Green Vs Brown? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

taggermike · 08-26-2015, 08:08 AM

My bait making difficulty of late has got me wondering about bait choice. I know we use what we can catch but many have zero confidence fishing Spanish and will throw em back and keep working to catch the greens. Has any one had the time or patience to keep track of their success rates using green macs vs browns? I've caught most of my LJ YT on greens. But Ive mostly fished greens. Last weekend I worked for an hour n a half to make 2 Spanish. I can't recall the numbers but have caught many yt on Spanish over the years. My question is what success have you folks had using greens Vs browns? Thanks. Mike

Slug · 08-26-2015, 08:40 AM

I've caught maybe a dozen YT this year and I'd guess half have been on Spanish and half have been on greenbacks. I've been really into using extra jumbo greenness recently. I used to toss them if they got too big but I've found that YT will hit them no matter how big they are. I find greenies are a bit tougher so I'll use them first if I have both.

Dirty Curti · 08-26-2015, 08:42 AM

Spanish...1

Greenies...4

chris138 · 08-26-2015, 10:40 AM

Having great luck with spanish this year, on the yt and the tuna. Spanish are way better for fishing offshore yak because they can sit still and be super crowded into the bait tank. greenys have to keep moving and I cant keep more than 10 in lively condition if they are good size.

I'm prolly 3 yt on green to every 1 on spanish since January.

kjsdad619 · 08-26-2015, 11:53 AM

2 for 2 on Spanish but my friends have caught many YTs on both

taggermike · 08-27-2015, 07:15 AM

I've found the Spanish live better in the smaller kayak bait tanks. Theyre maybe not as frisky on the hook but live longer. They have a weaker mouth n head than greenies that can tear out. I've been rigging them with a bait needle and they stay lively and on the hook very well. Mike

TJones · 08-27-2015, 07:57 AM

But oddly enough I have caught as many or more yellows on the Browns. Probably because of the bait situation that takes place during the summer months at Lj. I hooked four this weekend and landed three . Half on Browns and half on greens . The fish were extremely viscous and fiesty . They did not care what color the bait was. If you put a Big Mac or a Whopper in front of a hungry fat chick , she will eat both . That's what my partner told me , I don't date fat chicks anymore .

taggermike · 08-27-2015, 08:31 AM

Good point T. When its this warm the yt are going to be less discriminating. Not like cold water when they get locked in on squid. I always check the stomach contense of the fish I catch. There's the prey you'd expect; Dines, chovie, macks. But I've found smelt, grunnion, senoritas, blacksmith, juvenile rock fish, shrimp, crabs, salema, and even flying fish when they're around. Now that's an opportunistic predator. Mike

Jim Sammons LJKF · 08-27-2015, 10:46 AM

I am more than happy to fish with either and have caught tons of fish on both. Also don't toss out that Bonita, if not too huge they are an awesome bait, just have to pin them on right away as they don't live well in the tank at all. For the record the browns or "Spanish" as we tend to call them here are actually Jack Mackerel, not sure why they started getting called Spanish.

tamddo714 · 08-27-2015, 09:22 PM

Fished twice for yellows at lj. 2 caught on greenbacks and one on Spanish. No discrimination so far but I'd still prefer a greenback

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

FISH11 · 08-27-2015, 09:39 PM

I used to spend a long time trying to catch the preferred greenbacks, now it really doesn't matter. If I catch more greenback, good, but only because they swim a little stronger. With the yellows I have caught it might be running 60 /40 if not almost 50 /50. The key is just to get either in numbers to out last the frickin seals. As Jim Sammons said don't pass on the bonitos, just put them on the line almost as soon as you get them. They won't last more than 15 minute in a bait tank. I like to think "Big bait, big fish".

Geno Machino · 08-27-2015, 09:52 PM

Spanish work great! Greenies work great! Bonita works great! Whatever your catching is what there eating!!!

taggermike · 08-28-2015, 07:14 AM

Ya Jim, that Spanish Mac name is kinda ridiculous. A Spanish mackerel is an east coast fish that looks like the Sierra you catch in Baja. Its an actual mackerel. Our Spanish macs, or jack mackerel, are jacks just like yellow tail. And not mackerel. Jack mackerel is like calling some thing a "dog cat" or "chicken duck. Our Pacific, or green mackerel, is actually a pacific chub. Common names get confusing. Mike

