Just an undersized or "juvenile" stripper. There was a time I'd "stretch" out the fish, lol, but want to teach her right.
Ah yes. The marina I worked at hosted a fishing tournament every year. They taught me how to spot a fish with a broken back.
Hey so this thread. The original question was on the big rattle trap and would it work in saltwater. We'll this was a heck of run this year. One day a couple of weeks ago I pulled up and the bunker were 5 feet of the beach and slapping the top. High tide, glassy and flat. Ran down with my gear in jeans and sneaks cause I didn't want to waste time. Used my biggest pole and an atoms popper hopping for a big cow. Nothing except snagging bunker. Let a few run off the snag and had a run that couldn't get hooked up. So went back and suited up bringing lighter tackle. Used a diamond jig with a teaser with some success then tied on the trap right to the line. A lot of casts, some bunker snags which were kinda fun on the light gear. Then just as I was pulling it out of the shore line, boom. A short run and a just short bass! Was so happy when it beached I kissed it and showed it to the sky for my Dad before throwing it back. So it worked at least once. I'll continue my experiment next year. Was actually my last fish of the year. Thinking about cod though.
Hey so this thread exists. Broke my own rule on thw Who's been surfing thread. I just wanted to say I figured out fishing from shore. The trick is to spend a lot of money. I lost so much tackle I should just throw dollars in the ocean. But the thing is I think so does everyone else. A good walk and I'll find my $ back in buck tails and other jigs. Found a minnow that just needed new hooks. A mag darter worth 20 bucks alone! I'm afraid to throw it but man it catches. Lost my oldest lure. An old Atoms popper.
There were a ton of really small bass like that around this past spring. They need another year or two to grow.
After dispatching the fish by stabbing it in the brain, slice through both gills by lifting the gill plates and slicing across all of the red ribbons of gill tissue. It must be done in saltwater, or the blood will coagulate quickly and not all bleed out.
Picked up another triggerfish today. Not big, but enough to slice up for sashimi and add to some takeout handrolls.
Not the tastiest sashimi I've eaten, but good. Took that little pile of trimmings at the top of the plate and tossed it with cilantro, avocado, diced garden tomatoes, red onion, jalapeños, soy sauce and sesame oil. Tell you what... it stole the show. Ate the rest of the slices with sushi rice and wasabi... not bad. Good protein, for sure.
Best to not dispatch fish. That defeats the purpose. You want that heart pumping until it has nothing left to pump. Cut the gills while its alive but not so much to kill the fish immediately. Cut a second time once first cut clots up and stops bleeding. Keep fish in water to keep it bleeding.
I've heard there are loads of blowfish in the bay behind my house right now. May give that a try this weekend.
Where'd that one get caught? I have this thing about sharks, where I never wish to catch one, or kill one, or eat one. Live and let live maybe.
Shot two more nice triggers yesterday, yielding about 2 lbs of perfect fillets for the freezer. Heading to Nantucket today... https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/85d65ca2-582f-423d-b7ba-17bef7cac6fd