Billionaire of herring is in panic, when there is mackerel bonanza on the West Coast.
DR-Inland in Denmark
Friday, July 26, 2024 • 4:02 PM UTC - in Denmark
In calm weather, you can witness kilometer-long schools of herring at the coast
In the video, makrells are seen attacking the so-called "herring schools." [21 minutes ago]
The sun shines, there is a gentle easterly wind, and deep in the water's edge stands a ten-meter thick kilometer-long school of fish, completely still.
Suddenly, hell breaks loose: A large shoal of makrells attacks the defenseless herring, which jump out of the water in terror.
Flocks of gulls discover what's happening and attack the herring from above. Soon, it's all an inferno of teeth, sharp beaks, and dead herring on the surface.
This is what it's like to experience a herring bonanza.
> I've never seen such large schools of young fish
> Kaare Ebert, biologist, Danish Anglers' Association
Right now, you can be lucky to witness this phenomenon along the entire Jutland west coast, as this summer has been visited by unusually large schools of herring.
One of those who have recently experienced the billions of herring in the shallows is biologist Kaare Ebert from the Danish Anglers' Association.
- While I was standing on a sunny day with an easterly wind on the beach in Nymindegab, I witnessed a dark school along the coast. I had my fishing gear with me, and while I was fishing, I could see it spreading. I walked nearly a kilometer along the coast on a school that was about ten meters wide - and it was, of course, small herring or sprats, says Kaare Ebert.
Elsewhere along the west coast, anglers are calculating almost exclusively with the herring.
They hunt a herring bonanza, which is really hard to predict.
You can catch some every time you cast, says Kristian Pavleka. [Photo: © Steen Færgemand - DR News]
On the pier and beach at Hvide Sande, anglers have been fishing for makrells all summer long.
One of them is Kristian Pavleka from Ringkøbing, who gives this recipe on how to catch up to 30 makrell in an hour if you find a herring bonanza:
- Check the social media, where you often see where it's happening right now. Make sure to have a large cooler - or a box with ice or ice water to keep the fish cool, as they spoil very quickly. And if you team up with someone who can scoop the fish out of the nets quickly, you can catch more fish while the shoal is present, says Kristian Pavleka, who loves the taste of makrell and can easily eat a lot of it.
Biologist Kaare Ebert from the Danish Anglers' Association believes that the large schools of herring along the coast are a sign that the stock is larger and healthier.
- Maybe it's related to the higher temperatures in the sea - or maybe commercial fishing for herring and sprats is more considerate. There are many possibilities, but I have never seen such large schools of young fish before.
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