My guess would be Alewives looking for a place to spawn. The trouble is it is too early for them just yet. Although, considering this form's thread on, global warming, I just do not know. They have gotten themselves into real trouble in recent years and the DEP has placed a total ban on them for everyone period. Maybe what you are reporting is really good news.
As far mackerel go, you are right. The tinkers use to swim right up to our beaches in just a couple of feet water and the kids would have a blast with them from shore. I asked the commercial guys what happened to them and they blamed the environmentalists. Please do not get excited as what I am going to say, as I am still laughing at their response. They maintained that mackerel are very sharp eyed (true enough.) When we cleaned up our waters, also true, the sharp eyed mackerel just did not feel "comfortable" in our clean waters, hence the mackerel stayed in the more distant off shore waters. You do have to give it the commercial crowd as they can justify just about anything without any guilt aimed at themselves. Not only do I not see the commercial boats coming in with them, the Atlantic mackerel, I have not seen the tinkers in close for about, (a guess) 15 years. The last good catches that I heard about in my area was off the southern part of Fisher's Island. The standard rig was a piece of colorful plastic slipped over a hook. We would put three or four of them on and catch them three or four at a time. Very easy fish to catch. |