your info they will be dead
i will pass the word round the guys i fish with
cheers
ziggy searchfield
Apr 5 2007, 03:44 PM
QUOTE (chrishmfc @ Apr 5 2007, 02:56 PM)
glad to know this
as i released a few last summer which going by your info they will be dead
i will pass the word round the guys i fish with
cheers
Welcome to Anglers Net chrishmfc, at least you consider releasing un needed fish, instead of leaving them to die on a hot beach & then dumping them by the bin in the car park. Your heart is in the right place & now so is your knowledge, cheers for passing it on.
merlino bill
Apr 9 2007, 04:01 PM
ziggy searchfield
Apr 11 2007, 08:16 AM
QUOTE (merlino bill @ Apr 9 2007, 05:01 PM)
Yes, you can freeze them for bait, as long as you keep them fresh & get them frozen down asap. No good having fish lying around on a hot beach & then freezing them down. I freeze them individually & wrap each one in cling film, as they will dry out in the freezer unwrapped.
Another good point for those kept for the table, mackerel fat will degenerate into histamine in as little as 30 minutes on a hot beach, so, unless you want to end up looking like the michelin man or run the risk of death through anaphalactic shock, keep em cold.
Burying them in the cool shingle works for a bit, but to keep em tip top, freeze an ice cream tub full of sea water, this can take a few days to do, as sea water freezes at a lower temp than pure water.
Put the sea ice in a bucket of sea water when you start catching, this will super chill the bucket & keep em fresh for longer than water alone. Shade the bucket if possible.
If you dont want to go to this effort, have some anti histamine handy for your guests at the evening barbeque
merlino bill
Apr 11 2007, 08:26 PM
OI OI,
Thank's for all your advice ziggy my friend & as the parrania is getting worse i will follow your advice to the LETTER.
MustGoFishing
Apr 12 2007, 05:34 PM
QUOTE (MainBassMan @ Mar 23 2007, 01:03 AM)
i love it too
Oh Oh danger!!!!!!!!!
I believe people have lost the sport interest in fishing, Large heavy broom stick beachcasters, large heavy reels with 30lb mainline and 3/6 hooks being slung out, overkill (TV program “Fishing on the Edge”)
Now with out a doubt Mackerel pound for pound is one of the best fighting fish in our waters, you can’t beat the fight on a light carp/spinning rod trotting a small float down the tide, you will only catch the fish that are feeding so you will never wipe out a shoal now with multiple hooks you have a greater chance of foul hooking them.
I’ve also used Mackerel for live bait on a small boat, feathering them up unhooking by hand and placing them in a bait tank then fishing with them all day at the end of the day placing the remaining Mackerel in to a bait kedge for the next days fishing and they where fine, no difference to Lance, sandeels or Scad Mackerel.
The biggest problem for the specimen hunters has got to be the pair Trawlers thousands of tonnes landed each month most of the fish is used for fertiliser not for eating purposes.
Click to view attachment
anyfishany
Apr 14 2007, 08:41 AM
hi just thought i would say how i return Mackerel alive i use long shanked barbless hooks so you can get hold of the hook eye and just turn hook over and the fish dropes off in to the water with no human contact i only keep what my family will eat . they are such a good sport fish and need to be returned alive so every year we can fish for them again and hopefully fatter fish!! the fatter the better. was down chesil on monday was really hot hundreds of people down there feathering didnt see any mackerel though was well busy shoulder to shoulder at west bex not very enjoyable when people cast over your lines.
cheers guys
MainBassMan
Apr 19 2007, 09:36 PM
Does drinking too much CIDER stop fish from taking your bait?
ziggy searchfield
Apr 20 2007, 05:33 PM
QUOTE (MainBassMan @ Apr 19 2007, 10:36 PM)
Does drinking too much CIDER stop fish from taking your bait?
Usually, as you forget to bait up.
Noticed this which might interest you Clive
"Powerstock Cider Festival. Friday 27th April 2007 at Powerstock Hut. Doors open 6.30 pm.
