What fish is this? Youtube Video

[MisterT]

Hello.

I saw this video and I am not sure what type of fish these could be. Video isn't great quality but the fish seem pretty big (for inshore) and fast chasing down the lure.

EDIT: I'm pretty certain this is in San Diego.

Let's see your thoughts.

 

[Brock Norris]

Hard to see ,maybe but is it calif or maybe yellowtail jacks florida there smaller thanks

 

[Red Fish]

As mentioned, hard to say from the video. If they were yellowtail, they were definitely jack. Check with other people at the location you are fishing, If there are other people there, they are bound to have caught that fish chasing your lure. I would say mackerel or bonito too but that is not how those pelagics swim. The fish was swimming more like a jacksmelt.

 

[MisterT]

As mentioned, hard to say from the video. If they were yellowtail, they were definitely jack. Check with other people at the location you are fishing, If there are other people there, they are bound to have caught that fish chasing your lure. I would say mackerel or bonito too but that is not how those pelagics swim. The fish was swimming more like a jacksmelt.

This is in San Diego and I hear that these are yellow tail and really smart ones at that because although they may follow the lure they do not commit.

 

[HookedUp!]

I'm willing to bet anything that the fish in the video are Striped Mullet. They do sometimes "chase away" lures as they are territorial, and I have seen this behavior misinterpreted as a predatory strike.

 

[bassfanatick]

I'm willing to bet anything that the fish in the video are Striped Mullet. They do sometimes "chase away" lures as they are territorial, and I have seen this behavior misinterpreted as a predatory strike.

That's my thought also Those Mullet can give you a heart attack sometimes.

 

[Makairaa]

Look like mullet. Also because the video is so zoomed in its hard for me to tell if they are actually chasing the lure. Several times it looks like the jig is being retrieved in front of where they are already swimming.

 

[Mahigeer]

Hello.

I saw this video and I am not sure what type of fish these could be. Video isn't great quality but the fish seem pretty big (for inshore) and fast chasing down the lure.

EDIT: I'm pretty certain this is in San Diego.

Let's see your thoughts.

I have seen orange mouth corvina at the Crystal pier. Or Mullet.

 

[Bendopolo]

Definitely Striped Mullet. They will break off and follow a lure, must be out of curiosity because they very rarely eat a lure. There is a smaller Male following a wider thicker Female. Those that claim to catch them are usually mistaking the Mullet with Milkfish. I caught a 16 lb Milkfish in Lower San Diego Harbor. Snagged it while Mullet Fishing. In all my life , I’ve never seen a Mullet larger than around 8 pounds. I did have a Striped Mullet follow a Roostertail Spinner all the way to my Rod Tip while Surf Fishing in Newport. I really thought it was going to smack it.

 

[HookedUp!]

Definitely Striped Mullet. They will break off and follow a lure, must be out of curiosity because they very rarely eat a lure. There is a smaller Male following a wider thicker Female. Those that claim to catch them are usually mistaking the Mullet with Milkfish. I caught a 16 lb Milkfish in Lower San Diego Harbor. Snagged it while Mullet Fishing. In all my life , I’ve never seen a Mullet larger than around 8 pounds. I did have a Striped Mullet follow a Roostertail Spinner all the way to my Rod Tip while Surf Fishing in Newport. I really thought it was going to smack it.

I'm sorry if this is a silly question, but I'm not sure what a "milkfish" is. Is it a nickname for another species?

 

[Makairaa]

I'm sorry if this is a silly question, but I'm not sure what a "milkfish" is. Is it a nickname for another species?

Its the official name for another species. Would be pretty rare in california, but I have heard the stories of 3 foot mullet in san diego from several people and those fish actually being milkfish would make more sense.

 

[Bendopolo]

I snagged one in the outflow of the Powerplant in South SD Harbor around 1972. We were selling Mullet to the Local Fish Store for .75/pound whole. My monster was 16 pounds. The Owner quickly identified it as a Milkfish. I remember thinking was a Salmon with the big Scales of a Mullet. Looked very close to a Mullet with a sleeker mouth. Similar to Bonefish with a forward facing mouth.

 

[Ken Jones]

The corvina caught at the Crystal Pier are shortfin corvina, fairly common in San Diego Bay and nearby coastal piers. No orangemouth corvina.

A few milkfish have been caught in California but they are rare; I believe the milkfish in that picture was caught elsewhere.

 

[Bendopolo]

Yes this was just to see what Milkfish look like. Not a lot of pictures from my 12 year old self. They were somewhat common in the Power Plant Out Flow sometimes. We thought they were weird Mullet. No internet to look up an ID back then. (Early 70s)

 

[Makairaa]

I snagged one in the outflow of the Powerplant in South SD Harbor around 1972. We were selling Mullet to the Local Fish Store for .75/pound whole. My monster was 16 pounds. The Owner quickly identified it as a Milkfish. I remember thinking was a Salmon with the big Scales of a Mullet. Looked very close to a Mullet with a sleeker mouth. Similar to Bonefish with a forward facing mouth. View attachment 3626

I wonder if there are still any milkfish back there or if they left when the warm water went away after the power plant was closed.

 

[haliman]

Yes this was just to see what Milkfish look like. Not a lot of pictures from my 12 year old self. They were somewhat common in the Power Plant Out Flow sometimes. We thought they were weird Mullet. No internet to look up an ID back then. (Early 70s)

We used to get jack crevalle back there too when I was a kid. Until now, I thought those milkfish were another type of mullet too. Also, there was always a shitload of big sea turtles cruising around there

 

[Bendopolo]

If there was a special population that depended on that warm water, they my be gone. I remember the Turtles and Needlefish also.

 

[Makairaa]

If there was a special population that depended on that warm water, they my be gone. I remember the Turtles and Needlefish also.

San diego bay in the 70’s,80’s into the 90’s used to have a unique fishery as the power plant would keep the back area warmer than everywhere else. I remember hearing that in the winter that back area could be as much as 10 degrees warmer than the mouth of the harbor. Allowed for some species to stick around all year. The turtles were always there and still are.

 

[MisterT]

Very interesting to hear stories from those who have fished in SD back in the day. Sounds like many interesting species that we no longer see.