Jacksmelt

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#1
Never heard of 'em described this way —

San Pedro, which has been leading all the beach resorts in popularity and results for the past three weeks, was compelled to give way to Playa del Rey, which led all of the coast towns with the Waltonians.
Jacksmelt, great, big, shiny fellows, steel blue and silver-marked, with flesh as hard as nails and of the odor of freshly-packed violets, ran in schools of thousands all the week long and continue to swarm the waters about the wharves at the playground of the kings.
There has been jacksmelt caught in years gone by at every point on the south and west coast, but never before has this palatable and gamy little fish run in such numbers and size as present.
Think of a jacksmelt weighing eighteen to twenty ounces, and if it were not almost unbelievable, thirty ounces, and you have the size of the majority of fish caught this past week and the kind which you can catch tomorrow and the day after and the next day, providing wind and weather and water hold good.
Los Angeles Herald, November 7, 1908​
 

mav

Well-Known Member
#2
Man, I’ve seen some HUGE Jacksmelt but their mouths are too fragile to support their weight.

They use to be seasonal but after the return of the sardines, I haven’t seen as many as I use to.
 

Mahigeer

Senior Member
#3
One night fishing with the Skipper at the Golita pier, I caught some good size ones.

I had fun with a rig consisted of a single hook and an Ahi green chemical light stick three feet above the hook.

Once hooked the fish would put out a light show fighting the capture.