Originally Created: Jun 02, 2008 16:22
There seems to be much confusion on the water every year with the exact identification of Bonito, Little Tunny, Skipjack Tuna, and Spanish Mackerel found off of Long Island. For inexperienced anglers it is quite understandable, but it seems prevalent even among seasoned captains here. Particularly when it comes to food quality. Once learned, identification and preparation becomes quite easy and second nature. One old-timer I knew used to say "If its got big, nasty teeth, its one that I should keep". While this is not a perfect rhyme, it is a pretty good rule of thumb as both the Atlantic Bonito and the Spanish Mackerel have a wicked set of teeth and are generally considered to be the most palatable of the four. All 4 species are members of the tuna and mackerel family, known as Scombrids, or scientifically as the Scombridea Family which includes well known big game members such as Blufin Tuna, Albacore Tuna, King Mackerel, and Wahoo, to name a few. The largest of the scombrids are well known in one way or another for their tremendous speed, with some members reaching estimated speeds higher than 45 Knots, coupled with high maneuverability and strength.
While generally much smaller, these cousins are certainly no exception to those basic qualities and provide an excellent fight on light to medium tackle or fly rod gear. Unfortunately, many anglers do not know this because they never caught one on lighter gear as they are often taken as by-catch while fishing heavy gear for much larger Scombrids such as Yellowfin or Bluefin Tuna. Targeting them is as easy as jigging, casting or trolling small bucktails, feathers, or tins, and like the other members of the family they are not typically boat shy and will strike a lure that is presented close to the stern in the prop wash while trolling on the fast side. In fact, it seems a common error to underestimate these fish's abilities. I often see anglers presenting a large lure with finesse when a much smaller lure and much faster retrieve or trolling above 7 Kts, even to the point where the lure skips out of the water, will often draw a strike when other methods will not. A common summer sight outside the inlet, or word over the VHF, is fish busting water with birds working but "they won't hit anything!" Unlike Bluefish these guys will get very particular with bait type and presentation. If 3 to 4" anchovies are on the menu you probably won't find these guys hitting a 2 ounce bucktail! Think "match-the-hatch" and don't be afraid to troll FAST or retrieve a casted lure as fast as you can! I have experienced times where they are feeding on fry so small it would be nearly impossible to match and sure enough they will mostly refuse to hit anything else. Unless you have them schooled up thick on bait and are using something they are eagerly responding to, the best approach is to troll a variety of lures at various speeds and figure out if anything is working that day. My basic go-to lure has always been old school Jap feathers and small clones I make myself using octopus skirts, of which I probably have TOO MANY colors, weights and sizes to choose from... but others include small bucktails, spoons, small diamond jigs, or hopkins jigs and crippled herrings.
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| Some of typical bonito and false albie lures for trolling and casting |
Now it must be said that: Properly handling ANY fish, keeping it fresh, and eating it while it is fresh goes a VERY VERY long way. Particularly when dealing with game fish such as these 4 species it can make all the difference. ("treehuggers" may want to skip this paragraph) Tunas and bonitos should be bled immediately after being caught and while still alive. Bleeding can be done a number of ways. Some anglers have certain cuts they like to make in certain spots. A less professional approach is to simply rip the gills by hand. On my vessel, all Scombrids meant for the dinner table are bled by making two small cuts that slice each of the main arteries to the gills at the gill junctures. This small cut is really all you want as this artery is connected directly to the heart and will properly bleed any fish without injuring the fish to the point of where air forms in the circulatory system and the heart can no longer pump, or the fish is disfigured and dead before properly bled out, defeating the purpose! Since the objective is to keep the fish ALIVE long enough to bleed out, fish are kept in a bucket of water, given constant raw-water wash-down or tail-roped over the side until completely bled. Additional slices may be made to the arteries under the pectoral fins and at the tail which some believe helps drain the fish further once dead. After thorough bleeding the fish are gutted and placed in a cooler or "body-bag" to be covered in and stuffed with ice. Trophy fish or fish to be weighed in are the only ones that are not gutted. Any filleted fish not consumed the same day it is caught is vacuum sealed regardless if it is to be frozen or not, and I am NOT a fan of freezing any of these 4 fish unless it's for sushi/sashimi purposes.
The next thing I'd like to point out, and this is just my humble opinion, is that the quickest way to turn even a primo Bluefin Tuna steak into complete garbage hardly suitable for the gulls is to OVERCOOK it! These guys are no different, further adding to the misconception that they are trash.
