Pacific Bonito "swarm" in San Diego bay.

[CaptainDave]

Yea.... the fish most people try to avoid have taken over the big bay. It happens almost every summer, and this year it's been at its peak. They are hitting from shore, from the jetties, the piers and just about everywhere else.

 

[Greg Armstrong]

Marlin bait.

 

[wanderingrichard]

Marlin bait.

If nothing else they make good pattern studies for aspiring artists

 

[Josh]

I take it they are not thought of as table fare?

 

[Yard Sale]

Used to catch them on an old Fenwick 5wt when I lived down there 25 years ago. Good fun!

 

[Para_Adams]

I grew up catching those and had an absolute blast. Eating our catch later, after festering all day in a warm “gunny sack” sitting in the sun was not my favorite thing gag gag!

 

[Mossback]

Bonus points for using 'festering'...

An underused word.

 

[CaptainDave]

I take it they are not thought of as table fare?

I ate that one. It was great. But it was 8 hours out of the water. Fresh is king!

 

[chrome/22]

Some late summer days into 1st Fall out of Sekiu we'd get batches of Spanish Mackerel. Every rod in the boat would slam down at the same time.

We released them all as poor table fare was the local chatter

 

[Merle]

Those look like they’d be a blast to CNR from shore on a 5 or 6 weight!

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

Bonito are wonderful fish. A green and silver "crocodile" spoon is all you need. They fight like hell, and can actually get quite large. Using a 8' rod with a spinning reel with 8lb test mono, these fish are a hoot.
They don't taste great. That being said, There are ways.....freshness, removing the red
bloodline, and things like milk baths all help. I have personally tasted "tuna sandwiches" made from Bonito that were amazing,,, and far better than "canned tuna".

 

[FinLuver]

Bonito are wonderful fish. A green and silver "crocodile" spoon is all you need. They fight like hell, and can actually get quite large. Using a 8' rod with a spinning reel with 8lb test mono, these fish are a hoot.
They don't taste great. That being said, There are ways.....freshness, removing the red
bloodline, and things like milk baths all help. I have personally tasted "tuna sandwiches" made from Bonito that were amazing,,, and far better than "canned tuna".

Where’s the otters when ya need ‘em?

 

[fatbillybob]

I'll be there Thursday looking forward to the fun.

 

[Mossback]

Where’s the otters when ya need ‘em?

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

I would like to add that eating any fish coming out of San Diego bay is, IMHO, ill-advised. "America's finest city" aka San Diego, has one of the most toxically polluted bodies of water on the planet. The metal signs attached to the lamp posts in the parking lot warn of eating more than 4 ounces of fish and warn pregnant women to eat none. IMHO the signs should just say that this bay (San Diego Bay) has fish that are highly dangerous due to elevated levels of mercury and PCBs....

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

Sadly enough, there is a substantial community that pride's itself on its elders ability to "catch fish for the family to eat". Grandpa bringing home fish for the family...sounds great.. but these fish are toxic as hell.

 

[Dave Boyle]

Just as I left there in 2002, they ‘discovered’ that Shelter Island had a load of buried drums of god only knows what thanks some of the big military factories there. Likewise, a load of toxic barrels were dumped about 20 miles offshore. I use terms like ‘load’ because no real records were made. A lot of toxic crap for sure, slowly leaking out.

Dave

 

[fatbillybob]

Ah.....old news. Cali is polluted period from southern border to northern border