where have the mackerel and bonita gone???

[Andreu10555]

I've recently had some luck as I've fished for bass but stumbled upon the mackerel and bonito in the marina and Redondo's King Harbor, that being said one question comes to my mind...where have they gone? I caught them on plastics,crankbaits,swimbaits,even squid strips but they have disappeared and evaded me ever since two weeks ago. Anyone know what's up with the mackies and bonies?

[etucker1959]

I've recently had some luck as I've fished for bass but stumbled upon the mackerel and bonito in the marina and Redondo's King Harbor, that being said one question comes to my mind...where have they gone? I caught them on plastics,crankbaits,swimbaits,even squid strips but they have disappeared and evaded me ever since two weeks ago. Anyone know what's up with the mackies and bonies?

As in any Ocean surface fish, they are very sensitive to water temperatures. The last two weeks we had cold nights, so more then likely the surface water temperature dropped and there went the bite.

[Pecci]

The bonita have been nearly gone for years. I remember when I was a kid in the 60s & 70s they were had right & left on SoCal piers. When bonita are found today they are often not any larger than the mackerel. I have been told their scarcity is do to commercial fishing.

Mackerel are still to be found, but it has been a bad year.

Honestly, I think we need an El Nino year to bring the warm water & warm water species back to CA waters. Near shore waters fishing has been poor.

[etucker1959]

I have such fond memories of Bonita in the 1970's. I caught my first one off the bridge at Seal Beach, near where Marina Sport fishing is today. The half day boats use to talk about catching the 3B's in the Summer time. Santa Monica Bay was just a magnet for them. Half day boats, all the piers and the king of them all was Redondo King Harbor. It's too bad, when their canned it's hard to tell them apart from tuna. Which caused their demise off the California Coast, you can still catch the very large models offshore at places like the Cortez Bank. Catalina Island in certain years does get a run of the smaller size Bonita and just a tease of the past, a few still come back to King Harbor.

[Ifishtoolittle]

I have such fond memories of Bonita in the 1970's. I caught my first one off the bridge at Seal Beach, near where Marina Sport fishing is today. The half day boats use to talk about catching the 3B's in the Summer time. Santa Monica Bay was just a magnet for them. Half day boats, all the piers and the king of them all was Redondo King Harbor. It's too bad, when their canned it's hard to tell them apart from tuna. Which caused their demise off the California Coast, you can still catch the very large models offshore at places like the Cortez Bank. Catalina Island in certain years does get a run of the smaller size Bonita and just a tease of the past, a few still come back to King Harbor.

Oh yeah, Cortez bank! That's where I caught my biggest bonita! I've seen some monster 12lbers come out of there!

[etucker1959]

Oh yeah, Cortez bank! That's where I caught my biggest bonita! I've seen some monster 12lbers come out of there!

That's a great fish!!!!!! In the mid 1970's that exact same size fish would come into Santa Monica Bay. We caught them from Malibu Pier to Rocky Point. Everyone on the boat would fish small irons like yo yo 4's in blue and white color. None of the fish would be smaller them #6 and by buddy caught a 13 1/2 lbs. My biggest was about 11 lbs, the memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DockRat]

That's a great fish!!!!!! In the mid 1970's that exact same size fish would come into Santa Monica Bay. We caught them from Malibu Pier to Rocky Point. Everyone on the boat would fish small irons like yo yo 4's in blue and white color. None of the fish would be smaller them #6 and by buddy caught a 13 1/2 lbs. My biggest was about 11 lbs, the memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


10 - 4 Etuck. 5 to 8 pounders used to be common. Nowadays when they show they average 2 - 3 lbs.
Dam Cat food, net boats wrapping tons of Bonito and Skipjack for Purina. :Finger:
DR

[crappiemike]

The boners are still there
Swimming circles in the
Back .......