Little Tunny or False Albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus) aka: tunny, false albie, little tuna, Atlantic tunny
Commonly caught here between 5 and 12 Lbs. Max recorded size 35 Lbs. The top half is shaded blue to green, and can be anywhere from a bright bluish or olive green to a very dark army green. Easily identified by the quite unique, WAVY and "WORM-LIKE" lines on the top half and the (not always distinct) "fingerprint" like SPOTS ON THE BELLY below the pectoral fin. It has a more robust shape and smaller teeth than the other 3, much like the true Thunnus tunas . It is pelagic, schooling, and highly migratory.
My favorite of the four! I have encountered False Albies along the ocean beaches, inside Fire Island inlet and even as far inside as east of the FI lighthouse in days gone by, and as far out as the canyons. Off of Long Island the False Albies generally make their first appearance in late July or early August, and will often stay well into the fall. It is not uncommon to run across a school of leaping false albies while striper fishing in the fall, even as late as a cold November.
For me False Albies are one of my favorite inshore/light tackle targets and truly are a diamond in the rough despite popular opinion. My experience is that this is hands down the strongest, fastest, and most agile member of the four. Pound for pound they could be the king of the whole family and outfight a Bluefin or Yellowfin Tuna. If only False Albies got as big as these tunas I'd be in Shangri-La. They do, however, provide a fight that could test any angler's skills on light spinning and baitcatsing tackle or fly rod gear. When first hooked they will often sound to the bottom much like a Bluefin, a quality that first earned them the name False Tuna or False Albie. Anglers will also find they are capable of lighting fast runs and will often stop and turn on a dime once brought to the surface much to the amazement of the angler. One fight I had lasted for nearly an hour on light 4# spinning gear.
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| Like most anglers new to catching a False Albie on lighter gear, she could not believe that "Such a little fish could do all of that!" |
As for food quality, for most people, they do rank poorly and truly are a gamey fish. A common joke is that even your pet cat or dog won't touch them, however, I believe that joke to be quite an exaggeration. If intended for the dinner table False albies must be bled, iced, and prepared ASAP. Their meat is dark red throughout and an even darker red strip runs down the center of the fillet which should be removed. When cooked within a few hours of being caught I find them surprisingly good grilled or lightly sautéed. Again, the key here is RARE RARE RARE, do NOT overcook! I have found, however, that any false albie kept longer than 12 hours is somewhat unpalatable for whatever reason, despite any number of marinades or soaking procedures. If, like me, you find yourself in the minority of people that is willing to eat them, or at least try one, use recipes suited only for game fish with a strong taste. I find them excellent raw when really fresh and properly cleaned. They won't fool any serious tuna sushi or sashimi connoisseur, but I don't think of them as being better or worse than real tuna, just different and quite good. Another alternative is to make smoked fillets which provides a substitute to other smoked game fish, such as smoked mackerel or smoked marlin.
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| Homemade maki sushi rolls made from a False Albie with fresh garlic-ginger sauce, pickled ginger, and plenty of wasabi! Not only fun to catch but quite edible despite popular opinion. |
Atlantic Bonito (Sarda Sarda) aka: green bonito, common bonito, belted or striped bonito, green skippy
Commonly caught here between 2 and 10 Lbs. Max recorded size just under 20 Lbs. The top half is shaded dark or light blue, green, or any combination in between. Easily identified by the STRAIGHT DIAGNAL LINES on the TOP HALF, more elongated mackerel-like shape, and noticeably LARGE SHARP TEETH. Typical of the Scombrids, the Atlantic Bonito is pelagic, schooling, and migratory.
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| Small "Greenies" like this one can often be seen blitzing bait with birds eagerly working overhead much like bluefish. However, unlike the blues, these guys will often be quite partial to what type of bait the angler tosses at them, testing the angler's skills even further. |
I have encountered Atlantic Bonito along the ocean beaches, inside Fire Island inlet, and as far out as 30 fathom curve. Their appearance in the waters off of Long Island seems to cycle and vary from year to year, and is most likely heavily dependent on water quality and on the presence of bait fish. There are many years I can remember them being the first of the group to show, catching them on the 1st sharking trip of the year, as early as May, and remaining here well into the fall. Other years you would not see one until late July or even August and they would seem to promptly leave. While Bonito lack some of the fight that a False Albie has, on light gear they will put up some strong, fast runs and will not let up until in the boat. If you think casting a school of bluefish or schoolie stripers with light tackle or on the fly is fun try a school of 6 to 8 Lb Bonito with the same gear... you won't be disappointed!
