Wishing the Mackerel Were Back

WISHING THE MACKEREL WERE BACK
by
Dick Alley

             It's been a long time since Boston Mackerel visited the waters of western  Long Island Sound. They first showed up back in the late 50's, early 60's  as tiny tinker mackerel in Bridgeport Harbor. The following spring, bigger versions weighing 1 to 2-pounds, appeared in mid-April, mostly away from the beaches, maybe a mile or so off shore.

 This shot goes back a few years. My daughter Lori was about 15 when this photo was taken.

              It was a time when mackerel were a major component of the springtime fishing season. They showed up for several seasons, usually around the end of April ------ to feed on dense schools of sand eels. They normally hung just off  shore in 15 to 25 feet of water, but would swing into the beaches often enough to make things interesting for the surf guys. That said, the guys in the boats had an advantage.

             The main method used to catch the critters was by jigging multiple-hook feather or plastic tube rigs, weighted with a Diamond Jig weighing from 2 to 4-ounces. The rig was simply dropped to the bottom and then jigged up and down in wide sweeps. If the fish weren't on the bottom, we simply advanced the depth towards the surface until a fish grabbed hold. That's when the fun begins. When one fish grabs hold, the rod bends, the line is tight and then another of the lures is hit, followed by another, again and again until all the hooks are filled. These Boston torpedoes weighed anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds, sometimes more, so a full rig meant for a pretty good challenge. Ideally, when two anglers are fishing together, one keeps his rig in the water while the other unhooks, keeping a steady supply of fish next to the boat.

Bob Stanley & Ed Boland jigging up mackerel.

             Mackerel were a pretty good food fish, a little on the strong side, but they were even better as bass and bluefish bait. A good afternoon of fishing would fill a 32 gallon garbage pail, enough for a supply of bait for most of the summer.

Our old friend Doc Skerlick with a couple of mackerel that came within casting range of the beach.

               Once the bucket was full whether for bait or breakfast, it was time to break out the light spinning rig and cast metal lures. On the jig-rigs a full jig made for a workout. Caught on light rigs and single lures, mackerel put on a speed show, streaking off line to make the reel drag scream. They're fast movers, so a speedy retrieve helps. Lures like the Hopkins, the Fiord Spoon and the Kastmaster were top producers.

              When the blues moved in, the mackerel moved out, but a fair-sized population usually took up residence in each and every boat basin. Come the evening tides, striped bass and blues would enter the basins and chase the macks around. Fishermen would line the shore, casting to whatever might grab the lure. Unfortunately, that resulted in some broken boat windshields and hooks on anchor lines and eventually, most marina's banned fishing within their boundaries.

Many years have passed since mackerel showed up in western Long Island Sound. They will probably be back someday. We hope so. They make for plenty of added fishing fun.

DWA