Whats this fish? Safe to eat?

[socal310]

Was over at redondo pier tonite. Had no luck using squid bait and i got to talkin to some older guy who was real cool and was telling me how he caught a bunch of fish yesterday. He had like 10 fish in a bucket while i was talking to him and i told him i had no luck today. He ended up giving me all the fish he caught tonite which was like 10. They were all dead by then. He insisted i have them because he caught so many yesterday But they dont look like the normal pacific mackerel from around here.

Is this fish mackerel? He said it was spanish mackerel. Is it ok to eat? My wife friend already want to fry them up.

Should i just use a future bait fish? Or is it safe to eat?

[socal310]

It has a row of small spikes along the sides close to the rear fin and a longer spike on the underside about an inch and a half from the tail

[socal310]

I know they are small like the size of my hand. I would have released them if I caugjt them but they were given to me already dead

[DockRat]

Spanish Mackerel. They are suppose to be great eating unlike the more oily Greenbacks.
If they are sitting in a bucket for hours I would pass. Next time ice them and eat them.
Good bait too. Pin on a live one with a weight.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcwZNPQQE5w

[socal310]

Thanks for the help and tip man. Think they were sittin out like an hr and a half tops cuz got there late and just started fishing next to me so i know it wasnt too long. Next time i will take ice and brine to save them tho i now know how to catch more at the pier. I used to use mackerel bait and squid but that works at marina del rey not so much redondo pier.

My wife friend took them home and cleaned them to eat today ao i think total time out of water coulndt have been more than two hrs


Also cool video, i been wanting to go to those rocks off of joes, always fish in there, but never got anything always used makeral or squid for bait, will try a lure like his now tho, just got a rapala Tennessee shad.

Was he using a lave makerel or lure?

[socal310]

someone else just told me its a hardtail makerel. or greenback horse mac google pics seem alot alike but ive ever seen these at redondo pier, only the bluish or green pacific macs

[bowler]

Mackerel makes some good fish cakes. Do what DR said plus make sure bleed them because it will make them taste better. To bleed them just pull out there gills.

[one long cast]

Everybody has a name for them, around here they are referred to as Spanish mackerel. They are great smoked (filet style) or marinated in light soy and sesame oil mixture.

[socal310]

thanks everyone for the feedback, they were fried and were good, but that soy and sesame oil marinade sounds awesome. as do the fish cakes

I dont see mac listed in the sport fish consumption list, does that mean no contamination at all??

[bowler]

The recipe for the crabcakes is on the back of an Old Bay can. Instead of the crab you add the fish.

[Ifishtoolittle]

Spanish Mackerel, Pacific Scad, or Aji in Japanese. Those guys make for some killer sashimi!

[flyhigh123]

spanish mack is reallllly good sashimi, but not sure i would try it off the pier ones.

do they get bigger?

[DockRat]

Redondo water is pretty clean. The Redondo Canyon starts right outside the harbor and drops several hundred feet deep. Lots of Krill comes up and Whales feed off shore. Mackerel run offshore and do not live there lives in the harbors all there lives. LA/LB Harbor is much dirtier.

People eat supermarket/restaurant fish all day every day thinking it is safe and clean even though they usually have no clue where it comes from. Go down to Ports O Call for fresh fish ? LOL. Look out by the dumpsters and the boxes of Tilapia and other crap fish come from overseas. Some of those fish farms in Asia feed the fish all kind of crap with little regulations.

Harbor fish that don't move around much are more risky. White Croaker, Opaleye, other perch have more risk of contaminants.

Go for it.
DR

[DockRat]

do they get bigger?

Those Pacific Spanish get about a foot. East coast gets big King Macs.
Wahoo are Mackeral and get over 100 lbs.
DR

[fishfinder]

i need those for striper bait.

[tony66]

I'm from FL and I haven't had a chance to fish here yet. I have to say, they don't look like the spanish macs I'm used to catching, man I've got some learning to do. lol

[Ifishtoolittle]

Those Pacific Spanish get about a foot.
DR

I believe they get even larger than that actually. I've seen/heard of some as large as 20". Tasty stuff for sure!