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| A great way to introduce kids to the offshore game and put a smile on their face |
One of the most overlooked qualities of this fish is food quality as it is often, and quite in error, confused with or compared to the Little Tunny which has dark red meat. The meat of the Atlantic Bonito is actually much lighter and cleaner with a dark red strip running down the center. This red strip also contains a row of small bones and the entire strip should be removed when filleted. While they are quite oily in comparison, any suitable BBQ recipe for Mahi, Striper, or Bluefish will work just fine with the Atlantic Bonito much to the surprise of many anglers that are in the habit of tossing them back or using them for shark bait because they do not realize what they have. Try a light teriyaki or Italian dressing marinade and DON'T OVERCOOK it! In other areas, particularly the West coat, they are grilled plain and served with dipping sauces on the side ranging from garlic-ginger soy to mayo-wasabi based sauces.
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| Some Green Bonito on the fillet table. At about 6 Lbs these were a blast to catch on light spinning tackle and are typical size for around here. |
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| The fillet is good white meat, except for the row of red and bones that should be removed. A little teriyaki marinade, some wasabi, a few ice cold beers, and these are pretty good for a summer afternoon BBQ |
Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) aka: spotted mackerel
Commonly caught here between 1 and 3 Lbs. Max recorded size 15 Lbs. The top half is shaded a light blue to bluish green. Easily identified by the large GOLD OR YELLOW SPOTS along the side of the body, more elongated mackerel-like shape, and noticeably LARGE SHARP TEETH. It is pelagic, schooling, and migratory.
I have encountered them along the ocean beaches and as far out as 20 nautical miles offshore. The Spanish Mackerel's arrival in large schools early to mid July in the waters off Fire Island used to be something you could count on every year. It has been nearly 2 decades since I have seen a real decent showing despite worthy reports of them elsewhere. Though generally running too small around here to attract much sporting attention, larger ones also provide a worthy fight on light tackle or fly rod gear.
Like the Atlantic Bonito, another very overlooked quality of this fish is food quality, particularly just because of the name mackerel. And like the bonito, the meat of the Spanish Mackerel is actually light and clean with a dark red strip running down the center. This red strip with a row of small bones should be removed when filleted.
Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, though there is some debate about placement of the skipjack in the genus Euthynnus) aka: skippy, oceanic bonito, aku, victor, striped tuna, arctic bonito, mush-mouth.
Commonly caught here between 5 and 10 Lbs. Max recorded size 45 Lbs, although unconfirmed commercial estimates higher than 75 Lbs have been reported. The top half is black to dark blue, and may have a few striking bright blue streaks particularly as seen under the surface of the water. Easily identified by the STRAIGHT lines running parallel on the BELLY. Except for these unmistakable lines its appearance and shape is quite similar to the Thunnus genus tunas such as bluefins and yellowfins. It is pelagic, schooling, and highly migratory.While I have encountered them inshore along the ocean beaches on occasion, they are generally found further offshore by at least a few miles and as far out as the canyons. Off of Long Island the Skippies generally make their first appearance at the same time the bluefin tuna first show in late June or mid July, as schools of Skippies are known to follow and even mix in with other Tunas. Skipjack are certainly no exception to the other members as for fighting ability, but since they are typically found further offshore and often accompany larger fish being targeted such as Big Eye, Yellowfin, and Albacore, they are often considered to simply be a nuisance. It is not uncommon for an eager 6 Lb Skippy to grab a Tuna lure or bait that is greater than half its own size, much to the disappointment of the eager angler who is hoping for action from a 100+ Lb Yellowfin.
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| Skippies, like this one here caught while jigging for 100 Lb class Bluefin Tuna, are typically caught on gear that is far too heavy to enjoy the fight and are often destined to become future shark bait |
Despite a tremendous commercial importance, as Skipjack Tuna make for a huge portion of the lower grade canned tuna industry, I find that even fresh caught they still rank relatively low as food. Although not nearly as dark as the false albie's their meat is a pinkish-red throughout and a darker red strip runs down the center of the fillet much the same which should be removed. Some have suggested certain marinades or soaking in milk prior to grilling on the BBQ as a solution. Cutting into chunks, a good teriyaki or Italian dressing marinade, and then grilled on the BBQ as shish kebabs with fresh veggies is worth the try for some people. I actually prefer False Albies over skippies and will rarely keep any.
Keep 'em tight
Keep 'em tight
