Paravane fishing line

[Evadne]

Just as an aside, what's the best place to hit a mackerel to kill it? I always seem to end up battering the poor thing to death with the winch handle. Seeing highland gillies kill a salmon seems to involve a light tap with a bit of wood.

I hit them on the head then clean and gut them straight away. Seems to do the job. Our winch handles are 1/2" stainless steel bar, so I have to be careful not to hit them too hard or it gets really messy.

 

[aslabend]

One good thwack on the top of the head should kill them but they may twitch for a while afterwards. You can put your thumb down the mouth and then snap the head back so breaking the spine - I tend to do this to the smaller ones as it's quicker than lining up a bash with the winch handle and avoids the mess that Evadne mentioned.

 

[Highndry]

I hit them on the head then clean and gut them straight away. Seems to do the job. Our winch handles are 1/2" stainless steel bar, so I have to be careful not to hit them too hard or it gets really messy.

A swift tap right on the back of the head is the answer and accuracy is more important than force. The gutting them straight away bit is the best bit of advice though. Like tuna (same family), there's a build up of lactic acid in the blood of a hooked mackerel. The faster you gut it and bleed it, the better it will taste.

Take that from someone that has caught loads and loads and loads of fish but doesn't eat them.

 

[Poignard]

Just as an aside, what's the best place to hit a mackerel to kill it? I always seem to end up battering the poor thing to death with the winch handle. Seeing highland gillies kill a salmon seems to involve a light tap with a bit of wood.

I just cut their heads off. Never did King Charles I any harm.

 

[aslabend]

I just cut their heads off. Never did King Charles I any harm.

that's just a bit to Al Qaeda for my tastes...... plus one doesn't want to get blood and fish scales on the gel coat does one.

 

[Spyro]

Just as an aside, what's the best place to hit a mackerel to kill it? I always seem to end up battering the poor thing to death with the winch handle. Seeing highland gillies kill a salmon seems to involve a light tap with a bit of wood.

If you fancy yourself as a bit of the Bear Grylls type hold the fish upside down one hand around its middle and with your free hand insert your thumb into one gill and peter pointer into the other, grab it's head with the rest of your hand, bend it's head backwards until its neck snaps. Quick and instant. Do this when holding it over a bucket or over the side as sometimes it spurts a little blood.
Always have a wet rag available to mop up the blood and scales

 

[KellysEye]

Out of interest Mackerel will take a small swimming lure, the ones with a chin. They will come to the surface if they see food.

 

[aslabend]

You can put your thumb down the mouth and then snap the head back so breaking the spine

Yer Bear Grills way sounds a bit dumb, much easier with the thumb down the gullet, no mess that way.

 

[SHUG]

I hit them on the head then clean and gut them straight away. Seems to do the job..

Cleaning and gutting what is this?
Take a cutting board and a sharp knife with you with you and prepare fillets on the spot without all that messy cleaning and gutting. There is very little waste. Complete the eco cycle by chucking the rest to the crabs.

 

[aslabend]

Cleaning and gutting what is this?
Take a cutting board and a sharp knife with you with you and prepare fillets on the spot without all that messy cleaning and gutting. There is very little waste. Complete the eco cycle by chucking the rest to the crabs.

Then take the fillets, dip in flour, egg and then rolled oats - pan fry in butter and serve with plenty of black pepper and a big slurp of lemon juice. yummy.

 

[ccscott49]

Then take the fillets, dip in flour, egg and then rolled oats - pan fry in butter and serve with plenty of black pepper and a big slurp of lemon juice. yummy.

Herring done the same way, herring rob roy.

 

[Adamastor]

I've just come in late on this thread, so please excuse me...
Have you folk ever fished with Rapala or Halco lures? I've had great success trolling behind a yacht, and they seem to be tuneable so you can get them to swim to one side or another, and you can trim them for depth.
BTW, we've also used a spoon- literally! They seem to taste best when pinched from nasty shoreside eateries, and with a leatherman, some Autosol to get a high finish on them, and a nail to whack a pair of holes in them, teaspoons make brilliant spinners...

 

[aslabend]

Have you folk ever fished with Rapala or Halco lures? ...

Not in this country, we used a planer and trolled large lures (like these) in the atlantic and caught a couple of tasty fish(Mahi-mahi). Another guy on the east coast of the states swore by rapala lures and caught a little tunny almost immediately. We then caught nothing for the rest of the trip.

I plan to do a bit more fishing soon and might well try a rapala on a spinning rod when at anchor. Will that work?

 

[Amulet]

Just as an aside, what's the best place to hit a mackerel to kill it? I always seem to end up battering the poor thing to death with the winch handle. Seeing highland gillies kill a salmon seems to involve a light tap with a bit of wood.

I don't blooter them about the head, but simply stick a sharp knife in at the back of the head and cut the spinal chord. It is really remarkably clean - it is really just a stab in the right place, not a slicing.

By the way, the thing that ghillies blooter them with is properly called a "priest".