Dorset's largest independent Cider session - all in aid of charity, so you are drinking for a good cause! This event won the Innovation Award at last years Bath and West Show. Powerstock is set in the heart of the rolling West Dorset hills and space is limited - so come early. Plenty of excellent food producers also in attendance. Live band. Come and enjoy the atmosphere. More info from Nick on 01308 485 235. "
Just got back from seatown, the beach has washed out again & the big rock snags are back.
one mackerel, 54p, morrisons. not released.
MainBassMan
Apr 21 2007, 03:39 PM
QUOTE (chrishmfc @ Apr 5 2007, 02:56 PM)
glad to know this
as i released a few last summer which going by your info they will be dead
i will pass the word round the guys i fish with
cheers
Not just dead but rotten or eaten by now!!!
roryh
Apr 21 2007, 06:36 PM
QUOTE (MustGoFishing @ Apr 12 2007, 05:34 PM)
I believe people have lost the sport interest in fishing, Large heavy broom stick beachcasters, large heavy reels with 30lb mainline and 3/6 hooks being slung out, overkill (TV program “Fishing on the Edge”)
Now with out a doubt Mackerel pound for pound is one of the best fighting fish in our waters, you can’t beat the fight on a light carp/spinning rod trotting a small float down the tide, you will only catch the fish that are feeding so you will never wipe out a shoal now with multiple hooks you have a greater chance of foul hooking them.
I’ve also used Mackerel for live bait on a small boat, feathering them up unhooking by hand and placing them in a bait tank then fishing with them all day at the end of the day placing the remaining Mackerel in to a bait kedge for the next days fishing and they where fine, no difference to Lance, sandeels or Scad Mackerel.
The biggest problem for the specimen hunters has got to be the pair Trawlers thousands of tonnes landed each month most of the fish is used for fertiliser not for eating purposes.
Click to view attachmentsome of them must have been approaching 48hrs since being handled then, any sign of handprints/ skin damage by then?
just set myself up with some fly gear for mackeral and bass, gotta be more of a challenge than feathering (and more fun) no mch chance of overcatch here any more
MustGoFishing
Apr 28 2007, 11:11 AM
QUOTE (roryh @ Apr 21 2007, 07:36 PM)
some of them must have been approaching 48hrs since being handled then, any sign of handprints/ skin damage by then?
just set myself up with some fly gear for mackeral and bass, gotta be more of a challenge than feathering (and more fun) no mch chance of overcatch here any more
Hi Roryh,
The mackerel on the next day was fine no sign of any handprints the colour of the flanks was like a fresh run fish (Not dark gray). hows fishing in Torquay?
Rick
MustgoFishing
chesters1
Apr 28 2007, 01:51 PM
i throw everything back ,they don't taste like real frozen fish from sainsbury,mind you unused worms are carefully returned to the sea
hembo
May 3 2007, 07:05 PM
ziggy caught a mackerel on a dexter wedge today,30 minutes after that it was bbqued
roryh
May 24 2007, 05:39 AM
QUOTE (MustGoFishing @ Apr 28 2007, 11:11 AM)
Hi Roryh,
hows fishing in Torquay?
Rick
MustgoFishing
Dunno mate, not gotten out for a few weeks wot with work and the bloody kids
Deepseacodmaster
May 26 2007, 08:28 AM
QUOTE (ziggy searchfield @ Mar 29 2007, 09:16 AM)
I copied Leon & Mikes letters off a different site, there were some bits missing, i.e. the references, heres the whole thing.
http://www.sacn.org.uk/Articles/Releasing_Mackerel.html This is something I had no idea about.
I wll be printing the article out for my local sea angling club members.
We are a boat fishing club and only catch for bait and a few to take home (mackerel).
Does anybody know if any other sea fish can die in the same way.
I would like to know this because we practice catch and return after satisfying enough for family /friends to eat. (all fish)
Leon Roskilly
May 29 2007, 03:18 PM
QUOTE (Deepseacodmaster @ May 26 2007, 09:28 AM)
This is something I had no idea about.
I wll be printing the article out for my local sea angling club members.
We are a boat fishing club and only catch for bait and a few to take home (mackerel).
Does anybody know if any other sea fish can die in the same way.
I would like to know this because we practice catch and return after satisfying enough for family /friends to eat. (all fish)
There's always danger in handling any fish, but as far as I know it's only mackerel that have this problem due to their very specialized skin.
