North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

I just read that the baitfish called slimy mackerel are found right around Australia. I've never heard of one taken in the NT, anyone else?

Used to catch them in SA off Port Giles jetty.

Matt, have caught heaps on bait jigs off stokes hill wharf. Dynamite bait for fishing Vernon Islands.

Slimy macks? Ya sure? I've jigged that wharf silly and never seen one ... never seen anyone else get them ... never heard of anyone getting them ...

Admitedly it was a long time ago, but there is no mistaking, they are very distinct from common sardines, the species and size of baitfishes at the wharf has changed over time.

Never seen slimies Matt, but plenty of long jaw mackerel which look similar

Matt Flynn wrote:I just read that the baitfish called slimy mackerel are found right around Australia. I've never heard of one taken in the NT, anyone else?

Used to catch them in SA off Port Giles jetty.

If thats the case, used to get them off Port Hughes/Moonta Bay jetties when I was a kid, and then later off Kingscote jetty. Never seen one up here tho. I remember we used to call them "chow". Never bothered to find out much more about them, as they weren't any good for squid bait, as we always used Tommy Ruff (Herring) instead as they were plentiful.

4-5 years ago we used to catch a small mackeral looking bait fish off the wharf, it had really slimey skin so we just assumed the were Slimey Macks. Whatever they were, they were the best bait around - stayed alive for a long time and really worked their tail which attracted predators, caught a lot of queenies with them!

Interesting. Jabsy those chow are horse mackerel, we caught them at Port Giles as well.

Used to love catching tommy ruffs when I was a kid, camping trips to the York Peninsula with dad are a great memory.

I have caught a few things that I thought may have been slimys but I have never seen a actual slimy mackeral (never fished down South) so couldn't identify them properly. On charter we used to buy big sacks full of herring and other assorted baits of one of the bait trawlers up here. In the mix were fish that I swore were slimys buy my eyes but I never confirmed it.

How good would those Tommy Ruff/Herring been for livies up here?

Slimies are just about the hardest bait to keep alive, after a gar off course. They require extremely good aeration, and need to handled very delicately, and even then they'll die on you. Google 'Slimy Tubes' and you'll see the lengths Marlin fisho's will go to keep these primo lives in good condition. For this reason I don't believe what Maaaario10 was catching were Slimy Mackeral.

Good point mac10.

Yes jabsy, tommies have some life in them. They are hilarious when they hit the deck, you could mix a tin of paint with them

Don't now if it is a slimy or not looks a lot like one got them off groote last week

That's a Long Jawed Mackeral. Bit different to the Slimes from down south

Fished with them in NSW for years, water to warm up here for them