Most expensive fish by the $ per pound

[Bird Chaser]

Thanks for all the insights. I tend to avoid other boats, so no problem there, but will take heed and reduce speed to land a fish without stopping: Now let the wind drop so I can get back on the water.

[POUNCE]

I don't slow down and leave the rod in the rod holder to reel it in.

[dell30rb]

slow, but don't slow to an idle

I caught 26 mackerel saturday and only lost two. (All were filleted and eaten, and I saved the trimmings for chum)

The drill is to slow down from 6.5kts to about 4. One guy grabs the rod, reels in steadily and quickly and walks a few steps toward the bow of the boat. When the planer or weight comes up, another guy grabs the leader and begins hand lining it in, standing a few feet forward of the transom. Third guy grabs the net, stands at the transom and nets the fish as it comes up (scoop from the front!).

[Bird Chaser]

Sound advice, sadly I fish alone so have figured out a fancy dance for getting all those moves together. It is a challenge when the wind isn't working with the tide.. but hey better a day on the water alone than not at all.

[riverwatcher]

Looks as if there are a variety of ways to reel in the macks. When I first started, I used a net, but it became clear that the net acted as a conservation tool. I found out that it was better to go hand over hand on the line with the boat continuing at trolling speed of about 7 MPH. I have lost a number of macks in rough water when the fish skips off the top of a wave and the line must have got a little slack. Odds improved when I went to longer rods with flexible tips that tend to take up the slack when the fish skips out of the water, keeping the rod tips high and steady. I keep the boat at trolling speed and usually reel as fast as I can with a relatively high speed reel. But I am interested in trying the option of slowing the boat and reeling slower and keeping the fish down in the water when I am not around any other boats and hope that the planer does not reset.
The obvious conclusion is that I must do more fishing to test out these options.

[pepsi_man]

The obvious conclusion is that I must do more fishing to test out these options.

That's ashame riverwatcher.
I use the same technique you do, keep the boat under control, rotate turns and when you get to the leader lay the rod down and then hand over hand til the fish is in the boat.

[frogasm]

nice work and of course interesting topic. We typically just slow up a little reel fast and steady and fling em in the boat.

But man fishing in the NN sucks in the summer. Too much work for a 14 inch bluefish and an 18-20 inch mackerel.

[fishnnk]

nice work and of course interesting topic. We typically just slow up a little reel fast and steady and fling em in the boat.

But man fishing in the NN sucks in the summer. Too much work for a 14 inch bluefish and an 18-20 inch mackerel.

I agree totally 100%!! LOL