Jack Mackerel: An underappreciated, lesser-known fish in our region

Evan B · Jan 29, 2022

Made this post on another forum. Wanted to get it moved over here to inspire others to find some. Everything below was written in August 2021

I've since caught another while targeting sea bass inshore - hit right at the side of the boat while getting ready to re-cast. So I'm learning they're much more eager biters, and much more common than most think. We just never target them.

One thing of note- Jack Mackerel are NOT mackerel. They are jacks. Same family as yellowtail, amberjacks, roosterfish, jack crevalle, etc.

----- (original post) --------

So I've heard talk of jack mackerel on and off over the years. Mostly from tuna and salmon fishermen who look down on them and say they're just something to turn in to bait. But I've kept my curiosity about them going anyways. Yet somehow managed to go this long without ever catching one.

This past weekend, we got one while trolling salmon about 10mi West of Garibaldi in some pretty clean 57f water. We bled it and buried it in ice. Carked it out at home and got a lot better yield than I expected. Pulled the skin like a tuna - the outer layer came off completely, but left a bit of a second layer there that I just let stay.

Since I hadn't had one before and wanted to taste it without spices, I just used some sea salt on both sides of the fillets and let them sit for 20mins. Put on a hot grill for a couple minutes each side, making sure not to overcook it. Had some homegrown shishito peppers on the nearby plant that I grabbed and threw on the grill for good measure.

This was honestly one of the most delicious fish I've caught out here, period. To the point where it baffles me that they're not more sought after. So is this because they're such a sporadic catch? Just that people don't want to try something different? Just curious.

All that said: Has anyone found any tactics or things you can employ to up your chances or straight up target them? I've heard reports of them being caught both salmon and tuna fishing, so they're pretty widespread. But if anyone has anything they know works for upping the chances, I'm genuinely curious.

Ceviche · Jan 30, 2022

Evan Burck said:
To the point where it baffles me that they're not more sought after.

Trust me. They will be at some point. Kind of like rockfish.

Nick Clayton · Jan 30, 2022

Definitely gonna be giving these a try next time I encounter them.

As far as targeting them, I don't have much to add except IME anytime I've come across them they are not hard to catch. I dont know enough about them to really have an idea how to go about looking for them. I've caught them salmon fishing, tuna fishing, and a couple times on shrimp flies while targeting rockfish. That's a wide variety in type of water/depth etc so that definitely doesn't help much. Once located they definitely don't seem terribly picky regarding gear/lures/techniques.

SilverFly · Feb 3, 2022

I'll have my 6pc 8wt stuffed in my offshore bag in case we get into these suckers. Can't wait to try one grilled.

Ceviche · Feb 3, 2022

Now that I think of it, I think I got into a mess of Jack Mackerel off of Neah Bay (off of Waddah Island), back in the late-Spring/early-Summer 1990s. Can’t remember the lure: my pre-flyfishing era. But they seemed to like a fairly swift, kind of sprinting retrieve. Might have been using a Buzz Bomb.

So is this the same fish as the one the Japanese call, “Aji”? Aji might be Horse Mackerel, though. I’ve seen Aji on the sushi menu and served up grilled. My mom thought that the grilled Aji at Tsukushinbo was very good.

For sushi, I think the fillets are cured in probably rice vinegar to achieve a milder taste. I don’t recall for how long. Maybe to leave a mild and sweeter taste behind.

Found all that info online when I got curious about my mom’s liking mackerel.

Might be smart to ikejime the fish as soon as catching, to further minimize funky smell and taste and to improve shelf-life. Anyone try that yet? I want to get myself the tools:

Shinkeijime Long Fish Spike Wire Tool Combo Set

Shinkeijime Long Fish Spike Wire Tool Combo Set Shinkei-Jime, the Art of Destroying Nerve to Extend Freshness We have more sizes and types available at our BRAND NEW Fishing Tackle online store FishXtrada.com! Please visit and check them out! "Shinkei Jime" is the traditional fish killing method...

lumicausa.com

Yes, I want one—but only after I get my saltwater game locked in. Gotta deserve new cool tools.

