Florida second report - little tunny!

[KamWalsh14]

Looks like a lot of fun! I don’t get how those tunny are considered trash fish by a lot of people over there; they seem like super hard pulling, cool looking fish. Nobody seems to have anything good to say about how they taste but I’ve tried the Japanese equivalent at restaurants and it’s pretty good when prepared right. I guess they do look like they’re super common and might be a nuisance if you’re targeting something else, just like the bonies here can be on days when you’re dead set on getting a yellow. Glad you’ve been getting on fish in your new state.

[BenCantrell]

Thanks guys! John, how deep do you think I need to go to find king mackerel? It would be fun to start using live baits like that blue runner.

I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to trying fish, so I'll definitely give the little tunny a try next time as poke or sashimi. I actually ate a decent amount of chub mackerel in San Diego (cooked though), and for that I just did a strong marinade of soy sauce, honey, sriracha, garlic, ginger, etc.

[PapaDave]

You might want to give the River side a try, should be bluefish, tarpon, snook, snapper, jack, Spanish and quite a few more lurking there.

My brother lives in that general area and that's what he gets. I'll be headed out there in a couple of years, but maybe on the west coast, not sure.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Originally Posted by KamWalsh14

I don’t get how those tunny are considered trash fish by a lot of people over there; they seem like super hard pulling, cool looking fish. Nobody seems to have anything good to say about how they taste but I’ve tried the Japanese equivalent at restaurants and it’s pretty good when prepared right. I guess they do look like they’re super common and might be a nuisance if you’re targeting something else, just like the bonies here can be on days when you’re dead set on getting a yellow. Glad you’ve been getting on fish in your new state.

The Little Tunnies are super hard fighters..... a big spoiler when anticipating a more desirable fish. One time I was targeting Wahoo while fishing a live Little Tunny, and my stoke was destroyed by a big cannibal. I have been told that back when 10lb snapper were superabundant, Blackfin Tuna were considered trash. As other species become less abundant, eventually Little Tunny will become more appreciated.

Originally Posted by BenCantrell

John, how deep do you think I need to go to find king mackerel?

In my area, they can sometimes be right on the beach following baits, but are more commonly targeted in 50-150ft of water. I would put it out as bait right in the same area you caught it, but ask a knowledgable local tackle shop for advice.

Originally Posted by PapaDave

You might want to give the River side a try, should be bluefish, tarpon, snook, snapper, jack, Spanish and quite a few more lurking there.

Including Red and Black Drum, Speckled Trout and Flounder. The Intercoastal Waterways are a huge fishery by themselves.