What the heck is king Clip???

[Captain Fred Archer]

Yes, Memory Land for sure, Barry and Giant.

A really cool fish (literally). Used to be common as dirt, right along with the whiting, which were nicknamed "frost fish" because on full moons in the dead of winter they'd come into the surf in huge numbers and people would walk along the beach with gunny sacks and fill them with ones that beached themselves and the cold air knocked 'em out, well, cold. They were so plentiful back then that it was easy to pick up dozens of them in a very short time.

Ling and whiting were not only great eating, both were very common GBFT baits for the sporties and we commercials when we were chunking. Whiting seemed to make the best chunks and both were killer live baits for the gorillas. We caught lots of big bluefin on them.

They were so abundant in the old days, it's hard to believe and to accept that they are gone. And yes, I remember when the trawlers got after them, including pair trawlers, and they started really whacking them. But to think that they took them over the edge is downright depressing. That should have been stopped.

Man, I could sure go for some smoked whiting right now.

Holwa...sure looks like one. Can you say "Ting-a-ling"? I sure hope you ate that ugly puppy! Uglier than a man's azz, but some mighty nice eatin'!

[BarryTurano]

Captain Fred,
I take it you were from the cold northeast?! You remember the nights on the beach. I only heard of it. Because I had moved away from Brooklyn and by the time I was old enough to drive those nights and tides (with the fish were gone). I remember guys fishing the Mudhole in September setting up behind a dragger while he was culling. It was instant chum time. I only have less than 40 days in the FRIGID north east then it's off to Wilmington, a new beginning.

[Captain Fred Archer]

Yup, older than dirt, I yam, I yam. And an old Joisey Boy too. Setting up behind draggers, lottsa tunas. Manasquan Ridge, Mudhole, Reazor, Acid Grounds, Shrewsbury Rocks, and so on and so on.

Sorry you missed the frost fish runs...they were a lot of fun and plenty of fresh, good eats. Heck, back then just about every tackle shop and fish market on the coast had a smoke house out back, full of whiting. It's really a shame that they're gone. Seems almost impossible if you'd seen the numbers in the old days. A clear lesson for all of us when it comes to what can happen to what seems to be an abundant resource.