I have slightly more idea how the locals set nets now. (we used to set on the high and caught on the outgoing, they set on the low, and catch on the incoming). Anyway, I'm hitting page 200 of 290 on this edit, and ever onwards. We have done little else but mince some wrasse for fishcakes and the cats. It's an acceptable fish for that.
That's how we netted Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus)by setting on the rising tide. They follow the menhaden and thread herring into the shallows, the forage fish going there because the rising tide concentrates _their_ forage in the shallows. We'd usually cut across what would turn into a small cove (a crescent about 100 yards wide)because a 100' 1 1/4" bar seine net is about as much as two people could handle.
ReplyDeleteWe used smaller bar (5/8") and shorter nets (40') to catch the outgoing tide for shrimp and small pogies. Occasionally we would cast net for mullet, but since it doesn't keep I was never keen on it, unless we were having a fish fry the next day.
These days when I fish using a pole for Spanish I still do it on the rising tide casting into the boil as they attack schools of bait fish.
I would set my net based on what is "running" and when it is running in your area. If the salmon chase the bait in the rising tide then that's when I'd set. I don't know anything about your fish there, but the fish worth netting all school up at some point. Finding out when that happens is the key.
It just takes a little local knowledge, Quilly. I was hoping for big mullet (local fish smokes really well) and flounder - both of which tend to come in on the rising tide across a broad front to feed on stuff that is already in the shallows. So they tend to come in in dribs and drabs on the incoming tide, and then feed as long as possible, and stay as long as possible to avoid becoming food - the big predators don't like shallows and tend to hang out in the deep channels, and only be around inshore on the full tide. So they get compressed and forced into big schools by the tide - and then run out down the deeper gullies, which is where you set. That's the theory anyway! But it turns out the local setters are fishing for predators - who school incoming to try and 'herd' the prey. Could be my mesh size -110 mm is a bit too big for local mullet.
ReplyDelete110mm is about equal to 1 1/4". Not sure I would want much smaller in a long net. Are the other fellows fishing for Jack or similar predators?
ReplyDeleteHmmm? unless there is something arcane about net sizing, 110 mm is about 4-1/3 inches, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing the edit, and good luck on the fishing -- so terrible, to be *forced* to go fishing ;-)
Danged conversions, yes it is 4 1/3". That's much bigger then anything I've used near shore.
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