Anyone who has done Ikejime automatically wins my “Exceptional Catch, Kill, and Eat” Angler award.

Evan B · Feb 4, 2022

Ceviche said:
Now that I think of it, I think I got into a mess of Jack Mackerel off of Neah Bay (off of Waddah Island), back in the late-Spring/early-Summer 1990s. Can’t remember the lure: my pre-flyfishing era. But they seemed to like a fairly swift, kind of sprinting retrieve. Might have been using a Buzz Bomb.

So is this the same fish as the one the Japanese call, “Aji”? Aji might be Horse Mackerel, though. I’ve seen Aji on the sushi menu and served up grilled. My mom thought that the grilled Aji at Tsukushinbo was very good.

For sushi, I think the fillets are cured in probably rice vinegar to achieve a milder taste. I don’t recall for how long. Maybe to leave a mild and sweeter taste behind.

Found all that info online when I got curious about my mom’s liking mackerel.

Might be smart to ikejime the fish as soon as catching, to further minimize funky smell and taste and to improve shelf-life. Anyone try that yet? I want to get myself the tools:

Shinkeijime Long Fish Spike Wire Tool Combo Set

Shinkeijime Long Fish Spike Wire Tool Combo Set Shinkei-Jime, the Art of Destroying Nerve to Extend Freshness We have more sizes and types available at our BRAND NEW Fishing Tackle online store FishXtrada.com! Please visit and check them out! "Shinkei Jime" is the traditional fish killing method...

lumicausa.com

Yes, I want one—but only after I get my saltwater game locked in. Gotta deserve new cool tools.

Anyone who has done Ikejime automatically wins my “Exceptional Catch, Kill, and Eat” Angler award.

Aji are actual mackerel. Like I always have to remind everyone when having this discussion: Jack Mackerel are not mackerel. They're a jack. Really should give them a different name. Confuses everyone.

Ceviche · Feb 5, 2022

Evan Burck said:
Aji are actual mackerel. Like I always have to remind everyone when having this discussion: Jack Mackerel are not mackerel. They're a jack. Really should give them a different name. Confuses everyone.

I’m not disagreeing with you. It’s just the pictures I keep seeing online, as well as the misnomering you’ve been talking about. Yes: “Confuses everyone.”

Maybe you could post comparative pictures, extended fins and all, to help folks discern the difference.

SSPey · Feb 5, 2022

Thanks for the culinary nudge. I’ve caught them trolling the big blue for salmon but my fishing bud (former commercial fisherman) said he didn’t care for them as eating and recommended we toss it back. Next time I will keep one to sample.

Evan B · Feb 5, 2022

SSPey said:
Thanks for the culinary nudge. I’ve caught them trolling the big blue for salmon but my fishing bud (former commercial fisherman) said he didn’t care for them as eating and recommended we toss it back. Next time I will keep one to sample.

G_Smolt · Feb 5, 2022

Got pics of the whole fish?

I'm intrigued.

Evan B · Feb 5, 2022

G_Smolt said:
Got pics of the whole fish?

I'm intrigued.

no idea why but this is the only one i've taken

G_Smolt · Feb 5, 2022

Interesting.

I'll have to find one and eat it now.

SilverFly · Feb 6, 2022

G_Smolt said:
Got pics of the whole fish?

I'm intrigued.

Not much of a fight on the 13wt - and a small one at that, but fly caught none the less. The main ID diff with true (Pacific) Mackerel is no stripes.

SSPey · Feb 7, 2022

Here’s one that ate a pink clouser in the wash. Always a pleasant surprise to get bit, but not much fight on a 9 wt, either ... very sudden take with minimal fight ... “Pacific Pike Minnow”