Managed to pick up a decent Mack recently out near Lady Musgrave Island, about 45 miles out wide on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Got this on one of the outriggers on a balloon float with a live yellow tail nose hooked on a 10/0 Gamakatsu.
It ended up a decent day out for bottom bashing the standard reef species here, but this was the only action for the palegics for the day.
This one is goes about average for the area, and is probably about as large as I like to take them for eating, we get Ciguatera here in some of the larger fish and that makes some of the larger fish a no go.
Yep, mackerel sushi-mi is the biz, straight of the filleting knife lol. The Spanish Mackerel are one of the less fishy tasting macks, especially if you cut out all the dark meat. A fish this size though will feed my kids for a month!
Nice my biggest is 6 1/2 lbs.now mind you I’m in MN and that’s considered a catch of a lifetime here.
My wife’s biggest is a 5 3/4 smallie caught out of the Mississippi River not far from lake Itaska.
Nice fish. What type of rig are you fishing from? Maybe a little mini pontoon? I’ve been fishing from a kayak but that’ll be about over after this week. Looks like you have all the gear with you to slay them! peace
Yeah I didnt have a scale w/me but it was pretty skinny so I doubt it even broke 6 lbs. Somewhere else or middle of summer that bass would be a bit heavier.
Is Lake Itaska in Itasca County, MN? Just went there on vacation this year on big turtle lake. Was amazing! Did a lot of fishing w the wife & kids.
Yes it is, I’m about an hour and a half from there.
I’m nestled in right in the middle of the Lakes Region.
Takes me longer to hitch up the boats and launch than it does to travel to one of many.
100+ lakes all within 15 minutes of me.
I have 3 boats
I have an 18’ deep v lake boat
A 16’ little lund, like you see up here and a 23’ pontoon.
Hope you and the family had a great time.
Did you make it to a the touristy stops ie: Walker and Park Rapids upn this way?
Thats awesome, we did zero touristy stuff! Got an airbnb cabin on turtle lake near Marcell, rented a fishing boat from the nearby resort and spent most of our time on the water. We did go down to grand Rapids and canoed a section of the Mississippi but thats about it. Our lakes here are muddy and full of nutrients. Those lakes up there are something else entirely. Seriously contemplating a return next year, probably earlier so we have a better shot at walleyes than we did in late July.
