What did I catch?

seasquid · 09-22-2003, 03:29 PM

I was fishing for perch yesterday in Yaquina Bay and I caught something I had never seen. Even the guy I was fishing with, very experienced, had never seen this fish. Sorry, no camera.

The fish looked like a mullet. It was about 15-16 inches long -- we actually caught two -- and had a very small mouth for a fish of its size. It was rather slender with a touch of yellow near the gill plate. It had a forked tail. At first I thought it was a mackeral. It was not a sardine, we caught those as well.

Any idea?

ss

Chum King · 09-22-2003, 03:45 PM

My best guess based on the information that you supplied is that it is a jacksmelt (Atherinopsis californiensis). You might check out this link to see if it is the fish in question: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/msfindx1.html

Chrome Bumper · 09-22-2003, 03:55 PM

Chum King, great website!

seasquid · 09-22-2003, 04:00 PM

Yep,

that's it -- Jack Smelt. Thanks Chum King. I hope Mr. Pacific Halibut likes Mr. Jack Smelt.

ss

Threemuch · 09-22-2003, 04:32 PM

Maybe mr. Halibut would like jacksmelt, but I don't think many people do. YOu can catch thousands of em off any pier in SF bay.
KB

Badger · 09-23-2003, 08:31 AM

Thanks ChumKing. Think I'll order from Plate 4, the one with the Tunas and Halibut. :smile:

Sensei-san · 09-23-2003, 10:07 AM

Chumking,

Since you are the maitre' de, I think I will order off plate one. The sturgeon and salmon combo plate with a thresher shark appetizer.

Now how come with all your computer saavy you can't just lift the CDFG pages and paste it into the ODFW website? They won't miss it.

Now Threemuch... You really don't miss catching thousands of jacksmelt when you where really trying to catch stripers off those piers in SF Bay do you? Isn't it refreshing that you can actually catch a real game fish like chinook salmon in downtown Portland instead of trash fish?

[ 09-23-2003, 11:11 AM: Message edited by: Sensei-san ]

Miss B Haven · 09-23-2003, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sensei-san:
Isn't it refreshing that you can actually catch a real game fish in downtown Portland instead of trash fish?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">WHAT????? :whazzup: The TUNA are in the Willamette??? :shocked: Sorry, bye.... Gotta Go!
:grin:

Sensei-san · 09-23-2003, 10:29 AM

Sure... A place called Newport Bay Seafood Resturant. It's on the water. The ahi is great.

wak'm&stak'm · 09-23-2003, 05:48 PM

My son caught one the other day also...

In the early years of Commercial fishing in BC, they caught them by the millions and rendered oil from them. In some places they let them decay in huge vats...yuk....

When I was younger and a little dock rat, we caught them and had my mom fry them for us....yuk again....

Sensei-san · 09-24-2003, 10:34 AM

Wak'em, Too bad they missed a few of the jacksmelt. One species that won't be missed if it was on the ESA list.

Are you sure that the BC commercials where catching jacksmelt? Seems to me that jack smelt prefer warmer waters. Maybe they where real smelt.