For other species, it's always best to handle with wet hands and to avoid removing slime and scales as much as possible.
If you are bringing fish up from deep and experiencing swim bladder problems, this article will be interesting:
http://www.sacn.org.uk/Articles/Dealing_wi...ed_Up_Fish.html
Deepseacodmaster
May 31 2007, 07:29 PM
QUOTE (Leon Roskilly @ May 29 2007, 04:18 PM)
There's always danger in handling any fish, but as far as I know it's only mackerel that have this problem due to their very specialized skin.
For other species, it's always best to handle with wet hands and to avoid removing slime and scales as much as possible.
If you are bringing fish up from deep and experiencing swim bladder problems, this article will be interesting:
http://www.sacn.org.uk/Articles/Dealing_wi...ed_Up_Fish.htmlLeon
Thank you for this info.
Again I will share it with the club members.
I do hope it works because I hate taking fish I cannot eat and this (Bladder) has always posed a problem to me.
thedogs
Jul 6 2007, 10:17 PM
I can not belive this is an issue, what kind of angler goes mackerel fishing for sport? ok to catch one or two on light gear can be fun for five minutes but I normally get fed up after five or six even on light gear,
They are hard work however when you need to catch hundreds to chop up for chum, after 50 or 60 your arm starts to ache.
Bobj
Jul 7 2007, 03:20 AM
QUOTE (thedogs @ Jul 7 2007, 08:17 AM)
I can not belive this is an issue, what kind of angler goes mackerel fishing for sport? ok to catch one or two on light gear can be fun for five minutes but I normally get fed up after five or six even on light gear,
They are hard work however when you need to catch hundreds to chop up for chum, after 50 or 60 your arm starts to ache.
Mate!! A lot of Australian fishos just love fishing for mackerel......the proper ones, that is.
Catch a couple of these and you will know what good sport they are.....and even better eating.
Spotty mackerel, 77 cm and 70 cm
five bellies
Jul 12 2007, 06:14 AM
QUOTE (thedogs @ Jul 6 2007, 11:17 PM)
I can not belive this is an issue, what kind of angler goes mackerel fishing for sport? ok to catch one or two on light gear can be fun for five minutes but I normally get fed up after five or six even on light gear,
They are hard work however when you need to catch hundreds to chop up for chum, after 50 or 60 your arm starts to ache.
Young Poeple, new to the sport! my first proper sea fish was a Mackie, Older poeple who enjoy fresh fish! a string of feathers or a small mepps spiner compares nicely to a couple of score of rag and lasts a lot longer,To some the summer mackie run is something to be looked forward to My boy who is fourteen soon has fond memories of mackereling as a nipper and so do I.
Cant be a sin Can it?
barry luxton
Jul 12 2007, 06:24 AM
QUOTE (five bellies @ Jul 12 2007, 07:14 AM)
Young Poeple, new to the sport! my first proper sea fish was a Mackie, Older poeple who enjoy fresh fish! a string of feathers or a small mepps spiner compares nicely to a couple of score of rag and lasts a lot longer,To some the summer mackie run is something to be looked forward to My boy who is fourteen soon has fond memories of mackereling as a nipper and so do I.
Cant be a sin Can it?
Bast fish in the sea to eat, best fish in the sea for bait, always look forward to catching them. After the winter it is always a boring time untill the mackerel are in.
H.A.
Aug 14 2007, 11:10 PM
If you do like catching them with a bit of sport involved, try this on a light (1 1/2lbs tc) carp rod and 8-10lbs line.
I make the floats out of balsa with lead inserts; based on the carpy's dog biscuit presentation.
It works best in flat calm conditions from an open beach or rocks. Vary the shot according to the depth you are fishing.
You'll have to get used to the float running sideways rather than dipping under!
peter mccue
Oct 14 2007, 05:21 PM
Whilst not doubting the bare bones of the reports, I do have to wonder if they overstate their case at times.
These are wild fish that live quite a rough & tumble life, recently, on a holiday at youghal we had numerous sport sessions with tiny single lures on light coarse rods catching far more than we needed to eat. The excess were gently held, unhooked & slipped back, I find it difficult to believe that all these fish were condemned to die on that basis.