08-26-2015, 08:08 AM	#1
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Green Vs Brown? My bait making difficulty of late has got me wondering about bait choice. I know we use what we can catch but many have zero confidence fishing Spanish and will throw em back and keep working to catch the greens. Has any one had the time or patience to keep track of their success rates using green macs vs browns? I've caught most of my LJ YT on greens. But Ive mostly fished greens. Last weekend I worked for an hour n a half to make 2 Spanish. I can't recall the numbers but have caught many yt on Spanish over the years. My question is what success have you folks had using greens Vs browns? Thanks. Mike

08-26-2015, 08:42 AM	#3
Dirty Curti Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 419	Spanish...1 Greenies...4 __________________

08-26-2015, 11:53 AM	#5
kjsdad619 Just a Salty Sailor Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 193	2 for 2 on Spanish but my friends have caught many YTs on both __________________ So there I was..

08-27-2015, 07:57 AM	#7
TJones Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,526	I've only landed less than 20 But oddly enough I have caught as many or more yellows on the Browns. Probably because of the bait situation that takes place during the summer months at Lj. I hooked four this weekend and landed three . Half on Browns and half on greens . The fish were extremely viscous and fiesty . They did not care what color the bait was. If you put a Big Mac or a Whopper in front of a hungry fat chick , she will eat both . That's what my partner told me , I don't date fat chicks anymore .

08-27-2015, 10:46 AM	#9
Jim Sammons LJKF Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 947	I am more than happy to fish with either and have caught tons of fish on both. Also don't toss out that Bonita, if not too huge they are an awesome bait, just have to pin them on right away as they don't live well in the tank at all. For the record the browns or "Spanish" as we tend to call them here are actually Jack Mackerel, not sure why they started getting called Spanish. __________________ Jim Sammons La Jolla Kayak Fishing The Kayak Fishing Show JimSammons.com

08-26-2015, 08:40 AM	#2
Slug Junior Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 13	I've caught maybe a dozen YT this year and I'd guess half have been on Spanish and half have been on greenbacks. I've been really into using extra jumbo greenness recently. I used to toss them if they got too big but I've found that YT will hit them no matter how big they are. I find greenies are a bit tougher so I'll use them first if I have both.

08-26-2015, 10:40 AM	#4
chris138 donkey roper Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pacific Beach Posts: 968	Having great luck with spanish this year, on the yt and the tuna. Spanish are way better for fishing offshore yak because they can sit still and be super crowded into the bait tank. greenys have to keep moving and I cant keep more than 10 in lively condition if they are good size. I'm prolly 3 yt on green to every 1 on spanish since January.

08-27-2015, 07:15 AM	#6
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	I've found the Spanish live better in the smaller kayak bait tanks. Theyre maybe not as frisky on the hook but live longer. They have a weaker mouth n head than greenies that can tear out. I've been rigging them with a bait needle and they stay lively and on the hook very well. Mike

08-27-2015, 08:31 AM	#8
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Good point T. When its this warm the yt are going to be less discriminating. Not like cold water when they get locked in on squid. I always check the stomach contense of the fish I catch. There's the prey you'd expect; Dines, chovie, macks. But I've found smelt, grunnion, senoritas, blacksmith, juvenile rock fish, shrimp, crabs, salema, and even flying fish when they're around. Now that's an opportunistic predator. Mike

08-27-2015, 09:22 PM	#10
tamddo714 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 273	Fished twice for yellows at lj. 2 caught on greenbacks and one on Spanish. No discrimination so far but I'd still prefer a greenback Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08-27-2015, 09:39 PM	#11
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,642	I used to spend a long time trying to catch the preferred greenbacks, now it really doesn't matter. If I catch more greenback, good, but only because they swim a little stronger. With the yellows I have caught it might be running 60 /40 if not almost 50 /50. The key is just to get either in numbers to out last the frickin seals. As Jim Sammons said don't pass on the bonitos, just put them on the line almost as soon as you get them. They won't last more than 15 minute in a bait tank. I like to think "Big bait, big fish". __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

08-27-2015, 09:52 PM	#12
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 553	Spanish work great! Greenies work great! Bonita works great! Whatever your catching is what there eating!!!

08-28-2015, 07:14 AM	#13
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Ya Jim, that Spanish Mac name is kinda ridiculous. A Spanish mackerel is an east coast fish that looks like the Sierra you catch in Baja. Its an actual mackerel. Our Spanish macs, or jack mackerel, are jacks just like yellow tail. And not mackerel. Jack mackerel is like calling some thing a "dog cat" or "chicken duck. Our Pacific, or green mackerel, is actually a pacific chub. Common names get confusing. Mike