Filling the freezer with mac's

Hi,

I see a lot of references here and on other sites about people filling their freezers with mackerel. Just wonder, what for ? Is it for consumption ? (I know they are fairly tasty). I can understand that fresh mackerel when boat fishing is pretty good, but over the winter do people get to do much boat fishing with the weather getting more unsettled.

The few times I've used frozen mackerel over the winter for bass/cod I've had 0% success, maybe its just me but just curious what you are using them all for.

I think a lot of it is for consumption especially now with recession and all. I have seen more and more people on the piers fishing to fill the freezer which wasnt as prevellent before. I'm sure some is used for bait as the pike season approaches .

yes for bait, obviously frozen is not as good as fresh but in winter when there might not be much fresh bait around it works well for dogfish whiting conger and others I'm not too sure about bass and cod though, some people swear by half a mackeral with guts trailing out for bass.

it also depends on how well the fish has been frozen if they are fresh going into the freezer and kept at below something like -19c they can be in good condition when thre are thawed.

I used to have a freezer that would (it said) go down to -36 and the fish would be in very good coming out of it

Some people still salt them as well to preserve them as well I think it ends up being tough but fishy smelling and will work when there isn't much food around for the fish.

for me its 75% bait and 25% food - seperate freezers though.

you can get a hell of alot of macs in a chest freezeer - cant say i've actually ever filled mine even, though i do use the term.

dave

95% bait for me... it sometimes lasts me up to the next mac season...

Well worth than buying 5 euros a pack of 3 on off season at the tackle shops.

i would catch them and use the tails for pike bait. .

thanks for the replies, I suppose I should have known people would use them for whiting/doggies/conger, was curious to see what else people used them for.

for me i feed them to me dogs helps ther coat in the winter keeps them full of oils when out hunting and i use them for pike bait and the rest dinner potato cakes with grilled mackrel delish

same as ... i go out to fill the freezer so i will have a deffo supply of bait for the winter,, id be quiet happy fishing all night catching dog after dog, i wouldnt eat them from the freezer, iv heard the oils can turn bad while defrosting, plus the smell of them when they thaw on the beach is enough to turn me off haha,,

In winter we use mackerel for bait for conger, whiting, mini species, for tipping off lug worm etc. It's a usefull bait at any time of year.

Bait, never had more than ten in the freezer though. I wouldn't eat a mackerel that had spent longer than three hours out of the water. I'd never eat a frozen mack. As far as I'm aware (and I'm no scientist) the flesh, water and fat will freeze at different rates and the flesh will break down as a result. Once the fats spoil you are eating a seriously second rate dinner. Am I right in saying that some species of shark won't even sniff a frozen mac and yet eat tonnes of the fresh stuff every year. They must know something!

I use macks in winter for bait though never really filled the freezer, store about 15-20 but the bigger ones I double wrap the fillets (and set the freezer to fast freeze) and cook them up low heat though there is a huge difference in taste from fresh straight off the hook and frozen, If Ive been out fishin knowing im gunning after macks for the table, I'll take a cool bag with ice in it, catch and fillet them at home straight into the fridge for the dinner the following day, If I have enough enegry I'll even prep them and leave them sit in herbs ect over night (fresh herbs) so the following day straight into the oven or pan though I dont let them sit in lemon juice over night (did it once and they didnt turn out well I'll lemon them in the mornin the skin of the mack gives you an idea of the taste the fresher it is the better it is me thinks as far as sharks go, I have caught smoothies on frozen macks, but I've never seriously gone for tope so there might be something there??

D'ont take too many as they are not as plentiful as they once were!!!!