Cm

[DockRat]

Good news Mike. I haven't fished Joes Crab Shack area since my ticket, too POed. RBPD sent me extension a few days before my court date. After calling the cops on people legally fishing and making a video when nobody got a ticket they are up to something ? Probably due to the fact that I told the city attorney I planned on suing RB for police harassment (which I may still do) if they don't accept the fact that they screwed up. All they need to do is apologize and make this ticket go away. The new ticket date is Nov 21. At that time I need to plea not guilty and pay $381 to get a later court date to win my case.

I also found out that these 2 cops have been writing tickets and kicking out fishermen for a while at that area. These other fishermen have paid these $381 fines for legally fishing. WTF. The Harbor Dept told me that ' Fishing Allowed ' signs have been ordered and will be installed. Might hit up the city council meeting to vent and let the Mayor, Chief of Police, City Council know about this RBPD harassment going on. :Rolls Eyes:
DR

[Jig-Guy]

10 - 4 Etuck. 5 to 8 pounders used to be common. Nowadays when they show they average 2 - 3 lbs.
Dam Cat food, net boats wrapping tons of Bonito and Skipjack for Purina. :Finger:
DR

X2 The Purse-Seiner Fishing Boats wrap the fish in big nets and wipe out (kill) anything in the net. The catch makes fishmeal, cat & pet food, furtilizer and other products. I think the only tuna that they can not wrap (catch in their net ) is the albacore since when they try to wrap them the albacore swim streight down and get out of the net before they can close the bottom of the net. I think most albacore are caught on long lines, miles of fishing line and baited hooks out in our ocean. These long lines also kill tons of fish that the commercial guys don't want or need.
Go to Yahoo! and type in purse seiner fishing boats then hit search you will see the machines that catch tons of fish
I am not saying they are rats but I am selfish and do not want all of the fish removed. I hope there will be some left for my grand kids to catch. This is my humble opinion:Soap Box:, now it is time to be flamed:Finger:!

[carpinator]

The 70's ? During the 80 's I was still catching good size Bonita of Venice pier with Diamond Jigs and using clear a bubble with bonita feather trailer of Hermosa pier. It was a frenzy when the bones would come through. Back when I had to still stand on the rails just to get a good cast, almost got thrown over a few times by the crazed bonita fisherman. Those were the days, and what about the Barracuda? Log fishing ain't what it used to be either.

[GillyGreen]

I talked with a spotter plane captain that spots for the Bluefin fleet about the Bonita not being around. There are a couple different fleets down there. The biggest being the Bluefin fleet where all the money is made. The other is the Yellowfin/skipjack fleet that sells it for feed. In the cooler water years like we have experienced for the last number of years there has been little yellowfin and skipjack around for them to wrap. I'm not talking "the sportboats are killing them volume" I'm talking if it isn't 20-30 ton spots everywhere they could care less, so they take it out on the Bonita. ON a side note, I was out at the Cortez on a 2 day and it was nice to see good volume of Bonita out there in the 5-15lb class, but not when you are trying to catch Bluefin... When we get another El Nino I think we will see the good old days of Bonita fishing again along the beach...

[DockRat]

I talked with a spotter plane captain that spots for the Bluefin fleet about the Bonita not being around. There are a couple different fleets down there. The biggest being the Bluefin fleet where all the money is made. The other is the Yellowfin/skipjack fleet that sells it for feed. In the cooler water years like we have experienced for the last number of years there has been little yellowfin and skipjack around for them to wrap. I'm not talking "the sportboats are killing them volume" I'm talking if it isn't 20-30 ton spots everywhere they could care less, so they take it out on the Bonita. ON a side note, I was out at the Cortez on a 2 day and it was nice to see good volume of Bonita out there in the 5-15lb class, but not when you are trying to catch Bluefin... When we get another El Nino I think we will see the good old days of Bonita fishing again along the beach...

Thanks for the info. I know some ex comm guys. One dude told me his best day was him, his brother and dad (dads boat) and they got 60 ton between Cat and Clemente back in the 80's.