The Mackerel fishing was quite simply amazing, & it wasn't unusual for the Mackerel to be actually charging into rocks after the sprats, that were behind our fishing position! on more than one occasion we could have picked up fish that had stranded thenselves if we had been quick enough.
On the beach at Youghal inside the bay, there was shoals of Mackerel charging in in less than a foot of water showering the beach with silver sprats & ending up on their sides in water too shallow to support them upright. With a few kicks they were off & swimming again but they must have had to scrape their bodies along the sand to do it.
Surely, nature wouldn't design a full blown predator so delicate that a light human touch of a wet hand is fatal to it. Please remember I'm not talking about chucking fish back, but of gentle unhooking at the waters edge.
H.A.
Oct 15 2007, 10:44 AM
I can only quote CEFAS Fisheries Scientist Mike Pawson on the subject (as Leon and others have done above ..... many of the published scientific papers are available through CEFAS or via a search engine like 'Google' or 'Ask.co.UK') .....
QUOTE
In the late 1970s we carried out several experiments to try to find out why dead mackerel were being found in vast numbers in the SW, co-incident with the purse seine and trawl winter fishery.
The short answer is that the fish died due to skin damage interfering with their ability to maintain osmotic balance, and the skin damage was due to abrasion between crowded fish in the nets.
We found that mackerel caught on barbless hooks and never handled, just dropped into keep tanks or nets, survived quite well if allowed to swim freely, but holding a mackerel caused enough damage to eventually kill it, sometimes two days later.
I have a number of publications showing the results of all this work.
These are:
Lockwood, S. J., Pawson, M.G. and Mumford, B.C., 1977. "Effects of holding mackerel at different densities in nets of various sizes." M.A.F.F., Fish. Res. Tech. rep. No. 33, 10 pp
Pawson, M. G. and Lockwood, S. J., 1980. "Mortality of mackerel following physical stress, and its probable cause." I.C.E.S. rapp. proc. verb., 177: 439-443.
Holeton, G. F., M.G. Pawson & Shelton, G., 1982. "Gill ventilation, gas exchange and survival in the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.)." Can. J. Zool, 60: 1141-1147.
Lockwood, S. J., M. G. Pawson and D. Eaton., 1983. "The effects of crowding on mackerel (Scomber scombrus L) - physical condition and mortality". Fisheries Research, 2: 129-147.
So, when anglers have caught enough mackerel for a fry or for bait, they should stop fishing for them unless they are using barbless hooks and can return the fish to the water without touching them.
Mike P.
Ada
MainBassMan
Nov 9 2007, 10:27 PM
At cottages tomorrow>>>>>
Ken Davison South Wales
Nov 10 2007, 08:17 PM
Some thing which has surprised me in the last couple of weeks is shoals of joeys still chasing white bait on several South Wales marks.
Usually Bury Port is finished around end September / Mid October.
H.A.
Nov 11 2007, 02:16 PM
Mackies and gars still being caught off South Parade Pier, Southsea, Hants last week!
At least one gar caught on the beach in the Drayton Open Match last Sunday!
I've caught them in matches till the end of October and seen the odd Solent macky in December; but for sheer numbers remaining, this autumn is unusual.
But we haven't had the autumn SW gales yet, either (?).
John S
Nov 15 2007, 08:15 PM
I think someone should tell Hugh (River Cottage) about how to release mackerel without touching them; he did it all wrong in tonights episode....
ziggy searchfield
Nov 19 2007, 04:08 PM
QUOTE (John S @ Nov 15 2007, 08:15 PM)
I think someone should tell Hugh (River Cottage) about how to release mackerel without touching them; he did it all wrong in tonights episode....
Glad you reminded me of that John, the rum had just kicked in as i started watching and although i did notice that too, i forgot the rest of the episode
when is it repeated ?
Will tell him next time i see him down the harbour.
barry luxton
Nov 21 2007, 04:14 PM
QUOTE (ziggy searchfield @ Nov 19 2007, 04:08 PM)
Glad you reminded me of that John, the rum had just kicked in as i started watching and although i did notice that too, i forgot the rest of the episode
when is it repeated ?
Will tell him next time i see him down the harbour.
When you see him Ziggy, kick him in, he will remember how to treat them then.
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